English @ the Movies: 'Give Him A Break'

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Lesson 19: When Do I Start?

Summary Anna has to walk to work because the Metro is closed. She calls to tell her boss she is late. Ms. Weaver wants her to come and talk about a new assignment. What will Anna do?   Speaking Learn to pronounce the new words for this lesson and the months of the year. Learn about using which for offering choices and every or next with time words. Pronunciation In this video, learn how English speakers say the second month of the year. Conversation   Anna: Hi there! Summer in Washington, D.C. is hot and sunny. I always ride the Metro to work. Riding the Metro is cool and fast. But today it’s closed. So, I am walking to work.  (On the phone) Ms. Weaver, I am late this morning. The Metro is closed. So, I am walking to work.  Caty: That’s too bad. It’s really hot today. Anna: Yes it is. Caty: When you arrive, please come to my office. I have important news to tell you. Anna: Of course. Good-bye. My boss has news for me. The question is: Is it good news or bad news? (At work) Anna: Hello, Ms. Weaver. Caty: Anna, I have good news and I have bad news. Which do you want to hear first? Anna: The good news. No … okay, the bad news. Caty: The bad news is you are not good at reading the news. Anna: Oh. I am very sorry to hear that. Caty: So, starting next month you will not read the news. Anna: Next month is July. You are firing me in July. Caty: No. I am not firing you in July … or in August or in September. That is the good news. Anna: Okay. You are not firing me. I am not reading the news. What will I be doing? Caty: Well, you are good at asking questions. You are good at talking to people. You are good at showing your feelings. And you are great at being silly. Anna: Thank you, Ms. Weaver. But what does all that mean? Caty: I have a new assignment for you! Your skills are perfect for a new show … a children’s show. Anna: A children’s show ... That is awesome! When do I start? Caty: You start next month. Start thinking of ideas for the show. Anna: I have tons of ideas! I can show children what it’s like in outer space ... Caty: Great … Anna: … or in the deep, dark ocean … Caty: Those are great ideas, Anna. Please go think of more … at your desk. Anna: Yes. What other things can I show them? Mt. Everest!  Everyone has different skills. You have skills. I have skills. The important thing is to know what you are good at. Until next time!   Writing What are your skills? Do you use them at work or at school? Tell us about a couple of skills you have. Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice talking with a friend about what you do at different times of the year.   Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Summarize. In this week's video, you hear Ms. Weaver tell Anna, "Well, you are good at asking questions. You are good at talking to people. You are good at showing your feelings. And you are great at being silly." Anna does not understand why Ms. Weaver is telling her about her skills. She asks, "But what does all that mean?" In answering the question, Ms. Weaver summarizes, "I have a new assignment for you! Your skills are perfect for a new show … a children’s show." When we summarize we tell a story or report on information in fewer words. We tell the most important information and do not include many details. Summarizing helps us remember new information and practice using new words.    How do you summarize when learning English? 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 ​Test your understanding by taking the listening quiz. Listen to the short video, then choose the best answer. ______________________________________________________________ New Words arrive - v. to come to or reach a place after traveling assignment - n. a job or duty that is given to someone  child - n. a young person (plural: children) closed - adj. not operating or open to the public deep - adj. having a large distance to the bottom from the surface or highest point everyone - pron. every person; everybody fire - v.  to dismiss (someone) from a job idea - n. a thought, plan, or suggestion about what to do mean - v.  to cause or result in (something) month - n. any one of the 12 parts into which the year is divided Mt. Everest - n. a mountain in Asia; it is the highest mountain in the world ocean - n. the salt water that covers much of the Earth's surface other - adj. used to refer to the one person or thing that remains or that has not been mentioned outer space - n. the region beyond the Earth's atmosphere in which there are stars and planets perfect - adj. having all the qualities you want in that kind of person or situation silly - adj. playful or funny skill - n. an ability to do something that comes from training, experience, or practice ton n. informal: a large amount; in the US, a ton is a unit for measuring weight that equals 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) ______________________________________________________________ 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 practice talking with a friend about what you do at different times of the year.     For Teachers See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Which as an adjective alone and with pronouns; Adjectives next and every Topics: Saying the months of the year; Talking about seasons and activities​ Learning Strategy: Summarize Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Using which and which one to offer a choice; using every and next with time expressions; Pronunciation of February ______________________________________________________________ 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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Tesla Chief Sells $10 Million in Flamethrowers… But Why?

This is What’s Trending Today… Elon Musk - head of electric carmaker Tesla and aerospace company SpaceX - is known for using creative methods to raise money for his businesses. He has successfully gotten tens of thousands of interested buyers to place deposits of at least $1,000 for electric Tesla vehicles that were not yet manufactured. Last year, SpaceX announced that two private citizens had paid “a significant deposit” to ride on one of the company’s rockets for a future trip around the moon. So it is not surprising that Musk recently launched another money raiser – this time for his tunnel-digging business, The Boring Company. But what did surprise many people was the item he was selling - flamethrowers. The Boring Company’s website began offering the fire shooters for $500 each on January 27. Days later, Musk announced on Twitter that all 20,000 flamethrowers offered had been sold. This means the pre-sale process brought in $10 million dollars. The company said the devices – which look similar to some air guns sold as toys – would ship sometime this spring. The flamethrower campaign followed another Boring Company fundraiser that sold 50,000 hats that showed the company’s name on the front. Musk shared on Christmas Eve that since the hats had sold out, “flamethrowers” would next go up for sale. But many people wondered if the new campaign announcement could be a joke. About a month later, the technology executive announced the official launch, but in a joking way. “The Boring Company flamethrower, guaranteed to liven up any party!” he tweeted. Musk also joked that the device would be “great for roasting nuts.” He also suggested: “When the zombie apocalypse happens, you’ll be glad you bought a flamethrower. Works against hordes of the undead or your money back!” At one point, he even tweeted that owning a flamethrower was a “terrible idea,” urging people not to buy one. But he quickly followed up that comment with, “unless you like fun.”   But the jokes, and fact that the item was highly unusual, did not stop people from buying up flamethrowers by the thousands. Some people – and at least one California lawmaker - raised concerns about the safety of the flamethrowers. Musk responded by stating that federal rules allow the use of any flamethrower with a flame shorter than three meters. He said they were designed to provide the most fun with the least danger. “I’d be way more scared of a steak knife,” he said. As a safety feature, the company says all flamethrowers will also ship with a free fire extinguisher. The Boring Company’s goal is to create underground tunnels to be used as a new form of high-speed transportation. One of the proposed uses would be with Musk’s planned transportation system Hyperloop. Currently under development, this system would operate with electromagnetic technology and forced air. Musk has said Hyperloop would use electric vehicles to carry between 8-16 passengers between major U.S. cities at speeds up to 1,000 kilometers an hour. The Boring Company is developing equipment intended to make the process of drilling tunnels faster and more cost effective.    And that’s What’s Trending Today… I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Reuters 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. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   deposit – n. money that you give someone when you agree to buy something (such as a house or car) tunnel – n. a long passage that goes under the ground, through a hill, etc. flamethrower – n. a weapon that shoots a stream of burning liquid toy – n. something meant to be played with for fun roast – v. to cook or dry with heat zombie – n. a dead person who reportedly has the ability to move because of magical powers apocalypse – n. a great disaster or event that causes much fear, loss, or destruction hordes – n. large groups of people fire extinguisher – n. a metal container filled with chemicals used to put out a fire drill – v. make a hole in something using a drill  

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Quiz - Several Studies Show Oceans Face Serious Threats

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Everyday Grammar: Mastering Reported Speech

We often need to tell others what someone else said. There are two ways to do this. One is to say the same words and use quotation marks. That is "direct speech." The other method is to summarize, or tell about what someone said. This is called "reported speech."  Before we get into the rules for reporting speech, here are the terms we are using to explain it.                                           Subject noun or pronoun Reporting verb Conjunction Reported speech clause She said that she wanted a cookie. Rules for reporting speech To get this kind of sentence right, there are four things you should keep in mind: The first rule is to choose a reporting verb and tense. When did the speech happen? With current, repeated or recent events, the reporting verb is in the present tense. "He says he is hungry, so let's go to lunch."  A habitual or repeated statement is in the present tense: "Everyone says the water is safe to drink." For reporting less immediate speech, choose the past tense. The reporting verb is often said, but it can also be told, or other verbs like ordered, stated, or reported, depending on the situation. When reporting questions, you can use verbs like asked or requested. The second rule is to change the perspective, or point of view. That means I becomes he, she, or they. "Mary said 'I ate the pie."' becomes "She said that she ate the pie." "The boys said, 'We are coming tomorrow'" becomes "They said they are coming tomorrow." Next, choose whether to include "that or "if." You can say, "He says he is at home" or "He says that he is at home." That is a conjunction here, linking the two parts of the sentence. It is optional. Another conjunction, if, is required when reporting on a question: "He asked me if I knew how to play tennis." The fourth rule is to "backshift" the tense. This is the trickiest part of reported speech. When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb in the reported clause is in the past tense, too. The verb aspect, showing whether the action is completed, matches. Here are some examples:​ "I am buying my ticket." (present continuous) -> He said he was buying his ticket. (past continuous) Ashley: "I have fixed my bicycle." (present perfect) -> She said she had fixed her bicycle. (past perfect) Reporting speech in English would be easy if these rules were all learners needed to know. But as usual, there is more to learn. Let's look at what happens with questions and modals. Reporting on questions When we report questions, we have to pay attention to the auxiliary verb. These are words like do, be, and have. Yes or no questions begin with an auxiliary, such as        "Do you like pizza?" To report that question, drop the auxiliary and add if:        He asked me if I liked pizza. Learners often make the mistake of leaving the auxiliary verb in the reported speech:  He asked me do I like pizza. Information questions start with a question word:        "Where are you going?" To report on these, simply change the pronoun and word order.        She asked me where I was going. Here, learners often make the mistake of keeping the same word order: She asked me where was I going. A similar word order switch appears with the verb "be" in questions. They asked, "When is the party?" -> They asked me when the party was. The question word "when" remains. "Be" moves from a position before the noun to after the noun. Reporting speech with modals Finally, pay attention to whether the speech you are reporting uses a modal verb. Will, can, and shall change to would, could, and should when reported. Will is used to make statements about the future in English. When reporting this kind of statement, will becomes would. Compare these sentences: Kelly said, "I will pick up the sandwiches." -> Kelly said she would pick up the sandwiches. Modal verbs may appear in questions, as well: Caty asked, "Can you answer the phone while I'm out?" -> Caty asked me if I could answer the phone while she was out. If the modal verb is already in its past form, it does not change when reported. George stated, "I would not do that." -> George said he would not do that. Test your knowledge Let's try a few sentences. I'll say the direct speech, and you make a sentence in reported speech. Our boss said, "You can all go home early today." -> Our boss said we could all go home early. Anna asked "When is your birthday?" -> Anna asked me when my birthday was. Adam said, "I am leaving on Tuesday." -> Adam said he was leaving on Tuesday. Chris said, "I will bring the cake." -> Chris said he would bring the cake. Reported speech in song Reported speech sometimes shows up in popular songs. The singer Lisa Loeb begins the song "Stay" with a reported verb in the present tense to show that the action is a habit. you say I only hear what I want to you say I talk so all the time so Later she reports something in the past, so the reported speech verb is in the past tense. you said that I was naive, and I thought that I was strong. I thought, "hey, I can leave, I can leave." but now I know that I was wrong, 'cause I missed you. Follow these simple rules and you will be reporting speech like a pro. She said that you would be reporting speech like a pro. I'm Pete Musto. And I'm Jill Robbins. Reference                                          Reporting Verb Tense Direct Speech Direct Speech Tense   Indirect Speech Reported Speech Tense Present Adam says, "I have a headache. I can't go." Present simple Adam says he has a headache, so he can't go."  Present Simple (it is still true) Past Adam said, "I am going to Seattle." Present continuous Adam said he was going to Seattle. Past continuous Past Ashley said, "I can clean up." Present Modal form Ashley told us she could clean up. Past Modal form Past Ashley said, "I have never been to Seattle." Present Perfect Ashley said she had never been to Seattle. Past perfect Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story. Adam Brock was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   report – v. to tell people about (something) aspect – grammar : the characteristic of a verb that expresses the way an action happens auxiliary verb – n. a verb (such as have, be, may, do, shall, will, can, or must) that is used with another verb to show the verb's tense, to form a question, etc. modal verb – n. a verb (such as can, could, shall, should, ought to, will, or would) that is usually used with another verb to express ideas such as possibility, necessity, and permission Now it's your turn. Try changing these sentences into reported speech. Write your sentences in the comments section and we will give you feedback. Trung asked,  "Did you eat dinner?" Pete said, "I have been looking for a new car." Ashley says, "Come into my office." ​

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News Words: Participate

Participate is a verb and is usually followed by the word "in." Learn what participate means with Caty and Jonathan in this week's News Words.

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Eagles Face Patriots in Super Bowl Sunday

  Every year, more Americans gather around their televisions to watch the Super Bowl than any other single broadcast. Last year, almost 112 million viewers watched the New England Patriots defeat the Atlanta Falcons for the National Football League championship. It was the fifth Super Bowl win for the Patriots. This Sunday, the Patriots will go for another. They will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Eagles have never won a Super Bowl, the championship game established in 1967. Fans and experts consider the Eagles the underdog in the big game, meaning the team is widely expected to lose. The lack of confidence in the Eagles is partly the result of Tom Brady’s great record. The Patriots quarterback has led his team to five Super Bowl wins. He was named Most Valuable Player in three of those championship games. Last year, Brady helped his team recover from a 25-point deficit and win the game. Many consider him the best quarterback of all time. Nick Foles is the quarterback for the Eagles. Foles had a poor 2015 season with the St. Louis Rams and thought about retiring from the game. Last year, he joined the Eagles as a back-up quarterback. When starting quarterback Carson Wentz injured his knee, Foles took his place. The Eagles under Foles, however, seem to enjoy being the underdog. After defeating the heavily favored Atlanta Falcons 15-10 in a playoff game, two Eagles players walked off the field wearing dog masks. One of them jokingly told reporters, “I don’t know if you heard: There was a little narrative this week that the media was pushing that evidently we were, like, not favored?” The team then encouraged its fans to wear dog masks themselves to the next game. The “underdog” Eagles went on to beat the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 38 to 7. That win earned the Eagles its place in Super Bowl 52. The Super Bowl broadcast is not only about the game, however. Many who watch are more interested in the half-time entertainment and the funny commercials aired during the game. Singer Justin Timberlake is the star performer this year. It will be his third time on the Super Bowl stage. The Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots have faced each other once before in a Super Bowl. The Patriots won that 2005 NFL championship game, 24 to 21. Only one person who played then will return to the field this Sunday: New England Patriot Tom Brady. The Eagles are hoping for a different result this time. I’m Caty Weaver.   Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   underdog - n. a person, team, etc.. that is expected to lose a contest or battle confidence - n. a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed mask - n. a covering use to diguise your face narrative - n. a story that is told or written commercial - n. an advertisement on radio or television

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North Koreans Arrive in South Korea for Olympics

  Ten North Korean skaters and skiers arrived in South Korea on Thursday to take part in the Winter Olympics, which opens next week. Final preparations for the Olympics have brought a temporary reduction in tensions over the North Korean government’s nuclear weapons program. A total of 22 North Korean athletes have won special permission from the International Olympic Committee to compete in the winter games. The event will take place from February 9 through the 25 in PyeongChang, South Korea. A group of North Korean female hockey players arrived in South Korea last week. They are joining with South Korean players to form the first unified Korean team in the Olympics. Until recently, North Korea had no athletes approved to compete in the games. The 10 athletes were part of a 32-member North Korean delegation that arrived in South Korea by air. They flew on a South Korean flight that also brought back South Korean non-Olympic skiers who had visited a North Korean ski area this week. The North Koreans did not speak much at the South Korean airport and later at the athletes’ village in the eastern city of Gangneung. But some smiled and waved their hands to reporters at the athletes’ village. One said, “Nice to meet you!” The two Koreas have been planning a number of joint activities aimed at showing an easing of tensions during the games. Their athletes are to parade together with a single “unification flag” during the opening ceremony. A rare sight on Thursday was the appearance of North Korean flags at the athletes’ village and other Olympic areas. Normally, South Korea would bar the flying of the North Korean flag on its territory while an anti-North Korea security law remains in effect. South Korea sees the Olympics as a way to open meaningful communication with North Korea after a period of heightened tensions and diplomatic clashes with the North. Some observers say the North Korean government may try to use improved ties with South Korea as a way to weaken sanctions against the North. The United States has led international efforts aimed at punishing North Korea for its nuclear and missile activities. “It feels amazing (that the North Koreans are coming),” said Choi So Eun, a college student who volunteered to work during the Olympics. Choi spoke to the Associated Press after taking a selfie with another South Korean volunteer under a North Korean flag at the Gangneung athletes’ village. “I thought only high-level officials in South Korea could see a North Korean in person, but I think I can see them here so I’m excited,” Choi said. Next week, North Korea is to send a 230-member cheering squad, a 140-strong art group, taekwondo demonstrators and reporters as part of its Olympic delegation. The last time North Korea sent a big delegation to South Korea was for the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. I'm Pete Musto.   The Associated Press (AP) reported this story. George Grow adapted the report for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. How do you think the Olympics will affect relations between North and South Korea? Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   skater(s) – n. a person who is trained in a sport involving wearing a pair of shoes with blades on the bottom that allow them to glide on ice skier(s) – n. a person who is trained in a sport involving wearing a pair of long narrow pieces of wood, metal, or plastic that curve upward slightly in front, are attached to shoes, and are used for gliding over snow athlete(s) – n. someone trained in or good at sports hockey – n. a game played on an ice rink in which two teams of six players on skates use curved sticks to try to shoot a puck into the opponent's goal unified – adj. joined or brought together delegation – n. a group of people who are chosen to vote or act for someone else amazing – adj. surprising selfie – n. a picture that you take of yourself especially by using the camera on your smartphone squad – n. a group of people who are involved in a particular activity taekwondo – n. a style of fighting that originated in Korea and that uses kicks and punches but no weapons

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Court Overturns Olympic Doping Bans

  The Court of Arbitration for Sport has rejected an International Olympic Committee (IOC) decision to bar 28 Russian athletes from Olympic competition. The IOC had ruled against the athletes for violating its anti-doping rules at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Doping means using a drug or other substance illegally to improve an athlete’s performance. The court expressed support for appeals by the 28 Russians Thursday. It overturned the IOC sanctions against them and ruled that their individual results from the 2014 games should not be cancelled. The IOC said it had taken note of the court’s decision “with satisfaction on the one hand and disappointment on the other.” It also said the decision may have a serious effect on the future fight against doping. The Associated Press reported that the 28 who had their bans lifted could now seek late entry to the winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. But the IOC said after the decision that the athletes who won their appeals would not be invited to the games, which open next week. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko said the government would support further legal action so that the athletes affected by the decision could compete in PyeongChang. It was not immediately clear how many of the 28 Russians would now seek to compete. Some have already retired from competitive sports. Others found guilty The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) also ruled on 11 other Russian athletes who had appealed their sanctions. An IOC committee had found them guilty of doping and ordered lifetime bans. But the court reduced the punishment to a ban only from the South Korean games. Two CAS judging panels heard 39 appeal cases last week in Geneva, Switzerland. The two groups did not give detailed reasons when they announced the decision on Thursday. The 11 athletes whose appeals were rejected came from men’s bobsled, women’s cross-country skiing and women’s hockey. I'm Lucija Millonig   VOANews.com reported this story. George Grow adapted the report for Learning English. His story includes information from the Associated Press news agency. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   disappointment – n. unhappiness about something that was not as hoped for or expected sanction – n. an action or order requiring a government or government representatives to obey international rules athlete – n. someone trained in or good at sports We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Google Doodle Honors Carter G. Woodson, the 'Father of Black History'

  This is What’s Trending Today… February 1 marks the beginning of Black History Month in the United States and other countries around the world. On Thursday, Google honored the month with a special Google Doodle of African-American historian Carter G. Woodson. Experts call him the “Father of Black History.” Woodson was born in the state of Virginia in 1875. His parents were both former slaves. Neither of his parents ever had the chance to learn to read or write. Woodson, however, had a strong interest in education. Because he spent much of his youth helping his family by working in farming and mining, Woodson mostly taught himself. Woodson entered high school at the age of 20 and received his diploma in just two years. He went on to become the second African-American in history to earn a doctorate from Harvard University. He was among the earliest scholars of black history. Woodson launched a publication called the Journal of Negro History. It was later renamed the Journal of African American History. In it, he and other experts wrote about African-American life and history. He also wrote more than 12 books on the topic during his lifetime. In 1926, Woodson developed an education program on the study of African-American history. The one-week program was called Negro History Week. It took place in February. Woodson chose February because it was the birth month of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln. That weeklong program later expanded to become what is known today as Black History Month. The Google Doodle shows Woodson sitting at a desk and writing, with other African-American leaders by his side. Virginia-based artist Shannon Wright designed the Google Doodle. The Black Googlers Network helped develop it.   Sherice Torres is Google’s director of brand marketing and a member of Black Googlers Network. She wrote about Woodson and the story behind the doodle. She said that Woodson’s life story inspired her to choose African American Studies as her major in college. Thursday’s Doodle is just one of Google’s efforts to mark Black History Month. Its popular Arts and Culture app lets users explore art, historical artifacts and stories related to African-American history and culture in America. And that’s What’s Trending Today…. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Ashley Thompson wrote this story for Learning English based on information from Google. Hai Do was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   diploma - n. a document which shows that a person has finished a course of study or has graduated from a school doctorate - n. the highest degree that is given by a university artifact - n.  a simple object (such as a tool or weapon) that was made by people in the past

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Meet the Whale That Can Say 'Hello' and 'Bye Bye'

This is What’s Trending Today… Wikie is a 14-year-old whale living in captivity in France. Wikie is an orca. Orcas are extremely smart, making them dangerous to their prey. Orcas are also called “killer whales.” Their intelligence makes them easy for humans to train. Many captive orcas perform tricks for audiences at marine parks. And, as it turns out, orcas can even be trained to “speak” using human language. An group of international researchers said this week they taught Wikie to repeat human words. They taught her to mimic words like “hello,” “bye bye” and the name “Amy.” She also repeated numbers as well as sounds made by the researchers.   Wikie was a quick learner; she was able to mimic a word or sound after just 10 tries. (You can listen to Wikie’s sounds here:) The news made Wikie a trending topic on social media. In the wild, orcas live in groups of whales called pods. Each pod uses different sounds and calls to communicate with each other. Scientists already knew that orcas were able to learn new whale “dialects.” One orca even learned to communicate with a dolphin while living with it in captivity. Although Wikie is able to mimic human words and sounds, that does not mean she can understand them. Josep Call is a professor of evolutionary origins of mind at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He is the co-author of the study. He told The Guardian this week that there is no evidence that Wikie understands what ‘hello’ stands for. But the orca’s ability is, in Call’s words, “impressive -- even though the morphology [of orcas] is so different, they can still produce a sound that comes close to what another species, in this case us, can produce.” The study was published in the journal Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Ashley Thompson. Ashley Thompson wrote this article based on reports from Science News Alert and The Guardian. Caty Weaver was the editor.  ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   captivity - n. the state of being kept in a place (such as a prison or a cage) and not being able to leave or be free : the state or condition of being captive prey - n. an animal that is hunted or killed by another animal for food audience - n. a group of people who gather together to listen to something (such as a concert) or watch something (such as a movie or play) mimic - v. to copy (someone or someone's behavior or speech) dialect - n. a form of a language that is spoken in a particular area and that uses some of its own words, grammar, and pronunciations morphology - n. the study and description of how words are formed in language  

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