This episode introduces three idioms that use the word bat. Listen to the examples to hear how to use them. Please send me a message if you would like a copy of the audio script

Idiom Corner

5岁的马克向妈妈告状：“我们的小狗把我的皮鞋咬破了。”
 “那我们要惩罚它一下。”母亲回答说。 
“妈妈，我正是这样做的。我把狗盆里的牛奶全喝光了，让它饿一天。 看它下次还敢不敢这样。”

5 year old Make complain to his mother: our puppy bit my leather shoes.
"then, we need to punish him."mom said.
"yes, mom, definitely I did,I drank up all the milk in the dog bowl, let him hungry. see if he dares to do this again next time."

开心一刻 Jokes

惩罚（chéng fá, punishment)

How to Introduce Yourself in English
Want to avoid awkward conversations with native English speakers?
Then it’s time to make sure you know how to react when someone asks “How are you?”
In this podcast, you will learn some of the possible answers and reactions to this important question. 

Native English

How Are You? - Part 1

みなさんは「控える」の意味を知っていますか？「控える」というのは今までより量や回数を減らしたり、その行動をしないようにすることです。

つまり、「最近、アルコールを控えています」と言うと、「アルコールを飲む量を減らしている」または「アルコールを飲まないようにしている」と言う意味です。
最近はダイエットのために炭水化物を控えている人がたくさんいます。炭水化物というのはごはんや、パン、パスタのことです。
また、ガソリン代が高いので、「車に乗るのを控えています」という人もいるかもしれません。パンデミックが始まってから控えることばかりで辛いという人が多いと思います。たまには控えるのをやめてみるのもいいかもしれません。私はふだん炭水化物を食べる量を控えています。でも、ときどきお腹いっぱいになるまでパスタを食べると、とても幸せな気持ちになります。

みなさんは今、控えていることがありますか？
最近控えるのをやめたことはありますか？

よかったら私のレッスンに来て教えて下さい。

量： りょう　amount
回数：number of the times
炭水化物：たんすいかぶつ　curbs
ガソリン代：がそりんだい　gas price
辛い：つらい　tough, hard
ふだん：usually
たまに≒ときどき

Nihongo Short Story by Noriko

控える-Today’s Word

Odyssea arrives home and meets her future spouse.

Transcript:
https://saracasalino-books.weebly.com/blog/the-adventures-of-odyssea-ch-7-ithaca

Learn English with Stories

The Adventures of Odyssea: Ch 7.1 - Ithaca

Let's learn long a vowels. Listen and repeat.
rain, tail, wait, nail
Follow me for more phonics
https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/13365914.  

Phonics Long Vowels

Long A 

italki online Japanese teacher Tatsuki and Akari talks about International marriage! イタリアの女性とご結婚されたTatsukiさんと国際結婚についておしゃべり。

Akari Talks Japan

Talks about international marriage! 国際結婚についておしゃべり

Some animals have been known to use tools such as sticks, rocks and even bait to hunt for food. And humpback whales have been found using their own unique tool to hunt — bubbles.

A study published in Royal Society Open Science in August observed the hunting behaviors of more than 70 humpback whales in Stephens Passage in southeast Alaska, documenting how the whales blow bubbles to catch more prey.

Humpback whales hunt for krill — small, shrimp-like creatures that are around the same size as a paperclip, and which swim in swarms.

Whales can take in large amounts of krill in one mouthful. And to make this easier, humpback whales trap swarms of krill in "bubble nets" before feeding on them.

The whales create these "nets" by releasing air from their blowhole as they swim in circles below the surface of the water. The bubbles rise in a spiral pattern, which, from above the water's surface, looks more like artwork than a tool for hunting.

The rising bubbles create "curtains" of air around the krill that they are reluctant to swim through, although researchers aren't yet sure why this is. The whales then swim up through the "net" with an open mouth to eat the trapped krill.

The study data showed that as a whale swam in tighter circles and the "net" got smaller, the krill caught inside became, on average, more than seven times denser. This allowed the whales to catch more krill in a single mouthful.

A whale doesn't have to move very fast to create a net or eat trapped krill, allowing it to get more food without using any more energy.

While not many other animals create their own tools to catch prey like the humpback whale, there are examples of animals using other tools to hunt.

For example, chimpanzees have been observed using sticks to dig for bugs, while sea otters use rocks to open mussels. Certain species of heron have even been found to use food as bait to attract fish.

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Humpback Whales Use Bubbles to Hunt

The IELTS speaking test is a crucial part of the exam, as it assesses your ability to communicate effectively in English. To prepare for this test, there are several key strategies you can use to improve your performance.