Hello and welcome to the English Like A Native podcast.
My name is Anna and you're listening to week 42, day 2 of Your English Five A Day, the second season.
I'm here to take you on a little journey.
That's right.
As your loyal fluency guide, every day, from Monday to Friday, I'm taking you on a journey deep into the English language, where we'll discover new items of vocabulary, or maybe familiar items.
And we'll be using them in context so that you start to feel more familiar with the language, so that you grow in confidence and you feed that fire, that burning passion deep in your stomach for being your true self when using this very complicated and slightly annoying language.
But we love it.
We love it.
We must love it.
And every day we'll indulge.
So sit back, relax and allow me to tickle your eardrums with today's snapshot.
Marcus started having blurry vision and other unusual symptoms and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
After years of letting his blood sugar levels build up unchecked, he finally decided to change his diet and start exercising regularly.
The changes in how he looked and felt were imperceptible at first.
However, when his doctor reported a reduction in his blood sugar levels, Marcus felt a glimmer of hope that he could control his diabetes.
Alright, let's dive into that vocabulary now, starting with the adjective blurry.
Blurry.
We spell this B-L-U-R-R-Y.
Blurry.
Blurry.
If something is blurry, then it's not clear.
It's difficult to see.
Now, if your vision is blurry, you might blink a few times.
You may have to rub your eyes.
Sometimes our eyes can be quite dry and we might even need to put in some eye drops.
Or if you need to wear glasses, then without your glasses things may look a little blurry, but they'll be nice and clear once you put your glasses on.
So I might say, I can't see anything without my glasses.
Everything's just blurry shapes.
Next, we have the phrase or collocation, glimmer of hope, glimmer of hope.
Three words, glimmer, G-L-I-M-M-E-R, of, O-F, hope, H-O-P-E, a glimmer of hope, glimmer of hope.
A glimmer of hope is a slight but real possibility of success.
So if it's not likely but there is a chance... then there is a glimmer of hope.
For example, if as in the snapshot example if you're dealing with an illness and you think that maybe you can't control it or maybe there's no chance of a cure, but someone says there's a new treatment that actually is showing some signs of success, then that is gives you a glimmer of hope.
It gives you a small chance.
It's very real, but it is small.
A glimmer of hope.
So here's another example sentence.
After months of job hunting, one interview email gave her a glimmer of hope.
Next we have the collocation reduction in something.
A reduction in something.
Reduction.
R-e-d-u-c-t-i-o-n.
Reduction.
In.
I-n.
And then something.
Reduction in something.
So a reduction in something is a decrease in the size, price or amount of something.
So I might say, there's been a huge reduction in flight prices this winter.
It would be nice if there was a huge reduction in all essential product items, like food.
Food costs a fortune.
Fuel.
Fuel costs a fortune.
Energy bills in general.
Mortgages, everything, loans, everything costs a fortune these days.
It would be nice if there was a general reduction in the cost of living.
Next, we have the phrasal verb build up.
Build up.
B-U-I-L-D, build up.
To build up is to increase or develop or to make something increase or develop.
For example, if you keep saving, your confidence and your bank account will build up over time.
If you keep listening to this podcast, your English vocabulary and your confidence will build up over time.
I'm building up the episodes of this podcast with every recording I've put down.
I'm building up my bank of podcast episodes.
And do you know how many podcast episodes we've done?
This episode is number 681, I think.
That's crazy.
Nearly 700 episodes.
Can you believe it?
I certainly can't.
Anyway...
Next and last on today's list is the adjective imperceptible.
Imperceptible.
Imperceptible, we spell I-M-P-E-R-C-E-P-T-I-B-L-E.
Imperceptible.
Imperceptible is describing something that's almost impossible to see or notice.
So if you think about the word perceive, to perceive is to see something.
So if something is imperceptible, then it's almost impossible to see or notice.
So here is an example sentence.
She felt an imperceptible change in his tone.
Something wasn't right.
All right, that's our five, so let's do a quick recap.
We started with the adjective blurry.
Blurry, which describes something that is difficult to see.
Yes, it's blurry.
And then we had the phrase or collocation a glimmer of hope.
And a glimmer of hope means that there is a slight but very real possibility of success.
A glimmer of hope.
We had the collocation a reduction in something, meaning there's a decrease in size, price or amount of something, a reduction in it.
We had the phrasal verb build up, meaning to increase or develop, or to make something increase or develop, build up.
And we had the adjective imperceptible.
Imperceptible, meaning something is almost impossible to see or notice.
It's imperceptible.
All right.
Now I want to hear your voice.
So please raise it up as loud as you can.
I mean, maybe not too loud because that would be embarrassing.
But raise your voice and listen very carefully and try to mimic me exactly.
Blurry.
Blurry.
Glimmer of hope.
Glimmer of hope.
Reduction in reduction in build up, build up imperceptible imperceptible, Fantastic.
I could hear you from here.
Lovely voice.
Beautiful.
Loved it.
My ears are now all warm and glowing from the sounds of your beautiful, beautiful English tones.
OK, let's revisit our snapshot now that we've revealed the meaning of those items of vocabulary.
Let's see if this feels a little clearer.
Parker started having blurry vision and other unusual symptoms and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
After years of letting his blood sugar levels build up unchecked, he finally decided to change his diet and start exercising regularly.
The changes in how he looked and felt were imperceptible at first.
However, when his doctor reported a reduction in his blood sugar levels, Marcus felt a glimmer of hope that he could control his diabetes.
Fandabidosi.
OK, it's time to head into our story time.
So listen carefully for our target vocabulary.
Aurora sat in the waiting room, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
The clock on the wall seemed to move slowly, each tick making her more nervous.
Today was the day she would find out if her efforts had worked.
Three months ago, her doctor had given her serious news.
Her blood pressure was dangerously high.
You need to make changes, he had said, or we'll have to put you on medication.
Aurora had been shocked.
She was only 42.
How had this happened?
She knew the answer, really.
Years of stress at work, takeaway meals most nights, too much alcohol, not enough exercise.
The problems had started to build up so gradually that she hadn't noticed like water filling a bath drop by drop, until suddenly it overflows.
So she had made a plan.
She started walking every morning before work, just 20 minutes at first, then 30, then an hour.
She learned to cook simple, healthy meals.
She went to bed earlier.
She even tried meditation, though sitting still for 10 minutes felt impossible at first.
The changes had been almost imperceptible at the beginning.
She didn't feel different.
She didn't look different.
But slowly, week by week, something shifted.
She slept better.
She felt calmer.
Her favourite trousers became loose around the waist.
Still, she wouldn't know if it was enough until today.
Aurora O'Leary, the nurse called.
Aurora stood up.
Her legs felt weak.
She followed the nurse down the familiar corridor to the examination room.
How have you been? the nurse asked, wrapping the blood pressure cuff around Aurora's arm.
Good, I think.
I hope, Aurora said, trying to smile.
The nurse pumped the cuff until it squeezed tight.
Aurora watched the numbers on the screen, but they were blurry through her nervous tears.
She blinked them away.
The machine beeped.
The nurse looked at the screen and smiled.
Well, Aurora asked, she couldn't breathe.
There's been a significant reduction in your blood pressure, the nurse said.
Your doctor will be pleased.
Whatever you've been doing, keep doing it.
Aurora felt a wave of relief wash over her.
For the first time in months, she felt a real glimmer of hope.
She wasn't going to need medication.
Not yet, anyway.
Her body could heal itself if she just gave it a chance.
Thank you, she whispered.
As she walked out of the clinic into the bright afternoon sun, Aurora felt lighter than she had in years.
She had proved something important to herself.
Change was possible.
It was hard, yes.
It took time, but it was possible.
She pulled out her phone and texted her sister.
Good news!
It worked!
Then she started walking home, enjoying each step.
And that brings us to the end of today's episode.
I do hope you enjoyed it and I hope that you found it useful.
If you know anyone who's trying to learn English or wanting to brush up on their English, then please do recommend the English Like a Native podcast to them.
I'm forever grateful.
Until tomorrow, take very good care of yourself and goodbye.
