Eagles swoop from the skies to pluck Gandalf, Bilbo, and the dwarves from peril. But what are the eagles’ intentions? Do they mean to dash the group against the rocks? Or could this really be a goodwill rescue, and a favor returned after many years?

Bilbo helps the dwarves escape from an elven dungeon by hiding in wine barrels. After floating down an underground stream, they wash up in a town built on a lake, where a small colony of humans are living a perilous existence near the dragon Smaug. There, Thorin, leader of the dwarves, and grandson of King of the Mountain, declares his return!

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has found the perfect car for the President of the USA... and one can’t blame him for feeling a little nervous when he stops by the White House to take Barack Obama out for coffee!

It’s not easy to go out for coffee when you’re with the president of the USA! After a few laps in the corvette, Jerry Seinfeld and Barack Obama try out the presidential cadillac, which has the frame of a tank and is known as "The Beast." We learn about President Obama’s daily routine, and what he misses most about life before becoming famous.

In a White House staff room, Jerry tries to imagine the daily life of a president... and, as a self-proclaimed “cool president," Barack Obama doesn’t mind being quizzed on such topics as his underwear drawer, his favorite food, and how he adjusts the heating!

After a more or less serious discussion about aspects of power and fame, President Obama drives the 1963 Corvette Stingray, fulfilling a childhood dream.

The song "Pumped up Kicks" by Los Angeles band Foster the People was a response to school shootings in the United States. It contrasts an upbeat melody with a dark message.

On this second clip from Faithless band members, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz, they discuss ‘Comin Around’, a song recorded in collaboration with Temper Trap. It speaks to the issue of dealing with the challenge of personal relationships that fail.

The nation's first Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman recites her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration ceremony for the 46th presidency of the United States of America. So many people were emotionally touched by this performance that we wanted to share it with our Yabla learners. It's a living example of contemporary American poetry and was part of a unique moment in American History.

Annette explains what colloquial contractions are, and shows us three popular ones: "kinda," "wanna," and "gonna." She tells us where these words come from and how they're used in context.

Annette explains three more colloquial contractions people use in everyday conversation: gotta [got to], gotcha [got you], and dunno [don't know]. She also gives us examples in context.

Annette offers an array of ways to greet people, from sunup to bedtime. Ways of greeting people vary from place to place, but Annette provides one general rule — greetings must be cheerful and friendly.

Annette recites a poem to help students with English pronunciation and its maddening inconsistencies.

Annette provides some biographical notes on Maya Angelou and then recites her poem “Caged Bird." The poem followed Angelou's memoir volume, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Hasn't everyone tried to miss a day of school by pretending to be sick? Annette reads us a humorous poem by American poet Shel Silverstein about the very subject.