Floods in Spain & Climate Change Summit

Valencia suffered the worst floods in history two weeks ago, with a death toll of 224 people in two regions so far, and Malaga has just suffered heavy rains and limited floods, while the COP29 climate meeting has recently opened in Azerbaijan.

Here you can listen to several audio clips from Today (14/11/24), on BBC Radio-4, and discuss climate change and natural disasters. First, you can listen to an interview to Jacqui Ross (03:52), who has suffered the most recent floods in Malaga and another interview to climate scientist Simon Lewis (03:23), explaining why extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and you can do two listening tasks and a discussion. The tasks are suitable for C1 students and above, who will come across words, in Jacqui Ross's, like: lash, awashed, disrupted, bracing [for], heavy [rain], to wash away, flooded [streets], [animal] rescue, to clear up, to step out, wellington boots, a tsunami, clearance, to burst its banks, sheer [quantity of rain], to fare, travails, to be prompted, drought. In Simon Lewis: fossil fuel [emissions], [extreme weather] events, moisture, downpours, the bigger picture, to withstand, a heat wave, a backlash, harsh, to get to grips [with].

Today also covered the floods in Valencia on 01/11/24:  here you can find a short news bulletin (01:24), and then you can listen to a longer eyewitness report by Bethany Bell with an interview to a local volunteer Paco Pola (05:29), who describe the devastation, the helplessness and the first rescue efforts by volunteers right after the disaster (you can see some images of the devastation here).  You can do a listening and speaking task for B2 students and above, who will come across interesting words like: surreal, flashed floods, swept away, eyewitness, to pile up, debris, a chest, a lightning flash, officials, utter [devastation], [action] to ensue, to set off.

For further information, you can read an article by environment correspondent Matt MacGrath, Scientists Say Climate Change Made Spanish Floods Worse, or read Aljazeera's report on the U.N. climate meeting in Azerbaijan, COP29 Azerbaijan: What's at stake at the 2024 climate summit?.

Trump Wins the U.S. Elections

Donald Trump has won a second term in office as president of the U.S.A., and the Republican party has regained control of the Senate and, most problably, retained its majority in the House of Representatives, which means that Trumpism and the Republican party will dominate the American political agenda for the next two years, at least until the mid-term elections.

The Republican victory came as a staggering surprise for many, including some progressive media pundits, because the polls had predicted a very tight race, and there were even concerns of a slow, painful and acrimonious vote count if Mr. Trump didn't win the race, but, in fact, CNN and other media networks soon declared a sweeping victory for the Republican party, starting in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, on election night. But unlike in Ronald Reagan's landslide victory over Jimmy Carter in 1980, the Democrats have remained united under the leadership of Kamala Harris and have won 226 electoral votes in their traditional strongholds of New York, New England, Illinois, the West Coast etc. To understand how the American people have voted, and how Mr. Trump has won the popular vote with small but crucial gains in various social groups across the nation, you can read the BBC News article "How Small Gains Delivered Trump a Big Win" (Nov. 8th).  This article analyses data with many charts, so its difficulty is not so much linguistic as contextual (learners lack the necessary background information) and it requires basic chart literacy skills, so, it can be recommended for B2+/C1 students and above, who will find interesting words like: to deliver [a gain], to land [a presidency, a job etc], to tip the balance, a swing [towards Trump], pervasive, to outline, to tally [votes], to do the trick, the battleground, to survey, to flip, a stark [difference], to cut through, to cast [a ballot].

If you want to read further, you can check out CNN's article "8 Takeaways From the 2024 Election" (Nov. 6th), which is more demanding in terms of syntax, vocabulary choice, density of information and cultural knowledge (Amercian politics) so, it is recommended for C2 students and Experts, who will encounter interesting vocabulary like: a takeaway, dire [warnings], the blue wall, to romp, to near-mirror, [to be] poised [to return to office], to ease [his path], to tally [results], to slip [into], musings, an edge [to hold], a glass ceiling [to shatter], a [significant gender] split, to back [Harris], to propel, the GOP, a tie-breaking [vote], to fall short, a long shot, to buck a trend, neck-and-neck, to step down, an incumbent, hamstrung, bipartisan, [to be] on the chopping block, to be off the table, to uproot, to dole out, a [governing] trifecta, a bleak [night], to mine [votes], a stronghold, to chew on, soul searching, finger-pointing, a razor thin [race], to drag on, to court [men], to pay off, to be deep underwater, gerrymandering.

Petra, the Treasury of the Nabatean Civilization

Alice Morrison travels to Petra in Southern Jordan, to show Al Khazneh, the treasure of the old Nabatean civilization, a blend of ancient cultures on the old incense trade route. This BBC video clip, "The treasury of the enigmatic Nabatean civilization" (3:01), shows wonderful pictures and not many words, so, it can be recommended for B1 students and above, who can come across interesting terms like: a nomad, incense, a treasury, breathtaking, carved, a frieze, a tomb, a façade, a jar, shooting, a [solar] disc, a horn, a statement.   

If you are interested, you can watch the whole episode, "Arabian Adventures: the Secrets of the Nabateans, Episode  1" (22:53), and, futhermore "Arabian Adventures: the Secrets of the Nabateans, Episode  2" (22:48). Both episodes have subtitles and can be recommended for C1 students, some of the most interesting words is episode 1 are: a trail,to forge, harsh [conditions], swallowed up, to thrive, a clue, to delve [deep] into, to carve, a gorge, a threshold to [a city], a treasury, breathtaking, exquisite, a frieze, a tomb, a façade, a jar, a shooting, a pediment, a horn, an statement, a sandstone, a shepherd, [to play] hide and seek, a toll, a magnet, pottery, a shard, a karat, a whiff, frankincense, myrrh, off the beaten track, to eat your heart out, to dig, a shovel, brooding [rock], unrelating, impressive, a deity, to worship, a stepping stone, a scarf, a drought, a date, a dromedary, a one humped camel, an insight. Whereas in Episode 2, you will come across: a bubbling [mountain], massive, a towering [monument], a clue, a stonemason,a façade, a burial, to carve, a clean-cut [appearance], to chisel, smooth, a forerunner [of Arabic], thrilling, a nerd, to overlook [the trade route], a grid-like [system], to kick off, a lawn mower, bumpy, a timeline, to [hit] gold, skyscape, to make [somebody] tick, an artefact, a headdress, a thrill, awe-inspiring, grinding, resourceful, a priestess, to round up [our knowledge]. An introductory article to this BBC series can be found on "Alice Morrison explores ancient Nabataean secrets in new BBC series", which can be easily read by B2 students and above, with some interesting words like: to dwell, to span, to be crowned, to carve, a tomb, a sandstone, to delve into.

U.S. Presidential Campaign 2024: Issues, Polls, & Fakes

The U.S. Presidential campaign is in full swing, with Donald Trump and Kamala Harris as the two presidential candidates.  They have recently held a television debate on ABC News to discuss the election issues (the economy, immigration, abortion, democracy in the U.S., Israel, Ukraine etc.) and their character suitability for the job. Here you can find the highlights of the debate (9:11), a video with subtitles for C1 students, who can pick up words like: the gloves were off, grievances, to punch [back], the stakes [are high], [to be locked in] dead heat, to get away with [something], to be fired, [to get] heated, the GOP, hence, to factcheck, to overturn [a court decision], to hammer [the Biden administration], [to defend her] record, a bipartisan [border bill],  debunked [claims], to bring up [an issue], to reach out to [the city manager of Springfield, Ohio], to needle, a windmill, [to ban] fracking, a buyback [programme for assault weapons], [opinion] polls, to hold back, to go down as [the worst vice pressident], to face off against [a different candidate], a bid [for a second term], a tight [race], [to hold] steady, a hush money [case], liable, weaponization, to endorse [Harris],to champion [the rights and causes], a powerhouse [roundtable], a contentious and consequential [Presidential election].

The election is very tight, and it is, problably going to be decided in 7 swing states -also called battleground or purple states, where there is no clear majority of red (Republican) or blue (Democrat) voters: Pennsylvania, Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan. The presidential electors from these states are key to reach the 270 majority in the electoral college that will eventually vote for the President and Vice President, according to the U.S. Constitution. The polls keep changing marginally, so if you want to keep track of the latest polls from now till election day on November 5th, you can follow 270 to Win, Presidential Election Polls.  Here you can take a quick look at the current election map, with the swing states coloured in grey:

The Presidential election 2024 is also being fought bitterly in the social media, where fake pictures, lies and exaggerations live hand in hand with satire and the plain truth. X-Twitter and Instagram are, perhaps, the most popular media for anyone to express their own views freely, but also to spread lies without any restraint.  The fake image of Kamala Harris dressed as a Communist dictator, which was published by Elon Musk (the owner of X and a staunch supporter of Trump)

was soon responded by the hacktivist Anonymous group with the fake picture of Mr. Musk depicted in a Nazi uniform. But the most powerful fake images revolve around pop celebrities like Taylor, and her Swifties, whose photos have been tampered with to vote for Trump, as The Times of India reports in "From 'Communist Harris' to 'Swifties for Trump': AI Generated Images Muddy US Presidential Election 2024".  Some interesting words and collocations C1 students will find in this article are: to muddy, [to raise] concerns, a deepfake, a winking [smiley], blatant, to downplay [the comment], a hacktivist [group], backlash, a [tech] mogul, to groove, to sync [to the music], to caption, to poke fun at [critics], witty, banter, to pose [a threat].

Taylor Swift has finally ended this misleading debate by posting a statement on Instagram to endorse Kamala Harris with a real photo of herself as a "childless cat lady", as Mehera Bonner reports for Cosmopolitan, in "Taylor Swift Breaks her Political Silence and Endorses Kamala Harris for President in Moving Statement", where B2 students will find words like: to endorse, the upcoming [election], to conjure up [fears], to cast [my vote], a steady-handed, gifted [leader], to stand up for [LGBTQ+ rights].

Spain's Pineapple Craze for Supermarket Romance

The crazy fad of finding romance in supermarkets with a pineapple code has gone viral across Spain, and has recently become the joke of the country, Guy Hedgecoe reports on this Tik-Tok fueled phenomenon for BBC News in the article "Spain's 'pineapple-gate' sparks hopes of romance and shop chaos". This short article is suitable for B2 students, who will find interesting words like: [pineapple]-gate, to spark, a craze, to seek [partners], a claim, a trolley, to hook up, a caption, disorderly, a bachelor party, rowdy [scenes], a trend, upside-down, to swap, swinging (slang), [pineapple] mania, to clear up, a storeroom, to fall into, clutch.

Below you can watch a video report on the story, with its transcript, by Curiosities YouTube channel, where B2 students can find words like: a hookup, a trend, a single, a hotspot, to picture, to cruise, , the [wine] aisle, upside-down, a cart, a fling, to sneak, gazpacho, quirky, to trade, a swipe, to peel, a bump. 

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:

Spain Wins Eurocup & Alcaraz Wins Wimbledon

 

It was a one-off Sunday afternoon in the summer time, when Carlos Alcaraz won Wimbledon for the second time in his young career, and a close-knit team of both young and experienced players won the Eurocup in Berlin for Spain, late in the evening. 

Emlyn Begley covers the football story for BBC Sport in "'A good thing for footbal' -Spain's victory caps off perfect campaign", a report for C1 students who will come across football technical terms like: to cap off, to hail, [fully] deserved, to win [over England], to beat [every other European nation], a [teenage] sensation, an assist, to be tipped [for glory], midfield, a winger, the opener, to net [the winner], to set up [a goal], the brand, a midfielder, a dissenting [voice], to quieten, to come off [the bench], a squad, a centre-back, [much-]maligned, a left-back, bits and pieces, [on the] pitch, [the Spanish] side, the subs[titutes], [to deserve] credit, the [goal]keeper, to be sacked, a [football] academy.

Amy Lofthouse writes the Wimbledon chronicle for BBC Sport in "An annihilation - Alcaraz always had the answers", where C1 students will find words like: annihilation, highlights, [in three] straight [sets], to retain, the build-up, almighty, tussle, to flip [the script], off-colour, relentless, to get his teeth stuck into, a tie-break, to blink, upwards of [15 Slams], a flawless [performance], to underscore, the Open Era, a feat, arguably, to outplay, ominously, hamstring, [to get] on top of [something], clay.

Ariane 6

The European Space Agency is planning to launch Ariane 6 rocket today. Here you can listen to a BBC Radio-4 interview to rocket engineer, Kate Underhill, by Amol Rajan on Today programme (3:43), where the scientist discusses the uses of space technology.  You can also find a listening comprehension task with a follow-up oral discussion for B2+ students and above. The recording has no script, but students will come across many technical terms like: a heavy-lift [rocket], [observation] tools, a propulsion [engineer], a launch, intricacies, to underpin, Galileo GPS positioning systems, a [heavy-lift] launcher, low-earth orbit, to deliver [cargo], the Equator, an earthquake, [no] issue, strategic, various [different satellites], the global positioning system, confidence.

***

The launch of Ariane 6 yesterday was a success, although an anomaly with one of the computers on board was recorded at the end of the flight, and two re-entry capsules were not dropped as planned, BBC News reports this in "Europe's Ariane-6 rocket blasts off on maiden flight", which includes a short video with the actual take off of the spaceship. This article is recomended for C1 students, as it contains a combination of technical and colloquial terms like: to blast off, maiden [flight], to set off, a launchpad, a clutch of [satellites], a crew, to soar [into the sky], smoothly, onboard, to pressurise [the propulsion system], to set up [the final task], to jettison, nonetheless, relieved, a heavy-lift [rocket], fairing, [upper] stage, booster, a payload, a workhorse [rocket], a backlog [of contracts], expendable, reusable, to carve out a niche [for itself], to harness, state-of-the-art [manufacturing techniques], friction stir welding, augmented reality [design], to result in [faster and cheaper production], to lift, a strap-on booster, core [stage], a [large] batch [of satellites], to pull [itself] back [down to Earth], to linger, [space] junk, to hold up [the Ariane-6 programme], [high] jeopardy, an outright [failure], to blow itself apart, to put [the loss] down to [an error], dominance, to undercut [the competitiveness], an order book, a leading [player], [to supply] components.  The European Space Agency has published a thorough technical description of the rocket in "Ariane 6, Overview", which is recommended for experts ("Ex" level of difficulty).

Keir Starmer Wins the 2024 General Election

Labour has won a landslide victory in the general election, and Keir Starmer has already taken office as the new UK's Prime Minister. The Labour party won a historical overall majority in Parliament, which means a sweeping swing from the results of the last general election when the Conservatives took many Labour seats in traditional Labour strongholds in the North of England. The Liberal Democrats have also taken sixty seats from the Tories, mostly in the South of England. The BBC offers many interactive maps in the page "General election 2024 in maps and charts", and conscientious data analysis, for example, how the British electoral law ("first-past-the post" system) damaged third and fourth parties like UK Reform and the Greens, in the piece "Biggest-ever gap between number of votes and MPs hits Reform and Greens". 

The article with the maps & charts is suitable for B2 students and above, as it contains lots of visual information. The vocabulary is more suitable for B2+ students and above, who will encounter words like: a landslide [majority], a seat, to declare [a result], a tally, a gap, the share [of the vote], to plummet, to return [an MP], a constituency, the turnout. The article about the gap between votes and MPs is denser, and more suitable for C1 students, who will find interesting words like: a gap, share [of vote], to prompt, blatantly, flawed, first-past-the-post [electoral system], roughly [equal], a grandee, to boost, a hung parliament, to exact [a price]. 

If you want further info, you can read a short bio of each new member of the Cabinet in "Who is in Keir Starmer new cabinet?, a collection of notes which are suitable for C1 students. To find out more about the family background, professional and political career as well as the musical preferences of the new Prime Minister, you can listen to the  Desert Island Discs programme on BBC Radio 4: "Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the oposition",  which is a long recording (37:00) without transcript, first broadcast in 2020, which can be suitable for C2 students. You can also watch below his first solemn speech as a Prime Minister on this YouTube video with subtitles (C1 level):

"Cloistered", a Former Nun Talks about her Life in a Monastery

  

Catherine Coldstream is a former nun who has written a memoir about her 12 years in a Carmelite monastery in the North of England.  She was interviewed by Terry Gross on Fresh Air in "A former nun explains why she ran away from her 'Cloistered' life" (43:53), where she talks about her artistic family background, how she found God and entered a monastery, her life there, how she left nunhood and her life after leaving the Carmelite order.

The interview is long, but students can get the support of the transcript, if they need to, so it can be accessible to C1 learners and above, who will come across interesting words like: cloistered, to be at rock bottom, to revolve around, to deprive of [something], to weave, to bounce off, gosh, hermit, monasticism, to draw [to], an arty [household], to go downhill, angst, hammer blow, bereavement, to be devastated, utterly [static], self-denial, the [monastic] rule, a matraque, a rattle, avant-garde, to plumb [the depths], 

a manor [house], rambling, an outbuilding, stained-glass [windows], a flagstone, derelict, bare, stark, drafty, [windows] to rattle, a meadow, lino, distemper, a rite of passage, accoutrement, to trigger, to be dragged down, serge, encumbered, to stab, to tuck up, to glimpse, grille, to set up yourself as [different], a threshold, to lure, [to take] a vow, a prioress, [to give] carte blanche, free rein, a clique, coterie, a breakdown, to take it out on [somebody phisically], tempers [flying], to be carted, to crack up, bruised, to withhold, [to reach] breaking point, buoyancy, two-edged, a [peaceful] vibe, to simmer, to seethe, to flap, to bottle up [questions], buzzy [people], a rupture, a rift, flawed, a retreat, to be frowned upon.

If you want to watch Catherine Coldstream talking about her life experience and her book on YouTube, you can click on the link below: