英语每日一听 | 每天少于5分钟

School playground crazes come and go but the latest collectable toy is proving popular with children and adults alike. My kids have gone mad for the platsic spinning disc called a fidget spinner and I have to admit, I've become a little addicted too – but why? 学校操场的热潮来来去去，但事实证明，最新的收藏玩具深受儿童和成人的欢迎。我的孩子们对称为指尖陀螺的 plats...

I wonder how many of you will read this article or listen to my voice right through to the end? With our busy lifestyles and continuous distractions, it's hard to stay focussed on one task and I wouldn't be surprised if I lose you somewhere along the way – but we'll see! 我想知道你们中有多少人会读到这篇文章，或者从头到尾听我的声音？由于我们忙碌的生活方式和不断的分心，很难...

How many plastic carrier bags have you got in your house? I seem to have cupboards full of them and it feels like they're taking over my home! The ubiquitous shopping bag is just one example of the million things we use made from this useful material, plastic. But unfortunately, it's not the easiest thing to recycle and this is causing an environmental problem.  &nbsp...

How much food do you buy each week? Are you someone who stuffs your fridge and cupboards full of edible treats so that you'll always have something to munch on and so that you'll never go hungry? Or maybe, like me, you're more efficient with your shopping, only buying what you need and using up your leftovers so that you keep food waste to a minimum.   你每...

Imagine a future where our streets are filled with ads 200m tall; where billboards change before our eyes to give us personalised messages; and where companies track our every move as we walk through a city, pinging our phones with special offers as we near their shops. 想象一个未来，我们的街道上布满了 200m 高的广告；广告牌在我们眼前发生变化，为我们提供个性...

Take five colours: red, black, blue, green and purple. How do they make you feel? It’s a question of supreme significance to designers and marketers. British fashion designer Wayne Hemingway explored this topic in a BBC radio programme about the psychology of colour. You can read a summary of his ideas below. Do you agree with him? Or do you think the meaning of colour depends on the culture...

Do you consider yourself to be rich? Do you have plenty of cash and no financial worries? Or maybe, like me, is it something you can only dream about? For most of us, the closest chance of becoming a millionaire would be to win the lottery but if you don't buy a lottery ticket, are there others ways of becoming super-rich? 你认为自己很有钱吗？你有足够的现金并且没有财...

Most of us know that the risk of getting ill is reduced when we look after ourselves. Taking regular exercise has proven to be good for our health and scientists have found that the risk of getting cancer and heart disease is reduced when we take part in physical activity – and now they've found cycling to work is one of the best activities to do this. Well, good news...

Are you  a dog person ? Maybe you have one at home and enjoy taking it for walks and curling up with it on the sofa.  Personally, I'm not that kind of person – for me they're  aggressive , smelly animals that need constant care and lack the independent nature and intelligence that cats have. But given the  life-saving  skills that some dogs possess, maybe I should  gi...

词汇表 happy 高兴的 angry 愤怒的 amazed 惊讶的 to express 表露、表达（情感） emoji 表情符号，“绘文字” sophisticated 复杂精致的 mood 情绪，心情 thumbs-up （竖起拇指）赞 puzzled 迷惑的 addicted 使人沉迷的，上瘾的 face-to-face 面对面的 substitute 替代物 non-verbal cue 非言语的暗示 pictorial 图画的 interpreted 被理解 clumsy 笨手笨脚的 empathy 同感、共鸣 flirtatious 打情骂俏的 linguistic Armageddon “语...

词汇表 consultancy 咨询公司 to get rid of 除去，解雇 flat （管理方式）扁平化的 management structure 管理构架 radical 根本性的，彻底的 board member 董事会成员 column （标明职责的）栏 to drive (something) 推动（计划、项目等的）进展 motivated 有积极性的 company-wide 公司范围内的，整个公司的 legal requirement 法律规定 last resort 万不得已时的办法，最后的手段 mixed results 好坏参半的结果 leaderless 无...

词汇表 ground 研磨成粉末的 sprinkle 撒、洒（食物） bug 小虫子 creepy-crawly 令人生厌的爬虫 to hold the key to 是……的关键、掌控 the search is on 已经开始寻找 protein 蛋白质 mineral （人体必需的）矿物质 edible 可食用的 superfood （对健康十分有益的）“超级食品” livestock 牲畜（包括牛、羊、鸡等） yuck （尤表示食物恶心的感叹词）呸 pest （毁坏农作物的）害虫或动物 palatable 可口的，合胃口的 locust 蝗虫 cr...

词汇表 a feast of 丰盛的，一应俱全的 humble 简单而普通的 grab-and-go 带走即食 meal deal 优惠套餐 staple 主食 mainstay 必备品，事物的主要依靠 al-desko 在桌边吃饭 break the mould 打破常规 leftover 剩饭剩菜 malaise 昏昏沉沉，低迷不适 think outside the box 跳出思维定式，跳出固有模式思考 satisfying 令人满足的 dollop （食物的）一小份，一小勺 ubiquitous 随处可见的 nutritious 营养价值高的 munchies 小吃，...

词汇表 a freebie 赠品，免费品 complimentary （公司）免费赠送的 marketing 销售，营销 feedback 反馈意见 trendsetter 引领潮流的人 influencer （营销）具有影响力的人 upmarket 高档的，高端的 brand 品牌 create a buzz 制造话题 engage in 参与到……中 retail 零售 promotional campaign 促销推广活动 endorse 宣传，推荐（产品） future selling 远期销售 cross-selling 交叉销售 up-selling 追加销售 client 客户 budget...

词汇表 safekeeping （贵重物品的）妥善保管 startup 刚起步的小公司 player 主要参与企业 short-term 短期地 holidaymaking 在外度假的 -friendly 对……友善的（词缀） profitable 有盈利的 business model 商业模式 to measure up 达到（标准）、满足（期望） odds and ends 零碎的杂物 painless 轻而易举的 heavyweight 行业巨头 24/7 全天候的 -wise 在……方面（词缀） to set (you) back 花掉（你）一大笔钱 distrust 不信任 to...

词汇表 automation 自动化 at risk 面临风险 manual labour 体力劳动 position 工作，职位 profession （需专业知识技能的）职业 impervious 不受影响的 soft skill 软技能，如与人相处的能力和沟通能力等 to gauge 判断（人的感受） to tailor （根据需要）调整 feedback 反馈意见 to lag behind 落后 to compress 压缩、缩短 idiosyncrasy 个人特征、习性 overwhelming majority 压倒性多数，绝大多数 to master 掌握...

词汇表 tangible 可触摸的 hard cash 现金（包括硬币和纸钞） outdated 过时的 checkout 付款台 groceries 杂货食品（常用复数） cashier 收银员 to tally up 结算 to spell 意味着（不好的后果） wearable 可穿戴的 chip 芯片 seamlessly 不间断地 to underpin 支持、构成 virtual currency 虚拟货币 crash 系统瘫痪 to take off 突然成功 to wind back the clock / to wind the clock back 让时光倒流，回到过去 barter eco...

词汇表 little green men （比喻）外星人 meteorite 陨星、陨石 cosmic ray 宇宙射线 good old （赞美语气）老牌的、靠谱的 a rough ride 一段艰难的历程 mass extinction 物种大灭绝 to kill off 杀死、消灭 crater （火山口式的）圆坑 geological 地质的 to wipe out 彻底灭绝 dense 密度大的 to orbit 沿轨道围绕（行星或恒星）运行 Solar System 太阳系 comet 彗星 to hurtle 猛冲 to put someone off (something) 丧失对某事...

词汇表  phablet 平板手机 to post （在网上）发布 the latter （上文提到的两者中的）后者 portmanteau 组合的 zombie 僵尸 to potter 闲逛 to be glued to something 目不转睛地看 oblivious （对周围发生的事）毫无察觉的 to enrich 使充实 to snub 冷落 scintillating 妙趣横生的 engrossed 全神贯注的 we’ve all been there 我们都能感同身受，我们都是过来人 bowed 弯腰的 legions of 数量庞大的、大批的（人） light-h...

词汇表 to set foot (in) 去（某处） automated 自动化的 fleet 舰队、船队 robotics 机器人技术 sector 行业，领域 on the up 蒸蒸日上的，稳步上升的 forecast （对形势的）预测 yield （农作物的）产量，常作复数 to dispense with 免去，不再使用 stack 叠 LED lights 发光二极管照明技术 emission （气、热、光等）排放物 checkout 收银处，付款台 to beg the question 引人发问 mechanisation 机械化 workforce 劳动人...

What's your favourite flavour? Maybe you like your grub nice and spicy?  你最喜欢的味道是什么？也许你喜欢你的食物又香又辣？ Perhaps you have a sweet tooth? Or are you partial to a salty, savoury snack? 也许你爱吃甜食？还是您偏爱咸味可口的小吃？ By now you're probably imagining something delicious, but take a moment to ponder this: why do some people adore certain flavours while others can't s...

Are you the kind of person whose desk is alwa­­ys spick and span? Or is it a bit of a mess? How you organise your working space can say a lot about you.  你是那种办公桌总是很整洁的人吗？还是有点乱？你如何组织你的工作空间可以说很多关于你的事情。 In fact, environmental psychologist Lily Bernheimer developed five distinct "desk personality types" in a study commissioned by UK co-working firm Hea...

I count myself lucky to live in the relative calm of the countryside, a safe distance away from the chaos and claustrophobia of city life.  我认为自己很幸运能够生活在相对平静的乡村，远离城市生活的混乱和幽闭恐惧症。 However, I have to venture into the urban jungle every day to work and it's then that I realise how rude city dwellers can be. 然而，我每天都必须冒险进入城市丛林工作，那时我才意识...

As the relentless pace of technology continues to advance, companies must adapt or get left behind. 随着技术的不断进步，公司必须适应或落后。  One of the key areas of contention these days is the driverless car. 如今，争论的关键领域之一是无人驾驶汽车。  Autonomous cars have long been featured in science fiction movies and books, but in recent years they have moved from a pipe dream to a r...

At some point in our lives, most of us have attended a school or university lecture.  在我们生活中的某个时刻，我们大多数人都参加过学校或大学的讲座。 These learning sessions give us some insightful nugget of knowledge or can be something we yawn through, trying to keep awake.  这些学习课程为我们提供了一些有见地的知识，或者可以成为我们打哈欠的东西，试图保持清醒。 Whatever our experience, l...