Idioms of the week:

In a row

In season

Lessons January 2026 Week 2

Bodie, California, is the largest ghost town in the United States.

It was founded in 1859 when gold was found nearby.

Its population peaked at about 8,000 inhabitants and over 2,000 buildings.

The town even had a Chinatown and a Taoist temple with several hundred Chinese laborers living and working there.

 Hashima Island, a.k.a. Gunkanjima, is Japan’s most famous ghost town.

January 2 is National Buffet Day.

The first buffets were held in ballrooms in the sixteenth century.

The buffet meals were named after the buffet furniture used to serve the food.

The ballroom floors were used for dancing, so there was no space for tables and chairs.

A variety of food that could be eaten while standing was put on the buffets along the walls.

The all-you-can-eat buffets originated in Las Vegas in 1946.

“In broad daylight” means “publicly visible in the daytime.”

This city is very dangerous; you can get robbed in broad daylight.
“In good shape” means “to be healthy.”
I’m out of shape.