You've cracked your cell phone screen. Whether it slipped out of your hand while you were on a call or you left it on top of your car when you drove away, the glass is smashed.
Fortunately, the display still works, and perhaps the touchscreen controls too. So, what do you do now?
The first thing to do is check if your phone insurance covers cracked phone screens, and under what conditions.
If so, arranging a fix should be straightforward. In most cases, if your phone screen is broken, the main problem is going to be living without it for a few days. That's as bad as it gets.
The problems with cracked smartphone screens start when it transpires you cannot get a replacement screen on the insurance. When this happens, you'll need to take matters into your own hands.

crack - разбить
slipp out - выскользнуть
smashed - разбитый
insurance - страхование
arranging - организация
straightforward - простой
transpires - проявляться, происходит
take matters - взять дела
replacement - сменное


#elementary

We all want to meet that special someone; we usually try to do that at work, bars and cafes, but in the end, in many cases, the people we meet are not worthy of our attention. Even though we are spending so much time online, whether we’re working, doing some shopping or browsing through those matchmaking websites, we are still not so lucky to find a person with whom we can have a proper date with.
People have different opinions whether blind dating is a good idea or not, and to go with that, different experiences. Some of them have found the love of their lives and some of them wished they had never gone out on that disastrous date. Blind dating has its pros and cons, and if you decide to try it out, there are certain things you need to avoid when you actually go out with someone you have never met before in your life.

not worthy of our attention - не достойный нашего внимания
matchmaking - сватовство
blind dating - свидание вслепую
disastrous - катастрофический


#intermediate

There are four main types of home heating systems: furnaces, boilers, radiant heating systems, and space heaters.
Furnaces use air to heat a home. Boilers use water to heat a home. Radiant heating systems use hot water or steam to heat a home through pipes that run under the floor or in the walls. Space heaters use either electricity or fuel such as propane or oil to generate warmth.
The most common type of home heating system is a furnace, which uses gas, oil, or electricity to generate heat.
One of the main questions people have about home heating systems is whether or not they are eco-friendly. Some home heating systems, like electric heaters, are very eco-friendly because they don’t produce any emissions. However, other home heating systems, like gas furnaces, can be less eco-friendly because they produce emissions that contribute to climate change.

furnace - печь
propane - пропан
generate - генерировать
eco-friendly - экологически чистый
emissions - выбросы


#advanced

Dandruff is a scalp condition that causes flakes of skin to appear. There may also be itching.
Most people experience dandruff at some point in their lives, but it is more common from the teenage years up to midlife.
There are various possible causes, including seborrheic dermatitis, allergic reactions, psoriasis, and eczema. Various factors increase the risk of developing dandruff, including a person’s age, the weather, stress levels, medical conditions, and choice of hair products.
Poor hygiene is not a factor, but the flakes may be more visible if a person does not wash or brush their hair often.
People often feel self-conscious about dandruff, but help is available.

dandruff - перхоть
seborrheic dermatitis - себорейный дерматит
psoriasis - псориаз
eczema - экзема
hygiene - гигиена
feel self-conscious - чувствовать себя неловко


#advanced

Dolphins look like big fishes, but they are actually mammals. They belong to a large group of animals called whales. Dolphins are closely related to porpoises. Because dolphins and porpoises look so much alike, people often confuse the two. However, dolphins are usually larger and have longer, beaklike snouts.
Dolphins have smooth, rubbery skin. They are usually colored in some mixture of black, white, and gray. They have two flippers, or fins, on their sides, as well as a triangular fin on the back. A dolphin must come up to the water’s surface to get air. It breathes through a single nostril, called a blowhole, on the top of its head.
Dolphins are known for being intelligent and playful. They live together in groups, called schools. They use sounds to communicate.

mammal - млекопитающее
porpoise - морская свинья
alike - одинаковый
snout - морда
rubbery - эластичная
flippers - ласты
fin - плавник
nostril - ноздря
intelligent - умный


#elementary

Argentina is a vast country located in the southern part of South America.
Argentina is super-rich in animal species. The coast of Patagonia is home to elephant seals, fur seals, penguins and sea lions. Sharks, orcas, dolphins and salmon swim in the waters off the Atlantic coast.
The north of Argentina is home to flamingos, toucans, turtles, tortoises, and crocodiles and caimans, too! There are also many large cat species such as the cougar, jaguar and the ocelot.
Unlike many other South American countries, such as Peru and Ecuador, Argentina has fewer native people and a large population of people who came from Europe. In fact, around 95% of Argentina’s population are of European descent, mostly from Italy, Spain and Germany. Much of the native population died from diseases brought in by Europeans in the 16th and 17th centuries.

vast - огромный
elephant seal - морской слон
fur seal - морской котик
orca - косатка
species - виды
cougar - пума
population - население
descent - происхождение


#intermediate

Weddings are a special occasion for the bride and groom and their loved ones for many reasons. Many couples choose to publicly display their marriage vows and legal union during the wedding ceremony. Most couples use their wedding as an opportunity to declare their undying devotion to one another.
The vows exchanged during a wedding ceremony are particularly meaningful because they are a public declaration of the couple's commitment to one another. There are other parts to a wedding ceremony, such as the giving and receiving of support from loved ones. And tying the knot in a religious ceremony is a great way to make a public vow of love to the Almighty (in church, temple, mosque).
The wedding is an event that each spouse will only experience once, so it would be wise for them to refrain from going overboard in their preparations.

vows - клятвы
legal union - законный союз
declare - объявить
devotion - преданность
commitment - обязательство
Almighty - Всемогущий
spouse - супруг(а)


#advanced

Mountaineering helps make your feet, heart and lungs stronger and healthier. It easy to find that people get old because their feet become old first. If your feet are strong and walk a long distance, you won’t easily get old. Climbing the mountain can make your feet strong. When climbing the mountain, you usually shake the muscles on your arms, waist, back and neck, and this can create a faster metabolism and make your heart and lungs stronger. In addition, this activity can make you become thinner if you are really fat.
Mountaineering can forge a strong will. It is indeed a tiring job walking up and down the mountain peaks. However, when you conquer mountain peak after mountain peak, you will feel extremely excited, happy and satisfied. This feel is quite good!

mountaineering - альпинизм
lungs - легкие
distance - расстояние
muscles - мышцы
waist - талия
metabolism - метаболизм
forge - выковать
strong will - сила воли
conquer - завоевывать
satisfied - удовлетворенный


#elementary

Pain is an unpleasant feeling, causing a reaction to protect the part that is painful. Everyone who has experienced pain knows what it is, but everyone’s pain is different. Many different factors affect an individual’s experience of pain and the exact contributors to pain are also different between individuals and between situations.
Pain is one way our body’s protective systems keep us safe. Danger detectors in the body send information to the brain, which may or may not create pain based on all the other information available, as well as previous experiences.
Danger detectors signal when tissue is approaching its safe limit, so most pain prevents tissue damage. When tissue is damaged, danger detectors become much more sensitive. Psychological and social factors, as well as past experiences, can powerfully influence pain by complex mechanisms in the brain.

affect - влиять
contributors - участники
available - доступный
tissue - ткань
prevent - предотвращать
psychological - психологический


#intermediate

Post-it Notes are one of the world’s favorite office supplies. Here’s a little fact about those sticky notes that might shock you though: They were invented by accident. That’s right. If it wasn’t for a simple mistake made by 3M researcher Spencer Silver, the Post-it Note might not be used in more than 150 countries today.
Sticky notes can be purchased in more than 25 shapes and 60+ colors.
Plus, sticky notes are now fully customizable. Pads can be shaped in just about any shape – from a schoolhouse, to a golf ball and everything in between – and they’re commonly printed with fully personalized business messages. That’s why custom Post-it Notes make great promotional gifts and they’re widely used for marketing purposes.

office supplies - офисные принадлежности
by accident - случайно
researcher - исследователь
be purchased - быть купленным
customizable - настраиваемый
schoolhouse - здание школы
promotional - рекламный


#intermediate

An empire is a state or group of states under the authority of a single ruler, or in some cases, a small group of people, with a small group of people being known as an oligarchy. Not always, but oftentimes, the states or areas within the empire are diverse and are composed of people of different languages, races, cultures, etc.
The male ruler of an empire is often called an emperor, while the female ruler of an empire is often called an empress. However, sometimes other titles are used. King and queen, of course, are some of the most common, but there are others.
We tend to think of empires as large, and throughout history, many have been large; however, the size of an empire can vary. Typically, an empire begins with a central state that absorbs other states and territories.

empire  - империя
oligarchy - олигархия
diverse - разнообразный
emperor - император
empress - императрица
vary - отличаться
absorb - поглощать


#intermediate