Are you tired of scrolling through endless podcast menus, desperately searching for that one perfect audio gem that will tickle your eardrums and ignite your imagination?
Well, fear not, because we’ve got you covered! Join us as we embark on a sonic adventure through the the world of podcasts on What Makes a Good Podcast as I ask Sue, an avid podcast listener, what she looks for in a podcast.
Have you ever wondered how to choose the perfect podcast for your daily commute, workout session, or cozy evening by the fire?
Is it the gripping content, the charismatic host, or perhaps the snazzy theme music that draws you in?
We’re here to explore the mysteries of podcast attraction and reveal the secrets that lie beneath the earbuds, from captivating storytelling to infectious laughter and everything in between, we’ll delve into the podcast universe to unearth the elements that make your ears tingle with delight.
Join us at English-Podcasts to talk about What Makes a Good Podcast, we will also give some tips on podcasts to subscribe to that you’ll want to share and listen to.
Stay tuned, subscribe, and let’s embark on this auditory journey together.
After all, in the world of podcasts, the possibilities are as limitless as your imagination!
So, hit that play button, and let’s get ready to find out what makes a good podcast.
Try these logic enigmas. They are pretty difficult to solve but a great way to have a conversation in English
Death in a telephone box
A man is found dead in a pool of blood in a phone box.
The receiver is hanging down and there are two holes in the glass on each side of the phone box.
The police arrive but do not launch an investigation as they do not suspect neither murder nor suicide.
What is the man’s hobby?
How and why is the man dead?
A sheep, a cabbage and a wolf
A man is travelling with a sheep, a cabbage and a wolf – why he is travelling with such a strange assortment, I really don’t know.
Anyway, they arrive at a river, which is too deep to wade across and too wide to swim across so he has a problem to continue his journey with a sheep, a cabbage and a wolf.
The man notices a small boat tied to the river bank, but it is too small for them all to fit into in one go, but large enough to safely row to the other side of the river.
The problem is that if he rows across with the wolf first, the sheep will eat the cabbage, if he rows across with the cabbage, the wolf will eat the sheep.
How can he safely cross the river with all his things intact?
[spoiler title=”Solution”]The man takes the sheep across to the other side then rows back. He then takes the cabbage across and rows back with the sheep. He then takes the wolf across and leaves it with the cabbage, rows back then picks up the sheep and they are all cross the river safely[/spoiler]
Multiple marriages
A man who lived in a small town legally married twenty five different women – a case of Multiple marriages.
None of the women died, and the man never got a divorce, and he didn’t break any law.
According to the latest report by Ofcom, the UK communications industry regulator, which released figures this week, the average amount spent online has more than doubled from 9.9 hours a week 10 years ago to 20.5 hours.
Meanwhile, a separate report suggests that the average Brit checks their phone 50 times in one day.
You may be addicted, or you may know others around you who suffer from this addiction, called, “NoMoPhobia” or no mobile phone phobia.
Nomophobia is a proposed name for the phobia of being out of cellular phone contact.
It is, however, arguable that the word “phobia” is misused and that in the majority of cases it is another form of anxiety disorder.
Although nomophobia does not appear in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), it has been proposed as a “specific phobia”, based on definitions given in the DSM-IV.
According to Bianchi and Philips (2005) psychological factors are involved in the overuse of a mobile phone.
These could include low self-esteem, when individuals looking for reassurance use the mobile phone in inappropriate ways, and extroverted personality, when naturally social individuals use the mobile phone to excess. It is also highly possible that nomophobic symptoms may be caused by other underlying and preexisting mental disorders, with likely candidates including social phobia or social anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and panic disorder.
The term, an abbreviation for “no-mobile-phone phobia”,was coined during a 2008 study by the UK Post Office who commissioned YouGov, a UK-based research organization to look at anxieties suffered by mobile phone users.
The study found that nearly 53% of mobile phone users in Britain tend to be anxious when they “lose their mobile phone, run out of battery or credit, or have no network coverage”.
The study found that about 58% of men and 47% of women suffer from the phobia, and an additional 9% feel stressed when their mobile phones are off.
The study sampled 2,163 people. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed cited keeping in touch with friends or family as the main reason that they got anxious when they could not use their mobile phones.
The study compared stress levels induced by the average case of nomophobia to be on-par with those of “wedding day jitters” and trips to the dentist.
Another study found that out of 547 male, undergraduate students in Health Services 23% of the students were classified as nomophobic while an additional 64% were at risk of developing nomophobia. Of these students, ~77% checked their mobile phones 35 or more times a day.
More than one in two nomophobes never switch off their mobile phones.
The study and subsequent coverage of the phobia resulted in two editorial columns authored by individuals who minimized their mobile phone use or chose not to own one at all, treating the condition with light undertones of or outright disbelief and amusement.
If you feel that you or others around you are suffering fromNoMoPhobia, why not test this out with our quiz, and if you are not 100% sure, then try out the app, ‘Moment’, below to see just how much you really ‘need’ your mobile phone.
Moment is an iOS app that automatically tracks how much you use your iPhone and iPad each day. If you’re using your phone too much, you can set daily limits on yourself and be notified when you go over. You can even force yourself off your device when you’re over your limit.
Moment Family: Manage your family’s screen time from your own phone and set up time for your entire family to be screen-free using family dinner time.
Are you addicted to your mobile phone?
Try this questionnaire to see if you are addicted to your mobile phone or
smart device.
Answer the questions as honestly as possible to get a clear idea of your
dependence on your smartphone or smart device.
This is part of a series on NoMoPhobia
Does the thought of being without your iPhone or Droid send waves of panic
through your body?
If so, you might have "nomophobia" (no-mobile-phone-phobia).
But don't worry!
Just because you're addicted doesn't mean there's nothing you can do about
it.
One of the best ways to improve your English language skills is to watch TV series….. why?
Listening is one of the first steps to learning a language.
You can enjoy a story that interests you.
You can see your progress; first watch an extract with the subtitles in English, make a note of new vocabulary, and then later watch the same extract again without the subtitles. When you get used to the accents and story, change the system….. first watch without the subtitles, and then double check your comprehension by looking at the subtitles. You’ll be surprised by your progress.
TV series; are you an addict, an expert or clueless?
The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in the film industry.
The big blockbusters are usually great films with very strong acting, special effects or a very engaging story line.
The origin of the Oscar statuette dates all the way back to 1927. That’s when members of the newly formed Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held a dinner in the Crystal Ballroom of the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles to devise a way to honor outstanding achievements in cinema. MGM art director sketched the figure of a knight gripping a sword, standing in front of a reel of film. The five spokes of the reel stood for the original five branches of the Academy—actors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers—while the sword symbolized protection for the welfare of the industry.
It is said that the Academy librarian and future executive director Margaret Herrick noted that the bald figure resembled her Uncle Oscar, hence the nickname stuck…. and the rest is history as they say.
In this quiz we ask 13 questions to help you choose which Oscar winning film you should go and see. The questions cover the type of plot, the emotions you seek at the cinema and actors you enjoy watching.
The vocabulary focuses on all the words you need to talk about movies.
