Trending Today: Remembering David Bowie

British rock star David Bowie has died. He was 69 years old. His family confirmed his death on Bowie’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. They wrote that he died peacefully on Sunday “surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer.” ​ Last Friday, the iconic singer turned 69. That same day, he released his album, Blackstar. Bowie mixed rock and jazz on the album. Critics have described Blackstar as his best work in years. On social media, fellow musicians, longtime fans and even astronauts mourned Bowie’s death. So far, more than 4 million Tweets worldwide have mentioned the music legend. Madonna wrote several tweets about Bowie’s musical influence. She tweeted: “Talented. Unique. Genius. Game Changer. The Man who Fell to Earth. Your Spirit Lives on Forever.” ​ Bruce Springsteen tweeted that Bowie “was a visionary artist and an early supporter of our music.” ​ From the International Space Station, British astronaut Tim Peake tweeted: “Saddened to hear David Bowie lost his battle with cancer -- his music was an inspiration to many.” The German Foreign Office posted a farewell to the rock star. “Goodbye, David Bowie. You are now among Heroes. Thank you for helping to bring down the (Berlin) Wall.” ​ David Bowie lived and worked in West Berlin for several years in the 1970s, with musician Iggy Pop. In June of 1987, Bowie returned to the divided city for a concert. Some Germans say that show changed history, and helped bring down the wall. Bowie later said of the concert, “It was one of the most emotional performances I’ve ever done. I was in tears.”   As news broke of his death Monday, fans worldwide were in tears, as well. Twitter user @JacktheladRadio wrote: “I have tears in my eyes. What a man, what a bloody amazing, pioneering brilliant man.” ​ We leave you with the music video of the 1969 hit Space Oddity. The song rocketed David Bowie to fame. The song is about an astronaut in space. It evokes the loneliness of the Cold War space race. The song came out in the same month that men first walked on the moon.   What is your favorite David Bowie song? Let us know in the comments section.  ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   iconic - adj. a person who is very successful and admired​ legend - n. a famous or important person who is known for doing something extremely well evoke - v. to bring (a memory, feeling, image, etc.) into the mind

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US Warplane Flies Over South Korea

A large American military plane that can carry nuclear weapons flew over South Korea Sunday. The flight was an answer to North Korea’s claim last week that it had tested a nuclear weapon. The B-52 bomber was seen flying over an American air base about 72 kilometers south of the North Korean border. The long-range bomber then returned to its base in Guam. The bomber was guarded by two fighter planes -- one each from the United States and South Korea. Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr. leads the U.S. Pacific Command. He said the flight showed America’s commitment to South Korea and Japan and “defense of the American homeland.” ​Lieutenant General Terrence O'Shaughnessy is the deputy commander of U.S. Forces Korea. He told reporters after the flight that the United States is committed “to stability on the Korean peninsula.” The U.S. also sent a long-range bomber over South Korea in 2013 after the North carried out its third nuclear test.   The United States may deploy an aircraft carrier near the Korean peninsula, reported the Yonhap news agency, which is supported by the South Korean government. I’m Jonathan Evans.   VOANews.com reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it into VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you agree with the decision to fly a B-52 bomber over South Korea? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   bomber – n. a military aircraft designed for dropping bombs long-range – adj. able to travel or be used over great distances sign – n. a motion, action or movement that is used to express a thought, command or wish   homeland – n. a usually large area where a particular group of people can live; a country committed – adj. willing to give your time, energy, etc., to something stability – n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change aircraft carrier – n. a military ship that has a large deck, or area, where aircraft take off and land

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Revenant, Martian Win Big at Golden Globes

Stars from the year’s top movies and television shows gathered Sunday in Beverly Hills, California for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards. “The Revenant"  and “The Martian” were the night’s top winners, with three Golden Globes each. The film “The Revenant” is about a man in the 1820s trying to survive in the wild after being attacked by a bear. It won the prize for Best Dramatic Film. “Revenant” star Leonardo DiCaprio won best drama actor. The film’s director, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, won best director. Inarritu also won best director last year for “Birdman.” "The Revenant" beat out “Carol,” a lesbian romance story, and “Spotlight.” That drama was based on the reporters who investigated widespread sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests. Another top winner, “The Martian,” tells the story of an astronaut trapped on Mars. It won the best motion picture in comedy or musical. Director Ridley Scott said he was confused by the film’s nomination in that category. "Martian" star Matt Damon took home the award for best actor in a comedy or musical.  He said he knew "how lucky I am to do this for a living." Rising star Brie Larson won best actress in a drama for her role in "Room.” In that film, she plays a young woman who is kidnapped and held for years with her young son. Jennifer Lawrence won best comedy actress for "Joy," about the inventor of the Miracle Mop. Other top winners included Sylvester Stallone, who received a standing ovation as best supporting actor for the film “Creed.” In “Creed,” Stallone returned to his role as boxer Rocky Balboa. "Steve Jobs," a controversial film about the late Apple co-founder, won two Golden Globes -- for supporting actress Kate Winslet and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. “The Son of Saul,” a Hungarian about the Holocaust, won for Best Foreign Language film. It was Hungary’s first time to win the award. “The Son of Saul” also won the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The Golden Globes are selected by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. They mark the first major film honors of the Hollywood awards season. Comedian Ricky Gervais hosted this year’s show. The Golden Globes is considered a preview of the Academy Awards, Hollywood’s biggest night. Many Golden Globe winners go on to win Oscars weeks later. Oscar nominees will be announced on January 15. The Golden Globes is also the only major awards show that honors both film and television. In the television category, “Mr. Robot” won for best TV drama series. The series follows a young man who works in cyber-security by day, and cyber-hacking by night. “Mozart in the Jungle,” an Amazon series, won for best comedy television show. “Mozart in the Jungle” is a humorous look at the world of classical music and famous orchestras in New York City. I’m Ashley Thompson.   Ashley Thompson adapted this story from Reuters and VOA News reports. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   confused - adj. unable to understand rising star - (idiomatic) n. a person who is quickly becoming successful standing ovation - n. an occurrence in which the people at a play, speech, sporting event, etc., stand up and applaud to show enthusiastic approval or appreciation late - adj. not now living ​

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Starving Syrians to Receive UN Aid, Food

Fighting in Syria was paused to allow United Nations aid and food to reach the towns of Madaya, Foua and Kefraya. A deal was struck between warring sides in the civil war on Saturday. The deal permitted food delivery to all three towns, according to multiple media reports. No aid had reached Madaya since October. Doctors Without Borders estimated that 42,000 Syrians have little or no access to food there. Enough food is being sent to feed 40,000 people for a month. The town, about 40 kilometers from Damascus and close to the border with Lebanon, will also receive medicine and blankets. U.N. World Food Program, International Red Cross and Syrian Arab Red Crescent supplied the aid for the Madaya mission. A convoy of 44 trucks waited to enter Madaya. The northern villages of Foua and Kefraya will also get assistance. Foua and Kefraya support the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Those two towns are now surrounded by rebel troops. Between 12,000 and 20,000 people were cut off from aid in Kefraya and Foua. There are numerous reports of extreme hunger and starvation in the Madaya area. Since the beginning of December, six children and 22 adults have died from starvation, according to the multiple media reports. “Syrians are suffering and dying across the country because starvation is being used as a weapon of war by both the Syrian government and armed groups,” said an Amnesty International spokesperson. I'm Kathleen Struck.   Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck 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   paused - v. halted; stopped multiple - adj. several; a number of times access - n. a way of getting near or to somewhere; use of something blanket – n. a covering made of cloth that is used especially on a bed for warmth convoy – n. a group of vehicles that are traveling together usually for protection regime - n. a government or administration starvation – n. suffering or death caused by having nothing to eat or not enough to eat

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Mucus: Your Friend Against Bacteria

When you are sick with a cold or the flu, you may have a runny nose. Why is it called a runny nose? Because of the mucus flowing and dripping from your nose. Yucky! But, guess what? Mucus is very helpful. Just hearing the word is enough to make some people uneasy, but science tells us that mucus is our friend. New research has found that health benefits can come from mucus and viruses. Our bodies can produces more than a liter of it every day. So what is it?  “Mucus is typically a clear, gel-like substance. It is very slimy. Mucus is a secretion or substance that your body produces, and it produces it to protect itself but also to select for specific bacteria and microbes that actually help you and contributes to your immune system, and it sort of covers and coats almost the entire inside of our bodies. That is Jeremy Barr, adjunct professor at San Diego State University. He says that mucus is where all of your good bacteria lives and grows. When you have a virus, it can cause many illnesses. Barr and his fellow researchers studied a virus called “phage.” He says this virus, when mixed with mucus cells in the body, can help protect it against bacteria. “Phages are a special kind of virus because they only infect and kill bacteria. They don’t infect humans or other animals. What our research has shown is that these phages actually stick to mucus layers all throughout your body and by sticking there they work with your body to protect and control the bacterial community that can reside or live in your mucus layers.” Mucus also helps protect your lungs from dust, bacteria, cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes and other intruders. Barr says the interaction between mucus and phage is constant. And there are health benefits when you have a cold. “When you get sick, the common cold is actually a type of virus that infects our own cells and so, in that case, changes to your mucus layer could disrupt these phages or...and could sometimes lead to what we call a secondary infection. So you will actually get a bacterial pathogen that will come in and cause an infection after the common cold. We think this is a very important mechanism in your body to keep you healthy and to protect you from bacterial infection.” The group grew human lung cells in petri dishes to produce sterile mucus. They then added the phage virus. Then, they added bacteria. They found that the lung cells were better protected from bacteria than those without the added phage virus. Jeremy Barr says he hopes the research will bring forth new fields of phage research, even to help prevent food-borne outbreaks like E. coli. “So we think that if we could use  these phages and how they stick to mucosal surfaces and potentially protect against some of these food-borne outbreaks."  So the next time you have a cold, remember your mucus -- along with the phage virus -- is hard at work to make you healthy and keep those harmful bacteria away. I'm Marsha James. Marsha James wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think of this story? Write to us in the comments section or on our Facebook page.    ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   mucus – n. a thick liquid that is produced in some parts of the body slimy – adj.  thick and slippery secretion –​ n. the production of a liquid by part of a plant or animal disrupt – v. to cause something to be unable to continue in the normal way intruder –​ n. something that is not welcome or wanted in a place petri dish – n. a small, shallow dish that has a loose cover and that is used in scientific experiments especially for growing bacteria

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Obama To Give 'State of the Union' Speech

President Barack Obama is making final preparations for his State of the Union address to Congress. The address is the last State of the Union speech he will give as president. In a radio broadcast Saturday, Obama previewed part of the speech. He said that “America can do anything”. Tuesday night, the president will remember his accomplishments in office. But White House staff members say Obama will also talk of the country’s future. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said, “He (the president) doesn’t want this to be your traditional policy speech that outlines a series of proposals. Rather, he wanted to take a step back and look at the future of this country.”   Obama will surely talk about the growing number of jobs during his years as president. He is also expected to note actions aimed at improving the health of the environment and passage of the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. And he will note the 2009 government bailout of American automakers General Motors and Chrysler. He considers that financial rescue effort his biggest success, according to USA Today. The Republican Party has long dismissed Obama’s economic record. Republican critics differ over what has been accomplished over the past seven years and what should be done in the future. “The president is going to talk about the future and try to paint a rosy picture where one does not exist,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican. He spoke on ABC Television’s This Week program. “What we’d love to hear from the president is a real plan to defeat ISIL (the Islamic State),” he added. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley will present the Republican response to the president’s speech. Haley is Indian-American and considered a possible Republican vice presidential nominee. I’m Jim Dresbach.   Michael Bowman wrote this story for VOAnews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What do you think President Obama will talk about during his final State of the Union address? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   preview – n. a description of something that will happen or be available in the future accomplishment – n. the successful completion of something bailout – n. the act of saving or rescuing something, such as a business, from money problems rosy – adj. having or producing hope for success or happiness in the future

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Protesters Copy Ways of Extremists Against US

Armed protesters continue to occupy a U.S. national wildlife refuge in the western state of Oregon. Some experts say the protesters have been influenced by the extremist militia movement to fight against the federal government. The protesters moved in while the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was closed during the New Years’ holiday. The leader of the protest is Ammon Bundy. He is a rancher from Nevada. Bundy said the occupying group has named itself Citizens for Constitutional Freedom. Bundy said he wants the government to consider claims that federal officials have mistreated local ranchers. They are also bringing attention to the case of Dwight and Steven Hammond. They are two Oregon ranchers who were found guilty of setting fires illegally on public land. The ranchers were ordered to return to prison after a judge found they had not served enough of their five-year sentence. They have since returned to prison. Bundy has been involved in standoffs with government officials before. In 2014, Bundy, his father Cliven and his brother took part in another armed standoff with federal officials. They had refused to pay money for grazing their cattle on federal land. The standoff ended when the U.S. government returned cattle to the family that it had seized. John Freemuth is an expert in land use at Boise State University in the Idaho. He says the protesters are dealing with issues of concern to Western ranchers. The government controls huge areas of land in the Western United States. That includes more than half of the state of Oregon. Freemuth says there has been a change in public values about wildlife protection and public lands. He says this has left ranchers feeling “squeezed by all these changes, new environmental laws…and they feel they’re not listened to.” The loosely organized occupation group has brought together people with many concerns, including gun rights. Oregon is one of 45 states with so-called “open carry” laws, which permit people to carry firearms. One protester Jon Ritzheimer has led armed anti-Islamic protests in his home state of Arizona. Ritzheimer posted an emotional declaration on YouTube warning that “there's no stopping us.” John Freemuth says most Oregonians are appalled at the confrontation. He says they consider the occupiers outside activists “who have rolled in, armed and threatening, and have gone way beyond what the local folks are protesting.” Ryan Lenz is with the Southern Poverty Law Center. The organization studies extremist groups. Lenz says some ranchers who have real grievances with the federal government have been influenced by what he calls fringe ideologies. He says anti-government extremists should not control what is lawful “in a country where we have a longstanding system of jurisprudence as organized by our courts.” Rick Eaton is a researcher on extremist groups at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. He believes federal officials have shown restraint. Eaton says, “To their credit, the government has backed off and has not created a standoff.” Many standoffs end without violence or injury such as the occupation in 1972 of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington DC. Others like one in Ruby Ridge, Idaho in 1992 and another near Waco, Texas, ended with the deaths of civilians and federal agents.  Sheriff David Ward of Harney County in Oregon addressed the armed protesters on Monday. He said, “It is time for you to leave our community. Go home to your own families and end this peacefully.”   Mike O’Sullivan reported this story from Los Angeles. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. What do you think about the protesters in Oregon? Let us know in the Comment section and on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   standoff –n. an argument or contest in which there is no winner rancher –n. a person who works on a ranch, often raising cattle grievances –n. feelings of having been treated unfairly fringe –adj. the outer edge of something, not mainstream ideologies –n. the set of ideas or beliefs of a group or political party adequate –adj. enough jurisprudence –n. the study of law

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Parliament to Debate Banning Trump from UK

British lawmakers have scheduled a debate about whether to ban U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump from Britain. The lawmakers responded to a petition signed by more than a half-million people that called for banning Trump. The British government responds to all petitions that have more than 10,000 signatures. Topics are considered for debate in parliament if a petition reaches 100,000 signatures. In December, Trump called for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States. He asked for the ban after a December 2 mass shooting that killed 14 people in California. The alleged shooters were two Muslims whom the FBI said had been radicalized. The debate over banning Trump from Britain is scheduled for January 18. The Associated Press reported that any conclusion from the debate by the lawmakers will not be binding. “A debate will allow a range of views to be expressed,” House of Commons spokesperson Helen Jones said. The petition was launched by longtime Trump critic Suzanne Kelly. Kelly is a Scottish-based campaigner and writer. A ban from the U.K. could hurt Trump personally and professionally. He has business interests in Britain and personal ties to Scotland, according to the Washington Post.   A separate petition opposes the banning of Trump. That petition has been signed nearly 40,000 times. The debate on January 18 can be viewed online.   Jim Dresbach adapted the story for Learning English with reports from VOA, the Associated Press and The Washington Post. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you think Trump should be banned from Britain? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   petition – n. a written document that people sign to show that they want a person or organization to do or change something

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Think You Know How Dogs Drink Water?

Why is it that when dogs drink, water seems to go everywhere? When my dog drinks from her bowl, there is no question, water will end up on the floor. It looks like a sloppy, unorganized way to get a good drink of water. Researchers at Virginia Tech University have been studying how dogs drink. They say dogs know exactly what they are doing. The animals are actually making precise movements at a high speed. This helps them get the fluid they need when they are thirsty. It turns out that neither dogs, nor cats, have a full set of cheeks. This means they cannot create suction to drink, like humans or elephants and horses. Dogs lap, or take up, the water with their tongues curled backward. As they lap, they move their tongues very quickly to build up momentum. That forces the water into a column and up into their mouths. The Virginia Tech researchers filmed 19 dogs of different sizes and breeds as they drank water. They created different laboratory models to measure tongue motion, and the amounts of water taken in. Using the data from these experiments, the researchers were able to make a model that shows how a dog drinks water. The researchers said that since the mouths of dogs and cats are structured nearly the same way, they thought they would drink water the same way, too. But here is a surprise. The studies showed each family of animals has its own special drinking method. “We know cats and dogs are quite different in terms of behavior and character,” said Sunghwan “Sunny” Jung, a study author and an associate professor of biomedical engineering and mechanics at Virginia Tech. “But before we did fundamental studies of how these animals drink fluids, our guess was dogs and cats drink about the same way. Instead we found out that dogs drink quite differently than cats,” he said. What is the difference? Dogs must quickly move their tongues down into the water using momentum to bring the water up and into their mouths. Cats don't bend their tongues to drink like dogs. Cats use less momentum and a more gentle action. They just skim, or barely touch, the surface of the water to drink it. “Cats tend be viewed as neater, dogs are messier, but dogs really have to accelerate their tongues” to make good use of the way the fluid column works, said researcher Sean Gart, a Virginia Tech graduate student. Their findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. I’m Anne Ball.   Rick Pantaleo reported this story. Anne Ball wrote it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Do you have a dog or cat?  Are they messy drinkers? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   sloppy – adj. not careful or neat precise – adj. very accurate or exact thirsty – adj. needing water suction – n. the act or process of sucking momentum – n. the strength or force that something has when it is moving column - n. something tall and thin in shape accelerate –v. to move faster

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Missing U.S. Hellfire Missile Turns Up in Cuba

U.S. officials are asking how a Hellfire missile used in a training mission in Europe has ended up in Cuba. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that U.S. officials have asked the Cuban government to return the Hellfire missile. The report says it marks one of the most mysterious disappearances of sensitive U.S. military technology. U.S. officials say the dummy missile was mistakenly shipped from Europe to Cuba in 2014. They say developer Lockheed Martin sent the missile to Spain. The NATO military used it in a training exercise. The missile was then to be returned to Florida. But, it disappeared after it was sent on a long journey through Europe. By the time officials noticed the missile was missing, it was already traveling from Paris to Havana on an Air France flight. The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. officials are investigating whether the disappearance resulted from mistakes or whether spies or criminals were involved. One U.S. official told the Associated Press that Lockheed Martin made a shipping error. The official said the United States is working with the company to return the missile. The Hellfire missile did not contain explosives. But it did have sensors and targeting technology. U.S. officials say they fear the technology could be reconstructed. Officials are also concerned that Cuba would share the technology with other governments, such as North Korea. The United States and Cuba ended diplomatic relations in 1961, but reopened relations on July 15, 2015. However, distrust remains between the two governments. I'm Ashley Thompson.    William Gallo reported this story for VOANews.com. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.  _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   dummy - adj. looking real but not functioning or able to be used reconstruct - v. to build something again

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'They' Wins as Linguists’ Word of the Year

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report. The competition was more youthful, more hipster, more urban, even naughtier.   But in the end, “they” won. The pronoun “they” won out as Word of the Year, voted by the esteemed members of the American Dialect Society (ADS) on Friday. It is a pesky pronoun: It has been used as a singular pronoun in spoken English for years. In writing, however, it has mostly been used as the third-person plural. Although some linguists say “they” has been used in both of these ways for many years, the media has been forced to use “they” more often when reporting about people who identify as transgender. “Singular they [had] the best chance of winning,” says linguist Ben Zimmer, who writes a column in the Wall Street Journal. “There’s been a lot of discussion this year about something that has actually existed in the language for centuries.” English does not have a standard third-person pronoun that is gender-neutral, Zimmer explained. But very often “they” is used to describe a generic person like “everyone” or “anyone.” More and more, “they” is being used beyond the traditional gender binary of the “he” and “she” pronouns, he said. For example, “they” is used for people who identify as transgender, gender-fluid or gender-queer. When former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner took a female identity this year, he changed his name to Caitlyn Jenner. The new use of “they” would allow the use of “their” instead of “his,” as in, “they changed their name to Caitlyn Jenner.” American Dialect Society president Alan Metcalf said people have argued about the use of “they” for more than 100 years. “I think there is often a false sense that this is the turning point, that from now on this particular usage will be accepted and won’t be argued about,” Metcalf said. "But you look at 100 years ago and you will find the same sorts of arguments. … I think that 100 years from now they will still be a bit of a discussion point." Words from seven categories are considered in the competition: most useful, most creative, most unnecessary, most outrageous, most euphemistic, most likely to succeed and least likely to succeed. Competing with "they" in the "most useful" category were: mic drop, a definitive end to a discussion after making an impressive point microaggression, subtle form of racism or bias shade, insult, criticism or disrespect, shown in a subtle or clever manner "There is no scientific criteria. It's just from all the words used during the past year. Sometimes it's a phrase or an abbreviation, but which one really seems to express the concerns and attitudes of the year gone by?" said Alan Metcalf, president of ADS. Metcalf explains that the group had the idea for the Name of the Year back in 1990. "Every year, Time magazine does a 'Person of the Year,' and we're the experts on words, so why don't we come up with a 'Word of the Year?' And we gradually developed the procedures for doing it, so those who vote on it would take some time to think about it." The society voted at its annual conference in Washington, D.C. Another group, the American Name Society, chose the important names of the year. You will probably not be surprised to learn that the name of the year was "Caitlyn Jenner." I'm Jill Robbins. Now it’s your turn. What new word became popular in your country in 2015? What do you think of the choice for the English Word of the Year? Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. See the winners in all categories on the ADS website. _____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   pesky – adj. making someone annoyed or irritated esteem – v. to think very highly or favorably of (someone or something) —usually used as (be) esteemed transgender – adj. of or relating to people who have a sexual identity that is not clearly male or clearly female gender – n. the state of being male or female binary – adj. relating to or consisting of two things or parts gender fluid - a gender which varies over time (A person who is gender fluid may always feel like a mix of the two traditional genders, but may feel more boy some days, and more girl other days.) gender queer – adj. used to describe a person who feels that his/her gender identity does not fit into the socially constructed "norms" associated with his/her biological sex  euphemism - n. a mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive

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