TingMate · English Learning

📝 Today's sentences

① I went to Costco again.

② And I bought a huge box of strawberries.

③ It looked like such a good deal.

④ But it's just the two of us.

⑤ There's no way we can finish it.

⑥ Half of it went bad in the fridge.

⑦ I do this every single time.

⑧ I know it's a trap, but I can't help it.

⑨ The big packs are always cheaper per unit.

⑩ It feels like I'm losing money if I don't.

⑪ But I always end up wasting more.

⑫ And I'll do the exact same thing next time.

⑬ I guess I just never learn.

🔑 Vocabulary

• a good deal /ə ɡʊd diːl/

• the two of us /ðə tuː əv ʌs/

• no way /noʊ weɪ/

• went bad /went bæd/

• can't help it /kɑːnt help ɪt/

• per unit /pər ˈjuːnɪt/

• end up /end ʌp/

• never learn /ˈnevər lɜːrn/

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📝 Today's sentences

① My hair is getting long again.

② But I keep avoiding the haircut.

③ Getting one here is expensive.

④ It's like sixty or seventy bucks, before tip.

⑤ And it's kind of a gamble.

⑥ They don't always know how to cut Asian hair.

⑦ Last time, I came home and fixed it myself.

⑧ So I'd rather just wait.

⑨ And get it all done back home.

⑩ It's cheaper there, and they do it right.

⑪ But you know how I am.

⑫ Some things I just save for home.

⑬ So now I've got one more excuse to fly home.

🔑 Vocabulary

• getting long /ˈɡetɪŋ lɒŋ/

• before tip /bɪˈfɔːr tɪp/

• a gamble /ə ˈɡæmbl/

• know how to /noʊ haʊ tuː/

• fixed it myself /fɪkst ɪt maɪˈself/

• I'd rather /aɪd ˈræðər/

• do it right /duː ɪt raɪt/

• save for /seɪv fɔːr/

• one more excuse /wʌn mɔːr ɪkˈskjuːs/

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📝 Today's sentences

① I was at the store today, using self-checkout.

② I scanned a few things and bagged them.

③ Then the machine started beeping at me.

④ It kept saying, unexpected item in the bagging area.

⑤ But I didn't do anything wrong.

⑥ I took it out and put it back.

⑦ It still wouldn't work.

⑧ The line behind me kept getting longer.

⑨ I felt like everyone was staring at me.

⑩ I was so embarrassed.

⑪ Finally, I had to wave down an employee.

⑫ She tapped one button, and it was fine.

⑬ Next time, I'm just going with a real cashier.

🔑 Vocabulary

• self-checkout /self ˈtʃekaʊt/

• put it back /pʊt ɪt bæk/

• wouldn't work /ˈwʊdnt wɜːrk/

• kept getting longer /kept ˈɡetɪŋ ˈlɒŋɡər/

• staring at me /ˈsterɪŋ ət miː/

• embarrassed /ɪmˈbærəst/

• wave down /weɪv daʊn/

• a real cashier /ə riːl ˈkæʃɪr/

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📝 Today's sentences

① I've been back in Austin for a few days now.

② And I finally figured out what I miss most.

③ It's not the California sunshine.

④ It's the little café right by my old place.

⑤ Back there, it was within walking distance.

⑥ I could just shuffle over in my slippers.

⑦ Here, everything is a drive.

⑧ If I want a coffee, I have to get on the road.

⑨ That's a half hour round trip.

⑩ So now I just make it at home.

⑪ But it's not the same.

⑫ Maybe it's not really about the coffee.

⑬ It's the whole way of life that came with it.

🔑 Vocabulary

• figured out /ˈfɪɡjərd aʊt/

• within walking distance /wɪˈðɪn ˈwɔːkɪŋ ˈdɪstəns/

• everything is a drive /ˈevriθɪŋ ɪz ə draɪv/

• get on the road /ɡet ɒn ðə roʊd/

• round trip /raʊnd trɪp/

• make it at home /meɪk ɪt ət hoʊm/

• not the same /nɒt ðə seɪm/

• way of life /weɪ əv laɪf/

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📝 Today's sentences

① I just landed back in Austin.

② The heat hit me the second I stepped outside.

③ It's like walking straight into a wall.

④ Three weeks of Bay Area weather, gone just like that.

⑤ And I already miss it.

⑥ I got in my car and cranked up the AC all the way.

⑦ On the drive home, I kept asking myself why.

⑧ Why do I keep doing this to myself?

⑨ But deep down, I already know the answer.

⑩ There's no state income tax in Texas.

⑪ And my rent here is about half the Bay Area price.

⑫ So I wiped the sweat off and reminded myself.

⑬ This is what I signed up for.

⑭ Maybe I'll get used to it in a few days.

⑮ I'm here now, but my heart hasn't caught up yet.

🔑 Vocabulary

• landed /ˈlændɪd/

• hit me /hɪt miː/

• the second I /ðə ˈsekənd aɪ/

• just like that /dʒʌst laɪk ðæt/

• cranked up /kræŋkt ʌp/

• deep down /diːp daʊn/

• signed up for /saɪnd ʌp fɔːr/

• get used to /ɡet juːst tuː/

• caught up /kɔːt ʌp/

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① I just booked my flight back to Austin.

② I've been in the Bay Area for three weeks now.

③ I've had three weeks of nothing but beautiful sunshine.

④ Now it's time to head back to Texas.

⑤ And the weather there is just brutal.

⑥ I haven't even started packing, and I already feel awful.

⑦ When I got this job, I thought it was my dream company.

⑧ Moving to a new city was no big deal to me.

⑨ I told myself I'd move to Mars for it.

⑩ But it's only been five months, and I feel like I can't keep going.

⑪ I guess people are right.

⑫ Life comes first, and work is just part of life.

⑬ Or maybe I'm just being a little greedy.

⑭ I mean, every time I reach a goal, I just want more.

⑮ Once I get something, I stop appreciating it.

🔑 Vocabulary

• booked /bʊkt/

• nothing but /ˈnʌθɪŋ bʌt/

• head back /hed bæk/

• brutal /ˈbruːtl/

• dream company /driːm ˈkʌmpəni/

• no big deal /noʊ bɪɡ diːl/

• keep going /kiːp ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

• comes first /kʌmz fɜːrst/

• I mean /aɪ miːn/

• stop appreciating /stɑːp əˈpriːʃieɪtɪŋ/

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A slow English story about An annual checkup, a pain level of eight, and a big mix-up over the American pain scale. 16 simple sentences. Word by word. About 17 minutes.

📝 Today's sentences

① This trip back, I also saw my family doctor for my annual checkup.

② My stomach has been bothering me lately. I wake up with a stomachache every morning.

③ The doctor asked, on a scale of one to ten, how bad is it?

④ I thought about it and said, probably an eight.

⑤ She was shocked and said, you should have come in way sooner.

⑥ She ordered a CT scan and blood work, all marked stat.

⑦ That freaked me out a little.

⑧ I said, I've been like this for years. Maybe Texas just made it worse.

⑨ She said, either way, go get the tests done first.

⑩ I had no idea what those medical terms meant. So I took a photo and asked ChatGPT.

⑪ ChatGPT said, an eight means severe pain, like you'd be rolling on the floor.

⑫ That's when it hit me.

⑬ She meant the standard pain scale doctors use. I was rating how miserable I felt.

⑭ What was I even thinking?

⑮ Fine, I'll still get the tests done.

⑯ But I'll tell them, it's not stat. Don't charge me for that.

🔑 Vocabulary

• annual checkup /ˈænjuəl ˈtʃekʌp/

• bothering me /ˈbɑːðərɪŋ miː/

• on a scale of one to ten /ɑːn ə skeɪl əv wʌn tə ten/

• blood work /blʌd wɜːrk/

• stat /stæt/

• freaked me out /friːkt miː aʊt/

• either way /ˈiːðər weɪ/

• severe /sɪˈvɪr/

• it hit me /ɪt hɪt miː/

• miserable /ˈmɪzərəbl/

• charge me /tʃɑːrdʒ miː/

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① California sunshine is a love-hate thing for me.

② I love it, but it's rough on my skin.

③ This time, I forgot to bring my sunscreen.

④ And I'm pretty stubborn about it.

⑤ I only use one brand. It's this Chinese brand you can only buy back home.

⑥ So these days, I go out with a hat and sunglasses.

⑦ I keep putting off going to Sephora. And it's literally a five-minute drive.

⑧ I know I really should buy a new one.

⑨ I feel like my sunspots are coming back.

⑩ By the end of the year, I'm flying back to China.

⑪ I'll probably stop in Korea on the way.

⑫ I want to get laser treatment for these spots.

🔑 Vocabulary

• love-hate /ˌlʌv ˈheɪt/

• sunscreen /ˈsʌnskriːn/

• stubborn /ˈstʌbərn/

• putting off /ˈpʊtɪŋ ɔːf/

• literally /ˈlɪtərəli/

• sunspots /ˈsʌnspɒts/

• on the way /ɒn ðə weɪ/

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A slow English story about A restaurant taxed the tip before the tax, so I got the bill fixed. 13 simple sentences. Word by word. About 13 minutes.

📝 Today's sentences

① Today I went out for dinner with a friend.

② The food was great, and so was the service.

③ When the bill came, I was about to leave a 20% tip.

④ But then I noticed something was off.

⑤ Normally, you only pay tax on the food itself.

⑥ And the tip just gets added on top. It shouldn't be taxed.

⑦ But this restaurant added the tip before the tax.

⑧ So my tip got taxed too, and that's definitely not right.

⑨ You know I'm good with numbers, especially when it comes to money.

⑩ My friend told me to just tip 15% and let it go.

⑪ But I didn't want to. So I asked the manager if there was a mistake.

⑫ In the end, they fixed the bill, and I still left an 18% tip.

⑬ I guess I can be really particular about these things.

🔑 Vocabulary

• tip /tɪp/

• something was off /ˈsʌmθɪŋ wəz ɔːf/

• on top /ɒn tɒp/

• got taxed /ɡɒt tækst/

• when it comes to money /wen ɪt kʌmz tə ˈmʌni/

• let it go /let ɪt ɡoʊ/

• particular /pərˈtɪkjələr/

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A slow English story about A lazy weekend, a farmers market across the street, and a little businessman at one stand. 14 simple sentences. Word by word. About 13 minutes.

📝 Today's sentences

① This weekend, I slept in really late.

② I skipped breakfast and went out for some porridge.

③ Then I noticed a lively crowd across the street.

④ I love a good crowd, so I went over to check it out.

⑤ It turned out to be a farmers market, and I absolutely loved it.

⑥ Local farmers were selling homegrown veggies and homemade food.

⑦ I bought tomatoes in all kinds of colors.

⑧ I also got some yellow cherries called Rainier.

⑨ At one stand, a Mexican boy was translating for his dad.

⑩ He counted out my change, but he didn't seem very good at math.

⑪ His dad did the math in his head really fast.

⑫ Then he told his son in Spanish, and the boy told me in English.

⑬ I wanted to say, I already did the math myself.

⑭ But I just told him, Good job, businessman!

🔑 Vocabulary

• slept in /slept ɪn/

• skipped breakfast /skɪpt ˈbrekfəst/

• across the street /əˈkrɔːs ðə striːt/

• check it out /tʃek ɪt aʊt/

• turned out /tɜːrnd aʊt/

• homemade /ˌhoʊmˈmeɪd/

• all kinds of /ɔːl kaɪndz əv/

• change /tʃeɪndʒ/

• good at math /ɡʊd ət mæθ/

• did the math /dɪd ðə mæθ/

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