Sigrid talks about two important US holidays, Memorial Day and Labor Day. They are quite different in what they commemorate, but they're combined here because many Americans see them as bookends to the summer season.

What do people traditionally do on Memorial Day and Labor Day? Let's find out.

Here are some examples of sentences using both the active and passive voices. Different tenses are used, too!

In addition to Columbus Day, two new October commemorative holidays were signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Columbus Day has always been a controversial holiday in the United States. In this video, Sigrid goes back in time to get some historical background, which sheds a new light on its significance.

Most Americans don't realize how Columbus Day came to be a national holiday, but it actually doesn't have that much to do with Christopher Columbus, and we might even recognize a connection to present-day events. To recall something Mark Twain once supposedly said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes."

Get ready for another round of "Think Fast!" Sigrid will describe some objects and you have to figure out what each object is. Even if you don't know the word for it in English, you are still doing great if you can visualize the object being described.

Sigrid describes her day using verbs in the simple past tense. Each verb will flash on the screen in the past tense with the infinitive in parentheses, just in case you need a little help. There is even a vegetarian pasta recipe included!

Sigrid muses about how much she loves this time of year and time of day where she lives in Italy. If she had one complaint, it would be: too much green!

Abi takes us through possible creative uses of different types of paper, which she has learned about through her experience as a filmmaker.

One thing President Biden hopes to accomplish during his term in office is to pardon federal, non-violent offenders who have been convicted of possessing marijuana. Since the time many of these offenders were convicted and served their sentences, laws have changed, decriminalizing possession of marijuana in many states. This pardon hopes to right a wrong, although most offenders were convicted on a state level, where the President has no pardon power.

Sigrid goes on a hike, sees some edible greens, and decides to go back with the right equipment. As you will see, foraging is her idea of fun.

The first part of this newscast provides some background information about wild horses in the United States. The population keeps growing, but is that a good thing or a bad thing? It depends on your point of view.

This story made the news because it is rather unusual and horse lovers will especially appreciate how important the story was for the protagonists. At the same time, the background story illustrates a problem in the western states of the US that has no easy solution.

Abi reflects on the year that has passed and looks forward to the new one. She gives some great advice on how to make those New Year’s resolutions stick, at least for a little longer than usual!