It has revolutionised our lives, made cars lighter, food fresher, and water safer. But at what cost? In this episode we take a look at the history of plastic, and ask ourselves what comes next.

English Learning for Curious Minds

Plastic

It's one of the most isolated countries in the world, ruled by an authoritarian leader with a passion for horses and Guinness World Records. It's time to find out about the weird and wonderful country of Turkmenistan. Full transcript, key vocabulary, and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com

Turkmenistan

It's one of the most famous department stores in the world, catering to the world's rich and famous. But it hasn't always been this way. In this episode we take a look at the story of Harrods, and discover the fascinating and unusual history of this iconic London location. Full transcript, key vocabulary, and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com

Harrods | The Playground of London's Rich & Famous

It's a collection of the biggest, fastest, and weirdest things in the world. But how much do you really know about The Guinness World Records? Today we look at the story behind the book, and discover how an argument about a bird turned into one of the best selling books in the world. Full transcript, key vocabulary, and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com

The Guinness World Records

A quick announcement of some exciting developments at Leonardo English. New memberships, request an episode, and exclusive Q&A sessions for members. Until May 10th use the code APRIL4 to get your Listener membership for €4/month - www.leonardoenglish.com/subscribe

A Service Announcement

You recognise the name. You recognise the label. You've seen it on bananas, chocolate, coffee, and all over thousands of everyday products. But how much do you really know about Fairtrade? In today's episode we take a look at how it really works, who benefits, and why some companies are starting up alternatives to Fairtrade. Full transcript, key vocabulary, and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com

Fair Trade

The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 infected 1/3 of the world's population, and it's estimated that it killed up to 100 million people. In today's episode we take a look at what really happened, how it spread so quickly, and what countries did to contain it. Full transcript, key vocabulary, and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com

The Spanish Flu

It's one of the most powerful television channels in the United States, the current US president’s preferred news channel, and referred to by some as 'state TV'. In today's episode we take a look at Fox News: who watches it, how it really makes money, and what event could cause its downfall. Full transcript, key vocabulary, and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com

Fox News // The Presidential Propaganda Machine

From sharia law to public executions, The Taliban ruled Afghanistan with a iron fist. In this episode we look at the origins of this group, what life was like under its rule, how it has managed to survive so long, and what the future might have in store. Full transcript, key vocabulary, and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com

The Taliban

In the early hours of November 5th, 1605, a man was found in a cellar under The Houses of Parliament. He was moments away from blowing everything up, killing the King, and changing the course of British history forever. Today we tell the story of Guy Fawkes, and how we went from religious terrorist to anti-establishment icon. Full transcript, key vocabulary, and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com

Guy Fawkes // The Man Who Tried To Blow Up Parliament

The Enigma machine, used by the Nazis in World War II, had 158,962,555,217,826,360,000 possible combinations, and was thought by many to be impossible to crack. Today we tell the story of the man who cracked the code, and his tragic end.

The Man Who Cracked The Nazi Code

In Holland in the 1600s the price of tulips rose so much that a single bulb reportedly cost more than a townhouse on Amsterdam's grand canal. Today we look at the real story behind one of the greatest bubbles in history. Full transcript, key vocabulary, and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com

Tulipmania // When Flowers Cost More Than Houses

The passport sales industry is booming, and is worth around $1 billion a year. In today's episode we take a look at how it all works, how much it all costs, and the people and countries that make it all possible. Full transcript, key vocabulary, and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com

The Countries That Sell Their Passports

In 1963 a criminal gang managed to stop a Royal Mail train, steal £2 million pounds in cash (£55 million in today's money), and escape. It took them just 15 minutes. Today we tell the story of this infamous robbery, and the hunt to find the men who did it. Full transcript, key vocabulary and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com

The Great Train Robbery

It's the day of the year where people, newspapers, TV shows, and companies play practical jokes on the public. Today we take a look at some of the best April Fool's Day jokes in history, and talk about what happens when they go wrong. Full transcript, key vocabulary and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com

April Fool's Day

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English Learning for Curious Minds

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