Talk About Your Daily Routine in a Small Town | A1 English | Easy Conversation | Listening Practice — Transcript

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1. 0:03[music]
2. 0:08Hello everyone and [music] welcome back
3. 0:10to Mr. English channel where learning
4. 0:13English is easy and fun. I'm Emily.
5. 0:15[music]
6. 0:16>> Hello Emily. And hello to all our
7. 0:19wonderful friends listening at home or
8. 0:21on the go. It is such a beautiful day to
9. 0:24practice English together.
10. 0:25>> It really is Paul. I am feeling very
11. 0:29relaxed today. How are you?
12. 0:31>> I am doing fantastic, thank you. I have
13. 0:33my tea. I'm comfortable and I am ready
14. 0:36to chat.
15. 0:37>> That sounds perfect. I am happy to hear
16. 0:39that.
17. 0:40>> And Emily, before we start our
18. 0:42conversation, we have a small favor to
19. 0:44ask our listeners.
20. 0:46>> Yes, we do. If you enjoy our podcast,
21. 0:49please click the like button. It is a
22. 0:52small click for you, but it helps us a
23. 0:54lot.
24. 0:55>> Exactly. And please subscribe to the Mr.
25. 0:57English channel. We want you to join our
26. 0:59family.
27. 1:00>> And share this episode with your
28. 1:02friends. English is better with friends.
29. 1:05>> Yes, it is. Okay, Emily, you said you
30. 1:08were relaxed today. Why is that?
31. 1:10>> Well, Paul, today I want to talk about a
32. 1:14very peaceful topic.
33. 1:15>> Ooh, peaceful. I like peaceful topics.
34. 1:18What is it?
35. 1:19>> Today we are talking about life in a
36. 1:22small town. specifically the daily
37. 1:24routine, the community, and the
38. 1:27neighbors.
39. 1:28>> Wow, that is a great topic. I love small
40. 1:31towns. They're so different from big
41. 1:33cities.
42. 1:34>> Yes, they are, Paul. Imagine you wake up
43. 1:37in a small town. What is the first thing
44. 1:39you hear?
45. 1:41>> H, good question. In the city, I hear
46. 1:44cars. I hear buses.
47. 1:46>> Beep beep. Yes, the city is very loud.
48. 1:51But in a small town, I think I hear
49. 1:54birds.
50. 1:55>> Yes. You hear birds singing. You hear
51. 1:58the wind in the trees. It is quiet.
52. 2:01>> That sounds wonderful. No stress, just
53. 2:04nature.
54. 2:05>> Exactly. The morning routine in a small
55. 2:08town is slower. You do not need to rush.
56. 2:11>> I hate rushing. I like to drink my
57. 2:13coffee slowly.
58. 2:15>> In a small town, people often sit
59. 2:17outside in the morning on their porch.
60. 2:19Ah the porch that is the front part of
61. 2:22the house right?
62. 2:23>> Yes. They sit they drink coffee and they
63. 2:26watch the sun come up.
64. 2:28>> That is the best way to start the day.
65. 2:30And then do they go to work?
66. 2:32>> Yes they go to work but the commute is
67. 2:35different.
68. 2:36>> The commute that is the travel from home
69. 2:38to work.
70. 2:40>> Correct. In a big city the commute is
71. 2:42long. You sit in traffic for 1 hour.
72. 2:46>> Oh I know. It is terrible. I get very
73. 2:49angry in traffic.
74. 2:50>> But in a small town, Paul, you can often
75. 2:53walk to work.
76. 2:55>> Walk to work. Wow, that is great
77. 2:57exercise.
78. 2:58>> Or you drive for maybe 5 minutes. There
79. 3:01is no traffic jam.
80. 3:03>> 5 minutes. That is a dream. So you have
81. 3:06more time.
82. 3:07>> Yes, you have more time for your life
83. 3:10and you have more time for people.
84. 3:12>> People? You mean the neighbors?
85. 3:14>> Yes. This is a big part of small town
86. 3:17life. Community.
87. 3:19>> I like that word community. It means the
88. 3:22group of people living together.
89. 3:24>> Exactly. In a small town, you know
90. 3:26everyone.
91. 3:27>> Everyone. Really?
92. 3:29>> Well, almost everyone. When you walk
93. 3:31down the street, you see faces you know.
94. 3:34>> That is nice. In the city, I see many
95. 3:37people, but I do not know them. They are
96. 3:39strangers.
97. 3:40>> Right. We walk fast. We look at our
98. 3:42phones. But in a small town, you look at
99. 3:45people and you say, "Good morning."
100. 3:47>> "Good morning, Mrs. Robinson." "Hello,
101. 3:49Mr. Miller."
102. 3:51>> Yes, exactly like that. And you stop.
103. 3:54You talk for a few minutes.
104. 3:55>> What do they talk about?
105. 3:57>> Simple things. You talk about the
106. 3:59weather. You talk about your garden. You
107. 4:02ask, "How is your family?"
108. 4:04>> That is very polite. It makes you feel
109. 4:06connected.
110. 4:07>> Connected. Yes, that is the perfect
111. 4:10word. You are not alone. And Emily, I
112. 4:13think neighbors in small towns help each
113. 4:16other more. Is that true?
114. 4:17>> It is very true. Let me give you an
115. 4:20example.
116. 4:21>> Okay, I am listening.
117. 4:23>> Imagine you are cooking a cake. But oh
118. 4:26no, you do not have sugar.
119. 4:28>> Oh no, a cake with no sugar is bread.
120. 4:32[laughter]
121. 4:33>> Exactly. In the city, you must run to
122. 4:36the supermarket. It takes time.
123. 4:39>> Yes. But in a small town, you walk to
124. 4:42the house next door. You knock on the
125. 4:44door
126. 4:45>> and you ask the neighbor.
127. 4:47>> Yes. You say, "Hello, can I please
128. 4:49borrow a cup of sugar?"
129. 4:51>> And they say, "Yes."
130. 4:53>> Usually yes, they are happy to help
131. 4:56because next week maybe they need eggs.
132. 4:59>> I see. It is give and take. You help me,
133. 5:03I help you.
134. 5:04>> Yes, that is a real community. People
135. 5:08trust each other. Trust is very
136. 5:10important. Do people lock their doors in
137. 5:12small towns?
138. 5:14>> That is an interesting question. In many
139. 5:17very small towns, people sometimes leave
140. 5:20their doors unlocked during the day.
141. 5:22>> Wow, that shows a lot of trust. They
142. 5:25feel safe.
143. 5:26>> Yes, they feel safe because they know
144. 5:29their neighbors are watching.
145. 5:31>> It is like a big family.
146. 5:32>> It is. Now, Paul, let's talk about
147. 5:35shopping in a small town.
148. 5:37>> Okay. Shopping. Is there a big mall?
149. 5:40>> Usually, no. There is no big mall. There
150. 5:43are small local shops.
151. 5:46>> Ah, like a bakery or a butcher?
152. 5:48>> Yes, small businesses. And the shop
153. 5:51owners are your neighbors, too.
154. 5:54>> So, when I buy bread, I know the baker.
155. 5:57>> Yes. His name is probably Tom or Jerry.
156. 6:00[laughter]
157. 6:01>> Tom the baker. I like it.
158. 6:03>> And Tom knows what you like. He says,
159. 6:06"Hello, Paul. Do you want your favorite
160. 6:08bread today?
161. 6:09>> That feels very special. In the big
162. 6:11supermarket, nobody knows my name.
163. 6:13>> Exactly. It's personal. But there is a
164. 6:17small negative thing.
165. 6:19>> Oh, what is the negative thing?
166. 6:21>> The shops close early.
167. 6:24>> Ah, in the city, shops are open very
168. 6:26late, sometimes 24 hours.
169. 6:28>> Yes. In a small town at 6:00 p.m.
170. 6:32everything is closed.
171. 6:33>> Everything? Well, maybe not the gas
172. 6:36station, but the bakery, the clothes
173. 6:39shop closed.
174. 6:40>> So, you must be organized. You cannot
175. 6:43buy milk at midnight.
176. 6:44>> No, you cannot. You must buy it during
177. 6:47the day.
178. 6:48>> I think I can do that. It is a good
179. 6:50trade for the peace and quiet.
180. 6:52>> I think so, too. And speaking of peace,
181. 6:55let's talk about the evening routine.
182. 6:58>> Okay. The sun goes down, the shops are
183. 7:00closed. What happens? It gets very dark.
184. 7:04>> Dark? Are there no street lights?
185. 7:06>> There are some, but not many. In the
186. 7:09city, it is always bright. There are
187. 7:12lights everywhere.
188. 7:14>> True. Sometimes it is too bright to
189. 7:16sleep.
190. 7:17>> In a small town, it is dark. You can see
191. 7:20the stars.
192. 7:22>> The stars. Wow. I love looking at the
193. 7:25stars.
194. 7:26>> It is beautiful. You can sit outside
195. 7:29again. You can listen to the crickets.
196. 7:32>> Crickets? Those are the small insects
197. 7:34that make noise at night. Chirp chirp.
198. 7:37>> Yes. That is the sound of the country.
199. 7:40>> It sounds very relaxing.
200. 7:42>> It is. And the air is different too.
201. 7:46>> The air. How?
202. 7:48>> It is fresh, clean. There is no
203. 7:51pollution from thousands of cars.
204. 7:53>> Ah, yes. Fresh air. You can breathe
205. 7:57deep. [sighs] Ah
206. 8:00>> yes it is good for your health.
207. 8:03>> So people in small towns are they
208. 8:06healthier?
209. 8:07>> Maybe they walk more they eat fresh
210. 8:10food. They have less stress.
211. 8:12>> Stress is a big problem in the city.
212. 8:15Everyone is running. Everyone is busy.
213. 8:17>> In a small town busy is different. You
214. 8:21are busy with your garden. You are busy
215. 8:24with your family.
216. 8:25>> That is good busy. Yes, it is. But Paul,
217. 8:29small towns are not for everyone.
218. 8:32>> No. Why?
219. 8:34>> Because there are no big cinemas, no big
220. 8:37clubs, no big events.
221. 8:40>> I see. If you like excitement and loud
222. 8:43music, maybe a small town is not for
223. 8:45you.
224. 8:46>> Exactly. It is a slow life. Some people
225. 8:50love it, some people hate it.
226. 8:52>> I think I would like it. Maybe not
227. 8:54forever, but for a vacation. Yes,
228. 8:57>> a vacation in a small town is a great
229. 9:00idea. You can recharge your battery.
230. 9:03>> Recharge my battery. I like that
231. 9:05expression. It means to get energy back.
232. 9:08>> Yes, rest and relax.
233. 9:11>> You know, Emily, there is one more thing
234. 9:13about neighbors I want to ask.
235. 9:15>> Go ahead, Paul.
236. 9:16>> What about festivals or parties?
237. 9:19>> Oh, yes. Small towns love festivals.
238. 9:23>> Really?
239. 9:24>> Yes. They have a strawberry festival or
240. 9:27a pumpkin festival.
241. 9:29>> A pumpkin festival. That sounds fun.
242. 9:32>> It is. Everyone comes to the town
243. 9:34square.
244. 9:35>> The town square. That is the center of
245. 9:38the town.
246. 9:39>> Yes. They bring food, they play music,
247. 9:42children play games,
248. 9:43>> and because you know everyone, it is
249. 9:45like a big party with friends.
250. 9:48>> Exactly. In the city, festivals are
251. 9:50crowded. There are too many people. You
252. 9:53cannot move
253. 9:54>> and it is expensive.
254. 9:56>> Yes, but in a small town it is simple.
255. 9:59Maybe you bake a pie.
256. 10:01>> A pie contest. I want to be the judge. I
257. 10:04want to eat all the pies. [laughter]
258. 10:06[gasps]
259. 10:07>> You would be a great judge, Paul.
260. 10:09>> Thank you. So, small towns have fun,
261. 10:11too. But it's simple fun.
262. 10:14>> Yes. Simple, honest fun. It connects
263. 10:17people.
264. 10:17>> I really like this picture we are
265. 10:19painting, Emily.
266. 10:20>> Me, too. It sounds very cozy.
267. 10:23>> Cozy. That is a nice word. Warm and
268. 10:25comfortable.
269. 10:26>> Yes, small towns are cozy.
270. 10:29>> Emily, look at the time. We are chatting
271. 10:31so much about pies and neighbors.
272. 10:34>> I know. Time flies when we are having
273. 10:36fun.
274. 10:37>> It really does. But before we finish,
275. 10:39let's just remember what we talked about
276. 10:41today. It was a lot.
277. 10:42>> Good idea, Paul. Let's recap.
278. 10:45>> So, we talked about the morning, how it
279. 10:47is quiet.
280. 10:48>> Yes. No loud cars, just birds singing
281. 10:51and coffee on the porch.
282. 10:53>> And we talked about the commute. No
283. 10:55traffic jams,
284. 10:56>> right? You can walk to work or drive
285. 10:59very fast.
286. 11:00>> Then we talked about the most important
287. 11:02thing, the neighbors.
288. 11:04>> Yes, saying good morning, knowing
289. 11:06people's names,
290. 11:08>> and helping each other, borrowing sugar.
291. 11:10[laughter]
292. 11:11And we talked about the local shops, Tom
293. 11:14the Baker,
294. 11:15>> and finally the peace at night, the
295. 11:17stars and the fresh air.
296. 11:19>> It sounds like a lovely life, doesn't
297. 11:21it?
298. 11:22>> It really does. I feel calmer just
299. 11:24talking about it.
300. 11:26>> Me, too.
301. 11:26>> So, now we have a question for you, our
302. 11:29listeners.
303. 11:30>> Yes. We want to know, do you live in a
304. 11:33big city or a small town?
305. 11:35>> And which one do you prefer? Do [music]
306. 11:36you like the energy of the city or the
307. 11:39peace of the small town? Please tell us
308. 11:41in the comments. We love reading your
309. 11:43stories about your home.
310. 11:45>> Yes. Tell us about your neighbors. Are
311. 11:47they friendly? Do you borrow sugar?
312. 11:50>> We want to know. Writing comments is
313. 11:53great practice for your English.
314. 11:55>> It is. Don't be shy.
315. 11:56>> And please, if you liked this peaceful
316. 11:59episode, subscribe to the Mr. English
317. 12:02channel
318. 12:02>> and give us a big thumbs up, like this
319. 12:05video, [music] and share it with your
320. 12:06family.
321. 12:07>> Thank you so much for listening today.
322. 12:09We appreciate you very much.
323. 12:11>> Yes. Thank you, friends. Have [music] a
324. 12:13peaceful day wherever you are.
325. 12:15>> Bye everyone. See you next time.
326. 12:17>> Goodbye.
327. 12:19[music]