Boost Your Fluency by Reading an Article with Me

Today we're going to read a science.

Article together.

And by the end of.

This lesson you're.

Going to learn advanced vocabulary, learn  advanced grammar and improve your pronunciation.

Welcome back to.

JForrest English, of course.

I'm Jennifer now.

Let's get.

Started first.

I'll read the headline.

Astronauts have an unexpected ability that  helps them fly through space, as you can see.

It looks like.

This man is flying.

He's definitely not sitting  in a chair like I am now.

A lot of students request  science based and space based.

Articles.

So ask.

And you shall.

Receive.

First, let's look at the.

Word unexpected.

So astronauts have an ability, and unexpected  is an adjective that tells you more.

About this ability.

This is used for something that  you didn't anticipate or didn't.

Foresee so you.

Didn't think.

About it.

Before it happened, for example,  my boss gave me the day off.

The day off means you don't have to.

Work today, woohoo.

It was so unexpected, it being the situation,  the fact that my boss gave me the day off.

It.

Was so unexpected so.

Here the structure.

Is to be unexpected.

So again, unexpected functions as the adjective.

So you.

Always have this Ed and you  need to conjugate your verb.

To be.

In the past, simple.

Because you're.

Talking about it as a completed past action,  

astronauts have an unexpected  ability that helps them.

So helps is.

Being conjugated.

With ability, which is third.

Person singular.

It helps them, the astronauts fly.

Through space.

So let's learn more about this unexpected ability.

Don't worry about taking these notes.

I summarize everything in a free lesson PDF.

You can find the link in the description.

Before we review the article, let's  look at this sentence structure.

It popped into my.

Head, I just thought of it.

I thought.

Of it unexpectedly when I.

Was a kid.

You could also say when I was.

A child.

When I was a kid, I wanted to.

Be.

And this popped into my.

Head because.

When I was a kid, most boys  wanted to be astronauts.

Astronauts.

Firemen.

Those were the.

Two that I remember being most popular.

For boys.

So what about?

You when you were a kid.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be.

Now notice if you're stating a job title, you  need an article in front of the job title.

I wanted to be an If it starts  with a vowel sound, an astronaut a.

Teacher.

Now, would you believe that when  I was a kid I wanted to be a?

Teacher, that was the.

Very first thing I wanted to be and now I am so.

Share your.

Profession of choice when you were.

A kid share.

That in the comments.

It will be so fun to find out.

Now let's review the article Grounded on Earth,  

even the most uncoordinated humans can easily  sense where our limbs are flapping about.

OK.

First grounded on Earth.

This is just used.

In the sense that astronauts are not grounded on.

Earth, of course, we all live.

On Earth, it's only astronauts  that are not grounded on Earth.

But they're starting with this to  show the contrast that astronauts  

don't live like most people grounded on Earth.

So you could just simply say on Earth, grounded  on Earth, even the most uncoordinated humans,  

if you're uncoordinated, it means you  don't have a good sense of balance or.

Ability to use your body.

In a very.

Agile way, so if you're.

Trying to walk across a very  narrow area, you might fall.

Or.

If you're trying to fix something  with your hands, you might.

Break it because.

You're not coordinated.

Even the most uncoordinated humans can easily  sense where our limbs are flapping about.

OK, flapping about.

Is just when you're moving in  a very random, erratic way.

So if you saw a bird and maybe that bird  was stuck, it might be flapping about,  

just moving itself or its  wings in a very random chaotic.

Erratic way to try to escape.

And anyone with limbs human animal  can be flapping about now limbs these.

Are of course, all of our our body.

Parts, our arms, our legs, those are our limbs.

Our limbs are flapping about and if  we're moving, falling or sitting upright.

So this is saying even if  you're very uncoordinated,  

you don't have a good sense of  balance, you don't have a good.

Ability to use.

Your hands in a smooth.

Way you.

Still know if you're moving,  falling or sitting upright?

I'm sure you would agree with that.

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Now let's continue with our lesson.

But.

Take away gravity.

So when you take something away, you remove it.

This would be commonly used if you're  at a restaurant and you finish.

With your plate, the server would.

Come and would.

Take it away so.

Would remove.

It so that's the phrasal verb for remove.

Going back to our restaurant  example, you could say.

To the server.

Oh.

You can take.

Away this plate.

I'm finished, I'm done.

Native speakers will commonly just say to be  done, which means the same thing as finish.

I'm no longer using this plate.

I'm done.

I'm done.

I'm finished.

But take away.

Gravity.

Remove gravity.

Or.

Pop on a virtual.

Reality headset.

When you pop it on, it just means.

That you apply it.

And it sounds like.

You do it quite quickly, so.

Instead of saying, put on which also means.

To wear or apply if you.

Pop on.

It just sounds like you're doing it quite fast.

So if you.

Remove.

Gravity or wear a.

Virtual reality headset and things get a little.

Woozy.

Oh, this is fun to say.

Woozy, oozy woozy woozy is usually.

Used to mean.

Dizzy.

Oh, dizzy, I feel a little.

Woozy, I need to sit down.

So if you go on a.

Roller coaster or?

Even a.

Boat with all.

The motion.

Or if.

You go into space, I'm sure you'll.

Feel a little.

Woozy in this.

Case.

It means more unsteady or  unstable rather than simply.

Dizzy but dizzy also.

Does have that sense of unsteady,  unstable, but this exact things things.

Get a little.

I wouldn't replace.

Woozy with dizzy.

But I would say and things get  a little unsteady or unstable.

But if you're talking.

About Oh I.

Feel instead of saying I.

Feel a little.

A small amount I feel a.

Little dizzy.

You could simply replace that with.

Woozy.

Oozy, oozy, I feel a little.

Dizzy, but in this case I would.

Replace.

It with unsteady or unstable and  that makes sense if there were no.

Gravity.

I have never worn a virtual reality headset.

What about you?

Have you?

Do you feel woozy?

When you wear one so it makes sense.

Definitely if you take away gravity.

Luckily astronauts are pretty  good at adapting to microgravity.

OK, notice.

How they use.

Luckily, this is a great adverb.

In this case, it's used to transition because.

All of this.

Sounds negative.

Well, the last part things get a  little woozy, unstable, unsteady.

But if I use the word luckily I know  they're going to state something.

Positive.

So it's.

Used to transition from.

A previous.

Statement that was negative.

To go to a positive.

And you can use.

Luckily to show.

That transition you can also say, fortunately,  which sounds a little more advanced.

Luckily, astronauts are.

Pretty.

Good at adapting to microgravity.

To be honest, I don't know what microgravity is.

I'm going to guess micro generally  means a small amount, so I'll assume  

that microgravity means a small amount of.

Gravity but.

Since I'm not an astronaut,  I've never been in space.

This is not something I'm familiar with.

I'm familiar with.

Full gravity here.

On Earth, adapting to microgravity when  stations aboard orbiting spacecrafts.

So if they're stationed aboard, it means they're  on a spacecraft like this man is right now.

He probably feels a little.

Woozy, I imagine.

OK, notice here adapting to.

When you adapt to something, it means you  become comfortable familiar with that.

But two belongs to the verb.

You.

Adapt to something because of that, if there.

Were a verb.

It would be in the gerund form  because two is a preposition.

You can adapt to something, for example  space, that's a noun, something.

Astronauts are pretty good at adapting to space.

But if you want to use a verb, an action,  

you could say adapting to being in  space and you need the verb being.

Because this too.

Belongs to the verb, so you need a gerund.

A new study has found no  apparent changes in people's.

Ability to.

Gauge movement.

Let's stop there.

Apparent means obvious.

Or observable.

So if something is apparent, you can.

See it or it's very obvious.

I could say it's.

Apparent you're angry if I'm talking  to my husband or my friend and they're.

Just they're.

Looking at me and their facial  expression or they're talking to me.

Fine, I'll do it.

And I say it's apparent you're angry.

It means it's.

Obvious or observable?

You can use this in lots of  different contexts, for example.

There is no.

Apparent damage, but you should  hire a plumber to confirm so.

Maybe you?

Were doing some work in your bathroom  and and someone hit something near the.

Toilet or the?

Sink and someone else.

Says.

Oh, there's no apparent damage, so I can't.

Visibly see.

Any damage.

But just because something isn't apparent  visible, it doesn't mean it isn't there.

It's.

Possible there's a?

Very, very fine crack in a.

Pipe that could lead to.

A lot of damage in the future, so you should hire  

a plumber to confirm because the  plumber will investigate it now.

Gauge, listen to the pronunciation.

Gauge age.

So just like age, What age are you?

And just.

Add a gauge gauge.

This is to assess, estimate or measure.

This is very useful.

For example, let's say you're going for a.

Walk or a hike or a bike ride, but.

You're in the woods, you might say, oh, it's.

Hard to gauge how far we've.

Gone.

Because all you see is  trees, so it's hard to get a.

Sense it's hard to measure.

It's hard to estimate how.

Far.

You've gone.

It's hard.

To gauge.

So a new study has found no  apparent changes in people's.

Ability to gauge.

To measure estimate movement  while they're in space or  

after they touchback down South to touchdown.

This means to land and the use of back is simply.

Because they were.

Once on Earth.

They left.

And now they're returning, so that's when you.

Use the word back.

So the.

Phrasal verb is to.

Touchdown, which means to land, and  then they're just adding back to.

Show that.

That left and then return the  near absence of gravity alters  

astronauts motion perception the near absence.

So this implies that there is some gravity, but.

A very.

Small amount, remember.

Previously they described it as.

Micro.

Gravity which?

I had never.

Heard.

The near absence of gravity alters, which  is a more advanced way of seeing changes.

Astronauts motion perception this apostrophe.

Is here because first.

It's astronauts.

Plural.

So it's they but the.

The apostrophe.

Is to show.

Possession when there's a plural noun  because the motion perception their.

Ability to perceive.

That's where perception comes from their.

Ability to perceive.

Motion and it belongs to the astronauts.

So put the apostrophe.

After the *** to show possession with a plural  noun astronauts motion perception such that they  

feel like they're moving faster than they  really are when zipping around they're.

Cramped, weightless quarters.

In this context.

Quarters, quarters, quarters.

Refers to one's living space or working space.

We don't use this in an everyday context.

I wouldn't say.

Where are your quarters?

To ask you where do you?

Live or where do you?

Work.

No, we don't use it like that.

We use it in.

Very specific cases.

It would be common to say something like this.

My office is being renovated  so right now we're in cramped.

Quarters.

So this lets you know that  everyone who works in this office,  

they're all now working in a very small space.

Oh, we're in cramped quarters.

Because.

This renovation has taken away a lot.

Of the available.

Space.

Now you can use this for living or working space.

So you could say my office.

Or you could equally say.

My house, my home, my apartment, my condo is being  renovated, so right now we're in cramped quarters.

We're all.

Sleeping in the living room because  the bedrooms are being renovated.

So this.

Is commonly used, but in very.

Specific.

Circumstances.

This is one of the common circumstances when  you're traveling that could be a great time to.

Describe your.

Living space as cramped corridors,  maybe your hotel room, the airplane,  

or if you're on a train for  hours, or even in a car.

For hours you could say, Oh.

It was cramped quarters.

So.

They're zipping around,  they're cramped, which means.

There.

Are a.

Lot of people or.

Things in a small space that  would describe it as cramped.

Zipping around means moving around very quickly.

And maybe this article used.

Zipping around to, say, moving around quickly.

Because remember, we're talking about astronauts,  

and right now we're talking  about when they're in space.

So you don't walk when you're in space.

You fly, you zip around, you move.

Quickly so this.

Emphasizes it and makes it sound stronger  

than just saying move around  quickly when zipping around.

They're crowned.

Weightless quarters.

Weightless because.

There's no.

Gravity or there's.

Microgravity, near absence of gravity,  and yet they can still accurately judge  

how far they've travelled down  a hallway in visual simulations.

The study.

Found one way our bodies determine changes in  

position is through the swishing  of fluids contained deep inside.

Each ear so swish so here's water here so.

Right now the.

Water is just.

In a still position, but this.

Would be.

So the movement of the water.

The water is.

Swishing, swishing.

Sometimes we use.

This if it is.

Raining and you have water in your.

Shoes or boots?

And as you walk, the water moves around in your.

Shoe or boot.

So you could say, oh, the water is.

Swishing in my.

Shoes so.

In your ear.

The water is.

Moving.

Likely because your head is.

Constantly moving deep inside.

Each ear.

Let's continue the health  impacts of Space Flight are a.

Huge focus of.

Space space missions, particularly as space  agencies such as NASA and countries such as China  

gear up to send astronauts to Mars gear up means.

Prepare.

So as NASA and China.

Prepare.

It's they prepare.

That's why it's conjugated  in the third person plural.

They prepare to send astronauts to Mars.

Gear up is very commonly used,  especially in a business context.

You can use it.

For example, I'm gearing up,  so I'm preparing because.

It's a verb to gear.

Up you conjugate.

Your verb.

With the subject and time reference,  I'm gearing up for my IELTS.

I'm preparing for my IELTS.

You could also prepare to do.

Something you can gear up to do something.

So you prepare.

Four plus noun and then you.

Gear up.

Prepare to.

In the infinitive infinitive,  I'm gearing up, do you know?

What I would do?

To change this.

To use to.

I'm gearing up to take my IELTS.

Hopefully you didn't say to pass my IELTS.

Because take is the verb.

Choice you need.

To say that you do the.

Actual exam, I'm gearing up  to take my IELTS for my IELTS.

So that's definitely.

Something you should.

Gear up for.

Now, interestingly, gear.

The OR the word.

Gear means equipment.

Astronauts, they have.

A lot of gear they have their.

Helmet.

They have their entire space  suit, they have a lot of gear,  

equipment, so one astronaut could say to another.

Let's gear up.

Which means let's put on our gear, our equipment.

So if you work in a job where you wear a lot.

Of equipment you can say.

To your Co worker, let's gear up.

Let's.

Put on our gear, our equipment.

So that's a fun thing that a native.

Speaker would definitely at least say.

Shortly after Space Flight, astronauts  slightly overestimated distance in the  

visual task when lying down compared to sitting  

upright before their mission, although  those differences later disappeared.

Remember, this is a study  that shows how astronauts.

Ability to perceive.

Space and movement change before and after.

Spaceflight, so they're.

Saying there was only a slight  difference before or after.

If you overestimate something, it  means you think it's greater than it.

Is if you.

Underestimate something you think  it's less than it, actually.

Is.

For example, many people overestimate  how scary speaking in public.

Is.

They make it sound a lot scarier  than reality, so in their mind,  

it's more than reality in terms of scariness.

But many people underestimate how  important preparing for a job interview is.

Oh, I'll just.

Go to the job interview rather  than taking the time to prepare.

They underestimate.

They do less.

Than what is needed in reality so very useful  words to have in your vocabulary on average.

However, the astronauts perception.

So again, now you know why this  apostrophe is after the as.

Possessive for a.

Plural noun the astronauts perception.

The perception belongs to the astronauts.

The astronauts perception and distance did not  

change significantly during their time  in space nor one week after their return.

So they're saying, this study is saying,  again, there wasn't a big difference in  

this perception before they went  to space and when they came back.

Let's look.

At nor because this is something that confuses  a lot of students and even native speakers.

So notice here we have did not did not  change significantly nor one week after.

So we have a negative and then  for your next clause, your next.

Part.

Of the sentence, you can use nor to show.

It's also.

Negative.

So here's your.

Clue did not change and then your next part  is also a negative, so you can use nor.

Another common structure is to use  neither nor when you use neither.

Your verb.

Or whatever comes next is positive  because neither is what makes it negative.

So notice in this case did  not this is the negative,  

but you can still use the  negative nor for the next one.

In this case, it's the astronaut's  perception of distance.

Exact same, but instead of  did not change, we just.

Replaced the word.

Did not with neither, so let me write.

This here.

You can say neither or neither.

There are two.

Acceptable pronunciations neither.

Neither of distance neither.

But you have to turn this to change because  did is your past simple in the negative.

So now because I'm only using the verb,  I have to conjugate the verb accordingly.

And in this case it's the past simple.

Neither changed and then exact same significantly  

during their time in space nor  one week after their return.

So an easy.

Way to get started is to use neither because it's.

A good reminder that it pairs  with norm and that's the end.

Of our article.

So now I'll read the article from start to  finish and you can focus on my pronunciation.

Astronauts have an unexpected ability  that helps them fly through space.

Grounded on Earth, even the most  uncoordinated humans can easily  

sense where our limbs are flapping about and  if we're moving, falling or sitting upright.

But take away gravity or pop on a virtual  reality headset and things get a little.

Woozy.

Luckily, astronauts are.

Pretty good at.

Adapting to microgravity when stationed aboard  

orbiting spacecrafts, a new study has  found no apparent changes in people's.

Ability to gauge.

Movement while they're in space  or after they touch back down,  

the near absence of gravity alters astronauts  motion perception such that they feel like  

they're moving faster than they really  are when zipping around their cramped.

Weightless quarters.

And yet they can still accurately judge how  

far they've travelled down a  hallway in visual simulations.

The study found one way our  bodies determine changes in  

position is through the swishing  of fluids contained deep inside.

Each ear.

The health impacts of spaceflight are a huge.

Focus of space.

Missions, particularly as space agencies  such as Nassau and countries such as  

China gear up to send astronauts  to Mars shortly after spaceflight.

Astronauts slightly overestimated  distance in the visual task when  

lying down compared to sitting upright before  their mission, Although those differences.

Later disappeared.

On average, however, the astronauts  perception of distance did not change  

significantly during their time in  space, nor one week after their return.

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