英语每日一听 | 每天少于5分钟

When you were at school, the last thing you probably wanted to do was spend your weekends going to work. There was homework to do, sport to play and fun to be had. But our parents probably persuaded us to find a job to earn some money and get some life experience. When I was a teenager I had a paper round: delivering newspapers to people's homes. I then progressed to a Saturday...

Are men able to dance? Well, if I am an example, then no – I have  two left feet  and taking to the  dance floor  just fills me with dread. But of course, we know that most of us have the potential to  throw some shapes , so what is it that's stopping us? 男人会跳舞吗？好吧，如果我是一个例子，那么不——我有两只左脚，走上舞池让我充满恐惧。但是，当然，我们知道我们大多数人都有...

As a dog lover, our canine companions always fill me with joy. Whether pedigree or mongrel, tame or stray, whenever I see one, I smile. After all, their loyalty is indisputable, their companionship is always welcome, they fetch for us, guard for us and even work for us when required. Good old Fido has always been ...

We all have a different approach to money – some of us like to spend it as soon as we have it, even splashing the cash on extravagant things, while some of us like to hold on to it and spend it carefully. But for people who are very savvy about their cash, there are a number of interesting ways to invest it and, if things go well, make a tidy profit. 我们都有不同...

It's that time of year when many of us spend money buying gifts for family and friends. We spend hours, even days, searching the shops and websites trying to find the right present for someone - a pair of socks, perfume, a new gadget – only to find the recipient already has it or they've been given it already. Or worse, they just don't like it, which makes me think, "Are we wasting our t...

When's it's time for a wardrobe makeover, who's the best person to give you some advice? You'll probably turn to your friend for some feedback and fashion tips – let's face it: they know you best and can offer an honest opinion about which colours clash – and which outfit makes you look a million dollars. 什么时候该进行衣橱改造，谁是给你一些建议的最佳人选？你可能会向...

Sweet or savoury? What kind of tastes do you like? If like me, you have a sweet tooth, you probably can't resist eating cakes, biscuits or chocolate and will sweeten your tea or coffee with spoonfuls of sugar – delicious! But the taste makes it very easy to ignore the warnings that too much of the white stuff is bad for our health. 甜的还是咸的？你喜欢什么样的口味？如果像我一样，你爱吃甜...

I am a massive science fiction geek. Ever since I was young, I’ve been captivated by tales of interstellar adventure, aliens, robots, and cutting-edge technology. I always loved the concept of cyborgs. That’s a human-robot hybrid. They are ordinary humans who have been enhanced in some way by technology; more intelligence, faster speed or better resilie...

How much sleep do you need? Do you find that if you don't get enough shut-eye and wake up feeling dopey, you spend the rest of the day in a bad mood? I certainly need my eight hours a night and that's important according to research, because bad sleep isn't good for our health. 你需要多少睡眠？你是否发现如果你没有得到足够的睡眠并且醒来时感到昏昏欲睡，你会在剩下的时间里心情...

Here’s a  staggering  statistic. Scientists have calculated the total amount of plastic ever made: 8.3 billion tonnes. Looked at another way, that’s as heavy as 25,000 Empire State Buildings or one billion elephants. And incredibly, almost all of it has been made in the last 65 years.  这是一个惊人的统计数据。科学家计算出塑料的总量：83亿吨。换个角度看，它有 25,000 座帝国大厦或 10 亿...

Life isn’t fair. Some people just seem blessed with the ability to effortlessly charm anyone they meet. You know the kind of person, the one who can strike up a conversation with a complete stranger and end up with a new friend or business lead. How do they do it? 生活是不公平的。有些人似乎很幸运能够毫不费力地吸引他们遇到的任何人。你知道那种人，他可以与...

It’s a question that has puzzled scientists for a long time: why exactly do we yawn?  这是一个困扰科学家很久的问题：我们到底为什么会打哈欠？ In a recent breakthrough, scientists have discovered the part of the brain responsible for contagious yawning. It’s called the primary motor cortex, and controls movement in the body. When triggered it makes us yawn. But we can’t choo...

I’ll let you into a secret. There’s a place that gets me every time: whenever I’m there, I can’t help but well up. Where is this tear-inducing location? It’s thousands of metres high in the sky, in the cabin of an aeroplane. Especially when there’s a trashy romantic comedy on.  我会让你进入一个秘密。每次都有一个地方让我感动：每当我在那里时，我都会情不自禁地振作起...

Time to own up. When you’re sitting at your computer, do you work solidly all day? Or do you allow yourself to become distracted now and again… to open a few extra tabs, check social media, read a spot of news, browse the latest fashion trends, maybe catch up on some celebrity gossip, and look at some…  是时候拥有了。当您坐在电脑前时，您是否整天都在认真工作？或者...

Here’s a simple challenge: name a famous inventor. Perhaps Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci springs to mind. Or the pioneer of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell. But you might be hard-pressed to name many female inventors, even though women are behind some of the most widely used technologies in the modern world. 这是一个简单的挑战：命名一位著名的发明家...

We all have one, don’t we? A friend who’s always late. The one who turns up for coffee a full half hour after the appointed time. The one who seems to be forever ‘stuck in traffic’. The dear pal who sends a message saying “Sorry, bit delayed”, when they’re already 20 minutes behind schedule. I mean, what kind of a friend is that? Or just maybe, if you’re really honest, this per...

You know the feeling. You’re stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. It’s going to be hours before you get home. As we know all too well, congestion is one of the downsides of modern city living. Don’t you wish you could just take to the skies and soar above it all in a helicopter?  你知道那种感觉。你被困在一个接一个的交通中。在你回家之前还有几个小时。众所周知，拥堵是...

If you don’t use it, you lose it. At least, that’s how the old  aphorism  goes. It refers to the idea that something which does not get  utilised  regularly quickly falls into  a state of decline . For example, a hobby that you haven’t done for a few years, like playing the trumpet. You might find yourself a bit  rusty  the next time you pick one up – or maybe yo...

Let's be honest – I'm sure we've all done something a little dishonest in our lives – maybe copying someone's work, borrowing some money from a friend and not paying them back or being given too much change in a shop and keeping quiet about it. Or maybe I'm wrong, maybe you're a good, upstanding citizen who believes that honesty is the best policy. 老实说——我敢肯定我...

Have you ever loved a TV show? I mean really loved it? Like, you can’t wait to get to work to talk about it loved it? What about the cliffhanger? That’s the unresolved situation at the end of the episode which makes you want to watch the next one. But, when will the next one be? 你曾经喜欢过电视节目吗？我的意思是真的喜欢它？就像，你迫不及待地想去上班谈论它喜欢它吗？悬念呢？这就是这一集结尾处...

What would make you happy? Really happy? A nice holiday, lazing on a tropical beach? Maybe a blowout meal with friends at a swanky restaurant? Or possibly splashing out on a pair of the latest designer jeans? All these pleasures cost money so does that mean we need lots of cash to feel good or does the old saying 'money can't buy happiness' still ring t...

Our parents always tell us that if we work hard, we will do well. If you're studying at university this ultimately means passing your exams and achieving a first-class degree. Easier said than done! So if you're struggling to complete that final assignment or feel your revision is going nowhere, how will you believe that getting a top-notch qualification is a rea...

Everybody likes to laugh sometimes, whether at a funny joke, an amusing incident or a hilarious photograph or sound. Comedians who parody well known people always tickle my funny bone! The great thing is that once we've had a good laugh, we feel happier. It would seem therefore, that bringing a bit of humour into more serious situations might be good for us. 每个...

How are you feeling today? I've got a few aches and pains, but nothing serious. However, when things become more critical, I would normally book myself an appointment with my GP – although by the time I get to see him, the problem will have probably gone away. That's because in the UK at least, we usually have to wait a few days before the doctor can fit us in, and th...

I need help! I have to fix a leaking pipe in my bathroom but I'm not sure where to begin. I know I lack the necessary DIY skills, but luckily there are numerous books and online videos that will hopefully give me the information I need. Publications that help us to help ourselves are nothing new, but the range of them is increasing with advice being given far beyond practi...