And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

Food is a popular subject with many people around the world. It is fun to talk about our favorite dishes. It is even more fun to share a favorite dish with others.

Today we talk about the word “dish.” A dish can be the object on which you serve food. But, a dish can also mean a specially prepared food.

Do you have a signature dish? Our signature is how we sign our names. So, a signature dish is a dish we are known for making well. In a way, it identifies us.

My signature dish is sweet potato rosemary dinner rolls. I am often asked to make them, especially for holiday parties. In my circle of friends, I am known for this dish. When the rolls are on the table, people know that I made them.

A tasty dish is something that makes a table look good and inviting. Sometimes the same can be said about a person. Someone who is good-looking can be called a dish. While this usage might be a bit dated, it is still used.

Now, let’s talk about the verb “dish.”

“To dish” can mean to talk about private or personal information. It might be gossip. But I can also dish about myself. For example, a friend may ask me to dish about my new job.

I could also use a phrasal verb form and say my friend want me to dish out all the interesting details.

Now, to dish up something means to put food on a dish for someone to eat. However, it can also mean sharing personal details, our own and others.

We can also dish out things, like jokes or even insults.

Some people like to tease or insult. They can dish out jokes and insults all day long. But sometimes these same people do not like it if you do the same to them.

We have a saying for just such people. We say, “They can dish it out, but they can’t take it.” They are able and willing to share harsh thoughts, criticisms, or insults about others, but they do not think they, themselves, deserve such treatment.

And that’s Words and Their Stories.

Until next time, I’m Anna Matteo.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/how-to-dish-up-something-good/7980848.html

Animal sanctuaries have problems

Animal sanctuaries in the United States are facing tough times. There are two reasons for that, rising prices and fewer donations.

Most of the 45 sanctuaries in the US reported high prices for essentials like hay and grain since the pandemic. For over a third of them, costs doubled. The Catskill Sanctuary is home to 200 rescued animals. They reported a big increase in the cost of food and medical care. At the same time, donations decreased.

Founder Kathy Stevens worries that if sanctuaries continue closing down, many animals could die from hunger. It may be necessary to kill them.

Montreal snow dump site 

What happens to all the snow after a big storm?

In Montreal, there are ten places where the city puts it. Each place can hold as much snow as 800 Olympic swimming pools. One of the biggest dumps, Angrignon, has a snow mountain that is 30 meters tall after a huge snowfall. Every minute, five trucks bring more snow, and the city is using 130% more trucks than usual.

By the end, this place will have six million cubic meters of snow, which is half of Montreal’s winter snow. Workers use machines to make the snow mountain smaller, but it still takes until September to melt. The city is not worried, and no matter how much snow falls, they always manage it.

Some countries still use asbestos

Asbestos is a mineral that workers used in buildings because it was strong and it didn’t burn.

Later, people found out that breathing in asbestos fibers can cause serious lung diseases. These small fibers can stay in the air and get into the lungs, which can cause problems many years later.

Many countries don’t allow the use of asbestos anymore, but some old houses and factories still have it. Workers who repair or destroy these buildings must be very careful. They should wear protective clothing and follow safety rules.

In some countries, people still use asbestos because it is cheap. Health experts say asbestos is very dangerous and workers must remove it safely. If people think their house has asbestos, they should call professionals instead of touching it themselves.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/audio-zone/horror-films

I want to talk about, erm, horror films and why I like them and what my favourite types are. 

When I was young, I watched the classic horror films like Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. My mum told me that when I was about six, she came downstairs in the middle of the night because there was a noise, and it was me watching The Omen on TV in the dark, on my own. So I guess I’ve always liked horror films. 

I really like what are called ‘slasher films’ – the really gory, bloody, violent films like Final Destination and The Hills Have Eyes. I just find them quite funny and I like the special effects. I don’t really find them scary at all. I think the scariest sort of films are the ones that are very tense, like Hitchcock films. I think the scariest one for me is The Birds because it’s just very sinister the way that the birds come and sit and look at the people. And you know that it’s going to be really bad very soon. 

But I think my favourite, favourite sort of horror films are zombie movies. I’ve watched loads of zombie movies and I really like them. Again, I don’t really think they’re very scary. Dawn of the Dead is my absolute favourite horror film, I think. It’s a film where people just wake up one morning and there are zombies everywhere. If a zombie bites you, you turn into a zombie. And the survivors end up in a shopping mall … in a shopping centre and they’re surrounded by zombies. And it does not have a happy ending. 

There’s a British comedy horror film called Shaun of the Dead, which is a bit of a joke on the idea of the Dawn of the Dead, which is also really great. The most recent one I watched was a New Zealand film called Black Sheep, which is about zombie sheep. That was pretty funny as well. 

The most recent horror film I watched was on a plane last time I went back to the UK. It was a Stephen King film, it was based on a Stephen King book – I think a short story – and it was called The Mist. It was about people who lived in a small town in America and there was a hurricane, or typhoon, as we call them here. And after the typhoon, they wanted to go into town to get some supplies to fix up the house. And it started to get misty or foggy. It was quite a strange mist – it didn’t look normal. And these people ended up in a hardware store in the town, all trapped together because there were sort of monsters in the mist – these unrealistic giant creatures that were in the mist that were killing people. There was quite a lot of blood and guts and people died in horrible ways, which is what I like about horror films. I would recommend it if you like horror films as much as I do.

So here we are again!

To be honest with you, I believed last semester that I wouldn’t get this far; I even thought I would give up much sooner. But well, here we are, and I must admit that I have noticed a big change since I arrived. It may not be visible to others, but for me, who has been in constant learning, I see a huge change in every way . On the other hand, my own challenges for this year are to grow even more in every aspect and to exploit my potential to the fullest so that, by the end of this year, I will be a better version of myself, at the level I aspire to. I truly believe that my expectations are achievable, and I hope to perform better in all areas so that I can feel proud of myself . If you are a first-year English student reading this , I hope you also achieve all your goals and feel proud of each of your accomplishments; even if they are small, they are still achievements, and that makes you better than your previous self. I wish you an excellent year and believe that everything can be improved ! bye see you take care of yourself <3<3<3

https://uandresbelloedu-my.sharepoint.com/personal/c_albuccoariztia_uandresbello_edu/_layouts/15/stream.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fc%5Falbuccoariztia%5Fuandresbello%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2FQUIZ%203%20%2D%20VIDEO%20%28FUTURE%20TENSES%29%2FSOPHIA%20R%20%2D%20TAMARA%20S%20%2D%20KRISTELL%20S%20%2D%20FELIPE%20M%20%2D%20FRANCISCA%20H%2Emp4&nav=eyJyZWZlcnJhbEluZm8iOnsicmVmZXJyYWxBcHAiOiJPbmVEcml2ZUZvckJ1c2luZXNzIiwicmVmZXJyYWxBcHBQbGF0Zm9ybSI6IldlYiIsInJlZmVycmFsTW9kZSI6InZpZXciLCJyZWZlcnJhbFZpZXciOiJNeUZpbGVzTGlua0NvcHkifX0&ga=1&referrer=StreamWebApp%2EWeb&referrerScenario=AddressBarCopied%2Eview%2E944f7663%2D4f4c%2D4475%2Da4a4%2D91b2ae551d94

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Well, it’s me again. Another semester is already coming to an end, and wow, what a semester it has been. I think I don’t have any dignity left… To be honest, I had high hopes that this semester would go well (poor little me).

But then reality hit, and the truth is, I haven’t performed as well as I would have liked. I often wish there were more hours in the day to study, but this semester has overwhelmed me in many ways. Well and phonetics this time it has been a constant challenge. I had expectations of doing better, without considering that the university might have other plans—filling us with work, presentations, homework, and more.

Even so, I promised myself that I would give my best effort, even if it meant sacrificing sleep. Unfortunately, there were several times when I had to do just that. One of my goals was to complete all the assignments, projects, and tasks given in my classes. I feel proud of myself for achieving that because, despite the heavy workload both at college and at home, I survived—even though there were moments when I thought I wouldn’t.

Finally, I hope that next semester I will have more time to improve my performance and skills, as I know I need to keep growing in all areas. Hopefully, the next semester will treat me with a little more kindness, because if not, I’m not sure how I’ll survive it!

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Alice: Paul, you’re so naive sometimes. Paul: I’m more realistic than you think I am Alice. Alice: What? Paul: It’s just that Lucy’s having second thoughts about the divorce. Alice: Well it’s too late now to change her mind. You did tell her that? Paul: Not exactly. Alice: Not exactly? You’re not thinking about getting back together with her? Paul: Well she asked me to reconsider. She said we’d had a trial separation before and maybe now it was time to think about a trial living together period; see if we could be a family again. Alice: Paul! Paul: We’re trying to make our marriage work. It was a real one, Alice, with two lovely kids. It’s them I’m thinking about. Alice: But what about us? Paul: *sighs* I know, Alice. I care about you, I really do. But Lucy and I have a lot of history. There’s this…pull, this sense of responsibility. Alice: Responsibility? For her, or just for the kids? Paul: Both, I suppose. I just feel like I owe it to the kids to give it one last try. They deserve to see if their family can be whole again. Alice: And what do you deserve, Paul? Are you doing this because it’s what *you* want, or because it’s what you think is expected of you? Paul: *pauses, looking away* I don’t know. I’m still figuring it out. Alice: And meanwhile, I’m just supposed to wait in the background while you “figure it out”? Do you have any idea how unfair that is? Paul: It’s not fair, I know. But I’m caught in the middle here. I want to be there for my kids, but I also don’t want to hurt you, Alice. Alice: *crosses her arms, her voice softer now* Paul, I need to know if this is a goodbye. Paul: *looks at her, conflicted* I don’t want it to be. But if I don’t try with Lucy, I’ll always wonder… And my kids—they’ll grow up wondering, too. That guilt, it’s something I don’t think I can’t live with.

Only me

So this time I need to recored, by myself because I’m sick and I can’t recored with my team, I’m sorry if sometimes you didn’t understand me because I’m trying to hold my cough all the time 😞 I’m so sorry about it.

Assistant: Happy New Year madam. How can I help you? Helen: I’d like to return this jumper please. Assistant: I see. Is there anything wrong with it? Helen: Nothing except the colour, the shape and the size! Assistant: And do you have the receipt? Helen: No, you see it was a Christmas present. Assistant: Well if you just get the receipt from whoever gave you the gift, then come back to us, we’ll be happy to give you a refund. Helen: But my mum gave it to me. Assistant: Can’t you just ask her for the receipt then? Helen: Well that’s the problem. My mum gives me a dreadful jumper every Christmas and I don’t want to hurt her feelings. Assistant: Well, without a receipt there’s not much I can do, sorry. Helen: Are you kidding me?! I can’t believe you’re telling me that I can’t return this jumper because of a stupid receipt. How is that fair? Assistant: Miss, I wish I could help you, but our store policy is very clear. There’s nothing I can do without a receipt.  Helen: Well, that’s great! Will I have to keep this horrible jumper forever?! Security guard: Miss, can I ask you to please calm down? Helen: Calm down?! She told me that I can’t return this awful jumper, and you want me to calm down?  Assistant: Please, I understand you, really. If you could get the receipt from your mum we can fix this. Helen: Why don’t you just tell me to return it next Christmas?! Security guard: I need you to stop yelling. You’re causing a scene. If you don’t calm down, I’ll have to ask you to leave. Helen: I’m not going to… Oh, I… I… Security guard: Are you okay? What’s happening? Helen: My… chest… hurts… Assistant: We need to get help! Security guard: Miss!  Stay with me! Helen: I…. can’t…. Assistant: Someone call an ambulance! A girl is having a heart attack! Helen dies

Tamara = Securtity Guard Francisca H. = Assistant Sophia = Helen

Assistant: Happy New Year madam. How can I help you? Helen: I’d like to return this jumper please. Assistant: I see. Is there anything wrong with it? Helen: Nothing except the colour, the shape and the size! Assistant: And do you have the receipt? Helen: No, you see it was a Christmas present. Assistant: Well if you just get the receipt from whoever gave you the gift, then come back to us, we’ll be happy to give you a refund. Helen: But my mum gave it to me. Assistant: Can’t you just ask her for the receipt then? Helen: Well that’s the problem. My mum gives me a dreadful jumper every Christmas and I don’t want to hurt her feelings. Assistant: Well, without a receipt there’s not much I can do, sorry. Helen: Are you kidding me?! I can’t believe you’re telling me that I can’t return this jumper because of a stupid receipt. How is that fair? Assistant: Miss, I wish I could help you, but our store policy is very clear. There’s nothing I can do without a receipt.  Helen: Well, that’s great! Will I have to keep this horrible jumper forever?! Security guard: Miss, can I ask you to please calm down? Helen: Calm down?! She told me that I can’t return this awful jumper, and you want me to calm down?  Assistant: Please, I understand you, really. If you could get the receipt from your mum we can fix this. Helen: Why don’t you just tell me to return it next Christmas?! Security guard: I need you to stop yelling. You’re causing a scene. If you don’t calm down, I’ll have to ask you to leave. Helen: I’m not going to… Oh, I… I… Security guard: Are you okay? What’s happening? Helen: My… chest… hurts… Assistant: We need to get help! Security guard: Miss!  Stay with me! Helen: I…. can’t…. Assistant: Someone call an ambulance! A girl is having a heart attack! Helen dies

Tamara = Helen Francisca H. = Security guard Sophia = Assistant

Assistant: Happy New Year madam. How can I help you? Helen: I’d like to return this jumper please. Assistant: I see. Is there anything wrong with it? Helen: Nothing except the colour, the shape and the size! Assistant: And do you have the receipt? Helen: No, you see it was a Christmas present. Assistant: Well if you just get the receipt from whoever gave you the gift, then come back to us, we’ll be happy to give you a refund. Helen: But my mum gave it to me. Assistant: Can’t you just ask her for the receipt then? Helen: Well that’s the problem. My mum gives me a dreadful jumper every Christmas and I don’t want to hurt her feelings. Assistant: Well, without a receipt there’s not much I can do, sorry. Helen: Are you kidding me?! I can’t believe you’re telling me that I can’t return this jumper because of a stupid receipt. How is that fair? Assistant: Miss, I wish I could help you, but our store policy is very clear. There’s nothing I can do without a receipt.  Helen: Well, that’s great! Will I have to keep this horrible jumper forever?! Security guard: Miss, can I ask you to please calm down? Helen: Calm down?! She told me that I can’t return this awful jumper, and you want me to calm down?  Assistant: Please, I understand you, really. If you could get the receipt from your mum we can fix this. Helen: Why don’t you just tell me to return it next Christmas?! Security guard: I need you to stop yelling. You’re causing a scene. If you don’t calm down, I’ll have to ask you to leave. Helen: I’m not going to… Oh, I… I… Security guard: Are you okay? What’s happening? Helen: My… chest… hurts… Assistant: We need to get help! Security guard: Miss!  Stay with me! Helen: I…. can’t…. Assistant: Someone call an ambulance! A girl is having a heart attack! Helen dies

Tamara = Assistant Francisca H. = Helen Sophia = Security guard

Tim: Thanks for inviting me out for coffee. It’s good to get out of the flat for a bit. Janet: I hope you’re keeping yourself busy. Tim: Well, I’m trying to but sometimes it’s a bit difficult to get motivated. Janet: I know it is Tim but it’s important to keep your spirits up. And I hope I can help on that score. Tim: Oh Janet, you’re too kind. Janet: Well, what’s an old gal meant to do? I see you as my special little project. Now, tell me honestly. What is it you want to do with your life? How would you like to earn a living? Tim: Well, you know Janet, I’ve always seen myself as a bit of a … Waitress: Hi! Can I get you anything else? Janet: No, we´re good. Thank you. Tim: Did she just wink at you? She totally just winked at you! Janet: No, she didn´t. Tim: Yes she did! I can’t believe this! And you didn’t say anything. Janet: Tim, the waitress wasn’t flirting with me. You’re imagining things. Tim: Imagining things?! Then let’s prove it, shall we? Call her over. Janet: I’m sorry to bother you, but Tim here thinks that you were flirting with me. Can you please tell him that he’s crazy. Waitress: But he’s right. I was flirting with you, but not in the way you think. Tim: What do you mean? Waitress: I’m a zombie and I think that her brain would be a perfect lunch for today. Janet: Tim! We have to run away from here. Waitress: You can run, but I will find you anyway. Tim: Janet, before this gets worse I need to tell you something. Yes, I love your money, but I love you more…

Tamara = Tim Francisca = Janet Sophia = Zombie waitress

Tim: Thanks for inviting me out for coffee. It’s good to get out of the flat for a bit. Janet: I hope you’re keeping yourself busy. Tim: Well, I’m trying to but sometimes it’s a bit difficult to get motivated. Janet: I know it is Tim but it’s important to keep your spirits up. And I hope I can help on that score. Tim: Oh Janet, you’re too kind. Janet: Well, what’s an old gal meant to do? I see you as my special little project. Now, tell me honestly. What is it you want to do with your life? How would you like to earn a living? Tim: Well, you know Janet, I’ve always seen myself as a bit of a … Waitress: Hi! Can I get you anything else? Janet: No, we´re good. Thank you. Tim: Did she just wink at you? She totally just winked at you! Janet: No, she didn´t. Tim: Yes she did! I can’t believe this! And you didn’t say anything. Janet: Tim, the waitress wasn’t flirting with me. You’re imagining things. Tim: Imagining things?! Then let’s prove it, shall we? Call her over. Janet: I’m sorry to bother you, but Tim here thinks that you were flirting with me. Can you please tell him that he’s crazy. Waitress: But he’s right. I was flirting with you, but not in the way you think. Tim: What do you mean? Waitress: I’m a zombie and I think that her brain would be a perfect lunch for today. Janet: Tim! We have to run away from here. Waitress: You can run, but I will find you anyway. Tim: Janet, before this gets worse I need to tell you something. Yes, I love your money, but I love you more…

Tamara = Janet Franisca =Zombie waitress Sophia = Tim

Tim: Thanks for inviting me out for coffee. It’s good to get out of the flat for a bit. Janet: I hope you’re keeping yourself busy. Tim: Well, I’m trying to but sometimes it’s a bit difficult to get motivated. Janet: I know it is Tim but it’s important to keep your spirits up. And I hope I can help on that score. Tim: Oh Janet, you’re too kind. Janet: Well, what’s an old gal meant to do? I see you as my special little project. Now, tell me honestly. What is it you want to do with your life? How would you like to earn a living? Tim: Well, you know Janet, I’ve always seen myself as a bit of a … Waitress: Hi! Can I get you anything else? Janet: No, we´re good. Thank you. Tim: Did she just wink at you? She totally just winked at you! Janet: No, she didn´t. Tim: Yes she did! I can’t believe this! And you didn’t say anything. Janet: Tim, the waitress wasn’t flirting with me. You’re imagining things. Tim: Imagining things?! Then let’s prove it, shall we? Call her over. Janet: I’m sorry to bother you, but Tim here thinks that you were flirting with me. Can you please tell him that he’s crazy. Waitress: But he’s right. I was flirting with you, but not in the way you think. Tim: What do you mean? Waitress: I’m a zombie and I think that her brain would be a perfect lunch for today. Janet: Tim! We have to run away from here. Waitress: You can run, but I will find you anyway. Tim: Janet, before this gets worse I need to tell you something. Yes, I love your money, but I love you more…

Tamara = Zombie Waitress Francisca = Tim Sophia = Janet