Focused listening library
Received Pronunciation listening
Find lessons from the original Received Pronunciation collection. The accent label beside each clip describes its current recording.
benevolent meaning: kind people and actions
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cognitive meaning: mental processes explained
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disposition meaning: character and tendency
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paradox meaning: clear everyday examples
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perception meaning: understanding daily impressions
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poignant meaning: touching and sad moments
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present perfect tense: rules and daily examples
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prudent meaning: wise future choices
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schadenfreude: pleasure at someone's misfortune
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serendipity meaning: lucky chance discoveries
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A matter of time
A new café is already popular, and you are confident it will need a bigger space, but you do not know when. Which phrase expresses that expectation?
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A mean streak
A usually charming colleague sometimes humiliates people for amusement. Which phrase describes that unkind side of the person's character?
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A mixed blessing
Working from home saves your commute but makes you feel isolated. Which phrase captures the benefit and drawback together?
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A short fuse
A colleague becomes furious over tiny delays that most people barely notice. Which phrase describes this tendency to anger quickly?
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Keep a low profile
After an embarrassing mistake, a colleague avoids interviews and public events for a while. Which phrase describes this deliberate lack of attention?
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Last-ditch effort
Several repairs have failed, and one final solution must work before the building closes. How can you describe that desperate final attempt?
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Lose your head
An alarm rings, and a normally calm colleague panics and forgets the simple safety steps. Which idiom describes that loss of control?
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My hands are tied
A manager wants to approve your request, but company policy gives her no permission. Which phrase explains her lack of freedom to act?
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Off the top of my head
Someone asks for last year's exact sales figure, but you have no report in front of you. Which phrase can qualify your answer from memory?
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On the back burner
You still want to redesign the office, but an urgent customer problem must come first. Which phrase shows that the redesign is delayed, not abandoned?
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On thin ice
An employee has ignored two warnings and is late again. Which phrase shows that another mistake could bring serious consequences?
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Set your heart on
Your friend wants one particular university place so much that every alternative feels disappointing. Which expression describes that emotional commitment?
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Smooth sailing
The first stage was difficult, but every later step worked without delay or confusion. Which phrase describes that trouble-free progress?
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Take your mind off something
You are waiting anxiously for test results, and a funny film gives you two hours of relief. Which phrase describes this change of attention?
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How this practice helps
This is the original Received Pronunciation collection. The name identifies the historical grouping, not a promise about every current voice.
Check the player’s accent label. Treat each recording as one speaker’s pronunciation, not a rule for how everyone should sound.
