Kikokushijo Academy Wordcast

In the 2014 award-winning movie The Imitation Game, British actor Benedict Cumberbatch portrayed Alan Turing, the inventor of a code-breaking machine that was used during World War II at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, England, to help the British and their Allies defeat the Germans.  And Bletchley Circle was a recent BBC mini-series about a group of highly intelligent women in the mid-1950s who help solve crimes by applying the code-breaking skills they gained while doing “spy” work at Bletchley Park.  So “Bletchley” is a hot topic right now, and in today’s passage, entitled “Breaking the Enigma,” you will learn all about Alan Turing’s machine, the German code it deciphered, and the dedicated men and women “code-breakers” who helped bring the war to a swifter end.  Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.    The correct answers will follow immediately after the closing jingle, so make sure you stay tuned in.  Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website

In today’s lesson, entitled The Lion King Debate, you will be listening to a passage about Cecil, the African lion that was recently shot and killed by an American hunter.  You will also learn why so many conservationists are using Cecil’s death as a rallying cry to ban big-game “trophy” hunting.  Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.   The correct answers will follow immediately after the closing jingle, so stay tuned.  Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website as a separate track.   You can also download the lesson in PDF format and keep it for your reference.    And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will improve your understanding of the passage itself and give you a bigger, better active vocabulary.  

The basic practices of “teaching” and “learning” probably haven’t changed much in the last twenty or thirty years.  But that’s not quite true, because, as you know, teachers and students these days have access to more resources than ever before.  In today’s passage, entitled “Interstellar in the Classroom,” you will learn about why scientists and physicists would like to see the 2014 movie Interstellar used as a classroom tool to teach students about astrophysics and science.  Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  As you listen, it’s OK to jot down notes of important details and ideas, but try not to let your note-taking get in the way of your listening.    The correct answers will follow immediately after the closing jingle, so make sure you stay tuned in.  Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website as a separate track.   You may also download the lesson in PDF format and keep it for your reference.    And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bon

In today’s passage, entitled “Burning Man,” you will learn about a festival held in the Nevada desert every year that offers its attendees an experience that can only be described as unique.  Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  As you listen, it’s OK to jot down some notes of important details and ideas, but try not to let your note-taking get in the way of your listening.  The correct answers will follow immediately after the closing jingle, so make sure you stay tuned in.  Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website as a separate track.   You may also download the lesson in PDF format and keep it for your reference.    And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will help you improve your understanding of the passage itself and give your vocabulary a big boost.   

On the evening of October 11, 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus was patrolling the deck of his ship Santa Maria when he saw a “light glimmering at a great distance.” He later claimed that it vanished and reappeared several times during the night, each time dancing up and down “in sudden and passing gleams.” Five centuries later, on NASA’s first mission to the moon, astronaut Buzz Aldrin reported seeing a mysterious ringed object traveling alongside Apollo 11.  In 1974, the Beatles’ John Lennon witnessed a flattened, cone-shaped object hovering above New York City.   In today’s lesson, “Are We Alone?” you will listen to a passage about mankind’s long fascination with UFOs and space aliens.  Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  It’s always a good idea to take notes as you listen, but remember: don’t let your note-taking distract you from your listening.  The correct answers will follow immediately after the closing jingle, so make sure you stay tuned in.  A

In today’s lesson, entitled“The Winton Children,”you will listen to a passage about a remarkable Englishman named Nicholas Winton who is often called “Britain’s Schindler.” When the Second World War broke out, Winton masterminded an operation that rescued 669 Jewish children from almost certain death. (There were a couple of “Japanese Schindlers,” too, by the way.  Do you know who they were?) Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  It’s always a good idea to take notes as you listen, but remember: don’t let your note-taking distract you from your listening.  The correct answers will follow immediately after the closing jingle, so stay tuned.  Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website as a separate track.   You can also download the lesson in PDF format and keep it for your reference.    And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will improve your understanding of the passage itself and give you a bigger, better active vocabulary.

In today’s lesson, entitled A Mammoth Effort, you will be listening to a passage about the possibility of resurrecting animals that have long been extinct using modern advanced science and technology. Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  It’s always a good idea to take notes as you listen, but remember: don’t let your note-taking distract you from your listening.  The correct answers will follow immediately after the closing jingle, so stay tuned.  Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website as a separate track.   You can also download the lesson in PDF format and keep it for your reference.    And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will improve your understanding of the passage itself and give you a bigger, better active vocabulary.  

In today’s lesson, entitled A Trip of a Lifetime, you will be listening to a passage about some of the exciting, but costly school trips many pupils and students are going on these days.    Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  The correct answers will follow immediately after the closing jingle, so stay tuned.  Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website as a separate track.   You can also download the lesson in PDF format and keep it for your reference.    And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will improve your understanding of the passage itself and give you a bigger, better active vocabulary.

In today’s lesson, entitled Melting Away, you will be listening to a passage about how global warming is affecting weather patterns all over the world.  You will also learn about how some archeologists are benefiting from the melting polar and glacial ice that rising global temperatures are causing.  Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.    The correct answers will follow immediately after the closing jingle, so make sure you stay tuned in.  Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website as a separate track.   You may also download the lesson in PDF format and keep it for your reference.    And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will help you improve your understanding of the passage itself and give your vocabulary a big boost. 

In today’s listening passage, entitled “When I Grow Up,” you will learn why some skilled occupations are being phased out and also learn about some of the specialized courses that many universities and colleges are offering these days.  Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  It’s a good idea to jot down some notes of significant details and ideas as you listen, but try not to let your note-taking get in the way of your listening.  The correct answers will follow immediately after the closing jingle, so make sure you stay tuned in.  Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website as a separate track.   You may also download the lesson in PDF format and keep it for your reference.    And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will help you improve your understanding of the passage itself and give your vocabulary a big boost.   

In today’s lesson, entitled Elon Musk: Watch This Space, you will be listening to a passage about one of the most innovative and visionary businessmen of the 21st century.   Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.     Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website as a separate track.   You can also download the lesson in PDF format and keep it for your reference.    And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will improve your understanding of the passage itself and give you a bigger, better active vocabulary.

In today’s lesson, entitled To Binge, or Not to Binge, you will be listening to a passage about how cable and satellite television networks have changed the way viewers watch television and why “just one more,” has become an increasingly commonly used expression.     The correct answers will follow immediately after the closing jingle, so make sure you stay tuned in.  Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website as a separate track.   You may also download the lesson in PDF format and keep it for your reference.    And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will help you improve your understanding of the passage itself and give your vocabulary a big boost. 

In today’s lesson, entitled Lights Out, you will be listening to a passage about how a simple act like turning off lights at night could save the lives of millions of migrating birds.   Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  The correct answers will follow immediately after the closing jingle, so stay tuned.  Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website as a separate track.   You can also download the lesson in PDF format and keep it for your reference.    And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will improve your understanding of the passage itself and give you a bigger, better active vocabulary.

In today’s lesson, entitled The People’s Princess, you will be listening to a passage about how a shy English assistant kindergarten teacher became known to people everywhere as the “People’s Princess.”  The correct answers to the Listening Comprehension questions will follow immediately after the closing jingle..  Answers are also available on the KA Wordcast website as a separate track.   You may also download the lesson in PDF format and keep it for your reference.    And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will help you improve your understanding of the passage itself and give your vocabulary a big boost.   

In today’s lesson, entitled A Thousand Million, you will be listening to a passage about some of the wealthiest people in the world and the various ways a billion dollars could be spent. Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  It’s always a good idea to take notes as you listen, but remember: don’t let your note-taking distract you from your listening. And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will improve your understanding of the passage itself and give you a bigger, better active vocabulary.  

In today’s lesson, entitled Have You Heard ...?, you will be listening to a passage about why so many people indulge in gossiping and how the Internet has changed the nature of gossip. Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  It’s always a good idea to take notes as you listen, but remember: don’t let your note-taking distract you from your listening. And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will help you improve your understanding of the passage itself and give your vocabulary a big boost.   

In today’s lesson, entitled Happy Mother’s Day, you will be listening to a passage about how as a child a West Virginia schoolteacher got the idea to begin setting aside a special day to honor all mothers. Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  It’s always a good idea to take notes as you listen, but remember: don’t let your note-taking distract you from your listening. And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will improve your understanding of the passage itself and give you a bigger, better active vocabulary.  

For our final lesson, we will be looking at eighteen phrasal verbs and related idiomatic expressions based on the word “fall.”  By the end of the lesson, you should have a good grasp of all of these handy phrases and be able to make excellent use of them in your own writing and everyday communication.  And don’t forget: you can test your knowledge of today’s phrases before the lesson begins by taking the quick “pre-test” that is downloadable from our website.  Or, if you prefer, you can save the test for later to see how much you’ve learned.

In today’s lesson, entitled Seeing Double, you will be listening to a passage about why two complete strangers can look nearly identical to each other. Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  It’s always a good idea to take notes as you listen, but remember: don’t let your note-taking distract you from your listening. And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will help you improve your understanding of the passage itself and give your vocabulary a big boost.     

In today’s lesson, entitled Up, Up, and Away!  you will be listening to a passage about a company in England that is taking an old idea and combining it with green technology to build a lighter-than-air aircraft for the 21st Century.  Listen carefully to the passage and then answer the questions that follow.  It’s always a good idea to take notes as you listen, but remember: don’t let your note-taking distract you from your listening. And be sure to listen to the Key Vocabulary bonus track.   This will help you improve your understanding of the passage itself and give your vocabulary a big boost.