Hello and welcome to The English Like a Native Podcast. My name is Anna and you're listening to Week 31, Day 1 of Your English Five a Day. This is the podcast series that aims to increase your active vocabulary and improve your listening by deep diving into five items every day of the working week from Monday to Friday. So let's start today's episode. We start with the noun rush hour. Rush hour. Rush hour is two words. Rush, R U S H. Hour, H O U R. Notice we don't pronounce the H in hour. And actually the two words almost sound like one. Rush hour. Rush hour. Rush hour describes the busiest time of day for traffic. It's when everyone is on the road trying to get somewhere. Normally early in the morning and then at the end of the working day around five, six o'clock in the evening. These are the commute times. Rush hour. Here's an example sentence,"I always try to avoid driving during rush hour because the roads are so congested." This is true, I do try to avoid rush hour, even on the trains and the tubes and on the buses, I cannot stand feeling like a sardine being crammed into a tight space. Next on our list is the verb D E S C E N D. Descend. Do you remember what we had at the end of last week? The noun, descent. Well, today we've got the verb, descend with a D on the end. We spell it D E S C E N D, descend. This is the act of moving downwards, or to lower oneself in position. So you might descend down the mountain, or you might descend the stairs. Here's another example,"The helicopter began to descend towards the landing pad." Next on the list is the adjective claustrophobic, claustrophobic. We spell this C L A U S T R O P H O B I C. Claustrophobic. Claustrophobic. I am claustrophobic. Claustrophobic describes feeling anxious or scared in a confined or enclosed space. So if I am on the bus during rush hour, actually the bus I'm not so bad with, it's when I'm on the Tube. When I'm on the Tube during rush hour and it's so busy and we're all packed into a very confined space, then I start to feel claustrophobic. I don't like it. Here's another example,"I can't think of anything worse than getting stuck in a lift at the shopping centre. They are tiny and make me feel claustrophobic." Okay, next on the list is a noun, and it is echo, echo, echo, echo, echo. Echo, we spell E C H O. Echo, echo. An echo is the repetition of sound caused by the reflection of sound waves off a surface. So, if you go into a cave or into the opening of a cave, you put your head in and you shout,"Hello!" the sound waves will bounce back to you."Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello!" So there we go, an echo. Here's an example,"My kids love it when we walk through a tunnel and they shout"Hello!" they can't stop giggling when they hear the words echo all around them." Next on the list is the noun chatter. Chatter. We spell this C H A T T E R. Chatter. Chatter describes the sound of constant and rapid talking or conversation. So, if I am teaching a class of, I was going to say kids, but it could be adults as well. If I'm teaching a class and everyone's talking when I first walk in, I might say,"Okay, that's enough chatter now. That's enough chatter." That's enough noise, basically. Stop talking. Stop chatting. That's enough chatter. Here's another example,"I love listening to the constant chatter between my two boys. The stories they make up are just hilarious." Okay, so that's our five for today. Let's do a quick recap. We started with the noun rush hour, rush hour, which is the busiest time of day for traffic on the roads. Normally the commute times. Then we had the verb descend, to move downwards. Then we had the adjective claustrophobic, a feeling of anxiety or fear from being in a tight or enclosed space. Then we had the noun echo, which is the repetition of sound caused by the reflection of sound waves. Then we had the noun chatter, the sound of constant fast talking or conversation. So let's now do this for pronunciation purposes. Please repeat after me. Rush hour. Rush hour. Descend. Descend. Claustrophobic. Claustrophobic. Echo. Echo. Chatter. Chatter. Very good. Now, I don't like getting on the train at 5 pm on a Monday afternoon. Why not? Because this is the busiest time of the day for traffic and for people moving around. What do I call this time? Rush hour. Absolutely. And if I move down the stairs or down the side of a mountain, what verb could I use? I descend. Absolutely. But if on my descent down the side of a mountain, I see a cave and I shout into the cave,"Is anybody there?" And then I hear a repeated sound,"Is anybody there?" What is that repetition of sound? An echo. Absolutely. And it's starting to get stormy, so I climb inside the cave to shelter from the storm, but I feel quite anxious in tight, enclosed spaces. What adjective could I use to describe this anxiety? Claustrophobic. Yes, I am claustrophobic in this very small cave with only my echo to keep me company. And what noun would I use to describe the sound of constant, rapid conversation? Chatter. Absolutely. Chatter. Fantastic. Let's now listen out for these items once again in today's storytime. Who has experienced this scenario before? As a tourist visiting London for the first time, you were excited to explore the city and its famous landmarks. However, one experience that you were not prepared for was the journey on the London Underground during rush hour. You followed the signs, and you made your way to the nearest station, eagerly anticipating your first ride on the iconic underground. As you descended the stairs, you were met with a sea of people rushing in all directions. The loud sound of the trains arriving and departing echoed through the station. You squeezed yourself into a crowded train, found a spot to stand, holding onto the handrail tightly as the train started to move. The train was packed with people of all ages, races, and backgrounds. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry, their eyes glued to their phones and newspapers. The constant chatter and the smell of coffee and pastries made you feel like you were part of the bustling city. As the train made its way through the underground tunnels, you couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder. The colourful posters and advertisements on the wall, and the distinct sound of the trains passing through each station all added to the excitement of the journey. But as the train reached a major station, the doors opened and a huge crowd of people rushed in, pushing and shoving to get inside. You were caught in the chaos, struggling to maintain your balance as the train moved again. You couldn't help but feel overwhelmed and claustrophobic, but you also couldn't deny the thrill of being part of this fast-paced city. You spend the next five minutes trying to keep a lid on the rising sense of panic and the air becomes more stale and the temperature creeps up. You eye up the emergency stop lever... would you need to pull it? As the train reached your stop, you made your way out and took a deep breath of fresh air. You couldn't believe that your first journey on the London Underground during rush hour was over. It may have been chaotic and overwhelming, but it was also an adventure that you would never forget. You couldn't wait to explore more of this vibrant city. And that brings us to the end of today's episode. I do hope you found today useful. Until tomorrow, take very good care and goodbye.