Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-251030

pauper: old-fashioned word for a very poor person

spike: sudden increase in a value being measured

metabolism: the chemical processes inside the human body, especially those which process food

skip: deliberately miss something, or not do it

lean: not fat

appetite control: how your brain decides how much you should eat

Did a civilisation exist on Earth before humans?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-251023

(someone’s) jaw dropped: (idiom) used to say someone looks very shocked and surprised

hypothesis: idea that is suggested to explain something and which can then be tested to find out if it’s correct

fossil: remains of a prehistoric plant or animal that have been preserved in rock for a very long time

tiny fraction: very small amount

the blink of an eye: (idiom) a very short period of time

consensus: general agreement

Are we too fixated on protein?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-251016

cast your eye over (something): look quickly at (something)

in abundance: in large quantities; more than enough

health halo: consumer perception of food which overestimates how healthy an item is based on a single feature – such as being low in calories, organic or high in protein – even if its overall nutritional value is poor

the tide is turning: (idiom) things are beginning to change

fibermaxxing: American social media trend where people intentionally consume high levels of fibre by eating fibre-rich foods and supplements for their health benefits

hack: a good solution or piece of advice

What makes a good citizen?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-251009

the law of the land: the set of rules and laws that exists in a certain place

erosion of trust: gradual weakening of people’s confidence in political and economic institutions and systems

in office: in power at the present time

add-on: extra part that is added later, rather than being planned in from the start

take someone/something seriously: think that someone or something is important and deserves attention

pin down: force someone to be specific about their plans and intentions

Have you ever seen a whale?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-251002

moratorium: temporary suspension of an activity

chap: (informal) man

turning point: time when a situation starts to change, especially in a positive way

(not) stand a chance: (not) have a chance of success

give a shout-out: publicly praise someone or something

good at media: skilful at using media outlets, like TV and newspapers, to convey a message to the public

The criminal trade in ancient objects

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-250925

artefact: object made by humans, such as a tool or decoration, which is of historical interest

looted: forcefully stolen

game changer: new element that is introduced into a situation and completely changes how it operates

bottleneck: problem that delays a process or stops it from progressing

repatriate: return something or someone to the country they originally came from

middle-of-the-road: not extreme; acceptable to most people

Would you like a robot companion?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-250918

humanoid: having the appearance and behaviour of a human

sassy: bold, confident and cheeky

be taken aback: be surprised or shocked by something

has a mind of its own: seems to be controlling the way it behaves or moves independently, without human control

a splash of colour: a bit of colour added to brighten up something which is dull or unexciting

expressive: showing what someone thinks or feels

What causes hearing loss?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-250911

sense organs: specific parts of the human body (ears, eyes, tongue, nose and skin) which allow you to experience the outside world

funnel: move or direct something through a narrow space

wear and tear: the damage that comes from ordinary everyday use

we’re doomed!: (informal) used to say that we are destined to be defeated or to fail

downward spiral: situation which continuously gets worse and worse

redundancy in the system: having more than one way to achieve an outcome so that a backup method can take over if other methods fail

The joys of writing lists

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2025/ep-250904

bucket list: list of all the things a person would like to do before they die

puke: (slang) vomit, sick

bang for your buck: (idiom) value gained in return for the money, time or effort you spend doing something

saccharine: excessively sweet or sentimental and so considered insincere or inauthentic

the nub of (something): the most important or essential point of (a situation, problem, etc.)

pros and cons: advantages and disadvantages