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

Punishment is one of the oldest forms of discipline known to humans. It’s no surprise that parents turn to it as a form of controlling the behavior of their children and make sure they are not being unruly or disobedient. 
There are plenty of behavioral studies that demonstrate how punishment promotes obedience but does not help with moral reasoning.
The essence of disciplining your child is to get them to behave correctly in your presence or absence. However, punishment does not achieve this.
The shock of punishment eventually wears off after some time until the person being punished (your child) develops a disconnect to the consequences of their action. The child will engage in the same behavior if they know they are not being watched, or behind the back of the person who will punish them.

punishment - наказание
unruly - непослушный
disobedient - непокорный
promote obedience - способствовать повиновению
essence - сущность
eventually - в конце концов
consequences - последствия


#advanced

Fashion is not just wearing extravagant designer outfits, carrying the most precious jewelry and doing high class makeup. Rather it is a more absolute term which implies everyone has a different idea for fashion. And how you carry yourself, the grace and the sophistication involved in making you who you are play an important role in defining fashion for you. There are ample reasons to why fashion is important as it not just makes you look good but above all it is an expression or art and self in utmost exotic and mesmerizing ways. 

We all have heard,” first impression is the last impression” and despite the controversies surrounding we all tend to follow it. The way you wear outfits, accessories, jewelry and carry yourself is very important in creating a lasting impact.

extravagant - экстравагантный
outfit - наряд
precious - дорогой
sophistication - утонченность
defining - определение
ample - множество
utmost - крайне
controversies - противоречия
lasting impact - длительное впечатление


#intermediate

Freedom means many things to many people. We can view freedom politically, as having the opportunity to vote for particular ideas, people, or parties which best represent our views. Closely tied to this is the notion of freedom of speech, where one has the liberty to voice their personal opinion or perspective. Others understand freedom in a financial context, where people seek to free themselves of financial debt, outstanding credit, and burdensome loans.

For most of us today, freedom represents doing what you want, when and how you want, without anyone interfering or stopping you. Freedom means you can be you. And it means you will let me be me. With freedom comes responsibility: if we're allowed to do what we want, we're also responsible for what we do.

politically - с политической точки зрения
seek - стремиться
outstanding - непогашенный
burdensome - обременительный
interfering - вмешательство
responsibility - ответственность


#intermediate

As one of the oldest human inventions, pottery has been around since before the Neolithic period, with objects dating as far back to 29,000 BC. While in the past, the pottery industry has served marginal niches, today’s pottery companies are thriving thanks in part to a resurgence in consumer demand for unique, handmade goods over mass-produced items.

Pottery is made up of ceramic materials and encompasses major types of pottery wares such as earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. To be considered pottery, a piece must be a fired ceramic ware that contains clay when formed.

To create a piece of pottery, the potter must form a ceramic/clay body into a specific object, whether by hand built or wheel thrown techniques, and then heat it at a high temperature in a kiln to remove water from the clay.

marginal - маргинальные
thriving - процветающий
resurgence - возрождение
demand - спрос
encompass - охватывать
earthenware - глиняная посуда
stoneware - керамика
porcelain - фарфор
kiln - печь



#advanced