Spelade

  • Aprender ingles gratis con La Mansion del Ingles. Un podcast para mejorar la gramatica, el vocabulario y la pronunciacion del inglés. Una leccion del ingles con ejemplos y ejercicios.
    Learn English free with podcasts from La Mansion del Ingles. Improve your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. This English lesson contains examples and exercises.

    Podcast Transcription

    You’re going to listen to a text about the Simpsons. Before you listen, here is some vocabulary from the text.

    careless = descuidado, despreocupado

    precocious = precoz

    to suck = chupar

    pacifier (US) / dummy (UK) = chupete

    role = papel

    Now listen to the text

    The Simpsons are a typical family who live in the fictional "Mid-American" town of Springfield. Homer, the father, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant - a job which doesn’t really fit his careless, clown-like personality. He’s married to Marge Simpson, a typical American housewife and mother. They have three children: Bart, who is ten years old; Lisa, who is eight years old; and Maggie, a baby who rarely speaks, but communicates by sucking on a pacifier. The family has a dog, Santa's Little Helper, and a cat, Snowball II. Both pets have had starring roles in several episodes. The first Simpsons episode was shown in 1987. Despite the passing of the years and celebrations such as holidays or birthdays, the Simpsons do not physically age and still look the same as they did at the end of the 1980s.

    Listen to some answers to questions about the text. Try to ask the questions BEFORE you hear them. Ask the questions after the tone.

    1. Springfield

    Where do the Simpsons live?

    2. Homer

    What’s the father’s name?

    3. At the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant

    Where does Homer work?

    4. He’s a safety inspector

    What does he do?

    5. Marge Simpson

    Who is he married to?

    What’s his wife’s name?

    6. Three

    How many children do they have?

    How many children have they got?

    7. Bart, Lisa and Maggie.

    What are the children’s names?

    8. He’s 10.

    How old is Bart?

    9. Yes, A dog and a cat.

    Do they have any pets?

    10. Snowball II

    What’s the cat’s name?

    11. In 1987

    When was the first Simpsons episode?

    12. No, they look the same as they did at the end of the 1980’s.

    Do the Simpsons physically age?

    Listen and repeat the questions. Copy the intonation.

    1. Where do the Simpsons live?

    2. What’s the father’s name?

    3. Where does Homer work?

    4. What does he do?

    5. Who’s he married to? /What’s his wife’s name?

    6. How many children do they have? / How many children have they got?

    7. What are the children’s names?

    8. How old is Bart?

    9. Do they have any pets?

    10. What’s the cat’s name?

    11. When was the first Simpsons episode?

    12. Do the Simpsons physically age?

    During the interviews on last month’s podcast you heard some adjectives that are used to describe people (nice, lovely, kind, friendly etc.)

    What are the English adjectives for these Spanish ones? Say the English translation before I do. They are all similar translations.

    tolerante - tolerant

    paciente - patient

    sociable - sociable

    aventurero/a - adventurous

    maduro/a - mature

    sincero/a - sincere

    decidido/a, resuelto/a - decisive

    práctico/a – practical

    Listen and repeat the adjectives.

    tolerant

    patient

    sociable

    adventurous

    mature

    sincere

    decisive

    practical

    Here are some more adjectives for you to translate. Say the English translation before I do.

    educado/a - polite

    tacaño/a, malo/a - mean

    egoísta - selfish

    perezoso/a - lazy

    sensible - sensitive

    sensato/a - sensible

    malhumorado/a, de humor variable - moody

    de fiar, de confianza - reliable

    de mal humor, mal genio - bad-tempered

    alegre - cheerful

    Listen and repeat:

    polite

    mean

    selfish

    lazy

    sensitive

    sensible

    moody

    reliable

    bad-tempered

    cheerful

    Do you know the opposites of the following adjectives? Some have the prefix un- (u-n), for example selfish – unselfish. Some have the prefix in- (i-n), for example intolerant. Some have the prefix im- (i-m), for example impolite, and some have a different word to make the opposite, for example lazy and hard-working.

    Try to say the opposite before I do, and then repeat the word to practise pronunciation.

    reliable - unreliable – repeat - unreliable

    mature – immature – repeat - immature

    lazy – hard working – repeat - hard working

    sincere - insincere – repeat - insincere

    practical - impractical – repeat - impractical

    selfish - unselfish – repeat - unselfish

    sensitive - insensitive – repeat - insensitive

    patient - impatient – repeat - impatient

    sociable - unsociable – repeat - unsociable

    sensible – foolish / silly – repeat - foolish / silly

    polite - impolite / rude – repeat - impolite / rude

    decisive - indecisive – repeat - indecisive

    adventurous - unadventurous – repeat - unadventurous

    mean – generous – repeat - generous

    moody – even-tempered – repeat - even-tempered

    practical - impractical – repeat - impractical

    tolerant - intolerant – repeat - intolerant

    cheerful – miserable – repeat - miserable

    bad-tempered – sweet-tempered, calm – repeat - sweet-tempered, calm

    Now listen to some sentences and guess the missing adjective from the previous list. Say the adjective after the tone.

    Thank you so much for lunch in this lovely restaurant. It was very (tone) of you. generousA person who doesn’t like to meet and spend time with other people is (tone) unsociableHe’s 43 years old and he behaves like a child. He’s so (tone) immatureI like trekking, skiing, climbing and exploring different countries, but my wife only wants to sit next to a swimming pool all day. She’s so (tone) unadventurous / lazyThe opposite of selfish is (tone) unselfishMy sister is always smiling, laughing and in a good mood. I don’t know what makes her so (tone) all the time. cheerfulThe waiter will bring your dessert in a moment, darling. Don’t be so (tone) impatientIt takes me such a long time to make up my mind whenever I go shopping. I’m so (tone) indecisiveDon’t believe a word he says. He never tells the truth and he cannot be trusted. He’s so (tone) insincereYou left your wallet on the table outside, and went inside the café to go to the toilet! That wasn’t very (tone) was it? I’m not surprised it was stolen. sensible

    Listen and repeat

    That’s very generous of you. Don’t be so unsociable. He behaves like a child. He’s so immature. My wife’s so lazy and unadventurous The opposite of selfish is unselfish My sister is always so cheerful. Don’t be so impatient darling.I’m so indecisive, I think. No I’m not. Yes, I am!Don’t believe him he’s so insincere. That wasn’t very sensible was it? That was bloody stupid!