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The Daily DosePapyrusCambridge 14 (General Training) | Test 1 | Section 3Papyrus Libraries and archives are cultural crossroads of knowledge exchange, where the past transmits information to the present, and where the present has the opportunity to inform the future. Bureaucracies have become the backbone of civilizations, as governments try to keep track of populations, business transactions and taxes. At a personal level, our lives are governed by the documents we possess; we are certified on paper literally from birth to death. And written documentation carries enormous cultural importance: consider the consequences of signing the Foundation D...
2025-03-0503 minThe Daily DoseRunning a MeetingCambridge 16 (General Training) | Test 3 | Section 2Running a meeting Prior to the meeting, think about the seating and arrange it in an appropriate way. A circle can work well for informal meetings, but sometimes the furniture cannot be re-arranged or rows are more suitable. Consider the participants and decide what is best. Before people arrive, it’s a good idea to designate someone to stand at the entrance and greet everyone.prior to something (phrase)before a particular time or evente.g...
2025-03-0402 minThe Daily DoseThe Return of ClothkitsCambridge 18 (General Training) | Test 2 | Section 3A home-sewing revival: the return of Clothkits “I can’t remember many of the clothes I wore before I was six, but I have a vivid memory of a certain skirt whose patterns I can still trace in my mind. It was wraparound, with a belt that threaded through itself, decorated with cats in two shades of green. I wore it with a knitted red jersey my mom bought in a jumble sale, and brown sandals with flowers cut into the toes. It was 1979, and I was...
2025-03-0302 minThe Daily DoseRoman RoadsCambridge 18 (General Training) | Test 3 | Section 3Roman Roads The long straight roads built by the Romans have, in many cases, become just as famous in history as their greatest emperors and generals. Building upon more ancient routes and creating a huge number of new ones, Roman engineers were fearless in their plans to join one point to another in as straight a line as possible, whatever the difficulties in geography and the costs in manpower. Consequently, roads required bridges, tunnels, viaducts and many other architectural and engineering features to create a s...
2025-03-0202 minThe Daily DoseEncouraging Employees to be HealthyCambridge 18 (General Training) | Test 2 | Section 2Encouraging Employees to be Healthy Recent reports have shown that ignoring mental health costs Australian companies at least $11 billion a year. We all have a responsibility to look out for one another. Some ways you can do this in the workplace include: running employee surveys to get valuable information on morale in the workplace; training managers on mental health strategies; offering rebatesso employees are compensated for counselling if required; and refusing to accept any bullying and unprofessional behavior in your workplace.
2025-03-0102 minThe Daily DoseBiweekly Recapliterate (adjective)/ˈlɪtərət/able to read and writee.g., The job requires you to be computer literate. feather (noun) [countable]/ˈfeðər/one of the many soft light parts covering a bird’s bodye.g., Do you prefer a feather pillow or a foam pillow? annual (adjective)/ˈæn.ju.əl/happening once every yeare.g., The company charges an annual fee of $45. ownership (noun) [uncounta...
2025-02-2803 minThe Daily DoseWhite Storks in BritainCambridge 19 (General Training) | Test 1 | Section 3White storks back in Britain after hundreds of years The last definitive record of a pair of white storks successfullybreeding in Britain was in 1416, from a nest on St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. No one knows why storks disappeared from our shores. They often featured on the menus of medieval banquets so we might, quite simply, have consumed them all. But there could be a more ominous reason. Storks are migrants arriving after the end of winter, nesting on rooftops and happily associating with humans, a...
2025-02-2703 minThe Daily DoseWhat to do if you are made redundantCambridge 19 (General Training) | Test 3 | Section 2What to do if you are made redundant Don’t rush into applying for any or every job that comes up. Take stock of what you have to offer, what you want to do, and carry out in-depth research to find out what employers are actually looking for. Talk to people in your target industry for career advice and information. This information will be invaluable in helping you identify potential employers.rush into something (phrasal verb)If you rus...
2025-02-2502 minThe Daily DoseResigning From a JobCambridge 19 (General Training) | Test 1 | Section 2Resigning from a job in a professional manner When you take the decision to resign and move on to another job, you might really want to dance your way out of the door, or get your own back by criticizing your boss to the whole office. But you need to resist these temptations because in future you might find you’re working with your ex-line manager or other colleagues in a different company.resign (verb) [intransitive, transitive]/rɪˈzaɪn...
2025-02-2401 minThe Daily DoseHow to get a job in journalismCambridge 11 (General Training) | Test 2 | Section 2How to get a job in journalism You can get a good qualification in journalism, but whatemployers actually want is practical, rather than theoretical, knowledge. There’s no substitute for creating real stories that have to be handed in by strict deadlines. So, write for your school magazine, then maybe try your hand at editing. Once you’ve done that for a while, start requesting internships in newspapers in the area. These are generally short-term and unpaid, but they’re definitely worthwhile, since, instead of providi...
2025-02-2302 minThe Daily DoseThe Role of the Swiss PostbusCambridge 14 (General Training) | Test 4 | Section 3The Role of the Swiss Postbus There isn’t an inhabited place in Switzerland that cannot bereached by some sort of public transport. Federal law and the Swiss Constitution stipulate that every village with a population greater than 40 is entitled to regular bus services. The frequency of these services is directly related to population density. Timetables are put together four years in advance, and seldom change. If a new route is to be introduced, the population of the area affected is invited to vote in a r...
2025-02-2202 minThe Daily DoseAnimals can tell right from wrongCambridge 15 (General Training) | Test 4 | Section 3Animals can tell right from wrong Wolves live in tight-knit social groups that are regulated bystrict rules. Wolves also demonstrate fairness. During play, dominant wolves will appear to exchange roles with lower-ranking wolves. They pretend to be submissive and go so far as to allow biting by the lower-ranking wolves, provided it is not too hard. Prof Bekoff argues that without a moral code governing their actions, this kind of behavior would not be possible. Astonishingly, if an animal becomes aggressive, it will perform a “pla...
2025-02-1902 minThe Daily DoseThe California Gold RushCambridge 15 (General Training) | Test 1 | Section 3The California Gold Rush of 1849 On January 24, 1848, James Wilson Marshall, a carpenter, found small flakes of gold in the American River near Coloma, California. At the time, Marshall was working to build a water-powered sawmill for businessman John Sutter. As it happens, just days after Marshall’s discovery, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, ending the Mexican-American War and transferring California, with its mineral deposits, into the ownership of the United States. At the time, the population of the territory consisted of 6,500 Californios (people of...
2025-02-1802 minThe Daily DoseWomen's Football in BritainCambridge 16 (General Training) | Test 4 | Section 3History of Women’s Football in Britain Women’s football in Britain has deeper roots than might beexpected. In one town in 18th-century Scotland, single women played an annual match against their married counterparts, though the motives behind the contest were not purely sporting. Some accounts say that the games were watched by a crowd of single men, who hoped to pick out a potential bride based on her footballing ability.roots (noun) [plural]/ruːts/originse.g...
2025-02-1702 minThe Daily DoseFeathers in European HistoryCambridge 16 (General Training) | Test 3 | Section 3Feathers as Decoration in European History Today, we do not generally associate feathers with the militaryin Europe, yet history shows that in fact feathers have played an intriguing role in European military clothing. The Bersaglieri of the Italian Army, for example, still wear a bunch of long black feathers in their hats hanging down to one side, while British fusiliers have a clipped feather plume whose color varies according to their regiment. The Royalists in the English Civil War adorned their headgear with ostrich feathers. “His...
2025-02-1602 minThe Daily DoseJobs in Ancient EgyptCambridge 16 (General Training) | Test 2 | Section 3Jobs in Ancient Egypt In order to be engaged in the higher professions in ancientEgypt, a person had to be literate and so first had to become a scribe. The apprenticeship for this job lasted many years and was tough and challenging. It principally involved memorizing hieroglyphic symbols and practicing handwritten lettering. Scribes noted the everyday activities in ancient Egypt and wrote about everything from grain stocks to tax records. Therefore, most of our information on this rich culture comes from their records. Most scribes w...
2025-02-1502 minThe Daily DoseBiweekly Recapnotion (noun) [countable]/ˈnoʊ.ʃən/a belief or ideaHe didn’t have a clear notion of what he had to do. congested (adjective)/kənˈdʒestɪd/crowded; full of trafficThe roads to Bordeaux were heavily congested. deliberately (adverb)/dɪˈlɪbərətli/intentionallyI'm sure he says these things deliberately to annoy me. buzz (noun) [ C usually singular ] informal/bʌz/a feeling of exci...
2025-02-1304 minThe Daily DoseEmojisCambridge 19 (General Training) | Test 1 | Section 3Emojis As a form of global communication, emojis only began their growth in 2011. Four years later, it wasestimated that they were being used by over 90 per cent of the online population.In excess of six billion were being sent every day. Their prevalence in the culture was such that Oxford Dictionaries recently chose one as their word of the year. “Words of the Year” are those judged to be reflective of the “ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year.” They’re very much of their time...
2025-02-1202 minThe Daily DoseThe Unselfish GeneCambridge 19 | Test 4 | Passage 3The Unselfish Gene There has long been a general assumption that human beings are essentiallyselfish. We’re apparently ruthless, with strong impulses to compete against each other for resources and to accumulate power andpossessions. If we are kind to one another, it’s usually because we haveulterior motives. If we are good, it’s only because we have managed to control and transcend our innate selfishness and brutality.selfish (adjective)/ˈsel.fɪʃ/Someone who is selfish only thinks of their o...
2025-02-1102 minThe Daily DoseButterflies in BritainCambridge 19 | Test 4 | Passage 1The impact of climate change on butterflies in Britain According toconservationists, populations of around two thirds of butterflyspecies havedeclined in Britain over the past 40 years. If this trend continues, it might have unpredictable knock-on effects for other species in the ecosystem. Butterfly eggs develop into caterpillars and these insects, which are the second stage in a new butterfly’s lifecycle, consume vast quantities of plant material, and in turn act as prey for birds as well as bats and other small mammals. Only by arming themselves with an...
2025-02-1002 minThe Daily DoseThe Era of Artificial Speech TranslationCambridge 19 | Test 3 | Passage 3Is the era of artificial speech translation upon us? Noise, Alex Waibel tells me, is one of the major challenges thatartificial speech translation has to meet. A device may be able torecognizespeech in a laboratory, or a meeting room, but will struggle to cope with the kind of background noise I can hear in my office surrounding Professor Waibel as he speaks to me from Kyoto station in Japan. I’m struggling to follow him inEnglish, on ascratchy line that reminds me we are nearly 10,000 kilometers apart—and t...
2025-02-0902 minThe Daily DoseThe Gifted ChildCambridge 19 | Test 2 | Passage 3An inquiry into the existence of the gifted child Let us start by looking at a modern “genius,” Maryam Mirzakhani, who died at the early age of 40. She was the only woman to win the Fields Medal—the mathematical equivalent of a Nobel Prize. It would be easy to assume that someone as special as Mirzakhani must have been one of those “gifted” children, those who have an extraordinary ability in a specific sphere of activity or knowledge. But look closer and a different story emerges. Mirzakhani was born in...
2025-02-0803 minThe Daily DoseAthletes and StressCambridge 19 | Test 2 | Passage 2Athletes and Stress It isn’t easy being a professional athlete. Not only are the physical demands greater than most people could handle, athletes also face intense psychological pressure during competition. This is something that British tennis player Emma Raducanu wrote about on social media following herwithdrawalfrom the 2021 Wimbledon tournament. Though the young player had been doing well in the tournament, she began having difficultyregulating her breathing and heart rate during a match, which she later attributed to the “accumulation of the excitement and thebuzz.”withdra...
2025-02-0802 minThe Daily DoseMisinformationCambridge 19 | Test 1 | Passage 3
The persistence and peril of misinformation
Misinformation—both deliberately promoted and accidentally
shared—is perhaps an inevitable part of the world in which we live, but it is not a new problem. People likely have lied to one another for roughly as long as verbal communication has existed. Deceiving others can offer an apparent opportunity to gain strategic advantage, to motivate others to action, or even to protect interpersonal bonds. Moreover, people inadvertently have been sharing inaccurate information with one another for thousands of years.
2025-02-0402 minThe Daily DoseAir Traffic Control in the USACambridge 8 | Test 1 | Passage 2
Air Traffic Control in the USA
An accident that occurred in the skies over the Grand Canyon in 1956 resulted in the establishment of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to regulate and oversee the operation of aircraft in the skies over the United States, which were becoming quite congested. The resulting structure of air traffic control has greatly increased the safety of flight in the United States, and similar air traffic control procedures are also in place over much of the rest of the world.
2025-02-0402 minThe Daily DoseThe Growth MindsetCambridge 18 | Test 4 | Passage 2
The Growth Mindset
Over the past century, a powerful idea has taken root in the educational landscape. The concept of intelligence as something innate has been supplanted by the idea that intelligence is not fixed, and that, with the right training, we can be the authors of our own cognitive capabilities. Psychologist Alfred Binet, the developer of the first intelligence tests, was one of many 19th-century scientists who held that earlier view and sought to quantify cognitive ability. Then, in the early 20th century, progressive thinkers revolted a...
2025-02-0402 minThe Daily DoseLiving with artificial intelligenceCambridge 18 | Test 2 | Passage 2
Living with artificial intelligence
This has been the decade of AI, with one astonishing feat after another. A chess-playing AI that can defeat not only all human chess players, but also all previous human-programmed chess machines, after learning the game in just four hours? That’s yesterday’s news, what’s next? True, these prodigious accomplishments are all in so-called narrow AI, where machines perform highly specialized tasks. But many experts believe this restriction is very temporary. By mid-century, we may have artificial general intelligence (AGI)—machines that can...
2025-02-0202 minThe Daily DoseWeekly Recapas though (phrase)
as it would be if
You look as though you've been running a marathon!
millennium (noun) [countable]
/mɪˈlen.i.əm/
a period of 1,000 years, or the time when a period of 1,000 years ends
Imagine what the world will be like at the end of the next millennium.
astonishing (adjective)
/əˈstɑː.nɪ.ʃɪŋ/
very surprising
Her writing shows astonishing depth.
prior (adjective) [before noun]
existing or happening before somethi...
2025-01-3003 minThe Daily DoseAn Ideal CityCambridge 18 | Test 2 | Passage 3
An Ideal City
The Renaissance marked the transition from the 15th century
to modernity and took place after the spread of the plague in the 14th century, which caused a global crisis resulting in some 200 million deaths across Europe and Asia. Today, the world is on the cusp of a climate crisis, which is predicted to cause widespread displacement, extinctions and death, if left unaddressed. Then, as now, radical solutions were called for to revolutionize the way people lived and safeguard humanity against catastrophe.
...
2025-01-2902 minThe Daily DoseEarth's Space Junk ProblemCambridge 18 | Test 1 | Passage 3
Conquering Earth’s space junk problem
Last year, commercial companies, military and civil departments and amateurs sent more than 400 satellites into orbit, over four times the yearly average in the previous decade. Numbers could rise even more sharply if leading space companies follow through on plans to deploy hundreds to thousands of large constellations of satellites to space in the next few years.
orbit (noun) [ C or U ]
the curved path through which objects in space move around a planet or star...
2025-01-2802 minThe Daily DoseBlindfold Chess ChampionCambridge 17 | Test 4 | Passage 3
Timur Gareyev – blindfold chess champion
Next month, a chess player named Timur Gareyev will take on nearly 50 opponents at once. But that is not the hard part. While his challengers will play the game as normal, Gareyev himself will be blindfolded. Even by world record standards, it sets a high bar for human performance. The 28-year-old alreadystands out in the rarefied world of blindfold chess. He has a fondness for bright clothes and unusual hairstyles, and he get his kicks from the adventure sport of BASE jumping. He has al...
2025-01-2702 minThe Daily DoseDoes education fuel economic growth?Cambridge 17 | Test 4 | Passage 2
Does education fuel economic growth?
Early findings suggest that the potential benefits of education for the economy can be held back by other barriers, and this has implications for today. Huge amounts are spent improving education in developing countries, but this spending can fail to deliver economic growth if restrictions block people—especially women and the poor—from using their education in economically productive ways. If economic institutions are poorly set up, for instance, education can’t lead to growth.
hold someone/something back (phrasa...
2025-01-2602 minThe Daily DosePalm OilCambridge 17 | Test 3 | Passage 2
Palm Oil
Palm oil is an edible oil derived from the fruit of the
African palm tree, and is currently the most consumed vegetable oil in the world. It’s almost certainly in the soap we wash with in the morning, the sandwich we have for lunch, and the biscuits we snack on during the day. Why is palm oil so attractive for manufacturers? Primarily because its unique properties—such as remaining solid at room temperature—make it an ideal ingredient for long-term preservation, allowing many packaged foods on superm...
2025-01-2502 minThe Daily DoseInsight or evolution?Cambridge 17 | Test 2 | Passage 3
Insight or evolution?
Scientific discovery is popularly believed to result from the sheer genius of such intellectual stars as naturalist Charles Darwin and theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. Our view of such unique contributions to science often disregards the person’s prior experience and the efforts of their lesser-known predecessors. Conventional wisdom also places great weight on insight in promoting breakthrough scientific achievements, as if ideas spontaneously pop into someone’s head—fully formed and functional.
disregard (verb) [transitive]
/ˌdɪs.rɪˈɡɑːrd/
to ignore somethi...
2025-01-2202 minThe Daily DoseThe development of the London underground railwayCambridge 17 | Test 1 | Passage 1
The development of the London underground railway
In the first half of the 1800s, London’s population grew at an astonishing rate, and the central area became increasingly congested. In addition, the expansion of the overground railway network resulted in more and more passengers arriving in the capital. However, in 1846, a Royal Commission decided that the railways should not be allowed to enter the City, the capital’s historic and business center. The result was that the overground railway stations formed a ring around the City. The area within cons...
2025-01-2102 minThe Daily DoseRoman tunnelsCambridge 16 | Test 4 | Passage 1
Roman tunnels
The Persians, who lived in present-day Iran, were one of the first civilizations to build tunnels that provided a reliable supply of water to human settlements in dry areas. In the early first millennium BCE, they introduced the qanat method of tunnel construction, which consisted of placing posts over a hill in a straight line, to ensure the tunnel kept to its route, and then digging vertical shafts down into the ground at regular intervals. Underground, workers removed the earth from between the ends of the shafts...
2025-01-2102 minThe Daily DoseHow to make wise decisionsCambridge 16 | Test 2 | Passage 3
How to make wise decisions
One of the most reliable ways to support wisdom in our own day-to-day decisions is to look at scenarios from a third-party perspective, as though giving advice to a friend. Research suggests that when adopting a first-person viewpoint, we focus on “the focal features of the environment” and when we adopt a third-person “observer” viewpoint, we reason more broadly and focus more on interpersonal and moral ideals such as justice and impartiality. Looking at problems from this more expansive viewpoint appears to foster cognitive processes...
2025-01-2102 minThe Daily DoseThe future of workCambridge 16 | Test 1 | Passage 3
The future of work
According to a leading business consultancy, 3-14% of the global workforce will need to switch to a different occupation within the next 10-15 years, and all workers will need to adapt as their occupations evolve alongside increasingly capable machines. Automation or “embodied artificial intelligence” (AI)—is one aspect of the disruptive effects of technology on the labor market. “Disembodied AI,” like the algorithms running in our smartphones, is another.
leading (adjective) [ before noun ]
/ˈliː.dɪŋ/
best, most im...
2025-01-2102 minThe Daily DoseRecap 11. self-evident (adjective)
/ˌself ˈevɪdənt/
obvious and needing no further proof or explanation
e.g., It is self-evident that childhood experiences influence our adult behavior.
2. latest (adjective)
/ˈleɪtɪst/
newest or most recent or modern
I’m interested in all the latest fashions.
3. obsession (noun) [C or U]
something or someone that you think about all the time
e.g., The kids have an obsession with computer games.
4. life expectancy noun...
2025-01-1804 minThe Daily DoseWhy we need to protect polar bearsCambridge 16 | Test 1 | Passage 1
Why we need to protect polar bears
Polar bears are being increasingly threatened by the effects of
climate change, but their disappearance could have far-reaching consequences. They are uniquely adapted to the extreme conditions of the Arctic Circle, where temperatures can reach -40°C. One reason for this is that they have up to 11 centimeters of fat underneath their skin. Humans with comparative levels of adipose tissue would be considered obese and would be likely to suffer from diabetes and heart disease. Yet the polar bear experiences no such co...
2025-01-1602 minThe Daily DoseWhy fairy tales are really scary talesCambridge 15 | Test 3 | Passage 3
Why fairy tales are really scary tales
People of every culture tell each other fairy tales but the same story often takes a variety of forms in different parts of the world. In the story of Little Red Riding Hood that European children are familiar with, a young girl on the way to see her grandmother meets a wolf and tells him where she is going. The wolf runs on ahead and disposes of the grandmother, then gets into bed dressed in the grandmother’s clothes to wait for Li...
2025-01-1402 minThe Daily DoseHaving a laughCambridge 15 | Test 2 | Passage 3
Having a laugh
Humans start developing a sense of humor as early as six weeks old, when babies begin to laugh and smile in response to stimuli. Laughter is universal across all human cultures and even exists in some form in rats, chimps, and bonobos. Like other human emotions and expressions, laughter and humor provide psychological scientists with rich resources for studying human psychology, ranging from the development of language to the neuroscience of social perception.
sense of humor (noun phrase)
a...
2025-01-1302 minThe Daily DoseDriverless CarsCambridge 15 | Test 1 | Passage 2
Driverless Cars
The automotive sector is well used to adapting to automation in manufacturing. The implementation of robotic car manufacture from the 1970s onwards led to significant cost savings and improvements in the reliability and flexibility of vehicle mass production. A new challenge to vehicle production is now on the horizon and, again, it comes from automation. However, this time it is not to do with the manufacturing process, but with the vehicles themselves.
adapt (verb) [intransitive]
/əˈdæpt/
e.g., to change you...
2025-01-1202 minThe Daily DoseNutmeg – a valuable spiceCambridge 15 | Test 1 | Passage 1
Nutmeg – a valuable spice
The nutmeg tree is a large evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. Until the late 18th century, it only grew in one place in the world: a small group of islands in the Banda Sea. The tree is thickly branched with dense foliage of tough, dark green oval leaves, and produces small, yellow, bell-shaped flowers and pale yellow pear-shaped fruits. The fruit is encased in a fleshy husk. When the fruit is ripe, this husk splits into two halves along a ridge running the length of...
2025-01-1102 minThe Daily DoseWhy zoos are goodCambridge 14 | Test 4 | Passage 2
Why zoos are good
In my view, It is perfectly possible for many species of animals living in zoos or wildlife parks to have a quality of life as high as, or higher than, in the wild. Animals in good zoos get a varied and high-quality diet with all the supplements required, and any illnesses they might have will be treated. Their
movement might be somewhat restricted, but they have a safe environment in which to live, and they are spared bullying and social ostracism by others of their...
2025-01-0803 minThe Daily DoseWhy companies should welcome disorderCambridge 14 | Test 2 | Passage 3
Why companies should welcome disorder
New research suggests that our obsession with efficiency is misguided. The problem is not necessarily the management theories or strategies we use to organize our work; it’s the basic assumption we hold in approaching how we work. Here it’s the assumption that order is a necessary condition for productivity. This assumption has also fostered the idea that disorder must be detrimental to organizational productivity. The result is that businesses and people spend time and money organizing themselves for the sake of organizing, rath...
2025-01-0702 minThe Daily DoseThe Importance of Children's PlayCambridge 14 | Test 1 | Passage 1
The Importance of Children’s Play
Whitebeard’s recent research has involved developing a play-based approach to supporting children’s writing. “Many primary school children find writing difficult, but we showed in a previous study that a playful stimulus was far more effective than an instructional one.” Children wrote longer and better-structured stories when they first played with dolls representing characters in the story. In the latest study, children first created their story with Lego, with similar results. “Many teachers commented that they had always previously had children saying they didn’t...
2025-01-0603 minThe Daily DoseMaking the Most of TrendsCambridge 13 | Test 2 | Passage 3
Making the Most of Trends
Many ignore trends in their innovation strategies or adopt a
wait-and-see approach and let competitors take the lead. At a minimum, such responses mean missed profit opportunities. At the extreme, they can jeopardize a company by ceding to rivals the opportunity to transform the industry. The purpose of this article is twofold: to spur managers to think more expansively about how trends could engender new value propositions in their core markets, and to provide some high-level advice on how to make market research and product development personnel...
2025-01-0402 minThe Daily DoseOxytocinCambridge 13 | Test 2 | Passage 2
Oxytocin
In almost half of the existing research results, oxytocin influenced only certain individuals or in certain circumstances. Where once researchers took no notice of such findings, now a more nuanced understanding of oxytocin’s effects is propelling investigations down new lines. The key to understanding what the hormone does lies in pinpointing its core function rather than in cataloguing its seemingly endless effects. There are
several hypotheses which are not mutually exclusive. Oxytocin could help to reduce anxiety and fear. Or it could simply motivate people to seek ou...
2025-01-0103 minThe Daily DoseWhy Being Bored is UsefulCambridge 13 | Test 1 | Passage 2
Why Being Bored is Useful
Psychologist Sandi Mann at the University of Central Lancashire, UK, believes that “all emotions are there for a reason, including boredom.” Mann has found that being bored makes us more creative. “We’re all afraid of being bored but in actual fact it can lead to all kinds of amazing things.” In experiments published last year, Mann found that people who had been made to feel bored by copying numbers out of the phone book for 15 minutes came up with more creative ideas about how to use...
2024-12-3003 minThe Daily DoseMusic and the EmotionsCambridge 12 | Test 7 | Passage 3
Music and the Emotions
Why does music make us feel? On the one hand, music is a purely abstract art form devoid of language or explicit ideas. And yet, even though music says little, it still manages to touch us deeply. When listening to our favorite songs, our body betrays all the symptoms of emotional arousal. The pupils in our eyes dilate, our pulse and blood pressure rise, the electrical conductance of our skin is lowered, and the cerebellum, a brain region associated with bodily movement, becomes strangely active...
2024-12-2902 minThe Daily DoseThe Benefits of Being BilingualCambridge 12 | Test 6 | Passage 3
The Benefits of Being Bilingual
Research indicates that bilingual experience
may help to keep the cognitive mechanisms sharp by recruiting alternate brain
networks to compensate for those that become damaged during aging. Older bilinguals
enjoy improved memory relative to monolingual people, which can lead to real-world
health benefits. In a study of over 200 patients with Alzheimer’s disease, bilingual
patients reported showing initial symptoms of the disease an average of five
years later than monolingual patients. In a follow-up study, researchers
compared the brains of bilingual and monolingual patients ma...
2024-12-2803 minThe Daily DoseCollecting as a HobbyCambridge 12 | Test 5 | Passage 2
Collecting as a Hobby
There are people who collect because they want to make money—this could be called an instrumental reason for collecting; that is, collecting as a means to an end. They’ll look for, say, antiques that they can buy cheaply and expect to be able to sell at a profit. But there may well be a psychological element, too—buying cheap and selling dear can give the collector a sense of triumph. And as selling online is so easy, more and more people are joining in.
2024-12-2502 minThe Daily DoseFilm SoundCambridge 10 | Test 4 | Passage 2
Film Sound
Film sound comprises conventions and innovations. We have come to expect an acceleration of music during car chases and creaky doors in horror films. Yet, it is important to note as well that sound is often brilliantly conceived. The effects of sound are often largely subtle and often are noted by only our subconscious minds. We need to foster an awareness of film sound as well as film space so as to truly appreciate an art form that sprang to life during the twentieth century—the modern fi...
2024-12-2402 minThe Daily DoseMuseums of Fine ArtCambridge 10 | Test 2 | Passage 3
Museums of Fine Art
If Mona Lisa was a famous novel, few people would bother to go to a museum to read the writer’s actual manuscript rather than a printed reproduction. This might be explained by the fact that the novel has evolved precisely because of technological developments that made it possible to print out huge numbers of texts, whereas oil paintings have always been produced as unique objects. In addition, it could be argued that the practice of interpreting or “reading” each medium follows different conventions. With novels...
2024-12-2302 minThe Daily DoseThe Anti-aging PillCambridge 6 | Test 3 | Passage 3
The Anti-aging Pill
To delay aging, people would have to reduce their caloric intake by roughly thirty per cent. Few mortals could stick to that harsh regimen, especially for years on end. But what if someone could create a pill that mimicked the physiological effects of eating less without actually forcing people to eat
less? Could such a “caloric-restriction mimetic,” as we call it, enable people to stay healthy longer, postponing age-related disorders until very late in life? Scientists first posed this question in the mid-1990s, after researchers came...
2024-12-2202 minThe Daily DoseThe True Cost of FoodCambridge 7 | Test 2 | Passage 2
The True Cost of Food
For more than forty years the cost of food has been rising. It has now reached a point where a growing number of people believe that it is far too high, and that bringing it down will be one of the great challenges of the twenty first century. That cost, however, is not in immediate cash. In the West at least, most food is now far cheaper to buy in relative terms than it was in 1960. The cost is in the collateral damage of...
2024-12-2102 minThe Daily DoseThe Nature of GeniusCambridge 8 | Test 3 | Passage 2
The Nature of Genius
To think of geniuses and the gifted as having uniquely different brains is only reasonable if we accept that each human brain is uniquely different. The purpose of instruction is to make us even more different from one another, and in the process of being educated we can learn from the achievements of those more gifted than ourselves. But before we try to emulate geniuses or encourage our children to do so, we should note that some of the things we learn from them may prove unpalatable. We...
2024-12-1802 minThe Daily DoseThe meaning and power of smellCambridge 8 | Test 2 | Passage 3
The meaning and power of smell
Odors are essential cues in social bonding. One respondent to a survey believed that there is no true emotional bonding without
touching and smelling a loved one. In fact, infants recognize the odors
of their mothers soon after birth and adults can often identify their children
and spouses by scent. In one well-known test, women and men were able to
distinguish by smell alone clothing worn by their marriage partners from
similar clothing worn by other people. Most of the subjects would probably
never have given...
2024-12-1702 minThe Daily DoseHow to think differentlyCambridge 9 | Test 2 | Passage 3
A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently
The best way to see things differently to other people is to bombard the brain with things it has never encountered before. Novelty releases the perceptual process from the chains of past experience and forces the brain to make new judgments. Successful iconoclasts have an extraordinary willingness to be exposed to what is fresh and different. Observation of iconoclasts shows that they embrace novelty while most people avoid things that are different.
bombard (verb) [transitive]
/bɑːmˈbɑːrd/
t...
2024-12-1602 minThe Daily DoseIs there anybody out there?Cambridge 9 | Test 1 | Passage 2
Is there anybody out there?
The question of whether we are alone in the Universe has haunted humanity for centuries, but we may now stand poised on the brink of the answer to that question, as we search for radio signals from other intelligent civilizations. This search, often known by the acronym SETI (search for extra-terrestrial intelligence), is a difficult one. Although groups around the world have been searching intermittently for three decades, it is only now that we have reached the level of technology where we can make a determined attempt...
2024-12-1502 minThe Daily DoseThe Psychology of InnovationCambridge 10 – Test 1 – Passage 3
The Psychology of Innovation
One reason that companies don’t succeed as often as they should is that innovation starts with recruitment. Research shows that the fit between an employee’s values and a company’s values makes a difference to what contribution they make and whether, two years after they join, they’re still at the company. Studies at Harvard Business School show that, although some individuals may be more creative than others, almost every individual can be creative in the right circumstances.
recruitment (noun)
the fit...
2024-12-1402 min
Word of the DaySnapYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 30.
Water a Flower Day
Today’s word is snap, spelled s-n-a-p.
snap /snæp/ ●●● verb (snapped, snapping)
snap your fingers
to make a noise by pushing your second finger hard against your thumb and then releasing it suddenly so that it hits the base of your thumb
He was snapping his fingers in time with the music.
People snapped to the beat.
The nurse snapped her fingers, and they sprang into motion.
2022-06-2002 minWord of the DayDogYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 29.
Mount Everest Day
Today’s word is dog, spelled d-o-g.
dog /dɒɡ $ dɒːɡ/ ●○○ verb (dogged, dogging) [transitive]
if a problem or bad luck dogs you, it causes trouble for a long time
: to worry as if by pursuit with dogs : PLAGUE
He has been dogged by injury all season.
Persistent colds, coughs and a temperature have dogged her for the last year.
The scandal seems likely to dog him for months to come.
2022-06-2002 minWord of the DayPlotYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 27.
Sun Screen Day
Today’s word is plot, spelled p-l-o-t.
plot /plɒt $ plɑːt/ noun [countable]
the story of a book, film, play, etc.
The movie has a very simple plot.
The plots of his books are basically all the same.
It takes a fair amount of concentration to follow the movie's labyrinthine plot.
We discover that Jack isn’t as innocent as he seems, as the plot unfolds (=gradually b...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DayBottleYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 26.
Paper Airplane Day
Today’s word is bottle, spelled b-o-t-t-l-e.
bottle /ˈbɒtl $ ˈbɑːtl/ verb [transitive]
bottle something ↔ up phrasal verb
: to keep (a feeling or emotion) inside instead of expressing it
: to hide (a feeling or emotion)
She's kept her feelings about the accident bottled up for too long.
I know he's angry, but he bottles it up inside instead of talking to someone about it.
It is far bet...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DayGenreYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 25.
Wine Day
Today’s word is genre, spelled g-e-n-r-e.
genre /ˈʒɒnrə $ ˈʒɑːnrə/ ●○○ noun [countable] formal
a particular type of art, writing, music etc, which has certain features that all examples of this type share
What genre does the book fall into - comedy or tragedy?
Science fiction as a genre is relatively new.
This book is a classic of the mystery genre.
Younger audiences are becoming increasingly interested in bands of this musical grab...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DayTrumpetYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 24.
Tiara Day
Today’s word is trumpet, spelled t-r-u-m-p-e-t.
trumpet /ˈtrʌmpɪt/ verb
[transitive] to tell everyone about something that you are proud of, especially in an annoying way
He likes to trumpet his own achievements.
The museum has been loudly trumpeting its reputation as one of the finest.
Their much-trumpeted "low, low prices" affect only five percent of the goods that they sell.
But Trump shrugged off the criticism...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DayRatingYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 23.
Turtle Day
Today’s word is rating, spelled r-a-t-i-n-g.
rating /ˈreɪtɪŋ/ ●●○ noun
a measurement of how good or popular someone or something is
The government's approval/popularity rating sank to an all-time low.
By the end of the year the prime minister’s approval rating (=how many people agreed with his policies) had fallen as low as 12 percent.
The governor’s overall approval rating stood at 55.7%, a slight decline from 57.3% in March.
— Russ...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DayManYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 22.
Sherlock Holmes Day
Today’s word is man, spelled m-a-n.
man /mæn/ ●○○ verb (manned, manning) [transitive]
To man something such as a machine or vehicle is to be present in order to operate it
The phones are manned 24 hours a day.
He stocked shelves while I manned the cash register.
School system leaders later clarified that principals will have the ability to hire and pay a lead teacher to man the program in th...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DayDuskyYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 20.
Pick Strawberries Day
Today’s word is dusky, spelled d-u-s-k-y.
dusky /ˈdʌski/ adjective
dark in color
In autumn, the leaves turn a dusky red.
The room was filled with dusky shadows.
dusky pink/orange/blue etc
a dusky pink room
She looked so beautiful in a dusky pink outfit.
The final wine certainly looks like a white wine, but there’s a subtly rosy, dusky tint to it...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DayClockYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 19.
Numeracy Day
Today’s word is clock, spelled c-l-o-c-k.
clock /klɒk $ klɑːk/ verb [transitive]
clock in phrasal verb
to begin work, especially by recording the time you arrive at work on a special machine
What time did you clock in this morning?
We are supposed to clock in before 9.00 a.m.
clock out phrasal verb
to leave work, especially by recording the time you leave on a special...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DaySomberYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 18.
Museum Day
Today’s word is somber, spelled s-o-m-b-e-r.
somber /ˈsɒmbə $ ˈsɑːmbər/ adjective
sad and serious SYN grave
They sat in somber silence.
We were all in a somber mood that night.
Her death put us in a somber mood.
The movie is a somber portrait of life on the streets.
dark and without any bright colors
He wore a somber black suit.
Built i...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DayMask UpYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 17.
World Baking Day
Today’s word is mask, spelled m-a-s-k.
mask up (phrasal verb)
to put on a mask
یعنی بجای Wear a mask میشه ازش استفاده کرد.
I mask up to protect myself and others at risk.
Health officials said the progress vindicates the months-long collective efforts of residents to get vaccinated, mask up and stay socially distanced.
— Los Angeles Times, "What the biggest L.A. County reopening yet allows you to do," 5 May 2021
State and local health officials...
2022-06-2002 minWord of the DayPaletteYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 16.
Drawing Day
Today’s word is palette, spelled p-a-l-e-t-t-e.
palette /ˈpælət/ noun [countable]
a thin curved board that an artist uses to mix paints, holding it by putting his or her thumb through a hole at the edge
He showed his student how to prepare a palette.
[usually singular] the range of colours that a painter, photographer, film maker, etc. usually uses
The director returns to the saturated color palettes that made...
2022-06-2002 minWord of the DayToyYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 15.
International Astronomy Day
Today’s word is toy, spelled t-o-y.
toy /tɔɪ/ ●○○ verb
toy with somebody/something phrasal verb
to think about an idea or possibility, usually for a short time and not very seriously
I’ve been toying with the idea of going to Japan to visit them.
to keep moving and touching an object or food
He spoke casually and toyed with his pen.
Laura was toying with her f...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DayPlan BYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 13.
International Hummus Day
Today’s word is plan B.
Plan B noun [singular]
an action or set of actions for doing or achieving something that can be used if the preferred method fails
It's time I put plan B into action.
The alternative Plan B for funding the stadium calls for a contribution of $7.5 million a year from taxpayers for 30 years.
Professional extermination is always a plan B, but this service can be exp...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DayCampaignYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 12.
International Nurses Day
Today’s word is campaign, spelled c-a-m-p-a-i-g-n.
campaign / kæmˈpeɪn/ noun [countable]
a series of battles, attacks etc intended to achieve a particular result in a war
the bombing campaign
Tolstoy’s War and Peace
campaign ●●○ verb [intransitive]
to lead or take part in a series of actions intended to achieve a particular social or political result
Women campaigned for equal pay and equal rights throu...
2022-06-2002 minWord of the DayOverdueYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 11.
Eat What You Want Day
Today’s word is overdue, spelled o-v-e-r-d-u-e.
overdue /ˌəʊvəˈdjuː◂ $ ˌoʊvərˈduː◂/ adjective
not done, paid, returned etc by the time expected
an overdue gas bill
My library books are a week overdue.
She reminded him that the rent was overdue.
something that is overdue should have happened or been done a long time ago
He was overdue for a shave.
overdue for a h...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DayMouthYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 10.
Golf Day
Today’s word is mouth, spelled m-o-u-t-h.
mouth / maʊð / verb [transitive]
to form words with the lips without making any sound
It looks to me as if the singers are only mouthing the words.
"Can we go?" mouthed Mary.
The librarian mouthed the word "quiet."
silently mouthing the words to a song
to say something in a way that is not sincere
The players mouthed...
2022-06-2002 minWord of the DayProcrastinateYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 9.
Lost Sock Memorial Day
Today’s word is procrastinate, spelled p-r-o-c-r-a-s-t-i-n-a-t-e.
procrastinate /prəˈkræstəneɪt/ verb [intransitive]
to keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring SYN put off
I know I've got to deal with the problem at some point - I'm just procrastinating.
When it comes to housework, I tend to procrastinate.
People often procrastinate when it comes to paperwork.
He procrast...
2022-06-2002 minWord of the DayZeroYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 8.
World Donkey Day
Today’s word is zero, spelled z-e-r-o.
zero /ˈzɪərəʊ $ ˈziːroʊ / verb
zero in on somebody/something phrasal verb
to direct all your attention towards a particular person or thing
We must decide on our target market and zero in on it.
Social media allows you to zero in on consumers who'll be receptive to your messages.
He's also taken more novel approaches, zeroing in on students' inter...
2022-06-2001 minWord of the DayExhaustYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 6.
No Homework Day
Today’s word is exhaust, spelled e-x-h-a-u-s-t.
exhaust /ɪɡˈzɔːst $ -ˈzɒːst/ ●○○ verb [transitive]
to make someone feel extremely tired
Our plan was to exhaust the children at the park, so that they would sleep in the car.
I've exhausted myself with all that cleaning.
to use all of something SYN use up
We are in danger of exhausting the world’s oil supply.
2022-06-1702 minWord of the DayBraveYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 5.
World Maths Day
Today’s word is brave, spelled b-r-a-v-e.
brave /breɪv/ verb [transitive]
to deal with a difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant situation
Let's brave the snow and go for a walk (= go for a walk even though it is snowing).
I decided to take the train to work rather than brave the traffic.
Thousands of fans braved rush-hour traffic to see the concert.
a sol...
2022-06-1701 minWord of the DayVehicleYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 4.
Firefighters’ Day
Today’s word is vehicle, spelled v-e-h-i-c-l-e.
vehicle /ˈviːɪkəl/ noun [countable]
formal a machine with an engine that is used to take people or things from one place to another, such as a car, bus, or truck
Merriam-Webster: \ ˈvē-ə-kəl also ˈvē-ˌhi-kəl \
a description of the stolen vehicle
Have you locked your vehicle?
The vehicle's driver was severely injured in the crash...
2022-06-1702 minWord of the DayBallYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 3.
Lemonade Day
Today’s word is ball, spelled b-a-l-l.
ball /bɔːl $ bɒːl/ verb [transitive]
(also ball up) to make something form a small round shape
He balled the letter in his hands and threw it in the trash.
I stood up quickly and balled my hands into fists.
He balled his fists.
have a ball informalidiom
to have a very good time
: to have fun
2022-06-1702 minWord of the DayCommuteYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 2.
Laughter Day
Today’s word is commute, spelled c-o-m-m-u-t-e.
commute /kəˈmjuːt/ ●●○ verb
[intransitive] to regularly travel a long distance to get to work
Jim commutes to Manhattan every day.
He commutes to work every day by train.
With such equipment, staff could work from home instead of commuting to offices.
Companies save money on rent; employees don’t have to commute; and everyone, without the distractions of the office, can be mo...
2022-06-1701 minWord of the DayPocketYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for May 1.
Space Day
Today’s word is pocket, spelled p-o-c-k-e-t.
pocket /ˈpɒkɪt $ ˈpɑː-/ verb [transitive]
to put something into your pocket
Maggie locked the door and pocketed the keys.
to steal money, especially money that you are responsible for
One inspector had pocketed up to $500,000 in bribes.
The chairman was fired for pocketing funds.
to get a large amount of money, win a prize etc, especially in a way tha...
2022-06-1702 minWord of the DayTameYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for April 29.
Zipper Day
Today’s word is tame, spelled t-a-m-e.
tame /teɪm/ adjective
(especially of animals) not wild or dangerous, either naturally or because of training or long involvement with humans
After a few months' contact the monkeys become very tame.
tame elephants
The island's birds are quite tame.
tame verb [transitive]
to train a wild animal to obey you and not to attack people SYN domesticate
The A...
2022-06-1702 minWord of the DayWellYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for April 28.
Blueberry Pie
Today’s word is well, spelled w-e-l-l.
well /wel / ●●○ noun [countable]
a deep hole in the ground from which people take water
She lowered her bucket into the well.
an oil well
well (also well up) verb [intransitive] literary
if a liquid wells or wells up, it comes to the surface of something and starts to flow out
I felt tears well up in my eyes.
if a f...
2022-06-1701 minWord of the DayPreyYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for April 27.
Tell a Story Day
Today’s word is prey, spelled prey.
prey /preɪ/ noun
an animal that is hunted and killed for food by another animal
The lion stalked its prey.
easy prey
someone who can easily be deceived or harmed
Too often elderly people are easy prey for swindlers and other criminals.
prey on somebody/something phrasal verb
if an animal or bird preys on another...
2022-06-1702 minWord of the DaySucceedYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for April 26.
Pretzel Day
Today’s word is succeed, spelled s-u-c-c-e-e-d.
succeed /səkˈsiːd/ verb
[intransitive, transitive] to be the next person to take a position or job after someone else
When the Queen dies, her eldest son will succeed to the throne.
He succeeded his father as editor of the paper.
Steve Jobs
The Queen died and was succeeded by James I.
James I succeeded to the throne up...
2022-06-1702 minWord of the DayFelineYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for April 25.
World Penguin Day
Today’s word is feline, spelled f-e-l-i-n-e.
feline /ˈfiːlaɪn/ adjective
relating to cats or other members of the cat family, such as lions
looking like or moving like a cat
She moves with feline grace.
They move with feline agility.
And instead of using it in the kitchen, this herb is for your feline friends.
— Karen Wytmans, Better Homes & Gardens, "How Herb Gardening Can Save Ho...
2022-06-0701 minWord of the DayAirYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for April 24.
Scream Day
Today’s word is air, spelled a-i-r.
air /eə $ er/ ●○○ verb
[transitive] to express your opinions publicly
Today you have a chance to air your views.
The company had a meeting so that employees could air their complaints.
[transitive] to let fresh air into a room, especially one that has been closed for a long time
He opened the windows to air out the room.
Rihanna’s What's My Name...
2022-06-0702 minWord of the DayVillagerYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for April 22.
Today’s word is villager, spelled v-i-l-l-a-g-e-r.
villager /ˈvɪlɪdʒə $ -ər/ ●●○ noun [countable]
someone who lives in a village
Merriam-Webster: an inhabitant of a village
the villagers have a reputation for being polite and helpful to the tourists
When a villager near Shijiazhuang tried to escape quarantine to buy a pack of cigarettes, a zealous party chief ordered him tied to a tree.
— New York Times, "Power, Patriotism and 1.4 Billion People: How China Be...
2022-06-0701 minWord of the DaySpiceYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for April 21.
Today’s word is spice, spelled s-p-i-c-e.
spice /spaɪs/ (also spice up) verb [transitive]
to add interest or excitement to something
He'd spiced up his speech with a few rude jokes.
Millions have bought the book to spice up their sex lives.
Even the most conservative guys want a little zip to spice up their look today.
— Joseph Deacetis, Forbes, "Torino Belts: Swing Into Fresh Style For 2021," 8 Apr. 2021
Looking to spice...
2022-06-0701 minWord of the DayLivestockYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for April 20.
Today’s word is livestock, spelled l-i-v-e-s-t-o-c-k.
livestock /ˈlaɪvstɒk $ -stɑːk/ ●○○ noun [plural, uncountable]
animals such as cows and sheep that are kept on a farm
Last November he appealed against the sentence, imposed on him for breaking a ban on keeping livestock.
livestock farmers/industry/market
The organic livestock industry has grown substantially in the last few years.
But to Escondido, resident Waller, and others, horses are much more than mere livesto...
2022-06-0702 minWord of the DayDeliverYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for April 19.
Today’s word is deliver, spelled d-e-l-i-v-e-r.
deliver / dɪˈlɪvə $ -ər/ verb
[intransitive, transitive] to achieve or produce something that has been promised:
The company will deliver on its promises.
The government has failed to deliver (what it promised).
can't deliver on all these promises
the new car delivers high gas mileage
President Joe Biden is aiming to deliver on many of his climate change campaign promises with a roughly $...
2022-06-0702 minWord of the DaySceneryYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for April 18.
Today’s word is scenery, spelled s-c-e-n-e-r-y.
scenery /ˈsiːnəri/ ●●○ noun [uncountable]
the general appearance of the natural environment, especially when it is beautiful
beautiful/breathtaking/spectacular scenery
They stopped at the top of the hill to admire the scenery.
The scenery was beautiful and the people were really friendly.
We drove through some stunning scenery.
enjoy/take in the scenery (=spend time looking at beautiful scenery)
Relax with a gl...
2022-06-0702 minWord of the DayButterYou’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for April 17 .
Today’s word is butter, spelled b-u-t-t-e-r.
butter /ˈbʌtə $ -ər/ verb [transitive]
butter somebody ↔ up phrasal verb
informal to say nice things to someone so that they will do what you want
Don’t think you can butter me up that easily.
A company wishing to influence the government must butter up both parties in the House and the Senate.
You might be swayed by someone who butters you up with complimen...
2022-06-0701 min