Long Conversations with RealVideo
Ana Maria Cavazos was born on June ninth, 1908, in Reynosa, Mexico. She was the eleventh of twelve children.
Her father, Jesus Cavazos, was originally from Victoria, Texas, but his family moved to Mexico around 1855.
Ana's mother, Juana Castro, was the oldest of six brothers and sisters. Juana and Jesus were married in 1880. Ana's family came to the United States during the Mexican Revolution in 1913. Their family experienced much hardship. Ana grew up in Texas and met her future husband in 1929. Ana and Abel Contreras were married in 1931 and were the parents of eleven children.
Thank you for joining this short presentation.
Okay, uh, first of all, I would surround myself in the language, the target language, that I wanted to learn. Uh, for example, I would watch a movie in that language, uh, which would help me keep motivated to learn vocabulary and phrases. Uh, you can watch TV, news reports, or radio reports. You know, anything so that you can hear the language regularly is really helpful, and keep motivated.
Uh, next, I would keep a situational notebook. Uh, for example, uh, in a restaurant, you use, uh, a certain phrase over and over again, and so if you can remember just one particular phrase in each setting, then you can immediately speak that language and have more confidence, and uh, you get more out of learning the language, I think.
Car Salesman: Oh. Hi there. A beauty, isn't she?
Woman: Well . . .
Car Salesman: Do you want to take her a test ride?
Woman: Well . . . Um. How old is it?
Car Salesman: Well, it's only three years old?
Woman: And what's the mileage?
Car Salesman: Uh, let me check. Oh yes. 75,000 miles.
Woman: 75,000 miles? That's quite a bit for a car that's only three years old.
Car Salesman: Well, once you're in the driver's seat, you'll fall in love with her. Get in.
Woman: Ugh . . . Uh, I can't seem to get the door open. [Ah, it's okay.] It could be broken.
Car Salesman: Ah, just give her a little tap. Ugh. Now she's opened.
Woman: Great. A door I have to beat up to open.
Car Salesman: Hey. Get in and start her up.
[Woman tries to start the car . . .]
Car Salesman: [Um] Well, it's probably the battery. I know she has enough gas in her, and I had our mechanic check her out just yesterday. Try it again.
Woman: Uh. It sounds a little rough to me. [Well . . .] How much is this minivan anyway?
Car Salesman: Oh. It's a real bargain today and tomorrow only at $15,775, plus you get the extended warranty covering defects, wear, and tear beyond the normal maintenance on the vehicle for an extra $500 for the next 30,000 miles. [Oh . . .] with a few minor exclusions.
Woman: Like . . . ?
Car Salesman: Well, I mean, it covers everything except for the battery, and light bulbs, and brake drums, exhaust system, trim and moldings, upholstery and carpet, paint, tires . . . Well, a short list, you know.
Woman: Uh. Well, almost $16,000 is a little out of my price range, plus the seats covers are torn a little.
Car Salesman: Well, hey, I might be able to talk the manager into lowering the price another two hundred dollars, but that's about all.
Woman: No thanks. I think I'll just keep looking.
Hi, this is Randall from Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab. Now today, I'd like to talk about several interesting cultural artifacts that are a part of daily lives of the Japanese, and perhap. . . perhaps other Asian countries as well.
Now, for hundreds and even thousands of years, the bamboo plant has played an important role in the lives of the Japanese, and at one time, it was believed that the Shinto gods could be found in the stem of the bamboo plant, and this is something that is portrayed in one of Japan's oldest tales, the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.
Now, bamboo is a very versatile plant. It's light and flexible, an . . . but strong, and there are many varieties of it. Now today, I'd like to talk about three bamboo objects.
First of all, the chashaku. And this is a chashaku. And the chashaku is a tea spoon, and it is used for measuring powdered green tea during the tea ceremony
Uh, second, uh . . . is a chasen. And this is a chasen. And a chasen is a tea whisk, and it is for mixing the powdered green tea in a small bowl, uh, until . . . a . . . it becomes a frothy mixture.
Finally, uh, I'd like to introduce the mimikaki. This is a mimikaki. And although it looks like a small type of spoon, it is act . . . actually an earpick . . .uh . . . used for cleaning out ear wax.
Now, Today I talked about three different . . . uh . . . bamboo objects: the chasen, the chashaku, and the mimikaki, but these are only three of the many bamboo objects that can be found in Japan.
References
• Armstrong, H. with Osborne, D., O'Conner, W., Davis, R., and Parker, D. (1993). Interchange Videoductions [Video]. Yokohama Academy: Yokohama, Japan.
• The Bamboo Museum, Kyoto, Japan.
Well, I think generally speaking, we could say that there are four stages to culture shock. First of all, the "honeymoon" stage. Uh, to the visitor, everything seems new, quaint, and novel. The food, the surroundings, the buildings. And it produces a feeling of euphoria: a desire to look around, to experiment, to explore.
The next stage is the "horror" stage, where the newness wears off, and the visitor sees the country from a different light, and often begins to criticize the country, the life, and the values of the people.
The next stage, we could say, is the "humor" stage, where people begin to reflect back and laugh at their mistakes in the earlier stages.
And the final stage, we could say, is the "home" stage where people begin to feel at home, enjoy living in that foreign country.
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For many international students, coming to the United States and living here and studying can be a quite a daunting experience, especially when finding housing on campus or off campus. And fortunately, there are a variety of options that students can look to. And I'd like to talk just briefly a little about on-campus living, off-campus living, and some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Well I think first of all for first-time students, coming and living on campus in dormitories can provide a certain level of security because of its proximity to campus facilities since commuting without a car can be quite an experience, especially when you have to commute long distances. Often in dormitories, meals might be provided, and this can allow students to devote time to their academics, rather than housekeeping. But students should also be aware that they'll be required to abide by certain regulations dealing with student conduct as part of the, uh, the contract and living on campus.
Another option, uh, another option is off campus living in apartments, and like living in dormitories, uh, living in an apartment requires little or no maintenance specifically because usually it is handled by someone, uh, else. Also, uh, when you might live off campus, there might be, uh, uh, a certain amount of flexibility in choosing roommates that you might not have, uh, living on campus. But you should be aware that tenants may be responsible for furnishing their own apartments.
Well, of course, the choice is up to you, but be careful to review both the advantages and disadvantages of living on campus and off campus. Good luck.
1. What is one advantage of on-campus living NOT mentioned in the report?
A. Rent is within the budget of university students.
B. Both room and board are often provided.
C. Student housing is located near campus.
2. With on-campus housing, students should remember that:
A. they may have to follow certain housing rules.
B. a deposit may be required to rent an apartment.
C. on-campus apartments are very limited.
3. What is one advantage of off-campus living NOT mentioned in the report?
A. Tenants are generally not responsible for building upkeep.
B. Students can prepare their own meals.
C. Occupants have freedom to select their roommates.
4. Renters should be prepared to:
A. pay a refundable deposit.
B. provide their own furnishings.
C. sign a housing contract.
5. Which living option was NOT mentioned in the news report?
A. apartments
B. dormitories
C. homes
Hi, I'm George Boros. Have you always wanted to invest, but didn't know where to get started? We're here today to present you with three basic guidelines to smart investing, for your future.
Number one is to have clear goals. Decide how many years you will invest for, and what your needs will be in the future.
Number two is to understand the range of possibilities. You'll want a diversified portfolio: one with a mix of stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and cash. It's a jungle out there. Each of these products has different risks associated with them and also different potential rewards. Understand them before you buy, so there won't be any big surprises later.
Finally, number three is to have realistic expectations. As our friend Leonardo da Vinci said in the year 1500: "He who wishes to be rich in a day will be hanged in a year."
Over the past several years, New York stocks have averaged 30% annual returns, but don't count on this continuing. While it's true that since the year 1900, stocks have averaged an 11% annual return, it's a roller-coaster ride with many minus years as well, so you have to stay in for the long term--you have to weather the storm--and not be too greedy.
Well, let's get started and Happy hunting! For FNN, this is George Boros reporting.
. What is the first guideline to investing?
A. develop a savings plan
B. set up a bank account
C. set clear investing goals
2. What is a "diversified portfolio" of investments according to Mr. Boros?
A. a wide selection of investments
B. a limited range of growth stocks
C. a group of low risk bonds and cash
3. Which investment did Mr. Boros NOT mention?
A. mutual funds
B. bonds
C. certificate of deposits
4. What is the third guideline to investing?
A. Invest in the New York Stock Exchange.
B. Don't expect enormous gains.
C. Save at least 11% of earnings a year.
5. People should invest long term because:
A. the market has both up and down years.
B. you can earn bigger guaranteed returns.
C. 30% returns can be achieved with the right stocks.
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This is Bob Smith from Channel 13 News.
I'm at the scene of a miraculous rescue that occurred earlier today involving a fire, a 3-month-old baby, and the baby's dog, Lucky. Uh, the fire broke out at the three-story building behind me. Uh, unfortunately, we're not able to get any closer because the possibility of an explosion. Uh, however, witnesses say that they noticed fire coming from the building earlier this morning.
It was believed that everyone had been evacuated to safety; however, one of the residents, Susan O'Connor, when she had returned and noticed the fire, she panicked, realizing that her 3-month-old baby was still inside. However, witnesses report seeing the dog, uh, the family dog, pulling the baby to safety by, uh, the baby's clothes.
Fortunately, everyone is reported fine. The baby was taken to the hospital, uh, as well as the dog, but we're happy to say that at this time, it looks like everyone, uh, will be fine. This is Channel 13 News.
. What news event is being reported?
A. a bomb threat at a hospital
B. a flood at a school
C. a fire at an apartment building
2. When did this event occur?
A. in the morning
B. in the early afternoon
C. in the evening
3. Who was rescued?
A. a baby
B. a boy
C. an elderly woman
4. The dog helped rescue this person by:
A. attracting people's attention by barking
B. pulling the person to safety
C. comforting the person until help came
5. What is the current medical condition of the survivor?
A. critical, but stable condition
B. serious condition
C. good condition
On December 25, 2000, many people across North America received a rare Christmas treat when the moon passed in front of the sun resulting in a partial solar eclipse.
Solar eclipses occur when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, and the moon's shadow covers part of the Earth, and a total solar eclipse takes place when the moon's shadow blocks out the sun entirely. What made this particular solar eclipse unique was that this event has occurred on December twenty-fifth only 30 times during the past 5000 years, the last time in 1954.
But people must be exceptionally careful when attempting to view a solar eclipse. Without taking precautionary measures, one can permanently damage the retina of the eye; however, there are several safe methods of witnessing this heavenly marvel.
First, you can view a solar eclipse by using eclipse safety glasses for filtering out the sun's harmful rays. They should be used when any part of the sun is visible.
Sunglasses can block out some of the sun's ultraviolet rays, but the results can be very deceptive. The eye's natural reaction to this darken state when wearing sunglasses is to make the pupil larger, which allows in more light and can intensify the damage to your eye.
You can watch an eclipse by projecting the sun's image on a piece of paper either by using a telescope, or easier yet, by creating a pinhole in a piece of paper and viewing the result on another piece of paper, thus called a pinhole projector.
Only during a total eclipse when the sun is completely and briefly covered can you watch the eclipse without eye protection. Even then, extreme caution should be taken.
In case you didn't catch this last spectacular eclipse on December twenty-fifth, 2000, there's no need to fret. Your posterity can record the next eclipse on Christmas in the year 2307, but only if they're visiting the west coast of Africa for the holidays.
Announcer: Hello and welcome to today's show, Shirley's Garden. Today, we'll be interviewing Shirley on her amazing techniques at growing a square-foot garden.
Jeff: Good morning and my name is Jeff, and I have a special guest today, Shirley. Shirely you truly have an amazing garden. Could you let us know how you kind of put this together?
Shirley: Well, thank you, Jeff. I have tried various attempts at gardening and with different, um, degrees of success. This spring I took a square-foot gardening class, and I decided to try some of the things I've learned. Um, one of the most important things in square-foot gardening is that you choose a good location. You need at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunshine. Um, you also need to choose a location that has good drainage, and it should be a convenient location. A garden is a lot more fun if you are walking by and seeing it all the time. Um, you need to decide what kind of containers you want, or, in my case, I used boxes, um, wooden boxes, and then I divided them up into one-foot squares. And then just decided what I wanted to plant, and based on what the final plant would look like, I had 1 per square, or maybe 3 per, um , 3 or 4 per square, 12 per square.
Jeff: Well, Shirely, I'm, I'm . . . truly amazed at kind of the architecture of this garden. I've noticed these vertical beams. I've never seen that before. Could you explain that to us a little bit?
Shirley: Well, for example, right here we have some, um, cantaloupe, and cantaloupe take a lot of space when you grow them out on the ground, and I don't have that much space, and so I just grow them up. Just grow them vertically. I just made, um, a metal frame, and taken some string, I just allow them to grow up, and they will support themselves, the cantaloupe will. And all kinds of different vines you can do this with.
Jeff: This is truly amazing. I noticed this garden, a vast amount of vegetation. Can you explain to me what you have growing in this garden?
Shirley: Well over on the far end, I have tomatoes growing vertically. In front of those I have, um, green peppers, basil, strawberries, uh, beets, um, green beans, corn, carrots, all kinds of different vegetables like that. Right here, as I said before, I have, um, cantaloupe. Down at the bottom, I have some Mexican tomatoes called tomatillos. And down at this end, I have egg plant, another kind of pepper called banana peppers, um, cucumbers, okra, pumpkins . . . and I think that's about it.
Jeff: Well, Shirley, this is truly amazing. I'm so impressed, and I know our viewers will be impressed about this, this, this excellent garden. Just truly amazing. I'd like to thank you very much for having us in today to look at your garden [Thank you, Jeff]. In a few minutes, viewers, we will let you see the entire garden, and maybe Shirley will kind of show you around. So, we thank you very much for being with us today, and our special guest, Shirley. Have a nice day.
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