Lessons from Mar 2016 - Jun 2016

U.S. police to look into shooting of zoo gorilla

2nd June - "Easier"
Police in the US state of Ohio are going to look into the shooting of a 17-year-old gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo. They will investigate the facts around the killing of Harambe the gorilla.

Anger over racist Chinese advert

29th May - "Easier"
There is a lot of anger on social media because of an advertisement for a Chinese detergent. Some newspapers are saying it could be the most racist advert ever.

New product tests for spiked drinks

27th May - "Harder"
A British businessman has developed a product that helps people test drinks they think might have been drugged, or 'spiked'.

President Obama to visit Hiroshima

25th May - "Easier"
On Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama will become the first American president to visit the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

Get an electric shock to stop buying things

21st May - "Easier"
A British firm has developed a new product to help us save money. The product is a wristband that gives us an electric shock if we spend too much money.

Scientists make see-through wood

19th May - "Harder"
Scientists have come up with a revolutionary new use for wood. They have devised a way to make it transparent.

72-year-old woman gives birth

15th May - "Harder"
A 72-year-old woman from Amritsar, India is celebrating the birth of her first child. Daljinder Kaur and her husband Mohinder Singh Gill, 79, posed for photos...

Budweiser beer renamed 'America'

13th May - "Easier"
One of the word's most famous beer companies is changing the name of its best-selling beer. Budweiser is going to be called 'America'.

Leicester City in football fairytale win

5th May - "Easier"
Football fans in the English city of Leicester have been celebrating a fairytale win for their club. Leicester City won England's Premier League for the first time.

New gym opens to train robots

1st May - "Easier"
A group of business people has opened a kind of gym for robots. The group is headed by Elon Musk, who is the boss of the electric car company Tesla Motors.

Worries over eating disorders in Japan

27th April - "Easier"
A health group in Japan is worried about people with eating disorders. The Japan Society for Eating Disorders (JSED) said that most people...

Massive coral reef found in Amazon River

25th April - "Harder"
An international team of scientists has discovered a huge coral reef in the Amazon River. The team from the universities of Georgia in the USA and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil...

Rock superstar Prince dies at 57

23rd April - "Easier"
The rock superstar Prince has died at the age of 57. He passed away on Thursday at his home in Minneapolis.

Over-the-counter medicine may shrink brain

21st April - "Harder"
Over-the-counter (OTC) medicine is a common part of our lives. Many of us pop into the local pharmacy for cold and headache tablets, cough syrups or allergy treatments.

Ancient mummy found wearing Adidas boots

15th April - "Easier"
An ancient mummy that was found in Mongolia has gone viral online because it seems to be wearing Adidas boots. Many people have been tweeting that...

Money can buy happiness

11th April - "Easier"
A song from the famous English pop group the Beatles told us that money can't buy us love. Many people also believe...

Donald Trump on global risk list

19th March - "Harder"
Researchers have stated that Donald Trump winning the U.S. presidency is one of the top ten risks facing the world.

Ghana visas for all African Union members

15th March - "Harder"
Ghana's president, John Dramani Mahama, has announced that his country will issue visas to citizens of African Union member states from July.

Nintendoland to open in Japan

9th March - "Easier"
A new theme park will open in Osaka, Japan. Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is going to build a new attraction called Nintendoland.

Turkey takes over biggest newspaper

7th March - "Harder"
Turkish police have used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon against protestors outside the offices of a national newspaper in Istanbul.

Happiness can break your heart too

5th March - "Easier"
Scientists have said it isn't just sad things that make us brokenhearted. Happy events can also be bad for our heart. A broken heart is an actual medical condition

Lack of sleep gives you the munchies

3rd March - "Harder"
Have you ever wondered why you are hungrier than usual if you do not get a good night's sleep? Researchers from the University of Chicago say they have found one reason....

See the links below for earlier lessons.

Lessons were produced every day between Nov 2004 and Dec 2005.
Lessons were produced at "easier" and "harder" levels between Apr 2005 and Aug 2006.
Podcasts started in Apr 2005.

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