Humor4u

  Terry Gross is much more than a radio host, she is, problably, the most respected radio journalist in the USA today. She has run and presented " Fresh Air " on NPR for over 45 years, where she has interviewed the very best American actors, directors, musicians, authors, journalists, doctors, naturalists or international relations analysts. Stephen Colbert defined her unique interviewing style as a combination of  "a conversationalist, a therapist, and an oral historian" when she was presented with the Peabody Institutional Award (the Pulitzer of radio journalism) on June 6th, 2022. She also received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama in 2015 together with Louise Glück, Wynton Marsalis, Isabel Wilkerson or José Andrés.  " Fresh Air " is a model for oral American English.  Personally, listenting to Terry Gross' conversations with her guests has helped me to keep my English alive and kicking here in Spain since digital radio podcast...

" Antother Day of Sun " is the opening scene of the Oscar-winning musical " La La Land (2016) ", directed by Damien Chazelle , starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone . The scene was shot "on location in three shots edited with hidden cuts to give the illusion of a single six-minute take" , according to Wikipedia. " Another Day of Sun " is a a song of "hope, struggle and pursuing the dream", the story of a provincial girl who leaves her hometown and her boyfriend to chase her dream in Hollywood.  The scene begins with a raucous routine traffic jam on the highways of L.A., that the magic of Hollywood turns into an explosion of energy, dynamism and joy of life with a jaw-dropping choreography by Mandy Moore that celebrates racial and cultural diversity at start of a new day in Los Angeles. Here you can find a lesson plan with a fill-in-the gap listening task  which can be used with B2 students and above.  The full lyrics of the song are f...

Sea Ice Extent Arctic sea ice extent has fallen strongly in June 2022. On June 22, 2022, Arctic sea ice extent was among the lowest on record for the time of year, as illustrated by the above image, adapted from the National Snow and Ice Data Center ( NSIDC Chartic ).  The image below, from an animation by Zachary Labe, shows Arctic sea ice extent up to June 20, 2022, based on Vishop data . The yellow line is the year 2022. The white line shows extent for the year 2012, when it reached a record minimum in September. The blue line shows extent the year 2020, when the minimum in September was second lowest.   The image below, adapted from Vishop , shows that on June 23, 2022, global sea ice extent was at a record low for the time of year. La Niña [ adapted from NOAA - click on images to enlarge ] The fact that sea ice is so low for the time of the year is the more striking as we are currently in the depths of a persistent La Niña, which suppresses the temperature rise. El ...

Ellen MacArthur has recently won the Princess of Asturias Prize for International Cooperation, The Majorca Daily Bulletin reported last week . In 2005, Ms MacArthur became the first woman to break the world record as a solo sailor around the world and later she started the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to promote the circular economy and design a more sustainable future for the finite world resources.  As a result of their campaign, in March 2022 the UN adopted a resolution to negotiate a legally-binding treaty on plastic pollution, which is hoped to be drawn and signed by the end of 2024.  Dame Ellen MacArthur was invited to the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs back in 2009. In this 45' interview she talks about her background, her achievement in sailing, and her charity work. Her English is a perfect model for C1 and C2 students, because it is rich, but not pompous; there are technical terms, but it is not packed with jargon; the colloquial expressions fit natur...

Rafa Nadal has made history again. Last Sunday he won his 14th Roland Garros title and his 22nd Grand Slam title, two in a row in 2022. Here you can read the BBC News report on the RG victory , which is suitable for C1 students, and the NPR story , which uses shorter sentences and easier words, and could easily be read by B2 students. If you are keen on tennis, you can watch the highlights of the Roland Garros Final here  (11':41"). Some of the most interesting words you can find in the BBC News report are: to beat, back-to-back, to reclaim, straight [sets], [eighth] seed, clay, in a row, to surpass, left-hander, to drop his racquet, to hamper, the rib, nous, a miscue, to take his serve, a vicious forehand winner, a double fault, discomfort, a long-standing [foot problem], groundstrokes, a wide backhand, to target, to save [three break points] to hold, a break point, to pummel, to punch, to hand over [a two-set lead], ruthlessly, to wrap up [the third set], the hallmark, to un...

Record high carbon dioxide The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere recently broke two records at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, CO₂ was 421.63 in the week starting May 29, 2022, while CO₂ was 420.99 ppm in May 2022. Earlier, very high daily and hourly measurements were recorded at Mauna Loa, as illustrated by the image below, showing one hourly measurement of 424 ppm (on May 28, 2022), as well as sequences of daily measurements in the green insets. The image below shows carbon dioxide concentration rising over the past few years, with surface flask measurements well above 422 ppm at Mauna Loa recently. Carbon dioxide concentration is even higher over the Arctic. The image below shows carbon dioxide approaching 430 ppm at Barrow, Alaska. To get an idea how much greenhouse gases have risen, a 2021 study points at concentrations of 190 ppm for CO₂, 370-375 ppb for CH₄ and 200-245 ppb for N₂O some 18 ka to 21 ka. By comparison, the MetOp image below shows a...

Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrates 70 years of service to the United Kingdom. Many stories are being written about the longest reigning monarch in the history of the U.K., but this fashion article from BBC News, "Power dressing: The Queen`s unique style" , is particularly interesting, as it analyses the role of the current queen as a fashion influencer in the 20th and 21st centuries.  The article contains many technical terms for clothes and fashion, so, it is suitable for C1 students and above. Some of the most interesting words you are going to find in the text are: trendsetting, daring, iconic, brightly coloured [dresses], to pair with [a matching hat], to be accessorised, a signature [square handbang], to be honed, to be steeped, legacy, dazzling, intricate, full-skirted dresses, a nipped in waist, couture, a [fur] stole, a [diamond] tiara, to dazzle [her way through state banquets], a royal tour, tull and satin gowns, to be embelished, seed pearls, crys...