ESL Pod Official - Speak English Fluently by Listening (with Text)

I read in the local paper that a new public library had just opened two weeks ago in my neighborhood. I wanted to check it out . But first, I called the library to check the hours of operation . The librarian told me that they were open Monday through Saturday from 10 to 6 so I decided to see the new library for myself . I parked my car in the library parking lot and walked in. There were two libr...

[A knock on the door.] Jeff: Come in. Julie: Hi, Dr. McQuillan, I'm Julie Taylor. I'm in your 2 o'clock class on Thursdays. Jeff: Hi, Julie. Have a seat. What can I do for you? Julie: I wanted to come see you during your office hours because I missed class last week. I had a family emergency . Jeff: I'm sorry to hear that. We went over a lot of material so make sure you get the notes from another...

Lucy: Jeff, here's a question . I was just talking to Dawn. You know, they had their first wedding anniversary last week. Guess what her husband gave her as a present. Jeff: I don't know. What? Lucy: He gave her a vacuum cleaner . Jeff: Didn't she want a vacuum cleaner? Lucy: Yes, the old one was broken, but that's not the point ! It was their wedding anniversary, their first one. Dawn was really...

I really wanted to see the new exhibit at the art museum and invited Lucy to come along. We both like contemporary art and this was an exhibition for an artist that we've both liked, ever since she was an up and coming artist 10 years ago. This was a retrospective so there was going to be a lot of different types of work by the artist. There would be some of the artist's paintings , her early work...

It's Friday night and my roommate and I feel like staying in . We've both had a tough week at work and decided to have a low-key evening. On my way home, I stopped at the video rental store and rented a couple of movies. I got a new release and a classic . I thought I had left my membership card at home but found it at the last minute . I like going to my local rental store because it doesn't char...

The local branch of my bank is located just a few blocks from where I live. It's very convenient, since it has four ATMs open 24/7 . Today I had to go in to make a deposit , but since I wanted to cash a check as well, I needed to go inside to talk to a teller . Inside the bank, I got in line for the tellers. All the tellers are behind a large piece of bulletproof glass , so you have to speak up wh...

I was driving down the Santa Monica freeway yesterday, headed towards downtown, when all of a sudden I see my engine light come on . Needless to say , that's not the sort of thing one likes to see. So I immediately pull over to the side of the road and park on the shoulder . I pop the hood and look to see what the problem might be. I'm no mechanic . I barely know how to change the oil and the wipe...

My friend Jim and I decided to see the latest blockbuster this weekend. I like a good action movie once in a while. We decided to meet at the movie theater after work . When I got the theater, I looked around and didn't see Jim. So, I thought I would get in line to buy tickets . There were two different lines so I asked a woman standing in the first one, "Is this the line for Mission Impossible 4...

(The phone rings.) Lucy: Hello. Jeff: Hey Lucy, it's Jeff. Lucy: Hey, welcome back. How was your vacation? Jeff: Oh, it was great. The seven days in New York was a blast . Lucy: Oh, yeah? Did you do any sightseeing or just visit with friends? Jeff: I got to do both, actually. First, I saw my friend Edmundo who just moved there. He hadn't seen much of the city himself so we went to all the tourist...

Going to the doctor is never particularly pleasant for me. But I couldn't put it off any longer. It was time for my annual physical , and there was no getting around it . So I picked up the phone and called for an appointment. " I'd like to see Dr. Shimoya next week, please, if that's possible," I said. Of course, it wasn't possible. The doctor was booked until next month, the receptionist told me...

My interview is today. It is with a marketing company. It is a large corporation with its headquarters in San Francisco, CA. It also has satellite offices across the U.S. and in Europe. I'm not sure if this would be the right fit for me, but I'm keeping an open mind . I got some sound advice from my aunt. She said that I should be confident but not cocky . That means I have to look for opportuniti...

I've finally landed my first interview. Well, actually, that's not really true. I have been on many interviews for part-time jobs. This was my first interview for a full-time job. In less than two months, I will graduate from Arizona University. After a lot of back and forth trying to decide on a major , I finally decided to double major . I would study both political science and marketing . These...

Dear Dr. Lee: I don't know if you'll remember me, but I introduced myself to you after your keynote at last week's conference . As I mentioned to you, I have read all of your journal papers and I am a great admirer of your research . Your article in the top journal Language Learning was groundbreaking. The reason I am contacting you is that I would like to come to your university to study with you...

I'm not what you would call the world's best negotiator, but sometimes it's necessary to engage in a tough negotiation . Take, for instance, the time I had to renew the lease on my apartment. This was back in college, when I was renting a small studio in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles. When my lease was up , the landlord and I sat down to hammer out the terms of a new lease. " I'll tell you...

Fall is once again upon us , and that means that homecoming celebrations are just around the corner . Homecoming is an American tradition each September and October for high schools and colleges where they celebrate their school spirit with a football game and other celebrations. I remember the homecoming events when I was in school. First, there was the election of a homecoming king and queen. Ea...

It's hard to watch TV these days without seeing reality shows. Some nights, it's hard to find a scripted drama to watch. There are so many different kinds of reality shows, too. The most popular one in the U.S. has been the "American Idol" show. This is a singing competition where amateurs try to impress the judges and the audience calls in to vote off a contestant each week. The last person left...

I moved into the new apartment last month and decided to invite a few friends over for a house-warming party . I didn't want to spend the day cooking, so I decided to have a barbeque . The food would be easy to prepare and I could cook it when my friends got here. But first, I had to go get a few things at the supermarket . I got to the store and got a cart . I started out in the meat department ....

My niece is turning 8 next week and I decided to buy her a new pet . She had been asking her parents for a pet for a long time. But, they were worried about taking care of a pet. I told them I would go to the pet store to see if I could find a pet that wouldn't be too much of a bother . I walked into a big pet store and looked around. I saw cages with dogs and cats. There were also bird cages with...

I needed a new dress for a wedding I was attending next week so I went to the mall during my lunch hour. The mall had a big variety of stores, including two department stores so I was sure to find something that was just right. I found a space in the parking structure and entered the mall through the main entrance. This was right next to the food court . Okay, where to start? I headed to one of th...

I was so glad it was Friday afternoon. I've been thinking-- TGIF --all day. I was on my way out of the office when I saw Nick sitting at his desk. Even though the office was nearly empty, he didn't look like he was ready to leave. In fact, he looked like he was still swamped with work. Linda: Hi, Nick. You're here late. Nick: Yeah, it looks like this may be an all-nighter . I just got a project du...

One of my favorite hang-outs is a cafe near where I live called Bolivar in Santa Monica. It's only five minutes away , and its never too busy to find a table. Sometimes it can be bustling , but that's usually just in the morning during rush hour or at lunchtime . The owners are from Venezuela, and always have some cool music playing in the background. Yesterday, I decided to take my New York Times...

Would you want to have a special talent in something? Maybe as a musician or an athlete? I'm of two minds about this. Sometimes I watch TV or read about someone who has a special talent. This was true during the Olympics. Some of those athletes I saw were very talented. Whether it was playing soccer, running track, ice skating, or doing gymnastic routines , you could see how gifted they were and h...

For me, things never go very smoothly at my local post office. I've learned that if you want to mail a letter , you'll have no problems. But if things get more complicated than that, well, watch out ! Yesterday I went there to mail a small package and to pick up a book of stamps . I waited my turn in line, and when I get up to the window, the clerk asks me, "What can I do for you?" "Well," I said,...

I fell into the habit of reading the newspaper every morning when I was a kid. Back then , there used to be two daily newspapers--morning edition and an afternoon edition. Nowadays, of course, many cities in the U.S. have just a morning paper. I'm not too picky about which newspaper I read, although when it comes to national newspapers, I prefer reading the New York Times or the Wall Street Journa...

I stopped by the drugstore last night on my way back home from work. I had a few toiletries to pick up , as well as my prescription . Fortunately, the chain pharmacy where I go has a little bit of everything: food, greeting cards , magazines--it's almost as big as a regular supermarket. To begin with, I needed to get some medications for my allergies . I've got hay fever , so I'm sneezing up a sto...