January 2010

 

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. generous
A person who doesn’t like to meet and spend time with other people is (tone) unsociable
He’s 43 years old and he behaves like a child. He’s so (tone)  immature
I 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 / lazy
The opposite of selfish is (tone)  unselfish
My sister is always smiling, laughing and in a good mood. I don’t know what makes her so (tone) all the time. cheerful
The waiter will bring your dessert in a moment, darling. Don’t be so (tone) impatient
It takes me such a long time to make up my mind whenever I go shopping. I’m so (tone) indecisive
Don’t believe a word he says. He never tells the truth and he cannot be trusted. He’s so (tone) insincere
You 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!