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Iconic preacher Billy Graham dies | Phrasal verb ‘carry out’
Episode 25
Billy Graham, the American preacher whose crusades personally reached hundreds of millions of people, died at age 99. He became just the fourth priva…
8 years, 2 months ago
Another school shooting in the US | Learn English phrase ‘pour out’
Episode 24
A 17-year-old shot and killed 17 people at a school he once attended in Florida. Another 12 people were injured in the attack. Mass shootings at scho…
8 years, 2 months ago
China welcomes Year of the Dog | Learn English phrasal verb ‘sweep away’
Episode 23
The Lunar New Year began this week with celebrations across Asia. In China, families follow traditions associated with good luck, dressing in new clo…
8 years, 2 months ago
Fan-made Harry Potter movie on YouTube | Phrasal verb ‘come out’
Episode 22
A fan-produced movie called “Voldemort: Origins of the Heir” was released on YouTube last month, free of charge. The movie is an unofficial “prequel”…
8 years, 2 months ago
Olympics open in South Korea | English idiom ‘third time’s the charm’
Episode 21
PyeongChang, South Korea, is host to the Winter Olympics. In the chilly opening ceremony, North and South Korea marched under one flag—and one athlet…
8 years, 2 months ago
Russian activist arrested | Practice English phrase ‘turn out’
Episode 20
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was arrested on his way to a rally in Moscow. Navalny is the leader of a movement to boycott the upcoming pr…
8 years, 2 months ago
Groundhog Day traditions in US | English phrasal verb ‘suffer through’
Episode 19
In one of America’s strangest holidays, a groundhog predicts that winter will last six more weeks. The tradition inspired the 1993 movie “Groundhog D…
8 years, 2 months ago
Mexico debates legalizing marijuana | What it means to ‘get your fix’
Episode 18
A Mexican government official suggested legalizing marijuana in tourist areas to reduce violence, but a majority of Mexicans appear to be against the…
8 years, 3 months ago
Super Bowl traditions in US | English expression ‘pit against’
Episode 17
One of the biggest dates on the American cultural calendar is the first weekend of February—Super Bowl Sunday. On this episode of Plain English, we t…
8 years, 3 months ago
Stolen: World’s most expensive bottle of vodka | English phrase 'getting cold feet’
Episode 16
A collector’s bottle of vodka, made of gold and silver and decorated with diamonds and classic car parts, was stolen from the basement of a bar in Co…
8 years, 3 months ago