TingMate · English Learning

Day 35 · The Call Before Gaokao

Listen, my nephew called me this weekend.

He told me his gaokao starts tomorrow morning.

And he wanted me to give him a pep talk.

Honestly, I was kind of touched.

He thought of me at a moment like this.

But I didn't really know what to say.

I mean, it's the gaokao.

I just wanted him to take it easy.

So I said, I'm so glad you called me.

You've really grown these past three years.

I genuinely like who you've become.

To me, you already aced your gaokao.

Then we started joking about his freshman year. So rebellious.

His junior-year crush. His senior-year all-nighter.

He laughed. I could feel him relax.

We talked a little longer, then hung up.

Day 36 · The Gaokao Year

This morning, the streets felt unusually quiet.

No one was honking. No one rushing.

It hit me. Today is the day.

I drove past a school on my way to work.

Parents were everywhere, holding flowers.

And just like that, I was eighteen again.

And just like that, I was back in that exam room.

My pencil was shaking.

My heart was pounding.

Part of me just wanted it over.

And part of me wished I had more time.

Honestly, that was almost twenty years ago.

But it still feels so close.

Time really does fly.

I hope they ace it. Every single one of them.

Day 37 · The Class Dinner Night

It just turned Wednesday. I'm thinking about them again.

Today is their last day of gaokao. Probably their only one ever.

Just one more exam. English. They'll walk out of that exam room by five. All over.

And just like that, they're free. Free from high school.

They'll try to keep their cool. And head home to check their answers.

Within an hour, the group chats will blow up.

Their last class dinner is tonight.

They'll sing their class song first.

Then someone will put on a pop song.

Some girls crying. Some boys way too loud.

They'll pretend to drink like grown-ups.

Please. Take a million photos.

This is what youth looks like.

Day 38 · Just Ask

Yesterday was the last day of gaokao. Today, the house is too quiet.

He came home past midnight. From the class dinner. With a hangover.

It's almost noon. He's still sleeping in. Door closed.

There's no rushing this morning. No alarm. No backpack by the door.

Mom keeps walking past his door. Listening for any sound.

She wants to knock. But doesn't. He wants to ask. But doesn't.

It's not the kind of morning you see on TV. No tears. No big hugs.

Finally, his door opens. He walks out. His hair is a mess.

They eat in silence. Nobody mentions yesterday. Nobody asks the question.

Then he says it. Just ask. Probably 420. Enough for a third-tier university.

And just like that. Mom and Dad finally let out a breath.

Day 39 · Part Time or Travel?

My nephew called me Thursday afternoon and said his gaokao went good.

He said: I want to do part-time as a delivery guy this summer. Then I can save up for university.

Actually, I was so proud, and it reminded me of my own summer long time ago.

I was handing out flyers on the street the whole summer.

Honestly, I always envied my classmates who got to travel after graduation.

So I told him. If you don't mind, I have an offer for you.

I can cover 200 yuan a day. You can use it to backpack across China.

Only one condition. Study on my TingMate app one hour a day, two whole months. And send me a recording every day.

He paused. Then said he never thought about traveling. But it sounds kind of cool.

Less than an hour later, I got tons of messages from him. RedNote travel guides. Backpacking routes.

He even sent me one. How university students can travel to America.

And the most surprising one is his first English recording. I laughed. Haha.

A slow English story about My nephew wanted to deliver food for the summer — I made him an offer instead. 12 simple sentences. Word by word.

📝 Today's sentences

My nephew called me Thursday afternoon and said his gaokao went good.

He said: I want to do part-time as a delivery guy this summer. Then I can save up for university.

Actually, I was so proud, and it reminded me of my own summer long time ago.

I was handing out flyers on the street the whole summer.

Honestly, I always envied my classmates who got to travel after graduation.

So I told him. If you don't mind, I have an offer for you.

I can cover 200 yuan a day. You can use it to backpack across China.

Only one condition. Study on my TingMate app one hour a day, two whole months. And send me a recording every day.

He paused. Then said he never thought about traveling. But it sounds kind of cool.

Less than an hour later, I got tons of messages from him. RedNote travel guides. Backpacking routes.

He even sent me one. How university students can travel to America.

And the most surprising one is his first English recording. I laughed. Haha.

🔑 Vocabulary

• part-time /pɑːrt taɪm/

• save up for /seɪv ʌp fɔːr/

• envied /ˈenvid/

• paused /pɔːzd/

• tons of /tʌnz əv/

• handing out flyers /ˈhændɪŋ aʊt ˈflaɪərz/

• an offer for you /ən ˈɔːfər fɔːr juː/

• backpack across China /ˈbækpæk əˈkrɔːs ˈtʃaɪnə/

• travel guides /ˈtrævəl ɡaɪdz/

• travel to America /ˈtrævəl tuː əˈmerɪkə/

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A slow English story about The morning after gaokao — parents tiptoeing, the kid sleeping in, and one quiet line at breakfast. 11 simple sentences. Word by word.

📝 Today's sentences

Yesterday was the last day of gaokao. Today, the house is too quiet.

He came home past midnight. From the class dinner. With a hangover.

It's almost noon. He's still sleeping in. Door closed.

There's no rushing this morning. No alarm. No backpack by the door.

Mom keeps walking past his door. Listening for any sound.

She wants to knock. But doesn't. He wants to ask. But doesn't.

It's not the kind of morning you see on TV. No tears. No big hugs.

Finally, his door opens. He walks out. His hair is a mess.

They eat in silence. Nobody mentions yesterday. Nobody asks the question.

Then he says it. Just ask. Probably 420. Enough for a third-tier university.

And just like that. Mom and Dad finally let out a breath.

🔑 Vocabulary

• hangover /ˈhæŋˌoʊvər/

• sleeping in /ˈsliːpɪŋ ɪn/

• wants to but doesn't /wɑːnts tuː bʌt ˈdʌznt/

• mentions /ˈmenʃənz/

• let out a breath /let aʊt ə breθ/

• class dinner /klæs ˈdɪnər/

• in silence /ɪn ˈsaɪləns/

• third-tier university /θɜːrd tɪər ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːrsəti/

• just like that /dʒʌst laɪk ðæt/

• His hair is a mess /hɪz her ɪz ə mes/

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A slow English story about Wednesday midnight, picturing them on their last day of gaokao — and the class dinner ahead. 13 simple sentences. Word by word.

📝 Today's sentences

It just turned Wednesday. I'm thinking about them again.

Today is their last day of gaokao. Probably their only one ever.

Just one more exam. English. They'll walk out of that exam room by five. All over.

And just like that, they're free. Free from high school.

They'll try to keep their cool. And head home to check their answers.

Within an hour, the group chats will blow up.

Their last class dinner is tonight.

They'll sing their class song first.

Then someone will put on a pop song.

Some girls crying. Some boys way too loud.

They'll pretend to drink like grown-ups.

Please. Take a million photos.

This is what youth looks like.

🔑 Vocabulary

• just like that /dʒʌst laɪk ðæt/

• blowing up /ˈbloʊɪŋ ʌp/

• class song /klæs sɔːŋ/

• way too loud /weɪ tuː laʊd/

• take a million photos /teɪk ə ˈmɪljən ˈfoʊtoʊz/

• last day of gaokao /læst deɪ əv ˈɡaʊˌkaʊ/

• exam room /ɪɡˈzæm ruːm/

• keep their cool /kiːp ðer kuːl/

• check their answers /tʃek ðer ˈænsərz/

• last class dinner /læst klæs ˈdɪnər/

• like grown-ups /laɪk ɡroʊn ʌps/

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A slow English story about Driving past a school full of parents holding flowers — and remembering my own gaokao 20 years ago. 15 simple sentences. Word by word.

📝 Today's sentences

This morning, the streets felt unusually quiet.

No one was honking. No one rushing.

It hit me. Today is the day.

I drove past a school on my way to work.

Parents were everywhere, holding flowers.

And just like that, I was eighteen again.

And just like that, I was back in that exam room.

My pencil was shaking.

My heart was pounding.

Part of me just wanted it over.

And part of me wished I had more time.

Honestly, that was almost twenty years ago.

But it still feels so close.

Time really does fly.

I hope they ace it. Every single one of them.

🔑 Vocabulary

• honking /ˈhɒŋkɪŋ/

• on my way to work /ɒn maɪ weɪ tə wɜːrk/

• heart pounding /hɑːrt ˈpaʊndɪŋ/

• wished I had more time /wɪʃt aɪ hæd mɔːr taɪm/

• time flies /taɪm flaɪz/

• unusually quiet /ʌnˈjuːʒuəli ˈkwaɪət/

• it hit me /ɪt hɪt miː/

• holding flowers /ˈhoʊldɪŋ ˈflaʊərz/

• eighteen again /eɪˈtiːn əˈɡen/

• exam room /ɪɡˈzæm ruːm/

• pencil shaking /ˈpensəl ˈʃeɪkɪŋ/

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A slow English story about A phone call from my nephew the night before his gaokao — and what I told him. 16 simple sentences. Word by word.

📝 Today's sentences

Listen, my nephew called me this weekend.

He told me his gaokao starts tomorrow morning.

And he wanted me to give him a pep talk.

Honestly, I was kind of touched.

He thought of me at a moment like this.

But I didn't really know what to say.

I mean, it's the gaokao.

I just wanted him to take it easy.

So I said, I'm so glad you called me.

You've really grown these past three years.

I genuinely like who you've become.

To me, you already aced your gaokao.

Then we started joking about his freshman year. So rebellious.

His junior-year crush. His senior-year all-nighter.

He laughed. I could feel him relax.

We talked a little longer, then hung up.

🔑 Vocabulary

• pep talk /pep tɔːk/

• touched /tʌtʃt/

• ace /eɪs/

• all-nighter /ˌɔːlˈnaɪtər/

• hang up /hæŋ ʌp/

• gaokao /ˈɡaʊˌkaʊ/

• a moment like this /ə ˈmoʊmənt laɪk ðɪs/

• take it easy /teɪk ɪt ˈiːzi/

• genuinely /ˈdʒenjuɪnli/

• rebellious /rɪˈbeljəs/

• crush /krʌʃ/

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Day 25 · I Poured Another Glass

So this weekend, I had a picnic with a friend. Out in the park.

We laid out a blanket. Wine, bread, fruit. All takeout, honestly. Nothing fancy.

The weather was perfect. I just sat there, doing nothing for once.

And there were two kids next to us, sharing one ice cream. Both racing to finish it before it melts.

It was the sweetest little rush. Honestly, I was kinda jealous.

Then it hits me. My life is heavy. Bills, deadlines, Monday's almost here.

I poured another glass. The kids kept laughing.

Day 26 · Meet a Stranger?

Monday morning. A stranger DMed me out of the blue.

Turns out, she wanted to ask about my career switch. Switching into tech. Said she's been stuck for a while.

Truth is, I don't usually meet people from the internet. Makes me nervous.

But I get it. I've been there before. Working up the courage to reach out to other people for help isn't easy.

I mean, if I just turned her down, would she ever DM anyone again?

You know what? I even flipped a coin. Heads yes, tails no. It came up tails.

But I typed back anyway. "Tomorrow after work?" Yeah, I'm a little rebellious, I know.

Got her reply right away. Three exclamation marks. "Thanks!!!"

I put my phone down. I suddenly felt tomorrow getting closer.

Day 27 · Don't Be Too Polite

After work, I walked over to the coffee shop on the corner. She was already there.

I spotted her right away. The only one with her laptop closed, just staring at the door.

She apologized like five times before I even sat down. "Sorry to take up your time," she kept saying.

Look, I had to cut her off. If we kept being this polite, we'd waste the whole night.

So I asked her straight up. Which companies. How many interviews. Where she was stuck.

Then I pulled up my own resume on my laptop. I mean, walked her through the whole thing, showed her what to highlight.

We mapped out a four-step plan. Fix the resume. Keep applying to big companies.

At least three LeetCode problems a day. And hey, listen to my podcast too. That's how you prepare behavioral questions in English.

Honestly, once I got direct, she relaxed too. We focused on the real pain points together.

Walking out. Turns out, meeting someone from online isn't as scary as I imagined.

Day 28 · Unspoken Thing

Wednesday. Honestly, it's my favorite day of the week.

I know that sounds weird. But let me explain.

Here's my theory. Once Wednesday hits, the week's halfway gone. Weekend's right around the corner.

Plus, I've got a special Wednesday routine. And it's a good one.

There's a bubble tea shop right downstairs from my office.

And on Wednesdays, their signature drink is half off. Total hump day lifesaver.

I've been showing up the same time every week. Turns out, I'm a regular now.

The boss doesn't even ask anymore. Just starts making my usual.

But here's the thing. Every time, he doubles up on the pearls.

I never asked. But I always tip him a little extra in return.

It's our unspoken thing. And honestly, it makes my whole week.

Walking back upstairs, sipping. Only two days before the wonderful weekend hits. Hang in there, I can do this.

Day 29 · Open Secret

Wednesday afternoon. Casy came over to my desk with that look in her eye.

You know the look. The "I've got something interesting" face.

She leaned in to spill the tea. "Did you know Joe and Lin are dating?"

My jaw actually dropped. But honestly? In hindsight, it kind of makes sense.

Turns out, all those "random" coffee runs? Not so random.

I felt a little guilty. Like, should we even be talking about this?

Casy waved it off. "Everyone knows. We're literally the last to know."

Plus, honestly? We're all rooting for them. They actually click.

We agreed to keep it off the record. You know, until they tell people themselves.

And walking back to my desk, I caught myself grinning like an idiot.

Office gossip is the worst. But honestly, kind of the best.

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Day 30 · Cheers to Right Now

This weekend, I went to my friend's housewarming party.

Here's the thing. She didn't buy the place. She rented it.

But it's still a big deal. Ten years in the US.

This is her first time living in a house.

Honestly, international student life isn't all that fancy.

You're moving abroad, learning English, finding a job, then the H1B lottery.

She kept going year after year. Reapplying, waiting, refusing to quit.

This year, she finally got picked. The H1B came through.

She said she's safe for three years now.

She really deserves this moment.

Honestly, anyone who keeps going knows this feeling.

So I made this episode for her.

We raised our glasses. Cheers to right now.

Day 31 · Beta is Here

Hey, are you guys ready? And I've got some good news for you today.

First of all, you guys are crazy.

I mean, I never expected this many people to love TingMate.

So I started working on the app launch.

But honestly, the process is slower than I thought.

So in the meantime, I built something for you.

Yeah! I built a beta version of TingMate.

There's a web version, an iOS test app, and an Android install file.

I only have limited spots for beta testing.

I'd love to hear what you think.

Your feedback will literally shape the real launch.

So if you want to give it a try, check today's cover.

Add me on WeChat. The ID's already on the cover and show notes.

Thank you for being here for each other.

Day 32 · That "Morning"

Monday morning, and I slept in.

I drank way too much at the housewarming last night.

I can't really drink much, but I just love a good drink.

I threw on some clothes and rushed out the door.

Just my luck, the elevator was slow.

I snuck into the office, hoping no one would notice.

Then I saw him. My boss was right by the door.

He looked up and said, "Morning!" Real chill.

I forced a smile and said, "Morning!" back. Just as chill.

I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop. My heart was still racing.

He glanced at the clock. Then he looked back at me, still smiling.

He didn't say a word. He didn't need to.

I got the message. Loud and clear.

I started typing twice as fast.

Day 33 · What a Morning

Listen, I'm not kidding. This just happened this morning.

I woke up pretty early.

So I planned to walk my dog for a bit longer.

We were on the lakeside path around the apartment.

All of a sudden, I saw a snake right on the path.

My neighbors actually keep talking about snakes in the group chat.

But I didn't really take it seriously.

That snake was about five feet long.

My dog and the snake just froze.

I stood there watching them. Dead silent.

I even thought about calling 911.

Then the snake stuck its tongue out at me.

Oh my gosh, what do I do? Is it venomous?

But then she just slithered away.

What a way to start the day.

Day 34 · What a Way to End the Night

Listen, I'm so done with this.

So I just got pulled over on my way home.

I was driving back from dinner at my friend's place.

I came up to this stop sign at the corner.

And I stopped. I swear, I stopped.

But the cop said I didn't come to a full stop.

I've been in the States for three years now.

And this is the third time. Like, the third!

Every single time, it's the middle of the night.

There's literally no other car on the road.

I mean, you'd see the headlights from a mile away.

Are these cops just trying to hit their quota or what?

And now I owe, like, three hundred bucks.

And to make matters worse, my insurance is gonna go up.

And the cop even said, "Drive safe, have a good night."

Honestly, what a way to end the night.

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A slow English story about Pulled over for a stop sign — third time in three years, always at night. 16 simple sentences. Word by word.

📝 Today's sentences

Listen, I'm so done with this.

So I just got pulled over on my way home.

I was driving back from dinner at my friend's place.

I came up to this stop sign at the corner.

And I stopped. I swear, I stopped.

But the cop said I didn't come to a full stop.

I've been in the States for three years now.

And this is the third time. Like, the third!

Every single time, it's the middle of the night.

There's literally no other car on the road.

I mean, you'd see the headlights from a mile away.

Are these cops just trying to hit their quota or what?

And now I owe, like, three hundred bucks.

And to make matters worse, my insurance is gonna go up.

And the cop even said, "Drive safe, have a good night."

Honestly, what a way to end the night.

🔑 Vocabulary

• pulled over /pʊld ˈoʊvər/

• full stop /fʊl stɑːp/

• come up to /kʌm ʌp tuː/

• owe /oʊ/

• to make matters worse /tə meɪk ˈmætərz wɜːrs/

• on my way home /ɒn maɪ weɪ hoʊm/

• stop sign /stɑːp saɪn/

• I swear /aɪ swɛr/

• the States /ðə steɪts/

• every single time /ˈɛvri ˈsɪŋɡəl taɪm/

• middle of the night /ˈmɪdl əv ðə naɪt/

• headlights /ˈhɛdlaɪts/

• from a mile away /frəm ə maɪl əˈweɪ/

• hit their quota /hɪt ðɛr ˈkwoʊtə/

• three hundred bucks /θriː ˈhʌndrəd bʌks/

• gonna /ˈɡʌnə/

• drive safe /draɪv seɪf/

• have a good night /hæv ə ɡʊd naɪt/

• what a way to end the night /wɒt ə weɪ tə ɛnd ðə naɪt/

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A slow English story about An early morning dog walk that turned wild — a five-foot snake right on the path. 15 simple sentences. Word by word.

📝 Today's sentences

Listen, I'm not kidding. This just happened this morning.

I woke up pretty early.

So I planned to walk my dog for a bit longer.

We were on the lakeside path around the apartment.

All of a sudden, I saw a snake right on the path.

My neighbors actually keep talking about snakes in the group chat.

But I didn't really take it seriously.

That snake was about five feet long.

My dog and the snake just froze.

I stood there watching them. Dead silent.

I even thought about calling 911.

Then the snake stuck its tongue out at me.

Oh my gosh, what do I do? Is it venomous?

But then she just slithered away.

What a way to start the day.

🔑 Vocabulary

• 911 /naɪn wʌn wʌn/

• woke up early /woʊk ʌp ˈɜːrli/

• take it seriously /teɪk ɪt ˈsɪriəsli/

• stuck out /stʌk aʊt/

• venomous /ˈvenəməs/

• what a way to start the day /wɒt ə weɪ tə stɑːrt ðə deɪ/

• froze /froʊz/

• slither away /ˈslɪðər əˈweɪ/

• lakeside path /ˈleɪksaɪd pæθ/

• all of a sudden /ɔːl əv ə ˈsʌdn/

• actually /ˈæktʃuəli/

• group chat /ɡruːp tʃæt/

• five feet long /faɪv fiːt lɔːŋ/

• dead silent /ded ˈsaɪlənt/

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