Almodovar's Gaze at Life & Death

Death is part of life and death can be gorgeous. These paradoxical aphorisms could have been written by Teresa of Ávila, but they have been painted by Pedro Almodóvar in his latest film, "The Room Next Door". 

"The Room Next Door" (01:42':23") is a La Mancha cinematographic work of art, only that it was shot in New York City, in Echo Lake Park & Westfield, New Jersey..., and in the "lush pine woods of San Lorenzo de El Escorial", Madrid, the capital of Spain (located in geographical La Mancha). Tilda Swinton (Martha) and Julianne Moore (Ingrid) walk and talk together, like Don Quixote and a fruit-loving Ingrid, through their lives and Martha's upcoming death while Ingrid helps her along the increasingly arduous trail. But this Shakespearean tragedy is regarded in Almodóvar's eyes as a festival of colours, sounds and literary references, which make it .... just beautiful! The film was awarded the Golden Lion at Venice International Film Festival, 2024.

Based on the novel "What Are You Going Through" by Sigrid Nunez, the film version is inspired by Edward Hopper's paintings, with references to Astrology Angel Number 1614, Fred Flintstones, Dora Carrington, Lytton Strachey, Virginia Wolf, James Joyce, the Film Society at Lincoln Center ("Journey to Italy" issue), "Erotic Vagrancy", Martha Gellhorn, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Buster Keaton, Stefan Zweig, John Huston etc. The movie frames are accompanied by a delicate score of chirping birds, violins, celloes, violas, oboes, harps and the odd piano or horn, and Ingrid often relishes delicious meals with fruit, wine, herbal teas, tender kisses and sex table talk in the city or in the "Green World", with a gentle breeze, flowers blooming and "the snow falling faintly through the universe, and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead" (a quote from James Joyce's The Dead). But Almodóvar is also an actively engaged filmmaker who drops occasional political statements in the movie about climate change, doom mongers, euthanasia, the rise of the far right and religious fanaticism, which contrasts sharply with the joyful sacrifice of the gay Carmelite priest, Bernardo, when he refuses to abandon his flock in his Baghdad mission, during the Iraq war.

"The room next door" has just been released in Movistar Plus, Apple TV, Filmin, etc. in Spain and it opened in cinemas the U.S. last December 20. The dialogues are slow and clear and the vocabulary is colloquial, full of phrasal verbs and interesting collocations, so, it can be recommended for C1 students and above with subtitles.  Some of the expressions that come up in the dialogues are: to make out to [somebody], to draw [a crowd], to run into [somebody], a guinea pig, in [good] spirits, to give up, to forgo [treatment], to get along, to swap, to take over, [to be] over, to be high [on drugs], to carve out [an abyss], rehab, to ease [his conscience], to track down, to be trapped, to pass out, a nuisance, to stop by, to be [right] over, to feel obliged, to be infatuated, to devote [time to somebody], an alley, to let [somebody] down, to keep [somebody] company, an opioid, to settle in, to impose [something on somebody], defeatist, bullshit, [what's the] point [in doing something?], a terrible fear of [death], to be confused, to be in touch, to flirt, a blood count, to fill [somebody] in with [information], a caretaker, to misplace [something], the skyline, hassle, [I] got it, a chemo brain, to be spared [something], to budge [from something], to waste away, unacceptable [behaviour], unbearable, [to be] one of a kind, to be winded, a lawsuit, the life of the party, to rush [in], to fend off, looming [thoughts of death], spell, a rehearsal, to act out [all things], here you go, a will, chilly, a downer, [a topic] to come up [in a conversation], to mutter, a coward, blitzed, appalled, a miscarriage, death throes, a scavenger, teethering, to fade away, a patch, the specifics, faith, to aid, to abide [in], the charges, an attorney, an asshole, a [religious] fanatic, sorry for your loss, to pack up, here you go, an estranged [child], to be hard on yourself, dawn.

If you want further information, you can listen to the Fresh Air interview Tilda Swinton thinks about death and says you should too, by Terry Gross, where Tilda talks about her own real life experience as a carer of her friend Derek Jarman and her terminally-ill mother and how tough -and eventually rewarding- it was to accept her own powerlessness. She also talks about her film career, her sexual orientation, and about her wonderful experience working with Pedro Almodóvar and Alberto Iglesias (composer of the score). This long interview (44') has a transcript, so it can be recommend to C1+, or C2 students.

The Gates Foundation

Bill Gates talks to Professor Jim Al-Khalili about his life, his philanthropic work, vaccines, conspiracy theories and one of his hobbies, pickleball, on the BBC Radio-4 programme The Life Scientific. 

The interview is rather long (35:59), and has no script, so, it is recommended for C2 students, although they speak slowly and clearly and the vocabulary is not particularly difficult. Next you can find a list of some interesting words, which can be used as a rough listening guide for lower-level students: a [college] drop-out, a super-villain, his ethos, to take on [issues], child-mortality rates, to feed [that enthusiasm], malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia, to partner with [governments], a mind-blowing [successful advent], [to organise] the funding, goofy [things], Slow-Horses, to fit in [exercise], pickleball, a low-key [interest], billionaireland, community [work], a [company] board, Planned-Parenthood, voracious, your niche, a flair for [programming], noughts & crosses, entranced, a [computer] bug, a payroll [programme], a [school] schedule, [to minimize] the disruption, endearing [level of complexity], a grade, hardcore, to reach out to [somebody], a [growing] buzz, exponential [capability], a spreadsheet, to drop out [of university], a fond [memory], to linger on well-trodden ground, a managerial [role], a  mistep, work-centric, commitment, to jump in, empowerment, an evangelist, monomaniacal, to mellow [you out], to overturn, to drag on, to get through, to figure out, to devote [time to something], [to change] the narrative, measles, smallpox, bednets, the chair [of a company], to strike me as [strange], mindset, developing countries, malnourished, to wield [that power], Gavi, a high bar, TB, at the forefront, expertise on [vaccines], an outlandish [conspiracy theory], to cull [the world population], a shortcut, to step down, debt, a [political] upheaval, to deliver [better education], to bridge [the polarization], to pursue [my curiosity].

Melinda French Gates gave an interview to Time magazine two months ago, after she started to pursue her own philanthropic goals away from the Gates Foundation. The YouTube clip (5:05) with subtitles is suitable for C1 students.  You can listen to her below:

Meditation in Science and Mindfulness at School

Meditation has been practised for centuries by various religious traditions to have a break from mundane pressures and to ease your worries. Lately, meditation has become increasingly popular among non-religious people as a way to focus your mind, and cope with stress and anxiety.  The article "Does meditation actually work? This is what the science says" by Judhijit Bhattacharjee on National Geographic explores how some scientific studies are trying to shed light on the benefits of meditation for mental health. This article is conceptually complex at times so, it is suitable for C1 students, who will encounter formal words like: to settle down, a [floor] mat, a worship [room], a deity, a throne, a [prayer] bead, to chant, a whisper, to enhance, [to be] rooted, a quest, enlightenment, to conduct [a study], to trigger [anxiety], to glow, mild, to shed [a fearful response], a [brain] scan, an MRI scan, to rely on [someting], a headband, rife [with stress], to strive [to apply it], a wispy [beard], assault, wrestling, flustered.

Many U.S. and British schools offer mindfulness programmes and apps to help kids concentrate and overcome negative emotions. You can listen to NPR's report "To help these school kids deal with trauma, mindfulness lessons over the loudspeaker" (6:34) by Pien Huang to learn more about how mindfulness practice is implemented in a Florida public school. This radio article can be accessible to B2+ students with the script and C1 learners without it, who will find interesting colloquial phrasal verbs and expressions like: loudspeaker, to cope with, packed, to hang out, to catch up, [apple] strudel, a wrapper, a [banana] peel, to line [the kids] up, to assemble, [your body is] still, to focus, homelessness, increasingly [popular], to shrink [the brain], a trait, to enhance [well-being], to show up [in school], forgiveness, to fidget, to let [that] go, to relieve [stress], to take it out on [somebody], an assignment, to draw on [something], to distill [the teachings], to tune into [sounds], to handle [sense awareness], to be dragged [around] [by their thoughts], [to feel] empowered, to scale up, a [shark] fin, to shape up [well], to hug, to high-five, to applaud, to have a hard time.

If you can find a partner to talk to, here you can find some Conversation Questions about "Meditation", from ESL Conversation Topics, with vocabulary to activate during the conversation. This speaking task can be done by B2+ students and above.

For extra information, you can read Rebecca Deurlein's article "Quieting your mind to meditate can be hard. Here's how sound can help", also on National Geographic, about the use of sound therapy to reduce stress.

Telepathy? A Brain Implant Lets Impaired Patients Do Incredible Things with their Thoughts

Mark, a patient with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), can send health notifications and text messages using his thoughts and a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) called Synchron BCI, which was developed by Australian neurosurgeon Dr. Thomas Oxley, and was implanted without major brain surgery by Dr. Raul G. Nogueira, according to the CNN Business video report "An implant in his brain lets him do incredible things with his thoughts".  I would like to thank my colleague Nuria G. for the information about this CNN Business report.

The 5:37 video with subtitles is suitable for B2 students and above, who will come across interesting words like: to send out, a pretty involved [process], [I don't take] lightly, ALS, to sign up to a clinical trial, a stentrode,

 

[brain computer] interface, [to play] pong, FDA [approval], a caregiver, paralysis, [motor] impairment, a wired mesh, [electrode] sensors, a stent, to sit in a [major] vein, deployed in a blood vessel, [minimally] invasive, a device, to fire impulses, an [electrical] signature, [electrical] patterns, [to take] a snapshot, a domain [of function], skull, garbled, [in the patient's] setting, tournament.

If you want further information, you can listen to Dr. Thomas Oxley talking about how close neurosurgery is to telepathy, that is, to a brain-computer interface for people who have lost the capacity to move or speak. This Sydney TED-Talk lasts 15:50, and can be watched with subtitles by B2 students and above.

The Princess of Asturias Awards & Leonor's Pledge of Allegiance to the Constitution

In an emotional evening, the winners of the 43rd edition of the Princess of Asturias Awards received the warm applause of the audience and the recognition of the Spanish Royal Family last Friday, while Princess Leonor read a mature speech about sacrifice and service, that made her parents gaze at her with profound pride. Then a band of pipers and drummers played the anthem of the principality of Asturias to contribute to the solemn and joyous atmosphere for the ceremony. Meryl Streep received the award for Arts, Nuccio Ordine for Communication and Humanities, Hélene Carrière D'Encausse for Social Sciences, Eliud Kipchoge for Sports, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) for International Cooperation, Jeffrey Gordon, E. Peter Greenberg and Bonnie L. Bassler for Scientific and Technical Research, Mary's Meals for Concord and Haruki Murakami for Literature. 

The award ceremony was the prelude of a historical week for Princess Leonor, who has taken a week off her military training at the Military Academy of Zaragoza to pledge alliance to the Spanish Constitution and become the official heir to the throne, according to the Daily Mail, which also published the new photos released for her 18th birthday. These two articles are suitable for C1 students, you can find the key words under the following paragraph. 

The texts and videos about the Award Ceremony come from the Princess of Asturias Foundation and they are suitable for B2 students and above.  You can find interesting vocabulary for example, in Meryl Streep's multimedia contents: holder, to star [in a Broadway production], to stand out, a leading role, to gain [recognition], [her best] performance, to earn [her an Oscar], committed to [defending women's rights]. In Nuccio Ordine's: to earn [a PhD], outstanding, numerous [articles], well-being. In Hélene Carrière D'Encausse's: to head [a Department]. In Eliud Kipchoge's: to stand atop [the highests podium], so-called, ups and downs, [to be] nicknamed, prowess, [ability] to focus, to cut [thirty seconds] off [the previous record], to go through [the arches], to smash [the world record], [300 metres] to go, a lap [of the track], endurance runs, tempo runs, to come down to [this], [history] unfolding, a marathon event, a [considerable] chunk, a history maker, [simply] stunning, scrambling [for superlatives]. Haruki Murakami: a graduate [in Literature], to converge, an unnerving [writer], the dreamlike [world], to be rooted, a budding [writer], to garner [success], a writing fellow [at Princeton University], an earthquake, [universal] scope. DNDi: a non-profit organization, underdevelopment, research, headquarters, to be chaired, funding, [public and private] entities, ailments, affordable [access], to plague [our world], neglected, toxic, scars, powerless, to launch [an initiative], to harness [the science], to develop [drugs], a conductor, a hit, to run clinical trials, to deliver [a treatment], to shape [the next years]. Jeffrey Gordon, E. Peter Greenberg and Bonnie L. Bassler: to spearhead, the microbiome, epithelial [cells], polysaccharides, thereby, to make up [the microbiota], a [new] approach, distinguished, gut, undernourished [children], to play a key role, to address [a problem], an acknowledgment, thrilling. Mary's Meals: to aim [to provide], relief, to achieve a goal, to carry out [its work], to devise, to the utmost, [local] produce, likewise, to ensure, fundraising, affiliates, to beat [in harmony], remarkable, to dwell, to struggle, a ladder, [all] walks of life.

The Daily Mail report on the oath of allegiance to the Constitution, you can find complex words like: to hail, to swear loyalty to the constitution, to be flanked, the heir [to the throne], [to look] regal, to be gripped, to step [on to the stage], [to look] composed, allegiance, queen regent, to engulf, to be betrayed, a [slight] hint [of nerves], a touching [moment], to glance, reassurance, to be honed, a stint, a boarding school, to mark [the anniversary], an unwavering delivery, to state, a commitment, to step up [her role], Queen-in-training, poignant, [hair] pulled back, a sleek ponytail, understated [make up], a fleeting [gesture].

In the Daily Mail photo report, you will find these words: a snap, a casual [display], a chic [display], a V-neck [t-shirt], to gaze [away], minimal [make up], to reveal, the coming of age, the queen-in-waiting, [to take an] oath, [to preserve] the Magna Carta, the successor, to wave [a flag], appreciation, to be bustling [with revellers], to be chaired, cavalry, squadron, to be deployed, to be up to par, an impressive [speech], to watch on, to entail, to praise, incredible, to achieve, the principality [of Asturias], outstanding, a low-key [birthday], fanfare, the Royal Mint, to mark [the birthday], the effigy, to be engraved, to undergo [military training], to be dubbed, a strict [timetable], [to be on] manoeuvres, to head to. 

★★★

Further reading: If you are interested in the microbiome and inmune system research, you can check these past entries in the blog: How the Inmune System Works and Super Poo Donors Wanted.

Walking Fast for 30 Minutes Can Reduce Dementia and Mortality

 

A recent study has proved that the intensity of exercise matters to reduce the risk of dementia and mortality caused by cancer or heart disease, according to CNBC reports. The article is suitable for B2 students, but there are links to JAMA Neurology and JAMA Internal Medicine leading to the scientific paper, Ahmadi et al, European Heart Journal, 2022, which is more suitable for C2 students and Medicine professionals.

In the CNBC article you can find some interesting words like: a step, to go about [walking], to keep up with a pace, to lower, to be committed to [a daily walk], burst, early death, to peak at [10,000 steps each day], to drop [risk of dementia], purposeful, to review the data, [to walk] briskly, [it] proved to be beneficial, a condition, a device, to monitor [phisical activity].

Time magazine also reports on a second study by Dempsey et al, European Heart Journal 2022, which also studied the intensity of the effort and the time spent. Tara Law explains in her report that "people who walked quickly for seven minutes instead of slowly for 14 minutes during that week had a lower rist of cardiovascular disease later on".  

Rejuvenation of Human Skin Cells to Reverse Ageing

Professor Wolf Reik from the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, has led a group of scientists to find a technique that rejuvenates skin cells by 30 years. BBC News recently reported about this breakthrough, a step forward in regenerative medicine research, which eventually might help in the treatment of diabetes, heart disease or neurological disorders, although there is still a great deal of work to be done, because some of the chemicals involved in the process of cell reprogramming can cause cancer, and clinical application are still "a long way off", according to Prof. Robin Lovell-Badge of the Francis Crick Institute in London.  

The BBC News article and the video below are suitable for C1 students and above.  You will find interesting words like: to tackle, ageing, tissues, age-related disease, disorders, to build on [a technique], to clone, super [exciting], to stress that, [scientific] issues to overcome, a critical step forward, to stem from, embryo, [human embryonic] stem cells, worn-out [body parts], to be regrown, to prove difficult, to cut short, a chemical bath, to be confident that, the [human] health span, the lifespan, to speed up [healing], to [part-]fund [the research], the long-stalled [benefits], immune cells, [immune cells become less] responsive, to boost [people's response to vaccination], [a method] of whole-body regeneration, an elixir of youth, an anti-ageing pill, fart-fetched, [scientific] hurdles, a trivial [process], chemicals, a long way off.

You can also watch this short BBC News video with subtitles (2':20"), which tells the story in, perhaps, slightly more colloquial terms:

Finally, if you are an expert in Biology, you might enjoy watching this 4':49" video from Golahura You Tube Channel, which is more technical, and could be assessed as beyond C2 level, that is ("Level Ex" for experts) in the classification of this blog.

Why Food Allergies are on the Rise

"Food allergies have risen to an absolutely crazy extent", according to Grahan Rook, emeritus professor of medical microbiology at University College London, and hospital admissions figures in the US, Australia and Europe, are part of the data that prove that strong statement. This BBC Future article discusses two hypotheses -the hygiene hypothesis and the dual-allergen exposure theory- that try to explain this sharp increase in food allergies around the world, and the environmental factors that affect the response of our immune system to certain products. The length, technicality and textual complexity of this article, make it suitable for C2 students.

The more interesting new words you will come across in this article are: on the rise, risky, a minor reaction, itching, swelling, a mild, severe [reaction], anaphylaxis, a state of shock, wheezing, dizziness, vomiting, pulse, blood preasure, to drop, airways, hospital admissions, [increased] threefold, to see [a 72%] rise in [the number of hospital admissions], to be aware of [food allergies], to pinpoint, self-reported data, food intolerance, prevalence, the "gold-standard" test for [a food allergy], to involve [feeding], a [clinical] setting, time-consuming, costly, to come [with risks], peer-reviewed sources, the rate, the range [of foods], to widen, to go by the name of ["the hygiene hypothesis], to give a wide berth, appalling, siblings, hay fever, eczema, declining [family size] household amenities, cleanliness, the gut, [to increase] the likelihood of [meeting] the microbiota, [born by] caesarian section, the birth canal, [an allergic] disorder, to lower the risk, to develop an allergy, to coin [a phrase], biocide-treated timber, plasterboard, to bear [no relation to], a failure, dual-allergen exposure, a detour [into], to end up with [guidance], dust, to trigger [a response], an infant, early-onset [eczema], to handle, a window of opportunity, an EpiPen, to caution [women] against [eating peanuts], pregnancy, a conclusive link, to change tack, barely, vulnerable to [food allergies], to deprive ourselves [of Vitamin D], a Goldilocks [scenario], amid [a rise in food allergy cases], to yield, promising [results].

Covid Symptoms: Is it a Cold, Flu or Coronavirus?

Autumn is coming to the Northern hemisphere, children are going back to school and coughing, sneezing or runny noses are also back in our households.  If you have any of those symptoms, you may also worry that you have caught the coronavirus. You can watch this short BBC News video (1':51") below to find out the differences between these three respiratory illnesses.  It is not very difficult, and there are automatic subtitles, so it is recommended for B2 students and above.

You will come across basic health vocabulary like: a blocked nose, a runny nose, a sore throat, a cough, flu, (a) temperature, (a) fever, to self-isolate with your household, sneezing, to catch your sneeze, the spray, to infect [others], tissues, a loss of taste, a coughing episode, to have trouble breathing, to spread [covid 19], a nasty cold, to put you down, social distancing, masks, handy.

If you want more information, you can read the written version of the story here, there are more new words, and many links to other related health stories. Some of the new words are: to fight off, a thermometer, chest, armpit, to tuck, to tug, squeeze, muscle aches, chills, tiredness, a stuffed nose, a heavy cold, to feel unwell, a coughing fit, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, [sneeze] droplets, the [flu] jab, the run-up [to winter], to present with [respiratory symptoms], a [skin] rash, a mild/ severe [symptom], [to feel] breathless.

If you want a lesson plan with its key for B2 students, and a printable version of the article, you can click here.

Sam Giambalvo, a Nurse and a Moving Embrace at the 7:00 Clap

This is a "human interest" story from Humankind, a USA Today video channel on YouTube and Facebook that features "uplifting stories about kindness, triumphs and special relationships". 

Sam Giambalvo is a travelling nurse who tells an emotional story at the 7:00 clap back in June 2020. She speaks fast, standard American English, but there are subtitles, which can be very helpful. You will hear lots of expressions related to feelings, for example: sirens, applause, honoring, frontline workers, to pass away, ER, to follow your feelings, comforting, I lost it, let me be upset, a split second, to get me through the shift, to give a hug, to look forward to something, a terrace, a storey, to hold a sign, to wave for you, to point at you, he fist pumps, he'll blow kisses, sirens wailing, joyous, appreciation, to sprint out there, to show up, God is blessing us, break, upbeat music.

 

This video can be recommended to C1 students (with the subtitles).

100,000 Mink to be Culled in Aragon

The BBC reports that 100,000 mink are going to be culled in a farm in Puebla de Valverde (Teruel) because they have been infected with coronavirus, after Joaquín Olona, agriculture minister for the Aragon region, announced the decision yesterday.  The outbreak was discovered back in May, when the wife of a farm worker was infected with the virus.  It is not clear, though, if transmission from animals to humans and viceversa is possible.  Similar cases have been found in the Netherlands and Denmark, major producers of mink for their fur. Click here if you want more details of the story.

This report is suitable for B2 students.  You will find interesting words and expressions in context like mink, to be culled, an outbreak, to contract the virus, to test positive, to be bred for their fur, hotspots, to stress [an idea], unwittingly, an unsubstantiated theory, to pass on a disease, to be slaughtered.

"Shirley" Starring Elisabeth Moss

Elisabeth Moss plays the role of writer Shirley Jackson in the movie Shirley, which began to stream on virtual cinema platforms on June 5th.  Here you can read and listen to a 7 minute review of the film by Los Angeles Times critic Justin Chang, broadcast on NPR's Fresh Air. Film reviews are usually very rich in language, and when they are broadcast on the radio, they are particularly difficult to understand for the density of information, as they are usually literary essays read out loud, so both the audio and the text are classified as C2.  You will come across words like bond, fraught, glimpse, to chime, to deserve, script, loosely, insight, bout, to pursue, chore, vicious, to thrive, to get back on track, to root, wrinkle, muse, stand-in, layers, dizzyingly, jagged, close-up, to swerve, handheld, score, to pulse, to grapple with, conundrums, to blur, uncannily, to excel at, exertion, to tease out, odd, tenderness, prickly, to awe, to bind, to cheat on somebody, to endure to chafe against something, and snobbery. 

You can also do a listening comprehension exercise based on the interview that Elisabeth Moss gave to NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday when she was promoting her film The One I Love.  The pace of this 5 minute, 7 sec radio interview is fast, but natural, and the language is rather colloquial, you will find words like time-shifting, impressive, rom-com, widespread, to set up, plot, crossroads, to send off, retreat, to reset, hijinks (high jinks), to ensure, to end up doing something, boundaries, shooting, breakneck, naive, calculating, gullible, weird, show runner, roles, to get something down, to work on something.  In the file you will find a recording of the interview, the script, a multiple-choice listening task and the key.  You will also find a lesson plan for both the film review above and this radio interview. The listening and speaking task has been designed for C1 students.

If you still want to listen on, you can click here to find a 47 minute long interview to Elisabeth Moss from NPR's Bullseye with Jesse Thorn.  As there is no script, this interview is recommended for C2 students or for experts.

Travel Safety in Times of Coronavirus

As de-escalation progresses around the world and the economy starts to activate, people are slowly starting to plan their holidays in times of a global pandemic, and the first question is "Is it safe to travel now?" This National Geographic article answers some of the questions people are asking themselves, like "Should I get on a plane?", "Should I head to a national park?", "Should I rent a cottage by the sea?", "Should I stay in a hotel?" "Should I use a public restroom (American English for "toilet")? etc.  This article can be easily read by B2 students. I would like to thank my student María A. for sending me this article.

The travel industry is taking a proactive strategy to increase safety standards that can guarantee its customers' health and peace of mind.  This Arab News report explains the new measures that have been introduced by Emirates airline to increase hygiene from check-in to disembarkation. This article is very short but very dense, so it can be suitable for B2 students.

Face Masks Are Becoming Fashionable

Coronavirus is also changing fashion. This BBC article talks about how the fashion industry is turning face masks into the trendy accessory of the season:  Angel Obassi's wedding outfit, with a matching face mask, received more than 100,000 "likes" on Instagram and when Tiziana Scaramuzzo posted the images of a trikini as a joke on Elexia Beachwear, she started to receive thousands of orders.  You can also watch a short video where South-Korean designer Paul Parks shows how he sews his new washable and re-usable cotton masks. Read this article if you are ready to fight COVID-19 in style!
This report is suitable for B2 students.

Mother's Day

Mother's day is celebrated on May 10th in USA, India and Australia, on March 22nd in the UK and Ireland and on May 3rd in Spain. Here you can read three stories related to the topic.

The first story is Kate Middleton's virtual visit to a new mother in a hospital in South-West London, where she has a friendly conversation with the astonished new mother, who describes the experience as "surreal".  Kate's goal was to raise awareness about the mental health issues that can affect new mothers.  The story comes from "The Daily Mail", a royalist tabloid in the UK, and it is suitable for B2 students.

The second story comes from The New York Times, and it reports on how florists are preparing to deliver bouquets of flowers for Mother's Day in the USA during confinement.  The language in the article is very descriptive -precise nouns and adjectives- which can be challenging, so the text is suitable for C1 students, but the pictures, of course, can be enjoyed by anyone.

Finally, the third story also comes from The Daily Mail, but from the Australia edition, in this case.  The article explains how social distancing restrictions will affect the celebration of Mother's Day in the different states and territories in Australia.  The text is not too difficult, it is full of passive voice verbs, but it can be read by B1 students with the help of a dictionary to look up words like "gatherings" (meetings), "to ease restrictions" (to reduce or to soften restrictions) or "hugs" (embraces).

Spaniards Rush Outside After Lockdown

Yesterday was the first day that Spanish people were allowed to exercise outdoors after 49 days of lockdown.  It was a day so many people had been longing for and, perhaps, a day to remember.  This is how Reuters reported the story for Channel News Asia (CNA) in Singapore.
This text is suitable for B2 students.