Google's Arts and Culture App Goes Viral

This is What’s Trending Today… Google’s Arts and Culture App has been available since 2016. But this past weekend, the app went viral.  Its popularity rose after the company launched an experimental new “selfie” feature. The feature uses technology to compare a user’s face with a famous work of art. The new feature asks users, “Is your portrait in a museum?” It selects from paintings of people that hang in more than 1,000 museums around the world. It also introduces users to the history of the painting and of the artist. All over social media, people have been sharing their side-by-side results. Some look similar; others really do not. Hollywood actors and other famous people have joined the fun. While the comparison photos may be everywhere, the face match feature itself is not. For now, it is only available in the United States. And Google has not yet said when it will make the feature available in other countries. It is not even available everywhere in America. For example, it is not available for users living in the states of Illinois and Texas. Some observers say that is because the laws in those states have restrictions on the use of biometrics. This includes facial scans, the kind of technology the Arts and Culture app uses. So, residents from those states send their selfie photos to friends living in other parts of the country to see their results. People outside the United States are looking for ways to use the face match feature, too. Instead of waiting for Google to make it available, some people are downloading the Arts and Culture app from iTunes or Google Play while using a VPN, or virtual private network. If the VPN makes them appear to be in the United States, the face match feature is available to them. Of course, there is much more to Google’s Arts and Culture app than the face match feature. Users can take virtual tours of famous museums, learn about the history of art and even watch ballet and opera performances from around the world. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I'm Dorothy Gundy.    Ashley Thompson adapted this story from several sources. Hai Do was the editor. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   portrait - n. a painting, drawing, or photograph of a person that usually only includes the person's head and shoulders scan - n.  the act or process of using a special machine to see the inside of something (such as a part of the body) virtual - adj. existing or occurring on computers or on the Internet biometric - n. the application of statistical analysis to biological data.

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January 18, 2018

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

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News Words: Benefits

There are important benefits to turning unused land into sources of healthy food.

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Movie Premiere of 'Married Men' Draws Haitian Stars in Miami

  Haitian-born film director Robenson Lauvince feels confident about his latest movie. He thinks it will help the Haitian film industry and the community as a whole. The Miami, Florida, premiere of Married Men follows closely behind President Donald Trump's reported insult of Haiti and other countries. He was said to have used a vulgar term to describe the countries during a meeting with lawmakers at the White House. Trump's comments deeply angered the Haitian-American community. Hundreds demonstrated in Times Square in New York City Monday to denounce racism. Haiti's ambassador to the U.S. said the president's recent comments about Haiti "hurt the country." Haitian star Junior Rigolo has a small part in Married Men. He spoke during a press conference in Fort Lauderdale the night before the premiere. “I don’t think it’s a black-and-white thing with Trump, it’s just how he is,” Rigolo said. “So, if you’re going to get angry about what Trump said, you’ve only just begun being mad. It’s not going to stop. Every day, there’s something new. So, for Haitians - we need to stop going on social media and posting ‘I am Haiti,’ because that’s just for show. We need to instead mount a movement to show the world who we really are.” Married Men centers around Juno Rene, a therapist. He seems to have the perfect marriage. Then, he meets a woman for whom he is willing to risk everything.   The film features some of Haiti’s most popular musicians and actors. Well-known and successful Miami Haitians attended the premier.​ Director Lauvince spent five years making Married Men. He expressed excitement that it was finally opening. “I’m super-duper happy and excited,” he told VOA. “I think that what’s happening tonight is not only meaningful to me but also to the Haitian movie industry. We need this. Haitian film needs this to move forward.”  Lauvince said he was pleased by the Haitian American crowd that stood in line for hours to get tickets to the event. He said he and the audience need each other. “At the end of the day, this is a Haitian film, and it represents all Haitians who are making movies today and all Haitian movie fans," he said. "I’m glad they are here.”  Among the crowd was Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean Monestime, the first Haitian-American elected to the commission. He said he puts a lot of responsibility onto Haitian American young people. He noted that they fit easily into American culture and have experienced the good that comes with entrepreneurship. In his words, “There are more opportunities here in the U.S., so we’re counting on them to take Haitians to a higher level in the future.” Athlet St-Fleur, or Flav, is the lead actor in Married Men. It is Athlet’s first film. But he already knows fame as a lead singer of the popular Haitian Konpa band Gabel. Athlet says playing Juno was a huge responsibility. He credits his critically praised performance in the movie to the crew that surrounded him.  “The director Robenson did a fantastic job, and also the whole team, Belgamee (productions). I hope people admire the character I play. I think some will hate him, but I hope some will admire him as well. There are a lot of good lessons in the movie, so I think people will receive it well,” he told VOA. Actress Belindja Eustache plays Chanel, a woman married to the main character’s best friend.  Eustache was impressed with Robenson's work ethic on this film.  “The experience was very different,” she said, “because Roby was serious.” Haitian musician J. Perry was also at the event. Hours after the news of Trump’s reported statement about Haitians, he went on Instagram. He posted: “Unity is Power. Let’s all work together so other countries will stop humiliating us.”    He spoke about it at the movie premiere. “I think what’s happening tonight is a great example of what I was talking about in my Instagram post. Look at this amazing Haitian event. This is how Haitians should continue working so that other countries can see what we can do,” he said. He added, “We shouldn’t get angry. We need to be the best Haitians we can be around the world.” The Married Men cast received a standing ovation when the movie ended. I’m Ashley Thompson. Sandra Lemaire wrote this story for VOANews.com. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   confident - adj. certain that something will happen or that something is true​ premiere -​ n. the first time a film, play, television show, etc., is shown or performed​ vulgar -​ adj. not having or showing good manners, good taste, or politeness​ mount - v. to organize and do (something that usually requires the effort of many people)​ opportunity -​ n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done​ admire -​ v.  to feel respect or approval for (someone or something)​ ovation -​ n. an occurrence in which a group of people at a play, speech, sporting event, etc., show enthusiastic approval or appreciation by clapping their hands together over and over​

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January 17, 2018

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

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Facebook Feed to Show Less News, More Personal Posts

  Facebook says it is making major changes to its News Feed to show users less news and more posts from friends and family. The changes were recently announced in a Facebook post by co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The intention is to create “more meaningful social interactions” for users. He said the company feels a responsibility “to make sure our services aren’t just fun to use, but also good for people's well-being.” The News Feed is a collection of posts that includes photos, updates and links from a user’s family and friends. It can also show material from media companies and advertisements. The social media service says it will start prioritizing posts from friends and family in News Feed. At the same time, it will reduce the amount of material coming from news publishers and companies. The decision came after Facebook was criticized last year for not doing more to prevent false news stories from easily and quickly spreading. Two former Facebook officials also accused the company of creating products that have harmed society. Facebook has been using computer algorithms to predict what material was most likely to be “liked,” commented on or shared. But Zuckerberg said that will no longer be the company’s goal. He said Facebook product teams have been told to change their methods to get more personal posts to appear in News Feed. The change is aimed at creating more online connections between individuals. Zuckerberg said that video, media and other public content had “exploded” on Facebook in recent years. This resulted in more public material being seen than personal posts in News Feed. The latest decision was also based on the company’s own research, Zuckerberg said. That research showed that when used in certain ways, Facebook can strengthen personal relationships and improve well-being and happiness. Facebook said the research suggested that social media users who spent a lot of time only reading information – but not interacting with others – reported feeling worse afterward. Those who reported having interactions with others during the experience said it gave them better feelings. Facebook said it cooperated with psychology and mental health experts on several studies that supported the findings. Zuckerberg said even though he expects the changes to result in users spending less time on Facebook, he believes that time will be more valuable. “If we do the right thing, I believe that will be good for our community and our business over the long term,” he added. Change affected media pages The social media giant began running tests of News Feed changes in six smaller countries last year. In those tests, Facebook users were offered two separate feeds. One contained posts from friends and family, while the other included pages a user liked.   Several publications in test countries reported a major drop in website traffic due to the News Feed split. In Slovakia, journalist and social media manager Filip Struhárik wrote that the test change resulted in four times fewer social interactions on the country’s biggest media pages. Similar results were reported in Cambodia and Guatemala, according to social media data company CrowdTangle. The other test countries were Sri Lanka, Bolivia and Serbia. Some social media experts have said that having fewer news publishers show up in News Feed will not solve the problem of false news spreading on Facebook. They warn the change could actually increase such reports, which can be posted by a user’s family or friends and then shared widely. The experts also believe it may now be more difficult for Facebook users to find links to reliable news and official sources.  I’m Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on material from the Associated Press, Reuters, Facebook and other sources. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ QUIZ ​________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   prioritize – v. to organize things so that the most important thing is done or dealt with first algorithm – n. a set of steps that are followed in order to solve a mathematical problem or to complete a computer process reliable – adj. able to be believed or likely to be true or correct  

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North, South Korea to March Together at Winter Olympics

North and South Korea have agreed to march together in the opening ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Negotiators for the North and South announced the deal Wednesday after talks in Panmunjom on the border between the countries. The negotiators also said that the two Koreas will compete as one team in the women’s ice hockey event. North Korea plans to send a more than 400 member delegation to South Korea for the winter games in Pyeongchang. The delegation will include 230 cheerleaders and a 30-member team for a taekwondo demonstration. The North also said it plans to send a delegation of about 150 to Pyeongchang for the 2018 Paralympics Games, which are to be held in March. The two Koreas released a joint statement after their talks on Wednesday. Many details of the plan have yet to be discussed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Two North Korean figure skaters were chosen earlier to compete at the winter Olympics. The statement did not confirm their participation. However, the IOC said recently that it has “kept the door open” for North Korea to take part at Pyeongchang. IOC officials are set to meet on January 20 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The group will discuss details of the joint team and North Korea’s participation. In a statement, the IOC said it was considering several proposals. “There are many considerations with regard to the impact of these proposals on the other participating NOCs (national Olympic committees) and athletes,” it said. The Winter Games will take place from February 9 to the 25th. It has been nearly 12 years (Feb 10 2006) since North and South Korea marched together at the Olympics. North Korea’s participation next month would be the North’s first appearance in any Olympic Games held in the South. North Korea boycotted the Seoul Summer Olympics in 1988. I’m Mario Ritter.   Esha Sarai reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted her report for Learning English. His story includes information from the Associated Press and Reuters. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   participation –n. to be involved with others in doing something, to take part in an activity or event with others impact –n. to have a strong or meaningful effect We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Native Americans Fight to Keep Hair Long

  Mylon McArthur is eight years old. He comes from the first people to live in Canada. His family belongs to the Pheasant Rump Nakota Nation in the province of Saskatchewan. Mylon is the only native child in his class at school. Until recently, he wore his hair in a traditional style for native boys and men: long. But some other children at school bullied him about his long braids. His mother was worried. She saw that Mylon came home from school crying. She did not want him to become depressed, or even suicidal. She knew the number of native children who have killed themselves has been increasing. So she asked Mylon to cut his hair. But before he did, he made a video. In it, he spoke against the bullies and told teachers and parents to explain why long hair is important. The video went viral. In other words, many people watched it – more than 1 million. Mylon’s video is the latest part in a long history about native people and hair. What can hair mean? The meaning of hair is different across tribes. And traditional native hairstyles are also different. For example, hair can be loose, braided, or worn in a knot. Many native groups see hair as a source of strength and power. But government officials in the U.S. and Canada have historically seen native people’s hair differently. L.G. Moses is a professor at Oklahoma State University. He says that government officials in the 1800s tried to force native people to be more like the European settlers. One way the officials did that was by making native children and adults cut their hair. Long hair, they believed, showed that a person was wild – not civilized. The practice has not ended. Even today, many public school systems, prisons, and some workplaces require native people to wear their hair short.    Turning to social media Native people have resisted pressure to cut their hair in many ways, including taking legal action. Recently, they are also – like Mylon – using social media. In 2016, a member of the Cree group from Thunderchild First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada created a Facebook page to address long hair in native people. Michael Linklater was harassed as a child about wearing his hair in braids. His sons were also bullied about their hair. So Linklater created a group called Boys With Braids. The group is now a social movement. It has spread across Canada and into the United States. In the U.S. state of South Dakota, some boys attend weekly Boys With Braids meetings and events. They learn to ride horses, cook, and even hunt buffalo. The activities aim to make them feel proud not just of their hair, but of all the traditions of their culture. Mylon McArthur, who made the anti-bullying video, has not yet been able to go to a Boys With Braids event. But he hopes to soon. Mylon also says that, since he made the video, two things have changed. The other children stopped bullying him. And he decided to grow his hair long again. He says, “I can’t wait!” I’m ­Kelly Jean Kelly.   Cecily Hilleary reported this story for VOA News. Kelly Jean Kelly adapted the report for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   province - n. any one of the large parts that some countries are divided into braids - n. an arrangement of hair made by weaving three sections together suicidal - adj. wanting to kill yourself bully - n. someone who frightens, hurts, or threatens smaller or weaker people knot - n. a way of arranging long hair by twisting it into a round shape at the sides or back of the head harass - v. to annoy or bother someone in a constant or repeated way  

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Bitcoin Loses Half of Its Value

The price of Bitcoin dropped below $10,000 on Wednesday. Bitcoin is the world’s best-known cryptocurrency. But, it has lost half of its value from the record price set last month. The digital currency was valued at over $19,000 last December. On Wednesday, Bloomberg financial service said the price dropped to about $9,600. Charles Hayter is a founder of Cryptocompare, a business that owns cryptocurrencies. He told Reuters, “There is a lot of panic in the market. People are selling.” He said the fall in the value of bitcoin is related to uncertainty about whether governments will try to set rules for its use. Bitcoin is different from national currencies, which are supported by governments and central banks. Bitcoin is stored as a line of computer code. It is not printed on paper or something you can hold like a coin. Computers keep a global record of how each bitcoin is exchanged so that ownership and transactions can be confirmed. Last week, the South Korean government said that it is considering measures to ban trading of cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin. Officials also are expected to debate the rise of bitcoin at the upcoming G20 summit, a meeting of the world’s major economic powers, in Argentina in March. Wild price swings In January 2017, one bitcoin was worth around $1,000. In April, the Japanese government recognized bitcoin as a legal currency for settlement of debts. As Venezuela’s national currency loses value, Venezuelans have increasingly turned to bitcoin for daily use. And North Korean computer hackers are believed to be stealing bitcoins from exchanges in South Korea. The digital currency reached its highest level in December after the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission permitted trading in bitcoin futures. Futures are financial agreements for trading valuable property at set prices. Warren Buffett is an influential American investor and one of the richest men in the world. Last week, he warned: "In terms of cryptocurrencies, generally, I can say with almost certainty that they will come to a bad ending." Some observers say the recent drop in value shows that bitcoin was overpriced. Others welcome government rules and expect the extreme price changes to continue. The price of bitcoin has dropped before. Marc Singer is an adviser with the investment company Singer Xenos. He noted that bitcoin lost 93 percent of its value in 2011 and half its value in 2015. Christopher Keshian is with the APEX Token Fund, an investment group. He told Reuters that the sharp change in value “is an expected, and important, part of the journey to becoming” an accepted asset. He expected sharp changes in value to continue and that the price of bitcoin would rise again. On Wednesday, Reuters reported that experts at Citi, an American financial company, said bitcoin could lose half of its value again, to about $5,000. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on Reuters and other news reports. Mario Ritter was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   cryptocurrency –n. a form of money that only exists electronically founder –n. a person who establishes something meant to last for a long time hacker –n. someone who gains access to digital information or computer systems without permission code –n. a set of instructions for a computer transaction –n. a business deal involving an exchange asset –n. something of value

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Freedom House: Democracy Ratings for Most Countries

A new report warns that democratic values are weakening in countries around the world. The report found that values such as fair elections and freedom of the press have worsened in each of the past 12 years. The findings are from Freedom House, an American-based non-governmental organization. Freedom House works in support of political freedom and democracy worldwide. While the group is independent, some of its money comes from the United States government. For the new report, researchers studied information about conditions in 195 countries over the past year. Freedom House rated 88 of those countries as “free.” Fifty-eight others received a “partly free” rating. It identified 49 countries as “not free.” Arch Puddington is a researcher with Freedom House. He said that the study confirmed a drop in political freedoms in each of the past 12 years. “For the 12th consecutive year, freedom was on the decline across the globe. And by that we mean that there are more countries, in this case, in the case of 2017, many more countries that showed declines in freedom than showed improvements...” North America Freedom House reported a weakening of the United States as a leader of democracy in 2017. It said that America’s standing was affected, in part, by reports of Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election. U.S. government officials are investigating possible ties between Russia and aides to then presidential candidate Donald Trump. “There are problems with the elections that you don’t find in most well-established democracies,” said Arch Puddington. He noted the large amounts of money spent on U.S. election campaigns and state laws making voting more difficult. In written comments, Freedom House pointed to ethical concerns facing the administration of President Donald Trump. It said they include the Trump family’s business ties and the possibility for conflicts of interest, as well as the president’s decision not to release information about his taxes. The administration has noted an ongoing investigation by tax experts as a reason for not releasing Trump's tax returns. Asia The Freedom House report noted the intensification of repression under Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a reason for China’s generally downward move and "not free" rating. “We’ve noticed efforts by China to influence the way other countries deal with China, talk about China, what scholars write about China, what journalists write about China,” said Puddington. He added that the report noted “a kind of creeping policy” of trying to expand Chinese restrictions to China’s neighbors and other countries, such as Australia, Canada, and even the United States. Yet Freedom House researchers praised what they consider continued signs of political development for South Korea and the island of Taiwan. The report described Myanmar, also known as Burma, as "partly free.” Researchers said their findings on the country are mixed. They noted its move from military rule toward democracy and a worsening humanitarian crisis, following the movement of Rohingya Muslims to neighboring Bangladesh. Latin America Even with economic and political unrest in Nicaragua and Venezuela, Freedom House welcomed political developments in other Latin American countries. In 2017, Lenin Moreno took office as Ecuador’s president. Freedom House noted how Moreno has cancelled some of the measures that former president Rafael Correa put in place. Puddington praised Moreno for showing a willingness to have serious discussions with reformists and to take legal action against officials accused of corruption. The report noted increased U.S. involvement with Cuba’s government and the Cuban people. Yet Freedom House rated Cuba as “not free” in the report. It said freedom of the press and open political debate are two areas in need of improvement. Middle East The Freedom House report also gave "not free" ratings to Afghanistan and Iraq. “It doesn't necessarily mean that the country is moving in the wrong direction or in the right direction,” noted Arch Puddington. “It just means that there are a lot of things going on in that country. And we that anticipate there will be changes in the next year.” Observers say progress toward democratic elections and effective civilian governments could signal major developments for both countries. Africa Following the ouster of Robert Mugabe as Zimbabwe’s longtime leader, Freedom House listed the country as "partly free." Arch Puddington explained the rating. “Zimbabwe declined in our scores for 2017, but this was largely due to the fact that, you know, President Mugabe was pushed out by non-democratic means, and he was succeeded through non-democratic means..." I’m Dorothy Gundy. And I’m Caty Weaver.   Elizabeth Cherneff reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   globe – n. a round model of the Earth scholar – n. a person who has studied a subject for a long time journalist – n. a reporter or news media worker creep – adj. moving very slowly anticipate – v. to think of; to expect means – n. something that helps you get what you want; wealth   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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English Words Borrowed From the Americas

  On a recent program, we told you the stories of some English words borrowed from Japanese. Today, we will tell you about words English has taken from languages of the Americas. The Americas include North America, South America and the Caribbean. When Europeans arrived in the land now known as North America, millions of indigenous people were already living there. Indigenous Americans are often called Native Americans and sometimes American Indians. Archaeologists say that indigenous people had inhabited North America for some 30,000 years before Europeans settlers arrived. Eventually, the settlers would forcibly remove many of them from their land. Others died of European diseases. Native Americans lost nearly all of this land during the American conquest. Today, they make up less than 2 percent of the U.S. population. And yet, English has kept a large number of indigenous words, including the names of places, animals, plants and foods. Most of the words that English has borrowed come from the Algonquian group of languages. The word Algonquian also refers to the group of tribes that speak those languages. Algonquian languages were spoken – and some are still spoken – along North America’s Atlantic Coast, from Canada to South Carolina, and west to the Great Plains.   Let's start with U.S. place names. U.S. state names It is not very well known – even by Americans -- that 26 U.S. states are named after Native American tribes or their lands. That is more than half of the states. For example, Alabama is named for the Alibamu tribe and Kansas is named for the Kansa, or Kaw, tribe. The word Kansa is believed to mean "people of the south wind,” though that is probably not its original meaning. Many of our town, river and lake names are also Native American in origin. For example, two of the Great Lakes – Erie and Michigan – are Algonquian words. The word "Michigan" comes from the word mishigamaa, meaning "large lake." Michigan is also the name of the state next to this lake. And Erie comes from the Eriehonon people. ​Gary McCone is the head of Library and Information Services for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. He told VOA that the reason so many Native American place names were used is likely because early European explorers needed a way to communicate with local native people. Changing place names would have made that more difficult. The names of dozens of common American animals are also from Algonquian languages. They include chipmunk, moose, caribou, opossum, raccoon and skunk. In addition to Algonquian languages, English has borrowed words from the Nahuatl language of Central America and the Arawak languages of the Caribbean and South America.  Coyote For example, the name of another animal common to America, the coyote, comes from Nahuatl. A coyote is a small, dog-like animal with large ears. The original Nahuatl word was coyotl. The word first passed through the Spanish language before becoming part of English. ​Chocolate Here’s another example from Nahuatl: chocolate. Spaniards also first borrowed this word before it reached English. The Nahuatl word for chocolate is xocolatl. Mesoamericans grew and consumed cacao for centuries before Europeans came into contact with it. ​The word xocolatl was originally the name for an ancient, fermented Mesoamerican drink made from ground cacao seeds. Then, in the early 1500s, Spanish conquistadors observed how native people valued cacao beans. They took them back with them to Spain. The Arawak languages of the Caribbean and South America, such as the Taino language, have also given the English language many words. Two of them are hammock and barbecue. Hammock In English, the word hammock is a kind of hanging bed made from cloth. The cloth is hung between two poles or trees. It comes from the Taino word hamaka of the indigenous people of the island of Hispanola. It once meant “stretch of cloth.” Hammock is another example of a word that passed through Spanish first before reaching English. Native people of Central and South America first developed and used hammocks. Years later, sailors used them on boats to sleep more comfortably and make good use of a small space. Explorers and soldiers also used them in forested areas. Today, hammocks are very popular among Americans. Barbecue Another word of Taino origin is barbecue. The English meaning refers to a method of cooking over an open fire using wood (or charcoal) and a grill. Barbecue is also the word for the cooking device used in this cooking method. The indigenous word was barabicu and meant “structure of sticks set upon posts.” It referred to the raised wooden structures that indigenous Caribbeans used to cure meat on or to sleep on. Other language research says it meant "sacred pit." After Christopher Columbus reached America in 1492, Spaniards came across indigenous Taino people roasting meat barbecue style. In 1526, a Spanish explorer was the first person to use the word in Spain, when he wrote of "barbecoa" in a Spanish dictionary. Back in the Americas, as Spanish conquistadors began to travel north into what are now the southern United States, they brought along the barbecue cooking method. Today, most Americans use at least one Native American word each day as they talk about places, foods, animals and other things. Join us again soon to learn the history of English words borrowed from other languages. I’m Alice Bryant. And I'm Phil Dierking.   Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   indigenous – adj. produced, living, or existing naturally in a particular region or environment conquest – n. the act of taking control of a country, city, etc., through the use of force Mesoamerican – n. relating to or characteristic of the region of the southern part of North America or its inhabitants. cacao – n. the dried seeds of a tropical tree that are used to make cocoa and chocolate conquistador – n. a leader in the Spanish conquests of America, Mexico, and Peru in the 16th century charcoal – n. a hard black material that is made by burning wood with a small amount of air cure – v. to change something through a chemical or physical process so that it can be preserved for a long time

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