As I work for a publisher, I'm always using reference books such as dictionaries. But I read a lot for pleasure too, and I particularly like poetry. At home all my books are arranged in alphabetical order (I know that's a bit strange!). I've also got lots of novels from different categories - crime stories, ghost stories, historical novels, murder mysteries, science fiction, etc. - but there is non-fiction as well. I read quite a lot of biographies. My husband says I'm book-crazy.

English Mini Lessons

Types of books

Picture this: a giant peanut statue from the heart of rural America, Durant, Oklahoma, making its way to one of the most prestigious art venues in the world, the Louvre in Paris. 

Everything Zenified 

If a Peanut was the Finest Art

破防(pò fáng) literally means “breaking defenses,” like in a battle. In slang, it refers to the emotional moment when someone’s psychological defenses collapse.

Learn Chinese with Hot Topics

破防 (pò fáng)

Learn why "a" and "an" are the indefinite articles, and what the word "indefinite" means.

English Syndicate

"A" and "An", indefinite articles

聊中西文化，也聊很多东西！
第四十六期，一年一度的年度总结来啦！我也没想到一个人说了半个小时，哈哈，感谢大家又一年的支持。新年快乐：）
00:00 - 00:48 问候
00:48 - 04:15 2022年播客数据、情况总结
04:15 - 06:35  我抑郁了吗？
06:35 - 11:11 2022年从学生那里学到的东西
11:11 - 14:38 2022年的看书总结
14:38 - 18:09 2022年我想推荐的书
18:09 - 25:53 2022年语言学习情况总结
25:53 2022年和2021年心态的转变

聊聊东西 - Talk to Me in Chinese

046. 2022, were you happy? 2022年，你幸福吗？

The Grand Egyptian Museum has finally opened some of its galleries to the public, as part of a trial run ahead of the still-unannounced official opening.

The museum, a mega-project near the Giza Pyramids, which has cost well over $1 billion so far, has opened 12 halls featuring ancient Egyptian exhibits.

Up to 4,000 people have been able to visit each day since the middle of October.

The museum has been under construction for more than a decade, but the official opening has been delayed for various reasons, including the coronavirus pandemic and political problems.

The idea, which was first announced in the early 1990s, was to collect ancient artifacts from around the country in one place.

The government wanted the new museum to be outside of Cairo, the busy capital city, to make it easier to get to.

Some sections have been open since 2022 for limited tours, to test the visitor experience and the museum's preparedness.

More than 100,000 of Egypt's ancient treasures will be displayed in the world's largest archaeological museum, according to the Egyptian state information website.

The grand staircase — six stories high and with a view of the pyramids — and the commercial area are open to the public, showcasing monuments and artifacts that include sarcophagi and statues.

Other parts of the museum, including the King Tutankhamun treasure collection, are set to open at later dates.

All halls are equipped with advanced technology and feature multimedia presentations to explain the lives of the ancient Egyptians, including its kings, according to Eissa Zidan from the museum.

One of the halls will use virtual reality to explain the history of burial and its development throughout ancient Egypt.

Some of the first tourists to visit said they were impressed by the museum, which Zidan called "a gift to all the world."

He said: "The museum is not only a place to display antiquities, but it also aims to attract children to learn about ancient Egyptian history."

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Part of Huge Egyptian Museum Finally Opens to Public

The story of how I ended up with four guinea pigs!

Learn English with Stories

Surprise guinea pigs!

Learn some amazing business English today! We're covering the different elements of IKEA's business model that have led to the company's success. Best for upper-intermediate business English students!

New English US

The IKEA Business Model (upper-intermediate)

This episode is part two of the episode Introducing the Shadowing Technique for English Learning. In this episode, you will learn new English phrases and idioms. Increasing your English vocabulary for everyday conversations in your personal life and work will allow you to really speak the English language and connect with native speakers. 



You'll learn seven definitions for the English phrases and idioms I used in the last episode. You'll also get some homework at the end so you can continue to improve your English communication skills. If you’re an English learner and currently work or want to work with native English speakers from the U.S., you won't want to miss it!

Episode originally published on September 18, 2020.
Transcript at https://www.express-to-impress.com/brain-fried-english-phrases/. 