Your English Five a Day #26.3

E252: 🎙️ Welcome to The English Like a Native Podcast! I'm your host, Anna, and today marks Week 26, Day 3 of Your English Five a Day, where we enrich your vocabulary with five new words or phrases every weekday.

🌟 Let's dive into today's list. Our first word of the day is the adjective "ecstatic". Next up is the nouns "maintenance" and "mental note". After that, we explore the adjective "stranded", and lastly, we have the phrasal verb "make for".

⛽ In this tale of newfound freedom with a driver's license, responsibility looms large. Transitioning from passenger to driver, the protagonist of today's story learns the importance of car maintenance. From oil checks to tyre pressure, each lesson underscores the necessity of preparedness for safe travels on life's roads.

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Transcript

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Hello and welcome to The English Like a Native Podcast. My name is Anna and today you're listening to Week 26, Day 3 of Your English Five a Day. If you've been listening for a while, then you'll know this is the series that aims to increase your active vocabulary by five pieces every day of the working week from Monday to Friday. Now, I do want to start today's episode by giving out a huge thank you to our Plus Members. I literally could not produce this podcast without your help and support. So, a huge thank you to you. Okay, so let's start today's list with an adjective and it is ecstatic. Ecstatic. We spell this E C S T A T I C. Ecstatic. To be ecstatic means that you are really happy. So, it's to feel overwhelming happiness or joy. It's almost akin to being excited. But with more of a leaning into happiness. So, if you finally pass an exam that you've been working towards for years, and you pass with flying colours, you would be ecstatic. If you find out that your best friend who has been trying for a baby for a decade and has had some really heartbreaking moments, she's finally given birth to her first child, then you would be ecstatic for them. You would be overwhelmingly happy. Here is another example,"June was ecstatic when she found out she got the job in the marketing department of L'Oreal." So, when was the last time you felt ecstatic? Moving on to our next piece. We have a noun and it is maintenance. Maintenance. We spell this M A I N T E N A N C E. Maintenance. Maintenance. Maintenance refers to the act of keeping something in a good condition and preserving it so that it continues to function and be used over and over again. So, we have to perform maintenance on our car and there's a certain amount of maintenance needed on the grounds around your property and within your property, of course. And on ourselves. There's lots of important maintenance that we have to do on ourselves. So here's an example,"Regular maintenance of your car is essential for ensuring its longevity." Okay, moving on to our next piece. This is another noun and it is a mental note. A mental note. We usually make a mental note. Let me spell this for you. Mental is M E N T A L. Note, N O T E. A mental note. A mental note is a piece of information that you store in your mind. So, if you need to make a note of something, usually you'd grab a pen or a pencil and write it down, or you might type it into your phone. Sometimes though, we don't have our phone or a piece of paper and a pen, so we have to make a mental note of something. that we need to remember and hopefully it will stick in your mind. Here's an example,"I made a mental note to pick up some milk on my way home from work." I often make mental notes of things and then I panic all day. That I'm going to forget this thing that I need to remember, so I like to put things down on paper. And actually, as I'm looking at my computer now, all around the computer screen and stuck to my desk and stuck up the wall next to my computer are Post-it notes. There are Post-it notes everywhere with notes on there that I've started ignoring. They've been there for so long, so they're not actually that useful. I should actually clear that up now. I'm going to make a mental note to clear up my desk next time I have a spare moment. Right, moving on. We have an adjective and it is stranded. Stranded. We spell this S T R A N D E D. To be stranded. This means to be left in a difficult or a helpless situation that you can't easily escape from. It's often due to unforeseen circumstances. So, here's an example sentence,"The hikers were stranded in the mountains after a snowstorm blocked their path back to the main trail." Have you ever been stranded anywhere? Things can happen, you know, at a moment's notice. The weather can change when you're out on a road trip. Sometimes your car breaks down. Sometimes the person who was meant to meet you or pick you up doesn't for whatever reason, people fall ill. I was stranded once in central London. I remember now I was doing a performance and the show finished very late. I was one of the actors there, so I was in till the very end and we left the venue at about 10:30. So, there was enough time to go and get my Tube to go home. However, that night there was a terror incident in Central London, a terror attack. And the police shut everything down while they were trying to deal with this incident that was happening so close to where I'd been working. And so the roads were closed. So, taxis were no good. All the Tubes had been stopped. And the roads were closed so there was no buses and I was wearing my costume. I'd arrived at the venue in costume and I was wearing my costume still, so I was in a ball gown and I'd also lent a prop to the production and the prop was a rake, a garden rake. So, I had a huge rake and a ball gown, which wouldn't have been a problem really. You know, people don't really care if someone looks a bit unusual in central London. It's very eclectic. There's all sorts of people in London. So, no one bats an eyelid. But the problem was because there was no public transport, it meant that I had to walk for, I think it was like an hour and a half, in high heels, a ball gown and a garden rake, with a lot of people all running away, feeling panicked and concerned. There were police everywhere. And there's me looking very odd. And I was desperate for the toilet as well. I remember every venue was closed and I was just desperate to go to the loo and I had to hold it all the way home. It was awful. Anyway, I've really gone off track, but my point was I was stranded. I was left in a very difficult situation because of something that could not have been predicted. Okay, let me move on to our last piece. So, this is a phrasal verb and it is make for. Make for. M A K E. For, F O R. Make for. If something makes for something, then something contributes or causes a particular result or outcome. Okay, so it's like a synonym for leads to or creates something. Here's an example sentence,"The heavy rain made for a difficult commute to work this morning.""The heavy rain made for a difficult commute to work this morning." So the heavy rain caused or created a difficult commute to work this morning. This phrasal verb's a bit tricky, I feel. It's a little bit abstract. I would say a healthy breakfast makes for a happy family. In my house anyway. Everyone's happy when we have a nice fresh fruit-based breakfast. Then I have smiley faces. So, a healthy breakfast makes for a happy family. Trust and communication makes for a healthy relationship. Lots of practice and motivation makes for a successful student. That's our five for today. So, let's do a quick recap. We started with the adjective ecstatic. Ecstatic, which means overwhelmingly happy and joyful. Then we had the noun maintenance, which is the act of keeping something in good condition. Then we had the noun a mental note. We normally make a mental note, which is to store information in your memory, in your head, without writing it down anywhere. Then we had the adjective stranded. Stranded, which means you've been left in a difficult or helpless situation. Often it means you're stuck a little bit. And then we have the phrasal verb make for, which means something creates or leads to something else. Okay, so let's now do this for pronunciation. Please repeat after me. Ecstatic. Ecstatic. Maintenance. Maintenance. A mental note. A mental note. Stranded. Stranded. Make for. Make for. Very good. OK. Let me test your memory now. A few weeks ago, I was about to take a road trip and it was going to be just me and my children. Now, I did my usual routine act on the car, making sure the car had everything that it needed. The spark plugs were working, it had oil, and it had water, and it had a full tank of petrol. What noun would I use to describe these acts of checking the car is in good condition? Maintenance. maintenance. I was doing my routine maintenance on the car because it's always good to do your maintenance, especially before going on a long road trip. Now, I did notice as I was doing my maintenance that the oil was running really low and unfortunately I had no extra oil in the garage. So, I knew that I had to go to the shop and buy some more oil. But as I was moving around and doing lots of different things, I had to remember this piece of information in my head. What noun could I use to describe holding information in my head? I made a mental note. Yes. So, I had to make a mental note to remember to go to the shop and buy some oil. Of course, I was so busy and distracted that I forgot. So, I packed the boys and all the stuff into the car and off we went. We drove for hours and hours and hours out into the darkest part of the country where there was just thick forests everywhere, trees, bushes, wild animals, no people and you know where this story is going. The car ended up breaking down because of the lack of oil and we were left in the middle of nowhere in a very difficult and helpless situation. I had very little phone signal. We had very little food with us. It was quite a scary situation. What adjective could I use to describe us being in this difficult and helpless situation? Stranded. We were stranded in the middle of nowhere without a vehicle that was able to get us to safety. Luckily, I was able to send a text message and I was overwhelmingly happy to see a roadside recovery vehicle come to our rescue. What adjective could I use to describe this overwhelming happiness that I felt? Ecstatic. Yes. When that roadside recovery vehicle pulled around the corner, I was ecstatic. Thank you so much for coming to help us in the middle of the night. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Now, he said to me, of course, you must always check that you've got oil in the car before you go on a long road trip. And I can tell you, events like this lead to really good life lessons, really long-lasting life lessons. What phrasal verb could I use instead of saying'this leads to that'? Make for. That's right. It's moments like these that make for long-lasting life lessons. Because of that event, I now always, always remember to put oil in the car and if something's important to remember, I make sure to write it down because my mental notes are not to be trusted. Okay, so that story once again, a quick recap. I was doing some maintenance on the car because I was about to take a road trip and I realised I was out of oil. So, I made a mental note to get some oil from the shop before we left, but of course I forgot. We got into the car, we headed off on our way, we ended up in the middle of nowhere and the car broke down, leaving us stranded. Luckily, I was able to get one text message out to call for help, and I was ecstatic to see a roadside recovery vehicle pull around the corner and come to our rescue. That incident made for a really valuable life lesson not only to make sure I always had oil in the car, but also to never trust my mental notes, especially with important information. Okay, so that's our five. Let's visit them once again in today's story time. It's an ecstatic feeling when you pass your test and get given your driver's license. Were you like me? Counting down the days until your 17th birthday, dreaming of the freedom and independence that comes with being able to drive. But when you sit behind the wheel of your new vehicle, you realise that you have a lot to learn about being a responsible driver. In my case, my parents had always taken care of car maintenance, but now it was up to me. I had heard horror stories of people getting stranded on the side of the road because they didn't know how to take care of their car, and I didn't want to be one of those people. So, I did some research and learned about the essentials of looking after my first car. I learnt about the importance of regular oil checks. Without proper oil levels, the engine could overheat and cause serious damage. I made a mental note to check the oil every month. Next, I learnt about the importance of maintaining proper tyre pressure. Not only did it improve the lifespan of the tyres, but it also improved fuel efficiency. I made a habit of checking the tyre pressure every time I filled up with petrol. In some more modern cars, you now have to press the're-initialise tyre pressure' on your computer dashboard so the system recognises the new levels. Then there's the washer fluid. It is crucial for keeping the windshield clean and clear, especially during rainy or snowy weather. With the weather in the UK being especially wet and dreary, I always have a spare bottle of washer fluid in the boot. I familiarised myself with the different types of fuel: petrol leaded and unleaded diesel etc, and their different grades. I didn't want to make the mistake of putting the wrong fuel in my car and damaging the engine. Lastly, my father showed me how to change a flat tyre. This was a skill I hoped I would never have to use, but wanted to be prepared just in case. With all this newfound knowledge, I felt confident and responsible behind the wheel. I knew that being a good driver meant more than just knowing how to operate a vehicle, it also means taking care of it. These crucial little checks are something I think everyone should know before they are given a driving license, after all, safe drivers make for safe roads. And that brings us to the end of today's episode. I do hope you found it useful. If you did, please take a second to leave a like, a rating or review, and be sure to tell all your English learning friends about The English Like a Native Podcast. Until tomorrow, take very good care and goodbye.