Plain English

Today's story: Andy Burnham became Britain's prime minister in July, and immediately faced a dilemma: should he continue to wear the polo shirts, jeans, and casual jackets that he wore when he was a mayor? His "hipster dad" style became a signature part of his personal messaging. Or would he follow the dress code of all (male) politicians in the House of Commons, wearing a suit and tie? Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/905

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/905

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: The marathon takes its name from a Greek legend about a messenger who ran from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens with news of victory. That story isn't quite true, but it did inspire the modern-day race. Today, about 1.2 million people finish a marathon every year, in races that range from huge city events to unusual courses on the Great Wall of China and in Antarctica. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/904

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/904

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: Burglars often leave no fingerprints or hair behind, but they may still leave traces of themselves floating in the air. What if that could be used to help solve crimes? In an experiment in Oslo, Norway and Adelaide, Australia, researchers staged fake burglaries, and then tried to identify the "intruders" using DNA floating in the air. The result? They found evidence of the intruder more than half the time. But real-world use by police would be much more complicated. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/903

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/903

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: Six-year-old Lian Yunzhi from China set a new Rubik’s cube world record with an average time of 4.27 seconds, breaking her own record just three days after setting it. The Rubik’s cube has fascinated and frustrated puzzle lovers for decades, but competitive speedcubers have mastered the art of solving it in seconds. Lian began learning to solve cubes at age four and now trains for hours each day to compete at the highest level. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/902

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/902

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: We continue our look back at 900 Plain English lessons with five more favorite topics. We revisit stories about airport chapels, the history of QR codes, what makes a good apology, the debate over top sheets, and the surprising way anti-venom is made. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/901

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/901

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: This week, Plain English is celebrating its 900th episode. We've touched on stories big and small over the years, and this is a time to look back on some of our favorites. In part 1, we look back on episodes about the movie "Crazy Rich Asians", a taste test that went awry, television personality Regis Philbin, and a surprising scam at McDonald's. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/900

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/900

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: The Bayeux Tapestry, a nearly 1,000-year-old embroidered account of the Norman Conquest, has traveled from France to the British Museum for a rare exhibition in London. The fragile 70-meter work required carefully engineered transportation and will remain on display until July 2027. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/899

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/899

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: As artificial intelligence drives demand for more computing power, huge new data centers are being proposed across the United States. But local communities are pushing back over higher electricity costs, noise, and blight that go along with data centers. Opposition has brought together voters across political parties and led some towns to block or delay new projects. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/898

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/898

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: Dolly Parton, the country music singer, died at age 80. She rose from rural poverty to become one of the most celebrated musical artists of her generation. While she was famous for her music, she was beloved for her personality. Generous, authentic, and accepting, she united fans from many different worlds. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/897

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/897

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Learn the English expression, "eat away at"

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/eat-away-at

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: The first postcards were sold in the late 1800s and quickly became a popular way to communicate. In the days before social media (and even consumer photography), they were a fast and cheap way to communicate. But across the world, postcard usage is falling sharply (except one specific type of postcard). Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/895

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/895

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Learn the English expression, "better off"

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/better-off

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: Scientists at the University of Minnesota built a synthetic cell entirely from non-living chemical ingredients. Called SpudCell, it can absorb nutrients, copy its genetic code, divide into two, and even show natural selection over several generations. However, it still depends on scientists to supply key cellular machinery, cannot reproduce forever, and does not always pass on a complete set of DNA. Researchers hope this fully documented cell will help them understand how life works and eventually develop engineered cells that can produce fuels, plastics, or medicines. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/893

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/893

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Learn what it means to "distance yourself" from someone or something

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/distance-yourself

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: Europe’s new Entry/Exit System replaces passport stamps with digital records and biometric checks. But its rollout during peak travel season caused long lines, missed connections, and confusion at major airports. Technical problems, staffing shortages, and slow first-time registrations made the delays worse. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/891

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/891

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Learn what it means to have something "on hand"

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/on-hand-2

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: Greek-style frozen yogurt is becoming popular around the world, thanks to its tangy flavor, bright appearance, and colorful toppings. Although it is marketed as a natural, high-protein treat, many versions contain little protein and a large amount of sugar. Its real appeal comes from its social-media-friendly look, customizable toppings, and simple business model. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/889

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/889

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Learn what it means to keep something "up to date"

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/up-to-date

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: E-bikes combine traditional cycling with battery-powered assistance, helping riders travel faster, climb hills, and cover longer distances with less effort. They are popular for commuting, school drop-offs, deliveries, and light exercise. But they're more expensive and weigh more than traditional bicycles. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/887

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/887

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Learn what it means to go "above and beyond"

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/above-and-beyond

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

• Learn about the world and improve your English
• Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
• New stories every week
• Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com