-
These Hotels Are Making Guests VIPs If They Agree to Put Away Their Phones
Wyndham Grand wants you to stop using your phone on vacation — and they’re going to start holding you accountable. At select locations throughout the country, the hotel brand will implement “phone-free zones” at pools and restaurants. But before your fingers start shaking from phone withdrawal, consider the stats. According to the hotel, at the Mills House…
-
Deadly bacteria warning goes out to visitors of Berlin sex club
Authorities in Berlin are warning that visitors to a notorious night club may have been exposed to life-threatening Neisseria meningitidis. The KitKatClub is known for its kinky and anything-goes atmosphere. Weekend party-goers at the Berlin’s hedonistic KitKatClub nightclub have been advised to seek immediate medical attention for potential exposure to deadly bacteria. Authorities in Berlin’s Reinickendorf district…
-
Spanish government planning measures against owners of empty homes
The Spanish government is planning “coercive measures” against the owners of empty homes, according to an internal report to which EL PAÍS has had access. In a bid to regulate housing “as a public service in the general interest,” the Socialist Party (PSOE) government has drafted a set of initiatives that would affect property owned by…
-
This Airport Lounge Is on the Beach, Making Unexpected Delays a Reason to Celebrate
While it’s true that, yes, travel is more about the journey than the destination, sometimes the journey is harrowing, stressful, and best forgotten afterward. All travelers are forgiven for wishing to spend more time at the destination than journeying. And Virgin Holidays is of the same mindset. The travel company has launched a new kind of…
-
Paris bans cars for the day, asks Europe to join in
There are no cars on the roads of Brussels and Paris on Sunday. On the eve of the event, the mayors of the two cities called for all of Europe to follow suit and hold an annual vehicle-free day. The call came in a joint statement by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and her counterpart in Brussels,…
-
St Paul’s College students ate sheep hearts as part of degrading initiation rituals
Students at an exclusive Sydney college were forced to eat sheep hearts, skoll casks of goon and were auctioned off to other older students, a new report has revealed. The humiliating rituals at the Sydney of University’s all-male college St Paul’s have been exposed in a report released by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick…
-
Louis Vuitton hit for ‘discriminatory’ return policy
Louis Vuitton is under criticism in Korea again, after it recently decided to allow only 14 days for Korean customers to exchange their products for free, while offering the usual 30 days to customers in other countries, industry officials said Thursday. Critics say the company is seemingly looking down on Koreans, despite its popularity here. According…
-
Brazilian Supreme Court Outlaws Homeschooling
The Brazilian Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday (12th) that homeschooling can’t be considered a lawful means for parents to provide education to their children, because currently there is no law in Brazil regulating the practice. The discussion originated from a lawsuit from a couple that wanted to homeschool their daughter against the town of Canela…
-
France to introduce driverless trains by 2023
French railway operator SNCF said Wednesday it was planning to introduce prototypes of driverless mainline trains for passengers and freight by 2023, and include them in scheduled services in subsequent years. “With autonomous trains, all the trains will run in a harmonized way and at the same speed,” SNCF chairman Guillaume Pepy said in a statement.…
-
Historical gardens among unique event spaces for rent
Planners appear to be increasingly interested in booking nontraditional venues for their events. From historical buildings to cultural facilities, these unique spaces can transform standard meetings and receptions into exclusive, unforgettable experiences. A mixture of tradition and modernity, Tokyo is home to a vast array of unique, historic and cultural venues eager to meet this demand,…
-
Starbucks in Milan: Is this the end for Italian coffee?
Starbucks in Milan: Is this the end for Italian coffee? When Starbucks opened its elegant new outlet in the northern Italian city of Milan this week, it raised eyebrows and quickened pulses already racing from morning shots of espresso. Can the American chain really muscle in on a coffee culture so firmly part of national identity…
-
This Is the Most Germ-ridden Place in the Airport
This Is the Most Germ-ridden Place in the Airport About 10 percent of what you touch at the airport is carrying a virus — and the most heavily infested place is one you cannot avoid. The security checkpoint trays are the germiest things at the airport, according to a study published this week in BMC Infectious…
-
Uber joins hands with Fuji Taxi, sealing first Japan deal under new, pro-regulator approach
Uber joins hands with Fuji Taxi, sealing first Japan deal under new, pro-regulator approach Uber Technologies Inc. has finally found a partner for its cab-hailing program in Japan, one of the world’s largest taxi markets. The San Francisco-based company struck a deal with the Fuji Taxi Group to let people hail cabs through its app in…
-
India’s top court decriminalizes gay sex in landmark ruling
India’s top court decriminalizes gay sex in landmark ruling India’s Supreme Court has struck down a colonial-era law criminalizing consensual gay sex, overturning more than 150 years of anti-LGBT legislation. The court announced the landmark verdict in Delhi on Thursday, as jubilant crowds cheered and rights activists hugged one another, overcome with emotion. Section 377, an archaic…
-
Mobiles banned, 4-day week: French reforms kick in as kids head back to school
Mobiles banned, 4-day week: French reforms kick in as kids head back to school When some 12 million French children head back to school on Monday, many will be affected by Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer’s reforms, including smaller classes, a ban on cell phones, a four-day week and new tests. A much-anticipated new law has banned…
-
Paris official wants Airbnb banned from city center
Paris official wants Airbnb banned from city center The Paris city council member in charge of housing said Thursday that he would propose outlawing home rentals via Airbnb and other websites in the city centre, accusing the company of forcing residents out of the French capital. With some 60,000 apartments on offer, Paris is the biggest…
-
Rio’s 200-Year-Old National Museum Destroyed in Massive Fire
Rio’s 200-Year-Old National Museum Destroyed in Massive Fire In a sad and shocking scene late Sunday (September 2nd), the National Museum of Brazil, one of the largest natural history and anthropological museums in the Americas, was destroyed in a massive fire that consumed the entire 200-year-old structure located inside Quinta da Boa Vista park in…
-
Barcelona warns it will not grant license to controversial capsule apartment project
Barcelona warns it will not grant license to controversial capsule apartment project A Barcelona company has announced that it is building an apartment that will house 15 people in tiny capsules spread over just 100 square meters, but city authorities have said they will never issue a business license for such an initiative. Haibu 4.0, the…
-
Italy’s Florence bans eating in the street
Italy’s Florence bans eating in the street Italy might be the home of al fresco dining, but in the tourist mecca of Florence street-snacking has become such a problem that local authorities have introduced fines of up to €500 ($581) to combat it. The city ordinance, which came into effect on September 4, bans people from…
-
Hungry burglar who broke into restaurants washed dishes after eating
Hungry burglar who broke into restaurants washed dishes after eating A hungry burglar has landed himself in hot water after breaking into several restaurants to eat rather than steal. The man, 23, broke into a Korean galbi restaurant in Gwangju in the middle of the night and started cooking the dish in a frypan after raiding…
-
Eighty people wearing white suits and masks remove yellow ribbons in Catalonia
Eighty people wearing white suits and masks remove yellow ribbons in Catalonia A group of around 80 people took to the streets of a town in Catalonia last night to take down yellow ribbons and other symbols that represent support for the release of pro-independence politicians from pre-trial custody. Wearing white suits, goggles and masks, the…
-
Chinese researchers make “raincoat” for electromagnetic shield
Chinese researchers make “raincoat” for electromagnetic shield One of the fascinations of the lotus is that it grows in mud, but is always clean. Chinese researchers were inspired by the flower to develop a new, self-cleaning electromagnetic shielding material. Extensive applications of electronic devices make electromagnetic interference (EMI) a serious problem, harming human health, equipment, and…
-
One in Every 50 Travelers Finds the Love of Their Life While on a Flight
One in Every 50 Travelers Finds the Love of Their Life While on a Flight A new survey says sparks are flying on planes more often than you might think — and we’re not talking about cell phones catching fire. According to the HSBC survey, which asked more than 5,000 travelers across the globe about their flight experiences and…
-
Japan to increase support for firms developing caregiver robots
Please leave me a review here! Reading Japan to increase support for firms developing caregiver robots The government will step up support for companies developing caregiver robots with an eye on improving productivity in the field of elderly nursing care amid widespread labor shortages.In its budget request for fiscal 2019, which begins next April, the…
-
Mormons don’t want you calling them Mormons anymore
Please leave me a review here! Reading Mormons don’t want you calling them Mormons anymore The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is embarking on a rebranding effort of sorts. The church, commonly referred to as the Mormons, really wants people to stop using that word. It also wants people to stop using LDS as…
-
The high cost of lab-to-table meat
Please leave me a review here! Reading THE HIGH COST OF LAB-TO-TABLE MEAT Forget free-range, antibiotic-free, and grass-fed—tomorrow’s burger will be lab-cultured. Scientists are creating a new slaughterhouse-free food group called clean meat: edible animal protein grown in a vat. Stem cells are extracted from animals, brewed in a bioreactor, fortified with nutrients like amino…
-
China’s scariest outdoor attractions
Please leave me a review here! Reading China’s scariest outdoor attractions China is increasingly giving America a run for its money as the land of the biggest and the best. As the world’s most populous nation with the world’s second-biggest economy, the self-styled Middle Kingdom is finding new and increasingly nerve-racking ways to attract and entertain…
-
The curious rise of the fake landmark – and why it could be the future of travel
Please leave me a review here! Reading The curious rise of the fake landmark – and why it could be the future of travel Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so they say. If this is the case the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and Pyramids of Giza should be blushing right now, for…
-
This startup wants to turn your car into a vending machine
Please leave me a review here! Reading This startup wants to turn your car into a vending machine Forget your sunscreen on the way to the beach? Your Uber ride could save you a trip to the drugstore. About 1,000 Grab drivers in Singapore will receive Cargo’s boxes starting this week, a service the companies say…
-
Alibaba’s Futuristic Supermarket in China Is Light-Years Ahead of the U.S.
Please leave me a review here! Reading Alibaba’s Futuristic Supermarket in China Is Light-Years Ahead of the U.S. With a valuation over $500 billion, Chinese tech giant Alibaba is second only to Amazon in e-commerce. But it’s going after the offline world to keep growing. Long before Amazon purchased Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, Alibaba was forging…
-
Can Google replace photographers with an algorithm?
Please leave me a review here! Reading Can Google replace photographers with an algorithm? Like all mediocre photographers, Google’s Clips camera occasionally lucks into some good pictures. The new $249 gadget, released in February, automates much of the job of a certain kind of photographer. You place the 2-inch high white square on a surface, preferably…
-
Jabbrrbox: An airport lounge all to yourself
Please leave me a review here! Reading Jabbrrbox: An airport lounge all to yourself Haven’t quite got that executive club status or just find airport lounges overwhelming? A new concept has appeared in Terminal B of New York’s LaGuardia Airport that could be the answer. Meet Jabbrrbox. These windowed booths can be rented to gain…
-
Thailand Just Got the Most Tourists Ever as Boom Continues
Please leave me a review here! Reading Thailand Just Got the Most Tourists Ever as Boom Continues Thailand received a record number of foreign tourists for a single month as a boom in arrivals continues. Arrivals jumped almost 16 percent in December from a year earlier to an unprecedented 3.5 million, the Tourism Ministry’s Permanent Secretary…
-
Emerging markets: street food booms as investors get the taste
Please leave me a review here! Reading Emerging markets: street food booms as investors get the taste When a street-food vendor is awarded the highly coveted Michelin star, you know it’s time book a flight to Thailand and wait in line for four hours to try that crab omelette cooked by the eccentric 72-year-old sporting ski goggles…
-
The growing trend of vertical farming
Please leave me a review here! Reading The growing trend of vertical farming The world’s population will climb from around seven billion people to nearly 10 billion by 2050. That will make it even more challenging to feed everyone on the planet. Companies like AeroFarms are rethinking how we grow fresh and affordable produce through vertical…
-
These 3D printed homes can be constructed for $4,000
Please leave me a review here! Reading These 3D printed homes can be constructed for $4,000 A home like this can be built in less than 24 hours at a cost of only $4,000. The secret? 3D printing. And they could help families living in poverty and unsafe conditions. New Story, a housing charity organization,…
-
Humanoid robot runs through the park by itself
Please leave me a review here! Reading Humanoid robot runs through the park by itself It’s taken three years for Boston Dynamics’ robot to be able to jog unaided outside, but now it can run across grass and leap over logs. With their advanced sensors, hiding from robots has never been an option, but running from…
-
Golden mirror: Inside NASA’s new golden space telescope
Please leave me a review here! Reading Golden mirror: Inside NASA’s new golden space telescope NASA is preparing to launch its best space telescope yet, and it will gaze at the stars through a golden mirror. It’s not a single piece, but an array of 18 segments made of beryllium — a rare metal that…
-
The $20 billion ‘umbilical cord’: China unveils the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge
Please leave me a review here! Reading The $20 billion ‘umbilical cord’: China unveils the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge Spanning 34 miles (55 kilometers), this is the longest sea-crossing bridge ever built. Xinglin is visibly proud of his country’s monumental achievement. Due to open to the public this summer, this long snake of bitumen will connect a…
-
Amazon plans to open as many as six more cashierless Amazon Go stores this year
Please leave me a review here! Reading Amazon plans to open as many as six more cashierless Amazon Go stores this year Amazon’s much-heralded convenience store of the future, Amazon Go, may seem like a crazy experiment. But the company plans to open as many as six more of these storefronts this year. Some of the…
-
“My shop is in serious difficulty thanks to Amazon”
Please leave me a review here! Reading “My shop is in serious difficulty thanks to Amazon” In 2016 my turnover grew by almost 20%, thanks to careful management of customer relations. However, already in December that year I noticed a slight fall in sales, which I put down to pessimism after a disappointing result in…
-
Palma de Mallorca will be first Spanish city to ban tourist apartments
Please leave me a review here! Reading Palma de Mallorca will be first Spanish city to ban tourist apartments Starting in July, homeowners in Palma, on the Balearic Island of Mallorca, will not be allowed to rent out their apartments to tourists.The capital of the popular Mediterranean destination has adopted a pioneering measure in Spain,…
-
Amazon Tries a New Delivery Spot: Your Car
Please leave me a review here! Reading Amazon Tries a New Delivery Spot: Your Car Amazon packages get delivered to all sorts of places. Front porches? Naturally. Cubicles? Of course. Inside locked homes? Yes, that, too.Now add a new one: the trunk of your car. Starting Tuesday, people in dozens of cities across the United States can…
-
Supercool cycle path floats above Lake Garda in Italy
Please leave me a review here! Reading Supercool cycle path floats above Lake Garda in Italy Can a trip around northern Italy’s wonderful Lake Garda get any more spectacular? Yup, just hang a floating cycle path from the craggy cliffs, allowing riders to coast above its crystal-clear Alpine waters. What could soon be Europe’s, if not the…
-
Venice prepares to close off streets and divert cruise ships
Please leave me a review here! Reading Venice prepares to close off streets and divert cruise ships The mayor Luigi Brugnaro spoke of a “black alert”, a term normally used to advise drivers against motorway travel on the days of most intense holiday traffic. Venice is preparing to cordon off its streets, set up diversions…
-
The world’s most over-the-top hotel rooms
Please leave me a review here! Reading The world’s most over-the-top hotel rooms Thought you’d seen luxury? Think again. These hotel suites, decked out with everything from basketball courts to water slides, redefine the very meaning of luxury. From underwater suites in Dubai to New York penthouses with pianists, we’ve rounded up the most over-the-top rooms…
-
On the ‘Roof of Japan,’ an otherworldly 17-meter-deep snow corridor
Please leave me a review here! Reading On the ‘Roof of Japan,’ an otherworldly 17-meter-deep snow corridor One of the world’s wildest mountain drives, Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route in Japan has reopened to tourists for another season. Stretching across the Toyama and Nagano prefectures north of Tokyo, the 90-kilometer sightseeing route — dubbed the “Roof of…
-
Will new standing-up airplane seat design take off?
Please leave me a review here! Reading Will new standing-up airplane seat design take off? Fed up with limited leg room onboard airline cabins? Italian seat manufacturer Aviointeriors has come up with a design that allows passengers to stretch their legs as much as they want when they travel without any extra cost. The catch?…
-
How to ask for something
1. You ordered 100 new 27-inch black monitors which should have been delivered on Monday. The monitors arrived on Friday. In addition, the monitors were gray and only 19 inches. Leave a message for the supplier. 2. You ask your boss if you can attend a training course for 3 days next week, and if the…
-
Why your next work meeting could be outside
Please leave me a review here! Reading Why your next work meeting could be outside The outdoors are making their way into office workspaces. An office’s atmosphere and culture are becoming major selling points for workers, as companies pay more attention to what’s being incorporated into the design and layout of their work areas. That means cubicles…
-
Inside the world’s quietest room
Please leave me a review here! Reading Inside the world’s quietest room If you stand in it for long enough, you start to hear your heartbeat. A ringing in your ears becomes deafening. When you move, your bones make a grinding noise. Eventually you lose your balance, because the absolute lack of reverberation sabotages your…
-
Daily English Lesson #53
Please leave me a review here! Reading Meet the business traveler who’s collected 15,000 hotel Do Not Disturb signs Most of us forget all about hotel Do Not Disturb signs until the 10 a.m. housekeeping knock disturbs our jet-lagged slumber and we realize, too late, that it’s hanging on the wrong side of the door. Not…
-
Daily English Lesson #52
Please leave me a review here! Reading Shangri-La Hotel Singapore offers $700-a-night fantasy suites for kids Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore is going all out to satisfy its youngest guests. The luxury hotel has introduced five themed suites that are straight out of a kid’s fantasy. For around $700 a night, families can stay in the Castle suite, which…
-
Daily English Lesson #51
Please leave me a review here! Reading ‘A grand illusion’: seven days that shattered Facebook’s facade Since the Observer reported that the personal data of about 50 million Americans had been harvested from Facebook and improperly shared with the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, it has become increasingly apparent that the social network has been far…
-
Daily English Lesson #50
Please leave me a review here! Reading Meet the 79-year-old man who lives alone on an Italian island Each day for the past 29 years, Mauro Morandi has woken up to a golden sunrise illuminating the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a view that doesn’t grow old — and one Morandi doesn’t share with a single soul. The engimatic…
-
Daily English Lesson #49
Please leave me a review here! Reading Billionaire Mark Cuban: ‘One of the great lies of life is follow your passions’ Mark Cuban grew up working class in Pittsburgh. His father installed upholstery in cars and his mom worked a myriad of odd jobs. Today, Cuban is worth more than $3 billion, owns the Dallas…
-
Daily English Lesson #48
Please leave me a review here! Reading Futuristic luxury pods provide the perfect view of the desert sky In the heart of Jordan’s scenic Wadi Rum desert — also known as the “Valley of the Moon” — lies a surprising luxury campsite. Since 2016, visitors have sojourned in bubble-like domes that provide 360-degree views of…
-
Daily English Lesson #47
Please leave me a review here! Reading Sweatcoin: The app that pays you to get fit Finding the motivation to keep fit is a universal struggle, but what if you were paid to exercise? That’s the idea behind Sweatcoin, a free app that turns your steps into digital currency. Russian fitness fanatics Oleg Fomenko and Anton Derlyatka…
-
Daily English Lesson #46
Please leave me a review here! Reading Fly from Tokyo to Paris without leaving the ground Imagine jet-setting from Tokyo to Paris, enjoying first-class travel, a four-course dinner and a city tour — all without leaving the ground. This isn’t a sci-fi fantasy. This is the future of air travel according to Japanese company First Airlines,…
-
Daily English Lesson #45
Please leave me a review here! Reading New spy museum, SPYSCAPE, opens in New York City Snooping is big business. Whether it be allegations of Russian meddling in the US election, communist spy claims in UK politics, or hackers targeting everything from ATMs to cryptocurrency, it’s a good time to get wise to intelligence. New York’s new…
-
Daily English Lesson #44
Please leave me a review here! Reading Would you sleep in a glass pod hanging off a Peruvian cliff? Would you sleep in a transparent capsule hanging off the side of a Peruvian mountain? That’s the idea behind the spectacular Skylodge Adventures Suites, glass lodges precariously situated on the side of a cliff in Peru’s…
-
Daily English Lesson #43
Please leave me a review here! Reading This is the world’s happiest country in 2018 Reindeer jerky, anyone? Finland is the happiest country in the world, according to the latest World Happiness Report. Norway, last year’s winner, came in second place in the 2018 report. It’s followed by Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland. The World Happiness Report was…
-
Daily English Lesson #42
Please leave me a review here! Reading Samsung’s new smart TV is a tech chameleon Samsung’s new smart TV lineup blends in with its surroundings like a chameleon. The South Korean tech giant on Wednesday announced its 2018 lineup of QLED TVs and the standout feature is what Samsung calls “ambient mode,” which mimics the colors…
-
Daily English Lesson #41
Please leave me a review here! Reading Google cofounder’s flying taxi takes to the skies in New Zealand Google cofounder Larry Page’s flying taxi project is cleared for take off. Kitty Hawk, the Silicon Valley startup backed by Page, said it is building and testing “all-electric vertical take-off and landing products” in New Zealand. Dubbed “Cora,”…
-
Daily English Lesson #40
Please leave me a review here! Reading Fitbit unveils Apple Watch competitor and fitness tracker for kids Fitbit’s latest trackers intend to lure more casual fitness fans, and even kids. The company announced two new products on Tuesday: Fitbit Versa, a smartwatch that is strikingly similar to the Apple Watch, and its first fitness tracker for…
-
World’s first energy-positive hotel planned for Arctic Circle
When approaching the Helgeland coastline, in northern Norway, you can’t miss the Svartisen glacier spilling down the side of Almlifjellet mountain. Below, the gin-clear Holandsfjorden fjord — an extension of the Norwegian Sea — reflects the blue-toned mountain like a mirror. It’s in this unspoiled environment that you’ll find Svart, which aims to be the…
-
Elon Musk: Mars rocket will fly ‘short flights’ next year
Elon Musk issued yet another incredibly ambitious timeline. During a Q&A at the SXSW festival on Sunday, Musk said SpaceX will be ready to fly its Mars rocket in 2019. “We are building the first ship, or interplanetary ship, right now,” Musk said. “And we’ll probably be able to do short flights, short up and down…
-
Daily English Lesson #39
Please leave me a review here! Reading Matsushima: All-you-can-eat oysters and Japan’s most scenic views It’s a chilly Saturday afternoon in February and temperatures are creeping just above the freezing mark — a time of year when most seaside destinations are devoid of leisure travelers. But this is Matsushima, one of the fabled “Nihon Sankei” —…
-
Daily English Lesson #38
Please leave me a review here! Reading The $35,000 watch co-designed by one of the inventors of the iPod There’s a common problem with mechanical watches: when the power winds down, they lose the time. When that happens, the time must be set again by hand. For some owners of mechanical watches, that may qualify…
-
Daily English Lesson #37
Please leave me a review here! Reading SuperShe Island: Women-only luxury retreat opening in Finland Did you watch hit movie “Wonder Woman” and daydream about escaping to her home, the female-only island of Themyscira? That dream could soon become a reality: entrepreneur Kristina Roth has created SuperShe Island, a private retreat off the coast of Finland…
-
Daily English Lesson #36
Please leave me a review here! Reading Elon Musk overhauls Boring Company concept to focus on mass transit Remember Elon Musk’s plan to dig a massive web of traffic-beating tunnels underneath Los Angeles? The billionaire entrepreneur’s The Boring Company posted a concept video last year that showed cars entering tunnels on skates, where they hurtled 130…
-
The World’s Longest Cruise Hits All 7 Continents in 357 Days
The world’s longest cruise is the ultimate addition to your travel bucket list. The new “World of Travel” package from the UK’s Mundy Cruising is the pinnacle of around-the-world journeys, clocking in at 357 days that will take you to all seven continents, according to Condé Nast Traveler. The trip leaves from Miami in January…
-
Daily English Lesson #35
Please leave me a review here! Reading This Indian airport will fly you to the terminal for $65 Want to avoid a three-hour drive to the airport in some of India’s worst traffic? Bangalore is now offering helicopter transfers between the city and its airport for around $65. The gateway to India’s Silicon Valley launched its HeliTaxi…
-
Daily English Lesson #34
Reading Populist parties surge in Italian election Populist parties have gained ground at the expense of establishment voices in Italy’s parliamentary elections, which produced no clear winner as votes were being counted in the early hours of Monday. The anti-establishment Five Star Movement is projected to have gained the most votes by a single party, while…
-
Daily English Lesson #33
Reading Now Trump’s White House chaos is rocking the world Trump’s sudden announcement Thursday of punishing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, after a typically disorganized and opaque rollout, left much of the world feeling the whiplash that has rocked Washington all week. At home, stocks crashed on the President’s offhanded announcement, which could blow up…
-
Daily English Lesson #32
Reading America’s most popular national parks Nearly 331 million people visited the National Park Service’s 417 sites around the United States in 2017, a slight dip from the 331 million record-breaking visits during its centennial anniversary year in 2016. Park service officials expected the slight decline after the centennial celebrations during the previous year. In 2016,…
-
Daily English Lesson #31
Reading The banana phone is back! There’s a new Nokia 8110 A startup that licenses the Nokia phone brand has unveiled a new version of the 8110, a curved mobile phone that was first released in 1996 and featured in “The Matrix.” The phone, which is offered in banana yellow and black, will sell for €79…
-
Coat vs Jacket
coat – an outer garment with sleeves, worn outdoors and typically extending below the hips jacket – an outer garment extending either to the waist or the hips, typically having sleeves and a fastening down the front
-
Daily English Lesson #30
Reading China to drop presidential term limits, clearing way for Xi Jinping to stay on China’s Communist Party (CCP) has proposed amending the country’s constitution to allow President Xi Jinping to serve a third term in office. State-run news agency Xinhua said the Party will remove the provision that the President and Vice President “shall…
-
Stunning revival of the humble shipping container
In 1937, a young trucker named Malcolm McLean was delivering a load of cotton to a harbor in Hoboken, New Jersey. As he watched workers slowly transport the boxes by hand onto a ship, the story goes, he thought there had to be a better way to do it. It turns out, there was: a…
-
Daily English Lesson #29
Reading The slender skyscrapers changing New York’s skyline The Empire State Building, the Art Deco Chrysler Building, the super-tall One World Trade Center. New York City is home to some of the world’s most iconic skyscrapers. But the buildings entering its famous skyline today are doing something unusual. They’re getting skinnier. Complex zoning laws in the city…
-
Daily English Lesson #28
Reading Czech Republic: Travel Destination The Czech Republic is a destination straight out of fairy tales. With an array of picturesque historic cities, world-class architecture, romantic castles and charming natural wonders, this Central European country should definitely be on every travel list. Covering an area of just 78,866 square kilometers, it boasts an impressive 12 UNESCO World…
-
Daily English Lesson #27
Reading The one underrated thing that makes any relocation easier When you think of all the things that can make your relocation easier, a spacious car probably doesn’t come top of the list. But when you’re living in a new country, it can suddenly become a necessity in ways you might not have realized. In those…
-
Daily English Lesson #26
Reading Snapchat is fighting Instagram for celebrity users Snapchat is finally sharing analytics with its most high-profile users as it steps up efforts to compete with Instagram. Parent company, Snap, on Wednesday announced it will give users such as celebrities and so-called social media influencers more data about how their posts are performing. The data will include total…
-
Daily English Lesson #25
Reading LeBron James: ‘I am more than an athlete’ LeBron James extended his feud Saturday with a Fox News host after she made comments about his grammar and diction while complaining about his political beliefs. The Cleveland Cavaliers forward responded again in his days-long back-and-forth with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who took to her show…
-
Daily English Lesson #24
Reading Could electric scooters become the new bikeshare? Cities are taking interest in electric scooter-share systems as an affordable commuting alternative to cut down on pollution and traffic congestion. The electric scooters, which weigh between 30 and 40 pounds, reach speeds of about 15 mph. In September, Santa Monica, California, became the first U.S. city to have…
-
Daily English Lesson #23
Reading The FBI, CIA and NSA say American citizens shouldn’t use Huawei phones U.S. intelligence agencies have issued a stern warning to Americans: Do not buy smartphones made by Chinese tech companies Huawei or ZTE. There is a risk of letting any company “beholden to foreign governments” inside the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, he said. Huawei is…
-
Daily English Lesson #22
Reading These Valentine’s Day roses cost $39 each but last an entire year You can say just about anything with flowers, but sending a limp bouquet to your Valentine might make the wrong impression. After Seema Bansal’s boyfriend ordered what turned out to be a disappointing Valentine’s delivery for her one year, the New York-based couple…
-
Daily English Lesson #21
Reading Ben & Jerry’s launch three new flavors We’re halfway through February, so it’s probably safe to say many of us have abandoned those well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions. However, if you’re one of those admirable people who are still persevering with, for example, a health kick , then there’s some great news. The geniuses behind the iconic…
-
Daily English Lesson #20
Reading 157 new emoji coming to iOS, Android New year, new emoji. The Unicode Consortium — a nonprofit that sets the global standard for emoji — announced on Wednesday 157 new emoji options would be coming later this year. The latest collection includes a cupcake, lobster, pirate flag and more expressive smiley faces. Emoji will soon have…
-
Daily English Lesson #19
Reading Six Nations: Ticket prices rocket for England’s clash with Wales It’s the hottest ticket in town — and then some. Six Nations clashes between England and Wales are rich in history, rarely short of drama, and ever-popular with fans, but if you haven’t already got a ticket for Saturday’s game it’s going to cost…
-
Daily English Lesson #18
Reading Kylie Jenner reveals her baby’s name First-time mom Kylie Jenner has named her daughter Stormi. The cosmetics mogul and reality star revealed her baby’s name on social media, the same place where days ago she said she’d given birth on Feb. 1. Jenner, 20, is in a relationship with rapper Travis Scott. She kept…
-
Albania
Albania (officially the Republic of Albania) is a country in Southeastern Europe. It spans 28,748 square kilometres (11,100 square miles) and had a total population of 3 million people as of 2016. Albania is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic with the capital in Tirana, the country’s most populous city and main economic and commercial centre,…
-
George Washington 1789 to 1797
George Washington (February 22, 1732– December 14, 1799) was an American statesman and soldier who served as the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797 and was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He served as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and later presided…
-
The problem with job titles
Job titles may make sense in a big corporation, but for startups, they can be “confusing outmoded markers of status,” says Hello Alfred CEO Marcela Sapone. They encourage people to focus on the next promotion, or a fixed idea of what the role entails, “rather than taking on whatever initiative a startup really needs to…
-
Afghanistan
Afghanistān (officially called Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) is a country in South Asia. It has borders with Pakistan in the south and east, Iran in the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the north, and China in the far northeast. In early times people passed through it with animals and other goods as it connected China and…
-
Daily English Lesson #17
Reading Contractor promised 30 million meals to Puerto Rico. Only 50,000 were delivered. Lawmakers ask why Two Democrats are calling for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be subpoenaed for documents relating to Hurricane Maria, suggesting the agency failed to provide tens of millions of meals after the storm devastated Puerto Rico. The company delivered 50,000…
-
Daily English Lesson #16
Reading Dow plunges 1,175 — worst point decline in history It was the scariest day on Wall Street in years. Stocks went into free fall on Monday, and the Dow plunged almost 1,600 points — easily the biggest point decline in history during a trading day. Buyers charged back in and limited the damage, but at the…
-
Daily English Lesson #15
Reading Eagles win first Super Bowl The Philadelphia Eagles came back to defeat the New England Patriots, 41-33, in Minneapolis on Sunday to win their first Super Bowl in 57 seasons. The Patriots boasted the top-ranked defense in the NFL, but they couldn’t stop the Eagles’ journeyman quarterback, Nick Foles, who was named the game’s Most…
-
Daily English Lesson #14
Reading Six Countries Compete 15 Games Over 2 Months In a recent study, the world’s most attended sports competition wasn’t the NFL, the FIFA World Cup, La Liga, or the Premier League. It was the Six Nations championship. According to football governing body UEFA, the annual rugby tournament between England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and…
-
Daily English Lesson #13
Reading Health experts urge Facebook to shut down Messenger Kids Child development advocates are calling on Facebook to discontinue its new Messenger Kids app, which is targeted at 6 to 12 year olds. On Tuesday, more than a dozen organizations and about 100 health experts sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying the new…
-
Daily English Lesson #12
Reading Ex-Googlers create a self-driving car to deliver your groceries Two former Google engineers have built a car that’s personalized for delivering your groceries, pizza or dry-cleaning. Nuro, a Mountain View, California, based startup, unveiled an autonomous vehicle Tuesday designed for making local commerce deliveries. The company plans to have several of the vehicles making deliveries on…
-
Daily English Lesson #11
Reading Trump hits Jay-Z on black employment following CNN interview President Donald Trump is taking credit for a decline in the African-American unemployment rate again, this time by taking aim at rapper and businessman Jay-Z following his comments on CNN Saturday night. “Somebody please inform Jay-Z that because of my policies, Black Unemployment has just…
-
Daily English Lesson #10
Reading Air Force One’s new refrigerators cost $24 million Air Force One is primed to receive an upgrade that will include new refrigerators expected to cost American taxpayers nearly $24 million. Due to the fact that Air Force One is a one-of-a-kind aircraft, many of its components require unique testing by the Federal Aviation Administration and…
-
Fill Up
fill to capacity If you have a concert at a large venue you have to fill it up otherwise it will look empty. When I go to the gas station, I always tell them to fill it up.
-
Try On
put clothing on to see if it fits I hate trying on clothes when I go shopping because the lines are always so long. Online shopping will always be risky because you can’t try things on before you buy them.
-
Fill Out
complete a form Fill out this application form and mail it in. Every time you go to the hospital in America there is a lot of paperwork to fill out.
-
Turn Up
raise the volume When the DJ saw the crowd enjoying a song, he turned it up. Grandpa couldn’t hear, so he turned up his hearing aid.
-
Call Off
cancel They called off negotiations last night and decided to keep the companies separate for the moment. The protest was called off at the last minute but the police were ready to take action.
-
Turn Off
switch off electricity We turned off the lights before anyone could see us. My sister never turns the tv off before going to bed. repulse When I saw the way he treated his mother, it really turned me off. You are being really aggressive and it is really turning me off.
-
Bring Up
mention a topic If you really want a raise, bring it up during your yearly evaluation. I’m telling you once and for all, don’t ever bring this up again or I’ll tell your wife about your affair.
-
Blow Up
explode The terrorists tried to blow up the railroad station. The soldiers had orders to blow up the oil reserves.
-
Daily English Lesson #9
Reading Why Italy is going all out to win the Bocuse d’Or culinary contest From pizza to spaghetti, Italy has given us some of the world’s best loved foods and many of its restaurants are considered among the finest on the planet. Despite its impeccable culinary credentials, the country has yet to secure one very important…
-
How Often Do You Binge-Watch a TV Series
You sit yourself down in front of the TV after a long day at work, and decide to start watching that new show everyone’s been talking about. Cut to midnight and you’ve crushed half a season — and find yourself tempted to stay up to watch just one more episode, even though you know you’ll…
-
How The Most Successful Night Owls Manage To Wake Up Early
If you’re a night owl, it might feel impossible to shine at morning meetings, but these tips from those who’ve been there might help. The stories are legend–Jack Dorsey of Square reportedly gets up at 5 a.m.to meditate before work. Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo says she wakes up at 4 a.m. and begins her workday.…
-
Foods and drinks expats miss most
There are countless things about our homeland that Australians miss after moving abroad: the magnificent landscape, the laid-back lifestyle and that endless blue sky, to name a few. But something as simple as a trip to the supermarket can leave us expats — according to some reports there are an estimated one million of us…
-
Man Unable to Pay Airline Baggage Fee Arrested After Trying to Wear All His Clothes Onboard
A typical flight home turned into an ordeal when Ryan Hawaii made a peculiar attempt to circumvent baggage costs. After hanging out in Iceland for nine days, Hawaii went to the airport and realized his sister-in-law had purchased him a ticket without baggage. Instead of paying the £90 fee, he attempted to wear all of…
-
6 Classic New Orleans Cocktails Every Drinker Should Know
When it comes to drinking, there’s no city in America — and perhaps the world — that does it better than New Orleans. After all, this is a town where bars can stay open 24 hours a day and it’s totally legal, at least in the French Quarter, to carry a drink as you’re walking…
-
Daily English Lesson #8
Reading In less than 3 months, a major international city will likely run out of water In Cape Town, South Africa, they’re calling it “Day Zero” — the day when the taps run dry. A few days ago, city officials had said that day will come on April 22. This week, they moved up the…
-
Daily English Lesson #7
Reading Oscar nominations are here: Did your favorite films make the cut? Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards were announced Tuesday amid what’s proving to be an unpredictable and highly political awards season. The Oscars come as the entertainment industry reckons with sexual harassment and gender inequality issues, unleashed by allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein and…
-
Daily English Lesson #6
Reading George Weah sworn in as President of Liberia Football star George Weah was sworn in as President of Liberia Monday, in the country’s first democratic transfer of power for more than 70 years. Weah, a decorated football star, took over from Africa’s first female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Liberians of all ages formed long…
-
Daily English Lesson #5
Reading One year later, Women’s March returns One year after women took to the streets in droves to protest President Donald Trump’s inauguration, marchers are gathering again in cities across the country and around the world in a sharp rebuke of Trump’s presidency and in continuation of a still-growing international movement. This second year of…
-
House vs Home
We use the noun house to refer to a building. We use home in a more personal and emotional way to refer to where someone lives.
-
Daily English Lesson #4
Reading The Surprising Truth About Refrigerating Eggs Eggs in the US are sold under refrigeration, but that’s not the case in many other countries. People who have their own chickens also sometimes leave the eggs outside of the refrigerator until they’re ready to cook with them. What’s the deal? Do we really need to refrigerate…
-
Daily English Lesson #3
Reading Aunts of 13 captive children reveal years of secrecy and concerns David and Louise Turpin projected an image of a picture-perfect family on social media. They posted photos of themselves with their 13 children, smiling as they celebrated birthdays, renewed wedding vows and visited Disneyland together. In the photos, the couple’s children wore identical clothing…
-
Daily English Lesson #2
Reading Missile threat alert for Hawaii a false alarm; officials blame employee who pushed ‘wrong button’ An emergency alert notification sent out on Saturday claiming a “ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii” was a false alarm, according to state leaders and emergency officials, who blamed it on an employee who “pushed the wrong button. “”BALLISTIC…
-
Daily English Lesson #1
Reading Aziz Ansari Responds to Accusation of Sexual Misconduct by Brooklyn Photographer Aziz Ansari is responding to an accusation that he sexually harassed a woman he met in 2017. The woman, a Brooklyn photographer who chose to remain anonymous, gave her first-hand account to Babe.net, where she detailed her experience under the name “Grace.” Grace says that…
-
How do you tell the difference between good stress and bad?
Feeling stressed can feel perfectly normal, especially during exam time. You might notice that sometimes being stressed-out motivates you to focus on your work, yet at other times, you feel incredibly overwhelmed and can’t concentrate on anything. While stress affects everyone in different ways, there are two major types of stress: stress that’s beneficial and…
-
Playing too many video games is a mental health disorder, World Health Organization says
The South China Morning Post reported that the World Health Organization will officially recognize video game addiction as a mental health disorder in 2018. The symptoms of “gaming disorder” are actually not all that different from a more traditional substance abuse disorder, except for the hangovers and physical withdrawals. If video games are more important…
-
How online dating suffers from this new bad trend
There’s a new online dating phenomenon you need to watch out for. So what is kittenfishing? It’s essentially a tamed-down version of catfishing — which is when online daters pretend to be someone they’re not. Kittenfishing, on the other hand, is when dating app users embellish the truth and present themselves in an unrealistically positive…
-
The psychological importance of wasting time
There will always be an endless list of chores to complete and work to do, and a culture of relentless productivity tells us to get to it right away and feel terribly guilty about any time wasted. But the truth is, a life spent dutifully responding to emails is a dull one indeed. And “wasted”…
-
Get over (something)
to start to feel happy or well again after something bad has happened to you It can take weeks to get over an illness like that. Robin is pretty upset that there are no more chestnuts to pick, but he’ll get over it.
-
Farther vs Further
Farther refers to physical distance: Francesco can run farther than Agusto. Further refers to metaphorical distance: Fabrizio is further away from finishing his project than Oleg is.
-
Forming The Possessive
The possessive form is used with nouns referring to people, groups of people, countries, and animals. It shows a relationship of belonging between one thing and another. To form the possessive, add apostrophe + s to the noun. If the noun is plural, or already ends in s, just add an apostrophe after the s.…