A High Fashion, Trash Shopping Mall in Sweden

BBC News reports about this shopping mall in Eskilstuna, near Stockholm, where everything is recycled.  It is located right next to the city's recycling centre, shopkeepers pick unwanted household objects which they resell or upcycle. The mall also hosts a design school, where students learn how to upcycle donated objects.  It is creative, sustainable and a business success.  Do you think this idea would work outside Sweden? Why/why not?

Do not miss the short video with subtitles at the bottom of the report, there you can see the shopping mall with your own eyes.

How the Immune System Works

Immunologist professor, Daniel Davies from Manchester University, has recently published a book, "The Beautiful Cure:  the Revolution in Immunology and What It Means for your Health". Here he talks to NPR's Fresh Air host, Terry Gross, about the complexity of the immune system:  how differently it works during the day and during the night, how stress can weaken the immune system, how age changes the immune system and how discoveries in immune system research can help fight diseases like cancer or rheumatoid arthritis.  Finally, Daniel Davies explains how difficult it is for scientists to understand the data that they gather from immune system research because it is very surprising and counter-intuitive. 

The novelty of the content, the density of information, the fuzziness of the expression and the technicality of the language make it difficult to follow professor Davies in some parts of the interview, so this link is classified as Ex (for Experts and teachers) beyond the top C1 and C2 levels of the Council of Europe.

Super Poo Donors Wanted

Faecal transplants can help to regenerate the microbiome of ill bowels and boost the immune system.  But not all poo is the same, some people's poo contains more microorganisms and this makes these people "super donors", BBC News report.

Will Mr. Bean Be Back Again?

Rowan Atkinson talks to Grahan Norton on BBC One about the possibility of a return of Mr. Bean, and then he goes on to tell a funny anecdote that happened to him near Peterborough in Cambridgeshire.  Although this video has subtitles and facial humour, the language is by no means easy, so it is classified as a C2 level. 

Why is "The Scream" Still an Icon Today?

The Scream by Edvard Munch (1863-1944) is one of those paintings that everybody can recognize, as it has been replicated and parodied in so many images in popular culture, from anti-nuclear posters to emojis. BBC Arts reports on the upcoming exhibition "Edvard Munch: Love and Angst", which the British Museum will host from 11 April to 21 July, 2019.

The Coolest Gadgets for 2019

The CES 2019 at Las Vegas is the largest consumer technology fair in the world.  It showcases more than 4,500 exhibiting companies that present their latest gadgets.  Here you can find the coolest gizmos from this year's edition:  a rool-up TV screen, an electric Harley Davidson motorbike, a quantum computer, a headband for insomniacs, an instant water-heater for tea, the fastest tooth brush in the world and the most beautiful gaming monitor ever. 

CES 2019 displayed amazing innovations in TV technology.  Here you can watch a video and read an article about the latest trends in TV sets.

The Brexit Debate in the Streets of Westminster

Brexit is a deeply divisive issue in the United Kingdom right now.  Brexiteers and Remainers have had heated debates in Parliament and in the media in the past months.  Two opposing activists, Steve Bray and Harry Todd have been campaigning in the streets of Westminster, outside the British Parliament. This short BBC News video (3:34) tells their story.

Bangladesh Garment Workers Strike

Workers in the garment industry in Bangladesh went on strike over low wages for more than two weeks.  One worker was killed and 50 were injured in clashes with the police. International retail giants like H&M, Walmart, Primark, Tesco or Aldi are among the main buyers of clothes made in Bangladesh.

Here you can read a report from The Times of India about the unrest and the clashes with the police (Jan. 9th, 2019).

And here you can read another story from Channel News Asia (Singapore) that reports about the sacking of hundreds of workers after the protest ended and strikers returned to work (Jan. 16th., 2019).

In Praise of Boredom

Boredom has very bad press these days. People seem to fear boredom and try to live fast and multitask. So, it is striking to hear somebody mounting a full-blown argument in defense of... creative, detoxing boredom! This is what Rev. Dr. Giles Fraser, an Anglican priest, does in the recording below, which was broadcast on 17/09/18, on the BBC Radio 4 programme "Today".  It is an episode of the slot "Thought for the Day" ,where thinkers of different faiths reflect on people and issues in the news.

You can find a link to a Google Drive download of the recording of Rev. Dr. Giles Fraser's reflection on boredom, here (The BBC website only keeps podcasts of past programmes for 30 days) and a transcription of the words, thanks to my colleague Pablo A.

Do you agree with Rev. Giles Fraser? Should you allow yourself 10 or 15 minutes of "creative, detoxing, boredom" everyday? Should you stop learning English right now, and get bored for a little while?

Bill Cunningham: Colours in Winter

Bill Cunningham (1929-2016) was a fashion photographer for the New York Times,who often found inspiration in ordinary people with their own personal style.  This video shows stunning colours in New York streets, and how they mirror the natural colours which can be found in fruit and vegetable markets in the city.  A treat for the eye and for the spirit!

Queen Letizia in a Tracksuit-style Outfit

Queen Letizia of Spain hit the headlines at an official reception in Zarzuela Palace.  The Daily Mail reported that she wore a plain, black T-shirt, black trousers with a sporty white stripe, high heels and diamond and sapphire earrings.  Some people found this casual look disrespectful:  Did she dress down for the occasion, or is she a trendsetter? Are tracksuits stylish now? In fashion, every one has their own taste, what is your opinion?

World's 'Loneliest' Frog Gets a Date

This BBC News tells the happy story of a frog, called Romeo, who has finally got a date with Juliet after 10 years of isolation in an aquarium in Cochabamba (Bolivia).  Love can crop up anywhere and anytime!
Do not miss the comments from the readers at the bottom of the report, some of them are very funny!

Kumbh Mela: the Biggest Festival in the World

Kumbh Mela is a Hindu pilgrimage to the Ganges river that gathers 120 million people from 15th January to the 4th March this year. Preparations for this massive meeting of people include accommodation in tents, transport, security, food, health and family welfare teams and sanitation facilities.  If you want to find out more, you can read this BBC News report.

Fake News, Conspiracy Theories and InfoWars

Fake news and disinformation campaigns have been the focus of media attention in the USA since the 2016 Trump-Clinton presidential campaign.  In this interview a New York Times reporter, Adam B. Ellick talks about the use Vladimir Putin has made of disinformation campaigns, quoting the AIDS conspiracy theory in the 1980's, or the campaign against himself after publishing the story of the Pakistani girl education campaigner, Malala Yousafzai. He also discusses with Terry Gross President Trump's discredit of American media and the current division in American politics and society. Level: C2

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Adam B. Ellick is the Director and Producer of Opinion Video at the New York Times.  He has won Pulizer and Emmy News Video prizes for his work as a video journalist. You can watch the Opinion Video page of the New York Times here: The Seven Commandments of Fake News or The Worldwide War on Truth. The videos cover very similar content to the radio interview, but they do not have subtitles, so they may be more difficult to understand than the radio interview (with script) above.

Monster Fatberg of Wet Wipes Blocks Sewer

A giant fatberg of wet wipes and fat has been found blocking a sewer in Devon (UK). If you want to read more about these incidents in sewage systems and water pollution in beaches and rivers, you can read this BBC report.

Climate Change with Somini Sengupta

NPR's host Terry Gross interviews Somini Sengupta, an international climate correspondent for The New York Times. They discuss the scientific debate about climate change, water scarcity, unemployment and conflict (in Syria, Somalia and Kenya, for example), heat waves in India and Pakistan, power failures, the Paris agreement on global warming and the coal industry etc.

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If you want to read more about Climate Change, you can find here an article that Somini Sengupta wrote for the New York Times in August 2018, where she talks about rising temperatures around the world and the future consequences of this global trend.

Rosalía tipped 5th singer to watch by the BBC

Rosalía was the hottest budding artist last year in Spain with her fusion of flamenco, urban looks and hip-hop. Hits like Catalina or Malamente have become tremendously popular with teenagers and young adults and she has caught the attention of the most international Spanish artists, like Alejandro Sanz, Pedro Almodóvar or fashion giant Zara. Now, at the BBC Music sound 2019 -a poll of music critics and industry figures to find the most promising music talent- she has earned the singer 5th place, so she is one of the young artist to watch in 2019 in Britain too. Read this BBC News article, listen to Rosalía speaking English in a short interview and listen to some of her latest videos: Malamente, Bagdad or Pienso en tu Mirá.  She is, definitely, a young artist to watch in the future.

Golden Globes Red Carpet

Here is a glimpse at the outfits that some of the nominees for the Golden Globe Awards were wearing at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Look at the pictures and choose the one you like most (and the one you would never wear!).

Queen: Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody and Guitarrist Brian May

First-generation American actor, Rami Malek, talks about how he auditioned to get his starring role as Freddie Mercury in the film Bohemian Rhapsody and how he prepared for the job. The son of an Egyptian coptic Christian family of inmigrants to the USA, Rami Malek worked his way in Hollywood by delivering pizzas with his CV (resumé in American English) to all famous producers that came to his fast food restaurant. He also had a starring role in the TV show "Mr. Robot", where he plays a brilliant computer hacker who has serious mental problems.

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On this second link, Terry Goss talks to Brian May, Queen guitarrist, about the making of the songs "We Will Rock You" and "Bohemian Rhapsody", about the ups and downs of the popularity of Queen in the USA, about astrophysics, among other things. Brian May speaks excellent English with a very clear British accent.

Angelina Jolie into Politics?

Angelina Jolie has recently suggested that she might go into politics.  At a recent BBC radio 4 news interview, she didn't rule out moving into politics, if that could help her foster her social activism. You can watch a short video with subtitles on this link.

Nayim's Goal for Real Zaragoza and David Seaman's Ballad

Back in 1995 Real Zaragoza, coached by Víctor Fernández, won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final after beating Arsenal (1-2) at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. The incredible goal that the Zaragozan player Nayim scored in the last minute of extra-time was such a remarkable feat that it inspired a modern poet and Arsenal fan, Murray Lachlan Young, to write a ballad, The Lobbing of David Seaman, dedicated to the legendary Arsenal goalkeeper and also to the loneliness of all teenage goalkeepers when they concede a crucial goal from the opposing team and they are judged "on what they miss, and not on what they save". Here you can find a link to a file with a listening task in Word, the key and the audio of the ballad, which is recommended for B2 students (the task and key are also copied at the bottom of this post, under the video of Nayim's goal). Some interesting expressions in the text are: lobbing, ye, goalkeeper, goalie, gay (old-fashioned), the Gunners, oaken, a rib, to whistle, off his line, to step up, nemesis, mighty, lofted, a shot, to scramble, the score, well-trod, a pony tail, to crave.

This version of The Lobbing of David Seaman was performed live on 29th May 2010, on Ireland's RTÉ Radio 1 programme "The Loneliness of the Goalkeeper".  A slightly different version of the ballad is available in the YouTube video below:

Finally, you can watch Nayim's historic goal with the comments in English in the video below:

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Listening task for the ballad The Lobbing of David Seaman (RTÉ's version) by poet Murray Lachlan Young:

The Lobbing of David Seaman

Ah, come all ye teenage goalkeepers
And listen unto me,
I'll tell you of a goalie
Who went out to gay Paree;
The Gunners called him '(1) ___________ Hands',
David Seaman was his name,
But that (2) ______________ night in Paris
Was his world consumed in flames.

It was in the final minutes

And the game was surely gone

With oaken heart and broken (3) ___________

He urged the Gunners on,

The (4) ____________ expecting penalties

were whistling full time,

But one (5) _____________ Zaragozan

Saw the keeper off his line.

So up steps Seaman's nemesis

and his name it was Nayim,

He kicked a mighty lofted (6) __________

So high above the scene

Poor Seaman scrambled backwards

To face this final card

To be (7) ____________ by a cannon ball

From over fifty yards.

Oh! The tears of David Seaman

They define the Gunners' (8) ______________,

But he could not change the score line

And he could not change his name.

So he took the well-trod channel

Of a man whose (9) ______________ has failed,

Oh! He posed for lifestyle magazines,

And he (10) ___________ a pony tail.

[Second Part, from 17:38 to 18:43]

And as his pony tail grew longer

The memories did fade

And Seaman soon was recognized

As a master of his trade

A hero for his country

And a father to his team

Oh! But never could he wash away

The stain left by Nayim.

So, come all ye teenage goalkeepers

And listen to what I say,

Be careful what you wish for,

For it might just come your way

And looking at your jersey

As in loneliness you crave

To be judged on what you miss

And not on what you save.

KEY: (1) Safe; (2) lonely; (3) ribs; (4) crowd; (5) cruel; (6) shot; (7) beaten; (8) pain; (9) luck; (10) grew.