There are few animals on Earth who work as well together as meerkats (suricats). These squirrel-size members of the mongoose family live in groups of different sizes, from as little as three to as big as 50 members. Everyone in the mob participates in gathering food, keeping a look out for predators and taking care of the babies.
Suricates live in the deserts and grasslands of the southern tip of Africa. They are super cute, with bushy, brown-striped fur, a small, pointed face and large eyes surrounded by dark patches. These extremely social animals live together in burrows, which they dig with their long, sharp claws. Living underground keeps mob members safe from predators and out of the harsh African heat. These burrows can be 5 metres long and contain multiple entrances, tunnels, and rooms.

squirrel-size - размером с белку
mongoose family - семейство мангустов
mob - толпа
predators - хищники
grasslands - луга
patches - патчи
burrows - норы



#intermediate

Disability is part of being human. Almost everyone will temporarily or permanently experience disability at some point in their life. Over 1 billion people – about 15% of the global population – currently experience disability, and this number is increasing due in part to population ageing and an increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases. 
Disability results from the interaction between individuals with a health condition, such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and depression, with personal and environmental factors including negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation and public buildings, and limited social support.

disability - инвалидность
temporarily or permanently - временно или постоянно
population ageing - старение населения
prevalence - распространенность
noncommunicable diseases - неинфекционные заболевания
cerebral palsy - церебральный паралич



#advanced

If you asked a bunch of people what geography is, I'm guessing you'd get answers like the study of maps or the study of where things are. Although this is true, defining geography so narrowly is like saying fast food restaurants only serve fries.
For starters, geography is the study of Earth's landscapes, peoples, places, and environments. Since it's pretty safe to say that humans have always been curious about the world, many think geography is the oldest of all the sciences.
As one of the broadest of all the sciences, geography takes on almost everything that concerns our world. For example, it takes a look at what our communities look like, how people's choices affect nature, Earth's physical changes, human development, and so much more!

a bunch of people - куча людей
defining - определение, определять
for starters - для начинающих
environment - среда обитания
concerns our world - касается нашего мира
affect - влиять



#intermediate

The practice of people owning other people is called slavery. Enslaved people have to work for the owners, doing whatever the owners ask them to do. In the past many societies had slavery. Now almost all societies consider slavery to be wrong. They consider personal freedom to be a basic human right.
People became enslaved in many ways. Some became slaves after being captured in wars or raids. Others became slaves because they had committed crimes or could not pay their debts. Some people were sold into slavery by their relatives. Others were children of slaves.

slavery - рабство
enslaved - порабощенный
consider - рассматривать
basic human right - основное право человека
raids - набеги
after being captured - после захвата
commit crimes - совершать преступления



#intermediate

Peru is a large country located on the Pacific coast of South America, which includes coastal desert (at cost), rainforests (la Selva) and high mountains (Sierra), each with their own environment. They will offer exceptional opportunities to travel across various landscapes, with abundant wildlife, history and a rich archaeological heritage, as well as the culture of native people, all in a single nation. Fishing villages, beautiful beaches, agricultural lands and major cities are along the coastal belt that stretches on the entire length of the country. Rich basin of Amazon occupies half of the country and is a rich ecological area, with rainforests that have some of the least exploited places on earth.

coastal desert - прибрежная пустыня
abundant wildlife - обильная дикая природа
archaeological heritage - археологическое наследие
stretch - простираться
basin of Amazon - бассейн Амазонки
the least exploited places - наименее эксплуатируемые места



#intermediate

Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is a type of hormone that is released whenever a person experiences fear, anxiety, or stress. It is the hormone that triggers the fight-or-flight response.
Adrenaline prepares the body to either fight or flee from danger by increasing blood circulation and breathing. While this response is crucial to survival, over-exposure to adrenaline can be damaging to a person's health.
Adrenaline works by stimulating a part of the nervous system known as the sympathetic nervous system that regulates the body's unconscious actions. It is released at times of physical and emotional stress by the adrenal glands, which are situated atop each kidney.

adrenaline / epinephrine - адреналин
fight-or-flight response - реакция «бей или беги»
flee - спасаться бегством
crucial - ключевой, решающий
over-exposure - чрезмерное воздействие
sympathetic nervous system - симпатическая нервная система
unconscious - бессознательный
adrenal glands - надпочечники



#advanced

Generation Y includes people born in the 1980s and 1990s. Their lives were shaped by defining events of including the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, the invasion of Iraq, the Great Recession of 2007-2009, the explosion of the internet, the development of reality television, cell phones, and the growth of social media. As a result of these changes in technology, members of Generation Y prefer to communicate through text or social media, rather than email or face-to-face contact. Familiar devices and media include cellphones, computers, and streaming music, in contrast to the rotary phones and music formats of the past. Generation Y is also known as Millennials, iGen, Digital Natives, and Echo Boomers, since they are children of Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964.

defining events - определяющие события
invasion - вторжение
explosion - взрыв, быстрый рост
rotary phones - ротационные телефоны


#intermediate

Education means studying in order to obtain a deeper knowledge and understanding of a variety of subjects to be applied to daily life. Education is not limited to just knowledge from books, but can also be obtained through practical experiences outside of the classroom.
Education provides stability in life, and it’s something that no one can ever take away from you. By being well-educated and holding a college degree, you increase your chances for better career opportunities and open up new doors for yourself.
On top of stability, education also provides financial security, especially in today’s society. A good education tends to lead to a higher paying job, as well as provide you with the skills needed to get there.

education - образование
in order to obtain - чтобы получить
knowledge - знания
is not limited to - не ограничивается
college degree - высшее образование
career opportunities - карьерные возможности
financial security - финансовая безопасность
tend - как правило



#intermediate

Bacteria are tiny little organisms that are everywhere around us. We can't see them without a microscope because they are so small, but they are in the air, on our skin, in our bodies, in the ground, and all throughout nature.

Most bacteria aren't dangerous, but some are and can make us sick. These bacteria are called pathogens. Pathogens can cause diseases in animals and plants. Some examples of pathogens are leprosy, food poisoning, pneumonia, tetanus, and typhoid fever.

Fortunately, we have antibiotics we can take which help to fight off the bad pathogens. We also have antiseptics to help us keep wounds clean of bacteria and antibiotic soap we use to wash to help keep off bad pathogens. Remember to wash your hands!

everywhere - везде
all throughout nature - во всей природе
pathogens - патогены
leprosy - проказа
tetanus - столбняк
typhoid fever - брюшной тиф
fight off - отогнать, выгонять
wounds - раны



#elementary

The samurai were known as bushi in Japan, or buke. The term samurai only began to appear in the first part of the 10th century, originally used to denote the aristocratic warriors.
The samurai used a range of weapons, however their main original weapon was the sword, known as chokuto. It was a slimmer, smaller version of the straight swords later used by medieval knights.
Unlike the clunky armour worn by European knights, the samurai armour was designed for mobility. A samurai armour had to be sturdy, yet flexible enough to allow free movement in the battlefield.

originally - первоначально
denote - обозначать, указывать
weapons - оружие
medieval knights - средневековые рыцари
clunky armour - неуклюжая броня
sturdy - крепкий
battlefield - поле битвы



#elementary

One reason why podcasts got a popularity boost, is the on-demand nature of the medium. Nowadays, people are getting more used to enjoying whatever they want, whenever they want, be it tv shows, movies, music, news, etc. They no longer need to listen to discussions on the radio they don't really care about, they can just choose something they like from the podcast candy land that is the internet.
Podcasts are in general cheaper and easier to produce than, say, videos. This is a big factor as to why the production of podcasts is this high. You just need a microphone, a computer, maybe some editorial software, and potentially a friend - as many podcasts have multiple hosts. If you compare this to the hassle video often entails, podcasting can be a much easier - and cheaper - option to bring your ideas to life.

popularity boost - рост популярности
on-demand - по требованию
production - производство
editorial software - редакционное программное обеспечение
entail - влечет за собой


#intermediate