Kikokushijo Academy Wordcast

In today’s passage, entitled “The Age of Humans,” you will hear about the huge impact we humans, in our relatively short history, have had on our planet and every living thing on it. Listen carefully…

In today’s passage, entitled “The Rise of Megacities,” you will hear about what makes a “megacity” and why more and more cities around the world will soon enter the “Megacity Club.” You will also lea…

In today’s passage, entitled “Saving the Rhinos,” you will hear about a baby rhinoceros named Lofo that barely escaped death. You will also learn about why protecting large herbivores (animals that l…

In today’s passage, entitled “Nurturing the Arts,” you will hear about why many schools across America no longer offer arts classes. You will also learn about what the Los Angeles school district is …

In today’s passage, entitled “A Letter for Change,” you will hear about a socially conscious Massachusetts schoolgirl who had an idea for a much-needed change and decided to let the U.S. President kn…

In today’s passage, entitled “Totally Awesome,” you will hear about why experiencing the sensation known as “awe” can make you a better person. You will also learn about some of the experiments resea…

In today’s passage, entitled “A Hobbit Mystery,” you will hear about the discovery of a previously unknown species of early humans. You will also learn about some of the different methods forensic sc…

In today’s lesson, entitled Virtual History, you will learn a bit about the Great Fire of London of 1666. You will also hear about a fascinating new mobile phone app that can transport you back in ti…

In today’s lesson, entitled The Curious Case of the Walking Encyclopedia, you will listen to a passage about Kim Peek, an American savant who had a remarkable ability to memorize all sorts of things.…

In today’s lesson, entitled The Choshu Five, you will listen to a passage about five young Japanese men who, during Japan’s Edo period, risked everything to come to London and learn about Western way…

In today’s lesson, entitled Where Are the Women?, you will learn a bit about the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. You will also hear why the Statue of Liberty and all that she stands for are not…

In today’s lesson, entitled Robotic Critters, you will listen to a passage about a handy new robot that is fact, not science fiction. And you will learn how researchers have used, of all things, the …

In today’s passage, entitled “Killer Diseases” you will hear about how, in the 14th century, an epidemic wiped out nearly half of Europe’s population and also about how some diseases are transmitted …

In today’s lesson, entitled The Ship of Dreams, you will listen to a passage about the events leading up to and following the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic. Listen carefully to the passage and then a…

In today’s lesson, entitled Going Bananas, you will listen to a passage about why bananas are often called “Nature’s Perfect Power Snack.” You will also learn about a disease that could wipe out bana…

In today’s lesson, entitled A Broader View of Beauty, you will listen to a passage about where the Barbie doll’s creator got her inspiration, and why, after nearly 60 years, Barbie is undergoing a bi…

In today’s passage, entitled “Man Up!” you will learn why one paleoanthropologist believes that mankind (and men in particular) has “let himself go,” so to speak, because of all this convenience and …

In today’s lesson, entitled Seeds for Humanity, you will hear a passage about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway where a group of scientists have been planning ahead against a possible “doomsda…

In today’s lesson, entitled Sustainable Living, you will hear a passage about the “ecological” and “carbon” footprints we all leave on the planet just by going about the business of daily living. You…

In today’s lesson, entitled Drone Worry, you will listen to a passage about why remote-controlled drones and airplanes have the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration worried. You will also learn about…