Learning English Podcast - September 17, 2024
1Digest
The podcast begins with an introduction to the Learning English program, designed for English learners. It then delves into the historic mission of the first non-professional astronauts to complete spacewalks, highlighting the Polaris Dawn mission and the Crew Dragon spacecraft. The Health and Lifestyle Report focuses on poisonous plants that resemble common edible plants, emphasizing the importance of plant identification and the dangers of misidentification. An interview with Anna Mateo, the host of the Health and Lifestyle Report, further explores the topic of poisonous plants, discussing warning signs and the risks of consuming look-alike plants. The podcast announces the launch of a new program for children called "Let's Learn English with Anna," which aims to teach American English through interactive learning. It also reports on Finland's decision to return to printed books in classrooms, aiming to improve student focus and academic performance. The podcast concludes with a lesson from the "Let's Learn English" series, focusing on informal expressions like "tons of" and "how about," and exploring the grammatical structure of noun clauses.
Outlines
Learning English and Space Exploration
The podcast introduces the Learning English program and discusses the historic mission of the first non-professional astronauts to complete spacewalks, highlighting the Polaris Dawn mission and the Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Health and Lifestyle Report: Poisonous Plants
The Health and Lifestyle Report focuses on poisonous plants that resemble common edible plants, emphasizing the importance of plant identification and the dangers of misidentification. An interview with Anna Mateo, the host of the Health and Lifestyle Report, further explores the topic of poisonous plants, discussing warning signs and the risks of consuming look-alike plants.
New Programs and Educational Trends
The podcast announces the launch of a new program for children called "Let's Learn English with Anna," which aims to teach American English through interactive learning. It also reports on Finland's decision to return to printed books in classrooms, aiming to improve student focus and academic performance.
Let's Learn English: Lesson 19
The podcast features a lesson from the "Let's Learn English" series, focusing on informal expressions like "tons of" and "how about," and exploring the grammatical structure of noun clauses.
Keywords
Non-professional astronauts
Individuals who are not trained or employed as professional astronauts but participate in space missions, often through private spaceflight programs.
Spacewalks
Extravehicular activities (EVAs) where astronauts exit a spacecraft and work in the vacuum of space, typically wearing specialized spacesuits.
Polaris Dawn
A private spaceflight mission organized and funded by Jared Isaacman, featuring the first spacewalks by non-professional astronauts.
Crew Dragon
A reusable spacecraft developed by SpaceX, designed to transport astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station.
Jerusalem cherry
A poisonous plant with berries that resemble tomatoes, often sold as a houseplant. All parts of the plant are toxic, especially the unripe berries.
Look-alike plants
Plants that share visual similarities with edible plants, posing a risk of accidental consumption due to misidentification.
Tons of
An informal expression in American English meaning "a lot of" or "very many," often used in spoken language.
How about
An informal expression used to suggest an idea or alternative, often used in spoken English.
Q&A
What were the two main historical aspects of the Polaris Dawn mission?
The mission reached a higher altitude than any crewed mission since the Apollo program, and it featured the first spacewalks by non-professional astronauts.
What are some examples of poisonous plants that resemble common edible plants?
Jerusalem cherry resembles tomatoes, Carolina horse-nettle resembles tomatoes, Deadly Nightshade resembles blueberries, and wild parsnip resembles carrots and parsley.
What are some informal expressions commonly used in American English?
"Tons of" is used to express a large quantity, and "how about" is used to suggest an idea or alternative.
What is a noun clause, and how is it used in sentences?
A noun clause functions as a noun in a sentence, often introduced by words like "what," "where," or "how." It can be the subject, object, or complement of a verb.
Show Notes
Table of contents
United States
