[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Looks, brains, reflexes, rich family, and for good measure, vice president of the student committee. In other words, he's perfect.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And for good measure, vice president of the student committee. In other words, he's perfect.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Looks, brains, reflexes, rich family, and for good measure, vice president of the student committee. In other words, he's perfect.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But when it rains cats and dogs, an umbrella is of little help.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But when it rains cats and dogs, an umbrella is of little help.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] An umbrella is useful in a mild rain, but when it rains cats and dogs an umbrella is of little help.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You could tell by the ear-to-ear grin that came to his face that he really had something to smile about.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You could tell by the ear to ear grin that came to his face that he really had something to smile about.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You could tell by the ear-to-ear grin that came to his face that he really had something to smile about.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Among married couples, there has been an increase in divorce and separation, with the result that there are many more one-parent families.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Among married couples, there has been an increase in divorce and separation, with the result that there are many more one-parent families.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Among married couples, there has been an increase in divorce and separation with the result that there are many more one-parent families.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's been so long since we've met. Let's have a drink or two and talk about the good old days.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's been so long since we've met. Let's have a drink or two and talk about the good old days.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's been so long since we've met. Let's have a drink or two and talk about the good old days.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Attention is focused on the potential for growth of the personal and industrial use garbage compactor market in relation to trends in law.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Attention is focused on the potential for growth of the personal and industrial use garbage compactor market in relation to trends in law.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Attention is focused on the potential for growth of the personal and industrial use garbage compactor market in relation to trends in law.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The trouble is that people do not want hard enough to not have an accident.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The trouble is that people do not want hard enough to not have an accident.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The trouble is that people do not want hard enough to not have an accident.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I suppose that what we mean by beauty is that object, spiritual or material, more often material, which satisfies our aesthetic sense.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I suppose that what we mean by beauty is that object, spiritual or material, more often material, which satisfies our aesthetic sense.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I suppose that what we mean by beauty is that object, spiritual or material, more often material, which satisfies our aesthetic sense.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That person has had an odd grin on his face for awhile. What do you suppose is behind it?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That person has had an odd grin on his face for awhile. What do you suppose is behind it?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That person has had an odd grin on his face for a while. What do you suppose is behind it?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] No matter how learned one may be, he or she cannot be called a good person unless he or she has a sound mind.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] No matter how learned one may be, he or she cannot be called a good person unless he or she has a sound mind.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] No matter how learned one may be, he or she cannot be called a good person unless he or she has a sound mind.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When the school had no books or paper or pencils, she wrote the alphabet on the ground with a stick.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When the school had no books or paper or pencils, she wrote the alphabet on the ground with a stick.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When the school had no books or paper or pencils, she wrote the alphabet on the ground with a stick.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Not knowing that Nancy left him, I put my foot in my mouth by asking Paul how she was.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Not knowing that Nancy left him, I put my foot in my mouth by asking Paul how she was.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Not knowing that Nancy left him, I put my foot in my mouth by asking Paul how she was.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] After business came to a halt, many bathhouses added new facilities such as saunas and exercise equipment in an effort to attract customers.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] After business came to a halt, many bathhouses added new facilities such as saunas and exercise equipment in an effort to attract customers.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] After business came to a halt, many bathhouses added new facilities such as saunas and exercise equipment in an effort to attract customers.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Therefore, I'm giving up for now. I'll still try to check out other possibilities, but I think hopes are slim.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Therefore, I'm giving up for now. I'll still try to check out other possibilities, but I think hopes are slim.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Therefore, I'm giving up for now. I'll still try to check out other possibilities, but I think hopes are slim.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When we arrive at the house, Chin and Chilla were sitting at the top of a broad flight of stairs.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When we arrive at the house, Chin and Chilla were sitting at the top of a broad flight of stairs.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When we arrive at the house, Chin and Chilla were sitting at the top of a broad flight of stairs.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] This drawing is less than great. He needs something to do with the line here at the back of the leg.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] This drawing is less than great. He needs something to do with the line here at the back of the leg.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He needs something to do with the line here at the back of the leg.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They say you should consult the past if you want to learn about the future. History has a lot to teach us.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They say you should consult the past if you want to learn about the future. History has a lot to teach us.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They say you should consult the past if you want to learn about the future. History has a lot to teach us.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Your technical manager arranged a meeting for 1 o'clock pm on April 6th, but how about April 7th at 10 o'clock am?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Your technical manager arranged a meeting for 1 o'clock pm on April 6th, but how about April 7th at 10 o'clock am?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Your technical manager arranged a meeting for 1 o'clock pm on April 6th, but how about April 7th at 10 o'clock am?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm a little afraid that he will not prepare anything because I have not seen a presentation with his presentation material.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm a little afraid that he will not prepare anything because I have not seen a presentation with his presentation material.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm a little afraid that he will not prepare anything because I have not seen a presentation with his presentation material.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It is foolish of you to build a castle in the air while forgetting to drive in pilings for its foundation.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It is foolish of you to build a castle in the air while forgetting to drive in pilings for its foundation.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It is foolish of you to build a castle in the air while forgetting to drive in pilings for its foundation.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] She handed me the basket and suggested I wait until I got home to open it, in case anyone was watching.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] She handed me the basket and suggested I wait until I got home to open it, in case anyone was watching.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] She handed me the basket and suggested I wait until I got home to open it, in case anyone was watching.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] To tell you the truth, I tell Tony I'm going back to cutting the grass myself again next year, except for one thing.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] To tell you the truth, I tell Tony I'm going back to cutting the grass myself again next year, except for one thing.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] To tell you the truth, I tell Tony I'm going back to cutting the grass myself again next year, except for one thing.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The seals surface more frequently then, so a bear's chance of catching one at a breathing hole is greater after nightfall.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The seals surface more frequently then, so a bear's chance of catching one at a breathing hole is greater after nightfall.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The seals surface more frequently then, so a bear's chance of catching one at a breathing hole is greater after nightfall.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] No sooner had we finished working on one tough problem that the president sent us yet another straight from the top.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] No sooner had we finished working on one tough problem that the president sent us yet another straight from the top.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] No sooner had we finished working on one tough problem that the president sent us yet another straight from the top.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You haven't fallen in love yet, have you? I won't have it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Having that man become my brother-in-law, I absolutely hate that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You haven't fallen in love yet, have you? I won't have it. Having that man become my brother-in-law, I absolutely hate that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You haven't fallen in love yet, have you? I won't have it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Having that man become my brother-in-law, I absolutely hate that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] His boosterism makes it sound wonderful, but I wonder if he understands how hard it's going to be to actually carry out.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] His boosterism makes it sound wonderful, but I wonder if he understands how hard it's going to be to actually carry out.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] His boosterism makes it sound wonderful, but I wonder if he understands how hard it's going to be to actually carry out.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If it hadn't been for Lindenburg's luck and his knowledge of flying, he could have never succeeded in crossing the Atlantic.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If it hadn't been for Lindenburg's luck and his knowledge of flying, he could have never succeeded in crossing the Atlantic.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If it hadn't been for Lindenburg's luck and his knowledge of flying, he could have never succeeded in crossing the Atlantic.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Incidentally, that the gills of fish are bright red because there are many capillary vessels collected there. The same is for lungs.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That the gills of fish are bright red because there are many capillary vessels collected there. The same is for lungs.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Incidentally, that the gills of fish are bright red because there are many capillary vessels collected there. The same is for lungs.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] His utter failure at the last peace conference has taught him to arm himself to the teeth with new tricks and tactics.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] His utter failure at the last peace conference has taught him to arm himself to the teeth with new tricks and tactics.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] His utter failure at the last peace conference has taught him to arm himself to the teeth with new tricks and tactics.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'd like to say a word of thanks to all those gentlemen and ladies whose care I have been in.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'd like to say a word of thanks to all those gentlemen and ladies whose care I have been in.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'd like to say a word of thanks to all those gentlemen and ladies whose care I have been in.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If you are having temporary financial problems, and it is the cause of your outstanding account, let us know about it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If you are having temporary financial problems, and it is the cause of your outstanding account, let us know about it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If you are having temporary financial problems, and it is the cause of your outstanding account, let us know about it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] His untimely statement has not only let the cat out of the bag, but also upset the apple cart for the peace move.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] His untimely statement has not only let the cat out of the bag, but also upset the apple cart for the peace move.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] His untimely statement has not only let the cat out of the bag, but also upset the apple cart for the peace move.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The fact becomes self-evident if you take a look at the relation between this theme and those leading research on it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If you take a look at the relation between this theme and those leading research on it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If you take a look at the relation between this theme and those leading research on it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Freddy's been working the graveyard shift the past month, so he hasn't been able to see any of his friends who work normal hours.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Freddy's been working the graveyard shift the past month, so he hasn't been able to see any of his friends who work normal hours.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Freddy's been working the graveyard shift the past month, so he hasn't been able to see any of his friends who work normal hours.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But this didn't stop him from using his mind and presenting his ideas at physics meetings around the world.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But this didn't stop him from using his mind and presenting his ideas at physics meetings around the world.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But this didn't stop him from using his mind and presenting his ideas at physics meetings around the world.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If I'm going to have a wedding ceremony, I want it to be the best, so I have no regrets.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If I'm going to have a wedding ceremony, I want it to be the best, so I have no regrets.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If I'm going to have a wedding ceremony, I want it to be the best so I have no regrets.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He didn't want to take today's test, so he may believe that he was sick and didn't go to school.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He didn't want to take today's test, so he may believe that he was sick and didn't go to school.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He didn't want to take today's test, so he made believe that he was sick and didn't go to school.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] In the US, it is common to give a present such as glasses or a coffee maker to the bride at weddings.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] In the US, it is common to give a present such as glasses or a coffee maker to the bride at weddings.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] In the U.S. it is common to give a present such as glasses or a coffee maker to the bride at weddings.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Perception is based to a very large extent on conceptual models, which are always inadequate, often incomplete, and sometimes profoundly wrong.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Perception is based to a very large extent on conceptual models, which are always inadequate, often incomplete, and sometimes profoundly wrong.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Working, healthy people contribute to the reduction of medical expenses, the rise of the eligible age for benefits, and the curtailment of their costs.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Working, healthy people contribute to the reduction of medical expenses, the rise of the eligible age for benefits, and the curtailment of their costs.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Working, healthy people contribute to the reduction of medical expenses, the rise of the eligible age for benefits, and the curtailment of their costs.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Location check. The parties involved themselves or their attendants should look over the place for the MyE meeting in advance.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Location check. The parties involved themselves or their attendants should look over the place for the MyE meeting in advance.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Location check. The parties involved themselves or their attendants should look over the place for the MyE meeting in advance.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Since her parents were busy at work all the time, she had spent a lot of her time at her friend's house.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Since her parents were busy at work all the time, she had spent a lot of her time at her friend's house.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Since her parents were busy at work all the time, she had spent a lot of her time at her friend's house.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I just got a great job because of an introduction from a friend. Sometimes things happen when you least expect it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I just got a great job because of an introduction from a friend. Sometimes things happen when you least expect it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I just got a great job because of an introduction from a friend. Sometimes things happen when you least expect it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] On the English side to France, in 8 hours and 58 minutes, then turned around and returned to England.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Ms. Nicholas swam from Dover on the English side to France.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] In 8 hours and 58 minutes, then turned around and returned to England.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Ms. Nicholas swam from Dover on the English side to France.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] In 8 hours and 58 minutes, then turned around and returned to England.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] However, as living standards gradually came to rise, more and more people began to have their own bathrooms at home.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] However, as living standards gradually came to rise, more and more people began to have their own bathrooms at home.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] However, as living standards gradually came to rise, more and more people began to have their own bathrooms at home.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] An experiment I would learn much later, when studying the philosophy of science, had to arise from a real dissatisfaction with existing knowledge.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] An experiment I would learn much later, when studying the philosophy of science, had to arise from a real dissatisfaction with existing knowledge.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] An experiment I would learn much later, when studying the philosophy of science, had to arise from a real dissatisfaction with existing knowledge.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] This is the first time I've worked as a coordinator, so I may not have the hang of it yet.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] This is the first time I've worked as a coordinator, so I may not have the hang of it yet.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] This is the first time I've worked as a coordinator, so I may not have the hang of it yet.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When you enter a restaurant to sit in the smoking or non-smoking section.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When you enter a restaurant to sit in the smoking or non-smoking section.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When you enter a restaurant to sit in the smoking or non-smoking section.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Wood is a disappearing resource in much of Africa, and these stoves burn far less wood than the stoves currently in much use.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Wood is a disappearing resource in much of Africa, and these stoves burn far less wood than the stoves currently in much use.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Wood is a disappearing resource in much of Africa, and these stoves burn far less wood than the stoves currently in much use.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Pet loss refers to the reactions of shock and anger that occur in owners who have been beraved of their pets.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Pet loss refers to the reactions of shock and anger that occur in owners who have been beraved of their pets.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Pet loss refers to the reactions of shock and anger that occur in owners who have been beraved of their pets.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That is to say, a language is something that we learn and are taught, not something we know by instinct.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That is to say, a language is something that we learn and are taught, not something we know by instinct.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That is to say, a language is something that we learn and are taught, not something we know by instinct.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Time after time, I've invited them to come over and visit us, but time and time again, they've never come.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Time after time, I've invited them to come over and visit us, but time and time again, they've never come.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Time after time, I've invited them to come over and visit us, but time and time again, they've never come.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The dining hall is directly adjacent to the lobby, or rather from where you are. It's just three steps away?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The dining hall is directly adjacent to the lobby or rather from where you are. It's just three steps away.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The dining hall is directly adjacent to the lobby, or rather from where you are. It's just three steps away?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It was believed that the success of their crops depended on the way the players threw or kicked the ball during the game.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It was believed that the success of their crops depended on the way the players threw or kicked the ball during the game.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It was believed that the success of their crops depended on the way the players threw or kicked the ball during the game.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'd stop worrying about it and take some action. The anxiety that comes from doing nothing is worse than any danger you might face.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'd stop worrying about it and take some action. The anxiety that comes from doing nothing is worse than any danger you might face.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'd stop worrying about it and take some action. The anxiety that comes from doing nothing is worse than any danger you might face.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You'll never be able to lead if you don't set an example worth following.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You'll never be able to lead if you don't set an example worth following.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You'll never be able to lead if you don't set an example worth following.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Although it is not a bad thing in itself, in a lot of cases, many people are watching too much television.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Although it is not a bad thing in itself, in a lot of cases, many people are watching too much television.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Although it is not a bad thing in itself, in a lot of cases, many people are watching too much television.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I always buy the English language books I come across at bookstores, but since I never read them, all they do is pile up.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I always buy the English language books I come across at bookstores.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But since I never read them, all they do is pile up.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I always buy the English language books I come across at bookstores, but since I never read them, all they do is pile up.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Then you can be issued with a new license in the following way.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Then you can be issued with a new license in the following way.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If your license exceeds its validity period, then you can be issued with a new license in the following way.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The stories, which you read in this book, deal with some of the many problems which face young people.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The stories, which you read in this book, deal with some of the many problems which face young people.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The stories, which you read in this book, deal with some of the many problems which face young people.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The three organizations are the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The three organizations are the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The three organizations are the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A mailbag from a single sender addressed to one recipient. As the name suggests, it's for delivering a bag of printed matter.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A mailbag from a single sender addressed to one recipient. As the name suggests, it's for delivering a bag of printed matter.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A mailbag from a single sender addressed to one recipient.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] As the name suggests, it's for delivering a bag of printed matter.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] There was, however, a need for food to be carried from the bowl to the mouth, and chopsticks came along to meet that need.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] There was, however, a need for food to be carried from the bowl to the mouth, and chopsticks came along to meet that need.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] There was, however, a need for food to be carried from the bowl to the mouth, and chopsticks came along to meet that need.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm going to Hawaii next week, so I have to go and exchange some yen for dollars at the bank.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So I have to go and exchange some yen for dollars at the bank.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm going to Hawaii next week, so I have to go and exchange some yen for dollars at the bank.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think that if we do that, we're making a big, big mistake.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think that if we do that, we're making a big, big mistake.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think that if we do that, we're making a big, big mistake.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The command of communication skills in multiple languages is essential to any company providing goods and services on the world market.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The command of communication skills in multiple languages is essential to any company providing goods and services on the world market.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The command of communication skills in multiple languages is essential to any company providing goods and services on the world market.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When the frame is finished, the spider fixes lines of silk across it, just like the spokes of a bicycle wheel.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When the frame is finished, the spider fixes lines of silk across it, just like the spokes of a bicycle wheel.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When the frame is finished, the spider fixes lines of silk across it, just like the spokes of a bicycle wheel.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Of course you'll catch a cold if you fall asleep under the katatsu. You have to learn to take care of yourself.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Of course you'll catch a cold if you fall asleep under the katatsu. You have to learn to take care of yourself.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Of course you'll catch a cold if you fall asleep under the katatsu. You have to learn to take care of yourself.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] To persuade somebody that your recommendation is reasonable and wise, you have to give reasons and quote known examples and authorities.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] To persuade somebody that your recommendation is reasonable and wise, you have to give reasons and quote known examples and authorities.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] To persuade somebody that your recommendation is reasonable and wise, you have to give reasons and quote known examples and authorities.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Since their first appearance on Earth, men have gathered information and have attempted to pass useful ideas to other men.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Since their first appearance on Earth, men have gathered information and have attempted to pass useful ideas to other men.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Since their first appearance on Earth, men have gathered information and have attempted to pass useful ideas to other men.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] In Olympic competitions, a gold medal is for first place, a silver medal for second, and a bronze medal is for third place.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] In Olympic competitions, a gold medal is for first place, a silver medal for second, and a bronze medal is for third place.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] In Olympic competitions, a gold medal is for first place, a silver medal for second, and a bronze medal is for third place.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] What I noticed most about my Canadian high school, however, was the great respect shown by students toward their teachers.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] What I noticed most about my Canadian high school, however, was the great respect shown by students toward their teachers.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] What I noticed most about my Canadian high school, however, was the great respect shown by students toward their teachers.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A man who angers easily should learn to count to ten. It calms trouble like pouring oil on troubled waters.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A man who angers easily should learn to count to ten. It calms trouble like pouring oil on troubled waters.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A man who angers easily should learn to count to ten. It calms trouble like pouring oil on troubled waters.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But she had not expected to cross an ocean, enter a new romantic sounding country and find herself in exactly the same position.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But she had not expected to cross an ocean, enter a new romantic sounding country and find herself in exactly the same position.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Dreams flew out of that box when it was opened. Dreams of secrets written in disappearing ink and of overwhelming odors.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Dreams slew out of that box when it was opened. Dreams of secrets written in disappearing ink and of overwhelming odors.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Dreams flew out of that box when it was opened. Dreams of secrets written in disappearing ink and of overwhelming odors.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Several years ago, in the course of being interviewed for a job, I was introduced to a competitor for the position.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Several years ago, in the course of being interviewed for a job, I was introduced to a competitor for the position.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Several years ago, in the course of being interviewed for a job, I was introduced to a competitor for the position.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Tony realized that if he hired another crew, got more customers, and did the job quicker and sloppier, he could make more money.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Tony realized that if he hired another crew, got more customers, and did the job quicker and sloppier, he could make more money.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Tony realized that if he hired another crew, got more customers, and did the job quicker and sloppier, he could make more money.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When you start taking medicine, it begins working on symptoms like pain right away. But that doesn't mean the ulcer heals right away.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When you start taking medicine, it begins working on symptoms like pain right away. But that doesn't mean the ulcer heals right away.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When you start taking medicine, it begins working on symptoms like pain right away. But that doesn't mean the ulcer heals right away.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The great cause of stress for men is work, while for women, human relationships come at the top of the list.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The great cause of stress for men is work, while for women, human relationships come at the top of the list.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The great cause of stress for men is work, while for women, human relationships come at the top of the list.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Play. It's China service now. What a superb jump serve by Lee! Oh.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Astronomers say the sun unleashed a huge flare early on Tuesday, its strongest for four years.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They've warned this could create a geomagnetic storm around the earth, which might interfere with electrical power grids and communication systems.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Reports from southern China already speak of disruption to radio broadcasts. Researchers say the sun is becoming more active after several relatively dormant years. News item 44.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The World Bank says rising food prices have pushed an extra 44 million people into poverty since last June. The bank's food price index has shot up by 15% in the last four months alone.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The World Bank figures show sharp price increases in wheat, maize, sugar and edible oils over the past six months, with prices almost reaching the peaks of the year 2008, where there were food riots in a number of countries in the developing world.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Wheat and maize are the basis of many poorer people's diets.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Poor suffered a double whammy because they also spend a larger proportion of their income on food than those in richer countries.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well it sounds like a lot more than forty dollars, doesn't it?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yep, you're right. So why don't we look at some of the language they were using in the dialogue now in Language Takeaway. Language Takeaway.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That's right, uhm, you have to make the cell phone work.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] No, there's many things that you must activate to make work. For example, you must activate your computer software.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, like imagine your mobile phone is sleeping, right? And you need to activate it to make it start working.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yep. Now, one of the things they were talking about with this, uhm, monthly rate plan was an, was a rollover option.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, okay, I'll give you an example. Uhm, let's say you have 500 minutes each month, and you only use four of them in this month.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A fee is the amount of money you must pay for a service.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right. What's the fee for filling this bottle of water?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, you know, there are some interesting, uh, phrases in this dialogue and, you know, a lot of them can be used when you're talking about, uh, a negotiation or a contract or a deal.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, good thing you asked. A catch is something negative, something that's hidden, uhm, that makes the deal seem not so great.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But in the states, uhm, almost everyone goes with the monthly plan.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah. You know, another interesting thing that I've noticed when, uhm, living in different countries and seeing mobile phone habits, uhm, Americans and North Americans respond very differently to a ringing mobile phone than other people do.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, it's interesting, an interesting sort of cultural difference in the way we use our phones. But what about listeners in your country? Do you answer the phone immediately or do you let it ring?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yep, Marco and I are always there to answer your questions, so until next time, thanks for listening and goodbye. Bye.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That's right Bob, but today we have a special treat for our viewers. We're joined here by Ian Rusi, four time Giant Slalom Champion. And on this special edition of the show, Ian is going to teach us the basics of skiing. So, let's hit the slopes.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Ha ha ha, butt plant! Ha ha ha, he lost his skis. Yard sale. Well, thanks for joining us here today. I think that about does it. Bob, Ian, time for some après-ski? No way, man. We'll have to grab some freshies.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That's right, Bob, but today we have a special treat for our viewers. We're joined here by Ian Rusi, four-time Giant Slalom Champion. And on this special edition of the show, Ian is going to teach us the basics of skiing, so let's hit the slopes.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Hahaha, butt plant! Hahaha, he lost his skis. Yard sale. Well, thanks for joining us here today. I think that about does it. Bob, Ian, time for some après-ski? No way, man. We're off to grab some freshies.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Don't get me wrong. It's not that I think you stole my computer. It's just that you were the only one who could get into my room.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Don't get me wrong, I think John's a nice guy. He's just a bit disorganized.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, Kristen did give me a hand with the slides. She's a real whiz on PowerPoint.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And so, that concludes my outline for our marketing strategy for next year. Thank you very much for your time.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, Kristen did give me a hand with the slides. She's a real whiz on PowerPoint.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, well, that was some good advice. You made some really good points.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A U.S. government investigation into safety in Toyota cars has found no problems as with the electronics in the company's vehicles. The U.S. Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, spelled out the inquiry's fundings.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Since 2009, the Japanese company had recalled more than 12 million cars and vans across the world to deal with problems such as sticking accelerator pedals.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Hundreds of indigenous Brazilians are protesting in the capital, Brasilia, against the construction of what will be the world's third biggest hydroelectric dam. An indigenous leader delivered a petition opposing the project signed by more than half a million people.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Environmentalists and celebrities say the dam in the Amazon river basin will harm the world's biggest virgin forest.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A U.S. government investigation into safety in Toyota cars has found no problems as with the electronics in the company's vehicles. The U.S. Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, spelled out the inquiry's fundings.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Since 2009, the Japanese company had recalled more than 12 million cars and vans across the world to deal with problems such as sticking accelerator pedals.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Hundreds of indigenous Brazilians are protesting in the capital, Brasilia, against the construction of what will be the world's third biggest hydroelectric dam. An indigenous leader delivered a petition opposing the project signed by more than half a million people.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Environmentalists and celebrities say the dam in the Amazon river basin will harm the world's biggest virgin forest.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A U.S. government investigation into safety in Toyota cars has found no problems as with the electronics in the company's vehicles. The U.S. Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, spelled out the inquiry's fundings.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Since 2009, the Japanese company had recalled more than 12 million cars and vans across the world to deal with problems such as sticking accelerator pedals.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Hundreds of indigenous Brazilians are protesting in the capital, Brasilia, against the construction of what will be the world's third biggest hydroelectric dam. An indigenous leader delivered a petition opposing the project signed by more than half a million people.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Environmentalists and celebrities say the dam in the Amazon river basin will harm the world's biggest virgin forest.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, you watch a movie enough times and you start to realize how unusual it is. Now we live today and are raising our children in a kind of...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Another thing that's really unique about The Wizard of Oz to me is that all of the most heroic and wise and even villainous characters are female.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now, I started to notice this when I actually showed Star Wars to my daughter, which was years later, and the situation was different. At that point, I also had a son.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh, he was only three at the time. He was not invited to the screening. He is too young for that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh, but he was the second child and the level of supervision had plummeted. So, uh, he wandered in.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I wonder what he's soaking in. Is he picking up on the themes of courage and perseverance and loyalty? Is he picking up on the fact that Luke joins an army to overthrow the government?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Compare this to 1939 with The Wizard of Oz. How does Dorothy win her movie? By making friends with everybody and being a leader. Like that's kind of the world I'd rather raise my kids in.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I mean there is a lot of great writing about the impact that the boy violent movie has on girls. And you should do that reading, it's very good.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I haven't read as much on how boys are picking up on this vibe. I know from my own experience that Princess Leia


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I don't know what I'm supposed to do. The movies are very, very focused on defeating the villain and getting your reward, and there's not a lot of room for other relationships and other journeys. It's almost as though if you're a boy, you are a dopey animal, and if you were a girl, you should bring your warrior costume.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I mean, there are plenty of exceptions and I, I will defend the Disney princesses in front of any of you.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uhm, but they do, uh, send a message to boys that they're not, the boys are not really the target audience. I mean, they are doing a phenomenal job of teaching girls how to defend against the patriarchy.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And we also have some terrific women who are writing new stories for our kids. And as three-dimensional and delightful as Hermione and Katniss are, these are still war movies.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And of course, the most successful studio of all time, uh, continues to crank out classic after classic, every single one of them about the journey of a boy, or a man, or...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uhm, you remember what the critics said when Brave came out? Ah, I can't believe Pixar made a princess movie. It's very good, don't let that stop you.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now, almost none of these movies pass the Bechtel test. I don't know if you've heard of this. It has not yet caught on and caught


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Fire, but maybe today we will start a movement. Allison Bechdel is a comic book artist and back in the mid 80's she recorded this conversation she'd had with a friend.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh, about assessing the movies that they saw. And it's very simple, there's just three questions you should ask.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh, is there more than one character in the movie that is female who has lines? So try to meet that bar.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Is there conversation about something other than the guy that they both like?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And yet, I very rarely see it in the movies that we know and love. In fact, this week I went to see, uh, a very high quality movie, Argo.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right? Oscar buzz, doing great at the box office, a consensus idea of what a quality Hollywood film is. Pretty much flunks the Bechtel test. And I don't think it should, because


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] We got quite a few scenes of the men having deep angst-ridden conversations in this hideout.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So let's, let's look at the numbers. 2011 of the 100 most popular movies. How many of them do you think actually have female protagonists? Eleven.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's not bad. It's not as, it's not as many percent as the number of women we've just elected to Congress, so that's good.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] In, uh, last year in the New York Times published a study that the government had done. Here's what it said. One out of five women in America


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Say that they have been sexually assaulted sometime in their life.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now, I don't think that's the fault of popular entertainment. I don't think kids movies have anything to do with that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I don't even think that, you know, music videos or pornography are really directly related to that, but something is going wrong. And when I hear that statistic, one of the things I think of is that's a lot of sexual assailants. Who are these guys? What are they learning? What are they failing to learn?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Are they absorbing the story that a male hero's job is to defeat the villain with violence and then collect the reward which is a woman who has no friends and doesn't speak?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] As a parent with the privilege of raising a daughter,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Like all of you who are doing the same thing, we find this world and this statistic very alarming and we want to prepare them. We have tools at our disposal like girl power and we hope that that will help.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But I gotta wonder, is girl power gonna protect them if at the same time


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Actively or passively, we are training our sons to maintain their boy power. I mean, I think the Netflix queue is one way that we can do something very important. And I'm talking mainly to the dads here. I think we have got to show our sons a new definition of manhood. Now, the definition of manhood is already


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh, turning upside down. I mean, you've read about how the new economy is changing the roles of caregiver and wage earner. They're throwing it up in the air. So our sons are going to have to find some way of adapting to this, some new relationship with each other. And I think we really have to show them and model for them how a real man is someone who trusts his sisters and respects them.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And wants to be on their team. And stands up against the real bad guys. Who are the men who want to abuse the women.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I think our job in the Netflix queue is to look out for those movies that pass the Bechtel test, if we can find them. And to seek out the heroines who are there, who show real courage, who bring people together,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And to nudge our sons to identify with those heroines. And to say, I want to be on their team. Because they're gonna be on their team.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When I asked my daughter who her favorite character was in Star Wars, you know what she said? Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Glinda. Now what do these two have in common?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Maybe it's not just the sparkly dress. I think these people are experts. I think these are the two people in the movie who know more than anybody else and they love sharing their knowledge with other people to help them reach their potential. Now they're leaders. I like that kind of quest for my daughter.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I like that kind of quest for my son. I want more quests like that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I want fewer quests where my son is told go out and fight it alone.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The shoddy systems and the people who refuse to do better. As a writer, as a speaker, as a shady Nigerian,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And how I choose to effect change is by speaking up, by being the first and by being the domino.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] For a line of dominoes to fall, one has to fall first, which then leaves the other choiceless to do the same.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And that domino that falls, we're hoping that, okay.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The next person that sees this is inspired to be a domino.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And here's the thing, I'm the person who says what you might be thinking, but dare not to say. And a lot of times people think that


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] We're not unafraid of the consequences or the sacrifices that we have to make by speaking truth to power.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] What happens is we feel like we have to. Because there are too few people in the world willing to be the domino. Too few people willing to take that fall. We're not doing it without fear. Now let's talk about fear.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was like, I'm gonna be a doctor. Dr. Lovey was the dream. I was Doc McStuffins before it was a thing.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I remember when I went to college, my freshman year, I had to take chemistry 101 for my pre-med major. I got the first and last D of my academic career.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So I went to my advisor and I was like, okay, let's drop the pre-med.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Because this doctor thing is not gonna work. Because I don't even like hospitals. Sooo... Let's just consider that done for.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And that same semester, I started blogging. That was 2003. So as that one dream was ending, another was beginning. And then when it was a cute hobby,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But it still took me two more years to say I'm a writer. Nine years after I started writing.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Before I said I'm a writer, because I was afraid of what happens without 401ks. Without, how am I going to keep up my shoe habit? That's important to me.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So it took me that long to own this thing.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That was what my purpose was. And then I realized fear has a very concrete power of keeping us from doing and saying the things that are our purpose. And I was like, you know what?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And then all these awesome things started happening and dominoes started to fall.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's going to be my year of do it anyway. Anything that scares me, I'm going to actively pursue it. So, I'm a Capricorn. I like my feet solidly on the ground. I decided to take my first ever solo vacation, and it was out of the country to the Dominican Republic. So on my birthday,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And then the cool thing that I did also that year that was my mountain was I wrote my book, I'm Judging You the Do-Better Manual.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The very anti-me thing that I did that year that scared the crap out of me. I went skydiving.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But then, I looked down at the beauty and I was like, this is the best thing I could have done. This is an amazing decision.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I feel like every day that I'm speaking truth against institutions and people who are bigger than me and, and just forces that are more powerful than me, I feel like I'm falling out of that plane. But I realize comfort is overrated.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And all comfort is done is maintaining the status quo. So we've got to get comfortable with being uncomfortable by speaking these hard truths when they're necessary. And I-


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And for me though, I realized that I have to speak these truths. Because honesty is so important to me. My integrity is something I hold dear.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But besides that, with these as my core values, I have to speak the truth. I have no other choice in the matter.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] People are so afraid of these acute consequences, not realizing that there are many times when we walk in rooms and we are some of the most powerful people in those rooms. We might be the second most powerful, third most powerful, and I firmly believe that our job in those times is to disrupt what is happening.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Everyone's well-being is community business. If we made that a point, we'd understand that for the times when we need help, we wouldn't have to look around so hard if we made sure we were somebody else's help.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And then I did some research and found out the white men who spoke there got compensated and got their travel paid for. The white women who spoke there got their travel paid for. The black women who spoke there were expected to actually pay to speak there. And I was like, what do I do?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I knew that if I spoke up about this publicly, I could face financial loss. But then I also understood that my silence serves no one.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So I, I fearfully spoke up about it publicly, and other women started coming out to talk about, I too have faced this type of pay inequality. And it started a conversation about discriminatory pay practices that this conference was participating in.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I felt like I was the domino the time I read a disturbing memoir by a public figure and wrote a piece about it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I knew this person was more powerful than me and could impact my career.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I came back to a viral post, and people were being like, oh my god, I'm so glad somebody finally said this. And it started a conversation about mental health and self-care, and I was like, okay, alright, this thing that I'm doing, I guess, alright, it's doing something. And then, so many people have been the domino when they talk about how they've been assaulted by powerful men. And it's made millions of women join in and say, me too.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] People and systems count on our silence to keep us exactly where we are.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now, being the domino sometimes comes down to being exactly who you are. So, I've been a shady somebody since I was three. This is me on my third birthday.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But I've been this girl all my life. And I feel like even that's been the domino because in a world that wants us to walk around as representatives of ourselves, being yourself can be a revolutionary act.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When it's time to say these hard things, I ask myself three things. One, did you mean it? Two, can you defend it? Three, did you say it with love? If the answer is yes to all three, I say it and let the chips fall.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That's important. That checkpoint with myself always tells me, yes, you're supposed to do this.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Telling the truth, telling thoughtful truths should not be a revolutionary act.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think we commit ourselves to telling truths, to build bridges to common ground. And bridges that aren't based on truth will collapse. So it is our job, it is our obligation, it is our duty to speak truth to power, to be the domino.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Ed, don't tell me you only have bad news. Well sir, our sales have dropped. No plunged. 50% in the past month alone. We are currently overstocked and overstaffed and our profits are falling fast. The market is in recession and we have no way of moving our inventory or getting rid of our staff.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uhm, uhm, how can I put this? Let's just say that at this pace, we will be filing for chapter 11 in less than three months. What? Geez, how could this have happened?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So what's the bad news? Oh, that's the really bad news. Our suppliers suffered QC problems, and well, half of our production is faulty. We're gonna have to recall all items sold in the last quarter, and the worst part? We're gonna have to shoulder this cost. Are you joking?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Don't tell me you only have bad news. Well sir, our sales have dropped. No plunged. 50% in the past month alone. We are currently overstocked and overstaffed and our profits are falling fast. The market is in recession and we have no way of moving our inventory or getting rid of our staff.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uhm, uhm, how can I put this? Let's just say that at this pace, we will be filing for chapter 11 in less than three months. What? Geez, how could this have happened?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So what's the bad news? Oh, that's the really bad news. Our suppliers suffered QC problems, and well, half of our production is faulty. We're gonna have to recall all items sold in the last quarter, and the worst part? We're gonna have to shoulder this cost. Are you joking?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Get the supplier on the line now. They have to assume the cost of this mess. We tried that, sir. The factory has gone under and the owner apparently has fled the country. Well, we're doomed. There's some really good news, though.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yep, so some technical problems, but you know, he used a lot of pretty, pretty interesting language and I think it'll help us to look at that now in Language Takeaway. Language Takeaway.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, well, the boss is uhm, not really happy with the excuse that the employee was giving and he said an excuse like that is tantamount to lying.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah. And the interesting grammatical thing here is that we almost always use a gerund right after. So tantamount to verb-ing.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, well on that happy note, let's go on to our next word. Now, the boss was really unhappy with the employee for procrastinating.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right, so when you're talking about a glitch and you're talking about computers, it's an error or a mistake, but we also use it to talk about any unexpected problem, a small unexpected problem.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, there was a glitch in our plan and we arrived 10 minutes late.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so the employee was blaming, uhm, his lateness on, on these, uhm, small technical glitches, but the boss didn't believe this, right?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, this is an interesting psychological word, uhm, and when you rationalize something, you think about it or describe it, uhm, like especially some bad behavior in a way that makes it seem better or proper or more sensible.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now because this is a little bit of a difficult concept to understand, I think we should hear some examples.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright and our final word, so the boss really wasn't happy with these excuses and he said, no more phony excuses.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, you know, one of the interesting things about English is that we have a lot of ways to make things sound, um, more direct, less direct, harder or softer. And in this dialogue, there are a few examples of how we use softening words to, but to, to do the opposite, to actually make it a little strong.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So another similar example of this is uhm, the boss was saying you're essentially blaming the tech team.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So essentially is like basically or uhm, pretty much uhm, so it sounds a little softer, but what he's actually really saying is, you're doing this.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That's right, so the employee says, I'm not trying to pass the buck here.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But you can think about it like this, like imagine he had some fake or phony money, right? And he wants to pass that on to the next person so he doesn't get in trouble.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So I'm not trying to pass the buck, I'm not trying to pass the blame, put the responsibility on someone else.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, so if you think about it like this, some people might say, okay, if you walk with a crutch, then you, uhm, you won't succeed, right? Because...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Whatever. Uhm, so this guy, this employee is basically saying, yes, I know that I should meet deadlines, but these, these problems, these glitches are like my crutch that make me not succeed.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So uhm, Marko, that was a little bit difficult to understand. Do you think we should give a couple more examples?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] This employee got in a lot of trouble for missing his deadline.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He didn't say, yeah, I know, it was me, I'm sorry, and this is my plan to fix it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But what's the standard in, uh, North American business practice?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So some good business tips here today in this lesson. Now remember if you have any questions about the language or want to tell us a little bit about how you assume responsibility in your culture, visit our website at EnglishPod.com.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Guys, this is not acceptable. If I say the meeting starts at 10, the meeting starts at 10, not 1001, and definitely not 1020. Alright, let's get started. So the first thing I want to talk about is our-


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Where is everyone? We were supposed to start fifteen minutes ago.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If I say the meeting starts at 10, the meeting starts at 10, not 10.01, and definitely not 10.20. Alright, let's get started. So the first thing I want to talk about is our-


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Guys, this is not acceptable. If I say the meeting starts at 10, the meeting starts at 10, not 1001, and definitely not 1020. Alright, let's get started. So the first thing I want to talk about is our-


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And what strikes me about Justine's story is also the fact that if you Google her name today, this story covers the first 100 pages of Google results. There is nothing else about her. In your book, you mention another story of another victim who actually got taken on by a reputation management firm.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So let's talk about your experience, because you stood up while writing this book. By the way, it's mandatory reading for everybody, okay? You stood up because the book actually puts the spotlight on shamers. And I assume you didn't only have friendly reactions on Twitter.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So the other night we were, yesterday we were at dinner and there were kind of two discussions going on. On one side you were talking with people on the table, on the other, and that was a nice, constructive discussion. On the other, every time you turn to your phone there is this deluge of insults.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Today we're gonna be talking about a popular topic all over the world and that is smoking.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well that's the thing, in every country in the world now they are becoming more strict on smoking and where you can smoke, so it's becoming very difficult for smokers nowadays.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so on vocabulary preview, we're gonna take a look at this word, pack of smokes.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right, but a pack is, you know, like 20 cigarettes.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so, it is a little bit extreme though, I mean, he's divorcing her cause she won't quit.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, well as he was complaining about all the negative effects and the negative aspects of smoking, he did mention, both of them mentioned a lot of great words and phrases, so why don't we take a look at them now in Language Takeaway.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So the residue or the stuff that when you're smoking it comes out the grey, I don't know, like dust, it's called ash.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Ashtray, alright. Well, and the guy was complaining, and he said, well, I thought you were gonna quit smoking, and she said, no, no. I said I was going to cut down.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so if I say I'm gonna cut down on smoking, it's just I'm gonna smoke less.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Like two or three? Two or three? Instead of quitting, so if you quit smoking, that would mean zero.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right. And I think we have a couple of examples of other ways we can use this phrase, cut down. So, let's listen to them now.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right, so you want to light up with the lighter matches or some sort of fire.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right, so you can't smoke in here. You can't smoke in here. It's another way of saying smoking.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Very good. And she was explaining, you know, how difficult it is, and she's trying to quit, but she said, I don't have the willpower to just quit.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So if I have willpower, I have strong willpower, what am I saying?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So that happens, right? Sometimes you don't have strong enough willpower so you kind of eat a little bit of cake when nobody's watching.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright. And well, she said she had this urge to reach for her pack of smokes.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Cravings or urge to do something. Alright, interesting. So we've taken a look at these five great words and I think we should listen to our dialogue again. We're gonna slow it down just a little bit and then we'll come back and talk some more.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so let's take a look at them now in Fluency Builder.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So on Fluency Builder today, let's take a look at two different phrases, and let's start with the first one. She mentions something about going cold turkey overnight. What is that phrase, cold turkey?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right, okay, going cold turkey. Alright, and well, he was explaining the different negative aspects of smoking. He said, well, you know, they spend a fortune on cigarettes every month, and he said, laws are cracking down. So, if the laws are cracking down, what is he trying to say there?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think for this phrase we should listen to a couple of more examples just to make sure we understand it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so the government is cracking down. Laws are cracking down.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, great. So I think it's time for us to listen to this dialogue for one last time, and then we'll come back and talk a little bit more about this vice.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm really not, I'm the type of person that could maybe smoke socially, like if we go out to a bar with drinks, a social smoker like they call it, right?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm jealous. But not really. You're a habitual smoker, right?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now, it is interesting because, like we mentioned, laws are cracking down on where you can smoke, but also taxes and cigarettes are becoming much more expensive, right?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now another interesting thing and what I was reading recently is that, you know, those warnings that come on cigarette packs. Yeaah. That say, you know, smoking kills, smoking causes cancer. Actually a study has proven that it's not effective, that people don't mind it or even worry about the cautions on the cigarette packages.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But it's actually gotten to the point where people choose the cigarette pack based on the picture, so it's like, oh yea, give me the one with the black lungs, or give me that one, you know?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, it's interesting. So, it's not really working, I guess, uh, we're gonna have to find other ways to make people more conscious about this vice. We should, mhm. But, uh, come to our website at EnglishPod.com, tell us what you think about this, uh, vice smoking. Is it good? Is it bad? Are you a habitual smoker or just a social smoker?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Hello English learners, welcome back to EnglishPod, my name is Marco. And I'm Erica. And today we're bringing you part 9 of our romantic drama suspense action series, I'm Sorry, I Love You.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so it seems like our poor Steven is going home by himself.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I know, he proposed, she didn't accept, and now he's going back to India by himself.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think it's very common of movies you always expect the person to come running and show up but as you can see our dialogues are more realistic so it didn't happen in this occasion.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now, if I wanna come clean, it means I want to.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Exactly, okay, so I want to finally tell the truth or confess.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, come clean. So Steven wanted to come clean on many occasions, but Veronica said,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, make them believe or see something that is not really true.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You deceived me. Mhm. Alright. Very good. And now, the opposite of deceive.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now, undying. Well I think it's pretty easy, right?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It won't die, exactly. So he's offering her his love forever.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Very good. And our last word about love.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, I will cherish you always. I will cherish you always. So if I cherish somebody like my girlfriend, what would that mean?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, so I respect her and maybe you don't take that person for granted. Okay, to cherish someone.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now, if I tell you that I want to talk it over, what am I saying?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So you've thought many times of doing it, time and again.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Laura's always willing to help me at the drop of a hat.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, so as you can see, you can change it for different things, but basically you're saying, I can't do something immediately.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now, this is interesting. Let's take a look at this. Uh, foundation, what is that?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, so it supports the entire structure. Right. So here she refers to the lies as the foundation.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Exactly. So we use it metaphorically in this way, but we can always, but we always have to say it, but we always have to use the verb build.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh huh, so for example, a strong relationship is built on a foundation of trust.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Very good. So, always use foundation with built. Very good. Very interesting. And, well, I think we should listen to this dialogue for the last time, and then we'll come back and talk a little bit more about Veronica and Steven.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, what do you think will happen? Part 10, it all ends. So do you think they all just keep on living their separate lives? Will they meet again?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They still, still are confronted to terrible, terrible limitations. But schooling is there in the world today. Now, we miss the majority.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] 20, 50 or 80 percent. Now, this is what the US public and the Swedish answered. And you see, look at the Swedish result, you know what the right answer is.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] In winter, Arshan, a city in northern China, becomes a world of ice. Its rivers become frozen, all except one.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Upstream of the Khalkhin Gol river, there is a stretch around 20 kilometers long.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Even in winter, when the air temperature typically drops to minus 40 to 30 degrees Celsius, this section remains ice-free. People call it the unfrozen river.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Its secret lies deep beneath the river bed.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, so a pretty, pretty famous, now we have to tell you that we did change the speech a little bit, right?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, now uhm, I will as well tell you that this is a pretty hard dialogue.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So why are we taking this speech as our dialogue? What are we going to learn from this?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, uhm, so we're gonna learn some pretty difficult vocabulary but also learn some really useful structures like you said you could use in a resignation letter or even in a formal speech of your own.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Wow, so, uh, Eisenhower is a pretty good speaker, isn't he?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, Eisenhower said that in three days he shall lay down the responsibilities.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, so here I think Eisenhower is kind of referencing this and giving us a little bit of, um, bit of poetry in his speech.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yes, so he's laying down his responsibilities. Now, I think this would be quite an interesting phrase to use, for example, in a resignation letter.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yep. All right. So that sounds pretty good. Now he said he's going to be laying down the responsibilities in a traditional and solemn ceremony.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, so you might, you might say, for example, uhm, uh, on the 11th of November, when you're remembering the war, you might say something like, this is a very solemn day.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, so interesting verb, uh, no wait. So interesting word, vested.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right, so this power, this important power you have is given to you by the law, by the president, by the country.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So here Eisenhower is saying, the authority of the presidency is vested in my successor. So the power of the presidency will be given to his, um, given to the next, next president by law.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, it's kind of a blessing, you know? Uhm, it basically means good luck and good fortune.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, I think you'd almost only use this when someone's going off on a big trip or a journey. So uhm, here they're going on the journey of the presidency.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so two interesting words here, remote and tenuous.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so actually this is a pretty high quality, um, useful and smart sounding word, so I think we should hear a few more examples of how it's used.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so this actually is quite a good structure if you're giving, uhm, a farewell speech or even, even I could imagine using this at a wedding.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeaah. Alright, so that's one interesting structure. Now why don't we go on to this next kind of very formal and helpful, you know, in a very formal speech.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yes, so what I really like about this phrase is the beginning part. This evening I come to you with a message of...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, or maybe if you're the leader of a company, you might say something like, this afternoon I come to you with a message of hope for the future.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] This is actually a bit of a long one, so uhm, I'm gonna read it now.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Our people expect their president and the Congress to find essential agreement on questions of great importance, the wise resolution of which will better shape the future of our great nation.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, and this is the part I want to focus on. The wise resolution of which. Now, this is a really wonderful sort of, uh, formal structure.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] We can see what he's doing here. He's talking about the first idea, right? So, the President and the Congress, uhm, need to find agreement on important issues, right? Now, the wise resolution of which, so he's referring back to that idea.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right, so really useful structure. Why don't we hear a few more examples of this?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] This was quite a difficult dialogue with some really interesting and tricky structures and words, so why don't we hear it one more time altogether?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so he was an accomplished general, uhm, an amazing, uh, warrior, uhm, but what about his presidency?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, and I guess it's had a huge impact, uhm, not only on the economy of the states, but also, like, the culture and, and the way that, uhm, people view the car and its effect on society.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It is growing all around us. It's strong. It's elegant. It's earthquake resistant.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right, we're talking about a unreal situation or something that may happen or may not happen.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so I think that was clear and well, a very common situation to teenage girls talking to each other about, you know, boys and what would you do and da da da.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The what if game, exactly. And that's exactly the topic that we want to talk about today is the structure what if, which is actually called a conditional.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, so we'll start out with some basic words. Uhm, well, you know, they were talking about guys, and she said if Eric asked you out.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now if I didn't want to ask somebody out on a romantic date, what would, what verb would you use?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, so to ask somebody out. Now, uh, they were talking about other situations, maybe they would go on a trip or something, and she said my dad would freak out.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And, uh, the last word that we have in language takeaway today is, uh, committed.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now, we did look at this word before, but basically for marriage, right, to commit to somebody to promise.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Exactly. So it's always used to have someone committed, right?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Exactly, so that's the way you use it and so now you have another way of using this verb. But now I think we should listen to this dialogue again. We're going to slow it down a little bit and then we'll come back and look at this grammar focus that we want to talk about.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so, uh, we understood all the vocab now. Now let's take a look at these unreal situations and what we were saying about the what-if game.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, so let's take a look at an example that we found in the dialogue. The most common one, and I think everybody gets asked this question is, if you won the lottery, what would you do?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so another example, again, using the same structure, right, the verb in the simple past tense, we would say, if you were stuck on an island with one other person, who would that be?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, you know, that's the point, if I can get to her quicker.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh, but before we move on to that, uh, you noticed that we used the verb was. We didn't say if I was on an island. I said if I were, right? Or if you were. So this is the way that you use it in these conditionals. If I were you, or if you were president of the United States.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Exactly, so we always use it like this, right? If you're gonna use this conditional, always use were for the subject, never was.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Very many. So, but now you know that you shouldn't make this mistake and you can speak properly. Alright, so now that we've seen these, uh, semi-unreal situations, let's move on to something that's a little bit more probable, that it may happen.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So now you notice a difference. The verb is in the present and then we use, instead of would, we use will. So again,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I can say, if it rains tomorrow, I will stay home and watch TV all day.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So, again, it's a, it's a situation that is very probable, so if, uh, we have lunch tomorrow, uh, we will probably eat, I don't know, pasta, I think. I'm gonna like pasta tomorrow.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Very good, so we heard different examples, and the first conditional is the one that we mentioned is very probable, and the second conditional is the one that's not so probable. So they're very easy to distinguish, you don't really need to know the names, just know how to use them, right?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Perfect, so why don't we listen to this dialogue for the last time, just to kind of reinforce everything, and then we'll come back and talk a little bit more.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It is a little bit difficult to talk about grammar, especially on a podcast, because it's such a difficult topic and it's also kind of heavy, right?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So, and this is what we want to see now, please come to our website at EnglishPod.com and you have a million questions, you have a million hypotheticals that you can leave on our website, so let us know. Ask us the craziest, funniest, weirdest questions that you can, right?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And its most beautiful season every year is in the middle and last ten days of March.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Ouyuan, located in the northeast of Jiangxi province in southeast China, is a county surrounded by mountains.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Which complement the residential buildings with their typical white walls and black tiles, forming a beautiful natural picture.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The terraces in Jiangling can be long or short and wide or narrow. The longest can be tens of meters long.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] This is a man-made forest. It can spread over acres and acres of area, or it could fit in a small space, as small as your house garden.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The age of this forest is just two years. I have a forest in the backyard of my own house. It attracts a lot of biodiversity.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I am an entrepreneur who facilitates making of these forests.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A forest is not an isolated piece of land where animals live together.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Can be an integral part of our urban existence.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A forest for me is a place so dense with trees that you just can't walk into it. It doesn't matter how big or small they are. Most of the world we live in today


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] was forest. This was before human intervention. Then we built up our cities on those forests, like São Paulo.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Forgetting that we belong to nature as well as much as 8.4 million other species on the planet.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Our habitat stopped being our natural habitat, but not anymore for some of us.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Few others and I today make these forests professionally. Anywhere and everywhere.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I am an industrial engineer. I specialize in making cars.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] In my previous job at Toyota, I learnt how to convert natural resources into products.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] To give you an example, we would drip the sap out of a rubber tree.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Convert it into raw rubber and make a tire out of it. The product. But these products can never become a natural resource again.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] We separate the elements from nature and convert them into an irreversible state. That's industrial production.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Nature on the other hand, works in a totally opposite way.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Natural system produces by bringing elements together, atom by atom.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] All the natural products become a natural resource again.


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[Assistant] This is something which I learned when I made a forest in the backyard of my own house. And this was the first time I worked with the nature rather than against it.


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[Assistant] Since then, we have made 75 such forests in 25 cities across the world.


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[Assistant] Every time we work at a new place, we find that every single element needed to make a forest.


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[Assistant] Is available right around us. All we have to do is to bring these elements together and let the nature take over.


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[Assistant] To make a forest, we start with soil. We touch, feel and even taste it to identify what properties it lacks.


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[Assistant] If the soil is made up of small particles, it becomes compact. So compact that water cannot seep in.


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[Assistant] We mix some local biomass available around which can help soil become more porous.


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[Assistant] Water can now seep in. If the soil doesn't have capacity to hold the water, we would make some more biomass, some water absorbent material like peat or bagasse. So soil can hold this water and it stays moist.


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[Assistant] To grow, plants need water, sunlight and nutrition. What if the soil doesn't have any nutrition in it?


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[Assistant] We don't just add nutrition directly to the soil. That will be industrial way. It goes against the nature.


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[Assistant] We instead add microorganisms to the soil. They produce the nutrients in the soil naturally.


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[Assistant] They feed on the biomass we have mixed in the soil, so all they have to do is eat and multiply. And as their number grows, soil starts breathing again, it becomes alive.


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[Assistant] Well, whatever existed before human intervention is native. That's the simple rule. We survey a national park to find the last remains of a natural forest. We survey the sacred groves.


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[Assistant] Or sacred forest around old temples. And if we don't find anything at all, we go to museums to see the seeds or wood of trees existing there a long time ago.


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[Assistant] We research old paintings, poems and literature from the place to identify the tree species belonging there.


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[Assistant] Once we know our trees, we divide them in four different layers. Shrub layer, subtree layer, tree layer and canopy layer. We fix the ratios of each layer.


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[Assistant] And then we decide the percentage of each tree species in the mix.