Episode 233 English Listening Practise - The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy - Don't Panic!

Emma's ESL English

Today I'm reading a section from the very famous Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, written by Douglas Adams. So often, when I'm teaching, I say 'Don't Panic!' This originally was a pop culture reference, from this book.

This book was originally made as a BBC radio show. It might be worth checking it out just for the sound effects, which were the most expensive in the BBC at the time! You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnOdAqe8beU

Our section starts at 12:31, it's not exactly the same as the book though. Mostly just listen for the sounds effects. There are a lot of less used adjectives today, as well as some words related to aliens, so I'll write those here:Squalid - very dirty and disgustingGrubby - not very cleanCramped - small and uncomfortableRummaged - to dig around in a bag to find somethingSnatched - to grab quickly'was still holding it as if it was a two-week-dead lark' - lark is a British bird, so he's holding the book away from himself and touching it as little as possible, like he's holding a dead birdBureaucratic - love paperwork, or requires a lot of paperworkOfficious - does everything in a bossy, official kind of wayCallous - unkind and meanLoophole - a gap in an otherwise tightly planned contract or plan that gives you a way around or forward.Impoverished Hitchhiker - someone trying to get a free ride, who has no moneyUnsuspecting soul - someone who is just minding their own business, not expecting anything strange to happenAntenna - the things on the top of the heads of snails...and aliensDemolished - destroyedCornflakes - common British breakfast cerealGargle - the noise you make when you swill your mouth with mouthwashTannoy - loudspeakerLightning movement - very fastSlithering - the way a snake moves...but wet!Scrabbled - when you're moving your hands trying to catch somethingGoggle- eyed - making your eyes big, usually in surprise or amazementSemblance - appearanceAlien language (you'll never need to know again!)Dentrassi - a species of alien that is known to be a good chef and drinks mixerVogon - a species of alien that is very mean, rude and obnoxious and won't help anyone - very bad poetsSqornshellous Zeta - a planet that has swamps where the mattresses are grownVogon Constructor Fleet - the ships that demolished Earth, they build and destroy planets.Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal - a space monsterAltairian Dollar - international common currencyTeaser - rich kid who plays tricks on planets that haven't travelled to space yet (only works for this book...well all this vocabulary only works for this book!)Betelgeuse - the planet where Ford Prefect is from (Ford Prefect is the name he took when he came to Earth because he thought it was the most common name...he didn't realise cars weren't the sentient creatures on the planet.)Babel Fish - the fish Ford puts in Arthur's ear is a Babel Fish. This fish is able to allow the user to understand any language in the universe. #emmaseslenglish #booktok #englishlisteningpractice #englishreading #hitchhikersguidetothegalaxy #douglasadams #dontpanic