Podcast Episodes
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Italy starts life under lockdown to slow coronavirus | Learn the English phrase “out and about”
Episode 244
Italy is the first nation to impose a nationwide quarantine in an attempt to contain the coronavirus. The Italian government imposed serious constrai…
6 years, 1 month ago
Pablo Escobar’s former hippo herd is threatening Colombia | Learn the English phrase “to give rise to"
Episode 243
In the 1980s, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar imported four hippos from Africa for his private zoo. After Escobar’s death, the hippos were too big …
6 years, 1 month ago
America’s former vice president is back from the dead | Learn the phrasal verb 'write off'
Episode 242
After a disastrous start to the Democratic primaries, former vice president, Joe Biden, completed one of the most dramatic political turnarounds in r…
6 years, 1 month ago
Swarms of locusts endanger East Africa's food supply | Learn the English phrase 'know-how'
Episode 241
In today's episode, we review the latest news on five previous topics: Hong Kong, the yellow vest protesters, Alex Trebek, Boeing, and Trump's challe…
6 years, 1 month ago
Should governments allow safe-injection sites for drug users? | Learn the English phrase 'grapple with'
Episode 240
Safe-injection sites are places where individuals can bring their own drugs, such as heroin and methamphetamine, and take them with clean needles und…
6 years, 1 month ago
Scientists discover a new ‘ghost’ ancestor from human DNA | Learn the English phrase 'for the most part'
Episode 239
By analyzing the DNA of living men and women in today’s West Africa, scientists have discovered a new branch of humanity. Until recently, our knowled…
6 years, 2 months ago
Global economy starts to feel coronavirus effects | Learn the English phrase 'silver lining'
Episode 238
The coronavirus has already taken a significant human toll, with tens of thousands infected and over 2500 deaths worldwide. But in addition to the hu…
6 years, 2 months ago
Inside the direct-to-consumer revolution | Learn the phrasal verb 'try on'
Episode 237
What do brands like Warby Parker eyeglasses, Bonobos pants, Casper mattresses, and Harry’s razors have in common? They are all part of the direct-to-…
6 years, 2 months ago
More than just hipsters, Brooklyn is a city unto itself | Learn how to use, 'you can tell'
Episode 236
In the fourth in our series of destinations, we visit Brooklyn, one of the five boroughs of New York City. Brooklyn is known for its thriving art and…
6 years, 2 months ago
Cable rupture slows internet in Africa | Learn the English phrase 'slow to a crawl'
Episode 235
In late January, two of the biggest undersea cables serving Africa unexpectedly broke, resulting in slowed internet speeds for hundreds of millions o…
6 years, 2 months ago