Expression: Distance yourself

Today's story: Burglars often leave no fingerprints or hair behind, but they may still leave traces of themselves floating in the air. What if that could be used to help solve crimes? In an experiment in Oslo, Norway and Adelaide, Australia, researchers staged fake burglaries, and then tried to identify the "intruders" using DNA floating in the air. The result? They found evidence of the intruder more than half the time. But real-world use by police would be much more complicated. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/903 Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/903 -- Plain English helps you improve your English: Learn about the world and improve your English Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand New stories every week Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: Six-year-old Lian Yunzhi from China set a new Rubik’s cube world record with an average time of 4.27 seconds, breaking her own record just three days after setting it. The Rubik’s cube has fascinated and frustrated puzzle lovers for decades, but competitive speedcubers have mastered the art of solving it in seconds. Lian began learning to solve cubes at age four and now trains for hours each day to compete at the highest level. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/902 Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/902 -- Plain English helps you improve your English: Learn about the world and improve your English Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand New stories every week Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: We continue our look back at 900 Plain English lessons with five more favorite topics. We revisit stories about airport chapels, the history of QR codes, what makes a good apology, the debate over top sheets, and the surprising way anti-venom is made. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/901 Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/901 -- Plain English helps you improve your English: Learn about the world and improve your English Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand New stories every week Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: This week, Plain English is celebrating its 900th episode. We've touched on stories big and small over the years, and this is a time to look back on some of our favorites. In part 1, we look back on episodes about the movie "Crazy Rich Asians", a taste test that went awry, television personality Regis Philbin, and a surprising scam at McDonald's. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/900 Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/900 -- Plain English helps you improve your English: Learn about the world and improve your English Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand New stories every week Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Today's story: The Bayeux Tapestry, a nearly 1,000-year-old embroidered account of the Norman Conquest, has traveled from France to the British Museum for a rare exhibition in London. The fragile 70-meter work required carefully engineered transportation and will remain on display until July 2027. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/899 Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/899 -- Plain English helps you improve your English: Learn about the world and improve your English Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand New stories every week Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com