Let’s get up to speed on some stories you’ve heard in past episodes of Plain English
Lesson summary
Hi there everyone, I’m Jeff and this is Plain English, where we help you upgrade your English with stories about current events and trending topics. Almost every Monday and Thursday, we pick a new story for you—some way you can learn about the world and learn some English at the same time.
I say “almost” because twice a year we take a look back at previous stories, and we tell you what’s new about those topics. Today, we’ll take a closer look at Iceland, the Golden Bachelor, Notre Dame, Trump’s trials, Sam Bankman-Fried, overtourism, the elections in Mexico, and Prince Harry.
We’re going to touch on a lot—everything we talk about today, we have talked about previously. If you want to see the original stories of any of these topics, go to the transcript at PlainEnglish.com/676 because I have linked to all these previous Plain English topics.
The expression today is nod off, something you will not be doing during this lesson. It’s a long one today, so let’s get right into it.
Updates on previous lessons
Iceland is entering a new period of seismic activity . In Lesson 633 , you learned that a new corridor of magma had been discovered under the Reykjanes Peninsula. Cracks were opening in the earth under a town called Grindavik. There had been many small earthquakes—far more than typical —which indicated that volcanic eruptions were likely.
The town of Grindavik, home to about 3,800 people, was evacuated in November 2023. The famous Blue Lagoon spa was closed as a precaution . There was a real danger that the magma would burst to the surface of the earth, either in Grindavik itself or from a nearby volcano .
Well, it happened. There were four major volcanic eruptions between December 2023 and March 2024, and there is continued risk of more eruptions. The eruptions happened in a volcanic hill with a series of craters near Grindavik. The biggest of the four eruptions was in March.
Grindavik reopened to residents in February 2024, months after being closed. But it had to be evacuated again in March. Now, it’s unclear if the town will ever be safe to live in again. Heat and water service has been interrupted by the eruption . The government has published a bill offering to buy homes and take over mortgage loans of any resident that does not want to return home. It’s unclear if anyone will be able to live permanently in that town ever again. “It’s basically as bad as it can get,” one evacuated resident said.
The Blue Lagoon, the famous spa, appears to be safe from the direct risk of lava flow. However, it does close occasionally if lava flows are moving in the spa’s direction or if the air quality is too bad.
The “Golden Bachelor” couple is getting a divorce . In Lesson 641 , not that long ago, you heard about Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist. Gerry was the star, and Theresa was the winner, of the first reality television dating series for older adults. At the conclusion of the season, the two got married live on television before an audience of five million people. Gerry was from Indiana; Theresa from New Jersey. But just three months after their televised wedding , the two announced that they were getting a divorce.
Donald Trump is a defendant in a criminal trial , the first time a former president has ever been in that position. He’s been a defendant before, but those were all civil cases— lawsuits against him from other citizens.
This is a criminal case. As you learned in Lesson 566 , Trump has been charged in the state of New York for falsifying business records . The state charges that he paid an adult-film actress to keep quiet about an affair they had—and then he called those payments legal expenses in his business records .
They weren’t “legal expenses;” that’s for sure. Falsifying business records is typically a misdemeanor , worthy of a slap on the wrist . But prosecutors say Trump’s actions were linked to violations of campaign laws , which makes the smaller charge more serious. I stand by my statement in the original story: this is a very tenuous charge .
Trump will almost certainly avoid jail time , even if he is convicted of all these charges. Still, he must go to court four days per week like any other defendant. He complains about the temperature in the courtroom, that he can’t drink Diet Coke (only water), and he complains about how the courtroom sketch artist has depicted him. Reporters have noticed him nodding off at the table during the trial.
There are three other sets of criminal charges that have been filed against him . However, trials for those charges are unlikely to take place until after the November 2024 election, where Trump is a candidate once again.
Speaking of trials, you heard in Lessons 628 and 629 that Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, was convicted of fraud . A judge in the case handed down a 25-year sentence to the 32-year-old. At his sentencing, SBF, as he is known, said, “My useful life is probably over.”
Notre-Dame Cathedral, which burned in 2019, and which you heard about in Lesson 149 , is almost rebuilt . The public agency overseeing its reconstruction affirmed that the almost 900-year-old cathedral will re-open in December 2024.
In an eerie and tragic parallel , the 400-year-old Old Stock Exchange in Copenhagen, Denmark, caught fire last month. Like Notre-Dame, it had been undergoing renovations at the time the fire started. Like at Notre-Dame, a centuries-old spire fell to the ground in flames. Like at Notre-Dame, civilians rushed artwork and historical artifacts out of the building, preserving most of the building’s artistic treasures . The Old Stock Exchange had been home to the Chamber of Commerce. The city and the Chamber both pledged to rebuild it . “We cannot do without the Stock Exchange” building, the mayor said.
Speaking of European city centers, Venice has begun charging tourists €5 to enter its city center. Lesson 99 was about over-tourism . The new fee is a way to control crowds. Tourists can pay online and get a QR code as proof of payment . Roving inspectors will be asking tourists to show their proof of payment.
Jeff’s take
On a personal note, I read the book “Spare.” This is Prince Harry’s memoir-autobiography. We talked about him in Lessons 7 and 49 and 228 . I wouldn’t say I came away from the book feeling sympathetic to him, but I would say I came away more respectful of his positions. I wasn’t sure what I would think about the book, but I’m glad I read it. There are some cringeworthy moments —parts that were clearly aimed at creating buzz and selling more books—but the book is worth reading if you’re interested in this sort of thing.
And on another personal note, for the first time in my life, I will get an in-person, up-close view of another country’s national elections . Mexico’s president is coming to the end of his six-year term. You heard about him, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in Lesson 68 and Lesson 101 . The two leading candidates to replace him are both women, so Mexico will almost certainly elect its first female president on June 2.
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