This is a podcast which picks up a few interesting things that have appeared in the news in recent weeks. In this episode we have something on health, world news, and sport.

In health, we see how Professor David Nutt has come up for an interesting idea about alcohol.

You can find out more about this remarkable story here:

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/alcohol-hangover-liver-damage-alcosynth-david-nutt-a8841141.html

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/mar/26/an-innocent-drink-could-alcosynth-provide-all-the-joy-of-booze-without-the-dangers

In world news, we hear about a story which might make you feel bad at the same time as making you feel good.

You can learn more about it here:

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2019/04/07/rhino-poacher-killed-by-elephant-and-devoured-by-lions-officials-say.html

And finally, in sport we check on the latest in Australian Rules Football. How are the Bombers going? You can check up on the latest information here:

https://www.essendonfc.com.au/video/2019-04-05/rd-3-highlights

Worksheet Answers:

1. D 2. D 3. D

This podcast is for those who would like to improve their English for use in the business world.

In each episode there will be some listening practice with comprehension questions to help you improve your understanding of English in the workplace.

There will also be tips on how you can improve your communication skills in business settings.

Answers:

Tip: B

Longer Talk: 1. C; 2. B; 3. C

Question & Answer: 1. B; 2. B

Short Conversation: 1. B; 2. C; 3. D

In February 2019, primary school children from Matsubara City in Osaka, Japan wrote recorded and edited English podcasts on topics of interest to send out to the world.

In this podcast, a girl tells about her favourite singer, Ariana Grande.

In February 2019, primary school children from Matsubara City in Osaka, Japan wrote recorded and edited English podcasts on topics of interest to send out to the world.

In this podcast, one boy tells us about a Japanese traditional holiday called setsubun (節分), which also happens to be his birthday.

This is a podcast which picks up a few interesting things that have appeared in the news in recent weeks. In this episode we have something on science, the environment, and sport.

In science, we pick up on a previous story, about a discovery made by the spacecraft Hayabusa 2.

You can find out more about this interesting story here:

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201903200029.html

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2019/03/18/science.aav7432

In the environment, we hear about efforts in Spain to reverse desertification.

You can learn more about this situation:

https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/03/18/inenglish/1552901535_502166.html

And finally, in sport we find that Australia’s most popular sport has begun its 2019 season. What is Aussie Rules, anyway? You can learn a little about it by watching these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMZYZcoAcU0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnv32s8jPz0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv6Hstjrf7g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qya8joob2fw

Worksheet Answers:

1. C 2. D 3. B

This is a podcast which picks up a few interesting things that have appeared in the news in recent weeks. In this episode we have something on history, the environment, and science.

In history, we learn that Spanish archaeologists are tracking down the location of ships which sunk off the Americas during the colonial era.

You can find out more about this interesting story here:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/mar/01/spain-logs-shipwrecks-maritime-past-weather-pirates

In the environment, we hear about the micro-plastic pollution situation. It seems this plastic is much more common than we thought.

You can learn more about this situation here:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/07/microplastic-pollution-revealed-absolutely-everywhere-by-new-research

And finally, in science we learn about synthetic meat. What is it? You can find out a little about it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/03/clean-meat-lab-grown-china-india

Worksheet Answers:

1. D 2. D 3. A

Kyoto is one of the most famous and cultured cities in the world. In this podcast, Hannan University student Ishibashi Yuya explains a little about the history of this great city.

This is a podcast which picks up a few interesting things that have appeared in the news in recent weeks. In this episode we have something on the environment, science and health.

In the environment, we learn about the first confirmed extinction of a mammal due to human induced global warming.

You can find out more about this sad story here:

https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/bramble-cay-melomys-extinct-australia-climate-change-mammal-rodent-a8787766.html

In science, we hear about the Japanese space agency, JAXA, landing a spacecraft on an asteroid and preparing to bring samples back to earth for scientific analysis.

You can learn more about this excellent achievement here:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47359152

And finally in health, we note that Spain has just been officially declared the healthiest country in the world, in part due to the Spanish diet which includes lots of olive oil and nuts.

You can learn more about this here:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-24/spain-tops-italy-as-world-s-healthiest-nation-while-u-s-slips

http://www.predimed.es/uploads/8/0/5/1/8051451/nejmoa1800389_olf.pdf

 Worksheet Answers:

1. B 2. A 3. C

This is a podcast which picks up a few interesting things that have appeared in the news in recent weeks. In this episode we have something from health and the environment.

In health, we discover that eating organic food can lead to a reduction of pesticides in our bodies.

You can find out more about this here.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/15/what-the-pesticides-in-our-urine-tell-us-about-organic-food

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935119300246

And in the environment, we see that pesticides, among other things, are causing mass extinctions in insects. This could lead to devastating consequences for humans. Without insects, it is very likely that we humans would also become extinct in a very short time.

You can learn more about this very concerning situation here:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320718313636

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/10/plummeting-insect-numbers-threaten-collapse-of-nature

Worksheet Answers:  1. B    2. C

This is a podcast which picks up a few interesting things that have appeared in the news in recent weeks. In this episode we have something from science, archaeology, and the environment.

In science, we learn that scientists are exploring ways to use bacteria to recover and recycle precious metals from electronic waste. This is a promising line of research which may mean less waste, and less pollution.

You can find out more about this here.

https://www.pnas.org/content/116/3/711

In archaeology, we look at a new theory about why the maoi, giant statues on Easter Island, were placed where they are. This theory suggests that it was because there were sources of fresh water nearby.

You can read more about this new theory here:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jan/10/mystery-of-location-of-easter-island-statues-revealed

And in the environment, we learn that scientists have found that global warming is causing oceans to rise higher and more quickly than was previously thought.

You can learn more about this dangerous situation here:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/10/warming-oceans-likely-to-raise-sea-levels-30cm-by-end-of-century-study

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/21/greenland-ice-melting-faster-than-scientists-previously-thought-study

Worksheet Answers:

1. B 2. Because there were sources of fresh water near those locations. 3. D