logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
19m 12s

Paris's Olympic dream: swimming in the S...

Plain English
About this episode

Today's story: Swimming has been prohibited in the River Seine for over 100 years, and for good reason: it has been filthy for much of that time. But Olympic organizers pledged to clean up the river and hold swimming events in central Paris. The Olympics start in June, but bacteria levels are still high.

Learn this English expression: Rivers, roads, and other things in a line 'run through' the surrounding area

Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/671

--

Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.

You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.

How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.

The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.

--

Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/join

Here's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | Email

Mentioned in this episode:

The Expressions are back!

Subscribe to our new podcast, "Essential English Expressions." Each episode shows you step-by-step how to use a common English expression, with plenty of examples. Season 1 is available now. Download or stream all 14 episodes at [link].

Up next
Jul 7
Three words to say exactly where you are
Today's story: A company called what3words has divided the world into 57 trillion squares, each three meters by three meters, and labeled each square with a unique three-word combination. This makes it easier to specify precise locations—even in parks, rural areas, or places with ... Show More
19m 56s
Jul 3
Which way is home? It’s complicated
Today's story: In many parts of the world, buildings don't have formal, complete addresses that can be identified on a map. Locals often use landmarks to explain where they live. But these improvised systems come with inefficiencies and real-world consequences. It's hard for resi ... Show More
16m 12s
Jun 30
The five-star rating system isn’t working [Archive episode]
Leaving a five-star review has become customary for any experience that is excellent, good, average, or even acceptable, and anything below five-stars means terrible in the world of online reviews. As consumers, this system isn’t helpful in identifying the true high performers, a ... Show More
19m 12s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 281
Hi there, I'm Harry from www.englishlessonviaskype.com and welcome to my English learning podcast where I help you improve your English speaking, listening, pronunciation and grammar. In today's podcast episode you're going to learn popular English collocations. A ... Show More
15m 39s
Jan 2021
Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 250
Hi there, I'm Harry from www.englishlessonviaskype.com and welcome to my English learning podcast where I help you improve your English speaking, listening, pronunciation and grammar. In this episode, we're going to talk about fish. I know, not everyone likes eating fis ... Show More
12m 31s