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].

The Odyssey (2026): a Classic Epic Movie... and More Books & Films

The Odyssey by Christopher Nolan (2026), is already a classic epic movie, just like Homer's Odyssey is a classic epic book which can only be compared to a handful of books at the very summit of the History of Literature: One Thousand and One Nights, Don Quixote, Hamlet, War and Peace, Moby-Dick, In Search of Lost Time, One Hundred Years of Solitude or Ulysses. 

But, problably, Homer's Odyssey is unique in the influence it has wielded over three millennia on Western writers like Virgil in his Aeneid, Dante in Chant XXVI of his Inferno, James Joyce's in the above mentioned Ulysses, Margaret Atwood in her novella The Penelopiad, Madeline Miller in her feminist view on Circe, Derek Walcott in his Caribbean poem Omeros (you can find a short video of Lit With Charles which explains The Odyssey's influence on Omeros, Xenophon's Anabais and the Penelopiad) and in the Fine Arts, on painters like J.M.W. Turner in his masterpiece Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus, or John W. Waterhouse in Circe Offering the Cup to Odysseus and on sculptors like Auguste Rodin in The Sirens.

If you love music, one of your favourite singers or bands might have written a song inspired by Odyssey, just check this Songfacts list of Songs that reference The Odyssey and you will find Suzanne Vega's Calypso, REM's Lotus, Franz Ferdinand's Ulysses or Loreena MacKeneath's Penelope's Song, among others. But this list is incomplete, for example, singer songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat also wrote a song called Penélope, which can be added to this endless list, for the weight of Homer's Odyssey in Western Art, Music & Literature is, problably, only second to the influx of the Bible,

Back to the movie, Christopher Nolan has managed to tell the complex story of king Odysseus's return to Ithaca with the visual language of modern Hollywood superhero blockbusters, and, at the same time, he has managed to give a 3-hour-lesson in classical Greek literature to teenagers and seniors alike. No small feat! 

The Odissey, has become both a box office and a critic's success. Nicholas Barber and Caryn James rank the movie at No. 2 in the BBC Culture article "The Invite to the Odyssey: 12 of the best films of 2026 so far". This article is recommended for C2 students for its rich and dense language, which includes expressions like: a highlight [of the year], a blockbuster, a farcical [sex comedy], to aim at [grown-ups], to feature, loved-up, to drop in [for dinner], to bicker, a laidback [guest], hilarious, a moving [screenplay], [to lay] bare, pacing, a contender [to the Oscars], hype, beguiling, stunning, a [natural, modern] delivery, a relatable [king], cramped, to intertwine, an enthralling and layered [film], ludicrously [inventive], [to shoot] footage, [two] buffoonish, would-be [superstars], a daft [film], wit, a flock, to steep in [detective story], to set out [to track the clues], a cast, deft, game, a bumbling [police officer], a high-powered [lawyer], childlike [qualities], tender, a standout, a battle-scarred [veteran], a ram, a [comic] romp, cosy, a sequel, gore, a buddy-comedy, a hulking [cannibal], cheeky, eccentric, pitch-perfect [intimacy], the backdrop [of the presidential election], to nullify, loosely, stunningly, to capture, bold [colours], [heartbreaking] coda, fizzily [energetic], conceit, to hop [into a beaver], furry [friends], plotted, an exhilarating [take on the book], artistry, daring, fiery, caustic, to overlook, prettified [period scenes], an enticing [kaleidoscope of colour], to drop in [some comic moments], to be over the top, enduring [passion], class-bound [time], action-packed [set piece], painstaking [research], touching, inspiring, a bleak [narrative], fast-paced, cheerful, goofball [charm], a bracing [drama], a purge, wilfully [to echo], creeping [authoritarianism], [the film] to unfold, eerie [calm], a low-boil [thriller], to circumvent, a harrowing [story], the grip [of a dictatorship], a stranger-than-fiction [true story], to kidnap, a mortgage [broker], [financial] woes, to wield [a shotgun], pathos, a nerve-racking [situation], a romcom, wilfully, dramedy, a sharp [detour], a high-wire [act of a film], a deft [star], jumpy [nerves], a backlash, sheer [Hollywood star power], a thought-provoking [comment], a hot-button [issue].

Next, you can find a conversation class for B2 students and above, entitled "Conversation Questions,  The Odyssey: Classic Books & Movies", which can be added to complete & enhance the reading of the BBC Culture review above or the listening of the short video below 3 Great Books if you loved The Odyssey, by Lit With Charles:

C2 students and experts can watch the video What Three Artists Thought The Odyssey Meant Will Surprise You?!  (12:54) from an Art History YouTube channel called Unframed, which describes three artworks in history, and three different readings of Homer's Odyssey by the unknown ancient Greek "Siren Painter", and the above mentioned painters Waterhouse and Turner.

Finally, for further information about the movie, you can watch the BBC Radio 1 programme The Secret of The Odyssey, where film critic Ali Plumb interviews the director of the film, Sir Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Benny Safdie, John Leguizano and Himesh Patel. This long video below (41':42") is recommended for C2 students and experts. 

The Odissey is fun. Don't miss it!

Falling in Love with AI

Falling in love with an AI chatbot is no longer science fiction, it is a reality, Brook Silva-Braga reported for CBS Saturday Morning last year, when he told the story of three adults, Chris Smith, Sasha Cagle and Irene, whose lives have been affected by a deep attachment to an AI companion in the TV report AI Users Form Relationships with Technology. This 9':32" clip, whose complex, elliptical structure may cause higher difficulty than its vocabulary, is recommended for C1 students with subtitles and for C2 students without subtitles. Learners can pick up interesting expressions and collocations like: an [emotional] outlet, [to be] on the rise, [to be] set, to envisage, the bass, to engage with [her], to ditch, to embrace, a flirty [personality], shaky [hands], intimate, cariño, to run out of [memory], to cry my eyes out, [to feel] emotional, to propose [to you], to cherish [a memory], connection and affection, [to be] fixated, acceptance, validation, "non-judgement", to date, steamy [chats], a libido, an AI companion, tricky, a truly [mass market product], to open up, tough [times], to monetize, a devastating [future], to suck up [your time], the motherboard, [to grow] deeply [attached], [to have] an issue, to cohabitate, to give it up, to dial [it] back, a flesh-and-blood [wife], elevating, a dealbreaker, to pull back the curtain, to hold [you], to hug [you]. B2 students may want to start by reading first the summary of the story that Rachel Flynn wrote for People magazine: "Man Proposed to his AI Chatbot Girlfriend Named Sol, then 'Cried his Eyes Out', when she Said 'Yes'.

If you want further information about the differences between two popular AI companions, Replika and Character.AI, you can read the report "Replika vs Character.AI: Detailed Comparison (2026)" in the blog "AI Companion Guides", which can suit a variety of levels, from B2 to C2, depending on how much text and detail you try to understand. A balanced discussion about the pros and cons of AI companions can be found in the European Data Protection Supervisor, written by Vitor Bernardo (C2/ C1).  In addition, if you want to read a forum about love stories with AI companions and see some creations with avatars, like the two pictures that illustrate this entry, you can check the reddit thread (B2/ C1): reddit/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI. 

Below, you can find again the CBS Saturday Morning report by Brook Silva-Braga, published on YouTube. 

Wildlife Artists on Massingham Heath

Massingham Heath is a privately owned estate whose owner, Olly Brickbeck, is committed to rewilding part of the farmland and restoring the flora and fauna of the original heathland. Last year, he started collaborating with The Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA) to document how the local biodiversity is coming back to the hills of West Norfolk, in what has been called the (SWLA) Massingham Heath Project. 

The BBC Radio 4 programme Open Country has recently broadcast the episode "Wildlife Artists on Massingham Heath" (23':40") with interviews to various artists and to Mr. Brickbeck. The podcast is quite clear and, although it has no transcript, you can find a written summary of the recording on SWLA Massingham Heath Project feature on Open Country Radio 4. 

The vocabulary in the podcast is very rich in wildlife and farming terms, so it can be recommended for C2 students, who can use the following word list as a listening guide: a heath, an attachment [to], otherworldly, eerie, the trappings, to take over the button, grassland, calcareous, chalk, soil, shallow, flora, precious, biodiverse, to outcompete, vigorous [grasses], clovers, fertile [land], a crop, to feed [ourselves], sugar beet, barley, a strand, to flog [it], marginal land, to yield [a crop], Natural England, to restore, [old] trace, to breathe in, a skylark, Bagot goats, Konic ponies, to [free] roam, a fence, seed [varieties], heathland, wildflower [seeds], a head torch, to blow away, up it came, oddly enough, poppies, [to be] carried away, unfathomable, on it went, a sweep [of wildflowers], a sculptor, a residency, to document [a year in the heath], an exhibition, an oil painter, a water colorist, mixed media, scrap [metal], [found] tools, a falcon, agile, dragonflies, a sickle, to edge [your lawns], pliers, a scissor, rusty, a glimpse, a kingfisher, a capercaillie, engaging, a handsaw, a treasure trove, on plein air, a [drawing] workshop, to dot [all around], an oil beetle, a dingy skipper [butterfly], [looking] intently, binoculars, a stonechat, a ring ouzel, a skylark, a long way off, the highlight, a negative, a shadow, to get there, in brush, dairy [pages], a naturalist, to be driven [to paint], the mist, a [bird] scare, the geese, my pad, a store, yellow ocher, delicacy, a cardoon, the coot, humming, a bumblebee, lush [green], overgrown, hawthorn, brambles, to kneel [down], a hedge, the dormant [period], to zoom in [the details], a ground ivy, a bee fly, a cirrus, crawly, a linnet, a whitethroat, scratchy, a daisy, a bud, a mining bee, to patrol, to lay [eggs], to connect [with the place], to deepen [knowledge]. This episode of Open Country will available for a year on the BBC website. 

Below you can watch a video where Zoology Professor Bill Sutherland had an informal chat to two artists from the SWLA, Bryn Edwards and Amie Haslam, about the Massingham Heath Project back in August, 2025:

Trump vs. Pope Leo, in the Jimmy Kimmel Show

Jimmy Kimmel is a comedian and a late night host, who often satirizes powerful people like President Donald J. Trump on ABC TV channel. Clowns have traditionally been the only people in court who dared to tell the truth to the emperor, without fear of having their head chopped off. Of course, the Jimmy Kimmel Show was suspended after the Trump administration bitterly criticized a monologue and put political pressure on ABC to end the show, but "the backlash from both Democrat & Republican leading politicians, entertainers, scholars and the public at large to defend freedom of speech with boycotts against Disney, ABC and some broadcast station owners", made Disney (ABC's parent corporation) think twice and resume production of the Jimmy Kimmel Show after five days.

In this context, you can watch yesterday's monologue by Jimmy Kimmel below, where the actor pokes fun at President Trump's attempt to portray himself as Jesus in the AI-generated picture above -that Mr Trump himself posted on Truth Social and later removed, plus the criticism that the President lashed out against Pope Leo XIV. This video (15:36) is very difficult for ESL learners for various reasons: the tempo is fast; it is very dense -it is a collage of opinions about different political stories featuring President Trump; there are many references to American current events that students may miss; the exaggeration, the puns, the profanity.., in short, humoristic documents are always among the most difficult genres to understand, so, this video is recommended for Experts without subtitles, but, with subtitles, the level of difficulty can drop to C2, or even C1+ (mind you: you will never find a document like this in a C2 official exam!).

Here you can find a list of key words that may also help you to follow the monologue, if you choose not to use the subtitles: untethered, to top [it], to bash, to poke around, barely, commander-in-chief, to doctor [a photograph], [real &] fake, oblivious, stumpy, blotchy, glob, yam, bobbling, ointment, pee, to be out of it, nuts, the poping [process], MAGA, a compliment, ass, South Park, Batman, a bananas [thing], a fighter [jet], demogorgon, Stranger Things, to heal, messiah, [to be] on board, to delete, notable, the gospel, to abuse, to speak out [loud], efilled, to sign up [for], a commercial, to settle [this], tax on tips, desperate [for approval], to cheat, [I] bet [you do], reckless, a coward, Red Cross, fake news, a robe, dumb, a health insurance, crisp, to tip, to clean up, to fall apart, a blockade, a straight, effing [straight], regardless, to make no difference, UFC [fight], binged [rivalry], to carve out, [to hit the] links, to check out, horny, a squeeze, a turd, to slip into [it], to disavow [her ties to Jeffrey Epstein], a deep dive, subreddit, severance, to dismiss [a lawsuit], to sue, to throw out, malice, to refile [the lawsuit], to smack [down], a bruise, ongoing [abuse of the legal system], to shift [to], a bickering [couple], the lip readers, road game [of the year,] Pacers, to stick around.

Here is Jimmy Kimmel's latest monologue "Dope vs Pope" on YouTube:

Guernica: a Masterpiece against War

Witness History from the BBC World Service has recently dedicated its latest episode to Guernica, the iconic painting by Picasso in the podcast Spain Welcomes Picasso's Guernica. In this documentary, Picasso's masterpiece is shown as the symbol for Spanish democracy and a permanent call against the madness of war. The podcast is around 11 minutes long, and there are no subtitles, but the speakers use very clear English and their pace is not fast, so, it can be recommended for C1 students -with this list of words as a listening guide, and for C2 students without this kind of support: a witness, [to give] a try, a [news] archive, to hand to [Spain], to stress, care, a masterpiece, to freeze [the blood in our veins], troops, to overturn, an aerial [attack], a mural, to commission, nightmarish, to stare on, [to go] on show, an artwork, on loan, to rule, dictator, to claim [the painting], to restore [democratic freedoms], to reclaim [the Spanish throne], a handover, a golden rule, to bear in mind, an inheritance, proof [of the ownership of the painting], the [paper] trail, [to end] the loan, stalemate, to bluff, to skate on thin ice, a widow, a sum [of money], a civil guard, an [attempted] coup, to fail, the canvas, the utmost [secrecy], to arrange [protection], to roll up, to stand in line, the bloody [fascist bombing of Guernica], to set foot [on Spanish soil], bulletproof, on display.

If you want to find out more about the symbology of Guernica, you can check out the Wikipedia entry on Guernica (C2 level), or read Dominic Witek's short and sharp interpretation of the art piece in Artsper Magazine, which is entitled Artwork Analysis, Guernica by Picasso. This text can also be accessible to C1 students and above. 

As for a visual alternative, you can watch Picasso's Guernica: Great Art Explained, a thorough 13:40 video with subtitles for C1 students and above, which delves into the iconographic structure of the painting and compares Guernica to other works or art:

Steph Davis, Rock Climbing in Rodellar (Sierra de Guara) & Flow State

Steph Davis is one of the world's leading rock climbers, a BASE jumper and a wingsuit flyer. She was the first woman to summit all the peaks of the Fitzroy Range in Patagonia, among other amazing exploits in her career. 

B2 students can browse her Wikipedia entry, read the introduction and "early life" sections for some  background information, and they will get familiar with words like: a BASE jumper, to free climb, to free solo, a wingsuit flyer, to summit, a straight-A [student], an asset, sheer [will], brainy, a flawless [technique], an [English] major, a lift up, to [get] sucked in, a [school] break, to boulder, to pursue [climbing], a bacherlor's degree, the canon [of mountaneering literature], disparate shifting [reality], to decide against [it], to quit, to relate to [climbing].

If you want to listen to an old radio interview to Steph Davis, you can try Rock climber Steph Davis on KSJD, (Cortez, Colorado, 2016) by Tom Yoder, a (17':13") phone interview without a script. The vocabulary is not particularly difficult, but the nature of the phone interview makes it harder to understand every single word at some points, so this recording is recommended for Experts, and, perhaps, for C2 students. The following list of words might help learners to follow the interview: a venture, a memoir, an avid [reader], an infatuation, an essay, to jump [into a project], a proper [book], [all] from scratch, to accomplish, funnily [enough], to free solo, attached, to figure out, awareness, to go about [things], a sustainable [life], arguably, to highlight [the fact that], to make an attempt on [a climb], BASE jumping, [to go for] a hike, a lifestyle [really], the tagline, to pass away, to follow in your footsteps, to get into [it], to parachute, wingsuit [flying], to skydive, to blow me away, [to get] stuck [on that], to dive [down], a [climbing] clinic, she-[climbers], to see how it goes, [to learn] stuff [on my own], to live by, to take on [risks]. 

Rodellar, in Sierra de Guara Natural Park, is one of Europe's top rock climbing destinations -in the picture on the left you can see a view of El Delfín (F7c+), whereas in the link above, by Climb Europe, B2 students can find details about the location, gear and accommodation to get to Rodellar, as well as interesting & technical expressions like: a gorge, limestone, steep, stamina, to find your way [out], overhanging [caves], an arch, a tufa, a pinnacle, split, a single pitch [route], trad [gear], a rope, a quickdraw, a multi-pitch [route], a twin rope, accommodation, self-catering [bungalows]. For further information about adventure sports, you can check the Somontano Tourism website. 

If you want to learn how rock climbers and other athletes can concentrate so sharply and overcome their fear, you can read this National Geographic article by Shayla Love: What's flow state? Here is the science behind top athletes laser focus. This story is recommended for B2 students and above, who will encounter expressions like: flow state, laser [focus], to tap into, peak [focus], slim, sandstone, grip, free solo [climbing], harness, a parachute, engrossed, a mindset, to leverage, impervious, a javelin [thrower], to accomplish [a goal], to come up [with a theory], to ramp up, [your skills] to take over, the frontal lobe, a seasoned [jazz player], to rely upon, to let go, drywall, your expertise, to tackle [a difficult challenge].

Finally, you can watch this short video about cragging in Rodellar on Jorge Packer's channel, and enjoy the incredible views of the Mascún canyon and El Delfín in the heart of beautiful Sierra de Guara: