英语每日一听 | 每天少于5分钟

'Kids these days, eh?' Three simple words that try to summarise many a misunderstanding across a generational divide. On one side, the older generation – stuffy, antiquated, and oppressive. On the other, the younger generation – rebellious, ignorant and disobedient, and lacking in self-control. Or at least that's what popular stereotypes would have us believ...

The course of true love never did run smooth, Lysander tells us in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Wise words many, would say. In the fast-paced world of modern life, it can be difficult to meet anyone, let alone our soulmate. Fortunately, there's an app for that, though wooing a potential partner is still up to you.  真爱的道路从来都不是一帆风顺的，Lysander...

Grey hair can be the beginning of the end. A silver signal that youth and beauty are fading and only old age remains. And while grey at 60 may not be surprising, many start to turn prematurely as young as 20. If we want to hide it, modern haircare products allow us to easily cover up our natural grey and preserve our youth a little longer...

This summer, the UK, and much of the northern hemisphere, has experienced a heatwave – a sustained period of roasting temperatures and scorching sunshine. While many welcome the Sun and warmth, too much can be dangerous to health. So what are the best ways to keep cool? 今年夏天，英国和北半球的大部分地区都经历了热浪——持续的高温和烈日。虽然许多人欢迎阳光和温暖，但...

Have you ever had a summer job? For many young people, summer is a heady period where education stops and fun begins. That said, holidays, festivals and time spent with friends cost money. And the very group who have the time to capitalise on the fun summer has to offer may not have the funds to do so. The solution? A summer job. 你有过暑期工作吗？对于许多年轻人来说，夏天是一个...

Business meetings are, arguably, a necessary part of any organisation where people work collectively to accomplish a goal. But badly managed, meetings can be unproductive, boring and feel like a complete waste of time. In a recent survey conducted by governance technology firm eShare, it was found that the average UK employee spends over 10 hours weekly preparing for and attend...

The noble tree house – all natural materials, sturdy construction, aloof from the troubles of the world. In a more dangerous time in human history, their position above the ground would protect the dweller against environmental difficulties and possible predators. As modern construction has improved, these arboreal residences have become less of a practical dwelling&n...

By now, most of us will have heard of GMOs. In case you haven't, GMO stands for genetically-modified organism. This basically means that an organism has had a foreign genetic sequence introduced into it. In theory, this gives the organism certain advantages – it may become hardier by developing a resistance to disease, or in the case of GM food, may be bigger and...

If you asked me to dance, I'd probably freeze on the spot. I lack rhythm and coordination and some people say I have two left feet! But with some persuasion and Dutch courage I can be tempted to take to the dance floor and shake some moves – and that, apparently, is only natural. 如果你让我跳舞，我可能会当场僵住。我缺乏节奏和协调，有人说我有两只左脚！但...

It's good to have friends that we can talk to and share our thoughts and opinions with. More importantly, they're people we can ask for help or advice. But recently it seems, many of us are developing a new relationship with a mystery person that we'll never meet! 有朋友可以交谈并分享我们的想法和意见是很好的。更重要的是，他们是我们可以寻求帮助或建议的人。但最近似乎，我们中的许多人正在与一个我们永...

The first thing sold online was a CD. It sold in 1994 for $12.48. In 1995, Amazon launched its online bookshop, and later that year the online auction site that would become eBay sold its first item. Fast-forward to the modern day and online shopping is huge business. In contrast to the recent UK announcements that many high-profile retail chains and department stores&nbsp...

Whether it’s studying for exams, working on a project or struggling with a dissertation, we’ve all been under immense stress at some point. When it gets a bit overwhelming, we can reach a level of exhaustion that is unprecedented – the dreaded burnout. However, that feeling of exhaustion is not just physical; it can be mental as well. 无论是准备考试、做项目还是写论文，我们都曾在某些时候承受过巨大...

We all know what a dog means when it wags its tail – it means they’re happy, right? Well, maybe not according to leading animal psychologists who analyse what a dog may be or may not be feeling.  There may be more of a tale in the movements of a dog’s tail than most of us think. 我们都知道狗摇尾巴意味着什么——这意味着它们很高兴，对吧？好吧，也许不是根据分析狗可能是或可能不是感觉的主要动物心理...

Have you ever wondered if you see the same colours as other people? Most people know what blue is when they see it.  It’s the colour of sea, sky and sapphires. They see the colour and call it ‘blue’ because they were taught the word and associated it with what they saw. But how do you know what you see as blue isn’t someone else’s red, and vice versa? 你有没有想过你是否看到和其他人一样的颜色...

Have you ever watched one of the many TV shows set during the apocalypse - a dystopian future where life as we know it is over and people are only focussed on survival? If it’s not zombies, it’s viruses or natural disasters. One thing that seems to be a quintessential part of these series is survivors searching for food and resources. Is that why people stockpile food when things go bad? 你有没有...

You can’t cross the same river twice, the popular saying goes. This wisdom reminds us that everything changes - expecting to relive your bygone days of success in the same way is unrealistic. But, apparently, this doesn’t apply to music. Over the last decade or so, for one reason or another, a number of high-profile bands have decided to stop resting on their laurels and have reunited. But why? 俗...

Do you sometimes find yourself drawing random patterns and designs during meetings and lectures? Some people believe it shows you aren’t listening or paying attention. However, there are studies which claim the opposite, and that doodling might actually be beneficial. 您有时会发现自己在会议和讲座中随意绘制图案和设计吗？有些人认为这表明你没有倾听或注意。然而，也有研究声称相反，涂鸦实际上可能是有益...

2020 is a leap year, and as we all know leap years happen every four years, right? Wrong. That extra day in February is designed to keep the Earth in sync with the astrological or seasonal year. But, what you might not realise is that the maths isn’t that simple and occasionally we have to wait eight years. 2020年是闰年，众所周知，闰年每四年发生一次，对吧？错误的。2 月额外的一天旨在使地球与占星术...

For me, it was bacon. There I was, standing in the streets of Medellin, Colombia, looking hungrily at a delicious empanada. The sign read 'queso y tocino'. Because I'd got my tongue round some essential Spanish vocabulary, I knew that 'queso' was cheese. But 'tocino'? I typed it into my smartphone translation app. What came back? 'Tocino'. I later learned that means 'bacon' in the local lingo. 对...

If you’re in a job performing tedious tasks, you might think that a robot could do the work instead. But perhaps we underestimate how much technology already helps with the activities that we would otherwise have to do.  And as artificial intelligence progresses we might find it replaces us in the workplace altogether. 如果您的工作是执行繁琐的任务，您可能会认为机器人可以代替您完成这项工作。但...

One of the problems damaging our planet is the number of things we throw away. Rubbish of all kinds is piling up in landfill and polluting our rivers and oceans. A more recent addition to the list of things we chuck away is e-waste – electronic items that are broken and not recycled. Now solutions are being found to give this stuff a new life. 破坏我们星球的问题之一是我们扔掉的东西的数量。各种垃圾...

Have you ever eaten kosher food? That's food which conforms to the Jewish dietary regulations of kashrut. These regulations forbid consuming pork or shellfish of any kind, for example. Meat from other animals, such as cows and lamb, are OK provided restrictions are met. But they must be slaughtered according to set guidelines. All kosher rulings are overseen by trained rabbis from a kosher certifi...

How are you feeling today? Often when we ask people that question, they reply ‘not bad’, or ‘could be worse’. But what would make us feel ‘perfect’? Maybe we could live better by being healthier, less stressed, more motivated – but how? 你今天感觉如何？通常当我们问人们这个问题时，他们会回答“还不错”，或者“可能会更糟”。但是什么会让我们感觉“完美”呢？也许我们可以通过变得更健康、压力更小、更有动力来生...

Grimy coffee cups, dirty clothes all over the floor and uninvited guests – and they're not even yours! These are the joys of flatsharing. So why do we do it? Well, for many, buying a house or flat is just too expensive. In fact, according to the Guardian, the total amount of rent paid by tenants in Britain in 2017 rose to more than £50 billion – more than double the level of ten years prior. And f...

There’s no place like home. It’s the place where we’re surrounded by our possessions and creature comforts. We purchase things to give our homes a personal touch and create a certain ambience. And one thing we’re buying more of is houseplants. But are these ‘living’ additions to our homes good for us and the environment? 金窝银窝不如自己家里的狗窝。这是我们被我们的财产和物质享受所包围的地方。我们...