Hi, I’m AJ Hoge and welcome to the mini story for this month’s VIP lesson. Listen and answer the easy, easy questions. Try to shout your answers out loud if you’re alone. If you’re not alone, just think of the answers in your head—that’s also okay. One or two words for each answer are okay too. The questions will give you more repetition of the phrases, the grammar, and the vocabulary. So relax and enjoy. Let’s begin the story. --- There was a vulture. Was there a vulture? Yes, there was a vulture. What is a vulture? A vulture is a bird. A bird that eats dead animals. What do vultures eat? Dead animals. Vultures eat dead animals. What was the vulture’s name? Vox. Vox was the vulture’s name. Was Vox happy? No, Vox was not happy. He was in agony at his job. How was Vox? In agony. He was in agony at his job. What does "in agony" mean? It means in pain, in terrible pain, terribly unhappy. Was Vox happy or in agony at his job? In agony. He was in agony at his job. What was his job? Eating dead animals. Did Vox like his job? No, he didn’t. He was in agony at his job. --- There was also a hyena. What was there? A hyena. What was the hyena’s name? Hal. Hal was the hyena’s name. Did Hal eat dead animals too? Yes, he ate dead animals. Was Hal happy at his job? No, he wasn’t happy. He was in agony. How was Hal? In agony. Was Hal’s pain physical or emotional? Emotional. It was emotional pain. Why were Hal and Vox in agony? Because of their jobs. They hated their jobs. --- What did Vox and Hal want? Freedom. They wanted freedom. Did they want freedom a little or desperately? Desperately. What did they want to start? A business. --- Each day, Vox incessantly thought of business ideas. Did Vox sometimes think of business ideas? No, he thought incessantly—without stopping. What does "incessantly" mean? Without stopping, constantly. What about Hal? Did he think incessantly too? Yes, Hal also thought incessantly about business ideas. --- Finally, Vox decided to start a coffee shop. What kind of business did Vox start? A coffee shop. And Hal? What business did Hal start? A tea shop. --- Did Hal make an all-out effort to start his business? No, he made a moderate effort. What does "moderate" mean? It means medium, not a lot, not a little, just medium. How many hours per day did Hal work? Two hours per day. Was that a big effort? No, it was a moderate effort. --- What about Vox? Did Vox make a moderate effort? No, Vox made an all-out effort. How many hours per day did Vox work? Seventeen. Vox worked 17 hours a day. Did he take breaks on weekends? No, he didn’t. How did Vox work? Incessantly. He worked incessantly. --- Who created momentum? Vox. How did Vox create momentum? By working incessantly. Did Hal create momentum? No, Hal didn’t. What happened to Hal’s energy? It dissipated. What does "dissipated" mean? It means it slowly disappeared. --- Who had a breakthrough? Vox. What did Vox do after his breakthrough? He opened his coffee shop. Did Vox get customers? Yes, he got many customers. Did Hal have a breakthrough? No, Hal didn’t. Hal quit. Who quit? Hal. --- What happened to Vox’s business? It grew and grew. Did Vox quit? No, he didn’t. What can Vox do now? He can coast and relax. What does "coast" mean? It means to move without effort. Why can Vox coast now? Because he worked incessantly in the beginning and had a breakthrough. Who is happy now, Vox or Hal? Vox. Who is still in agony? Hal. --- Vox the vulture worked hard, succeeded, and now he can relax. Hal the hyena worked moderately, quit, and is still unhappy. The end. --- This version keeps the structure compact while preserving the vocabulary, grammar, repetition, and learning techniques from the original story.