Popular American Hobby Bird Feeding Connects People to Nature

  Many Americans enjoy spending time with nature, and one popular activity is feeding wild birds. As many as 53 million Americans feed birds as a hobby each year. One of them is Sumner Askin, from Arlington, Virginia. His interest started a few years ago, when he was in college and studying wildlife science. "I had just taken this class, ornithology, the study of birds, and I was just super into it. And originally I got one feeder and I put it all the way up in this tree, I probably climbed like 30 feet so I could hang it right outside my window. And I got some cool stuff and I just wanted to keep going with it, see what else I could get." His plan was successful, and many wild birds visited his bird feeder. He recalls seeing downy woodpeckers, northern cardinals, mourning doves, and other birds. Watch and learn Askin says you can learn a lot from bird watching. "You learn about just how each species is designed differently, like the way their toes are shaped so they can grip things differently." Askins adds that most bird watchers develop a dislike for a lot of invasive, or non-native, species because they often chase around the other birds. One example is the blue jay, a bird Askin says he actually likes. Askin says, “Some people don't like the big blue jays because they're loud. But I like them. They are just big." Askin says he uses several kinds of bird feeders around his home. "Most birds like a small sparrow can't exactly stand on the side of a tree like a woodpecker can, because (the woodpecker) gets its toes there and just climbs up. The low-hanging feeder, a normal feeder, they sit on it and they turn sideways and they eat, but that one, they have to hang upside-down. So you can watch them just pivot completely upside down. And only two species can do that. So it's just for them instead of the non-native sparrows," Askin says. Why feed birds? Askin works part-time at a store called Wild Birds Unlimited. It sells seed, feeders and other supplies for people who like to feed birds. Michael Zuiker has operated the store for 26 years. He says feeding birds is good for everyone. "Birders," people who like the animals, enjoy watching the birds, while the birds get food to survive in big cities and expanding population centers. Zuiker is not surprised the hobby is so popular. "Gardening is the first," he noted, "backyard bird feeding second." He added that a lot of teachers have programs where they create environments for birds in their schools. They do this to teach students about different bird species, how they make their homes, and how to follow them. Zuiker says people like to feed and watch wild birds for many reasons. "I think one of the most important reasons is that it's a very, very peaceful emotional experience. You put the food out there, you spend time on your deck in the nice weather, in winter you're indoors watching birds. And you never know what's going to show up. Most of the yards around can easily get 30 different species of the birds in their backyards." Birds for company Paul Starzynski started feeding birds as a hobby after he retired three years ago. "If you sit quietly, they come real close and you don't bother them; you can watch them," he said. "You can even see the little seed in their beak before they swallow it. It's kind of fun. Besides, I like them flying over my head. I would be alone out there if I didn't have the birds." Starzynski also says that some birders are very serious about their hobby. They are able to identify many different species, even ones that look similar. Even without knowing every bird species or where they come from, Starzynski loves bird watching. He's just one of millions of Americans who enjoy the colorful beauty and sounds that birds bring to their homes. I’m Phil Dierking.   Faiza Elmasry reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted her report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Do you enjoy birds? What kinds of hobbies are popular in your home country? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   backyard - n. an area in back of a house​ bother - v. to cause (someone) to feel troubled, worried, or concerned​ deck - n. a flat surface that forms the main outside floor of a boat or ship​ hobby - n. an activity that a person does for pleasure when not working​ pivot - v. to turn on or around a central point​ species - n.  a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants​ toes - n. any of the five digits at the end of the human foot.​  

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Metal Recycling Businesses Prepare for More Electric Cars

  Recycling businesses are improving processes to remove metals from old batteries. Their hope is to take advantage of an expected shortage of materials, such as cobalt and lithium, when sales of electric cars start rising. The main problem that companies face now is a shortage of used batteries to recycle. But leaders of the recycling industry are sure that the supply, and profits, will come. Albrecht Melber is co-managing director of the German recycling company Accurec. "The value of lithium carbonate and natural and synthetic graphite has doubled or tripled in the last three or four years, becoming the most valuable materials besides cobalt in the automotive battery. There are big values that can be recycled in the future,” he told the Reuters news agency. Automobile manufacturers currently sell less than one million electric-powered vehicles every year. However, some experts expect electric vehicle sales to pass 14 million a year by 2025. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence is a data specialist group. It predicts the auto industry will need an extra 30,000 tons of cobalt and 81,000 tons of lithium a year to meet demand by 2021. Larry Reaugh is head of American Manganese, a Canadian recycler of metals. He notes that large lithium cobalt batteries contain high amounts of valuable minerals.  "If this equated to mining, you would have a very high-grade feedstock," he said. "We're mining batteries, you might say." Supply constraints Mining enough cobalt is a concern for battery manufacturers. Most of the world’s cobalt supplies come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where armed groups operate in areas close to mines. This year, the price of cobalt has more than doubled. Supplies of lithium, mainly mined in Chile, are under far less pressure at this time. Argentina and Australia are likely to increase cobalt production in the near future. However, business leaders are concerned about having enough lithium for use in batteries. Most recyclers heat old batteries to high temperatures to recover metals, a process known as pyrometallurgy. But this generally only produces cobalt, and sometimes nickel, while lithium is more difficult and costly to collect. New technology is helping to recover more waste metal from used batteries. Some companies, such as Umicore and Retriev, say they have developed ways to get lithium once more spent, or used, batteries are available for recycling. Steady supply of spent batteries The lack of a steady supply of spent batteries is one of the largest barriers to commercial development, recycling companies say. While sales of electric cars are growing fast, lithium ion car batteries last eight to 10 years, on average. This means it will be almost 10 years before the supply of spent batteries is big enough to make the process profitable. American Manganese says it is planning to direct its attention on recovering minerals from faulty batteries. This will help the company get around the wait time for working batteries to lose power. Even if supplies are low, companies seem hopeful about the future. Todd Coy is the vice president of Retriev. "At current commodity prices we need approximately 4,000 tons per year of batteries to justify the estimated capital costs,” he said. That number is more than three times its current processing volume. “We are confident this volume will be coming in the future - beyond 2023 - but the market is not there yet,” Coy added. Umicore says it expects volumes of spent batteries to rise above 100,000 tons a year over the next 10 years, with “massive volumes” coming onto the market around 2025.  Once that happens, the chances for the recycling industry to capitalize will take off. I'm John Russell. Jan Harvey reported on this story for the Reuters news agency. John Russell adapted the story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. __________________________________________________________________ Words in the Story   recycling - adj. of or related to reclaiming materials for future use battery - n. an instrument or device for making electric current data - n. the information operated from a computer program feedstock – n. unprocessed material to supply or fuel a machine or industrial process steady - adj. not able to move; not easily excited commercial - adj. of or related to business faulty - adj. having a mistake, fault, or weakness commodity - n. unprocessed products; a measure of economic wealth volume - n. an amount of total capitalize – v. to sell (something valuable, such as property or stock) in order to get money; to convert (something) into capital

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Scientists Developing Machine to Identify Diabetes-related Ulcers

  Diabetes mellitus is the name for several disorders with one thing in common: there is too much glucose, or sugar, in the blood. The body uses a natural hormone, called insulin, to change sugar and other food into energy. Diabetes develops when the body does not produce enough insulin or produces none at all. Or it develops when the body cannot use insulin. People living with diabetes often suffer from other health problems. One complication can be damage to tissue on the feet. These foot ulcers can worsen if left untreated. Doctors may decide to remove the damaged area in an operation called an amputation. In some cases, the patient could die. But a device being developed in Britain could help doctors recognize when ulcers are about to form. Using a relatively simple temperature sensing device, doctors scan a patient’s feet for signs of an ulcer. The information may help them prevent ulcers from forming, as well as improve the condition of the patient. The scanning device is called the DFirst. It works by looking for hot spots, or places of higher than normal temperature, on the feet of people with diabetes. Doctors believe that hot spots help identify areas of inflammation, which could lead to foot ulcers. Untreated ulcers are a leading cause of diabetes-related amputations. Robert Simpson is a researcher with the National Physical Laboratory near London. He notes that studies have shown a link between amputations and patient survival rates. “If you have an amputation, then unfortunately the outlook is up to 50 percent of those who have an amputation are dead within two years, and up to 80 percent are dead within five years.” How ulcers lead to problems Diabetes can cause damage to the nerves of the patient. Nerve damage can limit the patient’s ability to feel pain. People living with diabetes may not feel an ulcer developing in its early stages. Using the new scanner, Simpson said, doctors can clearly see areas of inflammation in what he likens to a temperature map. “So what we have here is a thermal imaging camera core. This is sensitive to the infrared which has a strong relationship with temperature; so this provides you with a temperature map.” The problem of foot ulcers could be bigger than health experts have recognized. A 2014 study by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that 400 million people live with diabetes. Some estimates say that 25 percent of patients will develop foot ulcers. Simpson said, in Britain, the problem has led to an increase in the number of amputations. “There are 140 amputations every single week, so that is nearly one every hour,” he noted. He added that 80 percent of these were “driven by foot problems.” Researchers say that until recently doctors looked for hot spots with scanners that could not observe the whole foot. Because of this, problem areas could easily be missed. Simpson said about 100,000 people in Britain have a foot ulcer. He said these people also are likely to develop another ulcer. He said it is important to help them better manage their health problems. The current version of the DFirst is held with two hands. Researchers have been testing the scanner for two years. Designers hope that later versions of the DFirst will be as small as a smartphone. I’m Mario Ritter. Kevin Enochs reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted his report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.​ _______________________________________________________________ Quiz Now, test your understanding by taking this short quiz. ​ __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   hormone – n. a natural substance that influences the way in which the body grows complication – n. a health condition or conditions often caused or brought on by another condition or a medical procedure scan – v. to use a special camera to make an image of something so that it can be studied closely inflammation – n. a condition where tissue becomes red, painful and swollen stage – n. a period in the development of something thermal – adj. related to heat infrared – n. a form of electro-magnetic radiation closely related to heat manage – v. to direct; to take care of; to have control of  

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Everyday Grammar: Discovery Verbs (Present Perfect Tense)

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Lesson 11: The Big Snow

Summary A big snow is coming. Anna has Anna and Pete have to stay at work on the weekend to report on it. Have they both prepared for the blizzard? Let's find out!   Conversation Kelly: Hi, Anna. Why do you have all this weather stuff? Anna: I love weather. Kelly: Me too! Weather is so important. Anna: It is. It affects people’s lives! Kelly: Have you ever reported on a big weather event? Anna: I have. I’ve reported on a blizzard. Kelly: Do mean the one last weekend? Anna: Yes! I had been waiting for that blizzard for years. When it came, I was ready. Prof. Bot: Welcome to our most perfect lesson! Why is it perfect? Today we are reviewing the present perfect and past perfect verb tenses. These show that an action is completed. Kelly uses the present perfect when she says, Kelly: Have you ever reported on a big weather event? Anna uses the past perfect when she says, Anna: I had been waiting for that blizzard for years. Listen for "have" or "had" and the past participle to find more sentences with the perfect tense. I'll color those words to help you. Anna: I have wanted to report on a big weather event my whole life. Kelly: Who hasn’t? Did you report all weekend ... by yourself? Anna: No, no. I volunteered Pete to help me. Pete: Why am I here on a Saturday? Why are you carrying things? Why? Why? Anna: Pete, these are my supplies – food, a blanket; warm clothing. Where are your supplies? Anna: Pete, Pete, Pete. This could be the “blizzard of the century.” Pete: It’ll be fine.   Kelly: How else had you prepared? Anna: Well, I had just bought the latest weather forecasting software. So, I brought it! Kelly: Do you mean The Weather Genie Pro? Anna: You know it. Pete thought it was pretty great too. Pete: Do you have any games on that thing? Anna: Yes! I have the best weather survival game. Boom! Pete: Sounds fun. Anna: It is. But right now, Pete, this computer is a work tool. It will give us the temperature, wind speed, wind direction and amount of snowfall … in real time! Boom, boom! Pete: I can’t wait. Anna: Pete, we need a name for this blizzard. Pete: No, we don’t. Anna: All the great storms have names. Pete: No, they don’t. Anna: I know -- “The Big Snow!” Pete: I am not saying “The Big Snow.” Pete: Welcome to “The Big Snow.” Kelly: The Big Snow broke all kinds of records, didn’t it? Anna: Yes it did. And every time a record was broken, we celebrated! Anna: So far, in Washington, D.C. 29 inches of snow has fallen. That, my dear listeners, is a record! (Honks horn) Anna: We just broke the wind speed record! (Honks horn) Anna: Snow has been falling for 30 hours straight! That’s another record! (Honks horn. Pete comes into room and breaks the horn.) Kelly: By Saturday night, stores and restaurants had closed. Did you bring enough food? Anna: I thought I had brought enough food. But I ran out. Anna: Hey, Pete, where is my bag of popcorn? Pete: Maybe you ate it already.  Anna: No, I didn’t. Pete: I haven't seen it. (Pete has popcorn in his beard. Anna tries to hit him.) Anna: We had reported together for 48 hours straight! Kelly: Wow. That must have been a great team-building exercise for you and Pete. Anna: Yeah. You - you could say that. Prof. Bot:  I hope you found all the sentences with perfect tenses. Learn more on our website!   New Words affect - v. to act on (someone or something) and cause a change amount - n. a quantity of something blizzard - n. a severe snowstorm that goes on for a long time century - n. a period of 100 years event - n. something (especially something important or notable) that happens forecast - v. to predict (something, such as weather) after looking at the information that is available record - n. a performance or achievement that is the best of its kind or at an extreme when measuring data software - n. the programs that run on a computer and perform certain functions straight - adv. without interruption survival - n. the state or fact of continuing to live or exist especially in spite of difficult conditions volunteer - v. to say that someone will do something without asking if he or she wants to do it   Learning Strategy The learning strategy for this lesson Find and Apply Patterns. That means to look for patterns in what you are learning. For example, we use many patterns to communicate: groups of sounds, letters, and words get our meaning across. In this lesson, Pete sees a pattern in Anna's celebration of the weather records. Each time a weather record breaks, she honks her horn to celebrate. Pete does not like the horn, so he breaks it before Anna celebrates the next record-breaking weather fact. He is applying his understanding of a pattern to make his life quieter. How about you? How do you find and apply patterns?  Can you see patterns in the way people use English? How about in literature? There are also patterns in math, science, history, music and social studies. Can you think of a time when knowing about a pattern helped you to learn something? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email.    Listening Quiz See how well you understand this lesson by taking a listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer. ​ Free Materials Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. For Teachers Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Present Perfect Simple/Continuous; Past Perfect Simple/Continuous Topics:  Describe actions that have occurred; Describe actions that haven't occurred yet; Discuss duration of activity Learning Strategy: Find / Apply Patterns   Comments 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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Lesson 11: This Is My Neighborhood

Summary Anna has many things to do. She needs to go to the library, post office, bank, and store. Marsha helps her find these places in their neighborhood. Speaking In this video, learn to say the new words. Learn to thank someone for giving you help. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about the places in your neighborhood. Pronunciation ​In this video, you ​learn to show strong feelings by saying words slower and louder. Conversation   Anna: Hello! DC is a city for walking. In our neighborhood, I can do all my errands. Marsha, before we get ice cream, I need to return three books to the library. Where is the library? Marsha: It is on this street on the corner. Anna: Awesome! Marsha: Let's go! Anna: Marsha, I can return the books here. Marsha: Anna, what are those in the books? Anna: Marsha, these are letters to my family and friends back home … four letters! Is there a post office near here? Marsha: Um, no. The post office is far from here. But there is a mailbox across from the store. Anna: Awesome! Let’s go! (At the mailbox) Anna: Marsha, now I need to buy stamps. Marsha: Do you have cash? Anna: No. Is there a bank near here? Marsha: There is a bank behind you. Anna: Thanks, Marsha. You know our neighborhood so well. Anna: Now I have cash. I can buy stamps. Marsha: That store sells stamps. Anna: Wait here. Anna: I have stamps. Marsha: Wow, you’re fast. Anna: Thank you, thank you letters, for sending my words… my love … to my family and friends -  Marsha: Do you have more cash? Anna: I do! Marsh and Anna: Ice cream!! Anna: I love my new neighborhood! Everything is near our apartment! Even hair salons*, and ice cream! Anna: Until next time! *salon - n. a business that gives customers beauty treatments (such as haircuts) Writing Where do you do errands in your neighborhood? Write to us to tell us about three places you go in your neighborhood. Send us an email or write about them in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice with a friend.       Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is ​Ask Questions. When we are learning a language, asking questions helps us practice and get new information. Here is an example. Tatiana is visiting her friend in New York. Her friend goes to work one day and gives Tatiana a map of the city. Tatiana wants to run in Central Park. She walks out of the apartment and sees a woman with two children. Tatiana thinks, "I need help with the map. I do not know where this apartment is on the map." She asks the woman, "Excuse me. Is Central Park near here?" The woman smiles and says, "Yes, walk to the bus station and turn left. It's not far away." Tatiana asks, "Thank you. Can you show me where we are on the map?" The woman shows Tatiana her friend's street on the map. "Have a nice day!" she says as she walks away. Tatiana is happy she can ask questions in English. She soon finds the park and has a great run. How do you ask questions to practice speaking English and learn in 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. Listening Quiz Test your understanding by taking this listening quiz. Play the video, then choose the best answer. ​______________________________________________________________ New Words   bank - n. a business where people keep their money, borrow money, etc., or the building where such a business operates buy - v. to get (something) by paying money for it cash - n. money in the form of coins and bills corner - n. the place where two streets or roads meet errand - n. a short journey that you take to do or get something fast - adj. moving or able to move quickly get - v. to obtain (something) ice cream - n. a frozen food containing sweetened and flavored cream library - n. place where books, magazines, and other materials (such as videos and musical recordings) are available for people to use or borrow mailbox - n. a public box in which letters and packages are placed to be collected and sent out post office - n. a building where the mail for a local area is sent and received return - v. to bring, give, send, or take (something) to the place that it came from or the place where it should go sell - v. to exchange (something) for money send - v. to cause (a letter, an e-mail, a package, etc.) to go or to be carried from one place or person to another stamp - n. a small piece of paper that you buy and then stick to an envelope or package to pay the cost of mailing it store - n. a building or room where things are sold ______________________________________________________________ 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 a conversation about activities.   For Teachers See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Prepositions (across from, behind); Cardinal numbers indicating quantity; Singular/Plural introduction Topics: Describing neighborhoods; Asking for information​ Learning Strategy: Ask Questions Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Expressing gratitude, emphasis on words expressing feelings ______________________________________________________________ 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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College Admissions: Teaching Parents How to Help

  For most people around the world, applying for admission to a college or university is a major event in their lives. Many young people see it as one of their first steps toward becoming adults. It is also a lot of work. The competition and risk of rejection can create a lot of stress, and not just for the applicants. Parents of high school students are often very involved in the college search process. Sometimes they are even more invested in the application results than the students themselves. Ffiona Rees is a senior associate director of international admissions office at the University of California in Los Angeles. She says most students in the United States would list their parents as the main influence on their college application decisions. “Even when the students are appearing like they don’t want to listen to their parents, they clearly are,” Rees told VOA. “And so, it’s important for the parents to be supportive of the students. Students look to their parents for all kinds of advice, she says, including where to go and what to study. But Rees argues there is also some important advice parents need to hear if they want to be as helpful as possible to their children. First, parents must accept that there are limits to what they know about the application process, she says. She says even parents who attended university in the U.S. themselves, must understand that a lot has changed in just the last 20 years. It is important for parents to join their children in researching the most current college and university requirements. Working together is important for success, Rees says. And, it can be an important time for parents and students to strengthen their relationships with each other. Rees says parents need to fully devote themselves to the process if they get involved. She describes one college admissions informational meeting in which she witnessed a parent repeatedly leave the room for phone calls. Rees says the parent may have missed important information. But, as important, is the impression such behavior creates. The parent seemed to not care about the student’s interest in attending the school. “It’s really important that the parents take the time to tell their child how proud they are of them … and to … tell them that you love them no matter what,” Rees said. “Because the students need to hear that. We forget that, while they’re young adults, they’re still only usually 17, 18 years old and they need to hear that from their parents.” Rees says parents also need to be honest. They may want to protect their children and provide them with everything they want. But students need to know if there are limits to their college search. For example, will finances restrict their choices? Rees says parents must tell their children exactly how much money they will provide for college. What about distance? Reese says she once got a phone call from unhappy parents demanding to know why the school had accepted their child whose home was far away. They wanted their child to study closer to home. But they had never discussed that with the student, thinking the application would not be successful. Rees says it is important for parents to express such concerns before the student applies to any school. It is a thin line to walk, Rees suggests. Parents should talk to their future college students, of course. But she says parents also must listen to them. In the end, Rees notes, it is the child who will be attending the college, not the parents. Young people may not be clear on what their educational interests or desires are. Parents may not care for some of their child’s choices. But, Rees says, making such decisions is an important part of becoming an adult. Such independence is important when it comes to completing college applications as well. Parents may feel the urge to help their children write an essay or fill out a form. Rees advises parents to fight that urge. Young people must learn to meet deadlines and take responsibility, she says. Valuable lessons can be learned in the application process. And, schools demand the applicant be the author of his or her application. Finally, Rees says, most students will likely be rejected by at least one college or university. Parents, she says, can greatly help their children move beyond such rejection in a healthy way. “It’s much like when you have a toddler and they fall down,” she said. “If you rush to them and say, ‘Oh, you must be hurt. Are you okay?’ the child is going to react accordingly. If … you say, ‘You’re fine! Get up, off we go,’ then your child is also going to react accordingly. … They will get some letters of denial. They are not personal rejections, and it is important that you help to remind your child that they are still a good person.” I’m Jill Robbins. And I’m Pete Musto.   Pete Musto reported this for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. How involved in the college application process are parents in your country? What other advice do you think parents should listen to when helping their children apply to college? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   apply(ing) – v. to ask formally for something, such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan, usually in writing stress – n. a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life or work proud – adj. very happy and pleased because of something you have done, something you own, or someone you know or are related to finances – n. money available to a government, business, or person essay – n. a short piece of writing that tells a person's thoughts or opinions about a subject deadline(s) – n. a date or time when something must be finished toddler – n. a young child who is just learning to walk rush – v. to move or do something very quickly or in a way that shows you are in a hurry accordingly – adv. in a way that fits the facts, needs, or requirements of a situation remind – v. to cause someone to remember something

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What Does It Mean to Go 'Haywire?'

  Welcome to Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English! Today, we are going on a make-believe trip to the countryside to learn about a word that comes from something used on a farm – haywire. Like it sounds, haywire is a strong, thin wire. Farm workers often use it to tie up hay grown in the fields. They roll up the long, cut grass and store it in large bundles. Later, when farm animals need to be fed, the wire is cut. You need to use a hatchet or something else with a very sharp edge to cut the wire. Haywire does not break easily. But it can get easily twisted together by accident. So, that is the farm material called haywire. But what does it mean to go haywire? The expression “to go haywire” has several meanings. “To go haywire” can mean to turn crazy, unreasonable or wild, as in this example: “If I don’t take a break from work soon, I am going to go haywire!” Here, the expressions flip out or freak out have a similar meaning. These are all informal or for everyday use. If you want to be more formal, you could use the word berserk. “To go haywire” also means to start malfunctioning or failing to operate normally. We often use this expression for machines that don’t work as they should. For example, let’s say we are visiting a peanut butter factory. A machine used to pump peanut butter into jars suddenly goes haywire. It squirts peanut butter everywhere – on the floor, on walls and on factory workers. Soon the whole area is covered with the tasty, but sticky food! So, the machine is not only broken, it made a huge mess. “Haywire” can also mean to become out of control. When a process fails to work as planned, you can also say it ran amok. This expression is more formal. Here is an example of this meaning of “haywire.” “Urgh. Plans for my outdoor party just went haywire! The supermarket can’t bring the birthday cake. The musicians refuse to play. There’s no place to leave a car because of unannounced street repairs in front of my house. Oh … great. And it’s going to rain. It’s going to rain hard!” But how did this simple farm word come to mean “go wild”? Language experts say there are two stories that help explain where this meaning came from. As we said earlier, Americans use haywire to describe a state of disorder, extreme messiness – in other words, a situation where everything seems to be going wrong. Years ago, farmers used haywire to temporarily fix a damaged fence, gate or barrier. But the wire was never a good choice for permanent repairs because it breaks down easily. The metal iron turns reddish brown and wears down when attacked by oxygen in the air or water. It other words, it rusts! This fact, however, did not stop people from using it for repairs. As a result, many fences and buildings where lots of wire were used for repairs look messy. They have gone haywire.   Another story about “haywire” comes from the material itself. When you cut tightly wound wire, you should do so carefully. It can suddenly spring back at you like a snake. It can circle your body and then stab you with its sharp ends. This can happen quickly, often catching a person off guard. Word experts may not agree on the origin. But they can agree that anything that has “gone haywire,” has gone crazy or is a big, hot mess! And that’s the end of this Words and Their Stories. I’m Anna Matteo.   I pushed the fool button My night went haywire I pushed the fool button Set my brain on fire   Anna Matteo wrote this story with additional reporting from Jessica Berman. George Grow was the editor. The song at the end is “Fools Button” by Jimmy Buffet. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   hay – n. grass that has been cut and dried to be used as food for animals   bundle – n. a group of things that are fastened, tied, or wrapped together   berserk – adj. to become very angry, crazy, and violent : to become very excited jar – n. a widemouthed container made typically of earthenware or glass squirt – v. to come forth in a sudden rapid stream from a narrow opening mess – n. a very dirty or untidy state or condition — usually singular amok – adv. in a wild or uncontrolled manner — used in the phrase run amok off guard – verbal phrase in an unprepared state : not ready hot mess – n. informal : something or someone that is emphatically a mess: such as something in a state of extreme disorder or disarray  

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Actor Benedict Cumberbatch Plays Thomas Edison in 'The Current War'

  The Weinstein Company planned to release its new film The Current War in the United States this week. But the opening has been delayed until next year.   Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein heads the company, and he is accused of sexually harassing and assaulting several women in Hollywood. The film stars Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch. He plays light bulb inventor Thomas Edison who clashes with industrialist George Westinghouse in the early 20th century. Edison prefers direct electrical current while Westinghouse, played by Michael Shannon, wants to use the more dangerous alternating current. Originally, the two men wanted to work together, but Edison received a lot of investment money from the world’s richest man, J.P. Morgan, and decided to work alone. Westinghouse and Edison became enemies, fighting over the future of electricity. Benedict Cumberbatch says that he played the role of Edison because it was a great challenge. “That’s kind of an exciting chapter of history no matter who you’re playing in it and I just thought it’s a challenge to play such a titanic figure in American culture and I like a challenge.”  Michael Shannon says he tried to play Westinghouse as a complex character and not let him become a great egoist. “For every success they had, they had a failure and it wasn’t always easy.”  In addition to Edison and Westinghouse, the film features the life of Nicola Tesla, a former assistant to Edison who goes on to work for Westinghouse. Actor Nicolas Hoult plays Tesla. Hoult says that Tesla believed that everyone had a right to use electrical power and it would change the world dramatically. As a character, he adds, Tesla is interesting to play because he was often poor, but was always well dressed. Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon has received some criticism for his use of special effects and odd camera angles. He says he wanted the audience to understand the importance of electricity and the way it would change the world. He explains he had to tell a long story in a short time and he hopes it “captures the feeling of the time.” I'm Susan Shand.   David Byrd reported this story for VOANews.com. Susan Shand adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   disgrace - v. to cause (someone or something) to lose or become unworthy of respect or approval alternate - adj. occurring in or forming a repeated series challenge - v. to be difficult enough to be interesting to someone titanic - adj. very great in size, force, or power egoist - n. a person who believes he is better or more important than other people odd - adj. strange or unusual; different from what is normal or expected    

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Newly Found Painting Shows George Washington's Army Tent

  One late night in May, Philip Mead was looking for historical objects from the American Revolution. He noticed a painting being offered for sale on the internet. Suddenly, he felt his heartbeat speeding up. Mead is the chief historian at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The painting is an unsigned watercolor from 1782. It shows the army tent that George Washington had used as his command center during the Revolutionary War. And, to Mead, this seemed to be the only known artwork from that period to show this tent. The painting is the top exhibit at the museum, which opened in April 2017. And, thanks to Mead, the museum now owns the painting, which will be the centerpiece of a show next year. Mead said the discovery seemed almost “too good to be true.” “I’ve had this level of excitement only a handful of times in my 30 years of looking for this stuff,” he said. When Mead saw the tent painting, he immediately emailed the image to Scott Stephenson. Stephenson serves as the museum’s vice president of collections, exhibitions and programming. He said his heart jumped when he realized what the painting was. The next step was to quickly find people willing to donate money to buy the painting, which was up for auction. It was to be sold just days after Mead’s discovery. He and Stephenson were concerned that they might not be the only people to have seen the rare work. And they were not sure the painting was exactly what they'd hoped. But they still followed their plan. The painting got only one other bidder. And so, the Museum of the American Revolution easily bought the painting for $12,000. Then, museum workers studied the picture and confirmed that it shows the Continental Army’s fall encampment at Verplanck’s Point, New York. The painter was a French-born engineer, Pierre L’Enfant. He served in the Continental Army. L’Enfant was wounded at the Siege of Savannah and taken prisoner at the surrender of Charleston, South Carolina. When released, he went back to serve with Washington for the rest of the war. Years later, he worked on planning the design for Washington, D.C. The painting shows hundreds of military tents across the hills of New York's Hudson Valley. On the left side is Washington’s field command center, including the tent. Most artwork about the war was created after it, historians say. So the images didn’t necessarily show real events. Mead said having a painting by L'Enfant is "like having a Google Street View look at a Revolutionary War encampment." Although L'Enfant did not sign the painting, it is similar to one he made in 1782 of troops at West Point, New York. The family who cared for L’Enfant at the end of his life gave it to the United States Library of Congress. The appearance, the dates of both paintings, and handwriting helped to confirm L'Enfant as the painter. Sometime in the past, the original tent painting was cut into six pieces of paper and placed into a folder. An expert is working to clean the painting and put the pieces back together so it can be shown as it was meant to. It will be the central piece of an exhibit called “Among His Troops: Washington’s War Tent in a Newly Discovered Watercolor.” The exhibition will open on January 13, 2018. To offer visitors a more complete show, the museum is also borrowing the West Point painting from the Library of Congress. I'm Alice Bryant.   Kristen de Groot reported this story for the Associated Press. Alice Bryant adapted her report for VOA Learning Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tent – n. a portable shelter that is used outdoors, is made of cloth and is held up with poles and ropes exhibit – n. a presentation or showing handful – n. an amount that you can hold in your hand auction – n. a public sale at which things are sold to the people who offer to pay the most bid – v. to offer to pay a specific amount of money for something that is being sold original – n. that from which a copy or reproduction is made folder – n. a folded cover or large envelope for holding documents

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US Businesses Making Farming Technologies for Cities

  How do you get the freshest, locally grown fruits and vegetables in a big city? For an increasing number of Americans, the answer is to grow the fruits and vegetables themselves. Businessman Cam MacKugler can help. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Seedsheet. MacKugler was at the Food Loves Tech event in Brooklyn, New York, earlier this month. He was showing off Seedsheet products, which are for people who live in high-rise buildings or other homes with little space for growing plants. Seedsheet products come with fabric sheets and small pods, each filled with a mix of seeds and soil. The fabric is placed on top of dirt in a home planter or in the ground. When watered, the pods soften and eventually break up as the plants start to grow. The seed groupings on any given Seedsheet provide vegetables or herbs for salads and other meals. Pricing starts at $15 for the factory-made sheets. But you can spend up to $100 for a larger, made-to-order outdoor covering measuring 1.2 by 2.4 meters. Efforts like Seedsheet come as Americans increasingly want to know where their food comes from. Many are looking for socially and environmentally responsible growing methods. MacKugler told VOA that most of the company’s sales come from young people living in cities. American consumers are not giving up on the low cost and ease of packaged and prepared foods. But new products and technologies are playing a part in helping Americans understand where their food comes from. “Consumer education is really progressing,” said Nicole Baum of Gotham Greens, a grower of hydroponically grown produce. Baum said consumers were less familiar with the term “hydroponics” -- growing plants in water instead of soil -- when Gotham Greens first started in 2011. But more and more Americans have since heard about this form of agriculture. Baum said she has also seen an increase in competing companies. “We’re definitely seeing a lot more people within the space from when we first started, which is awesome,” she said. “I think it’s really great that other people are coming into the space and looking for ways to use technology to have more productive, efficient growth.” Gotham Greens provides leafy greens and herbs grown on buildings to supermarkets and top-rated New York restaurants like Gramercy Tavern. Companies like Smallhold also advertised their services at the Food Loves Tech event. Smallhold manufactures mini-farms – small, self-contained structures -- for growing mushrooms. The mushroom mini-farms are meant to be used in restaurants, not homes. Smallhold sets up the devices and services them at restaurants, with restaurant workers harvesting mushrooms when they are ready. Hannah Shufro, operations lead at Smallhold, said the mini-farms help cut down on pollution that comes with transporting and shipping produce. Shufro also noted that produce begins to lose its nutritional value right from the time it is harvested. "When you’re harvesting food right out of a system that’s growing onsite, it does not get fresher than that, she said.” I’m Susan Shand   Tina Trinh reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted her report for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fabric – n. a material like cloth; the main structure of something pod – n. a protective container package – n. a box or container; something that comes in a box awesome – adj. extremely good; causing feelings of wonder  

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