Hi, Gang!
NEW lessons are listed here as they're posted.
Posted October 7, 2021
- 01-208: Reading the "Great Books": Meet Homer - Part I
- 01-209: The Iliad: Homer - Part II
- 01-210: The Odyssey I: Homer - Part III
- 01-211: The Odyssey II: Homer - Part IV
- 01-212: Who Are the Muses? - Part I
- 01-213: Meet the Muses - Part II
- 01-214: Fates, Furies, and Harpies
- 01-215: Meet the Titans - Part I
- 01-216: Meet the Titans - Part II
- 01-217: Two Titanic Battles
Posted September 8, 2021
- 08-131: Tarzan of the Apes
- 08-132: The Great Departure of Prince Siddhartha
- 08-133: The Blind Men and the Elephant
Posted September 4, 2021
- 08-128: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
- 08-129: Bluebeard
- 08-130: Casey at the Bat
Posted August 28, 2021
- 01-191: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 61
- 01-192: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 62
- 01-196: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 63
- 01-197: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 64
- 01-198: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 65
- 01-202: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 66
- 01-203: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 67
- 01-204: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 68
- 01-205: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 69
- 01-206: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 70
- 01-207: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 71
Posted August 27, 2021
Posted August 26, 2021
- 01-186: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 56
- 01-187: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 57
- 01-188: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 58
- 01-189: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 59
- 01-190: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 60
- 08-121: Peter Pan
- 08-122: The Tempest
- 08-123: Pyramus and Thisbe
- 08-124: Three Tales by Hans Christian Andersen
- 08-125: The Song of Hiawatha
- 08-126: Vanity Fair - Part I
- 08-127: Vanity Fair - Part II
Posted August 25, 2021
- 01-181: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 51
- 01-182: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 52
- 01-183: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 53
- 01-184: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 54
- 01-185: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 55
Posted August 24, 2021
- 01-171: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 43
- 01-172: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 44
- 01-173: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 45
- 01-174: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 46
- 01-175: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 47
- 01-176: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 48
- 01-177: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 49
- 01-178: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 50
- 01-179: Sino-African Joint Exhibition Showcases African Culture
- 01-180: African Artists Portray Shenzhen
Posted August 22, 2021
- 01-161: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 33
- 01-162: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 34
- 01-163: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 35
- 01-164: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 36
- 01-165: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 37
- 01-166: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 38
- 01-167: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 39
- 01-168: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 40
- 01-169: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 41
- 01-170: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 42
Posted August 21, 2021
- 01-151: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 23
- 01-152: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 24
- 01-153: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 25
- 01-154: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 26
- 01-155: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 27
- 01-156: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 28
- 01-157: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 29
- 01-158: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 30
- 01-159: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 31
- 01-160: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 32
Posted August 20, 2021
- 01-141: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 13
- 01-142: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 14
- 01-143: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 15
- 01-144: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 16
- 01-145: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 17
- 01-146: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 18
- 01-147: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 19
- 01-148: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 20
- 01-149: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 21
- 01-150: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 22
Posted August 18, 2021
- 01-121: On a Diet
- 01-122: Talk Like a Pirate - Part I
- 01-123: Talk Like a Pirate - Part II
- 01-124: How to Avoid Name-Calling
- 01-125: How to Insist Politely (and Avoid Stalking)
- 01-126: How to Talk Nice
- 01-127: How to Use "Suppose"
- 01-128: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 1
- 01-129: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 2
- 01-130: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 3
- 01-131: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 4
- 01-132: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 5
- 01-133: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 6
- 01-134: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 7
- 01-135: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 8
- 01-136: Happy Birthday to You
- 01-137: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 9
- 01-138: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 10
- 01-139: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 11
- 01-140: Reading Boomtown Chronicles 12
Posted August 16, 2021
- 01-111: Kitchen Appliances
- 01-112: Appliances Small and Large
- 01-113: What's in a Name - Part I
- 01-114: What's in a Name - Part II
- 01-115: Emerson and Whitman
- 01-116: The French Connection - Part I
- 01-117: The French Connection - Part II
- 01-118: The French Connection - Part III
- 01-119: The French Connection - Part IV
- 01-120: The French Connection - Part V
Posted August 15, 2021
- 05-051: Guy Fawkes Night - Part I
- 05-052: Guy Fawkes Night - Part II
- 05-053: Culture Day
- 05-054: November Potpourri
- 05-055: Chalica
- 05-056: Christmas and St. Nick
- 05-057: Hanukkah and Kwanzaa
- 05-058: December Potpourri
Posted August 14, 2021
- 05-031: Ascension and Pentecost
- 05-032: May Potpourri
- 05-033: May Birthdays
- 05-034: Dads and Grads
- 05-035: Midsummer's Day
- 05-036: Helen Keller Day
- 05-037: June Potpourri - Part I
- 05-038: June Potpourri - Part II
- 05-039: America's Independence Day
- 05-040: July Independence Days - Part I
- 05-041: July Independence Days - Part II
- 05-042: Tanabata (Qixi)
- 05-043: World UFO Day
- 05-044: July Potpourri
- 05-045: Lazy August (Potpourri)
- 05-046: September Start-up (Potpourri)
- 05-047: Columbus Day Myths
- 05-048: Halloween
- 05-049: October Potpourri
- 05-050: Thanksgiving
Posted August 13, 2021
- 05-021: Month-Long April Observances
- 05-022: April Fools' and Tomb-Sweeping Day
- 05-023: April Birthdays - Part I
- 05-024: April Birthdays - Part II
- 05-025: Songkran
- 05-026: International Jazz Day
- 05-027: New Beer's Eve and Other Frivolous April Days
- 05-028: MAYDAY!
- 05-029: Mother's Days
- 05-030: Memorial Day and Summer
Posted August 10, 2021
- 05-011: Valentine's Day
- 05-012: "The Third Monday in February"
- 05-013: February: Black History Month and More
- 05-014: Frivolous February Holidays
- 05-015: Three More February Holidays
- 05-016: March: Women's History Month and More
- 05-017: The Spring Equinox
- 05-018: St. Patrick's Day
- 05-019: Lent and Easter
- 05-020: A Potpourri of March Holidays
Posted August 9, 2021
- 05-001: New Years' Celebrations
- 05-002: Some Peculiar January Holidays in England
- 05-003: Of Wise Men and Fools
- 05-004: Two Japanese '"Age"' Days
- 05-005: Martin Luther King: and Others
- 05-006: Frivolous January Holidays
- 05-007: Groundhog Day
- 05-008: The Run-Up to Lent
- 05-009: Major Buddhist Holidays
- 05-010: Other Buddhist Holidays
Posted August 8, 2021
- 04-021: Aristophanes, Father of Comedy
- 04-022: Mendeleev and the Periodic Table
- 04-023: The Tragic Tchaikovsky
- 04-024: Count Leo Tolstoy
- 04-025: Pliny the Elder
- 04-026: The Artists of Pompeii
- 04-027: Seneca (the Younger), Stoic
- 04-028: Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin
- 04-029: The Famous Unknown Gilbert Stuart
- 04-030: Washington Irving, International Best-Seller
Posted August 7, 2021
- 08-111: Thoreau's Walden
- 08-112: Robinson Crusoe
- 08-113: The Outcasts of Poker Flat
- 08-114: The Velveteen Rabbit
- 08-115: Kubla Khan
- 08-116: Alice in Wonderland
- 08-117: The Story of Merlin
- 08-118: Mark Twain
- 08-119: The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel
- 08-120: A Doll's House
Posted August 6, 2021
- 04-011: Tommaso's Utopian City
- 04-012: Caravaggio, Renaissance "Bad Boy"
- 04-013: Ramon y Cajal, Father of Modern Neuroscience
- 04-014: Picasso, THE Artist of the 20th Century
- 04-015: Garcia Lorca, Poet of the People
- 04-016: Albert Einstein, THE Scientist of the 20th Century
- 04-017: Richard Strauss, a Pretty Good Composer
- 04-018: Thomas Mann, Einstein of Literature
- 04-019: Aristotle and Early Science
- 04-020: Praxiteles and Phryne
Posted August 4, 2021
- 04-001: Mr. Newton's Universe
- 04-002: The Musical Handel
- 04-003: John Milton, Blind Poet
- 04-004: Louis Pasteur, Father of Microbiology
- 04-005: Victor Hugo, Author of Les Miz
- 04-006: Edouard Manet, Early Impressionist
- 04-007: Linus Pauling, Double Nobel Winner
- 04-008: Aaron Copland, Dean of American Composers
- 04-009: Ernest "Papa" Hemingway
- 04-010: Galileo, the Father of Science
Posted August 2, 2021
- 01-101: Talking about Puns - Part I
- 01-102: Talking about Puns - Part II
- 01-103: Jiminy Speak - Part I: Praise and Surprise
- 01-104: Jiminy Speak - Part II: Encouragement and Scolding
- 01-105: Taking a Flight - Part I: Checking In
- 01-106: Taking a Flight - Part II: In Flight
- 01-107: Cowboy Talk - Part II
- 01-108: Cowboy Talk - Part III
- 01-109: Cowboy Talk - Part IV
- 01-110: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Posted July 25, 2021
- 03-011: Social Networking Jargon
- 03-012: More Networking Jargon
- 03-013: Morning - Afternoon - Evening - Night
- 03-014: Six Big Joints of the Body
- 03-015: The Fab Four
- 03-016: The Dutch Boy and the Dike
- 03-017: Habitats and Ecology
- 03-018: Aesop and His Fables
- 03-019: Talking about Fractions
- 03-020: Celebrations of Spring
Posted July 24, 2021
- 03-001: Little Red Riding Hood
- 03-002: Latitude
- 03-003: Zones, Solstices, and Equinoxes
- 03-004: Longitude
- 03-005: The Big Bang Theory
- 03-006: Visiting Japan
- 03-007: How to Say Big Numbers
- 03-008: The Branches of Science
- 03-009: The Common Kitchen - Part I
- 03-010: The Common Kitchen - Part II
Posted July 21, 2021
- 08-101: Edison vs Tesla
- 08-102: Lake Wobegon
- 08-103: The Belle of Amherst
- 08-104: The Devil and Daniel Webster
- 08-105: The Pardoner's Tale
- 08-106: One Hundred and One Dalmatians
- 08-107: Blackbeard the Pirate
- 08-108: The Tale of Peter Rabbit
- 08-109: The Death of Socrates
- 08-110: Ramona, a Tale of Mission Day
Posted July 20, 2021
- 01-091: Jocular Insults
- 01-092: April Fools: A Liminal Day
- 01-093: Talking about Ancestors
- 01-094: Sports Idioms - Part I: Balls
- 01-095: Sports Idioms - Part II: Football
- 01-096: Sports Idioms - Part III: Horse Racing
- 01-097: Sports Idioms - Part IV: Football and Basketball
- 01-098: Knock Knock Jokes
- 01-099: Chickens, Light Bulbs, and Differences
- 01-100: Tom Swifties
Posted July 17, 2021
- 01-082: Monday's Child…
- 01-083: Say It with Flowers
- 01-084: Beware the Ides of March
- 01-085: Irish Words in English
- 01-086: The Golden Age
- 01-087: Anthropomorphization
- 01-088: Bull Session Slang
- 01-089: The Fine Art of Negotiation (Slang)
- 01-090: Office Animals - Part III: Straight Shooters and Stuffed Shirts
Posted July 16, 2021
- 08-091: Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
- 08-092: The Necklace
- 08-093: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Part I
- 08-094: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Part II
- 08-095: The "Real" Frog Prince
- 08-096: The Music Man
- 08-097: Dune
- 08-098: A Tale of Two Dogs
- 08-099: Superman
- 08-100: The Allegory of the Cave
Posted July 14, 2021
- 08-081: Medea
- 08-082: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
- 08-083: Call of the Wild
- 08-084: Charlotte's Web
- 08-085: The "Real" Cinderella
- 08-086: The Hatfields and the McCoys
- 08-087: Rip Van Winkle
- 08-088: The Little Prince
- 08-089: Anne of Green Gables
- 08-090: And Then There Were None
Posted July 13, 2021
- 08-061: Echo and Narcissus
- 08-062: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
- 08-063: Sina and the Eel
- 08-064: Odin, the Norse All-father
- 08-065: Heart of Darkness
- 08-066: The Highwayman: A Ghost Story
- 08-067: The Blue Mountains - Part I
- 08-068: The Blue Mountains - Part II
- 08-069: Uncle Tom's Cabin
- 08-070: The Forty-Seven Ronin
- 08-071: La Belle Dame sans Merci
- 08-072: King Alfred and the Cakes
- 08-073: The Wizard of Oz
- 08-074: Treasure Island
- 08-075: The Hobbit - Part I
- 08-076: The Hobbit - Part II
- 08-077: The Tiger, the Brahmin, and the Jackal
- 08-078: Around the World in Eighty Days
- 08-079: Moby Dick
- 08-080: The Swiss Family Robinson
Posted July 12, 2021
- 01-072: "Sweethearts" Candies for Valentine's Day
- 01-073: Business Jargon - Part I: Gung Ho
- 01-074: Business Jargon - Part II: Stressed Out
- 01-075: Presidents' Day
- 01-076: Weather Lore - Part I: Clouds
- 01-077: Weather Lore - Part II: True Sayings
- 01-078: Weather Lore - Part III: False Sayings
- 01-079: Boxing Idioms - Part I: A Blow-by-Blow
- 01-080: Boxing Idioms - Part II: K.O.'d
- 01-081: Boxing Idioms - Part III: A Heavyweight
Posted July 11, 2021
- 01-062: Show Me the Money!: Money Idioms
- 01-063: Snow Jobs: Public Relations Terms
- 01-064: The Eight Parts of Speech - Part I
- 01-065: The Eight Parts of Speech - Part II
- 01-066: The Eight Parts of Speech - Part III
- 01-067: Verbal Shrugs
- 01-068: Doublespeak: Hiding Behind Words
- 01-069: Cowboy Talk - Part I
- 01-070: Around the House - Part I
- 01-071: Around the House - Part II
Posted July 9, 2021
- 01-051: Office Animals - Part II: Deadbeats and Windbags
- 01-052: Cliches - Part I: As X as Y
- 01-053: Cliches - Part II: As Busy as a Bee
- 01-054: Cliches - Part III: As Fresh as a Daisy
- 01-055: Happy New Year - Part I: Talking about New Year's Eve
- 01-056: Happy New Year - Part II: New Year's Eve Traditions
- 01-057: January to April: Our First Four Months
- 01-058: May to August: Our Second Four Months
- 01-059: Planets and the Days of the Week
- 01-060: Translation, Transliteration, and Transcription - Part I
- 01-061: Translation, Transliteration, and Transcription - Part II
Posted July 6, 2021
- 08-051: The Marriage of Figaro
- 08-052: The Scarlet Letter
- 08-053: The Frogs Ask for a King
- 08-054: The Metamorphosis
- 08-055: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- 08-056: The Ramayana
- 08-057: Pinocchio
- 08-058: To Kill a Mockingbird
- 08-059: The Happy Prince
- 08-060: Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Posted July 5, 2021
- 08-041: The Boy Who Cried Wolf
- 08-042: The Hound of the Baskervilles
- 08-043: Nala and Damayanti
- 08-044: The Groundhog and the Witch
- 08-045: Tales of Nasruddin
- 08-046: The Tell-Tale Heart
- 08-047: Citizen Kane
- 08-048: The Legend of Saint Valentine
- 08-049: Frankenstein
- 08-050: Don Quixote
Posted July 4, 2021
- 01-043: Used Car Ads - Part I: Dealers
- 01-044: Used Car Ads - Part II: Private Parties
- 01-045: A Trip to the Doctors - Part I
- 01-046: A Trip to the Doctors - Part II
- 01-047: The "Chinese Maybe"
- 01-048: The Continents - Part I: Background
- 01-049: The Continents - Part II: The Seven
- 01-050: Office Animals Part I: Veeps and Gofers
Posted July 3, 2021
- 08-031: Kleobis and Biton
- 08-032: A True Story, Word for Word as I Heard It
- 08-033: Life is a Dream
- 08-034: Travelers' Tales
- 08-035: Alexander Meets the King of China
- 08-036: Rumpelstiltskin
- 08-037: The Man Who Never Laughed Again
- 08-038: David Copperfield
- 08-039: Pecos Bill, the Cowboys' Hero
- 08-040: Romeo and Juliet
Posted July 2, 2021
- 08-021: Robin Hood
- 08-022: The Wife of Bath's Tale
- 08-023: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- 08-024: A Visit from Saint Nicholas
- 08-025: The Monkey and the Crocodile
- 08-026: The Twelve Labors of Hercules - Part I
- 08-027: The Twelve Labors of Hercules - Part II
- 08-028: The Divine Comedy
- 08-029: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- 08-030: Culhwch and Olwen
Posted July 1, 2021
- 01-040: Common Chinglish Errors - Part I
- 01-041: Common Chinglish Errors - Part II
- 01-042: Common Chinglish Errors - Part III
Posted June 30, 2021
- 01-031: Congruity - Making body language match your words
- 01-032: PC - Political Correctness I: Ethnicity - eliminating racist language
- 01-033: PC - Political Correctness II: Gender - eliminating sexist language
- 01-034: Common (and Funny) Mistakes I - misplaced modifiers and dangling participles
- 01-035: Common (and Funny) Mistakes II - more misplaced modifiers and dangling participles
- 01-036: Giving Directions - going beyond "go straight, turn left"
- 01-037: Crossing the Boulevard - From sidewalk to the other sidewalk, what might you encounter?
- 01-038: Fruit Idioms I: The Apple of His Eye - using idioms with fruit in them
- 01-039: Fruit Idioms II: Apples and Oranges - using more idioms with fruit in them
Posted June 28, 2021
- 01-021: Mother Goose and Other Nursery Rhymes - memories of childhood
- 01-022: Sarcasm - saying the opposite of what you mean, especially to be a "wise guy"
- 01-023: Allusions - using cultural references
- 01-024: Making Suggestions - not giving orders
- 01-025: The Sooner, the Better - a strange grammatical construction
- 01-026: Opposite Proverbs - Wisdom can be contradictory!
- 01-027: Talking about the Boss I - two guys talk about a boss--with lots of slang
- 01-028: Talking about the Boss II - The conversation continues.
- 01-029: Figures of Speech I: Sounds - onomatopoeia, alliteration, consonance, and assonance
- 01-030: Figures of Speech II: Similes and Metaphors - making creative comparisons
Posted June 27, 2021
- 01-016: September Song - Trivia about the ninth month
- 01-017: The Three Rs - The old-fashioned school curriculum
- 01-018: A Cuppa Joe - Ordering coffee
- 01-019: Ambiguity - Using sentences that have two meanings
- 01-020: Euphemisms - Saying unkind things in a kind way
Posted June 26, 2021
- 08-011: Babbage's Analytical Engine - A first giant step toward the modern computer
- 08-012: Crossword Puzzles - A "sinful waste" or a good way to learn English?
- 08-013: The Mercator Projection Map - A better way to see the world
- 08-014: Plywood - A strong yet flexible modern material
- 08-015: Terms from The Iliad - Hector, the Achilles' Heel, and the Trojan Horse
- 08-016: Peter and the Wolf - A classic Russian symphonic tale
- 08-017: Ancient Art or Early Doodle? - At 73,000 years old, "the earliest known drawing in history"
- 08-018: Aucassin and Nicolette - A love story to rival that of Romeo and Juliet
- 08-019: The "Real" Aladdin - The original tale; all others are mere imitations!
- 08-020: The Internet - How you came to be reading this
Posted June 25, 2021
- 08-006: Darwin's Life-Changing Discovery - How a natural disaster in a far-away land contributed to the development of Darwin's theory of evolution
- 08-007: The Telescope - An early modern tool of discovery
- 08-008: Penicillin - Fleming's discovery of the go-to antibiotic
- 08-009: Global Time - Time zones are a necessity in the modern world.
- 08-010: The First Photograph - How far this technology has come!
Posted June 23, 2021
- 01-011: TGIF - some aspects of American business culture
- 01-012: Getting Someone's Facts Straight - politely correcting mistakes
- 01-013: Speaking of Spanish - English words borrowed from the Spanish language
- 01-014: A Modern Horror Story - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
- 01-015: No Joking - expressing surprise (and not being misunderstood)
- 08-001: Newton and the Apple - How falling fruit helped us understand gravity
- 08-002: Von Beringe's Gorilla - There may still be some discoveries left to make!
- 08-003: The Language of the Universe - Mathematics helps us understand our world.
- 08-004: The Wheel - No one knows who invented it, but it has been reinvented many times!
- 08-005: Bell's Telephone - The great inventor was simply one in a long line.
Posted June 21, 2021
- 01-006: Expressions from Shakespeare - eight terms introduced by Shakespeare that we still use today
- 01-007: What Is an Idiom, Anyway? - What makes an idiom special?
- 01-008: Understanding an English Dialect - Reading a poem (by Edgar A. Guest) written in "folksy" language
- 01-009: Aloha, Big Kahunas - English words borrowed from Hawaiian
- 01-010: Englishes - some differences in British and American English
Posted June 20, 2021
- 01-001: When You're Hot, You're Hot! - eight different meanings for the word "hot"
- 01-002: The "Dog Days" are Here - a peculiar name for the August heat wave
- 01-003: It's a "Little Warm" out there - using exaggeration and understatement
- 01-004: Cooking Up a Legend - Can you really fry an egg on a sidewalk?
- 01-005: How Hot Is It? - using Fahrenheit and Celsius scales
Please leave a comment - I can't WAIT to hear from you!