English Listening Practice-Doomed By Doom And Gloom Ep 695

English Listening Practice Learn Key Terms About Economics And Geology

Unlock Your English! 🌐 Dive into the Adept English Podcast: The Ultimate Fusion of English Language & British Life 📚✨. Discover UK’s pulse 🇬🇧 through retail trends, Icelandic wonders, and heart-warming tales. Perfect for Every #englishlearner - Beginner to Advanced. Listen, Learn, Speak! 🎧💬

🔑 Why You'll Love This Lesson:

• 🌍 Explore diverse topics: UK economy, Icelandic geology, heart-warming stories.
• 📈 Master economic, environmental, and general vocabulary.
• 💬 Enhance your conversation and speaking skills.
• 👂 Improve listening proficiency with British English.
• 📚 Tailored for all levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced.
• 🤓 Get smart tips for English exams and daily conversations.
• 🇬🇧 Immerse in British culture and perspectives.
• 🚀 Boost your English fluency and confidence.
• 📱 Learn anytime, anywhere – perfect for busy lifestyles.

✔Lesson transcript: https://adeptenglish.com/lessons/english-listening-practice-british-economic-geology-heartwarming-stories/

Life is about experiences, not possessions.
⭐ Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook.

In this English IELTS lesson, you're diving into more than just English; you're exploring British culture and perspectives. By tackling diverse topics like economics, environmental issues, and heart-warming stories, you're expanding your vocabulary in real-world contexts. This approach isn't just about memorizing words; it's about understanding their use in everyday life.

As you listen and learn, you'll start thinking in English, a crucial step toward fluency. Remember, language is not just words; it's ideas, emotions, and culture, all coming together. Keep listening, and you'll see your fluency improve significantly.

The economy's only job is to serve the people, not the other way around.
⭐ Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo.

Discover how the economic trends affect our everyday language and learn essential vocabulary for discussing global issues with interesting #englishlessons. Learn how the UK economy is changing! Listen on Spotify, watch on YouTube, and learn more on adeptenglish.com. Boost your English & knowledge today! 📈🎧

More About This Lesson

Join our unique Adept English podcast to dive into the richness of British culture and language! Our latest lesson offers an engaging journey through non-contentious news focusing on the UK economy and intriguing events in Iceland. Whether it's for exam preparation or fluency enhancement, this lesson is your gateway to mastering English with a real-world approach.

When you get rid of all the older people, you get rid of all the wisdom.
⭐ Terraine François

Enjoy lively discussions and unique viewpoints:

• Expand Your Vocabulary: Learn and understand complex terms like 'inflation' or 'geothermal' in a friendly, accessible way.
• Cultural Insight: Gain a deeper understanding of British perspectives and cultural nuances.
• Diverse Topics: From the UK economy to Iceland's geological wonders, our lesson covers a range of engaging subjects.
• Overcome Learning Fears: Tackle common fears of language learners with practical solutions and advice.
• Fluency and Comprehension: Improve your ability to think and speak in English naturally.

Benefits of our listen & learn approach to learning

1. Economic Insights: Understand the dynamics of the UK economy and its global implications.
2. Geological Wonders: Explore Iceland's seismic activities and the language of science.
3. Heartwarming Stories: Connect with English through inspiring and emotional narratives.

This lesson is more than just an English class; it's an exploration into the heart of British life and global events. By tackling varied and relevant topics, you'll find yourself not just learning, but living the language. It's perfect for those who want to:

• Enhance their English skills in a practical and engaging way.
• Understand global events and their impact through the lens of British culture.
• Build confidence in speaking and comprehension.

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
⭐ Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist.

Don't miss out on this enriching experience! Follow and subscribe to our Adept English podcast for regular updates. Your journey to English fluency starts here! 🌟🎧🇬🇧

Questions You Might Have...

Listening to this British English lesson is like embarking on a serene journey across the tranquil landscapes of Iceland, where the economy's ebb and flow mirrors the island's own geological wonders, offering a harmonious blend of learning and exploration.

1. What Is the Importance of Discussing Non-contentious News in English Learning? Focusing on non-contentious news, like economic updates or events in Iceland, provides a safe and neutral ground for language learners. It helps you avoid divisive topics while enriching your vocabulary with terms relevant to everyday life and global awareness.
2. How Can Learning About the UK Economy Help in English Language Exams? Understanding economic terms and contexts, such as 'retail', 'inflation', or 'economic growth', equips you with the vocabulary needed for various English exams. It enhances your ability to discuss complex topics, a key skill in spoken English tests.
3. Why Is Geological Vocabulary, Like That Related to Iceland, Useful in Learning English? Learning geological vocabulary exposes you to diverse topics, enhancing your comprehension and speaking abilities. Discussing phenomena like Iceland's volcanic activity introduces specific terms (e.g., 'magma', 'lava') and broadens your understanding of scientific and natural world discussions.
4. How Does Discussing Different Perspectives Aid in English Fluency? Analysing different viewpoints, such as those on economic policies or ecological impacts, challenges you to comprehend and express complex ideas. This critical thinking enhances your ability to engage in thoughtful discussions in English.
5. What Role Do Uplifting Stories Play in Learning English? Uplifting stories, like the one about Jimmy Cooper, add a positive dimension to language learning. They provide motivational content, enrich your emotional vocabulary, and make the learning experience more enjoyable and relatable.

Most Unusual Words:

• Battleground: A place or situation of conflict or debate.
• Polarised: Caused to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions.
• Geological: Relating to the science that deals with the earth's physical structure and substances.
• Retail: The sale of goods to the public in relatively small quantities for use or consumption.
• Doom: An unhappy ending or a terrible fate.
• Gloom: Darkness or sadness.
• Inflation: A general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money.
• Avalanche: A mass of snow, ice, and rocks falling rapidly down a mountainside.
• Magma: Molten rock beneath the earth's surface.
• Compassionate: Feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others.

Most Frequently Used Words:

Listen To The Audio Lesson Now

Transcript: English Listening Practice-Doomed By Doom And Gloom

Hi there. Often news can be a battleground of opinions, but let's avoid controversy today. There are so many news items where opinion is polarised, as I discussed in my podcast last week, number 694. Instead, let's explore some less heated news items today, and I'll give you some of my personal opinion.

This way you're not just learning English, you're getting a taste of British perspectives too. Stay with me today and you'll learn some vocabulary for discussing the economy, essential for those of you doing English exams, English spoken exams, and we'll take a virtual trip to Iceland for some geological vocabulary. And because we know that you like a bit of positivity, I'll share a heart-warming story at the end.

So let's intertwine some themes. Economic, environmental and heart-warming - so that you can stay listening for longer!

Hello, I’m Hilary, and you’re listening to Adept English. We will help you to speak English fluently. All you have to do is listen. So start listening now and find out how it works.

Retail sales in the doldrums in the UK

So imagine walking into a shop last October in the UK and noticing how quiet it was. And this isn't just a random observation. In the news last week, it was reported that the UK had the lowest level of retail sales since 2021 during the pandemic. No one's in the shops. 'Retail', R E T A I L, refers to 'selling goods to people like you and me, direct'. What shops do, in other words. That's' retail'.

So picture this. People spending in October as little as they did during the pandemic when the shops were closed. That's quite low activity, isn't it? So these were the figures for October this year. News often paints this sort of thing as 'doom and gloom'. ' Doom and gloom' is a very British way of saying 'Things don't look good!' It's a bit of a pessimistic outlook.

'Gloom and doom' reporting - is it helpful?!

So the UK economy isn't growing and that's terrible. ' Gloom', G L O O M, can mean 'rather dark, not much light'. And we use the adjective ' gloomy'. We have some 'gloomy' days in November in the UK because it's quite dark. And sometimes it's lovely and sunny.

But we also use 'gloom' and 'gloomy' to talk about our mood as well, how pessimistic we might be feeling. And doom, D O O M, means 'an unhappy ending, an outcome that we don't want'. That's 'doom'. So we might say something is 'doomed'.

So is it really all that bad? Is it 'gloom and doom'?

Well, if you listen to the official talk about it, this is someone from the Office for National Statistics or the ONS speaking, it sounds like this:-

"It was another poor month for household goods and clothes stores with these retailers reporting that cost of living pressures, reduced footfall and poor weather had hit them hard."

Three things strike me about this, and I'm about to give you some opinion here. Just before that - if you want more podcasts, don't forget to go to our website at adeptenglish.com, where you can download hundreds of our podcasts to your mobile phone. Great for your English listening.

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So three things strike me about this, and here comes my opinion.

Wasn't less spending what was supposed to happen?

Firstly, the government recently raised interest rates to curb spending, aiming to 'cool down' the economy and control inflation. ' Inflation', I N F L A T I O N, means when 'prices keep rising'.

So, if people are spending less, isn't that the intended result?

So why complain and be full of 'gloom and doom' when it actually happens? People are actually spending less. To be fair, there are other factors going on with inflation, global factors, that's G L O B A L, and it means 'coming from around the world', not just in our country.

But when more of people's household income is spent on the basics, 'the roof over your head', as we might say, and things like food and power, then people have less expendable income. So, quite sensibly, they spend less.

So, basically, I'm saying, what do you expect? Is this bad news or is this a predicted result from a Bank of England measure that the government certainly approved of?

English Listening Practice-Doomed By Doom And Gloom Ep 695 Article Image

📷

AI Image concept the excitement of experiences. Learn key words for discussing the economy and geology!

©️ Adept English 2023

Is perpetual economic growth really good for us?

Secondly, another viewpoint. We often hear that constant economic growth is essential. But what if the focus shifted from buying more stuff to enjoying more experiences? And services? This might be a healthier approach for our wallet, our purse - and for the planet.

So this idea that 'perpetual growth is a good thing' - I think it's time to question that. What we buy is usually divided into what we call 'goods', G O O D S. That means 'products', physical things that you can buy and take home, or have delivered to your door.

And services. That's S E R V I C E S. And by 'services', we mean 'actions that we pay for', like getting your hair cut, getting your house cleaned or getting your shoes repaired. They're 'services'.

Is a service-based economy more eco-friendly?

So this 'healthier for your wallet and better for the planet' idea? if we spent less money on goods aside from essentials like food, surely that would be a good thing? Most of us in the UK have too much stuff anyway - a lot of programs on our TV about hoarding and getting rid of stuff when you've got too much. Perhaps we're all a bit like that!

And buying more stuff not only means that our bank balance is worse off, but it's actually worse for the planet. It means more plastic, more industry, more pollution, more non-biodegradable items, more stuff that we perhaps throw away in the end.

Isn't it better to use what you've got and save your money for more enjoyable experiences? And boost the economy that way rather than more stuff. So I think it's more ecological to not have perpetual growth, better for nature and maybe it's good discipline for us as individuals, but also for governments too, to just spend less.

A different picture in November and December?

Thirdly, those 'doom and gloom' retail sales statistics were for October. You might argue that the biggest boost for shops selling goods, in the UK, as in many other countries, is Christmas and Christmas shopping. Well, most people haven't started their Christmas shopping in October. Maybe a few 'eager beavers' have, but most haven't. So surely sales figures will be much better for November and December, when people get going on their Christmas shopping. Maybe people were economising in October so they could spend more in the next couple of months.

An economy 'impacted by rain' - in the UK?

But in the news article, things like poor weather and lots of rain are to blame. I'm sure that's a factor, but you don't really want an economy which only functions If the weather's good, especially in the UK.

And having an economy that is based around retail sales, I think that's questionable!

Volcanic activity in Iceland

What about those cracks in the ground in Iceland? Did you see the photographs?

"The southwestern peninsula of Iceland apparently could face decades of volcanic instability", warned the Icelandic MET Office. The MET Office, and this is a word I'm about to say that I find really hard to pronounce, MET stands for Meteorological, Meteorological Office. We have one in the UK and ours reports primarily on the weather, but in Iceland there's a lot more going on. So their MET Office - does report on the weather, but it reports on ice, pollution, avalanches, and seismic activity, most of which we don't have in the UK.

An avalanche, A V A L A N C H E, that's when lots of snow falls down a mountain and poses a risk to life. That's an 'avalanche'.

So Iceland is known to have high levels of volcanic activity. But scientists were surprised and alarmed this week to find that in the town of Grindavik, 'magma' is flowing underground miles away from where the volcano is. ' That word 'magma', M A G M A - that means 'molten rock', rock that's so hot it's a fluid, a liquid.

The difference between 'magma' and 'lava'?

And magma flows beneath the ground, beneath the surface of the earth. The other word that you might or might not know here, 'lava', L A V A. And again, this is 'molten rock', but 'lava' is when it's flowing on the surface of the earth, not underneath.

Local people of Grindavik having to leave their homes

So the ground in the western part of the town of Grindavik has sunk by more than a metre in under two weeks, and it's continuing to sink about four centimetres a day. People have been asked to leave their houses and their homes for safety and it's not certain whether they'll be able to go back.

Experts say that the town will continue to subside. That's S U B S I D E. And that verb is the word we use for when something is sinking, but it's on land, not in the sea. That's 'to subside'.

In Iceland, they're also having to build protective walls around a geothermal power plant so that it doesn't get damaged by the flow of magma under the earth's surface. A 'geothermic' power plant, that's G E O T H E R M I C. This means a power plant that's harnessing, or capturing, energy that's generated underneath the earth. That's 'geothermic'. Seems like there might be a little bit too much of that at the moment.

A good news story

How about what we might call an 'uplifting' or a 'heart-warming' story to finish? In our polls, you told us that you do like positive news stories. Well, here's one! A man in Northern Ireland called Jimmy Cooper is a nurse at the Belfast Royal Hospital. Belfast is, of course, the capital of Northern Ireland. And, OK, you might say, what's unusual about him?

Well, this month, Jimmy Cooper will celebrate his 80th birthday. He's enjoying his nursing career still and has no plans to retire, no plans to stop. He works in the Intensive Care Unit, that's ICU, at the hospital. And he loves his job. Apparently Jimmy Cooper did retire at age 69, but it was very brief. He got bored and came back to work!

Listening Lessons

Are older workers just as capable as younger ones?

I do sometimes find myself wondering about Joe Biden's ability to be President of the United States at his great age, but perhaps stories like this one about Jimmy Cooper give weight to the idea that older workers are perfectly capable and they bring a wealth of experience to their jobs.

Jimmy Cooper speaks in the article about how much things have changed since he did his training. As a male nurse, he was not allowed to treat female patients for the first two years of his career.

And in 1984, when the Conservative Party Conference was bombed in a hotel in Brighton, Jimmy Cooper was on hand.

Colleagues have talked about what a good nurse he is and how compassionate. That's C O M P A S S I O N A T E. And 'compassionate' means 'kind and sympathetic to his patients'. Not always a given, I'm afraid. And what a great example to us all. Also great that the NHS continue to employ someone of 80 years old and don't force him to retire as would've happened in many companies and organisations elsewhere.

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Older people needed for wisdom in the workplace?

In the words of Terraine François, ' When you get rid of all the older people, you get rid of all the wisdom'!

That's enough news for now. Practise by listening to this podcast a number of times. It's that repeat listening that really will make a difference and help you improve your English.

Goodbye

Enough for now. Have a lovely day. Speak to you again soon. Goodbye.

Thank you so much for listening. Please help me tell others about this podcast by reviewing or rating it. And, please share it on social media. You can find more listening lessons and a free English course at adeptenglish.com

Links

• Podcast number 694
• Retail sales hit lowest level since 2021
• Is it time to end our fixation with GDP
• Iceland giant cracks in earth
• Icelandic Meteorological Office
• Iceland builds lava wall
• 80 and still nursing
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