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Audio Blog S1 Lessons 1-50

1-50 EnglishClass101.com Learn English with FREE Podcasts

Introduction

This is Innovative Language Learning.

Go to InnovativeLanguage.com/audiobooks to get the lesson notes for this course and sign up for your FREE lifetime account.

The course consists of lessons centered on an audio blog that is completely in English. These audio blogs take you around America and introduce you to many different aspects of the country, including culture, history, folklore, arts, and more. These blogs will also teach you all about many different cities in America and what they are famous for. Along the way, you'll pick up sophisticated expressions and advanced grammar in this Audio Blog series presented entirely in English.

The lesson starts with the English blog, which is all in English and at native speed.

Finally, practice what you have learned with the review track. In the review track, a native speaker will say a word or phrase from the dialogue, wait three seconds, and then give you the English definition. Say the word aloud during the pause. Halfway through the review track, the order will be reversed. The English definition will be provided first, followed by a three-second pause, and then the word or phrase from the dialogue. Repeat the words and phrases you hear in the review track aloud to practice pronunciation and reinforce what you have learned.

Before starting the lessons, go to InnovativeLanguage.com/audiobooks to get the lesson notes for this course and sign up for your FREE lifetime account.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Songs: All Along the Watchtower

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English

Top 10 American Songs—"All Along the Watchtower," Jimi Hendrix

"All Along the Watchtower" is one of the most critically acclaimed recordings made by Jimi Hendrix and his band, the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Originally written and recorded by Bob Dylan, Hendrix heard the song and liked it. In early 1968, the Jimi Hendrix Experience started recording the song, which turned out to be a process that would take a very long time. Jimi Hendrix had worked out an elaborate arrangement and would frequently improvise his guitar runs on the song. This caused a great deal of difficulty for the other musicians on the record, so much so that his bassist, Noel Redding, quit halfway through the recording. Dave Mason, a session guitarist helping out on the record, then played the bass. However, the engineer has claimed that Hendrix himself plays the bass guitar on the recording. Even though the initial recording sessions took five days, with the final session being on January 26, 1968, Hendrix wasn't satisfied with the results. He took the recording to The Record Plant studios in New York. There, he worked on the song throughout the summer, adding guitar parts and re-recording. Tony Bongiovi, the engineer on the record at The Record Plant, said that Hendrix was becoming dissatisfied as the sessions went on. Finally, however, "All Along the Watchtower" was released on the album Electric Ladyland in September 1968. Ever since then, Hendrix's version of the song has been more popular than Bob Dylan's. It appears frequently on the list of greatest songs and greatest guitar solos. Bob Dylan himself has praised the version, saying that Hendrix made it better than it was. The song itself sold very well and reached the number 5 spot on the UK Singles Chart. In the 2 US, it reached number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Hendrix's only Top 20 hit there.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class acclaim recognition, praise noun elaborate detailed, complicated adjective bassist musician who plays bass guitar noun improvise to make something up on the spot verb spot position (number 1 spot = number noun 1 position) initial first adjective session period of time for a certain noun activity dissatisfy to not meet someone's verb expectations release to let someone/something go verb bass low in pitch noun

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

He won critical acclaim for his poetry. The police said it was an elaborate hoax. The bassist often did not show up on time. It was unfair of you to ask me to improvise the presentation like that. He took the number two spot at the club after 3 improving his short game. The initial offering was pretty low. He invited his girlfriend to all the recording sessions. I'm pretty dissatisfied with the service here. They released the hostages after a difficult negotiation.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

Hendrix's version of the song is more popular than the original recording by Bob Dylan, who wrote the song. In fact, Hendrix's version made the song famous, and it has been recorded by various artists since. Bob Dylan usually plays the song in the style in which it was recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, instead of his own version. According to a poll conducted by Total Guitar Magazine, this song was named the "Greatest Cover Song of all time." Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Jimi Hendrix's version of "All Along the Watchtower" at number 48 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Songs: Born in the USA

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English

Top 10 American Songs–"Born in the USA," Bruce Springsteen

"Born in the USA" is one of Bruce Springsteen's most popular songs and often claimed to be his signature track alongside "Born to Run." It was released in 1984 on the album of the same name. The music and lyrics are by Bruce Springsteen, and it was produced by Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotnik, and Steve Van Zandt. Springsteen's backing band, the E Street Band, featured on this song. Musically, "Born in the USA" is an arena rock number. Heavy drum beats kick off the song, setting its tempo, and continue throughout. It is accompanied by loud guitars and synthesizers, with all of these providing a base for Springsteen's angry vocals. Lyrically, "Born in the USA" was inspired by Springsteen's friends who had served in the Vietnam War. It tells the story of a soldier returning from war and struggling to adjust. The lyrics are accentuated by Springsteen's loud and angry vocals on this song. Because of its title, "Born in the USA" is often misinterpreted to be a patriotic anthem. However, the lyrics are anti-war and discuss the effects of the Vietnam War on America. Upon its release, "Born in the USA" generated some controversy in political circles because of its opposition to the Vietnam War. Then presidential candidate, Ronald Reagan, even mentioned Bruce Springsteen during his stump speech. Even though "Born in the USA" was relevant to that time, it has managed to maintain its popularity over the years and remains a rock radio staple. Springsteen fans also regard this as one of his best songs. A music video featuring Springsteen and the E Street Band was made for the song, but it was marred by poor AV synchronization. "Born in the USA" reached 2 number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 on the UK Singles Chart, certifying its status as a hit single.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class claim to maintain as a fact verb arena a central stage surrounded by noun seats for spectators lyrically in terms of the lyrics of a song adverb accentuate to give emphasis to verb stump the lowest part of a tree left in the noun ground after the main part falls or is cut off mar to damage or spoil something, verb making it less perfect/useful/attractive etc. feature to give prominence to something verb inspire to arouse a feeling/thought etc. in verb someone alongside beside, together with preposition throughout all the way through, in every part preposition

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

He claimed to be the descendant of the king. The spectators filled the arena. The music was pretty bad, but lyrically, at least, it 3 was interesting. His poor posture accentuated his small appearance. When they cut down my favorite tree, they asked me to spend the next day removing its stump. The typoes in the manuscript marred what was otherwise a clearly written essay. The new album features a song written by Beck. Their stories inspired us to work harder. We worked alongside some seasoned professionals in the industry.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

Originally, the title of this song was "Vietnam" and it was supposed to be used in a movie by director Paul Schrader. Schrader sent the script, titled Born in the USA, to Springsteen. He liked the title so much that he used it for his song. Schrader had to change the title of his movie to Light of Day. Ironically, this title was based on a song Bruce Springsteen had sent him. Chrysler offered Springsteen a multi-million dollar deal to use this song in their commercials. He refused! Springsteen wanted to make this a country style song to suit the theme of the lyrics. "Born in the USA" was recorded live in the studio, which wasn't very common even at that time. It took three takes, and eight minutes had to be cut from the final track.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Songs: Fallin'

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English

Top 10 American Songs–"Fallin'"–Alicia Keys "Fallin'" is an R&B and Soul song by Alicia Keys. Released in 2001, it was the first single release of Keys' career and became a worldwide hit. Written, produced, and performed by Keys herself, the song reflected her singer-songwriter image and sent her on her way to a successful recording career. "Fallin'" was featured on Alicia Keys' debut album, Songs in A Minor. A romantic song with gospel influences, "Fallin'" was based on one of Keys' past relationships. Interestingly, it almost ended up being recorded by Kim Scott. Her record label pushed hard to have Scott record the song but when Clive Davis bought out Keys' record deal with Sony and signed her on to his own label, she recorded it herself. Unlike other R&B videos of the decade, the music video for "Fallin'" features no dancing. Instead, it follows a storyline based on the song's lyrics, showing Keys visiting her boyfriend in prison. The video was directed by Chris Robinson. Critics loved the song and compared Alicia Keys to R&B legend Aretha Franklin. It was considered to be one of the best songs released in 2001, and featured on several decade-end lists as well. At the 2002 Grammy Awards, the song received nominations in four categories—Song of the Year, Best R&B Song, Best R&B Female Vocal Performance, and Record of the Year. It won three out of four, losing Record of the Year to U2's "Walk On." "Fallin'" hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and US Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs charts. In the UK, it peaked out at number 3. Despite being her debut single, it is one of the most successful singles of Alicia Keys' career, topped only by "No One." 2 Vocabulary

English Definition Class gospel of or related to gospel music adjective (rhythmic spiritual music which originated in the Black American South in the 1950s) reflect to give a particular aspect or verb impression decade-end of or related to the last couple of adjective years of a ten-year period peak the highest or maximum level, adjective optimal debut a first appearance adjective critic a person who evaluates or noun analyzes literature, art, music etc. nomination a proposition to receive an honor, noun award, etc. storyline the plot or main story noun chart weekly popularity ratings of pop noun music records, usually based on nationwide sales singer-songwriter someone who both writes and noun performs his or her own songs

3 Vocabulary Sample Sentences

In church you can hear gospel music performed alongside more traditional music from the hymnal. The quality of his writing reflects many years of study and hard work. His decade-end music offers a new perspective of the '80s. The mechanic helped our car reach peak performance in the road trials. The debut album sold better than any others. Critics agree that her latest work is her best. Her album was given the nomination for soundtrack of the year, but it did not win. The action in the movie was interesting, but I couldn't follow the storyline.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

Alicia Keys took the inspiration for the lyrics to this song from her mother. The classical music piece in this song is by Chopin. Keys used to play Chopin's, Beethoven's, and Mozart's music while learning the piano. The success of "Fallin''' led to Keys playing this song live on Jay Leno's and Oprah Winfrey's shows. She also performed it at Clive Davis's Grammy party. Alicia Keys played this song on the 2001 season premiere of Saturday Night Live. A Sesame Street version of this song, titled "Dancin'" was recorded by Keys and Elmo. The success of the song propelled the album, Songs in A Minor, to the number 1 spot, where it stayed for three weeks.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Songs: Like a Rolling Stone

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English

Top 10 American Songs—"Like a Rolling Stone," Bob Dylan Loud, confrontational, revolutionary, great...these are just some of the words that have been used to describe Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone." The song, released in 1965 on the album Highway 61 Revisited, made Dylan a star and was a worldwide hit. Audiences, critics, and even Dylan's contemporaries have made note of this record in the history of popular music. It is considered one of the greatest songs ever written and recorded. The song was based on a lengthy piece of verse written by Bob Dylan. Unlike other lyricists of that era, Dylan wrote long pieces of poetry and then selected the best bits to include in the song. "Like a Rolling Stone" was no exception. Dylan himself claims that he wrote it in a fit of anger, hence the song's angry and confrontational lyrics and vocals. The iconic chorus, "How does it feel" has been quoted as one of the most impactful lines in music history. The song's musical structure is noteworthy because of the elements that fuse to make this song. Despite being an angry song, Dylan's vocals lend it a youthful touch. The song departs from the folk-country stuff Dylan was putting out in those days. In fact, he had been confused about the song's musical direction. Only when it was finally laid down like a rock song did Dylan approve of and record the song. Its famous organ riff was improvised by session musician Al Kooper, who was just finding his feet in the industry at the time. The song's length, at over six minutes, caught the ire of radio stations. Though they didn't tend to play long songs, "Like a Rolling Stone" became a hit and reached number 2 on the Billboard charts. Even the Beatles have been known to appreciate its significance and importance in music history. From then till now, the song retains its popularity and is 2 considered to be Bob Dylan's signature track.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class confrontational facing in hostility or defiance adjective contemporary a person belonging to the same noun time or period as another or others fit of anger a sudden onset of anger phrase fuse to combine two things by melting verb them together folk-country a sub-genre of folk and country noun music which combines aspects of the two riff a melodic phrase which is often noun constantly repeated and played by a soloist ire intense anger noun retain keep, continue to use verb revolutionary promoting or inspiring dramatic adjective change noteworthy deserving of notice or attention adjective

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

His speech on the new school rules took a confrontational turn. 3 He lived in the 19th century and was a contemporary of Karl Marx. In a fit of anger, he threw the clock out the window. He fused two pieces of metal together to make a toy sword. The folk-country continuum reaches across commercial and independent categories. Jimmy tried to develop a distinctive style by studying guitar riffs from old blues records. The regulations drew the ire of some hedge fund managers. Though the country modernized quickly, it retained many of its traditional customs. Revolutionary ideas push for extraordinary change. The mad scientist's invention was revolutionary.

One of his most noteworthy essays tackled the subject of women's suffrage.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

"Like a Rolling Stone" is ranked number 1 on the Rolling Stone Magazine list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Contrary to popular belief, the song's title is not based on the name of British rock band the Rolling Stones. However, the Rolling Stones did cover it in 1995. The book, Like a Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads by Greil Marcus is based on this song and is three hundred pages long. This was the song that inspired Jimi Hendrix to take up vocals in addition to playing the guitar. He later went on to cover Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," in a version that is more famous than the original.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Songs: Like a Virgin

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English

Top 10 American Songs—"Like a Virgin," Madonna In early 1984, with an album and two hit singles under her belt, Madonna was well known but not a superstar. That all changed when she released "Like a Virgin." Overnight it made Madonna a household name and its success became the foundation for her illustrious career. "Like a Virgin" was written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg and selected for Madonna by Michael Ostin, who was working at Warner Bros Records at the time. Though initially reluctant, Madonna's producer Nile Rodgers agreed to have her record the song. Musically, it's a dance number like most of the songs in Madonna's catalogue. It has a distinctive bassline which plays throughout the song. The beat doesn't change and plays in a continuous rhythm while Madonna sings in a high register. Her voice switches between low and high tones, but most of the song is sung in a high tone. The lyrics of the song did cause a lot of controversy at the time. On the one hand, the use of the word "virgin" in the title caused social groups to request the banning of the song. On the other hand, it solidified Madonna's image as a fashion icon. The music video for "Like a Virgin" is among Madonna's most famous. Madonna appears in a white wedding dress and roams around a palace and rides around Venice in a gondola. There is a lot of erotic symbolism in the video, like the man in a lion mask. It was ranked number 61 on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Videos. Even with all the controversy, the song was appreciated by critics and audiences. "Like a Virgin" became Madonna's first number 1 single in the US, staying atop the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks. It also reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart. 2 Vocabulary

English Definition Class virgin someone who has never had a noun sexual experience household common, usual, something that adjective everyone knows illustrious highly distinguished, famous adjective reluctant unwilling adjective distinctive having a special quality adjective bassline a low-pitched instrumental part of noun a song played by a rhythm section instrument solidify to make firm verb roam to walk or travel without a fixed verb purpose or direction gondola a long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat noun rowed by one person standing up controversy a prolonged public dispute or noun argument over a matter of opinion

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

It was traditionally believed that virgins possessed other attributes of purity. 3 It wasn't until the '90s that "Internet" became a household word. He had an illustrious career, but it involved more setbacks than people realize. They were reluctant to take on new projects until he offered them a free vacation for their successful completion. The peanut oil gave the steak a distinctive taste. After she developed the bassline more fully her song began to seem coherent to me. Anna solidified her position by addressing the requests of the teacher's union. Though he had an apartment in New York, Thomas Wolfe often left the city to roam the country. We took a ride on a gondola on our trip to Venice. The politician resigned over the controversy

surrounding his private life.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

Actual musicians played on this song unlike on Madonna's first album, where synthesized tracks were used. "Like a Virgin" was named the 4th Greatest Pop Song since the Beatles era by Rolling Stone Magazine. Weird Al Yankovic parodied "Like a Virgin" with his song "Like a Surgeon." The songwriters, Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, have written five number 1 hits including this one. They say that "Like a Virgin" is their most famous song. "Like a Virgin" was considered a controversial title and that is why recognized pop stars were apprehensive about recording it. Madonna was relatively new in the industry with just one album under her belt, so her label allowed her to record it. 4

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Songs: On the Road Again

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English

Top 10 American Songs—"On the Road Again," Willie Nelson "On the Road Again" is a song written and recorded by Willie Nelson. It is one of the most famous songs of his long career. The song is featured on the soundtrack to the movie Honeysuckle Rose, in which Willie Nelson played the lead role. "On the Road Again," as the title suggests, is about the life of a singer on tour. Nelson based the lyrics on his own experiences touring around the world to perform and how he wanted to be on the road again. Released in 1980, "On the Road Again" became a success as a single, topping the country music charts. It was Willie Nelson's ninth number 1 hit on the country charts and his sixth as a solo artist. On the Billboard Hot 100, the song reached number 20 and was Nelson's highest charting entry until "Always on My Mind" cracked the Top 10. Fans and critics have appreciated the honest and plain approach Nelson took to the song. Its simplicity made it an outstanding success. He won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song as well as being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Since its release, the song has notched up numerous appearances in both film and television. Apart from Honeysuckle Rose, it is featured in Forrest Gump and Shrek. On television, it has been featured in Monk, South Park, and Alvin and the Chipmunks. It is also among the latest batch of songs inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Vocabulary 2

English Definition Class honeysuckle a plant with sweet-smelling noun tube-shaped white, yellow or red flowers and small berries simplicity plainness, without showiness noun numerous many adjective lead the principal role in a dramatic adjective production lyrics the words of a song noun batch a set of similar things made at the noun same time fame the state of being widely known noun or recognized crack to break through a difficult verb obstacle in order to achieve something top to reach the highest position verb possible induct to introduce, to install

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

She disliked the smell of honeysuckle when she was 3 a child, but grew to love it. It seems fashionable these days to seek a certain simplicity of lifestyle and live away from the city. His friends were too numerous to count. My friend's band is looking for a new lead singer. The lyrics seemed far more upbeat than the melody and rhyhm, and thereby formed a strong contrast with them. The first batch of cookies out that day were a little soggy. He'd do anything for fame and fortune. The race started well for him, but in the end he couldn't crack the top ten. The song topped the charts after a successful music video. People are already talking about whether they

deserve to be inducted into the hall of fame.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

"On the Road Again" is number 471 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was part of the soundtrack of the movie Honeysuckle Rose. Even though the song became a massive hit, the movie didn't do so well. "On the Road Again" came to being when the producer of Honeysuckle Rose asked Willie Nelson to write a song about traveling. Nelson started with the line "On the Road Again" and improvised the whole song on the spot. Jerry Reed included a part of "On the Road Again" in his parody song "The Bird." Anne Kihlström recorded a Swedish version of this song in 1984.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Songs: Rapper's Delight

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English

Top 10 American Songs—"Rapper's Delight," The Sugarhill Gang "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang is considered to be the original hip-hop song. Though rapping had been featured on several songs prior, none of them had enjoyed the success and popularity of "Rapper's Delight." This song is attributed with having made hip-hop popular, not only in the US, but all around the globe. The opening line of the song, "I said a hip, a hippie, a hippie to the hip-hop" is one of the most recognizable in hip-hop music. As was common around that time, "Rapper's Delight" used the breakdown section of the popular disco song "Good Times" by Chic, and performed the song over it. More often than not, rap and hip-hop songs of the era were based on disco songs. Though there isn't much substantial evidence, it has been claimed that the music was sampled from the original recording of "Good Times." However, Chip Shearin is said to have recreated the bass, piano, and strings section of the song on "Rapper's Delight." The original recording of this song is almost fifteen minutes long and was recorded by the group in one take. There are two other versions of "Rapper's Delight," one at six-and-a-half minutes and the other at around five minutes. The shortest version was released as a single and featured on the group's eponymous 1979 album. "Rapper's Delight" was a phenomenal success on the charts, especially because there hadn't been a hit hip-hop record before it. It reached the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 36. On the R&B Charts, it was able to hit number 4.

2 Vocabulary

English Definition Class prior previous, preceding, before adjective peak to achieve a maximum or best verb level phenomenal extraordinary, outstanding adjective eponymous named after its creator or main adjective character substantial considerable in importance, value, adjective amount, etc. sample to take a short extract from a song verb and mix it into a different song breakdown an instrumental or percussion noun section during a song which is separate from the main part of the song globe the world, the earth noun attribute to relate to a particular cause or verb source delight great pleasure, joy noun

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

Prior to the invention of the computer, people used 3 faxes for much of their business communication. His life was mostly mediocre after he peaked at 18, when he was made captain of the high school football team. The women's tennis team had a phenomenal year while the men's team faced defeat after defeat. Their first album will be eponymous because the band wants to build recognition of its name. The new marketing campaign accounted for the company's substantial gains in market share. The record company had to pay a large fine for sampling a disco song without permission. I like the breakdown section of this song. In the 21st century, one country's economic problems can affect others all over the globe. I attribute his success to luck, not hard work.

Children usually do not make efforts to hide their delight on their birthdays.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

"Rapper's Delight" was ranked number 248 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "Rapper's Delight" was the first ever hip-hop song to reach the Top 40 in the US. Hip-hop was considered a craze at that time and it was expected to fade out soon. VH1 ranked it number 2 on their list of Greatest Hip-hop Songs. "The Ketchup Song" by Spanish group Las Ketchup has a chorus that sounds exactly like the opening line of "Rapper's Delight," even though it is in Spanish. This is because of phonetic similarities between English and Spanish.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Songs: Ring of Fire

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English

Top 10 American Songs—"Ring of Fire"–Johnny Cash "Ring of Fire" is a song written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore and made popular by Johnny Cash, who recorded it in 1963. Carter was in a relationship with Cash during that time but was agonized by his drug and alcohol addictions. She stated that despite his wild ways, there was no way she could leave him. Four years after the song was released, Cash and Carter married and Cash shook both his addictions afterwards. Their daughter has claimed that this song played a major role in convincing Johnny Cash to give up drugs and alcohol. The song was originally recorded by June's sister, Anita Carter. Only when it failed to become a hit single did Cash record it, though he had been intending to do so for a while. The composition was different than the arrangement Cash used on his recording. He added the Mariachi-style horns, claiming that he had a dream in which he was singing the song accompanied by Mexican horns. Cash's recording of "Ring of Fire" was featured on his compilation album of the same name. The song became the biggest hit of his career, topping the Billboard Country Charts for seven weeks. It was a Top 20 Hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as well. "Ring of Fire" is one of the most-covered songs in history. There have been many recordings and live performances by other artists which have been popular as well. The most successful of these is the punk rock interpretation of the song by Social Distortion.

2 Vocabulary

English Definition Class agonize to suffer by worrying about verb something arrangement a musical composition noun interpretation a performer's own personal take noun on a song, role, etc. most-covered a song that other singers or groups adjective most often re-record compilation a book, CD, etc. created from noun stories or songs taken from other works horn a brass wind instrument such as a noun trombone or tuba. composition a work of music, literature, or art, noun its structure or organization intend to plan to do, to have in mind verb state to state clearly, to declare verb punk a fast and loud style of rock music noun which often features aggressive or offensive lyrics and performances

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

3 She spent 3 weeks agonizing over the decision about whether to study abroad. We hired a music teacher to write the arrangement. She offers a fresh interpretation of the part of Lady Macbeth in that production. Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" is one of the most-covered songs at that bar's karaoke nights. He's the kind of music listener who never buys albums, but only compilations of greatest hits. Because the Thai restaurant is next to the Mexican one, you can, while you eat pad thai, hear horns played in a Mariachi style. After taking a brief photography class, anyone can improve the basic composition of their photographs. I intend to buy a boat with the money and sail

across the Pacific ocean. The police officer asked us to state our name and address.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

CMT (Country Music Television) ranked "Ring of Fire" the 4th Greatest Country Song Ever. Rolling Stone Magazine placed it at number 87 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Johnny Cash's first wife claimed that June Carter had no part in writing of the song. In fact, she claimed that Cash wrote it himself about a certain part of the female anatomy! Fans of English soccer club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, sing this song at their home games. A company making hemorrhoid relief products wanted to use this song in their advertisements. Cash's children refused even though the song's writer, Merle Kilgore, was willing.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Songs: Smells Like Teen Spirit

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English

Top 10 American Songs—"Smells Like Teen Spirit," Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana is more than just a song. It was the precursor to the grunge rock movement, which took off big time when this song became a smash hit. Egged on by Generation X, who didn't care about pop or hair metal anymore, it single-handedly changed the atmosphere of the music industry. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" actually came about when lead singer/songwriter Kurt Cobain was attempting to write a pop song. He had been listening to a lot of The Pixies' music and was impressed by their style. Trying to compose a pop song, he came up with this rock classic that made him a superstar overnight. Nirvana was in the studio in 1991, working on their second album, Nevermind. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was written a few weeks prior to this recording. The band had sent a demo to their producer Butch Vig, who reportedly "didn't understand a word of it," but felt it had potential, and consequently let the band record it. Musically, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" uses the same verse-chorus-verse structure featured in most of Nirvana's songs. The lyrics are extremely hard to decipher when listening for the first time. Kurt Cobain sang this song in an unusual style, making the lyrics almost incomprehensible. This led to the song being parodied a number of times, and an infamous decision by MTV to have the lyrics running at the bottom of the screen whenever the video was aired. Cobain himself commented that he wanted to express the feelings of the youth and the generation he belonged to. Even if you know the lyrics, interpreting them is hard because of Cobain's unusual writing style. 2 "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was released in September 1991 to promote the band's album, Nevermind. The label and the band itself didn't expect "Smells Like Teen Spirit" to be a hit and were actually banking on the next single, "Come as You Are," to strike a chord. But what happened was the opposite. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" became a smash hit, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks and number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class precursor something which happened or noun existed before another related thing grunge a style of rock music combining noun elements of punk rock and heavy metal which often has lyrics about apathy and dissatisfaction to egg on encourage someone to do verb something (usually bad) single-handedly by oneself, without any help from adverb others decipher to work out the meaning of verb something complicated or obscure incomprehensible impossible or extremely difficult adjective to understand parody a work that imitates the noun characteristic style of an author or another work for comic effect to bank on to expect or depend on something verb to happen smash a huge success adjective consequently as a result, therefore adverb 3 Vocabulary Sample Sentences

The software developed at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center served as a precursor for today's modern operating systems. Flannel shirts came into fashion as part of the grunge movement. When the boy started throwing rocks at the window, his friends laughed and egged him on. He single-handedly changed the computer industry by integrating Twitter-like messaging across the company's product line. I found the code hard to decipher. Without the aid of a teacher or prolonged study, you are likely to find that book incomprehensible.

Weird Al Yankovic specializes in parodies of popular songs. Not many people were willing to bank on those kids to succeed, but my friend took a risk and invested the money to produce their first album. If artists like Britney Spears come out with a new single, it will be a smash hit whether or not it's any good. She didn't study at all for her exam, and consequently, she failed.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" was ranked number 9 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was nominated in the category of Best Rock Song at the Grammys in 1993. Its loss to Eric Clapton's unplugged version of "Layla" is said to be the biggest upset in Grammy history. Teen Spirit is actually a deodorant brand and Kurt Cobain wasn't aware of this fact when he 44 wrote the song. Despite this song being their biggest hit, Nirvana did not play it live towards the end of their career. The title of the album, Nevermind, is taken from a lyric in this song. Moreover, the line "Here we are now, entertain us" was what Kurt Cobain used to say whenever he went to a party.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Songs: Thriller

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Top 10 American Songs—"Thriller" The song that redefined the way music videos were made, "Thriller," remains one of the most popular songs of all time. It would be hard to find a person who hasn't seen the video or heard the song. "Thriller," taken from the album of the same name, made Michael Jackson the King of Pop. The album and the song exceeded expectations and became one of the biggest hits of Jackson's career. The song was written by Rod Temperton. Originally titled "Starlight," its chorus was changed to the famous "thriller, thriller night" after the title of the song was changed. Rod Temperton had come up with the name for Jackson's previous album, Off the Wall, so producer Quincy Jones again asked him to come up with something special. So Temperton chose "Thriller" and then changed the song's lyrics to suit the new title. Another striking feature of the song is the spoken word piece at the end of the song. Temperton claimed that he had thought about it, but it was actually Quincy Jones' wife who came up with the idea of using Vincent Price's voice. Price agreed and then spoke the well-known final part. Musically and lyrically, the song builds up a fearful theme that is well suited to its title. This theme became more pronounced when the iconic music video came out. Many sounds, such as a creaking door, wind blowing creepily, and dogs howling in the night were included in the song. The signature bass line, like in many of Jackson's early 80s hits, is instantly recognizable. The song was received very well by both critics and the listening public, and reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. A $500,000 video, directed by John Landis, was made for this song. Unlike the other music 2 videos of the time, it was a whole thirteen-minute short film with a storyline based on the lyrics of the song. Michael Jackson's costume and dancing in the video have been imitated and parodied many times. It can be said that the video is the reason that this song became such a massive hit.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class exceed to be greater than, surpass verb striking impressive, noticeable pronounced strongly marked, distinct adjective creak to make a grating, squeaking verb sound creepily annoyingly unpleasant, producing adverb a feeling of fear or unease howling a long mournful cry (of a dog or noun wolf) imitate to copy, to use as a model verb suit to fit, to match verb redefine to create a new meaning for verb something signature distinctive, characteristic adjective

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

The third quarter earnings exceeded all expectations, but the CEO was not willing to celebrate yet. Lightning struck the tree, and it burned down. His background in linguistics gave him a pronounced advantage on the verbal section of the exam. The rocking chair creaks even when no one is sitting in it. They were behaving creepily and asking us a lot of personal questions. 3 When he walked through the Sierra Nevadas, he could hear wolves howling at night. Everyone who tried to imitate Austin Powers became annoying after awhile. The newest fashions suit some wearers and not others. This song redefined the way people thought about folk music. The Moonwalk became Michael Jackson's signature move.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

"Thriller" is one of the few pop songs with a horror theme. "Michael Jackson's Thriller" is the highest selling music video of all time. The song charts every year on the UK Singles Chart, particularly near the Halloween period. "Thriller" was the record-making seventh Top 10 US hit from the album Thriller. This record has been tied but not yet broken. Ironically, one of the other albums that have produced seven Top 10 hits is by Michael's sister, Janet (Rhythm Nation 1814).

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Movies: Citizen Kane

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Top 10 American Citizen Kane Movies

The movie "Citizen Kane" was an American dramatic film released in 1941. It was based on the life of Charles Foster Kane, an extremely wealthy media mogul. The movie begins by showing Kane dying in his bed. As he dies, he is shown holding a snow globe that falls from his hand as he whispers his last word, "Rosebud." Kane's death is national news, and reporter Jerry Thompson decides to find out about Kane's life and particularly about his last word. The reporter first interviews Susan Alexander, Kane's second wife, who refuses to tell him anything. He then reviews the archives of Walter Parks Thatcher, a deceased banker who was Kane's childhood guardian. Thatcher has left a written memoir of Kane's childhood. Thompson then interviews Kane's business manager, his friend, and his butler. Thompson's research reveals that Kane grew up in poverty until a large gold mine was discovered on his parents' property. His mother sent him away to live with Thatcher to be educated. When he turned twenty-five, he gained control over his inheritance and went into the newspaper business. Through manipulation and deceit, Kane becomes extremely rich and powerful. Over the years, Kane's marriage falls apart, and he begins an affair with Alexander. When the affair is discovered, both his marriage and his political career end. Kane marries Alexander, but eventually their marriage also comes to an end. Kane spends the rest of his life tending to his businesses and interacting only with his servants. The butler recounts that Kane had said "Rosebud" after Susan left him and right after seeing a snow globe. 2 At the end of the film, it is revealed that "Rosebud" was the name of the sled from Kane's childhood. It was his memory of the only time in his life when he was truly happy.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class extremely very, exceedingly adverb particularly especially adverb to decease to die verb mogul a very rich and/or powerful noun person archive a collection of records about an noun institution, family, etc. guardian a person legally responsible for a noun minor or someone who can't take care of themselves inheritance a title, property, money, or estate noun that passes by law to the heir when the owner dies manipulation devious management of events for noun one's own advantage deceit tricking or misleading others noun to recount to tell the story or details of verb something

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

It was extremely hot last summer. 3 I am particularly fond of Japanese sweets. The deceased was an elderly man. He was very quiet at school, but grew up to become a media mogul. The library archives are dusty and old. The orphans were brought up by a guardian appointed by the court. When her grandfather died she received a large inheritance. He became CEO through his clever manipulation of the board of directors. Lies and deceit are not the way to get ahead. My grandmother recounted the story of her life.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

Citizen Kane is widely regarded as being the best movie of all time. In fact, the American Film Institute lists it as being number one on its "100 Years... 100 Movies" list. However, the film was nominated for nine Academy Awards, but won only one for Best Writing.

The film was directed by Orson Welles and starred Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, and George Coulouris. The movie was a critical success but failed to recoup its costs at the box office. The film faded from view but regained its reputation when it was revived in 1956.

The film is known for its incredible cinematography, which was well ahead of its time.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Movies: E.T. The Extra Terrestrial

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Top 10 American E.T. The Extra Terrestrial Movies "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" is a science fiction film released in 1985. The movie starts in a forest with a host of alien botanists collecting samples. Suddenly, government agents burst onto the scene, and all but one of the aliens escape to their spaceship. The scene then shifts to Elliot, a ten-year old boy, who is out running errands. When Elliot sees the shy alien, it becomes frightened and runs away. Elliot tells his mother, sister, and brother, Michael, about the encounter, but they do not believe him. Eventually, Elliot coaxes the alien into his home with candy.

There is a brief feeling-out period, but the family befriends the alien. Elliot even begins to have a psychic connection with the alien, whom he names E.T. For instance, one day at school, Elliott exhibits signs of intoxication when E.T. drinks beer.

When E.T. becomes homesick, he and Elliot build a communications device so E.T. can contact his spaceship. Soon afterward, E.T.'s health begins to fail, as he cannot tolerate prolonged exposure to the earth's atmosphere. When Elliot wakes up the next morning, E.T. is missing, and Michael finds E.T. dying in the forest. Elliot also appears to be ill and dying. About this time, government agents find the family and E.T. They quarantine the house, and E.T. appears to die, while the psychic connection is broken and Elliot improves. Elliot is left alone with E.T., who reanimates and asks Elliot to take him to the forest where he can reunite with his people. Michael steals a van that E.T. had been loaded into, and a chase ensues. E.T. 2 and the family get away and say their good-byes. The movie ends with E.T. saying, "I'll be right here," as he points his glowing finger at Elliot's heart. The spaceship takes off, leaving a rainbow across the sky.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class botanist a biologist who specializes in the noun study of plants to burst to arrive suddenly and violently verb errand a short trip to perform a task noun encounter an unplanned, unexpected, or noun brief meeting to coax to persuade or try to persuade verb someone to do something by being nice to them psychic having mental powers such as adjective reading minds or seeing the future intoxication drunkenness noun to quarantine to isolate a person or animal in verb order to prevent the spread of contagious disease to prolong to extend time or duration verb to reanimate to come back to life verb

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

The botanist examined the cells of the leaf under the microscope. 3 The robber burst through the door of the convenience store. The boy always ran errands for his mother, like posting letters or going to the grocery store. I went to the movies, and had a chance encounter with an old friend in front of the theatre. We coaxed the kitten out from under the bed by offering it scraps of ham. The police hired a woman who claimed to be psychic to find the missing child. The man was found guilty of driving while in a state of intoxication. When we moved abroad, our pets were quarantined for three months. They prolonged their stay because they enjoyed it so much.

The game was prolonged so that it wouldn't end in a tie. It is impossible for the dead to be reanimated.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote. The screenplay was written by Melissa Mathison. E.T. was a blockbuster hit and grossed over $792 million. The movie received nine Academy Award nominations and won four for Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Mixing. Today, E.T. ranks among the best science fiction movies ever made. In American Film Institute polls, E.T. has been voted the twenty-fourth greatest film of all time.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Movies: Gone with the Wind

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Top 10 American Gone with the Wind Movies "Gone with the Wind" is a 1939 movie that depicts the South during the Civil War and through the Reconstruction era. The film was adopted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-Prize winning novel of the same name. The director was Victor Fleming, and Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, and Hattie McDaniel were the stars.

The movie begins on a large cotton plantation called Tara in rural Georgia. It is 1861, on the eve of the American Civil War. The movie gives us some insight into how the southern aristocracy viewed the Civil War and the ensuing Reconstruction.

The story centers on Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) and her struggles to find true love while maintaining her way of life and her beloved plantation. Scarlett chases the meek Ashley Wilkes, who is engaged to her cousin, but Ashley tells her he's more compatible with her cousin. To make Ashley jealous, she marries his brother, who soon dies in the Civil War.

After a series of failed relationships, Scarlett marries the dashing Rhett Butler for his money, and they have a tumultuous relationship. Finally, Scarlett realizes she really loves Rhett. Unfortunately, her realization comes too late. Her chasing after Ashley has pushed Rhett away. As Rhett leaves, Scarlett asks if he leaves, "where shall I go and what shall I do?" 2 Rhett replies with the famous line, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." As the movie ends, we see Scarlett's face brighten. She says, "Tara! Home. I'll go home, and I'll think of some way to get him back! After all, tomorrow is another day!"

Vocabulary

English Definition Class to depict to describe, to represent verb plantation a large estate or farm on which noun crops are grown to sell for cash aristocracy a privileged class of people noun usually of high birth meek submissive, spineless adjective dashing spirited, charming and handsome adjective insight understanding noun realization an arrival at full, clear noun understanding of something The Reconstruction the period in American history proper noun after the Civil War (1865-1877) when the South was reorganized and reintegrated into the Union to adapt to change or alter to fit a new verb situation rural of or related to the countryside adjective

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

Her debut novel depicted the lives of Chinese peasants in the 18th century. 3 Historically, plantations were worked by slaves. The British aristocracy opposed workers' rights in the 19th century. My uncle was a meek man who never complained. The prince in the fairytale was dashing but untrustworthy. Elizabeth had the sudden realization that her sister had betrayed her. The Reconstruction was an extremely turbulent period in American history. He was overjoyed when his agent told him his book was going to be adapted for television. Rural parts of the country don't have consistent cellphone coverage.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

The American Film Institute considers Gone with the Wind to be one of the top romantic films of all time. It also rates it as the fourth greatest epic film of all time. If judged by the film's box office appeal, it is arguably the greatest film of all time. The film has grossed $2,984,000,000 when adjusted for inflation, which would make it the highest-grossing film ever.

The film received ten Academy Awards, a record that lasted for twenty years. There were eight regular awards, along with one honorary award and one technical award out of a total of thirteen nominations. The most notable award winners were Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, and Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniel as Mammy.

The nearly four-hour film was one of the first shot in Technicolor and won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in color.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Movies: It’s a Wonderful Life

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Top 10 American It’s a Wonderful Life Movies

"It's a Wonderful Life" begins in Bedford Falls, home to George Bailey. Family and friends are praying for George, and we see their prayers are going up to God. An angel named Clarence is assigned to George's case. Clarence can earn his wings if he helps George. He is told George is considering giving up his life. Clarence reviews George's life and finds George is a giving man who has repeatedly sacrificed his ambitions for the good of others.

George's enemy is Harry F. Potter, a majority shareholder in the business George runs. When Potter tries to convince the Board of Directors to stop making loans to the working poor, George talks them into rejecting Potter's proposal, but only on the condition that George run the business.

On Christmas Eve, George gives his absent-minded uncle $8,000 to deposit for the business. Billy runs into Potter and accidentally gives him the money. Potter keeps the money and swears out a warrant to have George arrested for bank fraud. A despondent George gets drunk and considers jumping off of a bridge and committing suicide.

Clarence steps in, jumps into the water, and pretends to be drowning. George rescues Clarence, who reveals himself as George's guardian angel. George tells Clarence he wishes he had never been born. Clarence shows George how Bedford Falls would have turned out 2 without him. The revelation shows a down and out Bedford Falls, with his family and friends doing horribly. George then realizes the value of his life. He goes home and finds the police there ready to arrest him. Just then, George's family and many townspeople arrive with donations to save George and his business. In the last scene, Clarence sends George a note, thanking him for the wings and reminding him that "no man is a failure who has friends."

Vocabulary

English Definition Class to deposit to place money in a bank account verb proposal a plan that is suggested noun ambition strong desire for something such noun as success, fame, wealth etc. shareholder the owner of one or more parts noun into which the ownership of a company is divided loan an amount of money lent to noun someone which must be paid back with interest to swear out to obtain a warrant for arrest by verb making a formal charge against someone fraud deliberate deception or cheating noun intended to gain an unfair or illegal profit or advantage despondent unhappy, without hope or adjective enthusiasm revelation a fact disclosed in a dramatic or noun surprising way absent-minded preoccupied, inattentive, forgetful adjective

3 Vocabulary Sample Sentences

He deposits some money every week. My aunt deposited some money in the account for me. The proposal he submitted was full of inconsistencies. Her ambition to be famous was so strong that she was willing to betray old friends. The major shareholders voted against the merger of the two companies. The loan we took out to buy our house has a low interest rate. He was fired from his job at the bank and arrested for committing fraud. Jack was despondent because he'd lost a lot of

money playing poker. She was stunned by his revelation that he was a member of the royal family. My boss is so absent-minded that he forgets what he said ten minutes after he's said it.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 classic film directed by Frank Capra that starred James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, and Henry Travers.

The film was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture. It ranks number one on the American Film Institute's list of "Most Inspirational American Films."

The movie is a staple of Christmas television around the world. Despite being held in high regard today, the film was actually a box office flop at the time of its release and received mixed reviews. The film became popular in 1974 when its copyright protection ended and TV stations could air it for 4 free.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Movies: Jaws

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Top 10 American Jaws Movies "Jaws" was a 1975 film based on a novel by Peter Benchley. The story starts on a summer night on Amity Island in New England when a young woman goes for a swim in the ocean. The woman is dragged under the water and disappears. The police chief, Martin Brody, is notified of the girl's disappearance. Later, the body is found, and the medical examiner tells Brody that her death was due to a shark attack.

Brody decides to close the beaches until the shark problem is resolved, but the mayor overrules him. The mayor does not want to damage the tourist business. A short time later, the shark attacks and kills a boy. The boy's mother places a $3,000 bounty on the shark that attracts a local shark hunter named Quint. Brody brings in a marine biologist, Matt Hooper, who examines the girl's body and also concludes she was killed by a large shark.

The three leave on Quint's boat to find the killer shark. While throwing out bait behind the boat, Brody is frightened when an enormous shark rises out of the water. Once Brody calms himself, he tells Quint, "You're going to need a bigger boat." The shark then circles the boat, as if the fishermen were his prey. Quint eventually harpoons the shark and uses every trick he knows to try to kill it. He seems to have a personal vendetta against the shark. However, the powerful shark survives and eventually swamps the boat, killing Quint in the process. When the shark attacks Brody, he fends it off with a tank of compressed oxygen. The shark swims away with the tank in his mouth. When the shark returns, Brody shoots the tank with a rifle, 2 blowing up the shark. The movie ends with a relieved Brody and Hooper swimming toward shore.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class to drag to trail along the surface verb to notify to inform someone of something verb examiner someone who investigates noun something carefully to resolve to find a solution to verb to overrule to disallow or ignore someone verb else's decision or argument by the use of authority to harpoon to strike, capture or kill a creature verb with a long spear-like weapon vendetta a prolonged and often violent feud noun to swamp to suddenly fill a boat with a large verb amount of water to fend off to push away or fight off an verb attacker compressed reduced to a smaller volume by adjective pressure

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

They dragged the sofa out of the house. The dog ran while dragging his leash behind. 3 The winner of the competition will be notified by telephone. When I took my driving test, the examiner was very strict. The issue of compulsory overtime was resolved at the meeting between the union and the management. The lawyer's objection in court was overruled by the judge. The whale was cruelly harpooned by the whaling ship's crew. Those two families have had a vendetta against each other for years. Our tiny boat was swamped by the giant wave. He was attacked by a gang of thugs, but he managed to fend them off using his karate skills.

The divers had tanks of compressed air strapped to their backs.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

Jaws was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw. Jaws was the first film to successfully open nationwide on hundreds of screens simultaneously. Before Jaws, movies usually opened on a limited basis and were slowly built up by word of mouth. Jaws grossed more than $470 million dollars and was the first summer blockbuster hit.

Many regard Jaws as one of the greatest movies of all time. It ranks forty-eighth on the American Film Institute's "100 Years... 100 Movies" list, and one of its scenes ranks number one on Bravo's list of "The 100 Scariest Movie Moments."

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Movies: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

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Top 10 American Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Movies In 1937, Walt Disney animated the Grimm's fairy tale "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." In the story, Snow White is a king's daughter who is widely admired for her beauty. When her vain stepmother, the queen, hears about Snow White's beauty, she falls into a jealous rage. She consults her magic mirror and asks a question that became one of the most famous movie lines of all time - "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" The mirror answers that Snow White is the fairest in the land. The queen was so angered by this response that she ordered her huntsman to kill Snow White.

However, the huntsman does not kill Snow White; instead, he warns her of the queen's treachery. Scared and alone, Snow White escapes into the woods, where she is befriended by seven dwarfs. The dwarfs are named Doc, Sleepy, Bashful, Happy, Dopey, Grumpy, and Sneezy.

When the queen learns Snow White is still alive, she disguises herself and attempts to kill her. The queen finds Snow White and tricks her into taking a bite from what she claims is a magical apple. Snow White believed the apple would make her dream of marrying a handsome prince that she had fallen in love with come true. When she bites the apple, the poison causes Snow White to fall into a deep, endless sleep.

When the dwarfs discover what has happened, they chase the queen to a mountaintop, where 2 she falls to her death. The dwarfs then place Snow White in a glass coffin and hold a constant vigil. After years of waiting, the prince discovers Snow White's body. In his grief, the prince kisses and awakens Snow White, and the two are reunited. The movie ends with the happy couple marrying and living happily ever after.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class dwarf A small creature appearing in noun fairytales which resembles a human being but which is often ugly to admire to feel wonder and approval about verb something vain Overly proud of or conceited adjective about one's appearance rage violent, intense anger noun to consult to seek the advice of verb treachery purposeful betrayal noun to befriend to make friends with or be kind to verb someone who is disadvantaged) to disguise to conceal the true appearance of verb someone or something with clothes, accessories etc. constant continuing without any variation adjective or change vigil A watch kept especially at night noun to guard, observe or pray

Vocabulary Sample Sentences 3 In fairy tales, dwarves are believed to have magical powers. They admired the hero's courage. I admired the painting in the museum. She's so vain, constantly staring at herself in the mirror. He flew into a rage at my innocent comment. If you are ever arrested in a foreign country, you should immediately consult a lawyer. Many people were executed by Henry VIII for treachery. The little girl befriended the lonely old woman. The undercover policewoman disguised herself as a waitress. The constant breakdowns forced her to buy a new

car. The metronome keeps a constant beat. The nuns kept a candlelight vigil in the church.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

The tale of Snow White was the first ever full-length animated movie that featured both color and sound. The movie was a pioneering film classic, and it is widely regarded as one of Disney's greatest films. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was one of two animated films to rank in the American Film Institute's list of the one hundred greatest films of all time. Even so, this film was almost never made. Some thought a full-length animated film would not be successful. However, Disney had a dream and took the risk. He went so far as mortgaging his home to cover the production costs.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Movies: Star Wars (A New Hope)

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Top 10 American Star Wars (A New Hope) Movies "Star Wars (A New Hope)" is one of the six films released in the "Star Wars" saga. The movie is about events that happened a "long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." Rebel freedom fighters are in a civil war against the repressive Galactic Empire. Their current mission is to destroy the Death Star space station, which is capable of destroying entire planets. Princess Leia, the rebel leader, has intercepted the space station's plans, but she is captured by the imperial forces commanded by Darth Vader. Before Leia is captured, she hides the plans in the memory of a droid called R2-D2.

The droid escapes and comes into the possession of a farm boy named Luke Skywalker. Through a message from R2-D2, Luke learns about Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. The two meet, and Kenobi explains that he was once a Jedi and had been friends with Luke's father who was betrayed and killed by Darth Vader. Kenobi trains Luke in the ways of the Jedi, and they decide to rescue Leia and save the galaxy.

The two hire a smuggler named Han Solo to transport them to the rebel headquarters on his ship. The ship is subsequently captured by the Death Star's powerful tractor beam. While on the Death Star, the rebels escape and save Leia. They eventually get back to rebel headquarters, where they analyze the plans and find the Death Star's weak point. The rebels attack the Death Star and suffer heavy casualties. Finally, Skywalker breaks through, and with the voice of Kenobi in his head, he turns off his targeting device and uses the force to 2 fire a shot that destroys the Death Star seconds before it destroys the rebel base. The movie ends with a ceremony where Leia gives Skywalker and Solo medals for their bravery.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class saga a long story usually spanning noun several generations rebel Someone who refuses to obey and noun opposes by force an established government or ruler repressive controlling, suppressive (often adjective with the use of force) droid a robot in science-fiction (short noun for "android") possession owning something noun smuggler someone who imports or exports noun goods illegally subsequently later, after that adverb to betray to mislead, to disappoint verb expectations to suffer to feel pain or distress verb casualty Someone injured, killed, captured, noun or missing in a war, accident, disaster etc.

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

3 My mother loves to read family saga novels. Unhappy with the cruel government, many peasants joined the rebels' army. The regime was so repressive that it was a crime to say anything bad about the leaders. The evil overlord possessed an army of droids. The rules for application include the possession of a valid passport. The gang of drug smugglers was arrested at the country border. The two company directors had a private argument, and subsequently the deal was cancelled. He betrayed his country and was exiled for it. The criminal betrayed his partner by taking all the money.

Her health was suffering due to stress at work, which made her very tired. There were four casualties at the scene of the car crash.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

Originally released as Star Wars, this film is now called Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. It is the first of the original trilogy of Star Wars films; three subsequently released films complete the series and are prequels to this film.

Star Wars was released in 1977 and was written and directed by George Lucas. The movie starred Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, and Peter Cushing. The Star Wars saga featured groundbreaking special effects and a new and unconventional science fiction fantasy story.

The movie was produced with an $11 million budget and went on to gross $797 million. The film received ten Academy Award nominations and won six for Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, 44 Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound. The nominations also included Best Supporting Actor for Alec Guinness, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Movies: The Godfather

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Top 10 American The Godfather Movies "The Godfather" was an epic 1972 story about the rise of a mafia crime family, the Corleone family, and specifically about the rise of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), who takes over from his aging father, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). The movie begins at the wedding of Vito's daughter. The Don is in his office carrying on business, as it is customary for the bride's father to grant favors to those who pay homage. One, Johnny Fontaine, an actor, asked the Godfather about a movie role. The Don told him he would get the role. Fontaine said, "It's too late; they start shooting next week." The Godfather tells him not to worry because "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse," one of the most memorable lines in movie history. After the studio head refuses to give Fontaine the role, he wakes up with the severed head of his racehorse in his bed. He relents, and Fontaine is cast. This scene illustrates the Godfather's power and ruthlessness. Later, the Godfather meets with the Turk, who asks the Don to protect the Tattaglia family heroin business. The Don does not approve of the drug business and turns down the proposal. Afterward, the Turk orders a hit on the Don, who is shot nine times but does not die. After the assassination attempt, Michael Corleone becomes involved in the family business. He thwarts a second assassination attempt on his father and eventually kills the Turk and his corrupt captain. After Michael kills the Turk, he seeks refuge in Sicily. When Michael returns home a year later, his older brother has been killed. His third brother is considered too weak to run the family. When his father retires, Michael takes control. As the movie progresses, Vito dies peacefully. Michael avenges Sonny's murder and brutally 2 carries out the family business.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class to grant to agree to the fulfillment of verb something homage a public display of respect or noun honour towards someone or something memorable easily remembered, noteworthy adjective to relent to change one's mind about a verb harsh decision, to become more compassionate or easygoing ruthlessness merciless, with no pity or noun compassion for others assassination the murder of a well-known noun person by surprise attack to thwart to defeat someone's efforts, plans, verb or ambitions corrupt immoral, dishonest, open to adjective bribery refuge protection or shelter from danger noun or suffering to avenge to take revenge on someone's verb behalf

3 Vocabulary Sample Sentences

The fairy godmother granted the princess three wishes. The soldiers paid homage to their dead comrades by observing a minute's silence. The president's farewell speech was extremely memorable. She began to scold the little boy sharply, but when he began to cry she relented. His ruthlessness in business was feared by his colleagues. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in June 1914 is said to have led to the outbreak of World War I. Our plans to go to the beach were thwarted by the

heavy rain. The corrupt politican accepted bribes before the election. We sought refuge from the storm in an empty barn. The hero set off on a quest to avenge his father's death.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

Francis Ford Coppola directed The Godfather, which starred Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, and Diane Keaton. The movie received ten Academy Award nominations and was the winner of three: Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay. The Godfather was a big box office success and was the top-grossing film of the year at $134 million. Over the years, the movie has grossed over $245 million. The film is routinely listed as one of the greatest films ever made. It was voted greatest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly and is now ranked as the second greatest film in American cinematic history 4 behind Citizen Kane by the American Film Institute.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Movies: The Sound of Music

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English

Top 10 American The Sound of Music Movies "The Sound of Music" is an American musical film released in 1965. The basic plotline begins with a nun, Maria reconsidering committing to a life in the abbey. Her life is transformed when the nuns receive a request for a governess from navy captain Georg von Trapp. Maria takes the position on a probationary basis. At the von Trapp estate, Maria finds that the captain is a strict disciplinarian who runs his home like a military base. After a cold welcome, the seven children warm up to Maria when she teaches them how to sing. When the Captain returns home after a month, he is appalled to find his children wearing clothes made from old drapes instead of their uniforms. Infuriated, he tells Maria to return to the abbey. However, when he hears his children sing to welcome his girlfriend, a baroness, the Captain realizes Maria has brought music to his home and begs her to stay. At a subsequent party to celebrate the baroness, her friend Max Detweiler recognizes the children's singing talent and enters them in a music festival he is organizing in Salzburg. During the party, Maria enjoys a dance with the Captain that ends in a romantic embrace, laying the foundation for a more significant relationship. Eventually, the Captain and Maria admit they love each other and marry. While they honeymoon, Max prepares the children to perform at the festival. Meanwhile, the Nazis annex Austria. When the Captain returns home, he is told to report to the Nazi headquarters. The Captain, who disagrees with the Nazis, stalls by saying he must be in Salzburg to perform with his family. At the festival, the von Trapps perform in an act choreographed to 2 let them leave the stage—and ultimately the country—as they sing. Finally, they escape into Switzerland.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class nun a female member of a Christian noun religious order governess a female teacher employed to noun teach children in a private household probationary a process or period during which a adjective person's suitability for something is tested basis a foundation for something noun disciplinarian someone who enforces or believes noun in strict punishment in order to gain obedience base a centre of military operations noun and/or supplies embrace a hug (usually romantic) noun to admit to concede the truth of something, verb to confess to stall to use delaying tactics to put verb something off to choreograph to compose a sequence of dance verb steps

3 Vocabulary Sample Sentences

The nuns kept a candlelight vigil in the church. In the past, the children of rich families often had private governesses instead of going to school. After a successful three-month probationary period, I was told by my boss that I would be hired permanently. Last year I worked for a newspaper publisher on a temporary basis. Her father was a strict disciplinarian who punished disobedience harshly. The US Navy has a military base in Yokosuka, Japan. He longed for her embrace. She will have to admit she's wrong when she sees

the video playback. Stop stalling for time and just answer the question! The ballet was choreographed by a famous Russian choreographer.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

The Sound of Music is regarded as one of the greatest musicals of all time. The movie was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and it won five, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing. The film was directed by Robert Wise and starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the true story of the von Trapp family. The source of the story was the book The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 American Movies: The Wizard of Oz

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English

Top 10 American The Wizard of Oz Movies "The Wizard of Oz" is a wonderful movie; as a child, I always looked forward to its annual showing. The story is about Dorothy, a Kansas farm girl who becomes caught up in a tornado and passes out. When Dorothy awakens, she finds herself in a strange village where Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, informs her that her house has landed on and killed the Wicked Witch of the East. The Wicked Witch of the West appears and tries to take her sister's magical ruby slippers. But Glinda magically transfers the slippers onto Dorothy's feet. This angers the witch, who threatens Dorothy, "I'll get you, my pretty."

When Dorothy asks how to get home, Glinda points to a yellow brick road that she must follow to Emerald City, where she can ask the mysterious Wizard of Oz for help. On her trip, Dorothy meets colorful characters that include the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. The four agree to go to the city together. There, they meet with the intimidating Wizard, who promises to grant their wishes if they bring him the Wicked Witch's broomstick.

The four set off toward the witch's castle but are intercepted by her flying monkeys, who capture Dorothy. Dorothy's friends eventually rescue her, and they destroy the Wicked Witch.

The four return to Emerald City and discover the Wizard is a man hiding behind a scary facade. The man apologizes for the misrepresentation and offers to take Dorothy home in a 2 hot air balloon. There are complications, and Dorothy is unable to return. Then, Glinda appears and tells Dorothy she has the power to go home if she clicks her heels three times and repeats the words "There is no place like home." When Dorothy does, she wakes up at home and promises she will never leave home again because "there's no place like home."

Vocabulary

English Definition Class scarecrow something made in the shape of a noun person from sticks, straw and old clothes to scare away birds from crops cowardly often scared, lacking courage adjective to intimidate to fill someone with fear verb broomstick the long handle of a tool for noun sweeping which has a bundle of straws or twigs attached to it to intercept to stop or seize someone or verb something on the way from one place to another to misrepresent to describe or depict wrongly or verb inaccurately to click to strike two things together to verb make a short sharp noise wizard a man who practices magic noun witch a woman who practices magic noun facade an artificial front intended to noun deceive

Vocabulary Sample Sentences 3 The farmer set up a row of scarecrows in his field. It was cowardly of him to run away from the fight when his friend was attacked. The girl was so beautiful that men were too intimidated to talk to her. The witch mounted her broomstick and flew off. My boss intercepted me on my way out of the office and gave me some more work to do. The actor angrily claimed that he was misrepresented in the interview. He clicked his fingers and the waiter came running. A wizard is a male witch. A witch is a female magician often believed to have evil powers. His smile was just a facade for his true feelings of

hatred.

Cultural Insight

Fun Facts

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 musical adapted from the 1900 fairy tale novel The Wonderful World of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Victor Fleming directed the film, which starred Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, and Frank Morgan.

The film was ahead of its time mostly because of the use of special effects and the use of Technicolor. The film won two Academy Awards for Best Original Song and Best Original Music Score, but it lost Best Picture to Gone with the Wind.

In 1956, the movie was broadcast for the first time on television, which became an annual tradition, making it one of the most famous movies of all time.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 US Destinations: Disney World Isn’t A Small World After All

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English

Top 10 US Disney World Isn’t A Small World After All Destinations Walt Disney World—a place where dreams come true.Disney World is Florida's place to be, with fun and excitement for all ages. Covering forty square miles, the resort is about the size of San Francisco, or two Manhattan islands, with a small percentage designated as a wilderness preserve. Adventure lies in the Magic Kingdom with all the classic attractions, characters, parades, and fireworks. Mickey Mouse will be wearing one of his 290 outfits and Minnie will try on all two hundred of hers before she chooses the perfect dress for the occasion. There's also the Epcot Center with all the technological innovation, culture, and cuisine of eleven different nations. If you want a splash in some cool water, visit Disney's Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon. Blizzard Beach features one of the world's fastest and tallest waterslides and Typhoon Lagoon has a pool with six-foot waves or a reef where you can snorkel with real sharks. There's also a great children's area with kid-sized raft rides. At Walt Disney World Resort, you can create a family adventure to please everyone in your family—it's not a small world, and it's not just for small people. The resort is beautiful in the day time or night, and there's so much to see, you'll have to return. Besides, everyone needs one of the famous "Mouse Ear" hats. Every year, so many ears are purchased that you could cover a 175-mile stretch if you laid them ear-to-ear. Plan a trip the whole family will love and get your Mouse Ears; it's a rite of passage. 2 Vocabulary

English Definition Class attraction feeling of interest that causes noun someone to move closer to something outfits a set of clothes and accessories noun innovation something newly invented or noun introduced cuisine food, style of cooking food noun lagoon a shallow body of water separated noun from the open sea by coral reefs or sandbars reef a ridge of rocks, sand, or coral noun that rises out of the water to snorkel to dive under the surface of the verb water using a breathing apparatus made of a long tube raft a platform made of planks, logs, noun or barrels that floats on water to stretch to pull or extend something across verb a given space rite a customary practice noun

Vocabulary Sample Sentences 3 The attraction for dangerous sports is hard to understand. The attraction between the two lovers was very strong. The pearly buttons matched the outfit. Human beings' capacity for continuous innovation is what distinguishes us from other animals. I love Japanese cuisine for its simplicity and beautiful presentation. For our honeymoon we stayed in a hotel on the shore of a beautiful tropical lagoon. The Great Barrier Reef is a reef made of coral off the north-east coast of Queensland, Australia. On holiday in Fiji, we went snorkeling every day. We floated down the river on our home-made raft. The lines of soldiers stretched for miles. In Christianity, the rite of baptism is a naming ceremony for a baby held in a church.

Cultural Insight

Fun Fact about Disney World

How much laundry do you think it takes to put on all the magic you find at Walt Disney World? You would have to wash and dry a load of laundry every single day for fifty-two years to match the amount of laundry staff members at Disney World wash in just one day! That adds up to about 285,000 pounds of laundry going through the laundry rooms at the resort every single day. Additionally, staff members dry clean about 30,000 pieces of clothing every day. That's a whole lot of laundry to keep the well-dressed mouse and his friends in some spiffy duds.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 US Destinations: What Happens in Las Vegas Stays in Las Vegas

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English

Top 10 US What Happens in Las Vegas Stays in Las Vegas Destinations The city of Las Vegas is known for its active nightlife and numerous casinos, but taking a trip to "Sin City" is about much more than just gambling and other behaviors of questionable morality. The entertainment level is very high in Vegas, which means everyone can find something to do. Of course the first thing we all think about with Vegas is the casinos. A night at a casino hotel in the city can be quite pricey, but it comes with all the luxury you can imagine, whether it's a relaxing day at the spa or a fine dining experience you will never forget. The Bellagio, which is located right on the Vegas Strip, has won the AAA Five Diamond Award for the tenth time. In addition to gambling, you'll find a relaxing pool, a wedding chapel, and Shadow Creek, which is one of the most exclusive golf courses in the United States. Most of the casino hotels have similar offerings, making them entertainment destinations that are about much more than just gambling. Vegas is also known for the numerous shows that go on every night there. Broadway is no longer the only place to catch incredible performances. With shows by Celine Dion, Cirque du Soleil, and numerous others, anyone who's craving a taste of theater or music can experience a show that will take their breath away. Most shows are performed on custom-built stages that create a spectacle of lights, fire, smoke, and sound. There are even kids' activities in Vegas, including Adventuredome, which is full of rides and attractions, the Aquarium at the Silverton, and more. Las Vegas is truly more than what the "Sin City" nickname insinuates about it. It's about entertainment and simply getting away 2 from it all for a time of relaxation and recreation in a vibrant city atmosphere.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class to be known for to be famous for, to be recognized phrase for questionable dubious, doubtful adjective morality the idea of being in line with noun universal standards of correct or good behaviour exclusive for the use of a privileged and/or adjective wealthy minority incredible amazing; extraordinary adjective to crave to want something very badly verb to insinuate to suggest indirectly verb recreation relaxing or enjoyable activity for noun refreshment vibrant having or showing energy and adjective activity atmosphere a general feeling or mood of a noun place

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

Hyenas are best known for their distinctive laughs. His motives for asking her to the party were extremely questionable. 3 The politician expressed his concern for the morality of today's youth. The famous actress lived in an exclusive neighbourhood in Los Angeles. The view from my hotel window is incredible. He craved home-cooked meals while he was overseas. She insinuated with her barbed remarks that I was a liar. Even if you love your job, it's important to take some time for recreation, too. Chicago has a vibrant night life. His vibrant personality brightens the room. I think it's important to create a calm, relaxing atmosphere in one's home.

Cultural Insight

Fun Fact: What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas, but the Memories Live On

Did you know that there are at least 15,000 miles of neon tube lights on the Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas? Vegas Vic, the well-recognized neon cowboy that lights up the Strip, is the largest mechanical sign in the world, and there are also numerous other little fun facts about the lights in Vegas. For example, there is a beam of light on top of the Luxor, and it's made up of thirty-nine lamps, each of which costs $1,200 and lasts 2,000 hours. If you're wondering about the price tag for such a light extravaganza, it's $51 an hour. For more information, see: http://govegas.about.com/cs/faqs/l/blfunfacts.htm http://www.ebaumsworld.com/jokes/read/5436/

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 US Destinations: Falling for Niagara Falls

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English

Top 10 US Falling for Niagara Falls Destinations Niagara Falls is a place of beauty that offers plenty of ways to be active and enjoy the outdoors. There are plenty of adventures to be had there, no matter what time of year it is. Niagara Falls State Park offers more than four hundred acres of landscape and protected wildlife to enjoy. Lovers of the outdoors can enjoy fishing, biking, hiking, boating, and bird watching. Wine lovers will also enjoy the Niagara Wine Trail and the many local wineries that are located in the area. There are also plenty of outstanding golf courses for the golfer who just can't take a break from their favorite sport. Agritourism is also big in Niagara Falls, although most people might ask what it is. Agritourism basically allows visitors to enjoy various aspects of agriculture, including vineyards and local farms. Kids will enjoy visiting Becker Farms, which also has a very unusual dining experience called 100 Mile Radius Meals. It's fun and offers good food for the entire family, with wine options and beer choices paired with locally grown and prepared foods. Niagara Falls is also home to plenty of outstanding shopping, including everything from designer outlets to small boutiques. It's incredible that such amazing shopping experiences are located just ten minutes away from the natural beauty of Niagara Falls. There are also plenty of other attractions there, including the Aquarium of Niagara, the Castellani Art Museum, the Daredevil Museum, Cave of the Winds, and more. The Hurricane Deck at Cave of the Winds allows you to get completely soaked with the waters 2 from the falls, and there is no experience on earth that's exactly like it.

Vocabulary

English Definition Class landscape an expanse of natural scenery noun wildlife animals and plants collectively noun trail a path, track or road noun winery a place where wine is made from noun grapes outstanding superior, excellent adjective vineyard a plantation of grapevines where noun wine grapes are grown outlet a medium of expression noun radius a circular area noun to pair to match two things together verb boutique a small shop that sells specially noun selected products such as food and clothes

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

The beautiful landscape stretched out before our eyes. While on vacation we visited a wildlife sanctuary and saw lots of rare animals and plants. We followed the rough trail up the side of the mountain. There are many wineries in California. Her exam results were outstanding. 3 The old vineyard was overgrown with weeds. He has many creative outlets. All children living within a ten-mile radius attended the local school. The red wine was paired with a rare steak. Her first job was working in a fashionable boutique in London.

Cultural Insight

Fun Fact: Water, Water Everywhere

More than 3,000 tons of water goes over the falls every single second. Included in this amount are the more than 75,000 gallons of water that go over the American and Bridal Veil Falls and the almost 700,000 gallons of water that go over the Horseshoe Falls every second. All that water is certainly being put to good use. The hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls produces more than four million kilowatts of electricity. Canada and the United States share in the electricity produced by the falls. The water of Niagara Falls is also incredible because it comes from four of the five Great Lakes.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 US Destinations: The Grand Canyon, a Breathtaking Experience

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English

Top 10 US The Grand Canyon, a Breathtaking Experience Destinations The Grand Canyon is as immense and as overwhelming as it is beautiful. It's a picturesque landscape that simply takes your breath away. According to the National Park Service, the Grand Canyon is 277 river miles long, a mile deep, and up to eighteen miles wide. Almost five million people see the Grand Canyon every year, and the one view we've all seen on television or in books is the view from the South Rim, which includes Hermit's Rest, Desert View, and Grand Canyon Village. A few people see the Grand Canyon from the North Rim, which is across from the South Rim but is a thousand feet above it. It's much more difficult to get up to the North Rim, which is why so few people take the trek up there. Seeing the Grand Canyon is about much more than just taking in a gorgeous view. There are plenty of outdoor activities for any family to enjoy. You can take a mule ride to Phantom Ranch or ride the Colorado River through the canyon, but be prepared for a lengthy river trip because some can take several weeks to complete. There is some lodging available inside the park at the South Rim, although it's booked well in advance. There are also some options available right outside the park, and a free shuttle service is available to carry you from these accommodations to the park. For those who really want to enjoy the great outdoors, the main campground is located in the South Rim. There is also a North Rim campground for true adventurers who want to brave the hike up to those heights. The Grand Canyon fulfills a sense of adventure everyone experiences, whether young or old. 2 The shuttle service at the park makes it easy for anyone to take in these breathtaking views.

Vocabulary English Definition Class immense extremely large, huge adjective overwhelming overpowering, very intense adjective picturesque pretty, visually pleasing adjective trek a long, slow, difficult journey noun ranch a large farm for raising sheep, noun horses or cattle lengthy taking a long time adjective lodging a place to sleep or stay noun accommodations a place to live or stay noun breathtaking awe-inspiring, astonishing adjective to fulfill to fill a need, to satisfy verb

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

In the center of the city stood an immense cathedral. She was overcome by an overwhelming curiosity to know what happened next. The old French town was very picturesque. The trek to the summit of Mt. Everest is one of the most difficult in the world. Working on a ranch is a hard life. The school principal gave a lengthy speech. The lodgings on the tour were not very comfortable. The international students lived in rented accommodations near the university. The view from the observatory was breathtaking. He fulfilled his life's ambition of performing in a West End play.

Cultural Insight

Fun Fact: A Landmark That Must be Seen to be Believed

The Grand Canyon is still getting bigger! It was created by erosion that was caused by the Colorado 3 River, which cuts directly through the canyon. The shape of the canyon has also helped along the process, with water flowing down from the North Rim, which is 8,000 feet above sea level, down to the South Rim, which is 1,200 feet below the North Rim. As the water flows down the canyon, it continues the carving of the canyon, making it bigger and bigger as time goes on. It has taken six million years for the canyon to become as "grand" as it is now.

Advanced Audio Blog S2 Top 10 US Destinations: The Beauty of Waikiki Beach and Oahu, Hawaii

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English

Top 10 US The Beauty of Waikiki Beach and Oahu, Hawaii Destinations If you're looking for a getaway that takes you to white, sandy beaches and fun in the sun, then Waikiki Beach is the answer. With beautiful blue waters and plenty of sun, you'll find a relaxing environment that will ease all the stress right out of your life. Waikiki Beach is located on the isle of Oahu, which is the third largest of the Hawaii islands. It also holds the highest percentage of Hawaii's population. Waikiki Beach is on the south side of Honolulu, the state's capital, and all the resorts and accommodations there are only two or three blocks from the beach. Staying on Oahu is about much more than just fun in the sun. There are also countless adventures to be had, like on Diamond Head, which is located in the backdrop of Waikiki. The 760-foot crater is a very popular hiking destination because of the beautiful panoramic views that are yours when you conquer this peak. Other attractions on Oahu in the Waikiki area include the Honolulu Zoo and the Waikiki Aquarium. There is also much to be learned about this tropical paradise by hiking the Waikiki Historical Trail. Shopping includes the Waikiki Beach Walk, which is almost eight acres of shopping and entertainment. Of course there is plenty to do inside Waikiki, but if you do decide to venture out, you're within thirty minutes of several other attractions, including the Iolani Palace, Pearl Harbor, and Chinatown. Oahu provides sand, surf, and so much more for every member of the family. There are shopping destinations and fine dining opportunities galore within this tropical Mecca of fun 2 in the sun, and don't forget the snorkeling, scuba diving, and reef exploration. There is so much to do that the fun never stops!

Vocabulary

English Definition Class getaway a clam and relaxing place to go on noun vacation to ease to give relief from, to lessen verb countless innumerable, so many as to be adjective uncountable backdrop setting, background noun panoramic extensive, wide, scenic adjective to conquer to overcome with a huge effort verb tropical relating to the tropics, hot and humid to venture out to go out cautiously, often into verb unknown or dangerous surroundings galore in very large numbers adjective Mecca a place viewed as the center of an noun activity or interest, a place visited by many people

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

For our wedding anniversary, we went on a romantic getaway to a tropical island. The surgery eased the pain in his leg. 3 There are countless questions about our world which cannot yet be answered. The Atlantic ocean provides a dramatic backdrop for the film. From the top floor of the hotel we had a panoramic view of New York City. I finally conquered my fear of heights by going skydiving. I love visiting tropical places. John ventured out of his house into the freezing cold outside. There are sushi shops galore in Melbourne, Australia. St. Andrews in Scotland is a Mecca for golf lovers.

Cultural Insight

Fun Fact: An Island on the Cutting Edge of Technology

Oahu is really cutting edge when it comes to technology. Iolani Palace, which is the only royal palace located in the US, actually had electricity four years before the White House, the Imperial Palace of Japan, and Windsor Palace. It was also the first place in Honolulu to have a telephone system and the first palace worldwide to put in flushing toilets. The palace also has massive bathtubs that are lined with copper. The king's tub is seven feet long, while the queen's tub is six and a half feet long. Oahu also holds the largest wind generator in the world. See more at: http://www.discover-oahu.com/oahu-fun-facts.html

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