2024-12-26
37 分钟In this episode, we explore the fascinating legacy of the Vanderbilt family and their iconic Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Discover how Cornelius Vanderbilt, "The Commodore," built a fortune through steamboats and railroads during the Industrial Revolution, leaving a lasting impact on American infrastructure, culture, and philanthropy. Together we'll take a tour of the Biltmore Estate, the largest privately-owned home in the U.S., featuring 250 rooms, stunning gardens designed by Central Park's Frederick Law Olmsted, and modern innovations like indoor plumbing and electricity. You'll learn polite and casual ways to describe wealth in English, such as "affluent" or "filthy-stinkin' rich," while gaining insights into the Gilded Age—a term coined by Mark Twain to describe the era's wealth and inequality. What next? Plan a visit to experience the Blue Ridge Mountains, farm-to-table dining, and the country’s most-visited winery, especially during the magical holiday season. Access the full transcript, vocabulary list, and more by signing up to Season 4 Premium Content. //IMPORTANT LINKS// Get all Premium Content for Season 4: https://bit.ly/3rF36k4 All Premium Content for Seasons 1, 2 and 3: https://bit.ly/44822TQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Foreign hi everybody.
My name is Shauna and this is the American English Podcast.
My goal here is to teach you the English spoken in the United States through common expressions, pronunciation tips, and interesting cultural snippets or stories.
I hope to keep this fun, useful and interesting.
Let's do it.
Hi everyone.
Welcome Back to the second part of episode number 178.
Today we'll be talking about the Vanderbilts and the Biltmore Estate.
So this episode is kind of very interesting, in my opinion.
We're going to be talking a lot about wealth and extravagance, focusing on the legacy of one of the wealthiest families in US History, the Vanderbilts.
We'll talk about the Biltmore Estate, which is the largest privately owned home in the United States and is located in Asheville, North Carolina near me.
And yeah, it's one of the most popular tourist destinations here.
There are stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, perfect gardens to walk through.
We'll cover other reasons you should visit it later in this episode if you want to know how some of the most affluent American families, including the Vanderbilts, amassed their fortunes, keep listening.
The names you'll hear today and their accomplishments are 100% relevant because these families were fundamental in building the United States.
You know, today their names appear all over the place.
You'll hear them, you'll see them.
They are relevant.
As usual, I'll introduce challenging vocabulary as I go along, so grab a pen and paper to take notes or sign up to Premium Content.
The premium content for this episode includes the annotated PDF, transcript, vocabulary list, listening comprehension, quiz, podcast reader, and more.