Who invented the umbrella?
Why is the Mona Lisa so famous and why was Pol Pot in Cambodia?
Why do people love quizzes?
How many flies does it take to fall off a horse and what does Albert Einstein have in common with Justin Bieber?
These questions and many more are probed as to how they were invented, why they became so popular or why they can be thought provoking.
Why do people love quizzes?
It’s a tough question but one that we’ll take on in this podcast.
If you’ve spent any time in the UK, you’ve no doubt noticed that the Brits are a nation that loves to test themselves.
Say what you want about them, but they love a little competition and as for the rest of you, well…we love to make fun at how terrible you are at organizing your lives (I’m looking at you, Americans!).
Not only do quizzes make a lot of people’s Facebook feeds a little less bland, but these tiny bits of entertainment also serve an essential purpose: Nobody ever finished a Buzzfeed or Snapchat quiz without recalling some old memory from their life just to answer the question at the end.
Test your own memory with this quiz!
Quizzes are commonly categorized as being a fun activity to participate in, but why have they become so popular?
Does this mean that people only take quizzes to test their knowledge and have nothing else to do in the time they use them?
Why aren’t people learning facts in other ways?
Is it purely for entertainment, or is there more beyond the internal appeal of taking a quiz?
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Whatever your view of guns, this podcast will fascinate you.
Sue, as a European, listens in amazement to Cindy as she describes her everyday life living with guns in the USA.Â
Cindy recounts why she needs to own a gun, how she practices and how the constitution allows American citizens to carry an arm (and shoot) for their own protection.
As a language learner, listen out for Cindy’s southern American accent and American English vocabulary such as “purse”, “pants” and “packing”.
Try to answer these questions:
- What do the background checks consist of?
- How many guns does Cindy own?
- Where does she keep her gun?
- Where do many women keep their gun?
- How (and when) does she practice shooting?
- Why does she feel the need to have a gun with her?
- What is “Open” and “Conceal” carry?
- What does Cindy say about bullets?
- What does she say about a recent hold up in her local supermarket?
- What does she say about Shoot Unseen ?
- What does Cindy explain about the American constitution?
In this podcast, the team at english-podcasts has no intention to pass any opinion, bias or judgement on the subject, and we thank Cindy for her personal account of gun use and general attitudes.Â
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What is a Platinum Jubilee ?
It’s a celebration to mark 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
She was crowned Queen in 1958 at the age of 27 and now she is 97 years old.Â
Have you ever sold anything online? In recent years it has become part of our everyday life. The internet is full of sites specializing in selling second-hand items from houses, to cars, to handbags, to children’s toys.
Listen as Sue asks Chris about his experience.
Listen out for these key words and expressions. This podcast is bursting with everyday useful vocabulary.
Time wasters
Secure payment
Stuff
Conmen
You need your wits about you.
Do the benefits outweigh he pitfalls?
To knock someone down  – to knock a bit off
To be above board
To be messed about.
To be in awe of someone
To be on your guard
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Did you watch the Euros 2020? Are you a football fan? What did you think about the backlash against the losing finalists, England, and in particular the 3 players who missed the crucial penalties?
In this podcast Sue caught up with Dave, a West Ham supporter, who gives his opinion about the football and the harsh criticism that the players received, and also Victoria who runs an equality blog on Instagram, Feminists of Reading.
As a langage learner tune your ear to Dave’s London accent. Also listen out for these expressions that he uses:
The boozer
Name and Shame
A bloodbath
The bandwagon
The fans are thick (Sue replies that he has probably “put his finger on it”)
One of the people in the background says “I couldn’t agree more”. What does this mean? Does the person agree or disagree?
- If there are other expressions or language points that you need help with, please post your questions in the Comments section and we’ll answer you with a full explanation.
This is a podcast for language learners and although the english-podcast team support anti-racism, Â the views of Dave and Victoria are entirely their own.Â
The podcast was recorded by Zoom so the sound is unstable at times.
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So what’s an animated podcast ?
Good question !
It’s a podcast with pictures, learning tips and clues. In short, it’s just a helping hand to help you understand the conversation and the context.
This is Animated Podcast number 2 in a series of 10, in which each one has a specific focus and gets progressively more challenging.Â
The second one, Calculate your Carbon Footprint, is a conversation around the World Wildlife Quiz which asks lots of How questions; how many, how much, how far, how big etc.
Who is it designed for ?
It’s a perfect opportunity for new learners (pre-intermediate) to focus on adverbs of frequency to talk about everyday actions and activities, and also learn everyday vocabulary.
It’s a great way for Intermediate learners to consolidate knowledge.
Enjoy and Welcome to the English Podcasts Youtube Channel  !
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