I’ve always been a really big fan of Bruno…. He can do anything, literally singing the best vocals you’ve ever heard live in your life while he is playing a drum or a bass or doing some mad percussion riff. I think he definitely will be the biggest, biggest, biggest artist in the world.

—Singer-songwriter Adele, speaking about one of her favorite musicians Bruno Mars. (Vogue) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Many people think animals are soothing. It’s nice to pet a cat or play with a dog. It’s fun to look at aquariums. It’s relaxing to watch a bunch of butterflies in a garden. Other people don’t like spending time with animals, especially if they’re allergic to animal dander. If they pet a cat, for example, their nose will soon be stuffed up. How do you feel about animals?

If you’re an animal lover, there’s a special type of cafe that you’ll probably be into. In 1998, the world’s first cat cafe opened in Taiwan. Now, you can find a cafe with an animal theme in many countries. There are cat cafes, dog cafes, rabbit cafes, and even owl cafes! Many of these cafes are in Japan, where people like to frequent places where they can spend time with animals.

Jordin is deathly allergic to cats. Will she go to the cat cafe with Brian? Listen to today’s English lesson to find out! -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

How do you feel at school, at work, or even in your home? Are you totally relaxed, or is there someone there who makes you feel nervous? Sometimes, you will meet people you don’t understand. Maybe, they are really intense, or perhaps they tell you what to do too often. It can be difficult to get along with these people, and you might feel like you’re walking on eggshells all the time.

We use the expression “walking on eggshells” to talk about situations that make us feel uncomfortable. When you feel this way, you don’t know how to act. This feeling happens when you think another person doesn’t like you. You might want to be nice to them, but you don’t know how. In this situation, you may be afraid that they will get mad at you. You feel like you need to be very careful all the time… almost like you are walking on top of fragile eggshells.

Dominique wants to plan a party for Sheila, but Jordin isn’t excited about this. Find out why she is walking on eggshells in today’s soap opera. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Do you dream of being an Olympian? Even if you aren’t very good at sports, you can imagine becoming an Olympic champion. Which sport do you think you would like most? Some people played volleyball when they were younger. For them, beach volleyball might be a very fun sport. On the other hand, some people would like to do a traditional Olympic sport, such as discus.

Almost anyone can try track and field. Running, jumping, and throwing things are activities that most humans can enjoy. Can you narrow down your three favorite Olympic sports? Perhaps, you want to shoot arrows from a bow, like Jean-Charles Valladont. Or maybe, you would like to pick up a sword and try fencing, like Ibtahaj Muhammad. Or your favorite Olympic sport might just be watching the games on TV.

Sheila wants to know what Kelsey’s favorite Olympic sports are. Listen to today’s English lesson to find out. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Sports usually cause people to have many strong opinions. This is very true during the Olympics. People want nothing short of perfection from their national teams. And they think it is ridiculous when athletes are good, but their scores are bad. Sometimes, people think that the judges give pity points to some athletes as a type of sympathy. Maybe, this is true and maybe it isn’t. But everybody will have an opinion in these situations.

Sometimes, people think their team was robbed because another team received more points. These days, opinions about the Olympics are easy to find and share on the internet. You can randomly look for almost any Olympic sport and find people who are happy or sad about the results. However, in the end, it doesn’t matter what people think. The competition continues!

Dominique has some strong opinions about the women’s gymnastics competition. Listen to her tell Andy her thoughts in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

My final journey to the Olympic Games has begun. Believe me when I say the new @Nike swag is official!

—Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad, speaking about receiving clothing from Nike (Twitter) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

The Olympic Games began in ancient Greece. The very first Olympics happened in 776 BC. Some of the first Olympic sports were running, boxing, and discus. These sports are still happening today. However, the Olympics now has 42 different sports. Each time the Olympics happens, new sports are added. Sometimes, they even bring back old sports.

This summer, the 2016 Summer Olympic Games are happening in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Last week, people celebrated at the opening ceremonies with an awesome projection show. If you missed this great performance, you can YouTube it at any time. After the ceremonies, the games began. This year, more than 200 countries are competing in the Summer Olympics.

Sheila hasn’t been able to watch the games, yet, so she asks Jordin to tell her about the opening ceremonies. Find out what Jordin liked best in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Do you like surprises? Imagine this: You enter a contest to win tickets to a concert where your favorite musician is performing. You know it is unlikely that you’ll win, but you think to yourself, “What if?” Then, imagine you get the phone call telling you that you’ve won the tickets! What an amazing surprise! It completely knocks your socks off to know you’ll get to go to the concert!We say that something knocks someone’s socks off when it surprises them. For example, if you plan a birthday party for your sister but don’t tell her about it until the last minute, you’ll probably knock her socks off. If your boss surprises you with a promotion, he probably knocked your socks off, too! It’s always great to get surprised by good news.Andy and Kelsey are working on a surprise for Sheila, but Andy has some news that might knock Kelsey’s socks off. Watch the video to find out what it is. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Imagine this: You open your laptop and start working. When you stop to drink some coffee, you look around. Maybe, you see the Eiffel Tower. Maybe, you see a beautiful beach. Maybe, you see the Great Pyramids. Does this sound like a wonderful life? If so, then you should be a digital nomad! A digital nomad is a person who works remotely. This means they can afford to travel because they’re making money at the same time.

It’s not always easy to be a digital nomad. You must find an online job. You must find accommodations even if you don’t speak the local language. You need a reliable internet connection. You need to be OK with culture shock. On the other hand, if there’s nothing tying you down at home, it’s a lot of fun to travel! You’ll make a new support network in your new home and learn many interesting things about the world.

Brian wants to travel the world but he’s afraid the cost of living is too high. Jordin has an idea for Brian. Listen to this English lesson to find out what Jordin thinks Brian should do. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

How flexible are you? If you’re very flexible, you’ll have a great time playing party games like Limbo and Twister. Limbo is actually a dance. Players need to bend backwards and walk under a stick. The stick gets lower each time someone walks under it. This game is very easy at the beginning, but soon only the most bendy players will still be playing.

Twister is another silly and popular game. To play it, you need a mat with red, blue, yellow, and green circles. You put your hands and feet on the circles, and things get crazy fast! Playing Twister is much more fun than a regular board game. This year is the fiftieth anniversary of Twister, so it’s a great time to try the game for yourself.

Dominique and Romeo are talking about Twister. Listen to this English lesson to find out what Romeo thinks about the game… and if Dominique thinks it’s OK to cheat! -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com