December 27, 2024 • 12 mins
Welcome to this English lesson, where you'll improve your listening skills with the story "The Community Garage Sale." This touching tale follows Anna and her son Max as they participate in their neighborhood garage sale. What starts as a mundane task turns into a heartfelt moment when an elderly man finds an old record player that brings back precious memories of his late wife. Through this interaction, Max learns the value of memories and human connection, realizing that the things we discard can mean the world to someone else.
00:00 intro to the story
01:08 the story
07:31 language analysis In this lesson
You'll also learn key English phrases used in the story to convey emotion and vivid imagery. Here’s the language analysis:
“One person's junk is another person's treasure” Meaning: Something you no longer value might be meaningful or useful to someone else. Example: I was about to throw out my old chair, but the neighbor took it. One person's junk is another person's treasure.
“Gathering dust” Meaning: Something has been sitting unused for a long time. Example: My guitar has been gathering dust in the corner for years.
“Brought him back to a time” Meaning: Something makes someone remember a specific moment from the past. Example: Hearing that song brought me back to a time when I was a child.
“Long lost” Meaning: Something not seen for a very long time but once greatly valued. Example: She found a long-lost letter from her childhood tucked into that book.
“Lump in her throat” Meaning: A physical feeling of being emotional, often when trying to hold back tears. Example: When I watched that video, I felt a lump in my throat.
“Clearing space in her heart” Meaning: Letting go of physical or emotional clutter to feel lighter and happier. Example: Sometimes clearing space in your home helps clear your mind as well.
“Unspoken understanding” Meaning: When people understand each other without needing to say anything. Example: When she smiled at him across the room, there was an unspoken understanding between them.
Listen to the story again to reinforce your learning, and check the description for the full text of the phrases, additional learning resources, and more episodes to help you improve your English. Don’t forget to share this lesson with a friend and subscribe if you’re new here. Thank you for being here, and I’ll see you next time!
00:00 intro to the story
01:08 the story
07:31 language analysis In this lesson
You'll also learn key English phrases used in the story to convey emotion and vivid imagery. Here’s the language analysis:
“One person's junk is another person's treasure” Meaning: Something you no longer value might be meaningful or useful to someone else. Example: I was about to throw out my old chair, but the neighbor took it. One person's junk is another person's treasure.
“Gathering dust” Meaning: Something has been sitting unused for a long time. Example: My guitar has been gathering dust in the corner for years.
“Brought him back to a time” Meaning: Something makes someone remember a specific moment from the past. Example: Hearing that song brought me back to a time when I was a child.
“Long lost” Meaning: Something not seen for a very long time but once greatly valued. Example: She found a long-lost letter from her childhood tucked into that book.
“Lump in her throat” Meaning: A physical feeling of being emotional, often when trying to hold back tears. Example: When I watched that video, I felt a lump in my throat.
“Clearing space in her heart” Meaning: Letting go of physical or emotional clutter to feel lighter and happier. Example: Sometimes clearing space in your home helps clear your mind as well.
“Unspoken understanding” Meaning: When people understand each other without needing to say anything. Example: When she smiled at him across the room, there was an unspoken understanding between them.
Listen to the story again to reinforce your learning, and check the description for the full text of the phrases, additional learning resources, and more episodes to help you improve your English. Don’t forget to share this lesson with a friend and subscribe if you’re new here. Thank you for being here, and I’ll see you next time!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
In this English lesson, you're going to listen to a
short story called The Community Garbage Sale. Now, this is
going to help your English listening skills greatly, and this
story is specific to learners so that you can learn
new words and phrases. Now, to take the lesson, I
(00:21):
recommend doing this, listen to the story while reading the captions. Now,
if you're on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I'll leave a
link to the story or have the story in the
description for you. If you're on YouTube, turn on captions
and the story is right there. Then go through the
(00:44):
language analysis so you can learn new words and phrases. Again,
this is going to be in the description for you,
and then go back and listen to the story again.
My name is Jack from to Fluency. It is great
to have you here. Let's go into the story now
called the Community Garage Sale. Anna stood in her garage,
(01:10):
hands on her hips, staring at the boxes piled high
in the corner. They had been sitting there for years
and touched and gathering dust. Old toys, broken gadgets, clothes
that no longer fit. Each box was like a small
time capsule filled with forgotten memories. It's time to clear
(01:30):
this out, she said to herself. Her teenage son Max,
shuffled in behind her, wearing the face of someone who'd
rather be somewhere else. Are you serious, Mum, it's all junk.
No one's going to buy this. Anna ignored his complaints
as she pulled out a heavy cardboard box from the stack.
One person's junk is another person's treasure, she said, brushing
(01:54):
off a cloud of dust. You'll see. It was Saturday morning,
the day of the annual neighborhood garage sale. The sun
was already climbing high, and the street buzzed with activity.
Neighbors were setting up tables on their lawns, waving at
each other as children ran between houses searching for bargains.
(02:14):
This was Anna's favorite part of the year. The community
garage sale always brought people together, sharing not just their belongings,
but their stories. Max carried the first few boxes outside,
dragging his feet and grumbling under his breath. This is
such a waste of time, he muttered. No one cares
about this stuff. Anna smiled to herself as she started
(02:37):
unpacking an old teapot with faded flowers, stacks of bucks
with broken spines, and toys max had long outgrown all
of it told a story. She carefully placed an old
record play on the table, wiping off the dust. She
didn't know if it still worked, but it had been
a father's back when records were the center of every home.
(03:01):
Around mid morning, people began to arrive, wandering from lawn
to lawn. Children tugged on their parent sleeves, begging for
stuffed animals, and elderly couples browsed through vintage dishes and
forgotten records. Anna chatted cheerfully with everyone who stopped by,
grateful for the chance to clear some space in her
garage and maybe in her mind as well. That was
(03:25):
when she noticed him. The elderly man, neatly dressed, walked
slowly toward her table. He moved with care, as though
each step required effort. His cap shaded his face, but
his eyes were focused on something. Something he was looking for.
In his hand was a small, folded list. Anna greeted
(03:46):
him with a warm smile. Good morning, let me off,
there's something you're looking for. The man hesitated, as if
in sure whether to speak. Finally, he cleared his throat
and pointed to the table. Do you happen to have
a record player, and his face lit up. Actually I do,
(04:09):
She turned and carefully lifted the old record player onto
the table. It's been sitting in my garage for years.
It might still work. The man stared at it, his
expression unreadable. For a moment, he didn't say anything. Then
very quietly, he whispered, it's just like the one I had.
(04:30):
Anna stopped, her hand still resting on the record player.
The way he looked at it wasn't like someone browsing
at garry sale. It was like he'd found something he
had lost long ago. He reached out and brushed his
fingers gently along the edges. My wife and I had
one just like this, he said softly, his voice shaking slightly.
(04:54):
We'd sit on Sundays and listen to music together. She
loved it more than anything. He paused, then added, after
she passed, I gave it away. I thought it would
make things easier. But his voice trailed off, and for
a long moment there was only the sound of people
chatting in the distance. Anna felt a lump in her throat.
(05:19):
She glanced at Max, who would stop pretending to be uninterested.
His usual teenage impatience was gone, replaced by quiet curiosity.
Without looking at his mum, Max disappeared into the garage.
When he returned, who was holding a small stack of
dusty records, records Anna hadn't seen in years. He handed
(05:41):
them to the man without saying a word. You'll need
something to play on it, Max said simply, his voice
quieter than usual. The man took the records carefully, as
though they were fragile. He looked up at Anna, his
eyes filled with gratitude. How much do you want for
all of this? Anna shook her head. Nothing, it's a gift.
(06:06):
It was just sitting in the garage waiting for the
right person for a moment. The man didn't move. Then
he nodded his cap, casting a shadow over his face.
Thank you, he said, softly. You have no idea how
much this means to me. He turned and began walking
slowly down the street, the record player and the stack
(06:28):
of records held tightly in his arms. Anna and Max
watched him go. Max broke the silence. First, I didn't
know people cared so much about stuff like that, Anna smiled,
feeling both proud and a little emotional. It's not the things, Max,
it's the memories. That record player brought him back to
(06:49):
a time when he was happy. That's what matters. Max
nodded thoughtfully. He looked at the half empty table and
then back at his mum. Maybe garage sale aren't so
bad after all. Can we do this again next year?
And I laughed and Ruffuda's hair. You're learning, Max, You're learning.
As they packed up the remaining items, and I felt lighter,
(07:12):
as though clearing out the garage has made space not
just in a home, but in her heart. She glanced
down the street one last time, hoping the man was
already sitting by a window somewhere, letting the soft crackle
of the records bring back the sound of the sundays
he wants knew. Wow, I really enjoyed that story. And
(07:34):
in that story we explored several key phrases that helped
create a vivid and emotional narrative while also focusing on
natural English expressions. So stay with me as I break
down as I go through seven of them to understand
their meanings and to see how they can be used
(07:55):
in different contexts. The first phrase is one person's junk
is another person's treasure, And it tells Max that one
person's junk is another person's treasure, meaning that something you
no longer value might be valuable or meaningful to someone else.
This phrase is often used when talking about secondhand items.
(08:18):
Another example might be I was about to throw out
my old chair, but the neighbor took it. One person's
junk is another person's treasure. The second phrase is gathering
dust gathering dust. The story describes the boxes and as
garage as gathering dust, which means they have been sitting
(08:38):
there unused for a long time. Another example is my
guitar has been gathering dust in the corner for years.
So imagine I have a guitar and I haven't played it.
My guitar has been gathering dust in the corner for
years now. The third phrase is all about memories, and
it is this brought him back to a time, brought
(09:01):
him back to a time, and Anna explains that the
record player brought him back to a time when the
man was happy. So this phrase describes how objects, sounds,
or memories can make someone remember a particular moment from
the past. Another example is hearing that song brought me
(09:21):
back to a time when I was a child. The
fourth phrase is long lost, long lost. The man looks
for a record player like it's a long lost friend,
meaning's something he hasn't seen in a very long time
that once had great importance to him. It's often used
for people, objects, or memories that are rediscovered. For example,
(09:45):
she found a long lost letter from a childhood tucked
into that book. She found a long lost letter from
a childhood tucked into that book. The fifth phrase is
lump in a throat. Lump in a throat. Anna feels
a lump in a throat while watching the Man with
the record Player. This phrase describes a physical feeling of
(10:07):
feeling emotional. For example, when I watched that video, I
felt a lump in my throat. When I watched that video,
I felt a lump in my throat. And the next
phrase is clearing space in her heart. Clearing space in
her heart at the end of the story, and it
feels that clearing out the garage made space not just
(10:29):
in a home, but also in her heart. And this
is a figurative phrase that means letting go of physical
or emotional clutter to feel lighter and happier. A similar
example is sometimes clearing space in your home helps clear
your mind as well. Clearing space in your home helps
clear your mind as well. The last phrase is unspoken understanding.
(10:55):
Unspoken understanding. When Max silently brings out the stack of record,
there's an unspoken understanding between him and his mum. This
phrase refers to a situation where people understand each other
without needing to say anything. Another example is when she
smiled at him across the room, there was an unspoken
(11:17):
understanding between them. So those are the seven key phrases
from the story. What I recommend you do is go
back to the story and listen to it again. It's
going to really help you learn English in a natural way.
And I'll leave a note of the timing of the
story so you can just find it very quickly and
(11:40):
then go to the description to learn the words and
phrases and to learn about the best English learning resources
and other episodes and videos I've made that you're going
to find useful. Be sure to share this story and
this English lesson with a friend, Subscribe to the podcast
or the YouTube channel if you are new, and thank
(12:00):
you so much for being here. I'll speech to you soon.
Bye for now,
In this English lesson, you're going to listen to a
short story called The Community Garbage Sale. Now, this is
going to help your English listening skills greatly, and this
story is specific to learners so that you can learn
new words and phrases. Now, to take the lesson, I
(00:21):
recommend doing this, listen to the story while reading the captions. Now,
if you're on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I'll leave a
link to the story or have the story in the
description for you. If you're on YouTube, turn on captions
and the story is right there. Then go through the
(00:44):
language analysis so you can learn new words and phrases. Again,
this is going to be in the description for you,
and then go back and listen to the story again.
My name is Jack from to Fluency. It is great
to have you here. Let's go into the story now
called the Community Garage Sale. Anna stood in her garage,
(01:10):
hands on her hips, staring at the boxes piled high
in the corner. They had been sitting there for years
and touched and gathering dust. Old toys, broken gadgets, clothes
that no longer fit. Each box was like a small
time capsule filled with forgotten memories. It's time to clear
(01:30):
this out, she said to herself. Her teenage son Max,
shuffled in behind her, wearing the face of someone who'd
rather be somewhere else. Are you serious, Mum, it's all junk.
No one's going to buy this. Anna ignored his complaints
as she pulled out a heavy cardboard box from the stack.
One person's junk is another person's treasure, she said, brushing
(01:54):
off a cloud of dust. You'll see. It was Saturday morning,
the day of the annual neighborhood garage sale. The sun
was already climbing high, and the street buzzed with activity.
Neighbors were setting up tables on their lawns, waving at
each other as children ran between houses searching for bargains.
(02:14):
This was Anna's favorite part of the year. The community
garage sale always brought people together, sharing not just their belongings,
but their stories. Max carried the first few boxes outside,
dragging his feet and grumbling under his breath. This is
such a waste of time, he muttered. No one cares
about this stuff. Anna smiled to herself as she started
(02:37):
unpacking an old teapot with faded flowers, stacks of bucks
with broken spines, and toys max had long outgrown all
of it told a story. She carefully placed an old
record play on the table, wiping off the dust. She
didn't know if it still worked, but it had been
a father's back when records were the center of every home.
(03:01):
Around mid morning, people began to arrive, wandering from lawn
to lawn. Children tugged on their parent sleeves, begging for
stuffed animals, and elderly couples browsed through vintage dishes and
forgotten records. Anna chatted cheerfully with everyone who stopped by,
grateful for the chance to clear some space in her
garage and maybe in her mind as well. That was
(03:25):
when she noticed him. The elderly man, neatly dressed, walked
slowly toward her table. He moved with care, as though
each step required effort. His cap shaded his face, but
his eyes were focused on something. Something he was looking for.
In his hand was a small, folded list. Anna greeted
(03:46):
him with a warm smile. Good morning, let me off,
there's something you're looking for. The man hesitated, as if
in sure whether to speak. Finally, he cleared his throat
and pointed to the table. Do you happen to have
a record player, and his face lit up. Actually I do,
(04:09):
She turned and carefully lifted the old record player onto
the table. It's been sitting in my garage for years.
It might still work. The man stared at it, his
expression unreadable. For a moment, he didn't say anything. Then
very quietly, he whispered, it's just like the one I had.
(04:30):
Anna stopped, her hand still resting on the record player.
The way he looked at it wasn't like someone browsing
at garry sale. It was like he'd found something he
had lost long ago. He reached out and brushed his
fingers gently along the edges. My wife and I had
one just like this, he said softly, his voice shaking slightly.
(04:54):
We'd sit on Sundays and listen to music together. She
loved it more than anything. He paused, then added, after
she passed, I gave it away. I thought it would
make things easier. But his voice trailed off, and for
a long moment there was only the sound of people
chatting in the distance. Anna felt a lump in her throat.
(05:19):
She glanced at Max, who would stop pretending to be uninterested.
His usual teenage impatience was gone, replaced by quiet curiosity.
Without looking at his mum, Max disappeared into the garage.
When he returned, who was holding a small stack of
dusty records, records Anna hadn't seen in years. He handed
(05:41):
them to the man without saying a word. You'll need
something to play on it, Max said simply, his voice
quieter than usual. The man took the records carefully, as
though they were fragile. He looked up at Anna, his
eyes filled with gratitude. How much do you want for
all of this? Anna shook her head. Nothing, it's a gift.
(06:06):
It was just sitting in the garage waiting for the
right person for a moment. The man didn't move. Then
he nodded his cap, casting a shadow over his face.
Thank you, he said, softly. You have no idea how
much this means to me. He turned and began walking
slowly down the street, the record player and the stack
(06:28):
of records held tightly in his arms. Anna and Max
watched him go. Max broke the silence. First, I didn't
know people cared so much about stuff like that, Anna smiled,
feeling both proud and a little emotional. It's not the things, Max,
it's the memories. That record player brought him back to
(06:49):
a time when he was happy. That's what matters. Max
nodded thoughtfully. He looked at the half empty table and
then back at his mum. Maybe garage sale aren't so
bad after all. Can we do this again next year?
And I laughed and Ruffuda's hair. You're learning, Max, You're learning.
As they packed up the remaining items, and I felt lighter,
(07:12):
as though clearing out the garage has made space not
just in a home, but in her heart. She glanced
down the street one last time, hoping the man was
already sitting by a window somewhere, letting the soft crackle
of the records bring back the sound of the sundays
he wants knew. Wow, I really enjoyed that story. And
(07:34):
in that story we explored several key phrases that helped
create a vivid and emotional narrative while also focusing on
natural English expressions. So stay with me as I break
down as I go through seven of them to understand
their meanings and to see how they can be used
(07:55):
in different contexts. The first phrase is one person's junk
is another person's treasure, And it tells Max that one
person's junk is another person's treasure, meaning that something you
no longer value might be valuable or meaningful to someone else.
This phrase is often used when talking about secondhand items.
(08:18):
Another example might be I was about to throw out
my old chair, but the neighbor took it. One person's
junk is another person's treasure. The second phrase is gathering
dust gathering dust. The story describes the boxes and as
garage as gathering dust, which means they have been sitting
(08:38):
there unused for a long time. Another example is my
guitar has been gathering dust in the corner for years.
So imagine I have a guitar and I haven't played it.
My guitar has been gathering dust in the corner for
years now. The third phrase is all about memories, and
it is this brought him back to a time, brought
(09:01):
him back to a time, and Anna explains that the
record player brought him back to a time when the
man was happy. So this phrase describes how objects, sounds,
or memories can make someone remember a particular moment from
the past. Another example is hearing that song brought me
(09:21):
back to a time when I was a child. The
fourth phrase is long lost, long lost. The man looks
for a record player like it's a long lost friend,
meaning's something he hasn't seen in a very long time
that once had great importance to him. It's often used
for people, objects, or memories that are rediscovered. For example,
(09:45):
she found a long lost letter from a childhood tucked
into that book. She found a long lost letter from
a childhood tucked into that book. The fifth phrase is
lump in a throat. Lump in a throat. Anna feels
a lump in a throat while watching the Man with
the record Player. This phrase describes a physical feeling of
(10:07):
feeling emotional. For example, when I watched that video, I
felt a lump in my throat. When I watched that video,
I felt a lump in my throat. And the next
phrase is clearing space in her heart. Clearing space in
her heart at the end of the story, and it
feels that clearing out the garage made space not just
(10:29):
in a home, but also in her heart. And this
is a figurative phrase that means letting go of physical
or emotional clutter to feel lighter and happier. A similar
example is sometimes clearing space in your home helps clear
your mind as well. Clearing space in your home helps
clear your mind as well. The last phrase is unspoken understanding.
(10:55):
Unspoken understanding. When Max silently brings out the stack of record,
there's an unspoken understanding between him and his mum. This
phrase refers to a situation where people understand each other
without needing to say anything. Another example is when she
smiled at him across the room, there was an unspoken
(11:17):
understanding between them. So those are the seven key phrases
from the story. What I recommend you do is go
back to the story and listen to it again. It's
going to really help you learn English in a natural way.
And I'll leave a note of the timing of the
story so you can just find it very quickly and
(11:40):
then go to the description to learn the words and
phrases and to learn about the best English learning resources
and other episodes and videos I've made that you're going
to find useful. Be sure to share this story and
this English lesson with a friend, Subscribe to the podcast
or the YouTube channel if you are new, and thank
(12:00):
you so much for being here. I'll speech to you soon.
Bye for now,
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