English Lesson Library
What explains your dog’s personality? The answer might not be its breed
Labrador Retrievers are friendly; pit bulls are aggressive; poodles are playful. These generalizations are often true, but a new study shows that a dog’s breed only explains a small part of its behavior. Plus, learn the English expression “bring back.”
Elon Musk’s unconventional bid to take Twitter private
Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla, SpaceX, and other companies, surprised the business world by offering to buy Twitter, a publicly-traded company, for about $44 billion. Not everyone took him seriously at first, but he backed up his offer with the money he needs to do the deal. Plus, learn the English expression “come up with.”
Turkey changed country’s English name to Türkiye
Turkey, the country, officially changed its English name. If you Google “Turkey,” chances are there will be a mix of search results: everything from ugly birds, to a fungus, to the country itself. This bothers President Erdogan, so he decided to re-brand the country internationally from Turkey to Türkiye. Plus, learn what it means to “turn the tables.”
Poland extends a warm welcome to millions of refugees from Ukraine
As the situation in Ukraine gets increasingly dire, Ukrainians are leaving the country in droves. Five million people have already left the country. The majority of the refugees have gone to Poland, where to many people’s shock, they are getting a warm welcome and an unexpected level of support. Plus, learn “ride out.”
The face of the company: a mission statement
Company mission statements are supposed to articulate what a company does and how it helps the world. Ideally, mission statements should send a positive public signal and also motivate employees – at least that’s the idea. But some company mission statements really miss the mark, and we have some examples of both the good and the bad today. Plus, learn “come away.”
Post-pandemic employees are searching for meaningful work
Covid prompted many employees to take a step back from the endless emails and Zoom calls and reevaluate what they want out of their jobs. Many people left their jobs to find work that was more meaningful to them. But what does it even mean to have “meaningful” work? Plus, learn “day-to-day.”
‘Succession’ is a masterful HBO series that leaves you pitying the rich
‘Succession’ is all about media mogul Logan Roy and his children, who are all trying to succeed him as CEO of the family company. Instead of envying the rich, the overwhelming emotion we feel toward these characters is pity. The children are portrayed as the victims, not the beneficiaries, of Logan’s life and fortunes. Plus, learn “curry favor with.”
Volodymyr Zelensky is the surprising hero of Ukraine’s resistance
Volodymyr Zelensky has emerged as the surprising hero of Ukraine’s resistance efforts, but his resume might surprise you. Before he was Ukraine’s president, he played a president on a TV show. His background as an actor has been key to his success as a war leader. Plus, learn “stand out.”
What a password-free future will look like
An organization dedicated to creating simpler, strong authentication – i.e. killing the password – has published a broad outline of how this will work. The end of the password might actually be in sight. But the plan requires tech companies to implement it and users to adopt it. Plus, learn “pass along.”