Lesson19 The Dead Sea Throughout history people all over the world have gone to special places where mineral-rich hot springs flow from beneath the earth@s surface. Countries with much volcanic activity such as Japan have many such hot springs and ha...
Lesson18 Humorous Stories Story 1 Everyone jumped to pick the phone up when it rang. My brother was calling to announce the birth of his first child. My parents and I rushed to the hospital and met Nathan outside the maternity ward. You've got to see...
Lesson17 Speaking Two, But Thinking in One My own experience makes me think it only self-deception if any believes that he has two mother-tongues. He may think that he is equally master of each, yet it is invariable the case that he actually thinks i...
Lesson16 Learning English We thought we knew the English language, having even translated a whole book from English into Russian, when we were in Siberia. I learnt English in prison from a self-instructor, but had never heard a single live English wo...
Lesson15 Exercise for Ever! In our pursuit of good health and shapeliness, most of us think immediately of dieting. If only we could eat less, we think, we'd soon be slim, happy and life would be problem-free. It's true that dieting is one answer, th...
Lesson14 Habit of Reading I read a lot of history, a little philosophy, and a good deal of science. My curiosity was too great to allow me to give much time to reflect on what I read; I could hardly wait to finish one book, so eager was I to begin an...
Lesson13 Changes of Life Caused by Computers and Automobiles The computer and the automobile, the mainstays of modern life, share similar pasts. The computer, which has only recently become a common feature of most people's homes and offices, had its...
Lesson12 Short-term and Long-term Memory A well-established distinction in memory theory is that between short-term and long-term memory. The former refers to our ability to do such things as remember telephone numbers long enough to dial them; the l...
Lesson11 English Spelling English spelling is a headache for native and non-native speakers alike. As a student of mine once commented, English spelling must have been invented by one of the devil's helpers. Do we need a spelling reform? At first, th...
Lesson10 The Country Maid and Her Milk Can A country maid was walking along with a can of milk upon her head, when she fell into the following train of reflections: The money for which I shall sell this milk will enable me to increase my stock of egg...
