🌍 Improve English Fluency FAST! | Read a Science Article With Me

Today we're going to read a science article together, and you're going to learn.

Advanced vocabulary, advanced grammar and.

Correct pronunciation.

Welcome back to JForrest English, of course.

I'm Jennifer.

Now,

Let's get

started.

First, I'll read

the headline of faster spinning Earth may cause time keepers to subtract a second from

world clocks.

So we're talking about a faster spinning.

Earth.

The Earth.

Spins.

Now what?

Type of word is this.

A faster spinning earth may cause time keepers.

May is a modal verb and it suggests.

Possibility.

So this is possible, but it.

Isn't guaranteed, so this may not happen.

May not.

The negative may not happen because May is only a possibility, not a certainty.

Now notice grammatically we have our modal verb.

Plus our base verb.

The verb is to cause, but we don't say may to.

'Cause we just use the base.

Verb following a modal may cause, if I wanted to express this as a certainty, not a.

Probability.

What word?

Would I use instead of?

May do you know a faster spinning Earth?

Will cause if.

You want it to sound like a certainty, but May is.

Just.

Probability may cause time keepers time.

Keepers are people who keep.

Time Time keepers.

I did not know this was a.

Profession That there were time keepers.

Did you so this is?

A profession and the time keepers may subtract.

So subtract is.

When you remove a number, so in this case the number is a second AH means one, in this

case one second.

Subtract 1 second a second from.

World clocks.

Hmm, only one second.

I wonder what impact?

That will have.

I have no idea.

Now don't worry about taking these notes because I summarize everything in a free lesson PDF.

You can find the link in the description.

Let's continue.

Earth's.

Changing spin is threatening to.

Toy with.

Our sense of time here we.

Have the verb to.

Threaten and what verb tense is it in the present continuous?

Is.

Threatening because it's taking place now.

So here's something threatens someone or something.

Let's look.

At this example, she's threatening to quit, so this means there's the potential.

For.

Risk, harm or a challenge.

In this case, the challenge.

If she quits, she takes her knowledge, her experience with her, and there's no one to

do.

The job so that.

Is the potential.

But if she's.

Threatening to quit.

It's not a certainty because it may happen, may happen that modal.

Verb A probability.

So there's a potential, but again, it's not guaranteed now in this case.

Earth's.

Changing spin.

So the change is that it's spinning faster.

Earth's changing spin is threatening to toy with.

Ah, Do you know what this means?

To toy with.

Our sense of time, clocks, and computerized society.

So to toy.

With something toy with means to manipulate.

Or to joke with but.

To joke with in a.

Careless way.

So let's add to our example.

She's.

Threatening to quit and then the person could reply and say she's just toying with us, so

she's trying to manipulate.

Us by.

Saying she's going to quit, but she has no intention of actually quitting.

She's just toying with us.

To get a raise.

So this is her.

Motivation.

She won't.

Quit.

So she's.

Trying to manipulate.

Us or joke?

With us, but in a careless.

Way so you.

Could toy with me.

If I ask you to subscribe.

To my channel.

Because it really.

Helps my channel.

And then you say, maybe I will, maybe I won't.

Oh, I'll.

Do it later.

I could say stop toying with me.

So stop trying to say you might, you will, you won't, and leave me wondering.

If you will, so don't.

Toy with me.

Subscribe to the.

Channel.

So put in the comments.

I won't.

I won't.

Toy with you I.

Won't.

I'll subscribe put that.

In the comments and I won't toy.

With you by.

Threatening.

To stop.

This lesson right now, So let's continue, OK, in an unprecedented way.

Unprecedented means that it's never happened.

Before this is the first.

Of its kind.

That we're experiencing and unprecedented is an adjective.

So it describes.

In this case.

All.

Way and unprecedented way, but only for a second.

And remember, a second means one second.

For the first.

Time in history we already know.

This because.

It's said an unprecedented.

Way so this.

Is not actually communicating new information, because that's what unprecedented means.

For the first.

Time in history World Time keepers again.

Profession of.

People who keep.

Time.

Do you know any time keepers?

I didn't know that was a thing.

World time keepers may ah, may have to consider.

This is interesting because May is a modal verb.

Have to is.

Also a modal.

Verb but for.

Obligation.

So by saying May, it's the potential, it's the potential for this obligation.

So remember modal.

Plus base verb but.

It's the same thing because in this case we have the modal.

Half two.

And then the base verb is consider.

So this two does.

Not belong to.

Consider it belongs to half two, and this half two is important because it suggests

that they're only doing this.

Out of.

Obligation.

It's not something that they sat down in a meeting and said.

Should we?

Subtract a second from the world clock?

No, it's an obligation.

They have to subtract a second.

Well, in reality they may have to consider subtracting.

So consider means they're going.

To decide if.

It's necessary or not.

They're going to.

Discuss it to see what what they should do.

But then May is a.

Possibility so.

Right now we know that this is.

Just a potential.

It may not happen.

May have to consider subtracting, removing one second a second from our clocks.

In a few years.

So not today, Not not next year.

In a few years, because the planet is rotating a tad faster than it used to.

So a tad.

Means a little.

Bit a.

Small amount of whatever the modifier is, in this case fast.

Here's a natural way you can use a tad.

I could ask you, oh, do you want milk in your coffee?

And then you can reply back and say just a tad, Just a tad, Just a small amount of milk.

Or you could say, oh, I'm a.

Tad tired.

I'm a tad tired.

Tired.

I'm.

A little.

Tired small amount of the modifier in this.

Case tired.

Are you enjoying this lesson?

If you.

Are then I.

Want to tell you about the Finely Fluent Academy?

This is my premium training program where we study native English speakers from TV,

the movies, YouTube.

And the news?

So you can.

Improve your listening.

Skills of fast English.

Expand your vocabulary.

With natural expressions and.

Learn advanced grammar.

Easily.

Plus, you'll have me as your personal coach.

You can look in the description for the link to learn more, or you can go to my website

and click on Finally Fluent Academy.

Now let's continue with our.

Lesson clocks may have.

To are double models.

Again, there's the possibility.

There's a possibility.

Of the obligation clocks, may have to skip a second, Skip a second.

When you skip something, it means.

You purposely.

Bypass it, omit it or don't do it.

So let's say you.

Got a notification for a new.

Video I posted.

A new lesson, but you decide.

To skip it.

You're not going to watch it, you.

Purposely.

Ignore it, bypass it.

Avoid.

It so you skip it, so I hope you.

Won't skip my videos.

I hope you will.

Watch my videos, so put in the comments.

I won't skip them.

I won't skip them.

Them being your videos, I won't skip them, which means when you get a notification.

You click it.

And you watch.

It or.

You save it and you watch it.

Later that is.

Perfectly fine as well, but don't skip them.

Clocks may have to skip a second called a negative.

Leap.

2nd around 2029, remember.

Previously, it said.

In a few.

Years So.

2029 is in a few years from today around, but that means approximately 2029 Kobe 2028.

It could be.

2030.

Because they said.

Around a study in the journal, Nature said Wednesday.

So here Nature is the name of the journal and that's why it has this capital.

Here because it's.

A proper noun and we capitalize.

The first letter.

Of a proper noun, so I'll just.

Write this out for.

You so you remember it's a proper noun and you need to capitalize.

And to show you that means to capitalize, said Wednesday.

This is an unprecedented situation.

And now you know what this means.

What does it mean?

Remember, it describes the situation.

So has the situation happened before?

In the past?

No, because it's unprecedented as an adjective to describe the situation and this.

Refers to what was previously.

Said the negative leap.

You're having to skip a second.

This is an unprecedented situation and a big deal when you describe something as.

A big.

Deal.

It means it's significant or important.

Let's review this sentence.

Getting a promotion.

Is a big deal.

Is a.

Huge deal.

So you're saying this event, getting a promotion is important?

It's significant.

We should celebrate this.

So maybe your?

Friend tells you, oh, I got a promotion, no big.

Deal, so we.

Use that in the negative.

To say.

No big deal.

Not a big deal.

Trying to minimize the importance of something.

But then you could reply back and be like no getting a promotion.

Is a huge deal.

We should celebrate.

I added the sentence in the negative.

It's not a big deal.

It's no big.

Deal because it's.

Very commonly used in the negative.

As well, so.

Very natural expression that you can add to.

Your vocabulary.

Ice melting at both.

Of Earth's.

Poles has been counteracting the planets.

Burst of speed.

And is likely to have delayed.

This global.

Second, A reckoning by about three years, Agnew said.

So let's.

Take a look.

At this sentence, because we have.

Earth's poles, which would be they?

There's it's.

Plural.

There's more than 1, so it's they.

But then we have has been.

Why is that?

Because.

Earth's poles.

Is not.

The subject.

That's being conjugated.

This is a gerund sentence.

It starts with the gerund verb melting, but it's just saying what is melting ice melting

and all of.

This is the.

Subject and with gerunds.

The subject is always it or this this.

Has been counteracting, so with Jaron's you don't look.

At.

The last.

Part.

Because there may be a plural and you might get confused and think it.

Should be have.

Been the the poles have been.

That's grammatically correct.

The Poles.

If that's the.

Subject the poles.

Have been melting, but is this entire thing and this is conjugated as this a Jaron statement?

Now let's look at counteracting.

When something counteracts something else, it works in opposition to it, or it neutralizes

it so it sounds.

Like there's a burst of speed.

So the planet is spinning faster, but then this ice melting is actually reducing that

is causing it to spin.

Slower, so it's.

Counteracting that.

Burst of speed.

So the ice melting is causing the.

Speed to decrease.

And that's why this negative leap second.

This global.

Second A reckoning, this global.

Second A reckoning.

This is just a.

Clever.

Trying to be.

Clever way of.

Saying the negative leap second, they're referring to the fact that global time keepers may have

to subtract 1 second.

That's the global.

2nd of reckoning.

So very dramatic way of saying it.

All of this to say that the fact that we need may need to subtract a second.

Was supposed to.

Happen.

Three years earlier.

But.

The.

Ice melting has delayed it, and now it may happen.

Three years later.

In 2029, that's.

What this paragraph?

Means.

Earth takes about.

24 hours.

To rotate but the keyword.

Is about ah now why did they say?

This the keyword is about.

By saying the keyword, they're saying the most important part of this sentence.

Is the word about.

Now, in this case, what does about mean?

What would be a synonym?

It would be approximately.

Approximately.

Around is another synonym for approximately.

So it could.

Be 23.72 hours or 24.17.

Hours it's about.

24 hours approximately around.

That's the keyword.

That's the important thing you need to remember.

If you wanted to summarize this article for a friend, you could say global time keepers

may need to subtract a second from world clocks in 2029, but the.

Keyword.

Is may.

So you're letting your friend know that the most important part in this sentence is may

the.

Possibility the.

Fact that this isn't a certainty.

For thousands.

Of years.

The Earth.

Has been generally slowing down, with the rate varying from time to time.

So here.

What verb tense is this?

Has been?

Has been slowing down South.

The present perfect continuous has been slowing down and then generally is the adverb.

To describe it.

And it's because it's an action that started in the past thousands of years ago and it

continues until now.

And by using generally they're saying most of the time this happens, but there are sometimes

where the Earth isn't slowing down, but generally the Earth is slowing down with the rate varying

from time to time.

Another way of saying from time to time a more advanced.

Way is periodically with the rate.

Varying periodically adverbs of frequency.

Are.

Generally used with the present simple I.

Always.

Watch your videos.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I periodically watch your videos.

You should.

Watch them more, because periodically only means from time to time.

Maybe I watch one this week and then I don't watch it for two weeks and then I watch another

one in three.

Weeks, So that's.

Periodically.

But you should always watch my videos.

Or you.

Could say I generally watch your videos, that sounds better because it means most of the

time maybe you skip miss one or two.

But.

Generally, I generally watch your videos.

So hopefully.

You're the first one.

But it's OK.

If you're not, this didn't matter until atomic clocks were adopted.

As the official.

Time standard more than 50.

Five years ago.

Those didn't slow those being atomic atomic clocks.

Those didn't.

Slow.

So slow.

Down because we're talking about how time is slowing down.

That established 2 versions of time, astronomical and atomic, and they didn't match.

Astronomical time fell behind atomic time by 2.5 milliseconds every day.

To fall.

Behind is a very common expression, one that happens to.

All of us.

You might say.

I was sick for a week, so I fell.

Behind you can end.

It there if.

The context is.

Obvious.

So you're.

Talking to.

A work colleague.

So they know you're talking about.

Work or work?

Projects.

Or you're talking to a classmate, so they know you're talking about the.

Schoolwork your.

Assignments the projects in class, so you don't need.

To say what?

The something is.

But you could.

If it's not obvious.

Or if you choose to.

I was sick for a week, so I fell.

Behind my classmates, my.

Studies.

So you.

Can fall behind someone else, so you can imagine.

So you were not sick and then you were at?

An equal level.

With your classmates.

But then you got sick.

Your classmates progressed in their assignments, in their knowledge, in the work they were

doing, but.

You were sick, so you stayed at this level.

And then your students advance or your classmates advance to this level.

So you.

Fell behind you, fell behind your classmates.

So it can be someone, or it can also just be the, something, the work, the assignments,

the.

Studies.

So you can say I fell behind my classmates, I fell behind my studies, or you can use this

in the future.

Let's say you're planning a two week vacation and your colleague is saying, wow, that's

a.

Big deal, you're.

Going to have so much fun, but then you say, oh, I hope I don't fall behind because if

you go on vacation, your coworkers are working.

You're not.

So when you get back.

Your coworkers are.

Going to be here and you're going to be there.

I hope I don't fall behind.

That meant the atomic clock would say it's midnight, and to Earth it was midnight a fraction

of a second later.

So the fact.

That there's this.

Difference between astronomical time and atomic time.

So midnight would happen on your phone would say midnight.

But for Earth's.

Rotation midnight happened a fraction of a second later.

So your phone and then.

Earth, da da that would be like a.

Fraction of this of a second because a second happens like that, so.

It would have to be.

One tiny piece of.

That which is so fast I.

Probably can't even.

Display it.

To you in 2022.

The.

World's time.

Keepers.

This sounds like an interesting occupation.

The world's time keepers decided that starting in the twenty 30s, they'd change the standards

for inserting or deleting a leap second.

Remember, a leap second is.

When you remove, you subtract 1 second from.

Clocks.

From atomic clocks, the clock on your phone deleting a second one second making it much.

Less likely so if the.

Time keepers.

Have a policy for how they.

Remove a second, then we don't have to have this event we may have in the future in 2029.

So this here.

They'd change what does this.

D.

Represent this.

D represents an entire word they'd change.

They would.

Change they would change in this.

Case would is the.

Past simple.

Of the verb will and we're.

Using the past because this happened in 2022.

The decision?

So this is.

Speaking about it as the past, they'd change the standards for inserting or deleting a

leap second, making it much.

Less likely.

Tech companies such as Google and Amazon unilaterally instituted their own solutions.

Let's talk about unilaterally.

When someone does something unilaterally, it means they make the decision on their own.

They do not consult with anyone else.

So Google.

Instituted their own solution Google did not discuss.

It with the.

World time.

Keepers.

They did not discuss it with Amazon or anyone else.

Just Google instituted, which means.

They established they.

Put in place their own solution and Amazon did the same thing.

So Amazon said OK.

This is what?

We're going to do.

They did not.

Discuss it, Share.

It or get approval from the world Time keepers or Google or anyone else you could.

Say she.

Unilaterally signed the contract, which means she signed.

It without.

Asking anyone else.

For their.

Opinions, or if they?

Agree or if they approve of her.

Doing that, she unilaterally signed the contract.

So tech.

Companies such as Google and Amazon unilaterally instituted their own solutions to the leap

second issue by gradually adding.

So here's.

How they did it So what's?

Their solution by gradually adding so gradual means they add it.

Slowly, you see.

This a lot in.

Recipes.

They'll tell.

Perhaps a recipe calls for?

One Cup of.

Sugar.

But it might say add.

The sugar gradually so.

You don't just go and add it at once.

So you're stirring and then you add a little.

Bit you stir.

You add a little bit more, you're stirring, add a little bit more.

So that would be gradually.

Adding sugar to a.

Recipe.

And in this case gradually adding fractions of a second.

Over a full day, so.

Google is doing this so in three years, five years, they don't have to remove one full

second from their.

Clock they solved.

It they found the solution by gradually adding fractions of a second.

Over a full.

Day, Levine said.

That is the end of the article, so we'll find out in 2029 if we have this negative leap.

Year.

Leap second, negative leap second.

Because remember, they may do this.

It's not a certainty, it's.

A possibility?

Now what?

I'll do is.

I'll read the.

Article from start to finish and this time you can focus on my pronunciation.

A faster spinning Earth may cause time keepers to subtract a second from world clocks.

Earth's changing spin is threatening to.

Toy with our.

Sense of time, clocks, and computerized society in an unprecedented way, but only for a second.

For the first.

Time in history world time keepers may have to consider subtracting a second from our

clocks.

In a few years, because the.

Planet is rotating a add faster than it used to.

Clocks may have to skip a second, called a negative leap second, around 2029, a study

in the journal Nature said Wednesday.

This is an unprecedented situation and a.

Big deal, said study lead.

Author Duncan Agnew.

Ice Melting at Both.

Of Earth's.

Poles has been counteracting the planet's burst.

Of speed and is likely to have delayed this global.

2nd of weakening by about.

3.

Years Agnew.

Said Earth takes.

About 24 hours to rotate but the.

Keyword is about for thousands of years the earth.

Has been generally slowing down, with the rate varying from time to time.

This didn't matter until atomic clocks were adopted as the official time standard, more

than 50.

Five years ago, those.

Didn't slow.

That established 2 versions of time, astronomical and atomic, and they didn't match.

Astronomical time fell behind atomic time by 2.5 milliseconds every day.

That meant the atomic clock would say it's midnight, and to Earth it was midnight a fraction

of a second.

Later.

In 2022, the world's time keepers decided that starting in the twenty 30s, they had

changed the standards for inserting or deleting a leap second, making it much.

Less likely.

Tech companies such as Google and Amazon unilaterally instituted their own solutions to the leap

second issue by gradually adding fractions of a second.

Over a full.

Day, Levine said.

Did you like this lesson?

Do you want me to make more lessons just like this?

If you do, then put more news, more news, put more news.

In the comments.

Below.

And of course, make sure you like this lesson, share it with your friends and subscribe so

you're notified every time I post a new lesson.

And you can get this free speaking guide where I share 6 tips on how to speak English fluently

and confidently.

You can click here to download it or look for the link in the description.

And you can keep improving your English with this lesson.

Right now.