by Eric Haseltine

a technologist who has worked in senior-executive positions in both industry and government.  He was the chief technology officer for the U.S. intelligence community.

First, preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Vocabulary:

passion:  excitement
baby steps:  slow progress (idiom)
leaps:  fast progress
turns the world on its head:  changes everything (idiom)
impact:  ability to make big changes
thorough:  completing the whole job
maternity clinic:  a hospital that helps women in childbirth
sanitation:  cleanliness that’s free of viruses and bacteria
autopsy:  cut a body open to find the cause of death
reconstructed:  recreated
morgue:  a room where dead bodies are kept
corpse:  dead body
it turned out:  the result was (idiom)
sterilize:  wash to kill all the viruses and bacteria
infectious disease:  sickness that can pass from one person to another
vapors:  gases
culprits:  bad things that caused trouble
demolished:  destroyed
opened out eyes:  taught us (idiom)
violating:  breaking (a law)
prestigious: well respected, famous
microscopes:  devices that made tiny things big enough to see
lousy:  bad
house husband:  a man who stays home with his children
finer details:  the smallest of things
crucial:  most important
fluoresce:  produce light when exposed to radiation
unprecedented:  never done before
startling:  surprising
clarity:  clearness, visual sharpness
get a better handle on:  understand better (idiom)
molecules:  combinations of atoms
hijack:  take control of
infect:  make sick
replicate themselves:  create others just like them
shattered:  shown to be false
cherished beliefs:  things we think are true
squirming:  uncomfortable
immortal:  unable to die, living forever
crackpot:  a crazy person who thinks they are right
inevitable consequence:  a result that must happen
metabolize:  turn (food) into energy
free radicals:  bad parts of food and air that cause cells to die
be on to something:  have discovered something important (idiom)
mutates:  changes
rejuvenate:  make young again
extreme:  very, very long
proportion:  percentage
in obscurity:  without anyone knowing, in private
rock our lives:  change our lives fast and strongly

by Ashton Cofer

Ashton and his teammates recently won the 2016 Google Science Fair’s Scientific American Innovator Award.   He has a passion for science and technology, and in addition to inventing, he also competed in FIRST LEGO League robotics and teaches robotics workshops to local area youth in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

First, preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Vocabulary:

freeking out:  panicking (idiom)
littered:  with garbage everywhere
Styrofoam:  a brand name for expanded polystyrene foam
landfill:  the place where garbage goes
degrade:  turn back into dirt
accumulations:  large amounts
contaminated:  impure, unclean, poisonous
nonrenewable:  cannot be made into something useful
feasible:  capable of being done, possible
viable:  practical, useful
ordinances:  local laws
insulating:  protecting from heat or cold
repercussions:  results, effects
hypothesized:  formed a theory
activated carbon:  a form of carbon (C) that absorbs tiny bad things
micropores:  very tiny holes
literally:  as the words truly mean
vaporized:  turned into gas
exploded:  expanded with great force and noise
gave up:  stopped trying (idiom)
persevere:  continue trying
inspired:  made to want to work harder
funding:  money to support the work
patent:  legal protection of an invention

by Anthony Goldbloom, the co-founder and CEO of Kaggle, which is a community of over 600,000 data scientists who find solutions to difficult problems.  In 2011 and 2012, Forbes Magazine named him one of the 30 under 30 in technology, and in 2013 the MIT Tech Review named him one of the top 35 innovators under the age of 35.

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Vocabulary:

dramatically:  very very big
concluded:  discovered, found out
automated:  made automatic, not needing humans
disruption:  great change
data:  information
mimic:  copy, do the same things
the cutting edge:  the very best in technology (idiom)
industry:  manufacturers
academia:  universities and technical institutes
unique:  one and only, not shared by others
perspective:  understanding
tasks:  jobs, pieces of work
assessing:  finding out the value (of something)
zip codes:  numbers for sections of the country
breakthroughs:  discoveries no one has made before
complex:  difficult
algorithm:  a series of “if A, then B” statements in a computer program
grade:  to give a mark (A, B+, B, B-, C+, C, etc.) to
challenge:  problem
diagnose:  find out which disease (someone has)
ophthalmologists:  eye doctors
essays:  writings by students
competing:  trying to win
high volume:  with lots of data
novel:  new, never seen before
fundamental:  basic
limitation:  weakness, inability
disparate:  basically different
physicist:  a scientist who studies physics (science of matter, energy, motion and force)
magnetron:  a device that creates very short radio waves
cross-pollination:  the sharing of knowledge between different sciences and technologies
extent:  level, degree, amount (how big, how much?)
frequent:  happening often
litigation:  lawsuits (court cases where one party may have to pay the other party)
shrink:  make smaller
ranks:  numbers of workers
marketing campaign:  a series of advertisements created to sell something
business strategy:  what needs to be done to make a business successful

by Patricia Keele

a stay-at-home mom trying to simplify life, find happiness in the ordinary, and bring beauty into her home on a budget.

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Vocabulary:

categories:  areas of spending (such as food, rent, and entertainment)
semi-annual:  twice a year (such as taxes and car insurance)
picky:  strict
data:  expenses, how much you’re spending in each category
tricky:  complicated
receipts:  paper records you get when you buy something
track:  see where the money is spent
within:  inside without going over
charities: organizations that help people
church tithings:  donations to your church
up front:  at the beginning
absorbed:  spent
the universe:  God
responsible:  able to do the right thing
allocating:  putting into a category
can’t afford:  don’t have the money for

Here’s a quick video to teach you why budgeting is important:

by Adam Leipzig

a producer, executive and distributor who has overseen more than 25 movies and produced more than 300 stage plays and live events. He was one of the founders of the Los Angeles Theatre Center.

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Vocabulary:

reunion:  a time when people come together again
drift:  move slowly
catch up:  find out what someone has been doing  (idiom)
decade:  ten years
astounding:  surprising
privileged:  given the opportunity
campus:  the grounds of a university
financially:  of or about money
well off:  having more than enough
Renaissance:  the period in Europe from the 1300s to the 1600s
rhetoric:  non-poetic language
geeks:  students who love to study
expansively:  with more and more experiences
ups and downs:  easiness and difficulties
unexamined:  not studied
come up:  are remembered  (idiom)
qualified:  able to do because of knowledge or skill
transform:  become something new
figure out:  think of how to do  (idiom)
outward facing:  thinking of other people
challenging:  difficult
vulnerable:  not safe or secure
apparel:  clothing
decisive:  strong

by Robert Waldinger

a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and Zen priest.  He is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and directs the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies of adult life ever done.  Dr. Waldinger is the author of numerous scientific papers as well as two books.  He teaches medical students and psychiatry residents at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and he is a Senior Dharma Teacher in Boundless Way Zen.

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Vocabulary:

survey:  a list of questions
millennials:  the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s
lean into:  work hard at  (idiom)
hindsight:  memories of the past
20/20:  perfect
turn out:  result  (idiom)
exceedingly:  very, very
fall apart:  end  (idiom)
drop out:  don’t continue  (idiom)
dries up:  ends  (idiom)
distracted:  doing something else
moves the ball down the field:  continues to make progress  (sports idiom)
persistence:  continuing and not quitting
participating:  being part of the activity
tenements:  poor, overcrowded apartment houses
alcoholism:  a dependency on alcohol
schizophrenia:  a serious mental disorder
founders:  people who started the study
generated:  made
toxic:  poisonous
isolated:  apart from other people
quality:  the amount of excellence
conflict:  fighting, arguing
octogenarian:  someone in their 80s
bicker:  argue
mood:  the way someone feels generally
magnified:  made worse
count on:  depend on  (idiom)
wisdom:  deep knowledge
reaching out:  making a connection  (idiom)
family feuds:  bad feelings between family members
toll:  cost
grudges:  hatred for past wrongdoings

by Judson Brewer

an associate Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, where he is Director of Research at the Center for Mindfulness.  He is a leader in the “science of self mastery,” having nearly 20 years of experience with the scientific study of mindfulness.

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Vocabulary:

retreats:  short courses held away from the city
exhausting:  very tiring
pay attention: focus on something
urge:  need
calories:  food energy
survival:  continuing to live
trigger:  something that makes you take action
reward:  a good thing you get as a result of an action
nerd:  a person who likes to study and learn
obesity:  being too fat
morbidity and mortality:  unhealthiness and death
tap into:  start using
curious:  wanting to know something
cognitively:  in your brain
disenchanted:  not liking
intellectual:  of the brain
on a visceral level:  with deep understanding
letting go:  releasing, giving up, stopping
paradox:  opposite thing that’s also true
cravings:  things that you strongly want
sensations:  feelings in the body
clobbered:  dominated, beat up
perpetuate:  keep doing

by Danielle Feinberg, Pixar’s director of photography, who creates stories with soul and wonder using math, science and code.

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Vocabulary:

coding:  writing code to make computer programs
junior year:  3^rd year
transfixed:  unable to look away
execute:  make from start to finish
characters:  people, animals, etc. in a story
fascinated:  really interested
comes to life:  looks real
stand out:  be able to be seen from other things (idiom)
incredible:  unbelievable
untethered:  with no limits
chaos:  disorder
jarring:  seen as very unreal
combat:  fight
backbone:  major part
footage:  short film
critical element:  a part that is absolutely necessary
mimics:  copies
current:  movement of water
particulate:  pieces of floating things
ribbons:  long shapes
not beholding to it:  don’t have to keep using it
immerse themselves in:  enter and feel that it’s real
binoculars:  eyes (on WALL-E)
dialogue:  speaking
eureka moment:  the time when you find the solution
floundering:  working but not getting a good result
tether:  connection
strangling:  killing, making it seem unreal
dug in:  worked really hard without stopping (idiom)
doomed:  ready to die
interweaving:  combining

When you’re learning a second language like English, the first skill that you develop is the listening skill.  All the other skills follow this one.  It’s the easiest skill to develop, and a learner usually makes a lot of progress in the beginning without doing much work.  Later on, however, a learner needs to develop a plan of action to keep on improving in this skill.  Following are some tips on the kinds of activities you can do to achieve this.

• Watch English TV and news programs. You can turn on the “closed captions” in the beginning to read the words that are spoken, but turn it off when you get to the point where you can understand without it.
• Listen to English songs.  If you need the lyrics, you can find them online.  This website has many excellent songs that you can listen to and learn so you can sing along.
• Listen to English news radio.  You can also listen to the ESL news at: www.esldivlabs.vcc.ca.
• Work on listening exercises on different websites.  On this website you can listen to TED talks and do listening exercises.
• Transcribe (write) a listening text.  You can repeat sections until you get all the words down on paper.
• Watch lectures online and take notes.  Your notes should include the main idea and supporting details.
• Listen to TED talks that interest you.  If they’re a little too difficult, listen 2 or 3 times.
• Volunteer at the library, food bank, community center, child’s school, etc. and start conversations with other people.  Conversations are a way to improve both your listening and speaking skills.
• Actively listen to other people’s conversations at the bus stop, in a store, in a restaurant, etc., but pretend like you’re not listening because you don’t want to appear to be “eavesdropping.” (listening to someone else’s conversation)
• Listen to newscasts in “Learning English” with the CBC.  Go to: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/learning-english#newscasts
• When speaking with an English speaker, and you don’t understand something, say, “Could you repeat that?, What does that mean?, How do you spell that?”, etc.
• Attend events that are in English.  You can find them by googling “free events in Vancouver,” for example.
• Use context (words around the new word) to guess the meaning of new words.  Trust that your guess is right and continue listening.
• Pause a listening exercise that you are doing, and restate (put it in your own words) what you just heard.
• When listening to someone, be present and in the moment and pay attention to what is being said.  This is called “active listening” and is the best kind of listening you can do.  Don’t be thinking about anything in the past or future.
• Listen not only to the words but also to the tone of voice (high, low, loud, or soft).  Also pay attention to facial expressions and body language.  A lot of meaning is separate from the words a person uses.
• When you’re in a conversation, listen for key points and repeat them.  This shows understanding and also tells the other person that you understand what they’re saying.
• Listen to English Podcasts on YouTube.
• Engage in a conversation with a native speaker.  Because the person is right in front of you, it’s easier to understand them, and you have to listening actively, not passively.
• Join a Meetup group for conversation.  Go to: www.meetup.com and search for a group to join (such as “English conversation.”)
• Listen while you read a transcript.  A good site for this is: www.elllo. org

There are a lot of suggestions on this page, and you can’t possibly do all of them.  The best thing you can do is to choose one of these right now and get started.  If you like the activity, then continue to do a little bit of it every day.  Even ten minutes a day will produce result that will encourage you to continue.

Click on the audio recording below to hear the lesson.

Audio Player

by Aomawa Shields

an American astronomer/astrophysicist and classically-trained actor.  After completing her degree in planetary sciences from MIT, she earned her master of fine arts degree in theater from UCLA.  She hosted a science TV show on PBS called “Wired Science.”

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Vocabulary:

universe:  all of the stars, planets, and other matter everywhere
contradictions:  things that aren’t normally found together
orbit:  go around a star
reside:  live, be
exoplanets:  planets around stars other than our sun
climate:  the general weather
benign:  harmless, peaceful
etherial:  located in space
melt:  make solid into liquid
on steroids:  multiplied by a hundred
atmosphere:  the air around a planet
scorching:  burning
crucial:  absolutely necessary
dim:  with little light
concept:  idea
absorbs:  takes in
reflects:  bounces back
vital:  absolutely necessary