*BBC Listening podcasts

Vocabulary chores tasks around the home, such as cleaning, washing and ironing, that have to be done regularly   fair share reasonable amount   women's work negative term for the boring and repetitive tasks which are traditionally or stereotypically done by women   division of labour way of organising work where different tasks are done by different groups of people   take a breather (idiom) stop what you are doing for a short time to rest   pull your weight work as hard as everyone else doing the same job

Introduction Unloading the dishwasher, mopping the floor, cleaning the loo... what is your most hated household chore? We all know there are jobs around the house which have to be done regularly, even if they are sometimes boring or unpleasant. But who tends to do the most amount of jobs in your household? And is there anyone who isn't pulling their weight...? Pippa and Neil discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary. This week's question According to a survey conducted by Good Housekeeping magazine earlier in 2026, what is the most hated household chore in Britain? a) deep cleaning the oven b) scrubbing the toilet c) cleaning the windows

When you were growing up, did your mum or dad do more household chores?

Vocabulary doping (informal) using banned substances to perform better in a sports competition   it's fair to say… used to introduce a statement which the speaker believes is balanced, reasonable or true   divisive causing disagreement and argument between people   cross the line start behaving in an unacceptable way   set a good/bad example behave in a way that encourages others to behave well/badly   normalise treat something as normal or acceptable when it previously was not

Introduction What would the world of athletics look like if athletes were allowed to take drugs? That's what the organisers of The Enhanced Games want to find out. In mainstream sport, taking performance-enhancing drugs is strictly forbidden. It's known as 'doping' and if athletes are caught doing it, they can face fines, suspensions or even bans from professional sport. But in The Enhanced Games, doping is allowed. Is this an insult to sporting tradition or an acceptance of scientific progress? Pippa and Neil discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary. This week's question How many times did Lance Armstrong win the Tour de France, the famous cycling race, before he was finally caught out for doping? a) five b) six c) seven Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Would you watch a sport if you knew the athletes had taken drugs?

Vocabulary deeply ingrained firmly established within a person or a culture and unlikely to change   take off (phrasal verb) suddenly become popular or successful   milestone important event in someone's life or in the development of something   quality of life level of enjoyment, comfort and health a person experiences; measure of a person’s overall wellbeing   liveability degree to which a place is suitable or pleasant for living in   a copy and paste an exact copy of something, which is then moved and put somewhere else

Introduction When did you learn to ride a bike? Perhaps you learnt as a child and have not cycled for a long time. Well don't worry, you can pick it up again quickly – it's just like riding a bike! And if you have never cycled, it's not too late to start. With new cycle tracks and electric bikes, cycling is becoming more and more accessible. Neil and Becca discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary. This week's question Roughly how many bikes are there in the Netherlands? a) 20 million b) 24 million c) 34 million Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

How often do you cycle?

What`s in a footballer`s brain?