An word that repeats information or is obvious, is called a redundancy.
Exam tips on how to write better and not be worrying about how to find enough words.

The Social Evolutionary

"DON'T use Redundancies!" he shouted loudly. (Exam Writing Tips.)

¡Bienvenidos! Somos Maria y Pablo.
Para comenzar nuestra aventura, conoceremos un poco de Pablo y la ciudad donde vive, Lima. Y te daremos un top 3 de lugares turísticos de esta bella ciudad.
¿Has visitado Lima? ¿Conoces sus playas y arquitectura? Te invitamos a compartir con nosotros tus propias experiencias de viaje.
En el próximo episodio conoceremos más de Maria y hablaremos sobre una de las grandes ciudades de Colombia… ¡adivina cuál es!
¡Conócenos!
María: https://linktr.ee/spanishwithmariap
Pablo: https://linktr.ee/pabloalejos

Maria & Pablo Spanish

1. Top 3: Lugares turísticos de Lima, Perú

What do you think makes a good leader? Is it their personality, their ability to make difficult decisions, or something else?

In this episode, Nick gives you some ideas to help you with Part 3 of the speaking test. 

IELTS with Nick - World Knowledge 

What traits does a good leader have?

In this podcast episode, I teach you five idioms you can use to describe people

Energize your English

#1 - The Spring Chicken Gold Digger

New Year is the perfect time for people to try new things, like changing their diet or habits. Some people take part in Veganuary, an annual challenge where they avoid eating animal products like meat, dairy, or eggs during January.

Veganuary first started in 2014 as a fun way to explore a vegan lifestyle and see how it feels. Since then, plant-based eating has gained popularity, and it's not uncommon for restaurants to offer at least one vegan option on their menus.

But a study has found that many meat-eaters end up feeling disgusted by meat after trying Veganuary.

Researchers studied 40 meat-eaters before and after Veganuary.

They found that, although most participants went back to eating meat when the month had ended, they felt more disgusted about doing so. And people who ate the least amount of meat during the challenge felt the most disgust afterwards.

A separate 2023 study on 46 Veganuary participants found that they were much less likely to describe themselves as meat-eaters after taking part in the challenge.

Scientists suggest that this change happens because people feel uncomfortable when their actions don't match their beliefs. Many enjoy the taste and convenience of eating meat, but they also feel guilty about the cruelty of factory farming.

So by giving up meat during Veganuary, participants may start to think more about these issues and develop negative feelings toward eating meat.

This research shows that even a short-term change in behavior can change the way you think, says Natalia Lawrence, a scientist from the University of Exeter who worked on the studies.

"Normally, the idea is to educate people first to change their attitudes, and hopefully they end up changing their behaviour," she told The Guardian.

"But if you persuade people to change their behaviour for a month, it seems that these things follow."

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Going Meat-Free for a Month Changes Beliefs, Study Finds

Have you ever been "taken for a ride"? If you've been tricked or lied to before, then the answer is yes. Here are some other expressions about lying.

If someone confidently tells you a big lie and doesn't seem to feel bad about it, then you can say they are "lying through their teeth." Such people might make a "web of lies," telling many lies to make people believe them. And if someone lies all the time, you can say they "lie like a rug" – which is a joke using two meanings of "lie," because a rug can only lie on the floor.

If someone lies to you, tricks you, or wants to stop you from finding something out, you can say they are trying to "pull the wool over your eyes." The expression comes from the early 19th century, and may be talking about the wool wigs that some people wore at the time. So someone could pull your wig down, covering your eyes and stopping you from seeing what was really happening.

But not every lie is a big one. Sometimes people just "bend the truth," which is telling a small lie that is usually not serious and probably won't hurt anyone. Often people "bend the truth" by saying something that's part-true, while leaving out important information.

But if someone "stretches the truth," they are probably saying that something is better than it really is. Some people might stretch the truth to make a story more interesting.

Don't Get 'Taken for a Ride' With These Lying Expressions

In today's episode we're going to talk about the expression "Break the ice", it's meaning and how to use it in sentences.

Wyn's Way to English

Wyn's Way to English - "Break the ice"

Nordic countries are often said to be some of the happiest in the world — and they may be some of the most sustainable places to visit too.

If you're not sure what it means to travel sustainably, the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index may be able to help.

Now in its ninth year, it ranks places across the world based on things like destination management and environmental performance.

One hundred destinations were included in the 2024 index, with Helsinki in first place.

More than 50% of the Finnish capital's electricity is renewable, more than 30% of its buses are electric, and 49% of its waste is recycled.

Helsinki has also set a goal of being carbon neutral by 2030, and there are lots of green spaces around the city — almost 10,000 hectares per 100,000 people, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

Helsinki has previously ranked well in the GDS index, coming in fourth place in 2023, although this is the first time it's taken the top spot.

"Being named the world's most sustainable travel destination is proof of the long-term work that has been done in Helsinki," Helsinki Mayor Juhana Vartiainen said.

The other cities in the GDS' top five for 2024 are also in Nordic countries, with Gothenburg in second place. The city, which is in the west of Sweden, ranked first in 2023.

Copenhagen, Denmark, ranked third, Norway's Bergen came in fourth, and another Danish city, Arthus, was in fifth place.

Most of the top 20 cities were in Europe, too, with the exception of Singapore in seventh place, Sydney, Australia, in 10th place, and Goyang, South Korea, in 16th place.




Finnish Capital Ranked Most Sustainable in Travel

Andrew talks about many phrasal verbs with the word back. He discusses their meaning and gives examples.

Want a transcript of the podcast? Subscribe and send Andrew a message! 