Lesson 6: Where Is the Gym?

Summary Anna is looking for the gym in her new apartment building. She meets Pete and he gives her directions. Anna finds many different places in the apartment building. Finally, she finds the gym.   Speaking Watch the video and practice the new words and learn about using prepositions. You can also download the worksheet and practice with a friend. Pronunciation In this video, you ​learn about how Americans greet each other in informal situations. You will also learn how to ask clarification questions by beginning your sentence with a statement, then making your voice go up at the end of the sentence to form a question.  Conversation   Anna: Hi there! I’m Anna and I live in Washington, D.C. Every day I learn more about this great city. People in Washington like to work out! Oh, hi, Pete. How’s it going? Pete: Hi, Anna. It’s going great. How’s it going with you? Anna: Things are awesome! Pete, I want to work out. Where is the gym? Pete: The gym is across from the lounge. It’s next to the mailroom. Go that way. Anna: Thanks, Pete! (Anna walks away) Pete: No, Anna! Not that way! Go that way!  (In the mailroom) Anna: Oh, Pete. This is not the gym. Pete: That’s right, Anna. This is the mailroom. Anna: The gym is across from … what? Pete: The gym is across from the lounge. Anna: Across from the lounge. Right. Thanks!  (In the lounge) Anna: Pete! This is not the gym! Pete: The gym is across from the lounge. It is behind the lobby. Anna: Right. Right. See you. Pete: See you, Anna! Anna: See you. Pete: See you, Anna. (In the garage) Anna: This is not the gym. This is a parking garage. Anna: Hello? Pete? (On the rooftop) Anna: This is not a gym. This is a rooftop. (In the gym) Anna: Pete! Pete? Pete: I want to work out too! Join me! Anna: I’m good.   Writing What are some of the rooms in your house? Write to us in the Comments section. Tell us what you do in the rooms.  You can also download the worksheet. Practice writing the names of rooms in an apartment building.​   Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Ask Questions to Clarify. In the video you see Anna ask Pete about the gym. She uses a statement and a question word together to clarify Pete's directions to the gym. Pete says,"The gym is across from the lounge." Later, Anna asks him, "The gym is across from … what?"  Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email about how you ask questions to clarify what you want to know. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Listening Quiz See how well you understand the lesson by taking this quiz. Each question has a video. Play the video and choose the correct answer. New Words across from – prep. on the opposite side from (someone or something)  behind - prep. in or to a place at the back of or to the rear of (someone or something)​ elevator – n. a machine used for carrying people and things to different levels in a building  every – adj. used to describe how often some repeated activity or event happens or is done  gym – n. a room or building that has equipment for sports activities or exercise  lobby – n. a large open area inside and near the entrance of a public building (such as a hotel or theater)  lounge – n. a room with comfortable furniture for relaxing   mailroom – n. a room in which mail is processed and sorted  next to – prep. at the side of (someone or something)  parking garage – n.  a building in which people usually pay to park their cars, trucks, etc.  rooftop – n. the cover or top of a building or vehicle  work out – phrasal verb to perform athletic exercises in order to improve your health or physical fitness  ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to talk about the location of rooms in an apartment building. For Teachers   See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: prepositions: next to, behind, across from Topics: Informal greetings; Asking questions and clarifying information about location; Naming places; Rooms and services in an apartment Learning Strategy: Ask Questions to Clarify Speaking & Pronunciation focus: using prepositions, asking for clarifying information; informal greetings _______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.

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Paw Paws, a Forgotten American Fruit, Become Popular Again

  Have you ever heard of a paw paw?  If not, do not feel bad. Most Americans do not know of the fruit, although it is native to the United States. Once, however, it was one of the most popular fruits in North America.   Happily, those who love the paw paw are trying to return it to its former position in American foods. America’s tropical fruit  A paw paw is a tropical-like fruit that grows on trees found all over the eastern United States. It’s also the largest edible fruit native to the US.  It is similar to a typical mango in size. It has a dull green-colored skin, and a soft, almost-creamy orange inside.   Most people agree that the pawpaw tastes like a combination of a banana, an apricot and a mango.  Most people are very surprised by its sweet taste.  At one time, it could be found as far west as Nebraska.  It also grows along the East Coast from New York to Florida. The fruit has a very short harvest season, from two to three weeks in September and October.  ​A forgotten history  The paw paw was an important food for Native Americans and even early European settlers.    Paw paws reportedly were a favorite treat of George Washington, the first U.S. president, who especially liked them cold. Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. president, was also a fan of the fruit. He planted paw paws at Monticello, his home in Virginia.  He also sent paw paw seeds to his friends in France. American explorers Lewis and Clark wrote in their journals about the paw paw.  Today, paw paws remain popular in the Appalachian mountain area.  Not easily commercialized  The paw paw has never been sold commercially.  The fruit requires a very special environment -- low, wet areas that sometimes flood.  In addition, the fruit is good to eat for only two to three days after harvesting. This makes it hard to sell anywhere distant from the paw paw tree it came from. ​Making a comeback  Planters are again growing paw paw trees and harvesting the fruit. In several states farmers have organized “paw paw festivals” to reintroduce people to the food.  At such a festival in Maryland recently, farmers displayed different products made with paw paws. There were paw paw jams, pies, gelato, and beer. Michael Judd helped organize the Maryland paw paw festival.  “It has that energy, and the people here today, there's an excitement, because they are trying something totally new but also exotic that grows here.”  Farmers are trying to grow kinds of paw paw that will be easier to ship and sell commercially.  Donna and Jim Davis are paw paw farmers in Westminster, Maryland. They told National Public Radio that they purchased their paw paw trees in the 1990s and now sell the fruit at farmers markets and online.    So, who knows? Maybe the paw paw will show up soon at a market near you. I’m Phil Dierking    Milena Gjorgjievska​ wrote this story for VOA News. Phil Dierking adapted it for VOA Learning English with additional materials. Caty Weaver was the editor.  Do you have any special fruits or vegetables that you can only find in your country?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.   _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story    dull - adj. not bright creamy - adj. smooth and soft commercial - adj.  related to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services edible – adj. suitable or safe to eat  

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'The Murders in the Rue Morgue,' by Edgar Allen Poe, Part Five

We present the last of five parts of the short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," by Edgar Allen Poe. The story was originally adapted and recorded by the VOA Learning English. I was stunned. August Dupin, my friend with the extraordinarily sharp mind and observational powers still had surprises for me! He had uncovered so much about the horrifying Rue Morgue murders that it seemed there was more understanding than mystery left. But still the major question remained: Who?  Dupin had invited someone to our home…someone he believed knew the answer to that question. As we awaited his arrival, my friend began to put together other pieces of evidence from the crime. “We add for our consideration the condition of the room.  So we have: a strength more than human; a wildness less than human; a murder without reason; horror beyond human understanding; and, finally, a voice without a recognizable language.” A cold feeling went up and down my back. “A madman, Dupin! Someone who has lost his mind. Only a madman could have done these murders!” Dupin smiled a little. “Ah, but madmen come from one country or another, don’t they. Their cries may be terrible, but they are made of words, and some of the words can be understood. Let me help with one more clue. Look at this hair. I took it from the fingers of the old woman. Is this the hair of a madman?” Dupin handed me the evidence. I could not believe what I was looking at or the feel of it in my hands. “Dupin, what is this? This hair is…this hair is not from a human at all!!” “I described it only as hair. But, also look at this picture. It is a picture of the marks on the daughter’s neck. The doctors said these marks were made by fingers. Let me spread the paper on the table before us. Try to put your fingers, all at the same time, on the picture, so that your hand and its fingers will fit the picture of the marks on the daughter’s neck.” The marks left by the killer’s hands were enormous. My fingers seemed like twigs in comparison. “Dupin! These marks were made by no human hand!” “No. They were not. I am guessing they are from the hand of an orangutan. The size, strength and wildness of these apes is well known. “And the hair and strange sounds would complete the solution of killer animal, as well. Yet, I still do not understand the second voice. We know it was a French speaking man. His only words were ‘Mon Dieu.’ Who spoke, Dupin?” “Upon those two words I have placed my hopes of finding a full solution to the crime. The ‘My God’ was an expression of horror. It seems improbable that the speaker of those words helped the orangutan. Could instead he be its owner? Maybe the animal escaped from him, and he followed it to the house on the Rue Morgue. I assume that the man would not have been able to recapture it.”  “Is that who we are waiting for now, Dupin, the Frenchman? How did you reach him?” Dupin smiled when he answered. “I put an ad in the newspaper. Read it yourself.” I took the newspaper. Caught — Early in the morning of the seventh of this month: a very large orangutan. The owner, who is known to be a sailor, may have the animal again if he can prove it is his. “But, Dupin. How can you know that the man is a sailor?” “I do not know it. I simply suspect. A sailor could go up that pole on the side of the house. Sailors travel to faraway lands where one might find an orangutan. And it would be valuable. The sailor would want it back so…” (KNOCK ON DOOR) “Finally, Dupin, we will learn the whole truth.” “Come in, my friend! Come in!” Slowly the door opened, and there, before us, stood a sailor! He spoke in French. “Bonsoir.” “Good evening to you too, my friend. I suppose you have come to ask about the orangutan?” “Yes, is it here?” “No, no. We have no place for it here. If can prove it is yours…” “But of course, I can.” “A shame, I wish I could keep it. It is very valuable, I guess. “Well, I want it back…of course, I will pay you for your trouble to find it and keep it. What is your price?” “Well…that is very fair, indeed, but it is not money I want, sir. My price is truth. Tell me everything you know about the murders in the Rue Morgue.” The sailor’s face reddened deeply. He jumped to his feet. For a moment, he stood and stared. But then he fell back into his chair, trembling. His face grew pale. His eyes closed. And he said not a word. Dupin then spoke, softly. “My friend, you must not be afraid. We are not going to hurt you. I know very well that you yourself are not the killer. But it is true that you know something about him — or about it. You’ve done nothing wrong. You didn’t even take any of the money. You have no reason to be afraid to talk and to tell the truth. It is a matter of honor for you to tell all you know. “So help me God! I…I’ll tell you all I know. About a year ago our ship sailed to the Far East, to the island of Borneo. The forest there, the jungle, was thick with trees and other plants, and hot and wet and dark. My friend and I wanted to explore the strange place. So we did. There we saw the orangutan and caught it. And it returned with us to the ship. My friend died on the passage home. So, the animal became mine alone. I was keeping it in a cage in my house, here in Paris. I planned to sell it very soon. One night I came home and it was…it was loose. It had got free, I don’t know how. It held a knife in its hands. It did not know of its dangers, of course. It was playing with it. As soon as the animal saw me it jumped up and ran from the house. I followed. It ran several blocks and turned a corner. When I made the same turn, the animal was out of sight. I looked far down the street and saw nothing. Then, I heard a noise above me. There was the beast, climbing a pole up the side of a house. It was maybe two meters up. I also went up the pole. As I am a sailor it was easy for me. When the animal was close to the top I saw him jump through an open window. I got to the same place but could not make the jump. I could see into the room, however, through another window, which was closed. “The two women were sitting there, looking at papers from a box on the floor. The animal, knife still in hand made a noise and the old woman turned. That is when I heard the first of those terrible cries. I watched with horror as the animal attacked. Soon the two were dead and the room was a disaster. The orangutan then pushed the young woman’s body up the chimney. It picked up the other victim, then, and moved toward the window. I realized what was coming and I fled. Down the pipe, I scrambled. At the bottom I heard the old woman’s body hit the ground. I ran. I didn’t look back. I ran! Oh, mon Dieu, mon Dieu!” The police in Paris could not charge the sailor. His only wrongdoing was silence which is not a criminal offense, the police chief said. However, the official did have a problem with Dupin. He was angry that Dupin and not a member of his force had solved the mystery. He said people should mind their own business.  “Let him complain. He’ll feel better for it. And maybe learn something. Perhaps, he will never again say ‘Not possible!’ about that which, somehow, must be possible.”   Download activities to help you understand this story here. Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. Have you ever thought you knew the solution to a difficult or complex problem, but the solution was something far different than what you expected? What was that experience like? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   stun(ned) – v. to surprise or upset someone very much madman – n. a man who has severe mental illness clue – n. something that helps a person find something, understand something, or solve a mystery or puzzle hand(ed) – v. to give something to someone using your hands neck – n. the part of the body between the head and shoulders enormous – adj. very great in size or amount twig(s) – n. a small branch of a tree or bush orangutan – n. a large ape that has very long arms and reddish-brown hair ape – n. a type of animal (such as a chimpanzee or gorilla) that is closely related to monkeys and humans and that is covered in hair and has no tail or a very short tail redden(ed) – v. to make something red or to become red stare(d) – v. to look at someone or something for a long time often with your eyes wide open pale – adj. having a skin color that is closer to white than is usual or normal cage – n. a box made of wire or metal bars in which people keep animals or birds loose – adj. (informal) – having escaped, such as an animal from a cage corner – n. the place where two streets or roads meet beast – n. a wild animal that is large, dangerous, or unusual scramble(d) – v. to move or climb over something quickly especially while also using your hands mind (their) own business – expression. do not be so interested in what other people are doing. (The word "their" can be replaced with other personal pronouns, depending on the situation.) complain – v. to say or write that you are unhappy, sick, uncomfortable, or that you do not like something

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Anger Grows Over Reports of Sex Abuse by Producer Harvey Weinstein

  The organization that awards Oscars for best movies is deciding what to do with Harvey Weinstein. The movie producer is facing charges of sexual abuse from many women, including well-known Hollywood actors. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences runs the Academy Awards, or Oscars. In a statement, it said the charges against Weinstein are “abhorrent." It said the meeting this weekend will decide what action it will take.  The New York Times newspaper and The New Yorker magazine reported many charges of sexual abuse against Weinstein. He produced Oscars-winning movies such as “Shakespeare in Love,” “Pulp Fiction,” and “Good Will Hunting.” Among those accusing Weinstein of sexual abuse were movie stars including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rosanna Arquette. Jolie told the New York Times that in the late 1990s, during the release of the movie, “Playing by Heart,” Weinstein made unwanted advances on her in a hotel room. Jolie said she rejected the advances. “I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did,” Jolie told the Times. The Times reported that Weinstein or his representatives had settled with eight women . After the Times story, Weinstein was dismissed by the board of his production company, the Weinstein Company. In the New Yorker, two actresses, Asia Argento and Lucia Evans, accused Weinstein of raping them. A third actress made the same accusation, but chose not to be identified. A spokeswoman for Weinstein said he believes all his relationships with women were “consensual,” meaning they were carried out with permission. The spokeswoman said Weinstein has begun getting professional help and “is hoping that, if he makes enough progress, he will be given a second chance.” Other powerful men also accused of sexual abuse The accusations against Weinstein are far from the first against powerful men. At Fox News, former chairman Roger Ailes and popular TV host Bill O’Reilly were forced to step down after reports of unwanted sexual advances by Fox employees. Bill Cosby, a longtime television and movie star, has been charged with dozens of acts of sexual assault, dating back decades. Former President Bill Clinton sexual relationship with a White House intern in the 1990s led to congressional moves to remove him from office, though they were unsuccessful. The accusations against Weinstein brought him criticism from actors who worked on his movies, and even from politicians he had backed financially. Here is what actor Ben Affleck said: “I am saddened and angry that a man who I worked with used his position of power to intimidate, sexually harass and manipulate many women over decades.” He said some of the recent charges of assault “made me sick.” Former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who received financial help from Weinstein for her campaigns, said she was “shocked” and angered by the reports. And former President Barack Obama, who also benefited from Weinstein’s political support, said, “Michelle and I have been disgusted by the recent reports about Harvey Weinstein.” Why did it take so long? Some wonder why it took so long for people to come forward with reports of sexual advances and attacks from years ago. Caroline Heldman is a politics professor at Occidental College in California. She has worked with women who say they were victims of sexual attacks by Bill Cosby. Heldman said, “It's difficult to report sexual harassment and sexual assault because oftentimes the victim will not be believed. We live in a culture that doesn't take these crimes seriously for the most part, and we tend to blame the victim.” Some people who report sexual attacks do so “at great personal cost,” including loss of work, Heldman said. Heldman believes all the news reports about Harvey Weinstein might encourage other victims of sexual violence to come forward. And she believes this worries other powerful people in the entertainment industry. “Hollywood is full of Harvey Weinsteins,” she said. Jeremy Zimmer heads the United Talent Agency, which represents performers and writers in movies, theater, television and video games. The  trade magazine Variety reported that Zimmer recently sent a message to UTA employees sharply criticizing Weinstein and saying sexual harassment will not be accepted at UTA. He urged victims of unwanted sexual actions to come forward, promising their reports will be taken seriously. “Fear and silence is never the answer…you will be heard,” he wrote. I’m Caty Weaver. And I'm Bruce Alpert.                      Bruce Alpert reported on this story for Learning English based on reports by VOA News and other sources. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   abhorrent - adj. deserving strong disapproval advances - n. efforts to start a sexual relationship assault - n. the crime of trying or threatening to hurt someone physically decades - n. multiple periods of 10 years intimidate - v. to make someone afraid manipulate - v. to deal with or control someone, often in an unfair or selfish way disgust - v. to cause (someone) to feel very annoyed and angry harassment - n. aggressive pressure to do something unwanted tend - v. used to describe what often happens or what someone often does or is likely to do  

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Japanese Steelmaker Admits False Safety Information

  The Japanese manufacturer Kobe Steel is investigating problems with safety inspection information about its products. The company reported “improper conduct” related to some steel, aluminum and copper products. On Wednesday, the company said in a statement that an outside legal company was carrying out an investigation. While facing the news media in Tokyo Thursday, Kobe Steel’s chief executive officer Hiroya Kawasaki bowed deeply to apologize. “Trust in our company has dropped to zero,” he said. Kawasaki said the most important issue now was to carry out safety checks of the products in question. The admission has raised concerns about the safety of some of Kobe Steel’s products, which are used in cars, trains, aircraft and household machines. However, the company’s latest statement raises questions about whether the problem is more widespread than earlier reported. As many as 500 companies could be affected. Company looking back at data from up to 10 years News reports say Kobe Steel may have fabricated inspection information about steel powder used to manufacture parts for cars and other uses. Earlier, the company had reported that inspection certificates had been improperly written for aluminum and copper products. Thousands of tons of steel, aluminum and copper are involved. Kobe Steel also has started an investigation of Kobelco Research Institute, which tests products for the company. The company is looking into information going back 10 years. Materials used by many large international companies Kobe Steel, also known as Kobelco, is Japan’s third largest steel maker. The company is a worldwide supplier of steel, aluminum and copper materials. The conglomerate also manufactures machinery, generates power and has several other businesses including real estate. Products made by Kobe Steel are used not only in Japan, but by large corporations around the world. Companies such as car makers Toyota and Ford, and aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Mitsubishi are investigating the reports. Other car makers affected include General Motors and Daimler. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kotaro Nogami called on Kobe Steel to investigate the causes of the problem and make sure they do not happen again. He added that the company needed “to restore the trust of not only its customers but of society as a whole.” The news of the use of false product information is the most recent problem reported by a major Japanese company. Dangerous airbags made by Japan’s Takata Corporation were blamed for a number of deaths. The manufacturing problems resulted in a huge recall, $1 billion in fines and the company seeking bankruptcy protection from its creditors. Recently, car maker Nissan also faced scandal about false safety inspection information. Last year, Mitsubishi was caught for providing false information about its vehicles’ fuel usage. A company linked to Kobe Steel, Shinko Wire Stainless Co., reported it had given false strength testing information about some of its steel products last year. I’m Mario Ritter.   Mario Ritter adapted this story from Reuters, AP and other sources for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _____________________________________________________________  Words in This Story   improper –adj. not right, not correct conglomerate –n. a company that operates businesses in several industries that may be related or not fabricated –adj. made up, fictional not factual certificates –n. a document that provide proof that something is correct or has met certain requirements customers –n. someone who buys good or services from a business scandal –n. an incident that causes shock or disapproval by people who find it to be wrong We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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New Movie Tells of the Man Who Created Wonder Woman

  A new film tells the life story of the man who created the Wonder Woman comic book character. Angela Robinson directed Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. The public got its first look at the movie a few weeks ago at the Toronto  International Film Festival. William Moulton Marston was a professor at Harvard University in the early part of the 20th century. He was also in love with two women at the same time -- his wife Elizabeth and a student, Olive Byrne. She became his assistant and his lover. The three lived together as a family. Welsh actor Luke Evans plays Marston. He says he was surprised to find that the script was based on a true story. “This man was a Harvard professor of psychology in the ‘20s, went on to invent the lie detector test, or the early forms of the polygraph, what became the polygraph, then fell in love with not just his wife but another woman who then shared their lives for the rest of his life. Had a wonderful family and then created ‘Wonder Woman.’ The same person did all of those things and it’s an extraordinary, extraordinary story -- one that most people have no knowledge or idea about. So it’s about time it was made.” Australian actress Bella Heathcoate plays Olive Byrne. “I mean, it’s great to tell the origin story about this character who’s a feminist icon, created by a feminist, based on these two women who he loved. And the message is all about empowerment and equality.” Robinson, who has directed several television shows, including True Blood, The L Word and How to Get Away With Murder, says the movie is a love story. “There’s this really amazing love story at the center of what ‘Wonder Woman’ eventually came to be. So it was really exciting to kind of bring that to the screen and see where ‘Wonder Woman’ kind of truly began.” William Marston died of skin cancer in 1947, but Elizabeth and Olive stayed together and raised the children they had with Marston. I’m Caty Weaver. David Byrd reported this story for VOA. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   character - n. a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show​ polygraph  - n. a test that is done with a lie detector machine to see if someone is telling the truth​ feminist  - n.  a person who believes that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities​ icon - n. a widely known symbol​ amazing  - adj. causing great surprise or wonder: causing amazement​

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What It Takes: James Michener

00:00:02    OPRAH WINFREY: "Hattie Mae, this child is gifted," and I heard that enough that I started to believe it. 00:00:08    ROGER BANNISTER: If you have the opportunity, not a perfect opportunity, and you don't take it, you may never have another chance. 00:00:14    LAURYN HILL: It all was so clear. It was just, like, the picture started to form itself. 00:00:19    DESMOND TUTU: There was no way in which a lie could prevail over the truth, darkness over light, death over life. 00:00:27    CAROL BURNETT (quoting CARRIE HAMILTON): “Every day I wake up and decide, today I'm going to love my life. Decide.” 00:00:35    JOHNNY CASH: My advice is, if they're going to break your leg once when you go in that place, stay out of there. 00:00:40    JAMES MICHENER: And then along come these differential experiences that you don't look for, you don't plan for, but boy, you’d better not miss them.   00:00:52    ALICE WINKLER: This is What It Takes, a podcast about passion, vision, and perseverance from the Academy of Achievement. For this week’s episode, I’ve dug into the Academy’s vault and pulled out a 1991 interview with author James Michener. Michener wrote over 50 books of fiction and nonfiction, including historical epics like Hawaii, The Source, and Texas, along with Tales of the South Pacific, which won a Pulitzer. I loved listening to this conversation with Michener. He was 85 at the time. The story of his childhood could have come straight out of Dickens, and the story of his success is full of surprising twists. But listen first to this frank assessment he gave of his own talents as a writer.   00:01:44    JAMES MICHENER: Let me say what I cannot do. I am not extremely good in plotting. I really don't care how the story works out. Let it find its own way. I am not good in psychology, and I don't deal with characters who are driven by forces which I, myself, don't understand, and my understandings are rather simplistic. I am not especially good at humor.   00:02:10    I wish I were. And I am certainly not a stylist in the English language using arcane words and very fanciful constructions and so on. There's a great deal I can't do, but boy, I can tell a story. I can get a person with moderate interest in what I'm writing about, and if she or he will stay with me for the first hundred pages, which are very difficult — and I make them difficult — he'll be hooked. He'll want to know what's happening in the next story and the next story and the next story.   00:02:49    And that I have. I prize it, and I'm wretched when I fail, and I feel a sense of terrible defeat. But I believe throughout history, way back to the most early days of the human race, when people gathered around the fireplace at night, they wanted to remember what had happened and reflect upon the big events of that day. Well, I'm one of the guys who sat around the fireplace and did the talking.   00:03:24    ALICE WINKLER: Michener was one of the all-time great storytellers. It’s why his books were so popular, why they were published in nearly every country and every language in the world, and why they sold so well, something like 75 million copies. A lot of Michener's novels go way back in history, and they tell expansive stories about particular places, like Texas, or the Chesapeake Bay, or Israel.   00:03:51     Journalist Irv Drasnin, who interviewed Michener for the Academy of Achievement, started their conversation by asking, “How far back do you have to go to understand James Michener?”   00:04:03     JAMES MICHENER: Well, that's a very complex question because I don't know who my parents were. I know nothing about my inheritance. I could be Jewish. I could be part Irish. I could be Russian. I am a — spiritually a mix, anyway, but I did have a solid childhood, fortunately, because of some wonderful women who brought me up.   00:04:34     Never had a father or a man in the house. That was a loss, but you live with that loss, and so you don't have to go back very far. You pick me up around 1912 when I was five years old.   00:04:53     IRV DRASNIN: I mean, your early life reads like a novel.   00:04:56     JAMES MICHENER: I lived in extreme poverty. My mother, who took in stray children — and had eight or nine of them around sometimes — we moved often, in the dead of night and on a few minutes' notice, so I grew up in a small town. I think we lived in nine different houses, and I remember each one most vividly.   00:05:23    So I was different to begin with, and that made me very tough. Now if you look at my nose carefully, it goes around a corner. I didn't discipline myself, but older fellows and tougher fellows did. That's one of the great things about growing up as a boy. There's always somebody who's tougher than you are. And I was suspended from every school I was ever in. I was a difficult child, but I was also — by our standards of how they were measured, I was really quite bright.   00:05:59     I always had straight A's and did extremely well in tests, but I think it was in the accumulation and amassing and organizing of data, rather than using it creatively. I was a Germanic type of mind. I had a bear trap, and education was very easy for me.   00:06:22     ALICE WINKLER: Michener’s bear trap of a mind will not come as a surprise to anyone who’s ever read one of his books. They are filled with extraordinary detail based on years of meticulous research, but Michener’s path in life and his success, he says, was more the result of a decision he made very early on as a child not to let money be an important factor in his life.   00:06:47    JAMES MICHENER: Now how did that come about? I think through Christmas. At Christmas, we rarely had anything. I never had a pair of skates. Never had a bicycle. Never had a little wagon. Never had a baseball glove. Never had a pair of sneakers. I didn't have anything, and you know, at about seven or eight — I really think, seven or eight — I just decided, well, that's the way it is. 00:07:20    That's not part of my life. I'm not going to worry about it, and I never have. So the first influence was an entirely different view toward economics. Economics, for me, was a way of survival. I never saved much money. I think when I married, I had maybe 60 bucks in the bank. When I left for the Navy, I didn’t have anything in the bank.   00:07:52    When I got out of the Navy, I had a little pay in the last pay envelope, as they had. That was it. So, for me later to have stumbled upon a profession, which, in my case, paid very well, was a radical shift.   00:08:10     ALICE WINKLER: A shift that happened pretty quickly once Michener’s first book was published, but that didn’t happen until he was 40. What a debut, though. The book was Tales of the South Pacific, based on his time in the Navy. It won him a Pulitzer Prize and is still considered one of the greatest novels of World War II. Here’s the opening passage, read by actor Andy Ferlo.   00:08:35    ANDY FERLO: “I wish I could tell you about the South Pacific, the way it actually was. The endless ocean, the infinite specks of coral we called islands, coconut palms nodding gracefully toward the ocean, reefs upon which waves broke into spray, and inner lagoons, lovely beyond description. I wish I could tell you about the sweating jungle, the full moon rising behind the volcanoes, and the waiting, the waiting, the timeless, repetitive waiting.”     00:09:12     ALICE WINKLER: If you’ve never read Tales of the South Pacific, you’ve probably seen the stage adaptation by Rodgers and Hammerstein and Josh Logan. They shortened the title to just South Pacific, one of the biggest Broadway musicals of all time. Or maybe you’ve watched the movie version on Netflix or Hulu or whatever. And even if you’ve never seen that, then then you definitely still know some of the music. If you don’t, I give up.   00:09:40    MUSIC: A COCKEYED OPTIMIST   00:09:40    When the sky is a bright canary yellow I forget every cloud I've ever seen So they called me a cockeyed optimist Immature and incurably green   00:10:00    MUSIC: SOME ENCHANTED EVENING   00:10:00    Some enchanted evening You may see a stranger       00:10:09    MUSIC: YOUNGER THAN SPRINGTIME   00:10:09    Younger than springtime are you Softer than starlight are you Warmer than winds of June Are the gentle lips you gave me   00:10:26    MUSIC: I'M GONNA WASH THAT MAN RIGHT OUTTA MY HAIR   00:10:26    I went and washed that man right outta my hair I went and washed that man right outta my hair I went and washed that man right outta my hair And sent him on his way   She went and washed that man right outta her hair She went and washed that man right outta her hair   00:10:47     ALICE WINKLER: Michener’s overnight success with Tales of the South Pacific really was just that. He hadn’t been intending to be a novelist, hadn’t been rejected from a hundred publishers before one finally accepted him. And although he laid out just a moment ago how dirt poor he was as a child, he describes the rest of his life as a cockeyed optimist might.   00:11:10     JAMES MICHENER: Starting about age fourteen, my life became rather easy. The hard years were from zero to fourteen. The easy ones came thereafter. Now, they were only relatively easy. They were — I still had no money, and I still had no car, and I had no great prospects, but I did get scholarships. I was one of the leaders of the team, and I was good in everything I did in athletics as well as scholarships.   00:11:45     And so, starting about age fourteen, and continuing unbroken until today, I had a clear field. I never in my life applied for a job, or asked for a raise, or asked for a promotion, or sought any kind of reward whatsoever. I just have never done it. I don’t discuss with my publisher about royalties.   00:12:14     I don't argue five minutes with my agent about what to do. That's a world over there that I've never been a part of.   00:12:22     IRV DRASNIN: Your life could have taken a different turn than the one it took.   00:12:27     JAMES MICHENER: Oh, yes. I think the bottom line, sir, is that if you get through a childhood like mine, it's not at all bad. Obvious, you come out a pretty tough turkey, and you have had all the inoculations you need to keep you on a level keel for the rest of your life. The sad part is most of us don't come out, and most of the boys and girls like me that I knew never had a life like mine. They had tough life all the way down.      00:13:05     IRV DRASNIN: What got you through it? What made it different for you?   00:13:10     JAMES MICHENER: Well, I — my mother read to me when I was a boy. I had all the Dickens and Thackeray and Charles Reade and Sienkiewicz before I was the age of seven or eight, so that I knew about books, and there was a good library in our town, and I read almost everything in there.   00:13:32     ALICE WINKLER: He read about the bigger world in books, and then he went out to see it.   00:13:38     JAMES MICHENER: When I was fourteen, I had already hitchhiked, with no money whatsoever, from Central Pennsylvania down to Florida. Didn’t get into Florida — the police stopped me — and from there up to Canada. Hitchhiked down to Detroit, I remember, to visit an aunt, and from there I went out to Iowa, and then I fanned out, again and again, when I was fourteen and fifteen.   00:14:08     I would leave home with 25 or 35 — 35 sticks in my mind. I think I had a quarter and a dime on two of my trips. Never fazed me a bit. Go straight across the continent. In those days, it was easy to do. Everybody had a new car. They wanted to show it off. They liked you. They would pick you up, oftentimes feed you; oftentimes take you to their home.   00:14:36    I had a vivid experience in those years. I went everywhere, and I did it on nothing.   00:14:45     ALICE WINKLER: He was part of that generation, the one that would volunteer for World War II. They defined the word “grit.” It was a different time, with a different ethos, but Michener says the lessons in his story are universal.   00:15:00     JAMES MICHENER: I do believe that everyone growing up faces differential opportunities. With me, it was books and travel and some good teachers. With somebody else, it may be a Boy Scout master; somebody else, it could be a clergyman; somebody else, an uncle who was wiser than the father. But I think young people ought to seek that differential experience that is going to knock them off dead center.   00:15:37     I was a typical American schoolboy. I happened to get straight A's and be pretty good in sports, but I had no great vision of what I could be, and I never had any yearning. My job was to live through Friday afternoon, get over the — get through the week and eat something. And then along come these differential experiences that you don't look for, you don't plan for, but boy, you’d better not miss them — the things that make you bigger than you are, the things that give you a vision.   00:16:24     ALICE WINKLER: Michener’s vision was more about how he would live his life than about his career. His vision, for instance, did not involve becoming a writer, even though he loved storytelling and started writing when he was quite young. In fact, he remembers reading a children’s book about the Trojan War and deciding the Greeks were a bunch of frauds with their tricky horses and their wife-stealing.   00:16:48    JAMES MICHENER: So at that very early age, I rewrote the ending of The Iliad so that the Trojans won, and boy, Achilles and Ajax got what they wanted, believe me.   00:17:00     ALICE WINKLER: Michener says he wrote a good many bold stories when he was young, even if they weren’t very good, and he wrote for his school paper. Then, of course, he wrote lots of academic work during college and grad school, but as he told journalist Irv Drasnin in this interview, it still didn’t occur to him to be professional writer.   00:17:19     JAMES MICHENER: Again, the phrase “set out” or “wanted to be,” either one them, just doesn’t apply to me at all. I lucked into everything I did. My senior year in college, when I did not have a clue in the world as to what I would do the next year, a very wonderful, private school in Pennsylvania came to me and said, "How would you like to work for us?"   00:17:44    "I would like it very much, sir," and I became a teacher by almost accident. I loved it. I was a good teacher and had students whom I still correspond with, and for whom I still have great affection.   00:18:02     IRV DRASNIN: I mean, I don’t want to suggest that you couldn't hold a job, but you had a lot of different kinds of jobs in your life before World War II. Can you tell me about some of the jobs you had before you went into the Navy?   00:18:16     JAMES MICHENER: In those days, the dreadful disease had not hit the chestnut trees, and all through our part of Pennsylvania there were these wonderful chestnut trees that grew very high, and on their lower branches they produced chestnuts, and inside the most delicious meat there ever was. And we kids could go out with clubs and knock down those chestnuts after the first frost, and we could sell them anywhere.   00:18:50    And I think that I peddled chestnuts in my hometown at the age of ten, and everybody wanted them. I — as many as I had, that many I could sell. At the age of twelve or thirteen, I worked for the Burpee Seed Company ten hours a day in summer, 75 cents a day, $4-and-a-half a week, all the money going back to my mother.   00:19:17     Then next, I was a private detective in an amusement park. After that, I was a night watchman in a hotel and so on. I have worked all my life, never very seriously and never with any long-term purpose. Even when I was a teacher in the schools, I never wanted to be headmaster or head of the English department.   00:19:45     I was just a pretty good teacher, and it was the same in the Navy.   00:19:45     ALICE WINKLER: Michener didn’t join the Navy until he was 36 years old. It was another one of those differential experiences he talked about earlier. He was a Quaker and was exempt. He was also beyond the age of the draft, so he could have escaped service.   00:20:06     JAMES MICHENER: But I didn’t. I had taught about Hitler, and I had taught about the Japanese war machine, and I knew that this was a battle to the death. It was a vivid experience. I think I saw the devastation of war. I saw the loneliness of that terrible Pacific duty. I had two complete tours out there. I saw a lot of the war and a lot of the aftermath of it, and wonder what might have happened had I stayed home and not gone. I might never have become what I did become.   00:20:47    ALICE WINKLER: So what about Michener’s service in the South Pacific did lead him toward a writing career? He said it had a lot to do with the men he was surrounded by.   00:20:58     JAMES MICHENER: The system had, in those days, decided that the fine men in the society would go and conduct this war. So I had men who had had positions of great importance in Wanamaker's department store and Macy’s, and a wonderful guy in Tennessee who had been troubleshooter for the Chattanooga Times, a New York Times subsidiary.   00:21:24    I had a great oil field geologist. I was small potatoes in my group, and I lived with these men, and I noticed that almost all the ones that I liked had decided they did not want to go back and do what they had done before. They wanted to be something else. Quite a few of them went into religion.   00:21:51     They had been deeply moved by this. They had a spiritual awakening. Quite a few of them went into politics. They said, "I'm as bright as that clown." Quite a few of them at that advanced age went back to college on the GI bill, and I was one of that group, who said, "Now, wait, if you're ever going to change direction, let's do it now."   00:22:16     ALICE WINKLER: That was one of Michener’s wartime revelations, but another came on a single night, after landing by plane on a mountainous island 900 miles east of Australia. The approach was a treacherous one.   00:22:32    JAMES MICHENER: We had to make three passes at the airfield. The weather was really quite bad. The third time, I said, "Wait a minute. This isn't going to work. This is tough. We may have had it." Wonderful pilot, did it, came back, came into a perfect landing. That night, I could not sleep, and I went out on that airstrip at Tontouta — I'll never forget it — and I walked along the airstrip.   00:23:08    And that's when the war hit me, and that's when the phenomenon I spoke of before hit me. I said, "When this is over, I'm not going to be the same guy. I am going to live as if I were a great man." I never said I was going to be a great man, because I had no idea what my capacities were. I had no great confidence.   00:23:37    Nothing in my background gave me a reason to think so, but I was not forestalled from acting as if I were. “Let us deal with big subjects, associate with people who are brighter than you are, grapple with the problems of your time,” and it was as clear to me as if a voice were telling me to do this, that “this is the choosing-up point, kiddo."   00:24:13    From here on — I had no idea then that life was as short as it is. That concept comes very late in any human life, I think. I thought life was immeasurable and extensive to the horizon and beyond. But I did know that my capacities were not unlimited. I had only so much to spend, and let’s do it in a big way.   00:24:41    ALICE WINKLER: Which brings us back again to Tales of the South Pacific, the first book of fiction James Michener wrote. It was based on his observations and his research when he was a lieutenant commander in what’s now called Vanuatu. The war and the tropical paradise are backdrops, but the fictional stories he weaves deal with people of different cultures crossing and often colliding. A young Marine falls for a Tonkinese girl and gets her pregnant. A Navy nurse tries to broaden her horizons and accept the illegitimate Polynesian children of the wealthy Frenchman she’s in love with. It was potent stuff in the late 1940s.   00:25:26    NELLIE: Joe, you're trying to get over to Bali Hai. That little girl you told me about?   00:25:32    JOSEPH: Liat? You know, the way you look at me now is just the way my mother would look. Damn it to hell, why? What difference does it make if her hair is blonde and curly or black and straight? If I want her to be my wife, why can't I have her?   00:25:47    NELLIE: Well, you can! It's just... people! I mean, they say it never works, don't they?   00:26:00    JOSEPH: They do. And then everybody does their damnedest to prove it. A hell of a chance Liat and I would have in one of those little gray stone and timber houses on the main line. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Cable, entertained by Susie with a housewarming!   00:26:13    NELLIE: Stop it, please. Joe!   00:26:15    JOSEPH: Nobody came!   00:26:15    NELLIE: Stop it!   00:26:18    JAMES MICHENER: It came along when it was needed. People were thinking about these things. It was very daring for its day. We were advised to drop all the racial comments, that they would never be acceptable on Broadway and it would destroy the play. I think that is a particularly American problem. I was not smart enough to perceive that it was an American problem until much later when race problems became dominant in this country.   00:26:58    But I had certainly staked out my position on it when I was a very young man, and I've never wavered from that.   00:27:07    ALICE WINKLER: Michener would explore the people of different climates and religions, skin colors, and cultures again and again in his novels. To write them with authenticity, he would not only conduct exhaustive research, he’d often move to whatever location he’d chosen as the setting for his next book. Michener loved travel and said he had some kind of a geographer's divining rod, pointing him toward places that would soon become center stage.   00:27:35    JAMES MICHENER: If Hobart Lewis were here, the former editor and publisher of Readers Digest, he could verify the fact that about 20 years ago I wanted to stop everything I was doing and write a great book about the Muslim world, because I was probably the only American who had ever lived in all of the Muslim countries in the world, except Arabia.   00:28:04    I'd lived in Indonesia. I'd lived in Pakistan. I'd lived in Malaysia. People don't think of that much — lived all across North Africa, lived in Spain, and I understood the Muslim world at that time as well as an outsider could. I had a great affinity for it, and Hobart was going to set up an arrangement whereby I could do that. And somehow or other, it — I was diverted to other things.   00:28:31    It was one of the great mistakes of my life, because had I written that book, I would, this very day, when things are in turmoil in that part of the world, have been an invaluable citizen.   00:28:45    ALICE WINKLER: Michener was a world traveler, at home on virtually every continent, and he would not begin to write until he had absorbed every nuance of the culture, the history, the geography, and the people of the country he’d chosen for his next work. But when he got down to writing, how did he walk that precarious line between fact and fiction while blending them together?   00:29:09    Other writers, and filmmakers too, have been taken to task when attempting such feats. Oliver Stone comes to mind. So how did James Michener make it work so artfully?   00:29:21    JAMES MICHENER: I pioneered this form, in certain respects. I have tried to — in this wonderfully exciting form, always to pin the story upon fictional characters or fictional boats or fictional regiments. I would never write about the Mayflower because everybody's done that, and everybody knows too much about that. I'll write about the third ship that came in. Nobody knows what it was. I'm going to say it's the Thetus.   00:29:58    And boy, are there going to be some interesting people on the Thetus, and they're going to get to a Plymouth colony. They're going to tear that damn place apart, because nobody knows really who they were. That's a device I use. And the adjunct to that is, basing my story upon those imaginary characters, I then am not averse to bringing in historic characters to give it authenticity and color, but only insofar as the historic character might really have impinged on these lives.   00:30:33    And I think the best example of that is in my novel The Source, in which I'm dealing with the digging of this well in a place like — it's over in Northern Israel. And anybody who was doing that would ultimately come into contact with King David, and so my boy comes into contact with King David, and I try to show David as a troubled king, a king who sent his prime general into the front lines so that the general would be killed so that David could inherit the general's widow.   00:31:18    That's my David, and I'm entitled to do that because I know David. I know everything about him that a man like me could know, and so I will use David to elucidate this whole period, but I will not fake him.  I will not give him resounding statements of what we're going to do about the people living out in the desert when there's no evidence he ever even bothered with that.   00:31:47     ALICE WINKLER: When James Michener sat in his home for this interview with the Academy of Achievement, The Source was among the dozens of his novels that sat nearby on a shelf, books with fat, fat spines and bold one-word titles, like Alaska, Centennial, Chesapeake, many of them New York Times bestsellers, many of them adapted as films or TV mini-series, all of them based on his meticulous brand of research.   00:32:15     JAMES MICHENER: The best books, by and large, are written by people who don't do a great deal of research, who don’t follow my pattern, who just sit down in a little room like this with a typewriter and maybe a word processor and some maps, and write a great book out of your own experience. That's what Jane Austin did. That's what the Brontë Sisters did. That's what Emily Dickinson did. That's what Tennessee Williams did.   00:32:45    That's what Truman Capote did. But then there are the writers like Gore Vidal and Herman Wouk and me. And the great classics who are greater than any of us: Balzac, the son of a gun could write; Tolstoy — writers like that who did need data, did need research.   00:33:13    Now if you look at the best books of the research writers, they're as good as anything anybody else did. But the bulk of the best books, I think, come from people who just sit at a desk and write. And if I were starting over again, knowing that I had the ability that I did have, I might well go that route.   00:33:42     ALICE WINKLER: But then we’d have some James Michener from a parallel universe, not the James Michener who spent three, four, five, even seven years becoming an expert in a new topic for each book he wrote; not the James Michener who made his indelible literary mark with deep dives into the past. In Centennial, his novel about a town on the plains of Northeast Colorado, Michener’s story includes events that happened three-and-a-half billion years ago, with the formation of the earth’s crust. Why did he often think it necessary to take the long view to such extremes?   00:34:20     JAMES MICHENER: I would hate for any young person to think that she or he was the center of the universe. I lived in a little town in a medium-sized state in a medium-sized country. I mean, Canada and Brazil and China and Russia are all much bigger than we are. And I live on a medium-sized planet, and our galaxy, our stars — you know, one of the smallest stars, and doomed after four-and-a-half billion years — and our galaxy's not the big one in the sky.    00:35:06     And it's only one in about a billion or more. So I cannot believe that I am the hottest thing in the universe, and I think that sobers you up.   00:35:19     ALICE WINKLER: James Michener seemed to revel in the things that sobered him and kept him humble. Maybe it was his way of reconciling the wealthy, celebrity, bestselling author he became with the scrappy, impoverished foster kid he had inside him. James Michener died in 1997 at the age of 90. During his lifetime, he published over 50 books of both fiction and nonfiction. He spent many happy years working in government.   00:35:49     He gave away over a hundred million dollars to museums, libraries, and universities, and he won the Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian award. Thanks for gathering around the fire to listen to him. I'm Alice Winkler.   00:36:09     And a special shout-out, as always, to the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation for its generous funding of What It Takes.   END OF FILE

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English @ the Movies: 'Hand-outs'

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October 13, 2017

Day in Photos: October 13, 2017

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The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe, Part Five

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America's Presidents - Harry Truman

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The Many Reasons for the Word 'The'

  The 1995 film Dead Man has a strange opening scene. Actor Johnny Depp is sitting on a train. A man sits down across from Depp’s character, and speaks to him: "Look out the window. And doesn't this remind you of when you were in the boat, and then later that night, you were lying, looking up at the ceiling, and the water in your head was not dissimilar from the landscape…" Today we will explore the word 'the.' Yes, the word 'the.' You heard it many times in the audio from the movie. English speakers use this word for several reasons – some of which we will discuss in this program. Today, we will show you how Americans use 'the' in everyday speech, writing, and even in the arts, such as literature or movies. But first, we need to give you a few definitions. What are articles? Articles are words that go before nouns. They tell if the noun is general or specific. When an article is specific, it is called a definite article. The word 'the' is a definite article. English speakers use 'the' when both the speaker and the listener know what is being referred to. They can have this shared understanding for any number of reasons. Sometimes the noun is already known, for example. Sometimes the speakers are referring to nouns that are unique. At other times, the situation makes it clear what the noun refers to. #1 Thing being referred to is known from the context One of the main reasons Americans use the word 'the' when they are speaking is because the noun being referred to is clearly understood. The noun could be something seen or heard in an area around the speakers, or it could be a part of their daily lives. Let's listen to an example. You can hear the speakers use 'the' in an everyday situation – at the dinner table. 1: The pasta turned out great! 2: Thank you! 1: Would you mind passing me the butter? 2: Sure thing! 1: Oh, I just remembered I forgot to let the dog outside! I'll be right back. In the example, you heard the speakers use the word 'the' three times: 'the pasta;' 'the butter;' and 'the dog.' The reason the speakers used 'the' is because the nouns they were referring to were clear in the context – in this case, the dinner table. The speakers all understood that they were eating pasta, and that there was butter nearby. The meaning of 'the dog' is clear to them because the animal is a part of their daily lives. Even if it is not in the room at the time, both speakers know what 'the dog' is referring to. #2 Modifiers of the noun specify the thing being referred to One of the common reasons you will see the word 'the' in writing is because modifiers of the noun specify what is being referred to. The modifiers of the noun change it from a general noun to a specific noun. Although more common in writing, you can hear examples in films. Let's listen to this example from the 1955 film Seven Year Itch. "The island of Manhattan derives its name from its earliest inhabitants - the Manhattan Indians." In the film, the speaker said 'the island of Manhattan' because the modifier, the words “of Manhattan”, gives information about the noun 'island.' The word 'island' could be a general or specific noun, but when it is modified it becomes a specific noun – the island of Manhattan. In the example you heard, the modifier came after the noun. However, sometimes the modifier can come before the noun. For example, you might see a story about buildings in the United States. The story might say, "Chicago has the tallest building in America." Here, 'tallest' modifies the noun 'building.' This is a specific noun because only one building can be the tallest. #3 Presenting something as familiar The last reason speakers and writers use the word 'the' is for stylistic purposes. This is most common in fiction writing and movies. By using the article 'the', the writer or speaker is able to make the reader or listener more interested in the story. People are likely to show an interest because the writer or speaker is presenting information as if it is understood - even if it is not! Let's listen again to the opening lines from Dead Man.  "Look out the window. And doesn't this remind you of when you were in the boat, and then later that night, you were lying, looking up at the ceiling, and the water in your head was not dissimilar from the landscape…" In the film, the strange man uses specific language – the boat, the ceiling, and so on. This language is not understood by those of us watching. Viewers start asking themselves questions like ‘Which boat is the man talking about?’ And, ‘Which ceiling?’ In other words, the viewer or listener is more curious about the story because they do not know what the man is talking about. This is a common technique you will see often in films and books, such as thrillers and mystery stories. What can you do? The next time you are watching films or talking with an English speaker, try to listen for examples of the word 'the'. Ask yourself why the speaker is using 'the' instead of a different article – such as ‘a’ or ‘an’. The process of recognizing and understanding articles can be a difficult one. However, with time and effort, you will use them with no trouble. And we will be here to help! I'm Alice Bryant. And I'm John Russell.   John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in the Story   scene – n. a part of a play, movie, story, etc., in which a particular action or activity occurs refer – v. to have a direct connection or relationship to (something)    often + to modifier – n. grammar : a word (such as an adjective or adverb) or phrase that describes another word or group of words derive – v. to take or get (something) from (something else) stylistic – adj. of or relating to an artistic way of doing things fiction – n. something invented by the intention; written stories that are not real thriller – n. a very exciting book or movie

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Boy Scouts of America to Welcome Girls

This is What’s Trending Today…. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has made a lot of change in recent years. The youth organization, which formed in 1910, agreed in 2015 to accept openly gay members, as well as gay adult volunteers. It also now lets transgender boys join. And this week, it announced that girls will soon be permitted to join the traditionally male organization. The BSA says it will admit girls into the Cub Scouts starting in 2018. That group is for younger children. It also announced plans to create a new program for older girls based on the Boy Scout curriculum. The Girl Scouts of the USA is another of the country’s major scouting organizations. It had tried to dissuade the Boy Scouts from making the changes.  “Girl Scouts is, and will remain, the scouting program that truly benefits U.S. girls by providing a safe space for them to learn and lead,” the Girl Scouts said in a statement. Girl Scouts officials have also suggested the move was driven partly by the BSA’s need to raise more money. They say some of the group’s financial problems come from past settlements it had to pay in sex-abuse cases.   Membership numbers for both groups have been falling in recent years. Under the new plan, smaller Cub Scout groups will be either all-boys or all-girls. Larger Cub Scout groups will have the choice to remain single gender or welcome both boys and girls. The new program for older girls is expected to start in 2019. It will let girls earn the same Eagle Scout rank that has been reached by young men who have gone on to be astronauts, senators and admirals. It is the highest level of scouting in the Boy Scouts. The announcement made the Boy Scouts a trending topic on Twitter, Facebook and Google. Zach Wahls is an Eagle Scout. He played an active role in pressuring the BSA to end its ban on gay members. Wahls wrote on Twitter about the BSA’s most recent move. “So proud of this organization for doing the right thing. Yet another step forward for [this] American icon.” ​ But, many on social media did not support the move, including another Eagle Scout, Charlie Kirk. He tweeted, “I am an Eagle Scout. Only boys should be in Boy Scouts. Only girls should be in Girl Scouts. Don’t change things that work.” Many scouting organizations in other countries already permit both girls and boys. They use gender-free names, such as Scouts Canada. But for now, the Boy Scout name will remain unchanged, BSA officials say. Public opinion studies carried out by the Boy Scouts showed strong support for the changes among parents not currently connected to the Scouts, including Hispanic and Asian families that the group has been trying to attract. Unlike the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts have kept its girls-only status for all its programs. The empowerment of girls remains at the center of its mission. Andrea Bastiani Archibald is a psychologist who helps with the development of the Girl Scouts’ programming. She said, “We know that girls learn [best] in an all-girl, girl-led environment.” And that’s What’s Trending Today…. I'm Caty Weaver.    The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English, with additional content. Hai Do was the editor.    Do you have similar organizations in your country? What do you think about the Boy Scouts' decision to welcome girls into their groups? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the comments section.  _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   transgender - adj. of or relating to people who feel that their true nature does not match their sex at birth curriculum - n. the courses that are taught by a school, college, etc. gender - n. the state of being male or female status - n. the position or rank of someone or something when compared to others in a society, organization, group, etc.

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Puerto Ricans Leave for US Mainland After Storm

  Lourdes Rodriguez left Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria filled her home in the town of Vega Baja with mud. The mud damaged mattresses and other things in the house. She thought she would stay with her daughter in Florida for a short time. But three weeks later, there is still no electricity or water back home. The 59-year-old retiree said in an interview at her daughter’s home in Tampa that she does not plan to return soon. “It’s been crazy, totally unexpected, like nothing I’ve experienced before,” she said. In Puerto Rico’s capital, San Juan, Efrain Diaz Figueroa listened to a battery-powered radio while he sat in his destroyed home. Its walls have collapsed and his clothes and mattresses are wet from the rain. His sister was coming to take the 70-year-old to Boston with her family. “I’ll live better there,” Figueroa said. Tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans left for the U.S. mainland to escape the aftermath of the storm. Things are still bad on the island — about 85 percent of residents still do not have electricity and 40 percent do not have running water. It will take months to restore them, so many Puerto Ricans are trying to rebuild their lives away from the island. People are living with relatives in states with large Puerto Rican populations, such as New York, Illinois, Florida and Connecticut. They are searching for jobs, schools for their children and housing. “I am in limbo right now,” said Betzaida Ferrer. She is a 74-year-old retiree who moved from Miami to Puerto Rico in July. Now she is back in Miami and living with friends. She is trying to find a job that will pay for her $1,300 monthly rent. That is double what she paid in Puerto Rico. “To be in a situation like this where you need help is horrible,” Ferrer said. Now, she is taking a three-hour a day job training program. Over the years many Puerto Ricans have moved to the mainland U.S. Since 2007, the island’s population decreased by about 10 percent because of a shrinking economy that continues to make life difficult. Then, Hurricane Maria struck on September 20 killing at least 45 people, according to the Puerto Rican government. That has caused even more people to leave. Jorge Duany, a professor of anthropology at Florida International University, has studied migration from the island. He said many people may not come back. Many of those who left are elderly or sick people. They fled, or were forced to leave, because of the danger of being without electricity or air conditioning in a hot climate. The trip has been tiring for people like Madeline Maldonado. She stayed in a hotel in New York with her two granddaughters, ages 9 and 13, before going to a friend’s house in Washington. “I need to get back to my homeland,” she said,  although it is not clear when that may be possible. Puerto Ricans are used to bad weather and other difficulties. But the storm’s damage has been too much for some residents. Carmelo Rivera is a 78-year-old from the central town of Caguas. She is staying with relatives in Long Island, New York. Rivera compared the storm to Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Hurricane George in 1998. “Nothing has been as hard as Maria,” he said. No one knows how many Puerto Ricans have moved to the mainland U.S., but officials in Florida say 20,000 have arrived in their state since October 3. Florida already had nearly one million Puerto Rican residents before the storm. New York had over one million. Government agencies are trying to help the Puerto Ricans deal with the situation. Law schools, including Florida A&M and the University of Connecticut, have agreed to accept students from Puerto Rico. Miami-Dade County Public Schools have offered to partly use the curriculum and change bus routes to help newly arrived children. Florida Governor Rick Scott has said teachers from Puerto Rico will not have to pay for certificates to work in the state. He also eased financial requirements for some professional jobs, such as real estate agents and barbers. Lourdes Rodriguez said her family may need to sell their house in Puerto Rico to get enough money to create a new life in the United States. They do not want to, but now she, her husband, a daughter and two grandchildren are living in a small two-bedroom rented apartment. Rodriguez said her family had considered moving to the mainland U.S. before. But they never imagined it would be because of such a difficult situation. I’m Susan Shand.   Susan Shand adapted this story for Learning English based on an Associated Press story. Mario Ritter was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   Mainland - n. area of land that forms a country or a continent and that does not include islands Mud - n. soft, wet dirt Mattress - n. a cloth case that is filled with material that is slept upon. Aftermath - n. the period of time after a bad and usually destructive event Limbo - n. in an uncertain or undecided state or condition Anthropology - n. the study of human races, origins, societies, and cultures Migration - n. to move from one country or place to live or work in another Curriculum - n. the courses that are taught by a school

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US to Leave UNESCO over Anti-Israel Bias

  The United States is pulling out of UNESCO, the United Nations organization that encourages worldwide cooperation in education, science, and culture. In a statement on Thursday, the U.S. State Department says a “need for fundamental reform” and “anti-Israel bias” are reasons for the withdrawal. The decision will take effect Dec. 31, 2018. The U.S. will seek a “permanent observer” status instead. The United States stopped funding UNESCO after it voted to include Palestine as a member in 2011. But it has kept an office at UNESCO and owes about $550 million in back payments. U.S. officials said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made the decision. The officials, who remained unnamed, said the United States is angry over UNESCO resolutions denying Jewish connection to holy sites and Israel’s rights to Jerusalem. Hours later, Israel said that it would also be leaving the UN agency. The office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the U.S. withdrawal “a courageous and moral decision.” The announcement came as the cultural organization is choosing a new director. The outgoing UNESCO chief, Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, called the U.S. withdrawal a loss for “the United Nations family.” She also noted UNESCO efforts to support Holocaust education and train teachers to fight anti-Semitism. She added that the Statue of Liberty is among the many World Heritage sites protected by the organization. It is not the first time that the United States has withdrawn from UNESCO. In the 1980s, it left because it viewed the organization as poorly managed, corrupt and used to advance Soviet interests. The U.S. rejoined in 2003. Other UNESCO members did not immediately comment on the U.S. withdrawal.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on AP news reports. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   anti-Semitism - n. hatred of Jewish people

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Northern California Wildfires Become Larger

Wildfires continue to spread in northern California. American weather experts were predicting high winds and low humidity levels in the area on Thursday. Such conditions are making it difficult to stop the 22 major wildfires north of San Francisco. The fires are blamed for at least 23 deaths. About 300 other people are listed as missing. California officials say at least 3,500 homes and businesses have been destroyed. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump declared part of northern California a disaster area. His declaration makes the area eligible for assistance from the federal government. The fires The state's forestry department fire chief, Ken Pimlott, is helping to direct the 8,000 firefighters struggling to contain the wildfires. He called the fires "a serious, critical, catastrophic event." This week, police blocked many roads and prevented residents from going to neighborhoods destroyed by the fires. Dave Larson lives in the Sonoma County community of Glen Ellen. He returned to his neighborhood to look for his cats. As he looked at the damage, he noted that some of his neighbors' homes had survived. Larson said he regretted he had not stayed, like his neighbors, standing on the housetop and fighting the fire with his water hose. Larson told VOA that he lost many objects that were valuable to him, including his grandfather's gun. "One thing I really kick myself for not grabbing before the fire came was my grandfather's 100 year old Lebel rifle that he was shot with in World War II. And it was in perfect condition. And as you can see, this is what's left. The bayonet is still attached. It's amazing. It was still sitting right next to my flat screen TV, which is also completely melted." Gordon O'Brien is a fire captain from Alameda, California. He said when a fire is coming fast, there is little people can do except save themselves. On Wednesday, O'Brien and his crew were working on protecting buildings instead of fighting the fire. "We're not focusing a whole lot right now on the actual containment – at least my aspect of it… We're focusing on structure protection and dealing within the fire lines to stop anything else from burning down." History of fires in the region Northern California has experienced many large fires in the past - although the current wildfires are the deadliest in recent memory. In 2012, a wildfire known as "Rush" burned over 110,000 hectares. In 2013, the "Rim" fire burned over 100,000 hectares and destroyed more than 100 structures. Strong, dry winds blow across the countryside from the mountains. These winds put northern California at a high risk for wildfires in the late summer and early autumn. State officials said they do not know the exact cause of the current fires. They say anything from a backfiring car to a burning cigarette can start a fire. In the past, people, lightning, and even powerlines have caused wildfires in northern California. It will be weeks before the exact amount of the damage is known. But for now, residents are just trying to make it through this fire safely. I'm John Russell.   Michelle Quinn and Deana Mitchell reported on this story for VOANews.com. John Russell adapted their report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   humidity – n. the amount of moisture in the air eligible – adj. able to be chosen for something; able to do or receive something hose – n. a long, usually rubber tube that liquids or gases can flow through backfire – n. a loud sound a car makes when fuel is not burned properly resident – n. someone who has lived in a place for some length of time

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North Korea Steals Military Documents from South

  A South Korean lawmaker says North Korea computer hackers stole hundreds of secret military documents from South Korea. The documents are said to include plans for destroying the North Korean leadership if a war takes place. The South Korean official, Lee Cheol-Hee, is a member of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the National Defense Committee. He said on Tuesday that defense officials talked about the stolen documents. Officials believe North Korean hackers were able to see classified military documents stored at a South Korean defense data center. The attackers reportedly gained control of the documents in September 2016. Lee told the Yonhap news agency, “Also among them were contingency plans for the South’s special forces, reports to allies’ top commanders, and information on key military facilities and power plants.” He added that 80 percent of the documents taken have yet to be identified. In the United States, a Department of Defense spokesman said he could not confirm or deny that any documents were taken. Spokesman Rob Manning spoke to reporters in Washington. Colonel Manning said that the US-South Korean alliance “is there to deal with those types of situations and safeguard against them.” He said the Defense Department is confident in the security of its operations in Korea, including its ability to deal with threats from the North. Cedric Leighton operates his own crisis management advisory service. He once served in the U.S. Air Force. He said the amount of computer data taken was not as large as the leak of secret materials by Edward Snowden, a worker for the National Security Agency. Yet Leighton said he is surprised that the information was not kept on a more secure system if reports are correct. “What is interesting to me about this is that this kind of data was not kept on a more secure network.” Leighton noted that South Korean and American soldiers work closely together to gather intelligence. He added that he did not think the computer attack showed any special ability by the North Korean hackers. North Korean ships banned for ports The news of the secret military documents came a day after the United Nations announced that it had banned four ships from entering any port in the world. The ships are suspected of carrying banned goods to and from North Korea. The U.N. Security Council has barred North Korea from exporting coal, iron, lead and seafood. Council members approved the measures because of the North’s nuclear activities and missile tests. I’m Mario Ritter.   Joshua Fatzick reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted his report for Learning English. His story includes information provided by VOA’s Victor Beattie. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   hackers – n. a person who secretly gets access to a computer system to cause damage or steal information data center – n. a place were computers used to store large amounts of information are kept, maintained and secured contingency – n. something that might happen including an emergency or unusual event facilities – n. buildings or equipment used for a certain purpose confident – adv. to be sure about something We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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October 12, 2017

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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Explainer: Off the Record

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Google’s New ‘Pixel Buds’ Offer Real-Time Translation

  American company Google recently announced the release of its Google Pixel 2 phone and other products that work together with the phone. One of the new products is a pair of wireless earphones Google calls Pixel Buds. The earphones are seen as the company’s answer to competitor Apple’s popular AirPod headphones. At a launch event on October 4, Google said its Pixel Buds were built to provide high-quality sound and hands-free use. All of their operations can be controlled by simply touching the right earphone. Once the headphones are paired with a Pixel phone, its many features can be used through the Pixel Buds. One example is Google Assistant, the company’s artificial intelligence, or AI, service. Users can now talk directly to Pixel Buds to ask Google Assistant questions, get information or other help. This can all be done without touching the telephone. The Pixel Buds also can work with Google Translate, the service that provides words and expressions in over 100 languages. Google product manager Juston Payne demonstrated this feature during the launch event. He was able to talk with someone whose native language is Swedish. When the person spoke Swedish into the Pixel Buds, the phone’s speakers provided the translation in English. The English speaker’s response was then translated in real time into Swedish and heard through the Pixel Buds. “Hey Isabelle, how’s it going? (Swedish translation) Absolutely!  Ok, thank you. What do you think of these cool headphones? (Swedish translation) My team designed them, so I think they’re pretty cool…”   Juston Payne said the feature was created to provide a more natural language experience for users of Google Translate. He added that it was “like having a personal translator by your side.” Pixel Buds are made in three colors: Just Black, Clearly White and Kinda Blue. They come with a charging case that Google says provides up to 24 hours of listening time. Pixel Buds are selling for $159 and can be ordered now. They will be available, beginning in November, in six countries: Australia, Britain, Canada, Germany, Singapore and the United States.  I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story based on information from Google. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   task – n. piece of work given to someone to complete artificial intelligence – n. the development of computers to perform intelligence-related tasks without human involvement feature – n. an interesting or important part of something pair – n. two things designed to be used together response – n. a reaction or answer

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October 11 Marks International Day of the Girl

  This is What’s Trending Today… For the past five years, October 11 has marked the International Day of the Girl. The United Nations established the day to bring attention to the needs and difficulties that girls face around the world. It also calls for empowerment and improved rights of the world’s 1.1 billion girls. The UN and other organizations say one in four girls gets married as a child. Every 10 minutes, somewhere in the world, a girl is violently killed. The groups also note that more than 130 million girls are not able to attend school. And, in many conflict areas, girls are two times more likely to not get an education. This week, the advocacy organization ONE published a list of the 10 hardest countries for girls to get an education. Nine of the countries were in Africa, south of the Saharan desert. Number one was South Sudan, where 73 percent of girls do not go to school. In Niger, number three on the list, only 17 percent of girls between the ages of 15 to 24 can read. Afghanistan is next. It has the greatest gender difference in education. Just 71 girls go to primary school for every 100 boys. Gayle Smith is president of the ONE campaign. She described the more than 130 million girls out of school as “potential engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers and politicians whose leadership the world is missing out on.” The ONE Campaign also reported this week that the number of girls not getting an education rose from 130.3 million to 130.9 million in the past year. People marked the Day of the Girl on social media. It was a trending topic worldwide on Twitter and Facebook. And on YouTube, a special Day of the Girl music video set to a Beyonce song trended, too. The song is “Freedom,” from Beyonce’s album, “Lemonade.” The UN’s Global Goals project made the video. It shows girls from all over the world dancing and singing the words to “Freedom:”   “Freedom! Freedom! I can't move. Freedom, cut me loose! Freedom! Freedom! Where are you? Cause I need freedom too!"   In just one day, it has more than 1.5 million views. And that’s What’s Trending Today.  I'm Ashley Thompson. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   empowerment - n. power given to someone to do something; the process of becoming stronger and more confident advocacy - n. the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal potential - adj. capable of becoming real

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Spain Rejects Mediation to Resolve Catalonia Crisis

  Spain has rejected calls for talks or mediation to resolve a dispute over independence with the northeastern region of Catalonia. In a speech to parliament Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said there can be no mediation “between democratic law and disobedience and unlawfulness.” Rajoy spoke one day after Catalonia’s leader, Carles Puigdemont, announced plans to move forward with a declaration of independence from Spain. In a speech Tuesday, Puigdemont said the declaration would be carried out following results of a referendum held in Catalonia October 1. However, he said he wanted to delay the action for several weeks to allow for possible discussions with the government.   Spain’s government and Constitutional Court declared the referendum illegal. Independence movement leaders said more than 90 percent of those who voted supported independence. About 43 percent of voters took part in the referendum. Opponents said they would boycott the vote. Nearly 900 people were injured in clashes with Spanish police who entered voting stations to stop people from voting. Independence or not? On Wednesday, Rajoy demanded that Puigdemont clarify whether or not Catalonia’s independence had been declared. The prime minister said the Catalan leader’s response would be important in deciding “events over the coming days.”   Rajoy’s comments were seen as an indirect threat to Catalonia that Spain could move to limit or suspend the region’s political autonomy if independence is in fact declared.   Spain’s constitution permits the central government to take some or total control of any of its 17 regions if they don't fulfill their legal obligations. The process would begin with a cabinet meeting and warning to the regional government. The Senate could then be called upon to approve the measure. The EU and most of its 28 nations have not backed Catalonia's independence movement. EU leaders have expressed support for Rajoy and called on the independence movement to “fully respect Spanish constitutional order.” Experts say EU officials are fearful that supporting Catalonia could open the door for many other independence campaigns across Europe.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story based on reports from VOA News, the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   mediation – n. process to find a solution between two or more people who disagree about something disobedience – n. refusal or failure to obey rules or laws clarify – v. make something clearer or easier to understand autonomy – n. existing or acting separately from others  

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New WHO Study Finds Sharp Increase in Child Obesity

  A new study provides evidence of a sharp increase in the number of obese and overweight children and young adults worldwide in just 40 years.  The study was a project of researchers at Imperial College London and the World Health Organization (WHO). The findings were released this week at WHO’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Obesity is a condition in which the body stores large, unhealthy amounts of fat. Obese individuals are considered overweight. The researchers studied obesity rates among children and young people, between five and 19 years of age. They found that rates in this group increased from 11 million in 1975 to 124 million in 2016. This was one of the biggest epidemiological studies ever done. The researchers examined height and weight data for about 130 million people. They used this information to get the Body Mass Index measurements of the subjects.   The most striking changes have taken place in Middle Income Countries in areas such as East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and Latin America. The WHO defines Middle Income Countries as places where a person normally earns between $1,045 and $12,736 every year. Majid Ezzati, a professor at Imperial College London, was the chief writer of a report on the study. He was surprised by the speed of change.  “So places that a few decades ago, there may have been very little obesity and a fair amount of underweight [children], suddenly are having bordering  epidemics.”  In countries where wages are higher, the growth of childhood obesity has slowed, but remains high. The United States had the highest obesity rates for this income group.  Researchers say the world’s obesity problem is a result of food marketing and poor policymaking in many areas.  Ezzati notes that, in general, young people are not to blame. “Rather than sort of  being an individual’s choice, it’s hard environments that people choose their foods in – healthy foods being priced out of reach, and especially out of reach of poor, and unhealthy foods being marketed aggressively, together with perhaps not having a safe playing area for children, that are leading to weight gain.” Being overweight can cause many diseases later in life, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. Ezzati says obesity also has a big effect on children, with some evidence suggesting it can affect their educational performance. ​Underweight also a problem   The study also looked at underweight children, which continues to be a major health problem in the world’s poorest areas. Ezzati says the researchers found that India had the highest rates of moderately and severely underweight young people.  “We really need to deal with the two issues at the same time. So we can’t wait to deal with underweight, and then worry about overweight and obesity. They are all different forms of malnutrition." The report warned that if current trends continue, levels of child and adolescent obesity could pass those of moderately and severely underweight children by 2022. It said these problems are especially serious in some parts of Asia and African countries south of the Sahara Desert. Global solutions  The report is calling for policymakers to find ways to make healthy food more available at home and school, especially in poorer families and communities. It also calls for higher taxes on unhealthy foods.  The WHO’s Fiona Bull says effective, low-cost measures to lower childhood obesity are available.    She said solutions include restricting marketing, taxing some food products, and creating better food labeling policies. She said that better labels will give people, “clear information about the contents of food … like the salt, fat, and sugar content.”  Bull added that children should be spend less time playing games on the Internet or watching television, and instead turn to more physical activities and sports. She said obese children are likely to become obese adults. This means they risk early death from obesity-related diseases.  I’m Anna Matteo.    Henry Ridgwell and Lisa Schlein reported on this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted their reports for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.  Do people eat healthy in your country? What do you think the best way for a country to change its eating habits? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.   ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story    Body Mass Index – n. a weight-to-height ratio, calculated by dividing one's weight in kilograms by the square of one's height in meters and used as an indicator of obesity and underweight.  decade – n. a period of 10 years  epidemic – n. a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time.  epidemiology – n. the branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health.  income – n. money received, especially on a regular basis, for work or through investments.  trend – n. a general movement label – n. written or printed information on a product

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