Everybody wants to look beautiful. However, just like a garden, beauty needs maintenance and care, that can be best provided by a professional. Going to a beauty salon can provide many benefits that you simply cannot receive at your home. Such a visit can do miracles for your looks and self-confidence. That is why you should not hesitate and put off taking care of your appearance.
A visit to a beauty salon will relieve you of stress. With the busy lives people lead today – career, children, school and managing household duties, opportunities for rest and recreation should not be missed. Whether you are having your hair styled, a facial, a manicure or pedicure, you will feel the pleasure of the massage, water, heat and the application of gentle pressure on your skin.

maintenance - уход
benefits - преимущества
hesitate - колебаться
relieve - облегчать
recreation - отдых
application - применение


Speaking Club
#intermediate

It’s not exactly clear who invented carpet, but some of the first carpets came about in the Middle East. They contained sheep wool or goat hair, and their purpose was to make the ground more comfortable for sitting.
Before the 1950s, most carpets contained woven wool, which was significantly expensive at the time. American homeowners wanted carpeting in their living spaces, but only the wealthy could afford to have it. In 1947, the invention of synthetic fibers such as nylon revolutionized the carpet and flooring industry. These new materials provided a quicker way to manufacture carpeting than woven, woolen ones. By the early 1950s, carpeting became so affordable that it was the most popular flooring option for homeowners.

the Middle East - Ближний Восток
woven wool - тканая шерсть
significantly - существенно
carpeting - ковровое покрытие
synthetic fibers - синтетические волокна
manufacture - производить
woven - сотканный
affordable - доступный, по средствам


Speaking Club
#intermediate

Wolves live in groups called packs. A pack is a family of seven to eight wolves with a mom, dad, and offspring. The wolves' communication skills are very important to the pack's survival.
Wolves work together to hunt, raise their young, and protect their territory. Wolves communicate with more than howls. They whimper and whine, growl and bark, yelp and snarl. They also use scents produced by their bodies to communicate. A wolf’s sense of smell is 100 times stronger than a human’s. One source of scent is urine, which they use to mark territory and to tell other wolves in their own pack where they are. Another way wolves communicate is through body language. If a wolf feels confident, it will approach another wolf with its head and tail held high and ears perked up.

pack - стая
offspring - потомство
survival - выживание
howl - вой
whimper - скулить
growl - рычать
snarl - рычать
scents - ароматы
approach - подход


Speaking Club
#elementary

A sense of humor is a personality trait that allows people to understand funny things, appreciate jokes, and see the funny side of life in general.
What each of us considers funny and to what degree may vary greatly, but the ability to appreciate comedy, in general, is a sign of a healthy sense of humor.
Having a good sense of humor helps reduce stress, builds empathy, and helps us cope with pain more easily. It is one of those assets which matter a lot in both relationships and friendships.
However, when a person has difficulty trying to make other people laugh, their discomfort may rise and make them feel less worthy.
The good thing is that you can practice and learn humor just as any other skill. In other words, you can acquire the skill of a good sense of humor.

sense of humor - чувство юмора
appreciate - ценить
consider - рассматривать
vary - отличаться
reduce - уменьшать
empathy - сочувствие, сопереживание
assets - активы, ресурсы
worthy - достойный
acquire - приобретать


Speaking Club
#intermediate

Humans have always envied birds for their ability to fly. In the 1700s and 1800s humans flew in lighter-than-air ships such as balloons, but not until 1903 did people build the first heavier-than-air craft—the airplane.
The term airplane, which is often shortened to plane, usually refers to any type of power-driven aircraft that has fixed wings and is heavier than air. An airplane moves through the air with the help of its engine and wings. The wings are shaped in a particular way so that air flows over them and gives them lift. By contrast, balloons and airships are lifted by gases that are lighter than air. Helicopters are lifted by spinning blades.

envy - завидовать 
term - термин
shortened - укороченный
power-driven - механизированный
flows over - обтекать
by contrast - напротив
spinning blades - вращающиеся лопасти


Speaking Club
#elementary

When someone gets hurt in any point of time, they can get angry which can sometimes lead to violence and also can sometimes bring other effects at times. Therefore, when a person fights, it makes him stronger and also strengthens his resolve. A strong person is always helpful when faced with difficult situations and as soon as a fighter comes to his rescue he becomes so helpful to everyone around him. As a result, fighting helps and improves your physical health and boosts your confidence.
This is just one way in which fights help people and gives them energy and courage to face anything in life. When you fight you gain self-confidence, you improve your body condition and your mental stability. A fighter needs to stay focused, calm and patient during the entire process and once he wins his game that’s it.

violence - насилие
therefore - следовательно
resolve - решимость
improve - улучшать
gain - обретать
mental stability - психическая устойчивость


Speaking Club
#intermediate

Magic is the art of performing tricks to make the impossible seem possible. Magicians amaze audiences by appearing to make objects disappear, read minds, or float off the ground. But for thousands of years, people believed that magicians actually had special powers. They thought magicians could control other people and natural forces, such as the rain or the wind. People thought to have magical powers were also known as witches, wizards, and sorcerers.
Today most magic tricks involve “sleight of hand.” This is the ability to move objects, such as cards or coins, quickly and secretly. The secrets to many magic tricks are written down in books that anyone can read. It may take weeks or months to learn a trick, though. Many magicians, also called illusionists, carefully guard the secrets to their tricks.

impossible - невозможно
amaze - удивлять
disappear - исчезать
read minds - читать мысли
natural forces - природные силы
sorcerer - колдун
illusionist - иллюзионист


Speaking Club
#intermediate

You've cracked your cell phone screen. Whether it slipped out of your hand while you were on a call or you left it on top of your car when you drove away, the glass is smashed.
Fortunately, the display still works, and perhaps the touchscreen controls too. So, what do you do now?
The first thing to do is check if your phone insurance covers cracked phone screens, and under what conditions.
If so, arranging a fix should be straightforward. In most cases, if your phone screen is broken, the main problem is going to be living without it for a few days. That's as bad as it gets.
The problems with cracked smartphone screens start when it transpires you cannot get a replacement screen on the insurance. When this happens, you'll need to take matters into your own hands.

crack - разбить
slipp out - выскользнуть
smashed - разбитый
insurance - страхование
arranging - организация
straightforward - простой
transpires - проявляться, происходит
take matters - взять дела
replacement - сменное


#elementary

We all want to meet that special someone; we usually try to do that at work, bars and cafes, but in the end, in many cases, the people we meet are not worthy of our attention. Even though we are spending so much time online, whether we’re working, doing some shopping or browsing through those matchmaking websites, we are still not so lucky to find a person with whom we can have a proper date with.
People have different opinions whether blind dating is a good idea or not, and to go with that, different experiences. Some of them have found the love of their lives and some of them wished they had never gone out on that disastrous date. Blind dating has its pros and cons, and if you decide to try it out, there are certain things you need to avoid when you actually go out with someone you have never met before in your life.

not worthy of our attention - не достойный нашего внимания
matchmaking - сватовство
blind dating - свидание вслепую
disastrous - катастрофический


#intermediate

There are four main types of home heating systems: furnaces, boilers, radiant heating systems, and space heaters.
Furnaces use air to heat a home. Boilers use water to heat a home. Radiant heating systems use hot water or steam to heat a home through pipes that run under the floor or in the walls. Space heaters use either electricity or fuel such as propane or oil to generate warmth.
The most common type of home heating system is a furnace, which uses gas, oil, or electricity to generate heat.
One of the main questions people have about home heating systems is whether or not they are eco-friendly. Some home heating systems, like electric heaters, are very eco-friendly because they don’t produce any emissions. However, other home heating systems, like gas furnaces, can be less eco-friendly because they produce emissions that contribute to climate change.

furnace - печь
propane - пропан
generate - генерировать
eco-friendly - экологически чистый
emissions - выбросы


#advanced

Dandruff is a scalp condition that causes flakes of skin to appear. There may also be itching.
Most people experience dandruff at some point in their lives, but it is more common from the teenage years up to midlife.
There are various possible causes, including seborrheic dermatitis, allergic reactions, psoriasis, and eczema. Various factors increase the risk of developing dandruff, including a person’s age, the weather, stress levels, medical conditions, and choice of hair products.
Poor hygiene is not a factor, but the flakes may be more visible if a person does not wash or brush their hair often.
People often feel self-conscious about dandruff, but help is available.

dandruff - перхоть
seborrheic dermatitis - себорейный дерматит
psoriasis - псориаз
eczema - экзема
hygiene - гигиена
feel self-conscious - чувствовать себя неловко


#advanced