Thinking in English

China recently announced the world’s strictest limitations on children’s ability to play video games. On this episode of Thinking in English, let’s look at what these new restrictions are, investigate why they have been introduced, and examine some of the potential consequences! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/09/01/98-are-video-games-bad-for-children-chinas-video-game-ban-explained-english-vocabulary-lesson/ CONTACT ME!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com Vocabulary List Inspection (n) - the act of looking at something carefully, or an official visit to check that everything is correct and legal Her job is to carry out health and safety inspections of buildings To crack down (phrasal v) - to start dealing with bad or illegal behaviour in a more severe way The library is cracking down on people who don’t return their books Culmination (n) - the point at which an event or series of events ends, having developed until it reaches this point Winning first prize in the tournament was the culmination of years of practice and hard work Excessive (adj) - too much Excessive exercise can sometimes cause health problems Monopolistic (adj) - having or trying to have complete control of something, especially an area of business, so that others have no share The company is accused of monopolistic behaviour Gore (n) - blood, especially from violence or injury It’s a good film, but there’s a lot of blood and gore in it Loophole (n) - a small mistake in an agreement or law that gives someone the chance to avoid having to do something Billionaires have been using tax loopholes to save money Unlicensed (adj) - not having a license (a document giving legal permission) for something Unlicensed software used by businesses costs software developers millions every year! Detriment (n) - harm or damage Are you sure that I can follow this diet without detriment to my health? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although most people like to spend their vacations visiting historical sites or sunbathing on the beach, some people choose to visit dangerous and terrifying places! Would you travel to a war zone, a country that arrests visitors, or a place with a high crime rate? Let’s talk about it on this episode of Thinking in English! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/30/97-dark-tourism-explained-why-do-people-want-to-visit-dangerous-and-terrifying-places-english-vocabulary-lesson/ You may also like... 92. What is happening in Afghanistan? (English Vocabulary Lesson) 94. The Fall of Afghanistan: What is happening in Afghanistan – Part 2 (English Vocabulary Lesson) CONTACT ME!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com Vocabulary List Evacuee (n) - someone who is evacuated from a dangerous place, especially during a war Thousands of evacuees crossed the border to safety Naively (adv) - in a way that shows you are willing to believe that life is pleasant and fair (even if it is not!) Naively, i turned up to the event without a ticket, thinking it would be easy to get in Hostage (n) - someone who is taken as a prisoner by an enemy in order to force the other people involved to do what the enemy wants She was taken hostage by the gunmen Infamous (adj) - famous for something bad This town is infamous for a being home to a murderer Catch-all (adj) - general and intended to include everything ‘Indigestion’ is a catch-all term for any kind of stomach distress Macabre (adj) - used to describe something that is very strange and unpleasant because it is connected with death or violence She has a pretty macabre sense of humour To risk (v) - to do something although there is a chance of a bad result He risked losing his house when his company went bankrupt Abduction (n) - the act of taking a person away by force The abduction took place in front of several helpless witnesses --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Thinking in English. Today I want to introduce some common English idioms, proverbs, and expressions using the word “fly”.  TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/27/when-pigs-fly-essential-english-idioms-expressions-and-proverbs-english-vocabulary-lesson/ You might also like... Useful Phrases and Expressions for Presentations! (Business and Academic English) ‘Fat Cats,’ ‘Cat Naps,’ and ‘Doggy Bags’: Dog and Cat Idioms! More than delicious: Advanced Food Vocabulary (English Vocabulary Lesson) CONTACT ME!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com Today's Idioms Birds of a feather fly together Fly at (someone or something) Fly into a rage/temper Fly beneath (the/someone's) radar Fly in the face of Fly off the shelves When pigs fly A fly on the wall A fly in the ointment Wouldn't hurt a fly --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday 24th of August, the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will be held! Although the Paralympics tend to attract less attention than their more famous counterparts, the Olympic Games, they are an excellent showcase of incredible athletes with amazing stories. This episode of Thinking in English will introduce what the Paralympics are, some of the history behind the competition, and end by discussing the potential legacy of Tokyo 2020! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/25/96-what-are-the-paralympic-games-tokyo-2020-paralympic-games-explained-english-vocabulary-lesson/ You may also like... 88. Why are the Tokyo 2020 Olympics so controversial? (English Vocabulary Lesson) CONTACT ME!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com Vocabulary List Packed (adj) - completely full The train was so packed that I couldn’t find a seat Spine-tingling (adj) - very special and exciting Watching Usain Bolt win the Olympic hundred metres was one of those spine-tingling moments Amputee (n) - a person who has had an arm or leg cut off due to illness or injury As he is an amputee, he uses a special blade to help him run Impairment (n) - the state of being impaired in some way so that something is weaker and less effective The law bans discrimination against anyone with a mental or physical impairment Rehabilitation (n) - the process of returning to a healthy or good way of life Many amputees in the early stages of their rehabilitation feel despair Ingenuity (n) - someone’s ability to think of clever new ways of doing something I was impressed by the ingenuity of the contestants Legacy (n) - a situation that has developed as a result of past actions and decisions The success of the Olympic Games left a lasting legacy of benefit to the city Inclusive (adj) - an inclusive group or organization tries to include many different types of people and treat them all fairly and equally Our aim is to create a fairer, more inclusive society --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may not have thought about it before, but time zones are strange. What are time zones and why do we use them? Who decided the world should be loosely split into 24 different regions with 24 different times? Why do some countries and territories decide to change or make their own time zones? Where are the strangest time zones in the world? Let’s try to answer these questions in this episode of Thinking in English! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/23/95-the-worlds-strangest-time-zones-what-are-time-zones-and-why-are-they-so-weird-english-vocabulary-lesson/ 64. Daylight Savings Time!: Why do we change our time in the summer? (English Vocabulary Lesson) CONTACT ME!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com Vocabulary List To pick up (phrasal v) - to buy something cheaply I picked up a new computer for a great price in the sale Downright (adj, adv) - extremely or very great She’s being downright unhelpful and obstructive Loosely (adv) - not exactly This phrase can be loosely translated as “Go away!” To adjust (v) - to change something slightly to make it fit, work better, or be suitable You should adjust your phone’s screen brightness late at night To adopt (v) - to accept or start to use something new We will have to adopt a more scientific approach in the future Longitude (n) - the distance of place east or west of an imaginary line between the North Pole and the South Pole, measured in degrees Harrison invented one of the most accurate clocks ever which allowed sailors to determine their longitude Enclave (n) - a part of a country that is surrounded by another country Kaliningrad is a Russian enclave surrounded by Lithuania, Poland, and the sea. Autonomous (adj) - an autonomous organization, country, or region is independent and has the freedom to govern itself That region is autonomous and makes its own decisions about tax, education, and health care --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Thinking in English, I am going to set you all a challenge! A riddle is a question, statement, or phrase that is almost a puzzle and requires you to think to answer.  Riddles are a great way to stimulate your mind, get your brain working, and have fun! They are also excellent ways to test your English skills. TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/20/awesome-english-riddle-challenge/ You might also like... 3 English Riddles  Terrifyingly Troubling Tongue Twisters!: A Pronunciation Challenge CONTACT ME!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Sunday 15th August, the Taliban entered the capital city of Afghanistan and effectively took control of the country. Let’s look at what has happened in the last few days, how the US withdrawal has been criticised, and what the future of the country looks like! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/18/94-the-fall-of-afghanistan-what-is-happening-in-afghanistan-part-2-english-vocabulary-lesson/ CONTACT ME!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com Vocabulary List To fall (v) - if a place falls in a war, an enemy army gets control of it Rome fell to the Vandals in the year 455 Bloodshed (n) - killing and violence We must find a way to end the bloodshed Exodus (n) - the movement of a lot of people from a place There has been an exodus of workers from the villages to the towns Sensitive (adj) - needing to be treated with care or secrecy A government minister left hundreds of sensitive documents on the train Abject (adj) - extremely unhappy, poor, unsuccessful etc The government’s decision has been an abject failure To evacuate (v) - to move people from a dangerous place to somewhere safe A thousand people were evacuated from their homes following the floods To impose (v) - to officially force a rule, law, punishment Very high taxes have been imposed on cigarettes Humanitarian (adj, n) - involved in or connected with improving people’s lives and reducing suffering The UN is sending humanitarian aid to the worst affected areas --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to travel abroad, you need a passport. But why? Why do we need these little documents to leave our own country? When was the first passport used? When did modern passports develop? What is the future of passports? Let’s try to answer these questions on this episode of Thinking in English! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/16/93-why-do-we-need-passports-to-travel-a-history-of-the-passport-english-vocabulary-lesson/ CONTACT ME!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com Vocabulary list  Destination (n) - the place where someone is going or where something is being sent or taken The letter never reached its destination Prosperity (n) - the state of being successful and having a lot of money The war was followed by a period of peace and prosperity Prophet (n) - a person who speaks for God or a god Jesus is considered a Prophet by Christians To credit (v) - to publicly acknowledge someone’s role in the production or creation of something He is credited with inventing the the TV Maritime (adj) - connected with human activity at sea Venice was once an important maritime power To standardise (v) - to make things of the same type all have the same basic features Phone companies should standardise their charging cables Quirk (n) - something unusual, strange, or unexpected There is a quirk in the rules that allows tax free investment To embed (v) - to fix something firmly into something Computer chips are now embedded into all sorts of technology Ignorance (n) - lack of knowledge, understanding, or information about something Public ignorance about the disease is still a cause for concern --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past few months, fighting and conflict in Afghanistan has been increasing. As the US leaves, the problems in the country seem to be multiplying. In this episode of Thinking in English, let’s discuss what’s happening in Afghanistan in more detail! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/11/92-what-is-happening-in-afghanistan-english-vocabulary-lesson/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com Vocabulary List To take over (phrasal v) - to begin to have control of something President Biden officially took over from President Trump in January 2021 Ally (n) - a country that has agreed officially to give help and support to another one, especially during a war During the First World War, Turkey and Germany were allies Solely (adv) - not involving anyone or anything else; only I am solely responsible for this podcast Insurgent (n) - someone who is fighting against the government in their own country The insurgents are about to enter the capital city To recapture (v) - to take something into your possession again, especially by force The army recaptures the town from the rebels Atrocity (n) - an extremely cruel, violent, or shocking act They have been arrested for committing atrocities against people Islamist (n) - a person or group who believes strongly in Islam, especially one who believes that Islam should influence political systems Islamist groups are growing stronger in the region Militant (adj) - engaged in warfare and combat The militant army is growing stronger Austere (adj) - very severe and unfriendly in manner He has an austere face --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People have always loved animals, and especially cats and dogs. They are the most popular pets around the world, and have even been worshipped as gods and used to help us work in the past. As they are so important to our societies, it is only natural that idioms surrounding cats and dogs have entered our languages and everyday vocabulary. So, today, I’m going to introduce you to 5 cat based idioms and 5 dog based idioms that you can apply to your daily lives! TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2021/08/06/fat-cats-cat-naps-and-doggy-bags-dog-and-cat-idioms/ CONTACT US!! INSTAGRAM - thinkinginenglishpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/) Blog - thinkinginenglish.blog Gmail - thinkinginenglishpod@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-english/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices