LUMARA · PRACTICE STUDIO

Better conversations. One small step at a time.

Turn what you read, hear and see into English you can use. Try an idea. Hear yourself. Try again.

LISTEN PRACTISE GROW

Free learning tools · no AI creditsVocabulary, photos, audio, whiteboard, PDFs, games and a 3D room.

01 · YOUR MATERIAL

The Lumara Edit: Sunday, September 27, 2026 — Storms, Star Photos and an Oven with Opinions

Use the example, paste text, or open this tool from an article or course module.

English text to practise

Sunday, September 27, 2026, in Santiago. Today’s edition travels from flood-hit streets to a photograph of Andromeda, then comes home for a very low-tech dinner. 🌍 World News in Clear English Recent developments. Bangkok has declared a flood disaster after heavy rain submerged roads. Authorities say the rain has eased, but flooding is not over. That distinction matters: better weather does not immediately make streets safe or journeys possible. (BBC World, published September 27, 2026) Three expressions to use: submerged = inundado, bajo el agua; has eased = ha disminuido; not over yet = aún no ha terminado. Try: “The rain has eased, but the flooding is not over yet.” 🇨🇱 Chile Today For a Sunday in Santiago, make the city your English classroom rather than treating an unconfirmed event as a plan. Walk around a neighbourhood you know and practise describing what you can actually see: “The pavement is busy,” “The café is on the corner,” or “Shall we meet outside?” Pavement is British English for vereda; American English speakers usually say sidewalk. No booking or special venue is needed for this little spring-language outing. For a science stop at home, compare a photograph before and after editing: NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day features Andromeda before and after Photoshop. Say what changed without assuming that an edited image is automatically misleading: “The second image makes the details easier to see.” (NASA, published September 27, 2026) 🤖 Trending AI Recent developments. The Verge examines why a connected device can become a problem when the services behind it stop supporting it. A connected device is an appliance that uses software or an internet service for some functions. The useful question is not “Is it smart?” but “What can I still do if its connected features stop working?” The article discusses the growing smart-home ‘graveyard’ without promising that any particular appliance will fail. (The Verge, published September 27, 2026) Learner tip: Practise a calm support request: “Does this oven still work without its connected features?” Still work means seguir funcionando. This is a question about software dependence, not a claim that an AI feature is involved. 🎵 Music, Concerts & Streaming in Chile Recent developments. KATSEYE performed “Animal” and “Hootie Frutti” on Saturday Night Live; both tracks are from the group’s EP Wild. An EP, or extended play, is a music release typically shorter than an album. For a listening exercise, describe the two performances using upbeat (animado) or slower-paced (de ritmo más lento) only if those words match what you hear. (Rolling Stone, published September 27, 2026) TV discovery, not a Chile streaming listing: BBC Culture previews the second season of Celebrity Traitors, a reality-TV game involving 21 stars competing for £100,000 for their chosen charity. A dark horse is someone whose chances are easy to underestimate. If a friend finds the programme on a service they use, ask: “Who’s your dark horse?” The source does not establish availability on Apple TV+, Netflix or Max in Chile, so check the local catalogue before making viewing plans. (BBC Culture, published September 26, 2026) 🍽️ British or American Recipe American-style skillet cornbread. This is a home-cooking activity, not a claim about today’s food news. You’ll need 150 g fine cornmeal or finely ground harina de maíz, 125 g plain flour, 10 g baking powder, 3 g salt, 1 egg, 240 ml milk, 30 g sugar and 40 g melted butter or neutral oil. Look for unsweetened cornmeal rather than precooked flour for arepas; if the packet says precocida, the texture may differ. 1. Heat the oven to 200°C. Lightly oil a 20 cm oven-safe pan or baking dish. 2. Whisk (batir con batidor) the egg, milk and melted butter. In another bowl, combine (mezclar) the dry ingredients. 3. Fold in (incorporar suavemente) the wet mixture until no dry flour remains; do not overmix. 4. Pour into the pan and bake (hornear) for about 20–25 minutes, until the centre is set and a skewer comes out clean. Let it cool briefly before slicing. 😂 English with a Sense of Humor The smart oven stopped recognizing food. Mum handed it a marraqueta; dinner proceeded without introductions. In Chile, once is an evening meal; in English, once means one time. 🗣️ English for Real Life 1. “The rain has eased.” — La lluvia ha disminuido. Example: “The rain has eased, but let’s check the route first.” 2. “It’s not over yet.” — Aún no ha terminado. Example: “The storm has passed, but the disruption isn’t over yet.” 3. “Does it still work offline?” — ¿Sigue funcionando sin conexión? Example: “Before buying the oven, ask whether it still works offline.” 4. “Who’s your dark horse?” — ¿Quién crees que puede sorprender? Example: “We know the favourites, but who’s your dark horse?” 5. “What changed between the images?” — ¿Qué cambió entre las imágenes? Example: “Look at Andromeda and tell me what changed between the images.” 📚 KEY VOCABULARY | English | Spanish Translation | Example Sentence | | --- | --- | --- | | flooding | inundación | The flooding is not over yet. | | submerged | inundado, bajo el agua | Some roads were submerged. | | ease | disminuir | The rain began to ease. | | pavement | vereda, acera | Let’s walk along the pavement. | | connected device | dispositivo conectado | Is this oven a connected device? | | offline | sin conexión | Does the appliance work offline? | | EP | disco de duración corta | The songs appear on an EP. | | dark horse | candidato inesperado | She might be the dark horse. | | whisk | batir con batidor | Whisk the egg and milk. | | bake | hornear | Bake the cornbread until set. | 📝 GRAMMAR FOCUS “Has eased, but …” Use the present perfect (has/have + past participle) to describe a recent change that matters now. En español, sirve para hablar de un cambio reciente con efecto en el presente; but introduce un contraste. - “The rain has eased, but the flooding is not over yet.” - “The oven has lost its connected features, but the ordinary controls still work.” (A practice sentence, not a report about a particular oven.) 🔗 Sources - BBC World, “Bangkok roads submerged as flood disaster declared,” published September 27, 2026: - NASA, “APOD: 2026 September 27 – Andromeda Before and After Photoshop,” published September 27, 2026: - The Verge, “The smart home graveyard is getting crowded,” published September 27, 2026: - Rolling Stone, “‘SNL’: Watch Katseye Perform ‘Animal,’ ‘Hootie Frutti’,” published September 27, 2026: - BBC Culture, “Celebrity Traitors 2 cast: Who are this year's ‘big dogs’ and dark horses?”, published September 26, 2026:

Mini-lessons use the first 6,000 characters. Audio lets you work through the full text, up to 18,000 characters.

02 · LISTEN AND SPEAK

Listen. Repeat. Make it yours.

Listen with your browser’s free voice (Google when available). To download an audio file, prepare a copy on this device.

PassageVoiceSpeed

Sunday, September 27, 2026, in Santiago. Today’s edition travels from flood-hit streets to a photograph of Andromeda, then comes home for a very low-tech dinner. 🌍 World News in Clear English Recent developments. Bangkok has declared a flood disaster after heavy rain submerged roads. Authorities say the rain has eased, but flooding is not over. That distinction matters: better