Stop the Wedding! by Ashe

Pop singer Ashe has become one of the most widely heard artists on Spotify, on TikTok and in the UK singles chart this week. Her hit "Stop the Wedding!" tells the story of second thoughts, just before her first wedding to an "emotionally manipulative and psychologically abusive" husband. Her album The Girl of Your Dreams is coming out on October 16th, and it includes, as its final track, Funeral, which definitely buries the insecure girl in Stop the Wedding! Ashe is now happily married to musician John Clark Canada.

On the link, you can find a listening comprehension task and its key, with the lyrics of Stop the Wedding!, for B2 students who may pick up words like: [a feeling] to sink in, cold feet, fireworks, velvet [smooth], to fall for [the act], a crack, to wear out, to flash, to set the table, satin, heels, to dread.

Mark Savage explains Ashe's personal voyage in the BBC article "Ash was too scared to cancel her wedding -the story came a hit song", where B2 students can find interesting expressions and collocations like: off duty, to tie the knot, gorgeous, a hilltop [ceremony], [inspiration] to strike, to gather, to flash back, a stark [contrast], [psychologically] abusive, a beachfront [wedding], the run-up [to the wedding], to call [the wedding] off, to stand up for [herself], a healthy [relationship], to put a halt to [the whole thing], her veil, [to walk down] the aisle, to file [a feeling away], [a song] to spill out, to unfold, to plead with [her younger self], [to stutter] to a halt, to pledge, to ruin [the wedding dress], to break into, to quit [music], to score [an early credit], overnight, a handful, to plunge into [a solo career], a breakthrough [hit], the moral [of the story], a venue, an overdose, to stomach, a [nervous] breakdown, to step away [from showbusiness], to rekindle [her passion for writing], to team up with, to be swept [up], an update [on your phone], groundedness, to be [deliriously] over the top, abrupt [tempo changes], [inner] turmoil, whimsical, to set out, an outlandish [requirement], villainous, lush [orchestrations], a nod, to scratch an itch, ebullient [sound].

Below, you can find the official video of Stop the Wedding! Enjoy!

The Solar Power Boom in Pakistan and the Philippines

High electricity bills, in the current global energy crisis, are driving countries like Pakistan and the Philippines to install solar panels on rooftops massively. 

BBC World Service journalist Jordan Dunbar discusses this trend with climate journalist Jhesset Enano in Manila and renewable energy analyst Zeeshan Ashfaq in Islamabad in the podcast The Solar Power Boom in Pakistan and the Philippines. The latest episode of The Climate Question is quite long (22':58") and has no subtitles, so it is recommended for C2 students as a self-study activity, who can use the following list of words as a listening guide: a rooftop, to pay attention, a power station, a boom, a think-tank, a solar panel, a megawatt, a transshipment [country], a fleet, a [power] rate, to outrank, to outpace, a thorn in the neck, [exorbitant] prices, to grumble about, [monthly] income, soaring [prices], a [Filipino] household, a gut punch, to allocate, to be reliant on [fossil fuels], the [power] grid, to pass on to [the consumers], an appliance, peak hours, LNG, the [solar] rush, a viable [option], to charge [a mobile phone], unreliable [electricity], a peer, diesel [prices], [to feel] the crunch [of electricity bills], a shortage, a blackout, [temperatures] to soar, retrofitted, my takeaway, an [eco-]conscious [decision], the closure [of the Straight of Hormuz], an inquiry, the uptick, a mix, [different] walks of life, the shift, a [solar] loan, a mortgage, the lower-income [Filipinos], to range, to plummet, to pop up, to be shunned, to weather this crisis, [the investment is] out-of-pocket, to miss out, a disruption, from the get-go, to come up with [policy mechanisms], regulations, assets, to overtake, to call on [Congress], [battery] storage, to follow through, to embrace [this solar boom], in the pipeline, to set up. 

Below, you can watch the same The Climate Question podcast, now on the BBC World Service YouTube Channel, under the title The Philippines and Pakistan: Solar power leaders (19':55"). Here, subtitles are available to facilitate comprehension:

A shorter, easier summary the podcast can be found in Jay Hilotin's article Solar boom: Pakistan and Philippines turn to rooftops as power costs soar, recently published in the Gulf News. Here, C1 students can pick up expressons like: a [solar] boom, a rooftop, [power costs] to soar, grid [anxiety], to reshape, [supply chain] disruptions, amid [the Middle East war], a household, a power station, mains [electricity], a [key] trigger, a [rapid] shift, grid [dependence], to account for [80% of global solar-panel production], to rank as [the top two destinations], a [transshipment] hub, a driver, a [power] disruption, an inquiry, to highlight, to surge, LNG [supplies], [climate] concerns, an [energy] security, a tipping point, an [international] shock, [fossil fuel] reliance, to be [heavily] reliant on [imported fossil fuels], an archipelago, to bear the cost [of losses], to arrange [solar panels], highlights, an [electricity-generating] asset, the [fossil-fuel power-plant] fleet, income, a concern over [fuel shortages], a blackout, [to push rooftop solar into] the mainstream, [80%] the share [of global solar-panel production].

Finally, you can find below a shorter YouTube video (2':24") of the Philippines side of the story, High bills, cheap panels drive solar surge in the Philippines. This TRT World video could easily be viewed in class to complement a reading task with the Gulf News story above and a follow-up speaking task, so that C1 students can practise interesting expressions like: to roar, to fuel, volatility, to pursue [a practical edge], to switch to [solar], a power cut, a solar panel, to target a [mix of renewable energy], a bottom-up [phenomenon], [to be] dependent on [oil], a [nationwide] blackout, a scenario, a think-tank, solar adaptation, a trend, to make the switch, the upfront cost, out of reach, to install [the systems], red tape, a strenuous [process], to tap into [solar energy].