Learn english | Podcasts

#01 Managing Virtual Teams:

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were many questions about whether people could actually be more productive by working from home. Guess what we found when we virtualized the workplace? Not only are people just as productive when working remotely, but many are more productive. With no travel time, back-to-back meetings, and less time at the water cooler, many people can get more work done from home.

That doesn't mean we never have to worry about remote worker responsibilities. However, measures to ensure accountability must be balanced with systems that allow workers some autonomy and control over their work processes. After the pandemic, many workers are simply reluctant to return to rigid management practices. So we had to find the sweet spot between structure and flexibility. We need to support this balance with the right technologies and systems.

#02 A look at Elon Musk and what he represents:

Twitter has put what's known as a poison pill provision into place in order to block Elon Musk's potential takeover of the company. As a reminder, last week Musk offered to buy Twitter for $43 billion, saying he would promote more free speech on the platform. So who is Elon Musk? He's the richest person on the planet, the man behind Tesla, SpaceX and quite a bit of controversy. He's more than a celebrity. He's arguably the author and avatar of a new political economy. That is how Harvard historian Jill Lepore explains his significance in her podcast series, "The Evening Rocket." And she joins me now to talk about the billionaire CEO. Welcome.

#03 New report reveals COVID's toll on the mental health of frontline doctors and nurses

We know the pandemic has taken an immense toll on frontline health care workers. A new report by the Department of Health and Human Services confirms that and reveals the depth of distress throughout the health care system.

#04 Rhetoric: How persuasive are you?

The art of rhetoric started with the ancient Greek philosophers. Later, during the Roman republic, politicians and statesmen used rhetoric in speeches given to crowds in the public square. Modern politicians may prefer Twitter, but they still use persuasive language. Sam and Neil discuss the topic and teach you related vocabulary.

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Reported speech | examples and exercises

Reported speech | examples and exercises When direct speech is changed into reported speech , with a reporting verb in the past , the verb tense , the pronouns and the time-phrase may all have to be changed to indicate the time shift to the past : • 'We'll be getting married this year,' he said, (direct speech) • He says (that) they'll be getting married this year. (reported speech with a present reporting verb) • He said (that) they would be getting married that year. (reported speech with a past reporting verb) It is usually better style to use more precise reporting verbs than say or tell when turning (usually informal ) direct statements into (usually more formal) reported ones. Examples are: advise, apologise, congratulate, promise, remind. The modals should, would, could, ought and might do not change tense in reported speech, and neither do the second and third conditionals. With a reported second or third conditional, that i...

The Past tenses examples and exercises

The Past tenses examples and exercises The past simple is used for A- Completed spast action at a known time. The time can be stated or understood: • He bought his car last month. • She worked there as a teacher. B- with when, enquiring about past time: • When did you last see her? C- for habitual past actions and states: • She always wanted to be loved . D- for a definite period of past time: • They spent five years in York. The past continuous is used for : A- Continuous past actions sometimes interrupted by the past simple: • He was just getting into bed when the phone rang. or setting the scene for a story: • The sun was shining and t...

IF CONDITIONAL, WISHES AND REGRETS

IF CONDITIONAL, WISHES AND REGRETS The main linking words for conditional clauses are if and unless , but even if , as/so long as, supposing, whether... or, however (+ adjective/determiner), whoever , wherever , whenever , etc., providing/provided (that) , no matter who/how/when etc. can also be used: • If they're short of money, they don't eat out. ( Zero conditional ) Zero conditional structure: If + present simple + present simple • You'll have a tussle with the management if you go ahead with that plan. ( First conditional , possible future action) First conditional structure : If + present simple + will + infinitive Note that if you should go ahead... or should you go ahead... are more formal. • If they had a bigger garden, they could grow their own vegetables. ( Second conditional , hypothetical but possible) Second conditional structure : If + past simple + would + infinitive Similarly: • If you were to join the committee, we'd ...

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