Shhh! The Walls Have Ears!

  Now it’s time for Words and Their Stories, a program from VOA Learning English. On this program, we explore common words and expressions in American English. Sometimes we tell you their origins, but we always teach you how to use the words in conversation. Today, we are going to talk about something bad; in other words, something naughty.  Have you ever listened to a private conversation? Maybe you were standing by a door or in a hallway and you heard people talking about someone else you know. And you could not help it. You paused … you perked up your ears … and you listened. You knew, of course, that these people were not speaking to you. They did not invite you to be part of their conversation. You invited yourself. You eavesdropped. To eavesdrop means you secretly listen to the conversations of others. Some types of people are very good at eavesdropping. Nosy people, people who like to gossip and spies are all good eavesdroppers. The only difference among my examples is that spies get paid and could get killed for getting an earful. Originally, however, the word “eavesdrop” had nothing to do with spying or listening to private conversations. When it was first used in the 1600s, “eavesdrop” was the water that fell, or dropped, from the eaves of a house. Eaves are the parts of the roof that hang over the walls and shade the outside of a house. After more time passed, “eavesdrop” came to mean the ground near the house where the water fell. After even more time passed, “eavesdropper” described someone who stood near a house to secretly listen to a conversation happening inside. These days you can be standing anywhere to eavesdrop. The word simply means "to listen secretly to something said in private." English has another expression related to eavesdropping and the home: the walls have ears. This means be careful what you say as there might be people listening. Some word experts say this expression may come from story about an ancient Greek ruler (430–367 BC) who had an ear-shaped cave cut and connected between the rooms of his palace. This allowed him to listen to conversations in other rooms. This form of eavesdropping became common practice with rulers from many cultures. In English, the phrase "the walls have ears" was first recorded in its present form in the mid-1600s. Now, if you like (or hate) learning English phrasal verbs, there’s a great one for eavesdropping – to listen in on. Usually our phrasal verbs have only one preposition. Not this one. It has two! When you listen in on something, you listen to people speaking without joining in, usually secretly. But not always. You can listen in on a class at university or listen in on a meeting at work. These examples do not suggest that you were listening secretly. But if you are listening in on a private conversation, chances are you are listening to something private that does not concern you. You are not minding your own business. Now, maybe you were minding your own business. Maybe you just happened to have overheard a private conversation. Overhearing is more innocent than eavesdropping. You can overhear something by being in the wrong place at the right time. Now, let’s listen in on two people talking to learn how to use these words and expressions in a conversation. And it’s okay. We're not eavesdropping. I've given you permission! So, Amy, I was listening in on the management meeting today. Our manager said that he’s putting your project on hold. You’re thinking about leaving the company, aren’t you? I haven’t told anyone that except Ann Marie. Did she spill the beans to you?! No. She didn’t tell me anything. I just happened to overhear you two talking in the cafeteria yesterday. Were you eavesdropping on our conversation, Alex?! No! I was walking behind your table and accidentally overheard what you guys were talking about. Honest. Alex, it was a really long conversation. Unless you were purposefully listening in on us I don’t see how it could have been an accident. Okay, I was standing behind your table. When I overheard you and Ann Marie talking about your project my ears perked up. So, I stayed there and listened for a little while … okay, for a long while. Alex, you’re such a snoop! Look, don’t tell anyone. I didn’t accept the other job offer yet. So no one knows, okay? No one except Ann Marie … and me and … Urgh! Alex! And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories. I'd like to know how you talk about listening to private conversations in your language? Let's talk in the Comments Section ... where the whole world is able to eavesdrop! I’m Anna Matteo. __________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   naughty – adj. sometimes used humorously to describe an adult who does something slightly wrong or improper nosy – adj. wanting to know about other people's lives, problems, etc. gossip – v. to talk about the personal lives of other people eave – n. the lower border of a roof that overhangs the wall —usually used in plural snoop – v. to look for private information about someone or something : – n. someone who looks for private information about someone or something perk up your ears – idiomatic phrase : to listen more closely : to lift (the ears) in a quick or alert way, often used figuratively of a person spill the beans – idiomatic phrase : to let secret information be known : to give away a secret or surprise

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Civil Rights Leader’s Home May Be Returned to US

Rosa Parks became famous in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. She was important in the movement for civil rights in the American South during the 1950s and 60s. At the time, blacks in the South were forced to sit in the back of public buses and to give up their seats to white people. Parks moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1957 to escape death threats. She continued living in Detroit until her death in 2005, at age 92. But the house in Detroit where Parks lived for many years was abandoned and scheduled to be torn down. Her niece, Rhea McCauley, bought it for $500 to stop it from being destroyed. She then gave it to American artist, Ryan Mendoza. Mendoza and others took it apart and then sent it across the Atlantic Ocean to the German capital of Berlin. There, he led efforts to rebuild the house. It now is behind his own house in Berlin. It gets daily visitors, although it is difficult to find, Mendoza said. Artist wants to return Park’s home to U.S. But less than a year after the house was rebuilt in Berlin, Mendoza decided it should be returned to the United States. He made the decision after deadly violence took place at a recent white nationalist event in Charlottesville, Virginia. That incident increased calls for removing statues of Confederate leaders from the Civil War in the U.S. Mendoza said there are not enough civil rights monuments “to balance things out” with the Confederate statues. He said the Rosa Parks house belongs back in America. “Imagine if the house were on a public setting in a prominent city in the U.S.,” Mendoza said. “That’s an education tool that shouldn’t be denied the American people. They have to know their past.” Peter Hammer is a law professor and director of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University in Detroit. He believes the house would be welcomed back in Detroit. “My sense is that the Germans have adequately shamed us for not protecting our own history,” Hammer told VOA. He noted that Detroit has failed to protect historical homes in the past. Such houses include the former home of Ralph Bunche, the first African-American to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He received the award in 1950 for helping negotiate peace between Israelis and Arabs that led to the creation of the country of Israel in 1948. Bunche’s home in Detroit became a parking lot. Detroit’s failure to protect history also is shown by the loss of the Rosa Parks house, Hammer said. He said that Parks was an important civil rights activist “long before" she refused to give up her seat on a bus in Alabama. In Detroit, Hammer said Parks served as a mentor to people fighting for equal rights. A mentor is someone who gives help and advice to people who are less experienced. I’m Bruce Alpert.   The Associated Press reported on this story. Bruce Alpert adapted the story and did additional reporting for VOA Learning English. The editor was Mario Ritter. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Is there someone near where you live who you think should be remembered with a special exhibit or by preserving his or her home? _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   abandon - v. left without people living there schedule - v. a plan of things that will be done and the times when they will be done monument - n. a building or statue that honors a person or event prominent - adj. put in a place that is important and where it will receive attention adequately - adv. enough to meet some need shamed - v. to cause someone to feel embarrassed or ashamed

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Kenya Becomes Latest Country to Ban Plastic Bags

  Kenya has joined the growing list of countries to ban plastic bags. A new Kenyan law bars the production, sale and even use of polythene plastic bags. People caught breaking the law may be fined up to $40,000 or face a four-year jail term. The cabinet secretary for the environment, Judi Wakhungu, told reporters that plastic bags are affecting Kenya’s food and water supplies. “It is a toxin that we must get rid of,” she said. Environmental harms Plastic bags are used in many countries. People often get them when buying products from food stores or other businesses. But experts argue that polythene bags are bad for the environment and public health. The bags have been blamed for polluting cities and coastal areas. They have also been blamed for killing animals who eat them or become trapped in them. Kenya’s National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) notes that while the bags are thin, they never really break down into small pieces through natural processes. As a result, it warns, the plastic can remain “in the environment as small or even microscopic particles…forever.” NEMA officials have been urging retail businesses and manufacturers in Nairobi to obey the new ban. Geoffrey Wahungu, the director general of NEMA, is supporting a campaign known as the “take-bag” scheme. He is asking Kenyans to bring their own cloth bags or baskets from home. “I hope soon we'll start seeing people who are carrying out these recycling materials, or alternative bags, which are eco-friendly. All this is creating much more employment than is being lost,” he told VOA. Joining the list Kenya is the latest country to ban polythene plastic bags. Similar measures are reported to be in effect in at least nine other African countries. However, of the nine, only Rwanda has been successful in enforcing the ban. In neighboring Uganda, for example, the move away from plastic has been slow. Officials banned the production, import and distribution of thicker plastic bags in 2009. Yet such bags are still in use today in the capital, Kampala. The Ugandan government wants local manufacturers of polythene bags to support its calls for recycling. Some Ugandans are hoping to earn a profit through efforts designed to protect the environment. Two years ago, Sharon Ninsiima started a business for removing plant fiber from banana stems. The fiber acts like cotton and can be used to make biodegradable paper bags. “People consider our products expensive, which is true,” she says.  “But our bags are… safer than the polythenes…,” she adds. “The polythenes are more dangerous and contaminate the environment.” Banning bags around the world In Asia, several countries have also joined the movement to ban plastic bags. Bangladesh became one of the first countries in the area to enforce a ban after bags blocked drainage systems and caused serious flooding. In preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, China banned thin plastic bags and raised prices for thicker ones. Some European countries have started to either ban plastic bags completely or force businesses to pay more for using the bags. In 1994, Denmark became the first country to charge people for using plastic bags. Ireland approved a similar move in 2002. In Central America, Costa Rica has said it plans to be the first country to completely remove all single-use plastic bags by 2021. There also have been efforts to ban plastic bags in parts of the United States. In 2007, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban such bags. Nine years later, the state government in California banned them across the state. All county governments in Hawaii have individually banned plastic bags, effectively banning them statewide. Chicago and other cities, such as Dallas, Texas, and Washington, DC, have similar bans. Economic impacts However, not everyone feels that banning plastic bags is a wise idea. In Kenya, two plastic bag importers attempted to overturn the ban in court last week. But their effort failed. The National Association of Manufacturers says the ban will cost the country more than 60,000 jobs.  In the United States, groups like the American Progressive Bag Alliance, or APBA, have successfully campaigned to overturn several bans.  The APBA argues that banning plastic bags reduces jobs and harms working families, who are forced to pay more for food and goods.  The group adds that the bags can be reused, and are less harmful to the environment than other products.  Some producers of plastic bags also oppose the idea of banning bags. Phil Rozenski serves as Director of Sustainability for Novolex.  “These laws were never about plastic bags, they were about reducing litter and marine debris. The major flaw is that this approach doesn’t change human behavior, it only changes products.” He argues that the amount of carbon dioxide released in the manufacture of plastic bags is much smaller than that from bags made with other material. I’m Phil Dierking.   Mohammed Yusuf reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted his report for Learning English. The story also uses information from other websites. George Grow was the editor.  Do you think it is a good idea to ban plastic bags?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.   ______________________________________________________________  Words in This Story    drainage - n.  the act or process of draining something ​ contaminate - v.  to make something dangerous, dirty, or impure by adding something harmful or undesirable to it​ expensive - adj. costing a lot of money​ biodegradable - adj. capable of being slowly destroyed and broken down into very small parts by natural processes, bacteria, etc.​ polythene - n. a light and strong plastic that is used mainly in sheets for packaging​ recycle - v. to send used newspapers, bottles, cans, etc. to a place where they are made into something new​ retailer - n. a person or business that sells things directly to customers for their own use​ toxin - n. a poisonous substance and especially one that is produced by a living thing​ litter - n. things that have been thrown away and that are lying on the ground in a public place​ debris - n. the pieces that are left after something has been destroyed​

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English in a Minute: Grasping at Straws

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China Accuses Billionaire in US of Rape

Chinese police are investigating a new accusation against one of the ruling Communist Party’s most wanted exiles. The man, New York-based billionaire Guo Wengui, is being accused of rape. Two Chinese officials with direct knowledge of the investigation spoke to the Associated Press (AP). They said police are requesting a second Interpol arrest order for Guo. The 50-year-old is accused of attacking his former personal assistant. The AP reported on Thursday that Guo and his representatives failed to answer repeated requests for comment. Chinese government lawyers had been building a case against the businessman before this latest accusation. He is under investigation for at least 19 major crimes. They include bribing a top Chinese intelligence official, kidnapping and financial wrongdoing. Who is Guo Wengui? Guo Wengui was born into poverty in central China. He started as a small investor, buying and selling fuel supplies, but quickly rose to become a real estate leader. Chinese media say Guo’s rise resulted mainly from his ability to befriend powerful Chinese security officials. It is reported that Guo won the rights to build the Pangu tower in 2006 for the Beijing Olympic Games by working with Ma Jian. Ma later became China’s chief of counterintelligence operations. In 2015, anti-corruption investigators detained Ma and later accused him of accepting $8.8 million in bribes from Guo Wengui. Guo fled the country. In recent months, Guo has been widely followed on social media with his claims of wrongdoing within the Communist Party, even among President Xi Jinping’s closest allies. Most of the claims have yet to be confirmed. Guo’s posts on Twitter and in YouTube videos tell about what he says are top leaders’ hidden finances and property holdings. He has promised to continue reporting on the Communist Party’s secrets until China frees his relatives from detention and releases his property. Unusual willingness to talk with media The Associated Press examined documents related to the rape investigation. It confirmed their details with Chinese official sources in Beijing. The officials asked not to be identified in return for discussing the case. The willingness to talk to the press is unusual given the political sensitivity of Guo’s case in China. It suggests an urgency in detaining Guo and in stopping any possible trouble leading up to the Chinese Communist Party congress next month. China and the United States do not have an agreement about surrendering criminal suspects to each other. China hopes that increasing evidence will persuade the U.S. government against extending Guo Wengui’s visa. His visa is believed to expire in October, Chinese officials said. Top U.S. and Chinese officials have discussed the accusations against Guo, said another person with direct knowledge of the talks. That person spoke on the condition that he or she would not be identified. The source also said Chinese officials are asking the U.S. to cancel Guo’s visa. It is unclear what steps U.S. officials plan to take, if any. The Trump administration would not comment on the issue. China’s efforts to gain control of Chinese seeking refuge in the U.S. have become an increasingly divisive issue between the two nations. The U.S. government often has refused China’s demands for corruption suspects. But in the past three months, the government surrendered two crime suspects to China. One of them is accused of rape. The case against Guo In April, China asked Interpol to release a “red notice” seeking Guo’s arrest on corruption-related charges. Chinese officials later sentenced several of his employees for wrongdoing. Police in central China opened the rape investigation July 5 after a former employee came forward, the officials said. The woman, whose identity is being withheld by the AP, said she worked as Guo’s personal assistant. She said that Guo raped her several times in New York, London and the Bahamas. She said people working for Guo took her smartphone, computer, passport and keys. She also said she was barred from leaving her room in his London home. Police documents say the woman secretly met a lawyer friend in London earlier this year to give a written statement about her experience. The documents say she kept her underclothing, pregnancy tests and abortion pills as evidence. Chinese officials gave the AP permission to speak with the woman by telephone. She confirmed the story and described fleeing Guo’s apartment to the Chinese Embassy in London in April. There she sought a new passport before returning to China. She said Chinese police had promised her she could bring charges against Guo without facing punishment for having worked for a crime suspect. “I just want him to face justice for what he did to me,” she said. Guo did not answer several AP requests for comment. Lawyers representing him at a New York law office also did not answer requests for comment. In April, Guo told the AP he believed the Interpol notice released at the time was evidence of “state intimidation.” He said China had provided false documents to the international police organization. Interpol refused to comment about the latest arrest order China is seeking. It told the AP to present questions to China. I'm Caty Weaver. And I'm Dan Friedell. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story bribe – v.  to try to get someone to do something by giving or promising something valuable (such as money) : to give or offer a bribe to (someone​) real estate – n. the business of selling land and buildings  congress – n. a formal meeting in which representatives or experts discuss important matters, make decisions, etc.​ expire – v. to end: to no longer be valid after a period of time​ abortion pill – n. a drug to end a pregnancy intimidation – n. the act of making (someone) afraid​  

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Rising Seas, Development Predicted to Cause More Flood Disasters

  The Tropical Storm Harvey in the Unites States and the monsoon in South Asia have again shown how dangerous and destructive floodwaters can be. More than 1,200 people have died across India, Bangladesh and Nepal as a result of flooding. In the American state of Texas, more than 40 people have died and at least 30,000 have been displaced. These are the latest examples of powerful storms striking heavily populated areas, followed by extreme flooding. But storms alone are not the only cause of flooding. Increasing development has been blamed for taking away natural drainage areas that used to limit flooding in cities. The latest U.S. flooding following Hurricane Harvey was in Houston, Texas, America’s fourth largest city. Areas around Houston have been hit with serious storm-caused flooding in the past, the last time in April 2016. At the time, scientists and experts blamed the flooding on continued growth across the city, according to the Texas Tribune. They called on officials to pass laws limiting developers from paving land that used to take in large amounts of rainwater. G.K. Bhat is head of the think tank Taru Leading Edge. On the flooding in India, he said “In a normal ground outside the city, nearly 80 percent of the rain would have got absorbed… with concrete and tarmac all around, we are creating almost a near-total impervious area. Thus, the flood gets amplified in urban areas.” Rising sea levels Another big concern is rising sea levels that are predicted to put major areas of the world under water in coming decades.  Numerous scientific studies have confirmed that global sea levels began rising in the 19th century. The levels increased 14-17 centimeters during the 20th century and just keep rising.    In July, hundreds of scientists from around the world gathered in New York City for a major conference to examine sea-level rise. The conference was organized by the not-for-profit World Climate Research Programme, with support from the United Nations, the U.S. Space Agency NASA and other organizations. In its closing statement, the group said global sea levels are currently rising at a rate of about 30 centimeters per century. The group predicted that if climate conditions stay the same, world sea levels could rise one meter or more throughout the 21st century, possibly reaching several meters by 2300. A recent report by a group that analyzes climate changes in the Arctic said the area is currently warming faster than anywhere else on earth. The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme said melting ice in the Arctic currently causes about 35 percent of global sea-level rise. Over a period of decades, experts say rising sea levels worldwide could cause disastrous flooding conditions. Numerous U.S. communities face this same threat. Many coastal areas already experience regular flooding problems, according to the Washington-based Union of Concerned Scientists. Erika Spanger-Siegfried is a senior analyst with the organization’s Climate and Energy Program. She oversaw two reports that identified areas across the U.S. experiencing what the group calls chronic inundation. It defines this as flooding that prevents people or businesses from carrying out normal daily activities. “What we see just in the next couple of decades is the expansion of areas that are chronically inundated to other currently unaffected parts of the coast. And really, mid-century and beyond is when we start to see major metropolitan areas affected by this chronic inundation as well.” What are the solutions? Spanger-Siegfried suggested three main possible solutions to fight rising sea levels. The first is to build seawalls or levees. The second is to build homes elevated or create waterways to carry floodwaters. The third would be for people to relocate to areas not threatened by flooding. She says communities will likely use a combination of these methods in the short term. “It is human nature to reach for defensive measures and to try and simply keep the water out and keep, maintain things as they are within communities, which is fully understandable.” Michael Bogin is a New York environmental lawyer. He told VOA that the US government under President Barack Obama had taken steps to give local officials more power to regulate development as a way to prevent flooding. Bogin said one idea to deal with the problem is for governments to buy land from homeowners in areas with a high flood risk. Such a program was used in Staten Island, New York, after Hurricane Sandy caused widespread damage in the area. Owners of destroyed or damaged homes were made offers to sell the property to the state. Buyers of the property were then required to follow post-Sandy flood rules when building new homes. But Bogin says clearly that's not going to be a complete solution for cities with populations of four, six or eight million people, like New York or Houston. He added that in New York City, officials have explored the building of more environment-friendly infrastructure. The idea is to take areas that have been paved over and turn them back into natural land areas that can take in extra water during floods. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn reported this story for VOA Learning English. 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   drainage – n. process of removing water or liquid from a place glacier – n. very large area of ice that moves slowly down a slope or valley or over a wide area of land greenhouse gases – n. carbon dioxide and other gases that scientists have linked to rising global temperatures metropolitan – adj. relating to a large city levee – n. wall made of earth or other material built to keep water from flooding an area elevate – v. lift up pave – n. cover earth with a material to form a hard surface impervious – adj. not allowing liquid to pass through regulate – v. make rules or laws to control something infrastructure – n. the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) needed for a country or organization to function properly​  

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'A Retrieved Reformation,' by O. Henry

  We present the short story "A Retrieved Reformation," by O. Henry. The story was originally adapted and recorded by the U.S. Department of State. In the prison shoe-shop, Jimmy Valentine was busily at work making shoes. A prison officer came into the shop, and led Jimmy to the prison office. There Jimmy was given an important paper. It said that he was free. Jimmy took the paper without showing much pleasure or interest. He had been sent to prison to stay for four years. He had been there for ten months. But he had expected to stay only three months. Jimmy Valentine had many friends outside the prison. A man with so many friends does not expect to stay in prison long. “Valentine,” said the chief prison officer, “you’ll go out tomorrow morning. This is your chance. Make a man of yourself. You’re not a bad fellow at heart. Stop breaking safes open, and live a better life.” “Me?” said Jimmy in surprise. “I never broke open a safe in my life.” “Oh, no,” the chief prison officer laughed. “Never. Let’s see. How did you happen to get sent to prison for opening that safe in Springfield? Was it because you didn’t want to tell where you really were? Perhaps because you were with some lady, and you didn’t want to tell her name? Or was it because the judge didn’t like you? You men always have a reason like that. You never go to prison because you broke open a safe.” “Me?” Jimmy said. His face still showed surprise. “I was never in Springfield in my life.” “Take him away,” said the chief prison officer. “Get him the clothes he needs for going outside. Bring him here again at seven in the morning. And think about what I said, Valentine.” At a quarter past seven on the next morning, Jimmy stood again in the office. He had on some new clothes that did not fit him, and a pair of new shoes that hurt his feet. These are the usual clothes given to a prisoner when he leaves the prison. Next they gave him money to pay for his trip on a train to the city near the prison. They gave him five dollars more. The five dollars were supposed to help him become a better man. Then the chief prison officer put out his hand for a handshake. That was the end of Valentine, Prisoner 9762. Mr. James Valentine walked out into the sunshine. He did not listen to the song of the birds or look at the green trees or smell the flowers. He went straight to a restaurant. There he tasted the first sweet joys of being free. He had a good dinner. After that he went to the train station. He gave some money to a blind man who sat there, asking for money, and then he got on the train. Three hours later he got off the train in a small town. Here he went to the restaurant of Mike Dolan. Mike Dolan was alone there. After shaking hands he said, “I’m sorry we couldn’t do it sooner, Jimmy my boy. But there was that safe in Springfield, too. It wasn’t easy. Feeling all right?” “Fine,” said Jimmy. “Is my room waiting for me?” He went up and opened the door of a room at the back of the house. Everything was as he had left it. It was here they had found Jimmy, when they took him to prison. There on the floor was a small piece of cloth. It had been torn from the coat of the cop, as Jimmy was fighting to escape. There was a bed against the wall. Jimmy pulled the bed toward the middle of the room. The wall behind it looked like any wall, but now Jimmy found and opened a small door in it. From this opening he pulled out a dust-covered bag. He opened this and looked lovingly at the tools for breaking open a safe. No finer tools could be found any place. They were complete; everything needed was here. They had been made of a special material, in the necessary sizes and shapes. Jimmy had planned them himself, and he was very proud of them. It had cost him over nine hundred dollars to have these tools made at a place where they make such things for men who work at the job of safe-breaking. In half an hour Jimmy went downstairs and through the restaurant. He was now dressed in good clothes that fitted him well. He carried his dusted and cleaned bag. “Do you have everything planned?” asked Mike Dolan. “Me?” asked Jimmy as if surprised. “I don’t understand. I work for the New York Famous Bread and Cake Makers Company. And I sell the best bread and cake in the country.” Mike enjoyed these words so much that Jimmy had to take a drink with him. Jimmy had some milk. He never drank anything stronger. A week after Valentine, 9762, left the prison, a safe was broken open in Richmond, Indiana. No one knew who did it. Eight hundred dollars were taken. Two weeks after that, a safe in Logansport was opened. It was a new kind of safe; it had been made, they said, so strong that no one could break it open. But someone did, and took fifteen hundred dollars. Then a safe in Jefferson City was opened. Five thousand dollars were taken. This loss was a big one. Ben Price was a cop who worked on such important matters, and now he began to work on this. He went to Richmond, Indiana, and to Logansport, to see how the safe-breaking had been done in those places. He was heard to say: “I can see that Jim Valentine has been here. He is in business again. Look at the way he opened this one. Everything easy, everything clean. He is the only man who has the tools to do it. And he is the only man who knows how to use tools like this. Yes, I want Mr. Valentine. Next time he goes to prison, he’s going to stay there until his time is finished.” Ben Price knew how Jimmy worked. Jimmy would go from one city to another far away. He always worked alone. He always left quickly when he was finished. He enjoyed being with nice people. For all these reasons, it was not easy to catch Mr. Valentine. People with safes full of money were glad to hear that Ben Price was at work trying to catch Mr. Valentine. One afternoon Jimmy Valentine and his bag arrived in a small town named Elmore. Jimmy, looking as young as a college boy, walked down the street toward the hotel. A young lady walked across the street, passed him at the corner, and entered a door. Over the door was the sign, “The Elmore Bank.” Jimmy Valentine looked into her eyes, forgetting at once what he was. He became another man. She looked away, and brighter color came into her face. Young men like Jimmy did not appear often in Elmore. Jimmy saw a boy near the bank door, and began to ask questions about the town. After a time the young lady came out and went on her way. She seemed not to see Jimmy as she passed him  “Isn’t that young lady Polly Simpson?” asked Jimmy. “No,” said the boy. “She’s Annabel Adams. Her father owns this bank.” Jimmy went to the hotel, where he said his name was Ralph D. Spencer. He got a room there. He told the hotel man he had come to Elmore to go into business. How was the shoe business? Was there already a good shoe-shop? The man thought that Jimmy’s clothes and manners were fine. He was happy to talk to him. Yes, Elmore needed a good shoe-shop. There was no shop that sold just shoes. Shoes were sold in the big shops that sold everything. All business in Elmore was good. He hoped Mr. Spencer would decide to stay in Elmore. It was a pleasant town to live in and the people were friendly. Mr. Spencer said he would stay in the town a few days and learn something about it. No, he said, he himself would carry his bag up to his room. He didn’t want a boy to take it. It was very heavy. Mr. Ralph Spencer remained in Elmore. He started a shoe-shop. Business was good. Also he made many friends. And he was successful with the wish of his heart. He met Annabel Adams. He liked her better every day. At the end of a year everyone in Elmore liked Mr. Ralph Spencer. His shoe-shop was doing very good business. And he and Annabel were going to be married in two weeks. Mr. Adams, the small-town banker, liked Spencer. Annabel was very proud of him. He seemed already to belong to the Adams family. One day Jimmy sat down in his room to write this letter, which he sent to one of his old friends: Dear Old Friend: I want you to meet me at Sullivan’s place next week, on the evening of the 10th. I want to give you my tools. I know you’ll be glad to have them. You couldn’t buy them for a thousand dollars. I finished with the old business—a year ago. I have a nice shop. I’m living a better life, and I’m going to marry the best girl on earth two weeks from now. It’s the only life—I wouldn’t ever again touch another man’s money. After I marry, I’m going to go further west, where I’ll never see anyone who knew me in my old life. I tell you, she’s a wonderful girl. She trusts me. Your old friend, Jimmy. On the Monday night after Jimmy sent this letter, Ben Price arrived quietly in Elmore. He moved slowly about the town in his quiet way, and he learned all that he wanted to know. Standing inside a shop, he watched Ralph D. Spencer walk by. “You’re going to marry the banker’s daughter, are you, Jimmy?” said Ben to himself. “I don’t feel sure about that!” The next morning Jimmy was at the Adams home. He was going to a nearby city that day to buy new clothes for the wedding. He was also going to buy a gift for Annabel. It would be his first trip out of Elmore. It was more than a year now since he had done any safe-breaking. Most of the Adams family went to the bank together that morning. There were Mr. Adams, Annabel, Jimmy, and Annabel’s married sister with her two little girls, aged five and nine. They passed Jimmy’s hotel, and Jimmy ran up to his room and brought along his bag. Then they went to the bank. All went inside—Jimmy, too, for he was one of the family. Everyone in the bank was glad to see the good-looking, nice young man who was going to marry Annabel. Jimmy put down his bag. Annabel, laughing, put Jimmy’s hat on her head and picked up the bag. “How do I look?” she asked. “Ralph, how heavy this bag is! It feels full of gold.” “It’s full of some things I don’t need in my shop,” Jimmy said. “I’m taking them to the city, to the place where they came from. That saves me the cost of sending them. I’m going to be a married man. I must learn to save money.” The Elmore bank had a new safe. Mr. Adams was very proud of it, and he wanted everyone to see it. It was as large as a small room, and it had a very special door. The door was controlled by a clock. Using the clock, the banker planned the time when the door should open. At other times no one, not even the banker himself, could open it. He explained about it to Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer seemed interested but he did not seem to understand very easily. The two children, May and Agatha, enjoyed seeing the shining heavy door, with all its special parts. While they were busy like this, Ben Price entered the bank and looked around. He told a young man who worked there that he had not come on business; he was waiting for a man. Suddenly there was a cry from the women. They had not been watching the children. May, the nine-year-old girl, had playfully but firmly closed the door of the safe. And Agatha was inside. The old banker tried to open the door. He pulled at it for a moment. “The door can’t be opened,” he cried. “And the clock—I hadn’t started it yet.” Agatha’s mother cried out again. “Quiet!” said Mr. Adams, raising a shaking hand. “All be quiet for a moment. Agatha!” he called as loudly as he could. “Listen to me.” They could hear, but not clearly, the sound of the child’s voice. In the darkness inside the safe, she was wild with fear. “My baby!” her mother cried. “She will die of fear! Open the door! Break it open! Can’t you men do something?” “There isn’t a man nearer than the city who can open that door,” said Mr. Adams, in a shaking voice. “My God! Spencer, what shall we do? That child—she can’t live long in there. There isn’t enough air. And the fear will kill her.” Agatha’s mother, wild too now, beat on the door with her hands. Annabel turned to Jimmy, her large eyes full of pain, but with some hope, too. A woman thinks that the man she loves can somehow do anything. “Can’t you do something, Ralph? Try, won’t you?” He looked at her with a strange soft smile on his lips and in his eyes. “Annabel,” he said, “give me that flower you are wearing, will you?” She could not believe that she had really heard him. But she put the flower in his hand. Jimmy took it and put it where he could not lose it. Then he pulled off his coat. With that act, Ralph D. Spencer passed away and Jimmy Valentine took his place. “Stand away from the door, all of you,” he commanded. He put his bag on the table, and opened it flat. From that time on, he seemed not to know that anyone else was near. Quickly he laid the shining strange tools on the table. The others watched as if they had lost the power to move. In a minute Jimmy was at work on the door. In ten minutes— faster than he had ever done it before—he had the door open. Agatha was taken into her mother’s arms. Jimmy Valentine put on his coat, picked up the flower and walked toward the front door. As he went he thought he heard a voice call, “Ralph!” He did not stop. At the door a big man stood in his way. “Hello, Ben!” said Jimmy, still with his strange smile. “You’re here at last, are you? Let’s go. I don’t care, now.” And then Ben Price acted rather strangely. “I guess you’re wrong about this, Mr. Spencer,” he said. “I don’t believe I know you, do I?” And Ben Price turned and walked slowly down the street.   Download activities to help you understand this story here. Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. Are you a bad person just because you break the law? Can a bad person become a good person? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ QUIZ _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   shop – n. a building or room where goods and services are sold or worked on safe(s) – n. a strong metal box with a lock that is used to store money or valuable things coat – n. an outer piece of clothing that can be long or short and that is worn to keep warm or dry cop – n. a person whose job is to enforce laws, investigate crimes, and make arrests lovingly – adv. done in a way that shows love proud – adj. very happy and pleased because of something you have done, something you own or someone you know or are related to cake – n. a sweet baked food made from a mixture of flour, sugar, and other ingredients corner – n. the place where two streets or roads meet

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Russia Promises Strong, Measured Answer to US Order

  Russia is promising to answer a Trump administration order to close three Russian diplomatic offices in the United States. But Russia also said it was not likely to take steps to increase diplomatic tensions between the two countries.  On Thursday, the administration ordered Russia to close its consulate in San Francisco and trade offices in New York City and Washington, D.C. U.S. officials gave the Russians 48 hours to obey the order. They said the move was in reaction to a Russian demand that the U.S. sharply reduce the size of its diplomatic workforce in Russia. "The United States is prepared to take further action as necessary and as warranted," State Department official Heather Nauert said in a statement. She added that the U.S. hoped both countries could now move towards “improved relations” and “increased cooperation.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that his country would react with firmness to the U.S. order. He added that the Russian government needs time to study the directive and to decide a plan of action. Lavrov spoke in a meeting with students at Russia’s top diplomacy school. Other Russian officials said both sides need to be careful. Yuri Ushakov is the top foreign policy to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ushakov told Russian news agencies that the government “regrets” the latest U.S. move and needs to “think carefully about how we could respond.” The U.S. announcement was the latest development in a diplomatic “tit-for-tat” between the two sides. The dispute began early last month when President Donald Trump signed into law a sanctions bill that Congress had passed. The measure was aimed at punishing the Russian government for interfering with the U.S. election last year. The Russian government reacted quickly to the sanctions. It made the United States cut its embassy and consulate workforce in Russia down to 455. In recent years, the two countries have had deep disagreements about Russian involvement in the 2016 elections, and other issues, such as Ukraine and Syria. Under President Trump, relations have gotten worse. U.S. officials are still investigating whether Trump’s election campaign worked with Russia to get him elected. I’m Anne Ball.   The Associated Press and VOANews.com reported on this story. Anne Ball adapted the reports for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   consulate – n. the building where a consul lives and works respond – v. to say or write something as an answer to a question or request tit-for-tat – n. to say or write something as an answer to a question or request sanctions – n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc. — usually plural

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English @ the Movies: 'Fire Burning In Our Bellies'

Our English @ the Movies saying today is "fire burning in our bellies," from the film "The Glass Castle." It is based on a true story about a girl's family. Her father used imagination to make them stop thinking about how poor they were. Were their bellies on fire? Watch the video. Take the quiz!

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Lesson 52: Taking Chances

Certificate of Completion Have you been studying with "Let's Learn English" through the past year? We are happy that you have visited regularly to study English with us. As a thank-you, we offer this certificate of completion. Download it and add your own name. Record a short video of yourself speaking English while you are holding the certificate. Then share it with us and other English learners around the world on the VOA Learning English Facebook page. Keep visiting us to review Let's Learn English, and look for the next English course, which is coming in Fall 2017. Summary Anna is on a talk show to tell us about her new career move - acting as a tree in the movies. She looks back at the chances she took in the past year and plans for the future. Will she stay in Hollywood or come back to live in Washington, D.C.? Speaking Use this video to learn the new words for this lesson. Then, learn about some new phrasal verbs. ​Pronunciation Use this video to learn about the blend of two words in the phrase "sit down." ​ Conversation   Anna: Hello, it's Anna! I did it - Washington, D.C. is my home. Looking back over the past year, I’ve done so many amazing things! I have met people from all over the world. I’ve made many good friends. And I have a great job! And I've taken a lot of chances. And now I have some really big news! Wait for it… and 3, 2, 1… Kelly: Hello and welcome to “Around the Corner and Across the Street from the Actor’s Studio!” Many people dream of becoming actors. But very often, those dreams don’t come true. Kelly: Well, today we will meet a woman and -- her acting career has really taken off. In fact, she acted in my play, “The Woods Are Alive!” Oh. She really brought the part of Tree Number 15 to life! Let’s give a warm welcome to Anna Matteo! Anna: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me here. Kelly: Please, please, sit down. Here, here, let me help you. Anna: Thanks. Thanks. Wow, it is great to see you again, Director Kelly! Kelly: It’s great to see you too, Anna. I see you are still wearing your tree costume. Does this have anything to do with your big news? Anna: Yes. Yes, it does. Kelly: Well, Anna, please share that news with us. Anna: Kelly, I will be acting in three movies. Kelly: That is amazing! Anna, tell us more. Anna: Well, the first is a science fiction movie. The second is a romantic comedy. And the third is an action movie. Kelly: That is so great! Let me guess -- you’re playing a tree in all of them! Anna: Yes! This is what happened. To prepare for your play, I had to find out what it was like to BE a tree in the world. I had to find out where to eat, where to shop, where to meet people and how to get around the city. Kelly: Amazing. I think big things are going to happen for you, Anna. So, tell me, will you be moving to Hollywood for a career in movies? Anna: No. I’ll make the movies and then come back. Washington, D.C. is my home. Kelly: I’m sure your family is very proud. Anna: Yes, they are. You know, Kelly, not too long ago, I didn’t feel very good about my life. I had to make a change. So, I took some chances. Sometimes I succeeded. Sometimes I failed. But I will never stop trying. Kelly: Well, thank you for sharing your news and so much more with us, Anna. Kelly: Until next time …   Writing In this lesson, Anna looks back on how she has learned by taking chances over the past year in Washington, D.C. Have you ever taken chances to learn something new or to meet your goal? Tell us about a chance you took and how it helped you to learn or do something important to you . Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet to practice phrasal verbs and evaluating.  Please note, our activity sheets now can be completed on the computer. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Evaluate. We use this strategy when we look back at how we have learned and look forward to how we can learn more. In learning a language, we can evaluate how well we are learning and also evaluate how we are using strategies to learn. When we think about which strategies helped us, we know that we should use those strategies again. In this lesson, Anna looks back at how she took chances in learning to do her job and to live in a big city. She is also looking forward to her new career as an actor. She is taking a chance to go to Hollywood and be in the movies. Look back at how you have been learning English. What helped you the most?Now look forward. What will help you in the future? Are you taking chances to practice in lots of ways? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.   Quiz Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz.  ______________________________________________________________ New Words action movie - n. a movie with events that happen quickly and that cause feelings of danger and excitement ​ bring to life - phrase. make or become active, lively, or interesting career - n. a job or profession that someone does for a long time come back - phrasal verb. to return to a place fail - v. to not succeed or to end without success find out - phrasal verb. to learn (something) by making an effort get around - phrasal verb. to go, walk, or travel to different places prepare - v. to make yourself ready for something that you will be doing or something that you expect to happen proud - adj. very happy and pleased because of something you have done, something you own, or someone you know or are related to romantic comedy - n. a movie or play that deals with love in a light, humorous way science fiction - n. a kind of story about how people and societies are affected by imaginary scientific developments in the future share - v. to tell someone about (your feelings, opinions, or thoughts) take chances - phrase. to do things even though there could be good or bad results take off - phrasal verb. make great progress ______________________________________________________________ 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 practice using phrasal verbs and evaluating. 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: Phrasal verbs; Review of verb tenses Topics: Discussing feelings and describing accomplishments Learning Strategy: Evaluate Speaking and Pronunciation: Blended form of "sit down" Poll _______________________________________________________________ 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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What It Takes: Oprah Winfrey, Part 1

  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. 00:00:32    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: Welcome to another episode of What It Takes, a podcast about passion, vision, and perseverance from the Academy of Achievement's recorded collection. I'm Alice Winkler. On every episode of What It Takes, we play you a revealing conversation with someone who has literally changed the world, and mind you, a lot of people say literally these days when they mean figuratively, but I mean literally, literally. The Academy of Achievement has been recording these conversations for decades to document the extraordinary lives of people like Bill Gates, Alan Shepard, and Hank Aaron, but mostly to show that all of us can learn what it takes to do a little better, aim a little higher. 00:01:33    There is arguably no one alive who has built a bigger empire of inspiration than Oprah Winfrey, or, since America's on a first-name basis with her, Oprah. 00:01:45    OPRAH WINFREY: Billy is grieving, and we, you know, Phil has compassion for him, and that's okay that he's grieving. 00:01:50    MALE VOICE: Yeah, I think it's important for his mom, Sherry, to know that it's okay if — for him to be sad. I mean, something tremendous has happened in his life, and he deserves that. 00:02:00     ALICE WINKLER: Gail Eichenthal sat down with Oprah for the Academy of Achievement in 1991. It was five years into her groundbreaking talk show and many years before the production company, the magazine, or the television network. Gail started by asking Oprah if she’d had any clue she’d one day make it so big. 00:02:19     OPRAH WINFREY: As a young child I had a vision not of what I wanted to accomplish, but I knew that my current circumstances — I was raised on a farm with my grandmother for the first six years of my life. I knew somehow that my life would be different and it would be better. I never had a clear-cut vision of what it was I would be doing. 00:02:43     I just always felt somehow — or I remember absolutely physically feeling it at around four years old. I remember standing on the back porch. It was a screened-in porch, and my grandmother was boiling clothes, because, you know, during the — at that time, we didn’t have washing machines, and so people would, you know, physically boil clothes in a great big iron pot, and she was boiling clothes and poking them down, and I was watching her from the back porch, and I was four years old, and I remember thinking, "My life won’t be like this." 00:03:14     "My life won't be like this. It will be better," and it wasn't from a place of arrogance. It was just a place of knowing that things could be different for me somehow. I don’t know what made me think that. 00:03:26     GAIL EICHENTHAL: Did you ever consider any other career besides talking, broadcasting, and acting? 00:03:30     OPRAH WINFREY: I always wanted to be an actress, for most of my adolescent and adult life. My father didn't want me to be because his idea of what an actress was, was one of these, you know, lewd women, and, "How are you going to take care of your life?" So I always wanted to be an actress, and have taken, I think, a roundabout way to get there, because I still don't feel fulfilled as an actress. I still feel like, okay, once I'm — now I own my own studio and all this, but I'm thinking, "I did all of this just to be an actress. I just want to be able to act." 00:04:10     For a while, I wanted to be a schoolteacher. In the fourth grade, Mrs. Duncan was my greatest inspiration. In the fourth grade is when I first began to believe in myself. I, for the first time, believed that I could do almost anything. I felt I was the queen bee. I felt I could control the world. I was going to be a missionary. I was going to Costa Rica. I was going to — I used to collect money on the playground for — to take to church on Sundays, from all the other kids. 00:04:43    And at the time in schools, we had devotions, and I would sit, and I would listen to everything the preacher said on Sunday and go back to school on Monday morning and beg Mrs. Duncan to please let me do the devotion, just sort of repeat the sermon. So in the fourth grade, I was called “Preacher.” Kids used to poke fun at me all the time, but it didn't bother me because I was so inspired at the time, and a lot of it was because of Mrs. Duncan. Mrs. Duncan, Mrs. Duncan. 00:05:09     And we did a show not too long ago, and I had favorite teachers on. I just broke down because, first of all, it was the first time I realized Mrs. Duncan had a name other than Mrs. Duncan. You know, your teachers never have names. But her name's Mary! I couldn’t believe it. 00:05:22    ALICE WINKLER: And maybe you won’t believe it, but Oprah’s first name was actually supposed to be Orpah. 00:05:28    OPRAH WINFREY: Well, I was born, as I said, in rural Mississippi in 1954, and I was born at home, and there were not a lot of educated people around, and my name had been chosen from the Bible. My Aunt Ida had chosen the name, but people didn't know how to pronounce it, so it went down as Orpah on my birth certificate, but they put the p before the r in every place else other than the birth certificate. So on the birth certificate, it is Orpah, but then it got translated to Oprah, and so here we are. 00:06:04    But that's great because Oprah spells Harpo backwards. I don't know what Orpah spells. 00:06:09    ALICE WINKLER: It seems appropriate somehow that Oprah ended up with a singular name, even if by mistake. Her singular talents started to show when she was practically still a toddler, speaking in public at an age when the rest of us are still learning to talk. It was her grandmother who recognized her gifts, the grandmother who raised her. 00:06:30    OPRAH WINFREY: I came to live with my grandmother because I was a child born out of wedlock, and my mother moved to the North. She's a part of that great migration to the North in the late '50s, and I was left with my grandmother, like so many other black youngsters were, left to be taken care of by their grandmothers and grandfathers and aunts and uncles, and I was one of those children. It actually, probably, saved my life. 00:06:55    It is the reason why I am where I am today, because my grandmother gave me the foundation for success that I was allowed to continue to build upon. My grandmother taught me to read, and that opened the door to all kinds of possibilities for me, and had I not been with my grandmother and been with my mother, struggling in the North, you know, moving from apartment to apartment, I probably would not have had the foundation that I had. 00:07:22    So I was allowed to grow up in Mississippi for the first six years of my life, and allowed to feel somewhat special. Because I was a precocious child, I guess, by any standards now. I was taught to read at an early age, and by the time I was three, I was reciting speeches in the church. And they put me up on the program, and they'd say, "And little Mistress Winfrey will render a recitation." 00:07:48    And I would do, "Jesus rose on Easter Day. Hallelujah, hallelujah, all the angels did proclaim," and all the sisters sitting in the front row would fan themselves and turn to my grandmother and say, "Hattie Mae, this child is gifted," and I heard that enough that I started to believe it: “Maybe I am!” I didn’t even know what “gifted” meant, but I just thought it meant that I was special, and so any time people came over I'd recite. I'd recite Bible verses and poetry. 00:08:15    I did all of James Weldon Johnson's sermons. He has a series of seven sermons, beginning with “The Creation” and ending with “Judgment.” I used to do them for churches all over the city of Nashville. I've spoken at every church in Nashville at some point in my life, I think, and you sort of get known for that. Other people were known for singing. I was known for talking. By the time I was seven, I was doing Invictus by William Ernest Henley. 00:08:41     "Out of the night that covers me, black as a pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods there be for my unconquerable soul," and at the time, I was saying — I didn't know what I was talking about, but I'd do all the motions: "Out of the night that covers me," and people would say, "Ooh, that child can speak!" And so that's — you know, you — whatever you do a lot of, you get good at doing it, and that's just about how this whole broadcasting career started for me. 00:09:07     ALICE WINKLER: It was all going pretty well for young Oprah, considering she was being raised without her parents in Mississippi, but then she moved north to be reunited with her mother in Chicago and things took a turn. 00:09:20     OPRAH WINFREY: And if you had asked me at the time if we were poor, I probably would have said no, because when you are living it and you don't know anything else, you think that's the way life is. And I was raped when I was nine by a cousin, and never told anybody until I was in my late twenties. Not only was I raped by a cousin... I was raped by a cousin, and then later sexually molested by a friend of the family, and then by an uncle. It was just an ongoing continuous thing, so much so that I started to think, you know, “This is the way life is.” 00:09:57     And not until, I'd say, a year ago did I release the shame from myself, because I was in the middle of an interview with a woman named Trudy Chase, who has multiple personalities and was severely abused as a child. 00:10:18    TRUDY CHASE: Each one of us went through some pretty deep garbage, and this is our opportunity, has been our opportunity for a while, to explore each other. Do you know... 00:10:29    OPRAH WINFREY: Do you feel like you lost whoever you would have been that day you were raped at two years old? 00:10:35    TRUDY CHASE:    Well, she is no more. No more. 00:10:41    OPRAH WINFREY: And I think it was on that day that, I mean, for the first time, I recognized that I was not to blame, because I was a — I became a sexually promiscuous teenager, promiscuous and rebellious, and did everything I could get away with, including faking a robbery in my house one time. I remember, you know, stomping the glasses in the floor and putting myself in the hospital and acting out the whole scene, and I used to pull all kinds of pranks — ran away from home — and as a result of that got myself into a lot of trouble and believed that I was responsible for it. 00:11:18    It wasn't until I was 36 years old — thirty-six — that I connected the fact, oh, that's why I was that way. I always blamed myself, even though, intellectually, I would say to other kids — I would speak to people and say, "Oh, the child is never to blame. You're never responsible for molestation in your life." I still believed I was responsible somehow, that I was a bad girl and just released it in the middle... 00:11:46    And so it happened on the air, as so many things happen for me. It happened on the air in the middle of somebody else's experience. And so I thought I was going to have a breakdown on television, and I said, you know, "Stop, stop. You’ve got to stop rolling cameras." And they didn't, and so I sort of got myself through it, but it was really quite traumatic for me. 00:12:06    “The real Trudy Chase underwent years of therapy, and most of that therapy — stop — was videotaped because Trudy says that she wanted others to someday be able to understand that they are not alone in their abuse.” 00:12:33    My openness is the reason why I did not do so well as a news reporter, because I used to go on assignments and be so open that I would say to people at fires and they'd lost their children, "That's okay. You don't have to talk to me." Well, then you go back to the newsroom, and the news director, "What do you mean they didn’t have to talk to you?" I'd say, "But she just lost her child, and, you know, I just felt so bad." 00:12:55    So I didn’t do very well. I was too — absolutely too involved. I'd go to funerals of people and not go in. I wouldn't want to talk to them and disturb them. Cry on the air. 00:13:05    ALICE WINKLER: But, of course, it was her overwhelming empathy that allowed Oprah Winfrey to become “Oprah.” She just needed to find the format that fit. On her talk show, she perfected a new kind of confessional, therapeutic television, and television hasn’t been the same since. 00:13:23    OPRAH WINFREY: When I was growing up, especially in the third and fourth grade, I always wanted to be a minister and preach and be a missionary, and then for a while, after Mrs. Duncan's fourth grade class, I wanted to be a fourth grade teacher, and I think, in many ways, that I have been able to fulfill all of that. I feel that my show is a ministry. We just don't take up a collection, and I feel that it is a teaching tool without preaching to people about it. 00:13:47    I really do. That is my intent. That is my intent, and the greatest thing about what I do, for me, is that I'm in a position to change people's lives. It is the most incredible platform for influence that you could imagine, and it's something that I hold in great esteem and take full responsibility for. I mean, I do every show in prayer, not down on my knees praying, but I do it in sort of, before every show, a mental meditation in order to get the correct message across because you're dealing with millions of people every day, and it's very easy for something to be misinterpreted. 00:14:35    And so my intention is always, regardless of what the show is, whether it's about sibling rivalry or wife battering or children of divorce, for people to see within each show that you are responsible for your life, that although there may be tragedy in your life, there's always a possibility to triumph. Doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, and that the ability to triumph begins with you, always. Always. 00:15:01    ALICE WINKLER: When interviewer Gail Eichenthal asked Oprah in this conversation, in 1991, how aware she was of her own triumph, her own courage, this is what she said. 00:15:11    OPRAH WINFREY: The interesting thing about it is, if you were telling me my life story and it was about somebody else, I'd say, "Oh, how courageous." It's very difficult for me to give myself that credit. I mean, it's very difficult for me to even see myself as successful because I still see myself as in the process of becoming successful. To me, successful is getting to the point where you are absolutely comfortable with yourself, and it does not matter how many things you have acquired. 00:15:44    The ability to learn to say no and not to feel guilty about it, to me, is about the greatest success I have achieved. The fact that I have, you know, in the public's eye done whatever is fine. It's all a part of a process for growing for me, but to me, to have the kind of internal strength and internal courage it takes to say, "No, I will not let you treat me this way," is what success is all about. “I will not be treated this way. I demand only the best for myself.” 00:16:14    ALICE WINKLER: One of Oprah's greatest wishes, she said, was that through her work she could teach young people how to learn this life lesson a little faster than she learned it. 00:16:23    OPRAH WINFREY: Because it’s painful, because you keep repeating it over and over and over until you get it right, and what I found is that every time you have to repeat the lesson, it gets worse because it's — you know, it's — I call it God trying to get your attention, the universe trying to get your attention. So we didn't get your attention the first time, so we're going to have to hit you a little harder this time. Any major problem you encounter, it always started out as a whisper. By the time it gets to be a storm, you have been — you've had a pebble knock you upside the head. 00:16:52    You had a brick. You had a brick wall. You had the house fall down, and before you know it, you're in the eye of the storm, but long before you're in the eye of the storm you’ve had many warnings, like little clues. So now my goal in life is to not have to hit the eye of the storm, is to catch it in a whisper, to get it the first time. And getting it comes from understanding your — I think the thing — the one thing that has allowed me to certainly achieve both material success and spiritual success is the ability to listen to my instinct. 00:17:27    I call it my inner voice. It doesn't matter what you call it — nature, instinct, higher power. But the ability to understand the difference between what your heart is saying and what your head is saying — I now always go with the heart, even when my head is saying, "Oh, but this is the rational thing. This is really what you should do." I always go with that little feeling, the feeling. I am where I am today because I have allowed myself to listen to my feelings, and to validate them. 00:18:03    ALICE WINKLER: Oprah Winfrey told so many fantastic stories in this 1991 interview about how, more precisely, she got where she did, including how she won the Miss Fire Prevention Contest when she was a teenager, even though the deck was clearly stacked against her. That win led to her first job in broadcasting, but digest all the Oprah wisdom you’ve heard so far because the rest is coming in our next podcast. There was just too much good stuff with the Queen of Talk to fit into a single episode. This is What It Takes from the Academy of Achievement. I’m Alice Winkler. 00:18:43    Funding for What it Takes comes from the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation.

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