In this case, the writer is recommending that you should take time to listen to the person's "life story," or to listen to them when they talk about their goals or their motivations. This is an idiom. The writer is not referring to an actual fictional story.

Dear Shin-hye, 1. "Pending his availability" means that you are unsure of whether the person will be available for the meeting/event/get-together, so you cannot make plans until you get a definite answer from him as to whether or not he will be available to attend. 2. "then, there is the weather..." This is an idiomatic expression, which means that the weather also must be taken into account. Perhaps bad weather has been forecast. This expression means that the weather could pose another potential obstacle, over and above the questions concerning the invitee's availability.

Elizabeth-Anne's answer is the most correct. I like (it) when I dream about my mother, and I know why she always smiles AT me every time I see her in A dream. In this case, it is not correct to say "the dream," because you are talking about a series of events (dreaming about your mother), and implying that you always know why she smiles at you during the dreams. Since the sentence refers to dreams in general (albeit only those that are about your mother), you would use the indefinite article - "a dream," - because you may have dreamt about her any number of times, and you are not specifically referring to any one dream in particular. The definite article - "the dream" - could be used in a construction like this: "I dreamt about my mother last night, and she smiled at me in THE dream." With regard to the use of the pronoun "it" (I like when vs. I like it when), both of these are very understandable. "I like when" is more grammatically correct; but, colloquially, in many places, native speakers will commonly use "I like it when" and "I like when" interchangeably. Many native speakers, at least in the United States, are totally unaware that "I like it when" is technically incorrect, and they would not know how to explain what is wrong about this clause. If you want to speak in the most correct way, then stick to "I like when" - but be sure that you will also understand "I like it when" whenever you hear this used by native speakers (which, in the United States, is basically every day).

The sentence in French would seem rather cumbersome, because the "official name" of Jersey Shore in French es "la rive (or, les rives) du New Jersey." So, in order not to repeat "New Jersey" twice, I would probably just say "J'habite sur la rive du New Jersey." Caveat: I speak intermediate French. I am not a native speaker. Native speakers: please chime in!!!

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Customarily is an adverb, but you have not used it correctly in this sentence. In this case, you have begun the sentence with "it is." It is a pronoun, so it takes an adjective, not an adverb. Here are two equally correct ways to express this idea: It is CUSTOMARY in many societies for diners not to use their left hand when eating. In many societies, diners CUSTOMARILY eat with only their right hand.

"As many people as possible" refers to how many human beings you wish to include or pack into a single space. "I want to invite as many people as possible to my party." "We want to reach out to as many people as possible." "As many peoples as possible" would refer to the thousands of ethnic and cultural groups and sub-groups which comprise the world population. I have never seen a sentence which stated "as many peoples as possible," but this would be the meaning nevertheless. "Peoples" is more commonly seen in sentences which refer to "the peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa" or, simply, "the peoples of the world."

Sorry, but I have to disagree with Cerza on both answers. 1. While both "por" and "para" are grammatically correct, the sentence would not make much sense with the word "para." "Por" in this case is really a shorter form of stating "por causa de." The school was closed BECAUSE of the work on the metro; not in furtherance of it. While it is arguable that the closing of the school was integral to the work in progress, the use of "para" would have an instrumental meaning. In other words, it would imply that closing the school contributed to the work in some material way... which in this case is impossible, and really doesn't make any sense. As you pointed out in your question, "por" tells your listener that you are about to state a reason... or, to put it more accurately, the causality. The work on the metro is the CAUSE of the school closing. Therefore, the correct way to express this is always going to be with the word "por". 2. The expression "tercera edad" (third age) is not based on dividing the human lifespan into any number equal fractions. It is an idiom. The "first age" refers to humans when they are children, and must be cared for by their parents. The "second age" begins when children become adults, form their own families, and care for children of their own. The "third age" begins when these adults become infirm, and now much be cared for by their children. There is no exact definition according to number of years, as clearly this has changed over time. People are now living longer and getting married later. "Tercera edad" is not really a legal term, and cannot be precisely defined. Different people in different countries would provide different answers as to exact age groups. Its all a matter of perception!