What do you think makes a good leader? Is it their personality, their ability to make difficult decisions, or something else?

In this episode, Nick gives you some ideas to help you with Part 3 of the speaking test. 

IELTS with Nick - World Knowledge 

What traits does a good leader have?

Neste episódio podemos aprender sobre a vida na faculdade

Portuguese Audios for Beginners A2 -Áudios em Português para Principiantes A2

As Novidades na Faculdade

Sam is a meteor from outer space. After leaving his homeland orbit, Sam was pulled towards the nearest large planet. When entering Earth’s atmosphere, he faced so much resistance. This created extremely high temperatures which burned away layers and layers of his body. As a result, Sam, who used to be giant when floating in space, became so little that he could fit in a fisherman’s hand.
 
The overwhelming amount of pain Sam suffered as a result of his entry caused him to fall into a deep state of unconsciousness. When Sam struck the Earth, he was fast asleep. 

Waking up and opening his eyes, Sam sees nothing but a vast cloudless blue sky. An enormous wave of peace and serenity washes over him. He is like a newborn baby experiencing the wonder and mystery of life for the first time. For a few moments, this serene blueness the only mental phenomenon swimming around his meteor consciousness. Seconds later, questions appear. 

Where am I? What happened? What comes next?

Due to his traumatic experience, Sam has lost all memory of his life before coming to Earth. He rolls over and looks down the beach. There are some large laughing figures running around, chasing a flying red disk. Further away there are two large ones holding long boards under their arms while walking into the water. Closer to Sam, there are several little figures picking up other rocks and showing each other. 

“Wow, look at that one!” says one of the little boys. “It looks like emerald. With a little bit of sapphire too!” 

I wish that those boys will pick me up and take me with them… I want to explore, to see precisely what life on Earth has to offer…

“Come quick!” yells one of the boys, eagerly running straight to Sam. “Look at this one! It’s so strange and ugly, but fascinating at the same time!” 

“Grab it, quick! Before mom sees!” 

A distant voice calls for the two children to return to the family car. “Boys, we’re going now. Hurry up.” 

Being a Cloud

Sam the Meteor 

Want to know more about the Negros island?

Filipino Things!

Negros

【北海道Hokkaido生活】
5月6日金曜日　天気/晴れ　気温/19℃ 

札幌市/さっぽろし
北海きたえーる/ほっかいきたえーる
・「北海きたえーる」は体育館
・5日「こどもの日」があった
・こどもたちにスポーツを楽しんでもらおうと無料開放
・プロの人たちも来て、一緒にスポーツをした


［単語］
体育館/たいいくかん（たいくかん）...スポーツをするための建物
無料/むりょう…お金を出さないで、使うことができる。
開放/かいほう…自由に出たり、入ったりできること。
プロ/ぷろ…あることを仕事にしてる人

レッスン待ってます♪

北海道Hokkaido生活 for Japanese learners

〈#54〉5月6日金曜日　「こどもの日」に体育館を無料開放

专心致志[zhuān xīn zhì zhì]：focus on/heart/devote/heart；
to devote oneself heart and soul to or to give complete attention to 
eg：她专心致志地学习中文 tā zhuān xīn zhì zhì de xuéxí hànyǔ。
        爸爸专心致志地看报纸 bàba zhuān xīn zhì zhì de kàn bàozhǐ 。
鲁国 lǔ guó：Lu state in the Spring and Autumn period in Chinese history.
弈秋 yì qiū：The name of a person
围棋 wéi qí：Go;Chinese draught
高手 gāo shǒu：Past master master-hand ace
徒弟 tú dì：apprentice;disciple;pupil
棋艺 qí yì：skill
大雁 dà yàn：wild goose
丝毫 sī háo：a bit;in the least

乐读中文 (Lè Dú Zhōngwén) - "Joyful Chinese Stories"

专心致志[zhuān xīn zhì zhì]

ヨーロッパではサマータイムが始まりました。時間が1時間進んだので日本とドイツの時差は7時間になりました。
サマータイムとは太陽が出ている明るい時間を有効に使うための制度です。
しかし、サマータイムに対する反対意見もたくさんあり、EUは2021年でサマータイムを廃止することにしました。しかし、なぜか今年もサマータイムを続けるそうです。
私は海外にいる生徒とのオンラインレッスンがあるので、サマータイムが始まる前は時間がずれていないかどうかとても心配になります。ヨーロッパに住んでいる人の中には「ここ数日寝不足です」という人もいるかもしれません。私も昨日と今日よく眠れませんでした。
みなさんはサマータイムについてどう思いますか？

時差：じさ　time difference
~を有効（ゆうこう）に使（つか）う：make good use of~, make the most of ~, use effectively
反対意見：はんたいいけん　opposite opinion
廃止（はいし）する：abolish
なぜか：for some reason
時間がずれる：time doesn’t match up
寝不足：ねぶそく　lack of sleep

Here more episodes↓
https://anchor.fm/nihongo-shortstory

Nihongo Short Story by Noriko

サマータイム (Summer Time)

In questo episodio, parleremo degli italiani e della loro proverbiale superstizione. E tu ci credi?  

Italiano Chiaro - Cultura e Tradizioni 

Gli Italiani e le superstizioni

L’horloge
Charles Baudelaire
Horloge ! dieu sinistre, effrayant, impassible,
Dont le doigt nous menace et nous dit :  » Souviens-toi !
Les vibrantes Douleurs dans ton coeur plein d’effroi
Se planteront bientôt comme dans une cible,
Le plaisir vaporeux fuira vers l’horizon
Ainsi qu’une sylphide au fond de la coulisse ;
Chaque instant te dévore un morceau du délice
A chaque homme accordé pour toute sa saison.
Trois mille six cents fois par heure, la Seconde
Chuchote : Souviens-toi ! – Rapide, avec sa voix
D’insecte, Maintenant dit : Je suis Autrefois,
Et j’ai pompé ta vie avec ma trompe immonde !
Remember ! Souviens-toi, prodigue ! Esto memor !
(Mon gosier de métal parle toutes les langues.)
Les minutes, mortel folâtre, sont des gangues
Qu’il ne faut pas lâcher sans en extraire l’or !
Souviens-toi que le Temps est un joueur avide
Qui gagne sans tricher, à tout coup ! c’est la loi.
Le jour décroît ; la nuit augmente, souviens-toi !
Le gouffre a toujours soif ; la clepsydre se vide.

Tantôt sonnera l’heure où le divin Hasard,
Où l’auguste Vertu, ton épouse encor vierge,
Où le repentir même (oh ! la dernière auberge !),
Où tout te dira : Meurs, vieux lâche ! il est trop tard !  »
Charles Baudelaire, Les fleurs du mal

The clock
Ye clock! Sinister, frightful, stone-faced god
whose hand threatens us and says "Remember!
Pulsating pains will soon pierce
your heart filled with fright,
 the nebulous pleasure will flee to the horizon
like a sylph disappearing in the backstage.
Every momenty bites off a bit of the delight
granted to every man for all his life."
 Three thousand six hundred times per hour, the Second
whispers "Remember!". Quickly, with its insect
voice, it now says "I am bygone times
and I sucked your life with my vile proboscis!
 Remember! Souviens-toi! Prodigue! Esto memor!
(My metal throat speaks all languages)
Ye frisky mortal, minutes are gangues
you shan't drop without extracting the gold within!
 Remember, time is a greedy player
.....
 
