FREE DAILY ENGLISH LESSONS!
In time, these lessons and "stubs" will be migrated to the Buzzwords site.
Until then, consider them historical.


The Thousand and One Nights

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/26/content_2290684.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Have you seen the Disney movie "Aladdin"? If so, did you like it? Why or why not?
2. Have you read any stories from "The Thousand and One Nights"? Tell one if you can.
3. Can you think of any TV shows or movies that use "cliffhangers"? Describe one.

Dante

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/22/content_2286018.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Have you ever heard of "The Divine Comedy" or any of its parts? Does it sound interesting to you?
2. Do you believe in Hell and Heaven? Why or why not?
3. Do you think "courtly love"--the idea of dedicating your life and love to a person you barely know--is possible? Is it a good idea? Why or why not?

Japanese Literature

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/20/content_2283525.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Akemi speaks of "abridged versions" of classics. What does "abridged" mean? Do you think it's OK to read classics in "abridged versions"?
2. Which sounds more interesting to you, "The Tale of Genji" or "The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon"? Why?
3. Genji is described as "the perfect guy." What do you think the perfect guy or girl would be like today?

Persian Literature

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/19/content_2280829.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Sunny says "there are more 'great books' than just those from Europe, India, and East Asia." Do you know of any?
2. What do you think the saying, "A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou" means?
3. How do you feel about the long quote that begins "The Moving Finger writes"? Is it depressing? Or freeing? Or something else?

Latin Literature

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/15/content_2276545.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Have you heard of any of the authors in this lesson? Talk about them. Or say which one sounds most interesting to you.
2. Have you heard of any of these stories, mentioned by Mark? Echo and Narcissus, Perseus, Daedalus and Icarus, Hercules, Orpheus, and Midas. Tell a story, if you can.
3. Mark uses two proverbs, "All roads lead to Rome" and "Rome wasn’t built in a day." What do they mean? How can you use them?

The Mahabharata

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/13/content_2273439.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Talk about "The Mahabharata" as described by Sunny.
2. What is the relationship between "The Mahabharata" and "The Bhagavad Gita"?
3. Talk about "Shakuntala" as described by Sunny.

The Ramayana

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/12/content_2272073.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you agree with Mark that in today's world, "it's important to know more about the great literature of all civilizations"?
2. Talk about "The Ramayana" as described by Sunny.
3. What is the connection between Hanuman and Sun Wukong?

Socrates's Students

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/08/content_2267877.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What do you know about Socrates?
2. Have you ever read a Socratic dialogue? What are they like?
3. What do you know about Alexander the Great?

Ancient History

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/06/content_2265079.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Why do you think Herodotus included some mythical figures in his history book?
2. Do you think it's important for history writers to use balance in their writing?
3. Do you think a history writer should visit the places he writes about? Or is it okay to learn about them from books?

Ancient Chinese Literature

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/05/content_2263579.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What do you know about the Chinese writers mentioned in the lesson?
2. Why do you think Sun Zi's "military book" is used for business?
3. Are history books interesting or boring to you? Why do people read them?

Greek Drama III--Aristophanes

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/01/content_2259313.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Give an example of satire in your country's literature.
2. What is a "Golden Age"? Was there a Golden Age of literature in your country?
3. Mark describes several plays by Aristophanes. Which sounds most interesting to you? Why?

Greek Drama II--Sophocles and Euripides

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-10/30/content_2256742.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you know anything about Sophocles or Euripides or any of their plays? If so, talk about them.
2. Have you ever heard of Freud and the "Oedipus complex"?  If so, talk about them.
3. Why do you think Euripides would be "considered a bad influence on the society of Athens"?

Greek Drama I--Aeschylus

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-10/29/content_2254585.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you know anything about Aeschylus or any of his plays? If so, talk about them.
2. How do you think a "lost play" could become lost? (Remember, it has been 2,500 years!)
3. What's the difference between a tragedy and a comedy?

Ancient Epics

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-10/25/content_2250038.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What is an epic? Are there any epics in your language? If so, talk about them.
2. Do you know anything about Gilgamesh or Mesopotamia? If so, talk about them.
3. Do you know anything about Homer, The Iliad, or The Odyssey? If so, talk about them.

Inclusiveness

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-10/22/content_2245845.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. According to Becky, why do canons change slowly? Do you think this is fair?
2. Are you familiar with any of the authors and works mentioned here: Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, The Mahabharata, The Ramayana, The Bhagavad Gita, Journey to the West, A Dream of Red Mansions, Mo Yan, Virginia Woolf, Willa Cather? If so, talk about them.
3. What do you think of the idea of "inclusiveness"?

The Western Canon

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-10/18/content_2241920.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Is there a "canon" in your language? What does it include?
2. Are you familiar with any of the authors and works mentioned here: Gilgamesh, Homer, Plato, Sophocles, Aristophanes, Ovid, Virgil, Galen, Beowulf, Shakespeare, Dante, and Darwin? If so, talk about them.
3. Why aren't modern books included in the canon? Do you think they should be?

Dead Poets' Society II

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-10/23/content_2247141.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Find and read Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken." (It's short, and easily found online.) Talk about it.
2. Do the same with the poem by Lord Byron, "She walks in beauty."
3. Do you know anything about "The Odyssey"? If so, talk about it. If not, look it up. Or find Tennyson's poem "Ulysses," read it, and talk about it.

Dead Poets' Society I

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-10/16/content_2238802.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Have you seen the film "The Dead Poets' Society"? If so, talk about it. If not, do you think you would like it? Why or why not?
2. Find and read Whitman's poem "O Captain, My Captain." (It's short, and easily found online.) Talk about it.
3. Do the same with the Shakespeare sonnet that begins "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

Regions of the U.S. III

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-10/15/content_2237643.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What do you know about the SWest?
2. Do you know anything about any of the states mentioned in the lesson?
3. Look at the summary at the end of the article. How many of the regions and states can you name?

Regions of the U.S. II

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-10/11/content_2233852.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What do you know about the South or the Midwest?
2. Do you know anything about any of the states mentioned in the lesson?
3. Is your country divided in a similar way? What are the divisions? What state, province, or prefecture is included in each one?

Regions of the U.S. I

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-10/09/content_2230885.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What do you know about these regions: the Northeast? New England? The Mid-Atlantic States?
2. What do you know about any of these states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey?
3. What do you know about these cities: New York and Washington, D.C.

Mark Twain

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-10/08/content_2229240.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. "Mark Twain" is a "pen name." Do you know of other authors with pen names?
2. Have you read any of Twain's books? If so, talk about them. If not, talk about one you would like to read.
3. Some of Twain's first books were travel books. Do you have a favorite travel writer or book? If so, talk about it. If not, what place would you like to read about?

What's Sauce for the Goose

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-09/27/content_2221871.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What are most male birds called? And most female birds?
2. Which birds have special names for the male? What are they?
3. Which birds have special names for the female? What are they?

Shakespeare

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-09/24/content_2217143.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Are you familiar with any of the plays mentioned? If so, talk aboutthem. If not, look up the story of one or two.
2. Have you ever seen a play performed "live"? What are the differences between live performance and movies? Which do you (or would you) enjoy more?
3. How does "To toot one's own horn" mean "to brag about oneself"? Is this acceptable in your culture?

The Body's Systems II

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-09/20/content_2211402.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Describe each of these: the muscular, nervous, reproductive, respiratory, skeletal, and urinary systems.
2. What are the different kinds of muscle found in the body? (Not all are part of the "muscular system.")
3. What are the divisions of the nervous system? What does each do?

The Body's Systems I

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-09/18/content_2208381.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Describe each of these: the circulatory, digestive, endocrine, excretory, immune, integumentary, and lymphatic systems.
2. What do these do (look them up): the heart, stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, pituitary gland, thyroid, adrenal glands, thymus, and the spleen.
3. What is blood? Lymph? Hormones?

New Disney Films

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-09/17/content_2206780.htm

Practice the conversation; study the notes; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Have you seen any of the films discussed? If so, talk about them. If not, which would you like to see? Why?
2. Do you know the word "renaissance"? How is it used (besides talking about Disney films)?
3. What does "Disneyfied" mean? In your opinion, is it a good thing or a bad thing?

Old Disney Films

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-09/13/content_2202148.htm

Practice the conversation; study the notes; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Have you seen any of the films discussed? If so, talk about them. If not, which would you like to see? Why?
2. Do you think old films are better than new ones? Why or why not?
3. What makes a film or book a "classic"? Why do you think so?

Children's Classics

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-09/11/content_2199847.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. "Rock-a-bye baby" is a lullaby, a song to put a child to sleep. What are some lullabies in your language?
2. Have you read any of the books discussed in the conversations? If so, which ones? Talk about them. If not, which ones sound interesting to you? Why?
3. Do you think it's ok for children to read "scary stuff"? Why or why not?

Doctor Jokes

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-09/10/content_2197916.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you have doctor jokes in your language? If so, try to tell one in English. If not, try to tell one from this conversation in YOUR language.
2. These jokes depend on double meanings, or "puns." Do you have these in your language? How are they used?
3. What kind of jokes are told in your language? How are they similar to these jokes? How are they different?

The Wizard of Oz

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-09/06/content_2191305.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Have you seen "The Wizard of Oz"? If so, what do you think of it? If not, would you like to see it? Why or why not?
2. What's a witch? Have you ever imagined there could be good witches and bad witches? What do you think of this idea?
3. "Telling a story from a movie in your own words is a good way to practice your English while having some fun." So do it!