Plain English

Today's story: Horse-drawn carriages have been part of New York City life since the 1800s. Though New Yorkers no longer use them to get from point A to point B, rides through Central Park remain popular with tourists and couples on date night. But growing concerns about animal welfare, and a string of accidents, turned public opinion against the practice. The New York City Council voted 40-7 to ban the carriages starting in 2028.

Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/906

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/906

--

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!