Practising English

This is the audioscript for this B2 story (part 2) of The Hole:https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-286.htmThe Hole (Part 2)I hurriedly set up the equipment from out of my bags.'Can I help, señor?' Pedro stepped forwards.'Please. Undo these two ropes. One has a harness and the other is fixed to this small sack, while I set up the laptop and monitor.'I then had to think fast. After I had the computer equipment ready, I knelt down at the side of the borehole and felt the walls. Cement.'Pedro. Are the walls cement all the way down to the bottom? I imagine they're not.''These holes are dug with a machine and lower down the walls are just earth.'So as the child fell, his body brushed against the sides of the hole bringing the earth down on top of him, I thought to myself. Not good.I turned to Heidi. I had already typed in the programme for her to follow.'Go, Heidi!'She almost jumped into the hole head first. Even her small body would find it difficult to descend, but she disappeared rapidly into the darkness. Unlike the slow and clumsy articulated robots we usually see, those constructed at my company had the ability to react and move with lively and precise movements.I looked into the borehole, as did Pedro and the father. I could see Heidi's multiple phosphorescent bulbs on her titanium frame had now lit up. The brightness descended as her feet dug expertly but carefully into the walls of the borehole so as not to disturb the soft soil.I then turned to the laptop screen and monitor, and Pedro and the father followed. I examined the screen. There was now a crowd of people behind us, silent but impatient. The camera and microphone on Heidi's tail showed her metal frame moving mechanically down metre after metre.'There's the bag of sweets,' said Pedro pointing at the screen. 'And there's the earth. The tunnel stops there.'Heidi did not pause. She began digging with great care into the floor. We could hear the sounds over the speakers.I then picked up the rope with the sack and dropped it into the hole, ensurContact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):https://amzn.to/46AVFe9 Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English learning pages.https://www....

This is the audioscript for today's B2 story:https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-285.htmThe Hole'We're arriving, señor,' said the helicopter pilot. 'It's down there, by that hill. I'll land as close as I can get. Time is going to be crucial.' The helicopter dropped down vertically and bounced once before finally settling on the grassy slope.There were a number of people gathered about fifty metres further up the hill, and several vehicles: cars, police vehicles, two ambulances and a fire engine. It was otherwise a lonely spot, close to a country road; pleasant with green grass, trees and four or five wooden tables with benches for picnickers.New Year is part of the Christmas holiday season in Spain, and in Andalusia, where the weather is often mild at this time of year, families will often head for the nearest countryside with a picnic basket and spend an afternoon in the fresh, clean outdoors.The helicopter pilot jumped out and pulled open the side exit for me, and I jumped out immediately with my backpack and heavy canvas bag. I was not alone. Sunny, my 4-year-old golden retriever leapt out too, thankful to be out of that strange and noisy craft. However, I had another companion with a more complex name: High Degree of Articulated Freedom Robot. Naturally, you cannot use that name all the time when talking to an AI robot, so I had given her a shorter name - Heidi.At my robotics company in Almeria, she had been my own creation, although a whole team of computer engineers had been responsible for her construction. Although smaller than a golden retriever, she looked like a dog in shape, so much so that Sunny, the golden retriever accepted her company even though a little suspiciously.However, there was little covering the shiny, titanium structure, so she looked something like a yellow and silver dog skeleton. But she had two, bright, green and gold-coloured eyes, and there was a hook-like hand at the end of the tail - so she could hold firmly to any surface. She behaved like a dog too - the perfect companion: all obeying, fast and responsive with a strength far exceeding her canine friend, SuContact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):https://amzn.to/46AVFe9 Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English learning pages.https://www....

This is a B1 and B2 story with phrasal verbs. Here is the audioscripy for the story:https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-284.htmA Christmas SurpriseChristmas didn't turn out very well for Flora. She lived in the north of Scotland, where the weather can be a problem in the winter months. She lived in Keiss, a fishing village at the northern end of Sinclair's Bay on the east coast of Caithness in Scotland's Highland area.She wanted to spend Christmas with her ageing mother who lived in Lairg - not far away but higher up in the mountains. A heavy snowstorm had cut off the town, so travel there was impossible. She had to give up that idea. Feeling disappointed, she decided to stay in and wait for the weather to change.On Christmas Eve, Flora woke up early and put on her warmest coat to check outside. The streets were quiet, and most shops were closed. While she was looking around, she noticed an elderly neighbour, Mr. Armstrong, trying to clear away the snow in front of his house. Flora went over to help him, even though she didn't know him very well.As they worked together, Mr. Armstrong opened up about his life. He told Flora that his family lived far away and that he usually ended up spending Christmas alone. Hearing this, Flora didn't want to walk away and forget about him. Instead, she came up with an idea.Later that day, Flora set up a small Christmas dinner in her apartment. She invited Mr. Armstrong over, and he happily turned up just before sunset. They shared stories, laughed a lot, and slowly got to know each other better. Flora realized that even though her original plans had fallen through, something special had worked out in the end.Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):https://amzn.to/46AVFe9 Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English learning pages.https://www....

This is the story text for the B2 story today:https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-283.htmThe song in today's podcast is an arrangement by Dmitry Taras - check it out at Pixabay.The Christmas Festival'So, Miss Jenkins,' said the mayor. 'As the town's new Councillor for cultural events, it'll be your turn this year to organise the Christmas town festival.''Yes, Mr Mayor. I'm aware of that,' Jenny Jenkins answered.'Councillor David did a marvellous job last year. A difficult act to follow, Miss Jenkins. I understand you used to direct pantomimes at Christmas. And you would sing yourself in them. You sing well - so I've been told.''Well, they were just school pantomimes, Mr Mayor. When I was a teenager. Nothing professional.' Then she added, 'The experience will help, of course.''We're all convinced you'll do a splendid job, Miss Jenkins.''I'll do my best,' Mr Mayor.However, quite honestly, Jenny Jenkins wasn't sure she could live up to everyone's expectations. Last year's event had been perfect, and people kept reminding her of the fact. Still, she had decided to take on the challenge. Trying to get out of it was useless - it was her job after all.At first, everything went smoothly-until the main singer suddenly dropped out of the programme a week before Christmas. Jenny tried not to panic, but she kept putting off finding a replacement. She hoped someone would magically appear, but Christmas magic seemed to be running late.Two days before the festival, the town mayor pointed out that the schedule still had an empty space where the singer should be. Jenny realised she could no longer ignore the problem. Finally, she caught up with her long list of tasks and started calling local musicians…It was Christmas Eve, the morning of the festival. There had been a heavy fall of snow the night before and everything was looking very Christmassy. Jenny was exhausted but proud. Everything was ready. The mayor had told her he'd found a singer himself, and she'd be the star of the festival. Jenny felt relieved - whoever it might be.Jenny was on the stage in the market square, making final preparations. The mayor walked across the square tContact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):https://amzn.to/46AVFe9 Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English learning pages.https://www....

This is the audioscript for today's story and the B1 words studied:Scrooge and the TurkeyScrooge ran to the window, opened it, and put his head outside. There was no fog or mist. The air was clear, bright, and cold. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the bells were ringing happily.'Oh, how absolutely wonderful!' cried Scrooge in a cheerful voice.'What day is it?' he shouted down to a boy wearing his Sunday clothes, who was standing in the street.'Eh?' said the boy, very surprised.'What day is it, my boy?' Scrooge repeated, expecting to be disappointed.'Why, it's Christmas Day!' replied the boy.'It's Christmas Day!' said Scrooge to himself, delighted. 'I haven't missed it. The Ghosts did everything in one night. They can do anything!''Hello, my boy!' Scrooge called.'Hello!' said the boy.'Do you know the shop on the corner in the next street where they sell turkeys?' asked Scrooge.'Of course I do,' said the boy.'Good boy!' said Scrooge. 'Do you know if they have sold the big prize turkey? Not the small one-the huge one.''The one as big as me?' asked the boy.'Yes!' laughed Scrooge. 'That one.''It's still there,' said the boy.'Good!' said Scrooge. 'Go and buy it.''You must be joking!' said the boy amazed.'Definitely not, my boy,' said Scrooge. 'Go and tell them Ebenezer Scrooge will buy it, and then tell them to bring it here. Come back with the man, and I'll give you a shilling. If you don't hang about and come back in less than five minutes, I'll give you two shillings!'The boy ran off as fast as he could go.'I'll send the turkey to Bob Cratchit,' Scrooge said quietly, laughing to himself. 'He won't know who sent it. It's much bigger than his son, Tiny Tim. I'll wrap it up and send it as a Christmas gift. This will be a wonderful surprise for him!'Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):https://amzn.to/46AVFe9 Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English learning pages.https://www....