Forget the Gunplay, These Cowboys Get Their Kicks From Wordplay

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AA: I'm Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble, and this week on WORDMASTER: palindromes aplenty.

RS: A palindrome is something that reads the same backwards or forwards. Palindromes make us think of Janus, the Roman god with one face looking forward and another looking backward.

AA: And from Janus we get January, and from that we get the idea to rerun "The Ballad of Palindrome" each New Year.

RS: It features a skit that spoofs a cowboy show on television in the 1950s called "Paladin." Here now is the group Riders in the Sky joined by singer and songwriter Johnny Western.

Riders in the Sky

SOUND: "The Ballad of Palindrome/Palindrome: The Scene with Johnny Western"

RS: That's Riders in the Sky from their 1998 album "A Great Big Western HOWDY!" on the Rounder Records label.

AA: And that's WORDMASTER for this week. Our e-mail address is word@voanews.com, and our segments are all online at voanews.com/wordmaster. Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year, with Rosanne Skirble, I'm Avi Arditti.

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Choosing the Right Calendar Takes Time

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Will it be cats, cars, beautiful women in swimsuits or Elvis? Transcript of radio broadcast:

Now, a Special English program for the New Year. I'm Faith Lapidus.

The New Year is the time for new beginnings. It is also the time to buy a new calendar. Yet it can take a lot of time just to choose the right one. There are lots and lots of choices. There are small ones. Big ones. Calendars that sit on a desk. Calendars that hang on the wall. Calendars to carry around. Calendars that show a whole month or one day at a time.

Of course, in one way all calendars are the same. They all list the same days of the year in exactly the same order. But people do not buy calendars just to know what day it is. Calendars have become popular gifts because many are filled with beautiful pictures.

Some have pictures of famous art works. It is like hanging a different painting on your wall each month. You can even learn from calendars. They often give information about their subject -- such as famous writers or American Indians or flower gardens.

There are calendars about food and about beautiful places in the world. Calendars about sports and about movies. Funny calendars with popular cartoon characters. Calendars of famous people, like Elvis Presley or Marilyn Monroe.

Women are not the only subject of sexy calendars. This one honors firefighters from the New York Fire Department.

For pet lovers, there are calendars with pictures of cats doing unusual things. Three hundred sixty-five of them – one for each day of the year. Calendars of dogs wearing clothes. And calendars of beautiful women in swimming suits, not wearing much at all.

Would you rather look at pictures of cars? There are calendars with those, too. For busy mothers, there is a magnetic calendar to hang on the wall. There are even calendars for children who can draw the pictures themselves.

Some people do not just look at their calendars. They use them to write down important things they must remember, like meetings or doctor’s appointments. Busy people can buy small calendars to carry around to help them organize and plan their life.

But what if they forget to look at their calendar? Do not worry, there are electronic organizers that make sounds to remind people of things they must do. These days, if you forget something, it is getting harder and harder to find a good excuse.

Some people do not like little calendars, or big ones, or noisy electronic ones. They are happy just to write down notes to themselves on small pieces of paper. The smaller the better, usually.

These people never worry about all the time it takes them to find their small pieces of paper when they need them.

I'm Faith Lapidus wishing all our listeners a Happy New Year.

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Imagine, There Was a Time When People Had No Need to Measure Time

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Exploring one of the universe's great mysteries. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember. This week our program is about a mystery as old as time. Bob Doughty and Sarah Long tell about the mystery of time.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

A sundial at the state Capitol in Olympia, Washington, on a rare winter day when the skies were clear enough for it to work

If you can read a clock, you can know the time of day. But no one knows what time itself is. We cannot see it. We cannot touch it. We cannot hear it. We know it only by the way we mark its passing.

For all our success in measuring the smallest parts of time, time remains one of the great mysteries of the universe.

VOICE TWO:

One way to think about time is to imagine a world without time. There could be no movement, because time and movement cannot be separated.

A world without time could exist only as long as there were no changes. For time and change are linked. We know that time has passed when something changes.

VOICE ONE:

In the real world -- the world with time -- changes never stop. Some changes happen only once in a while, like an eclipse of the moon. Others happen repeatedly, like the rising and setting of the sun. Humans always have noted natural events that repeat themselves. When people began to count such events, they began to measure time.

In early human history, the only changes that seemed to repeat themselves evenly were the movements of objects in the sky. The most easily seen result of these movements was the difference between light and darkness.

The sun rises in the eastern sky, producing light. It moves across the sky and sinks in the west, causing darkness. The appearance and disappearance of the sun was even and unfailing. The periods of light and darkness it created were the first accepted periods of time. We have named each period of light and darkness -- one day.

VOICE TWO:

People saw the sun rise higher in the sky during the summer than in winter. They counted the days that passed from the sun's highest position until it returned to that position. They counted three hundred sixty-five days. We now know that is the time Earth takes to move once around the sun. We call this period of time a year.

VOICE ONE:

Early humans also noted changes in the moon. As it moved across the night sky, they must have wondered. Why did it look different every night? Why did it disappear? Where did it go?

Even before they learned the answers to these questions, they developed a way to use the changing faces of the moon to tell time.

The moon was "full" when its face was bright and round. The early humans counted the number of times the sun appeared between full moons. They learned that this number always remained the same -- about twenty-nine suns. Twenty-nine suns equaled one moon. We now know this period of time as one month.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Early humans hunted animals and gathered wild plants. They moved in groups or tribes from place to place in search of food. Then, people learned to plant seeds and grow crops. They learned to use animals to help them work, and for food.

They found they no longer needed to move from one place to another to survive.

As hunters, people did not need a way to measure time. As farmers, however, they had to plant crops in time to harvest them before winter. They had to know when the seasons would change. So, they developed calendars.

No one knows when the first calendar was developed. But it seems possible that it was based on moons, or lunar months.

When people started farming, the wise men of the tribes became very important. They studied the sky. They gathered enough information so they could know when the seasons would change. They announced when it was time to plant crops.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The divisions of time we use today were developed in ancient Babylonia four thousand years ago. Babylonian astronomers believed the sun moved around the Earth every three hundred sixty-five days. They divided the trip into twelve equal parts, or months. Each month was thirty days. Then, they divided each day into twenty-four equal parts, or hours. They divided each hour into sixty minutes, and each minute into sixty seconds.

VOICE TWO:

Humans have used many devices to measure time. The sundial was one of the earliest and simplest.

A sundial measures the movement of the sun across the sky each day. It has a stick or other object that rises above a flat surface. The stick, blocking sunlight, creates a shadow. As the sun moves, so does the shadow of the stick across the flat surface. Marks on the surface show the passing of hours, and perhaps, minutes.

The sundial works well only when the sun is shining. So, other ways were invented to measure the passing of time.

VOICE ONE:

One device is the hourglass. It uses a thin stream of falling sand to measure time. The hourglass is shaped like the number eight --- wide at the top and bottom, but very thin in the middle. In a true "hour" glass, it takes exactly one hour for all the sand to drop from the top to the bottom through a very small opening in the middle. When the hourglass is turned with the upside down, it begins to mark the passing of another hour.

By the eighteenth century, people had developed mechanical clocks and watches. And today, many of our clocks and watches are electronic.

VOICE TWO:

So, we have devices to mark the passing of time. But what time is it now? Clocks in different parts of the world do not show the same time at the same time. This is because time on Earth is set by the sun's position in the sky above.

We all have a twelve o'clock noon each day. Noon is the time the sun is highest in the sky. But when it is twelve o'clock noon where I am, it may be ten o'clock at night where you are.

VOICE ONE:

As international communications and travel increased, it became clear that it would be necessary to establish a common time for all parts of the world.

In eighteen eighty-four, an international conference divided the world into twenty-four time areas, or zones. Each zone represents one hour. The astronomical observatory in Greenwich, England, was chosen as the starting point for the time zones. Twelve zones are west of Greenwich. Twelve are east.

The time at Greenwich -- as measured by the sun -- is called Universal Time. For many years it was called Greenwich Mean Time.

VOICE TWO:

Some scientists say time is governed by the movement of matter in our universe. They say time flows forward because the universe is expanding. Some say it will stop expanding some day and will begin to move in the opposite direction, to grow smaller. Some believe time will also begin to flow in the opposite direction -- from the future to the past. Can time move backward?

Most people have no trouble agreeing that time moves forward. We see people born and then grow old. We remember the past, but we do not know the future. We know a film is moving forward if it shows a glass falling off a table and breaking into many pieces. If the film were moving backward, the pieces would re-join to form a glass and jump back up onto the table. No one has ever seen this happen. Except in a film.

VOICE ONE:

Some scientists believe there is one reason why time only moves forward. It is a well-known scientific law -- the second law of thermodynamics. That law says disorder increases with time. In fact, there are more conditions of disorder than of order.

For example, there are many ways a glass can break into pieces. That is disorder. But there is only one way the broken pieces can be organized to make a glass. That is order. If time moved backward, the broken pieces could come together in a great many ways. Only one of these many ways, however, would re-form the glass. It is almost impossible to believe this would happen.

VOICE TWO:

Not all scientists believe time is governed by the second law of thermodynamics. They do not agree that time must always move forward. The debate will continue about the nature of time. And time will remain a mystery.

(MUSIC)

Our program was written by Marilyn Christiano and read by Sarah Long and Bob Doughty. I'm Steve Ember. Listen again next week for Science in the News, in VOA Special English.

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Beyond 'Auld Lang Syne': Music That Plays at the Heart Like New Year's

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Music and emotions go hand in hand. Songs can make us feel the heartbreak of a lost love, or the excitement of finding a new love. Transcript of radio broadcast:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember, and today we bring you music for the New Year.

(MUSIC)

In the United States and other countries, this old Scottish song, "Auld Lang Syne" is played when a new year begins. It is about remembering old friends.

New Year's is a holiday for memories and for hopes. The past and the future come together at midnight. Not surprisingly, emotions are as much a part of New Year's Eve as noisemakers and fireworks. After all, a traditional way to welcome the New Year is to kiss the person you love.

"Old Lang Syne" lends its name to a modern song about a man and a woman who once were lovers. One day, a week before New Year's, they meet again by chance. The singer is Dan Fogelberg and the song is called "Same Old Lang Syne."

(MUSIC)

On December sixteenth, two thousand seven, fans of Dan Fogelberg lost an old friend. The American singer and songwriter died of prostate cancer at the age of fifty-six. He was known for the kind of soft rock popular in the nineteen seventies and eighties. "Same Old Lang Syne" was one of the hits from his nineteen eighty-one album "The Innocent Age."

The idea of meeting an old lover by chance is also at the heart of a Paul Simon song. Here is the title song from Paul Simon's nineteen seventy-five album "Still Crazy After All These Years."

(MUSIC)

Chance meetings are one of life's little surprises. They can happen anywhere -- in a market, on the street, even in a taxicab. This song by Harry Chapin is called "Taxi."

(MUSIC)

Harry Chapin was a popular folk singer and songwriter. In nineteen eighty-one, at the age of thirty-eight, he died in a car crash on his way to a performance.

Music and emotions go hand in hand. Songs can make us feel the heartbreak of a lost love, or the excitement of finding a new love. Songs can also capture the pain of a wish that a person knows will never come true. Here is James Blunt with "You're Beautiful."

(MUSIC)

The nineteen eighty-nine movie "When Harry Met Sally" was about a relationship. Billy Crystal plays Harry and Meg Ryan is Sally. They meet and become friends, though not at first. Later, they fall in love, though not for very long. Then, on New Year's Eve, Harry comes to his senses and finds Sally at a party.

(SOUND)

From New Year's Day, we turn to "A New Day." That was the name of Celine Dion's music and dance show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. It closed on December fifteenth, two thousand seven, after almost five years. It earned a reported four hundred million dollars in ticket sales.

The show's run ended two months before the start of a worldwide tour for a new album by the Canadian singer. But some fans came to the show again and again, so closing night was like an emotional goodbye to an old friend.

We leave you with Celine Dion and a song that some of you will probably sing along with. From the nineteen ninety-seven movie "Titanic," here is "My Heart Will Go On."

(MUSIC)

We hope you will join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English, on the radio or online at voaspecialenglish.com. Wishing you a happy New Year from all of us, I'm Steve Ember.

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Remembering Four Interesting People Who Died This Year

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Learn about the lives of philanthropist Brooke Astor, daredevil Evel Knievel, business leader Leona Helmsley and jazz musician Max Roach. Transcript of radio broadcast:

VOICE ONE:

I’m Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember with PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English. Today we remember four interesting Americans who died in two thousand seven.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Brooke Astor

The woman often called the First Lady of New York died on August thirteenth. Brooke Astor was one hundred five years old. The extremely wealthy and famous New Yorker spent much of her life helping the needy in her beloved city.

She was born Brooke Russell in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She was the only child of a high level military officer. She lived in several countries and liked learning about different cultures.

VOICE TWO:

After two earlier marriages, she married Vincent Astor in nineteen fifty-three. He came from a family that had been rich for at least one hundred years. Among other things, he owned many buildings in New York City.

Brooke Astor became one of the richest women in the world when Vincent Astor died. She also became head of a huge charity organization founded by her husband. He reportedly had told her she would have fun giving away his money.

VOICE ONE:

And apparently she did. Missus Astor gave tens of millions of dollars mainly to places and people in New York City. She said it was the sensible choice because that was where the money had been made. She gave financial support to the city’s cultural centers, its poor and disabled as well as to many other smaller charities. She won a Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work.

Brooke Astor also wrote two books about her life. She suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in the last years of her life. When she died, the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, said the city would not be what it is today without her support.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Evel Knievel

America lost its most famous daredevil this year. Evel Knievel rode motorcycles through the air in increasingly dangerous and exciting tricks in the nineteen sixties and seventies. He became a folk hero.

Robert Craig Knievel was born in nineteen thirty-eight in Butte, Montana. As a boy, he was arrested for stealing car parts. He said the police gave him the nickname “Evil,” spelled E-V-I-L. He later legally changed his first name to "Evel," spelled E-V-E-L.

Evel Knievel began riding motorcycles in his teens. He said his first motorcycle was a Harley Davidson he had stolen. He was a good athlete and played professional ice hockey for a time. He also served in the United States Army where he became a paratrooper. He made more than thirty jumps from airplanes.

VOICE ONE:

Evel Knievel performed his first public motorcycle jump when he was twenty-seven. He had just opened a motorcycle store and wanted the public to know about it. He lined up several cars along with a box of poisonous snakes and a mountain lion tied up at the end. He drove his motorcycle up a ramp and began the twelve-meter long jump. He landed in the rattlesnakes.

Later, he began performing such tricks all over the United States and Europe. Sometimes his jumps were successful; sometimes they were not. But his shows were always popular. Toy companies sold dolls that looked like him. His life story was told in two movies and a song about him became a hit.

VOICE TWO:

But Evel Knievel’s body suffered greatly. He said he had as many as fifteen major operations to repair broken bones. One crash was so bad he was in a coma and lost consciousness for a month. Knievel’s personal choices also damaged his health. He drank too much alcohol and used illegal drugs. In his later years, he also suffered from diabetes and an incurable lung disease. The former daredevil died November thirtieth in Clearwater, Florida, at the age of sixty-nine.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Leona Helmsley

She was known as the "Queen of Mean" because she was not a very nice person. Leona Helmsley owned costly hotels and other property in New York City. She died August twentieth of heart failure. She was eighty-seven.

Leona Rosenthal was born in nineteen twenty in a rural area of New York state. Her family moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she grew up.

She became a successful real estate agent, selling homes in New York City. She met a rich investor, Harry Helmsley, as a result of her work. He soon asked her to work for one of his companies. Shortly after that he left his wife of more than thirty years and married Leona in nineteen seventy-two.

VOICE TWO:

Over the years, the Helmsleys owned property worth five billion dollars. At one time, they owned the famous Empire State Building in New York City and thirty hotels around the country. Leona became the main spokesperson for their hotels. She was the star of a very successful advertising campaign.

Reports of Leona Helmsley’s treatment of employees and family members often appeared in New York newspapers. She was criticized for her self-important behavior. A former housekeeper said Helmsley told her that she and her husband did not pay taxes. “Only the little people pay taxes,” Helmsley reportedly added.

But Leona Helmsley later may have regretted that statement. In nineteen eighty-nine she was found guilty of not paying federal income taxes. She served eighteen months in prison and had to pay millions of dollars.

When she died, Leona Helmsley left twelve million dollars to her little dog, Trouble. The money is to care for him until the end of his life. It was the largest amount of money she left anyone, including her brother and grandchildren.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

And finally we remember the inventive and highly skilled jazz drummer, Max Roach.

(MUSIC)

He died August sixteenth in New York City at the age of eighty-three. He had been sick for several years.

Max Roach

Max Roach established an unusual new rhythm to jazz that was an important part of the birth of bebop. Until the nineteen forties, jazz drummers mainly served to keep musical time. But Max Roach believed the drums had greater musical possibility. The drum beat style he and others established was more closely linked to the melody of the music. Here he plays at a live concert in Frankfurt, Germany in nineteen fifty-two. The song is “Undecided.” He performs with several other jazz greats including saxophone player Lester Young.

(MUSIC: “Undecided”)

VOICE TWO:

Maxwell Lemuel Roach was born in a small town in North Carolina in nineteen twenty-four. His family moved to Brooklyn, New York when he was four. Max’s mother was a gospel singer and he followed in her musical footsteps. He learned to play the piano and bugle as a very young boy. But by the age of ten he was playing the drums for gospel bands.

When he was still a teenager Max began playing with Duke Ellington’s orchestra at the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn. He also played at music clubs in the Harlem area of Manhattan. Listen now as he plays “Garvey’s Ghost,” recorded in nineteen sixty-one.

(MUSIC: “Garvey’s Ghost”)

VOICE ONE:

Max Roach won many awards and honors. He was among the most politically active jazz musicians. In nineteen sixty, he made an album called "We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite." It was about the black people's struggle for equality in the United States and Africa.

In the nineteen seventies, Max Roach formed an all percussion orchestra called M’Boom. We leave you with Max Roach and that group performing “A Quiet Place.”

(MUSIC: “A Quiet Place”)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written and produced by Caty Weaver. I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I’m Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for People in America in VOA Special English.

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Get Your Act Together: Organization Is the Name of the Game

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I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

(MUSIC)

A woman from Japan was telling a friend about her trip to the United States. The woman had visited major businesses and investment companies in New York City and Chicago.

"I studied English before I left home, " she said. "But I still was not sure that people were speaking English."

Her problem is easy to understand. Americans in business are like people who are in business anywhere. They have a language of their own. Some of the words and expressions deal with the special areas of their work. Other expressions are borrowed from different kinds of work such as the theater and movie industry.

One such saying is get your act together.

When things go wrong in a business, an employer may get angry. He may shout, "Stop making mistakes. Get your act together."

Or, if the employer is calmer, he may say, "Let us get our act together."

Either way, the meaning is the same. Getting your act together is getting organized. In business, it usually means to develop a calm and orderly plan of action.

It is difficult to tell exactly where the saying began. But, it is probable that it was in the theater or movie industry. Perhaps one of the actors was nervous and made a lot of mistakes. The director may have said, "Calm down, now. Get your act together."

Word expert James Rogers says the expression was common by the late nineteen seventies. Mister Rogers says the Manchester Guardian newspaper used it in nineteen seventy-eight. The newspaper said a reform policy required that the British government get its act together.

Now, this expression is heard often when officials of a company meet. One company even called its yearly report, "Getting Our Act Together."

The Japanese visitor was confused by another expression used by American business people. It is cut to the chase.

She heard that expression when she attended an important meeting of one company. One official was giving a very long report. It was not very interesting. In fact, some people at the meeting were falling asleep.

Finally, the president of the company said, "Cut to the chase."

Cut to the chase means to stop spending so much time on details or unimportant material. Hurry and get to the good part.

Naturally, this saying was started by people who make movies. Hollywood movie producers believe that most Americans want to see action movies. Many of their movies show scenes in which the actors chase each other in cars, or in airplanes or on foot.

Cut is the director's word for stop. The director means to stop filming, leave out some material, and get to the chase scene now.

So, if your employer tells you to cut to the chase, be sure to get to the main point of your story quickly.

(MUSIC)

This WORDS AND THEIR STORIES program was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan Clark.

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Special English 美语发音词汇手册（A-G）

Special English 美语发音词汇手册（A-G）

A

• a - ad. one; any; each
• able - v. having the power to do something
• about - ad. almost ("about half"); of or having a relation to ("We talk about the weather.")
• above - ad. at a higher place
• accept - v. to agree to receive
• accident - n. something that happens by chance or mistake; an unplanned event
• accuse - v. to say a person is responsible for an act or crime; to make a statement against someone
• across - ad. from side to side; to the other side
• act - v. to do something
• activist - n. one who seeks change through action
• actor - n. someone acting in a play or show
• add - v. to put (something) with another to make it larger; to say more
• administration - n. the executive part of a government, usually headed by a president or prime minister
• admit - v. to accept ("admitted to the United Nations"); to express one's guilt or responsibility ("He admitted that what he did was wrong.")
• adult - n. a grown person
• advise - v. to help with information, knowledge or ideas in making a decision
• affect - v. to produce an effect on; to influence ("A lack of sleep affected the singer's performance.")
• afraid - ad. feeling fear
• after - ad. later; behind
• again - ad. another time; as before
• against - ad. opposed to; not agreeing with something
• age - n. how old a person or thing is
• agency - n. an organization that is part of a larger group ("an agency of the United Nations")
• aggression - n. an attack against a person or country; the violation of a country's borders
• ago - ad. of time past; before now
• agree - v. to have the same belief as someone; to be willing to do something
• agriculture - n. farming
• aid - v. to help; to support; n. help, assistance
• aim - v. to point a gun at; n. a goal or purpose
• air - n. the mixture of gases around the earth, mostly nitrogen and oxygen, that we breathe
• air force - n. a military organization using airplanes
• airplane - n. a vehicle with wings that flies
• airport - n. a place where airplanes take off and land
• album - n. a collection of recorded music
• alcohol - n. a strong, colorless liquid, usually made from grain, used as a drug or in industrial products
• alive - ad. having life; not dead
• all - ad. everything; everyone; the complete amount
• ally - n. a nation or person joined with another for a special purpose
• almost - ad. a little less than completely
• alone - ad. separated from others
• along - ad. near or on ("along the road")
• already - ad. before now; even now
• also - ad. added to; too
• although - conj. even if it is true that
• always - ad. at all times; every time
• ambassador - n. a nation's highest diplomatic representative (to another government)
• amend - v. to add to or to change (a proposal or law)
• ammunition - n. the bullets or shells fired from guns
• among - ad. in or part of (a group)
• amount - n. the number, size or weight of anything
• anarchy - n. a lack of order; lawlessness
• ancestor - n. a family member from the past
• ancient - ad. very old; long ago
• and - conj. also; in addition to; with
• anger - n. a strong emotion against someone or something
• animal - n. a living creature that moves, such as a dog or cat
• anniversary - n. a yearly celebration or observance of an event that happened in the past
• announce - v. to make known publicly; to declare officially
• another - ad. one more; a different one
• answer - n. a statement produced by a question; v. to make a statement after being asked a question
• any - ad. one or more of no special kind
• apologize - v. to express regret for a mistake or accident for which one accepts responsibility
• appeal - v. to take to a higher court, person or group for a decision; to call on somebody for help
• appear - v. to show oneself; to come into sight; to seem
• appoint - v. to name; to choose ("appoint a judge")
• approve - v. to agree with; to agree to support
• archeology - n. the scientific study of past human life and activities
• area - n. any place or part of it
• argue - v. to offer reasons for or against something; to dispute; to disagree
• arms - n. military equipment; weapons
• army - n. military ground forces
• around - ad. on every side (of)
• arrest - v. to seize a person for legal action; to take as a prisoner
• arrive - v. to come to a place, especially at the end of a trip
• art - n. expressions or creations by humans, such as paintings, music, writing or statues
• artillery - n. big guns
• as - conj. equally ("as fast as"); when; while
• ash - n. the part left after something burns
• ask - v. to question; to say something is wanted ("We ask the teacher questions every day.")
• assist - v. to help
• astronaut - n. a person who travels in space
• astronomy - n. the scientific study of stars and the universe
• asylum - n. political protection given by a government to a person from another country
• at - prep. in or near ("at the edge"); where ("look at"); when ("at noon")
• atmosphere - n. the gases surrounding any star or planet
• attach - v. to tie together; to connect
• attack - n. a violent attempt to damage, injure or kill; v. to start a fight
• attempt - v. to work toward something; to try; to make an effort
• attend - v. to be present at
• automobile - n. a vehicle with wheels used to carry people; a car
• autumn - n. the time of the year between summer and winter
• average - n. something (a number) representing the middle; ad. common; normal
• avoid - v. to stay away from
• awake - ad. not sleeping
• award - n. an honor or prize for an act or service
• away - ad. not near

B

• baby - n. a newly born creature
• back - n. the part behind the front; ad. the other way from forward
• bad - ad. wrong; acting against the law; not good
• balance - v. to make two sides or forces equal
• ball - n. something round
• balloon - n. a device of strong, light material that rises when filled with gas lighter than air
• ballot - n. a piece of paper used for voting
• ban - v. to not permit; to stop; n. an official restriction
• bank - n. an organization that keeps and lends money
• bar - v. to prevent or block
• barrier - n. anything that blocks or makes an action difficult
• base - n. a military center; v. to establish as a fact ("Her research was based on experiments.")
• battle - n. a fight between opposing armed forces
• be - v. to live; to happen; to exist
• beat - v. to hit again and again
• beauty - ad. that which pleases the eye, ear or spirit
• because - prep. for the reason that ("He left because he was sick.")
• become - v. to come to be
• bed - n. a sleeping place
• before - prep. earlier
• begin - v. to do the first part of an action; to start
• behind - ad. at the back of; in back of
• believe - v. to think; to feel sure of; to accept as true; to trust
• bell - n. an instrument that makes a musical sound ("a church bell")
• belong - v. to be owned by; to be a member of
• below - ad. lower than
• best - ad. the most good
• betray - v. to turn against; to be false to
• better - ad. more good than
• between - ad. in the space or time that separates; from one to the other ("talks between two nations")
• big - ad. of great size; not small
• bill - n. a legislative proposal
• biology - n. the scientific study of life or living things in all their forms
• bird - n. a creature that flies
• bite - v. to cut with the teeth
• black - ad. dark; having the color like that of the night sky
• blame - v. to accuse; to hold responsible
• blanket - n. a cloth cover used to keep warm
• bleed - v. to lose blood
• blind - ad. not able to see
• block - v. to stop something from being done; to prevent movement
• blood - n. red fluid in the body
• blow - v. to move with force, as in air ("The wind blows.")
• blue - ad. having the color like that of a clear sky
• boat - n. something built to travel on water that carries people or goods
• body - n. all of a person or animal; the remains of a person or animal
• boil - v. to heat a liquid until it becomes very hot
• bomb - n. a device that explodes with great force; v. to attack or destroy with bombs
• bone - n. the hard material in the body
• book - n. a long written work for reading
• border - n. a dividing line between nations
• born - v. to come to life; to come into existence
• borrow - v. to take as a loan
• both - ad. not just one of two, but the two together
• bottle - n. a container, usually made of glass, to hold liquid
• bottom - ad. the lowest part of something
• box - n. something to put things into; a container, usually made of paper or wood
• boy - n. a young male person
• boycott - v. to refuse to take part in or deal with
• brain - n. the control center of thought, emotions and body activity of all creatures
• brave - ad. having no fear
• bread - n. a food made from grain
• break - v. to divide into parts by force; to destroy
• breathe - v. to take air into the body and let it out again
• bridge - n. a structure built over a waterway, valley or road so people and vehicles can cross from one side to the other
• brief - ad. short; not long
• bright - ad. giving much light; strong and clear in color
• bring - v. to come with something
• broadcast - v. to send information, stories or music by radio or television; n. a radio or television program
• brother - n. a male with the same father or mother as another person
• brown - ad. having the color like that of coffee
• budget - n. a spending plan
• build - v. to join materials together to make something
• building - n. anything built for use as a house, factory, office, school, store or place of entertainment
• bullet - n. a small piece of metal shot from a gun
• burn - v. to be on fire; to destroy or damage by fire
• burst - v. to break open suddenly
• bury - v. to put into the ground and cover with earth
• bus - n. a public vehicle to carry people
• business - n. one's work; buying and selling to earn money; trade
• busy - ad. doing something; very active
• but - conj. however; other than; yet
• buy - v. to get by paying something, usually money
• by - conj. near; at; next to ("by the road"); from ("a play by William Shakespeare"); not later than ("by midnight")

C

• cabinet - n. a group of ministers that helps lead a government
• call - v. to give a name to ("I call myself John."); to ask for or request ("They called for an end to the fighting.")
• calm - ad. quiet; peaceful; opposite tense
• camera - n. a device for taking pictures
• camp - n. a place with temporary housing
• campaign - n. a competition by opposing political candidates seeking support from voters; a connected series of military actions during a war
• can - v. to be able to; to have the right to; n. a container used to hold liquid or food, usually made of metal
• cancel - v. to end; to stop
• cancer - n. a disease in which dangerous cells grow quickly and destroy parts of the body
• candidate - n. a person who seeks or is nominated for an office or an honor
• capital - n. the official center of a government; the city where a country's government is
• capitalism - n. an economic system in which the production of most goods and services is owned and operated for profit by private citizens or companies
• capture - v. to make a person or animal a prisoner; to seize or take by force; to get control of
• car - n. a vehicle with wheels used to carry people; an automobile; a part of a train
• care - v. to like; to protect; to feel worry or interest
• careful - ad. acting safely; with much thought
• carry - v. to take something or someone from one place to another
• case (court) - n. a legal action
• case (medical) - n. an incident of disease ("There was only one case of chicken pox at the school.")
• cat - n. a small animal that often lives with humans
• catch - v. to seize after a chase; to stop and seize with the hands
• cause - v. to make happen; n. the thing or person that produces a result
• cease-fire - n. a halt in fighting, usually by agreement
• celebrate - v. to honor a person or event with special activities
• center - n. the middle of something; the place in the middle; a place that is the main point of an activity
• century - n. one hundred years
• ceremony - n. an act or series of acts done in a special way established by tradition
• chairman - n. a person leading a meeting or an organized group
• champion - n. the best; the winner
• chance - n. a possibility of winning or losing or that something will happen
• change - v. to make different; to become different
• charge - v. to accuse someone of something, usually a crime; n. a statement in which someone is accused of something
• chase - v. to run or go after someone or something
• cheat - v. to get by a trick; to steal from
• cheer - v. to shout approval or praise
• chemical - n. elements found in nature or made by people; substances used in the science of chemistry
• chemistry - n. the scientific study of substances, what they are made of, how they act under different conditions, and how they form other substances
• chief - n. the head or leader of a group; ad. leading; most important
• child - n. a baby; a boy or girl
• children - n. more than one child
• choose - v. to decide between two or more
• circle - n. a closed shape that has all its points equally distant from the center, like an "O"
• citizen - n. a person who is a member of a country by birth or by law
• city - n. any important large town
• civilian - ad. not military
• civil rights - n. the political, economic and social rights given equally to all people of a nation
• claim - v. to say something as a fact
• clash - n. a battle; v. to fight or oppose
• clean - v. to make pure; ad. free from dirt or harmful substances ("clean water")
• clear - ad. easy to see or see through; easily understood
• clergy - n. a body of officials within a religious organization
• climate - n. the normal weather conditions of a place
• climb - v. to go up or down something by using the feet and sometimes the hands
• clock - n. a device that measures and shows time
• close - v. to make something not open; ad. near to
• cloth - n. a material made from plants, chemicals, animal hair and other substances
• clothes - n. what people wear
• cloud - n. a mass of fog high in the sky
• coal - n. a solid black substance used as fuel
• coalition - n. forces, groups or nations joined together
• coast - n. land on the edge of the ocean
• coffee - n. a drink made from the plant of the same name
• cold - ad. not warm; having or feeling great coolness or a low temperature
• collect - v. to bring or gather together in one place; to demand and receive ("collect taxes")
• college - n. a small university
• colony - n. land controlled by another country or government
• color - n. the different effects of light on the eye, making blue, red, brown, black, yellow and others
• combine - v. to mix or bring together
• come - v. to move toward; to arrive
• command - v. to order; to have power over something
• comment - v. to say something about; to express an opinion about something
• committee - n. a group of people given special work
• common - ad. usual; same for all ("a common purpose")
• communicate - v. to tell; to give or exchange information
• community - n. a group of people living together in one place or area
• company - n. a business organized for trade, industrial or other purposes
• compare - v. to examine what is different or similar
• compete - v. to try to do as well as, or better than, another or others
• complete - ad. having all parts; ended or finished
• complex - ad. of or having many parts that are difficult to understand; not simple
• compromise - n. the settlement of an argument where each side agrees to accept less than first demanded
• computer - n. an electronic machine for storing and organizing information, and for communicating with others
• concern - n. interest, worry ("express concern about"); v. to fear ("to be concerned")
• condemn - v. to say a person or action is wrong or bad
• condition - n. something declared necessary to complete an agreement; a person's health
• conference - n. a meeting
• confirm - v. to approve; to say that something is true
• conflict - n. a fight; a battle, especially a long one
• congratulate - v. to praise a person or to express pleasure for success or good luck
• Congress - n. the organization of people elected to make the laws of the United States (the House of Representatives and the Senate); a similar organization in other countries
• connect - v. to join one thing to another; to unite; to link
• conservative - n. one who usually supports tradition and opposes great change
• consider - v. to give thought to; to think about carefully
• constitution - n. the written general laws and ideas that form a nation's system of government
• contain - v. to hold; to include
• container - n. a box, bottle or can used to hold something
• continent - n. any of the seven great land areas of the world
• continue - v. to go on doing or being
• control - v. to direct; to have power over
• convention - n. a large meeting for a special purpose
• cook - v. to heat food before eating it
• cool - ad. almost cold
• cooperate - v. to act or work together
• copy - v. to make something exactly like another; n. something made to look exactly like another
• corn - n. a food grain
• correct - ad. true; free from mistakes; v. to change to what is right
• cost - n. the price or value of something ("The cost of the book is five dollars."); v. to be valued at ("The book costs five dollars.")
• cotton - n. a material made from a plant of the same name
• count - v. to speak or add numbers
• country - n. a nation; the territory of a nation; land away from cities
• court - n. where trials take place; where judges make decisions about law
• cover - v. to put something over a person or thing; n. anything that is put over a person or thing
• cow - n. a farm animal used for its milk
• crash - v. to fall violently; to hit with great force
• create - v. to make; to give life or form to
• creature - n. any living being; any animal or human
• credit - n. an agreement that payments will be made at a later time
• crew - n. a group of people working together
• crime - n. an act that violates a law
• criminal - n. a person who is responsible for a crime
• crisis - n. an extremely important time when something may become much better or worse; a dangerous situation
• criticize - v. to say what is wrong with something or someone; to condemn; to judge
• crop - n. plants that are grown and gathered for food, such as grains, fruits and vegetables
• cross - v. to go from one side to another; to go across
• crowd - n. a large number of people gathered in one place
• crush - v. to damage or destroy by great weight; to defeat completely
• cry - v. to express or show sorrow or pain
• culture - n. all the beliefs, traditions and arts of a group or population
• cure - v. to improve health; to make well ("The doctor can cure the disease."); n. something that makes a sick person well ("Antibiotics are a cure for infection.")
• curfew - n. an order to people to stay off the streets or to close their businesses
• current - n. movement of air, water or electricity; ad. belonging to the present time ("She found the report in a current publication.")
• custom - n. a long-established belief or activity of a people
• customs - n. taxes on imports
• cut - v. to divide or injure with a sharp tool; to make less; to reduce

D

• dam - n. a wall built across a river to hold back flowing water
• damage - v. to cause injury or destruction; n. harm; hurt or injury, usually to things
• dance - v. to move the body and feet to music; n. a series of steps, usually to music
• danger - n. a strong chance of suffering injury, damage or loss
• dark - ad. having little or no light ("The room was dark.")
• date - n. an expression of time; a day, month and year
• daughter - n. a person's female child
• day - n. twenty-four hours; the hours of sunlight
• dead - ad. not living
• deaf - ad. not able to hear
• deal - v. to have to do with ("The talks will deal with the problem of pollution."); to buy or sell ("Her company deals in plastic.")
• debate - v. to argue for or against something; n. a public discussion or argument
• debt - n. something that is owed; the condition of owing
• decide - v. to choose; to settle; to judge
• declare - v. to say; to make a statement
• decrease - v. to make less in size or amount
• deep - ad. going far down; a long way from top to bottom
• defeat - v. to cause to lose in a battle or struggle; n. a loss; the condition of having lost
• defend - v. to guard or fight against attack; to protect
• deficit - n. a shortage that results when spending is greater than earnings, or imports are greater than exports
• define - v. to give the meaning of; to explain
• degree - n. a measure of temperature
• delay - v. to decide to do something at a later time; to postpone; to cause to be late
• delegate - n. one sent to act for another; one who represents another
• demand - v. to ask by ordering; to ask with force
• democracy - n. the system of government in which citizens vote to choose leaders or to make other important decisions
• demonstrate - v. to make a public show of opinions or feelings ("The crowd demonstrated in support of human rights."); to explain by using examples ("The teacher demonstrated the idea with an experiment.")
• denounce - v. to accuse of being wrong or evil; to criticize severely
• deny - v. to declare that something is not true; to refuse a request
• depend - v. to need help and support
• deplore - v. to regret strongly; to express sadness
• deploy - v. to move forces or weapons into positions for action
• depression - n. severe unhappiness; a period of reduced business and economic activity during which many people lose their jobs
• describe - v. to give a word picture of something; to give details of something
• desert - n. a dry area of land
• design - v. to plan or create plans for
• desire - v. to want very much; to wish for
• destroy - v. to break into pieces; to end the existence of
• detail - n. a small part of something; a small piece of information
• develop - v. to grow; to create; to experience progress
• device - n. a piece of equipment made for a special purpose
• dictator - n. a ruler with complete power
• die - v. to become dead; to stop living; to end
• diet - n. usual daily food and drink
• different - ad. not the same
• difficult - ad. not easy; hard to do, make or carry out
• dig - v. to make a hole in the ground
• dinner - n. the main amount of food eaten at a usual time ("The family had its dinner at noon."); a special event that includes food ("The official dinner took place at the White House.")
• diplomat - n. a person who represents his or her government in dealing with another government
• direct - v. to lead; to aim or show the way ("He directed me to the theater."); ad. straight to something; not through some other person or thing ("The path is direct.")
• direction - n. the way (east, west, north, south); where someone or something came from or went to
• dirt - n. earth or soil
• disappear - v. to become unseen; to no longer exist
• disarm - v. to take away weapons; to no longer keep weapons; to make a bomb harmless by removing its exploding device
• discover - v. to find or learn something
• discuss - v. to talk about; to exchange ideas
• disease - n. a sickness in living things, often caused by viruses, germs or bacteria
• dismiss - v. to send away; to refuse to consider
• dispute - v. to oppose strongly by argument; n. an angry debate
• dissident - n. a person who strongly disagrees with his or her government
• distance - n. the amount of space between two places or objects ("The distance from my house to your house is two kilometers.")
• dive - v. to jump into water head first
• divide - v. to separate into two or more parts
• do - v. to act; to make an effort
• doctor - n. a person trained in medicine to treat sick people
• document - n. an official piece of paper with facts written on it, used as proof or support of something
• dog - n. a small animal that often lives with humans
• dollar - n. United States money, one hundred cents
• door - n. an opening for entering or leaving a building or room
• down - ad. from higher to lower; in a low place
• dream - v. to have a picture or story in the mind during sleep; n. a picture or story in the mind during sleep; a happy idea about the future
• drink - v. to take liquid into the body through the mouth
• drive - v. to control a moving vehicle
• drop - v. to fall or let fall; to go lower
• drown - v. to die under water
• drug - n. anything used as a medicine or in making medicine; a chemical substance used to ease pain or to affect the mind
• dry - ad. not wet; without rain
• during - ad. through the whole time; while (something is happening)
• dust - n. pieces of matter so small that they can float in the air
• duty - n. one's job or responsibility; what one must do because it is right and just

E

• each - ad. every one by itself
• early - ad. at or near the beginning, especially the beginning of the day; opposite late
• earn - v. to be paid in return for work done
• earth - n. the planet we all live on; the ground or soil
• earthquake - n. a sudden, violent shaking of the earth's surface
• ease - v. to reduce; to make less difficult
• east - n. the direction from which the sun rises
• easy - ad. not difficult; not hard to do
• eat - v. to take food into the body through the mouth
• ecology - n. the scientific study of the environment and links among living and material things
• economy - n. the system by which money, industry and trade are organized
• edge - n. the line where something ends or begins
• education - n. the act of teaching
• effect - n. the result or change caused by something ("The storm had a serious effect on the economy.")
• effort - n. an attempt; the work necessary to do something
• egg - n. the rounded object containing unborn young produced by female birds, fish or reptiles; a single cell in a female person or animal that can develop into a baby
• either - ad. one of two, but not the other
• elect - v. to choose by voting
• electricity - n. a form of energy that flows through wires to provide heat and light, and power to machines
• embassy - n. the offices of an ambassador and his or her assistants
• emergency - n. an unexpected and dangerous situation demanding quick action
• emotion - n. a strong feeling such as love, hate, fear or sadness
• employ - v. to give work in return for wages
• empty - ad. having nothing inside; v. to remove everything
• end - v. to stop; to finish; n. the part which comes last
• enemy - n. a person opposing or hating another; a person or people of the other side in a war
• energy - n. power used to do work, usually with machines; the ability and willingness to be active
• enforce - v. to make something be done
• engine - n. a machine that uses energy to cause movement or to do work
• engineer - n. a person who designs engines, machines, roads, bridges or railroads
• enjoy - v. to be pleased or satisfied by something
• enough - ad. as much as necessary; pro. the amount needed
• enter - v. to come or go into
• environment - n. all surrounding things, conditions and influences that affect life; the natural world of land, sea, air, plants and animals
• equal - ad. the same in amount, size, weight or value; having the same rights
• equipment - n. things, tools or machines needed for a purpose or activity
• escape - v. to get free; to get away from; to get out of
• especially - ad. more than others ("We liked the food, especially the fish.")
• establish - v. to bring into existence; to create
• estimate - v. to form an opinion about a value, size or amount using less than complete information
• ethnic - ad. of or concerning people belonging to a large group because of their race, religion, language, tribe or where their ancestors lived
• evaporate - v. to change from a liquid into a gas
• even - ad. in a way not thought possible ("They survived, even though the building was destroyed.")
• event - n. that which happens, especially something of importance
• ever - ad. at any time
• every - ad. each one; all
• evidence - n. material or facts that prove something; a reason for believing
• evil - ad. not good; extremely bad
• exact - ad. having no mistakes; correct in every detail
• examine - v. to study closely
• example - n. a part that shows what the rest of a thing or group is like
• excellent - ad. extremely good
• except - prep. but for
• exchange - v. to trade; to give or receive one thing for another
• excuse - v. to take away blame; to pardon; to forgive; n. a reason (sometimes false) for an action
• execute - v. to kill
• exercise - n. an activity or effort for the purpose of improving the body or to stay in good health
• exile - v. to force a person to leave his or her country; to expel; n. a person who is forced to leave his or her country
• exist - v. to be; to live
• expand - v. to make larger; to grow larger
• expect - v. to think or believe that something will happen; to wait for an event
• expel - v. to force out; to remove from; to send away
• experience - v. to live through an event, situation or condition ("She experienced great pain."); n. something that one has done or lived through ("The experience caused her great pain.")
• experiment - v. to test; n. a test or trial carried out to prove if an idea is true or false, or to discover something
• expert - n. a person with special knowledge or training
• explain - v. to give reasons for; to make clear; to tell about; to tell the meaning
• explode - v. to break apart violently with a loud noise, like a bomb
• explore - v. to travel in a place that is not well known to learn more about it; to make a careful search; to examine closely
• export - v. to send to another country; n. something sent to another country, usually for sale
• express - v. to say clearly
• extend - v. to stretch out in area or length; to continue for a longer time
• extra - ad. more than normal, expected or necessary
• extreme - ad. more than the usual or accepted
• extremist - n. a person with strong religious or political beliefs who acts in an extreme or violent way

F

• face - n. the front of the head: eyes, nose, mouth; v. to look toward; to turn toward; to have before you, such as a problem or danger
• fact - n. something known or proved to be true
• factory - n. a building or group of buildings where goods are made
• fail - v. to not succeed; to not reach a goal
• fair - ad. just; honest; what is right
• fall - v. to go down quickly; to come down; to drop to the ground or a lower position
• false - ad. not true; not correct
• family - n. the group that includes children and their parents
• famous - ad. known very well to many people
• far - ad. at, to or from a great distance
• farm - n. land used to grow crops and animals for food
• fast - ad. moving or working at great speed; quick
• fat - n. tissue in the bodies of humans and animals used to store energy and to keep warm; ad. thick; heavy
• father - n. the male parent; a man who has a child or children
• fear - v. to be afraid; to worry that something bad is near or may happen ("He feared falling down."); n. a strong emotion when there is danger or trouble ("He had a fear that he would fall down.")
• federal - ad. of or having to do with a national or central government
• feed - v. to give food to
• feel - v. to have or experience an emotion; to know by touching
• female - n. a woman or girl; the sex that gives birth; ad. of or about women
• fence - n. something around an area of land to keep animals or people in or out
• fertile - ad. rich in production of plants or animals; producing much
• few - ad. not many; a small number of
• field - n. an area of open land, usually used to grow crops or to raise animals
• fierce - ad. extremely strong; violent; angry
• fight - v. to use violence or force; to attempt to defeat or destroy an enemy; n. the use of force; a battle
• fill - v. to put or pour something into a container until there is space for no more
• film - v. to record something so it can be seen again; to make a motion picture or movie; n. a thin piece of material for making pictures with a camera; a movie
• final - ad. at the end; last
• financial - ad. of or about the system that includes the use of money, credit, investments and banks
• find - v. to discover or learn something by searching or by accident; to decide a court case ("The jury finds the man guilty of murder.")
• fine - n. a payment ordered by a court to punish someone for a crime; ad. very good; very small or thin
• finish - v. to complete; to end
• fire - v. to shoot a gun; n. the heat and light produced by something burning
• firework - n. rockets producing bright fire in the sky, used in holiday celebrations
• firm - ad. not easily moved or changed ("She is firm in her opinion.")
• first - ad. coming before all others
• fish - n. a creature that lives and can breathe in water
• fit - v. to be of the correct size or shape ("These shoes fit my feet.")
• fix - v. to make good or right again
• flag - n. a piece of colored cloth used to represent a nation, government or organization
• flat - ad. smooth; having no high places
• flee - v. to run away from
• float - v. to be on water without sinking; to move or be moved gently on water or through air
• flood - v. to cover with water; n. the movement of water out of a river, lake or ocean onto land
• floor - n. the bottom part of a room for walking on ("The book fell to the floor."); the level of a building ("The fire was on the first floor.")
• flow - v. to move like a liquid
• flower - n. the colored part of plants that carry seeds
• fluid - n. any substance that can flow, such as a liquid
• fly - v. to move through the air with wings, like a bird or airplane; to travel in an airplane or flying vehicle
• fog - n. a mass of wet air that is difficult to see through; a cloud close to the ground
• follow - v. to come or go after; to accept the rule or power of; to obey
• food - n. that which is taken in by all living things for energy, strength and growth
• fool - v. to make someone believe something that is not true; to trick; n. a person who is tricked easily
• foot - n. the bottom part of the leg; the part of the body that touches the ground when a person or animal walks
• for - prep. because of ("He is famous for his work."); in exchange ("Give me one dollar for the book."); through space or time ("They travelled for one hour."); representative of ("I speak for all people."); to be employed by ("She works for a computer company.")
• force - v. to make someone do something or make something happen by using power; n. power, strength; strength used against a person or object; military power of a nation; a military group
• foreign - ad. of, about or from another nation; not from one's own place or country
• forest - n. a place of many trees
• forget - v. to not remember
• forgive - v. to pardon; to excuse; to remove guilt
• form - v. to make; to start; to shape ("They formed a swim team."); n. a kind ("Swimming is a form of exercise.")
• former - ad. earlier in time; not now
• forward - ad. the direction in front of; toward the front
• free - v. to release; ad. not controlled by another or by outside forces; not in prison; independent; not limited by rules; without cost
• freedom - n. the condition of being free
• freeze - v. to cause or to become very cold; to make or to become hard by cold
• fresh - ad. newly made or gathered; recent
• friend - n. a person one likes and trusts
• frighten - v. to cause great fear
• from - prep. having a person, place or thing as a beginning or cause ("It is a message from the president."); at a place distant, not near ("The school is five kilometers from my home."); because of ("He is suffering from cancer.")
• front - n. the forward part; the opposite of back; the beginning; the first part
• fruit - n. food from trees and plants
• fuel - n. any substance burned to create heat or power
• full - ad. containing as much as a person or thing can hold; complete
• fun - n. anything that is pleasing and causes happiness
• funeral - n. a ceremony held in connection with the burial or burning of the dead
• future - n. time after now ("We can talk about it in the future."); ad. in the time to come ("All future meetings will be held in this room.")

G

• gain - v. to get possession of; to get more; to increase
• game - n. an activity with rules in which people or teams play or compete, usually sports
• gas - n. any substance that is not solid or liquid; any substance that burns to provide heat, light or power
• gather - v. to bring or come together into a group or place; to collect
• general - n. a high military leader; ad. without details; affecting or including all or almost all
• gentle - ad. soft; kind; not rough or violent
• get - v. to receive; to gain; to go and bring back; to become; to become the owner of
• gift - n. something given without cost
• girl - n. a young female person
• give - v. to present to another to keep without receiving payment
• glass - n. a hard, clear material that is easily broken, used most often for windows or for containers to hold liquids
• go - v. to move from one place to another; to leave
• goal - n. that toward which an effort is directed; that which is aimed at; the end of a trip or race
• god - n. the spirit that is honored as creator of all things ("They believe in God."); a spirit or being believed in many religions to have special powers
• gold - n. a highly valued yellow metal
• good - ad. pleasing; helpful; kind; correct; not bad
• goods - n. things owned or made to be sold
• govern - v. to control; to rule by military or political power
• government - n. a system of governing; the organization of people that rules a country, city or area
• grain - n. the seed of grass plants used for food, such as wheat, rice and corn; those plants that produce the seeds
• granddaughter - n. the daughter of a person's daughter or son
• grandfather - n. the father of a person's father or mother
• grandmother - n. the mother of a person's father or mother
• grandson - n. the son of a person's daughter or son
• grass - n. a plant with long, narrow, green leaves
• gray - ad. having the color like that made by mixing black and white
• great - ad. very large or more than usual in size or number; very good; important
• green - ad. having the color like that made by mixing yellow and blue; having the color like that of growing leaves and grass
• grind - v. to reduce to small pieces by crushing
• ground - n. land; the earth's surface; soil
• group - n. a number of people or things together; a gathering of people working for a common purpose
• grow - v. to develop or become bigger; to increase in size or amount
• guarantee - v. to promise a result; to promise that something will happen
• guard - v. to watch and protect a person, place or thing ("He guards the president."); n. a person or thing that watches or protects ("He is a prison guard.")
• guerrilla - n. a person who fights as part of an unofficial army, usually against an official army or police
• guide - v. to lead to; to show the way; n. one who shows the way
• guilty - ad. having done something wrong or in violation of a law; responsible for a bad action
• gun - n. a weapon that shoots bullets

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Virginia Tech Killings Voted Top News Story of 2007 by US Editors

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Associated Press releases top news story picks of the year. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

On December twentieth, the editors and news directors of the Associated Press voted for the top ten news stories of two thousand seven.

On April 23, a moment of silence was observed for each of the 32 Virginia Tech shooting victims

They chose the tragic killings of thirty-two people at Virginia Tech, a university in Blacksburg, Virginia, as the top news story of the year. Twenty-three-year-old Seung-Hui Cho shot students and professors at his university on April sixteenth before taking his own life. It was the worst mass shooting in American history.

The United States home mortgage crisis was second on the list of top stories this year. Many homeowners have lost, or are in danger of losing, their homes because of rising payments. A sharp drop in housing prices also caused major losses in financial markets.

Major General Rick Lynch speaks with Sunni Sheik Emad Ghurtani, right, in Haswah, Iraq, in October

The war in Iraq was voted the third top story this year, down from last year, when it was the top news story. A major increase in American troops in Iraq is believed to have improved the nation’s security situation. Still, thousands of Iraqis and hundreds of Americans were killed in violence in Iraq. Critics say the troop increase failed to meet what was supposed to be the main goal -- to give Iraqi leaders the chance to work for political unity.

Rising oil prices was next on the list. Oil prices hit record highs this year, reaching almost one hundred dollars a barrel. The increase in fuel costs pushed American lawmakers to pass a new energy bill. It requires cars and light trucks to use less gasoline by two thousand twenty.

Also among the top news stories was a series of recalled exports from China. These products included poisonous toothpaste, unsafe pet food and toys containing dangerous lead paint.

Another major issue this year was global warming. United Nations climate scientists warned about the danger of rising seas, severe dry weather and the disappearance of plants and animals. The U.N. scientists shared this year’s Nobel Peace Prize with former American Vice President Al Gore.

The collapsed bridge over the Mississippi River near Minneapolis, Minnesota

In the American state of Minnesota, a large bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed on August first. Thirteen people were killed and about one hundred others were injured.

The American presidential campaign was also the subject of major new stories this year. Many candidates traveled around the country seeking support in the primary elections that will choose the nominees from the two major political parties.

Also in the United States, debate continued on immigration after a compromise plan failed in Congress because of Republican Party opposition. Illegal immigration is among the major presidential campaign issues.

And finally, the United States and several other countries continued to press Iran to stop enriching uranium. Iran said it never had a nuclear weapons program. But a recent American intelligence report said Iran did have a nuclear weapons program, but that it ended in two thousand three.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I’m Steve Ember.

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World Bank Finds China's Economy 40 Percent Smaller Than Thought

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New methods for measuring economic production show that China's economy is smaller. Also, China invests more overseas than foreign investors do in China.Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

A worker smokes a cigarette while carrying bags in Beijing

China has one of the world's fastest growing economies. In two thousand seven, the Chinese economy grew by more than eleven percent for most of the year.

But recently the World Bank announced that the Chinese economy was smaller than had been thought. The World Bank released its International Comparison Program report on December seventeenth. It said that the size of the world economy had been overestimated. And it found that the total value of goods and services produced by China had been overestimated by forty percent.

The World Bank used new tools to compare the economies and buying power of people in one hundred forty-six countries. This year's report marked the first time that China took part in the World Bank's International Comparison Program.

The World Bank says China is the second largest economy after the United States by its new measurements. But the revaluation has caused experts to reconsider economic progress in China.

It also raises questions about the exchange rate of Chinese money. Critics have long argued that China should let the value of its money rise freely against the value of the dollar and other currencies. It may be that Chinese money is not undervalued if the Chinese economy is not as large as once thought. However, some experts point to other economic statistics to argue that China's money is undervalued.

China faces other problems as well. Inflation hit an eleven-year high in November. The country's huge trade surplus reached a record two hundred thirty-eight billion dollars in the first eleven months of this year. This has raised tensions with trading partners, such as the United States and the European Union. And China has been criticized for permitting its manufacturers to produce unsafe products.

Two thousand seven marks another event for China's economy. It is the first year in which China invested more money in foreign countries than foreign countries invested in China. The Wall Street Journal says Chinese companies and the government invested over twenty-nine billion dollars in foreign companies. Investors from the rest of the world invested less than twenty-two billion dollars in Chinese companies this year.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. Transcripts and archives are at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

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Movies, Music and Much More: A Look Back at 2007

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Some of the year's highlights on AMERICAN MOSAIC. Transcript of radio broadcast:

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Bob Doughty. On our show this week:

We look back at two thousand seven -- some stories we have reported, listener questions we have answered and music we have played.

(MUSIC)

That was a song from the Disney television movie, "High School Musical Two." Last summer, we reported that it was the most popular show ever broadcast on an American cable television network. The music from the show is the second best selling album of the year. Billboard Magazine says it has sold two million seven hundred thousand copies.

We also reported about other musical shows during two thousand seven. We played songs from the Broadway musical "Spring Awakening" and the movie "Dreamgirls." Here, Jennifer Hudson sings "I Am Changing " from that movie.

(MUSIC)

In May, we reported about a new album from singer Josh Groban. Now he has another best selling album -- of Christmas music. Billboard Magazine says Josh Groban's "Noel" is the top selling album of two thousand seven. It has sold almost three million copies. Here Josh Groban sings "The Christmas Song."

(MUSIC)

Several music critics say the song "Rehab" by British singer Amy Winehouse is the best single of the year. "Rehab" is on the album "Back To Black." We played another song from that album when we reported about Winehouse in June. Listen as Amy Winehouse sings "Rehab."

(MUSIC)

This year, "American Mosaic" answered questions from listeners in twenty-four countries around the world. We heard from people in Burma, Russia, Egypt, Norway, Argentina, Hungary, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, China, Japan and others.

They asked many different kinds of questions about American life. For example, places in the United States like the Alamo, the White House, the Everglades, the Great Lakes and an area of New York City called Hell's Kitchen. Some questions were about American history, such as the Jim Crow Laws, the Marshall Plan, the Whiskey Rebellion and the Space race. Some listeners wanted to know more about American business. So we discussed buying a car, told about the store Wal-Mart, and explained the advertising expression "Diamonds Are Forever." We also answered questions about elections, urban legends, traffic, pop culture, u.f.o.'s and global warming.

Sandra Bullock

Listeners also wanted to know about the movie rating system and the television show "Twenty-Four." And they asked about actors Julianne Moore, Sandra Bullock and Linda Blair.

We answered questions about musicians, and played some of their music. They included singer Hillary Duff, the punk rock group Green Day and the heavy metal band Linkin Park. Here is a song from that group's album, "Minutes to Midnight," that was released in May. It is called "What I've Done."

(MUSIC)

Another question we answered this year was about the Billboard Hot One Hundred List. This is the list of the one hundred most popular singles in the United States. Billboard also releases a Hot One Hundred List for the end of the year. We leave you now with the song named by Billboard Magazine as the top single of two thousand seven -- "Irreplaceable" by Beyonce.

Beyonce

(MUSIC)

I'm Bob Doughty. I hope you enjoyed our program today. It was written by Nancy Steinbach. Mario Ritter was our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find the scripts of all the stories we talked about in our report today.

Please continue to send questions about American life to mosaic@voanews.com. Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, U.S.A. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address.

And thank you to everyone who sent us holiday greetings. We received beautiful postcards from listeners in Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia and Costa Rica. Also from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Libya, Malta, the Netherlands, Thailand and Tunisia.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English. And Happy New Year to everyone!

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American History Series: How the Revolution Against Britain Divided Families and Friends

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Political disagreement about the war divided Benjamin Franklin and his son, William, for the rest of their lives. Transcript of radio broadcast:

VOICE ONE:

This is Rich Kleinfeldt.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Ray Freeman with THE MAKING OF A NATION, a VOA Special English program about the history of the United States. Today, we continue the story of the American Revolution against Britain in the late seventeen hundreds.

(SOUND)

VOICE ONE:

George Washington and the colonists fight the British in ''Washington Midway Between the Two Armies at Princeton'' by H. van Ingen

Delegates to the American Continental Congress approved and signed a Declaration of Independence on July Fourth, seventeen seventy-six. The new country called the United States of America was at war with Britain. Yet, not everyone in the former colonies agreed on the decision.

No one knows for sure how many Americans remained loyal to Great Britain. The Massachusetts political leader, John Adams, thought about thirty-three percent of the colonists supported independence, thirty-three percent supported Britain, and thirty-three percent supported neither side. Most history experts today think that about twenty percent of the colonists supported Britain. They say the others were neutral or supported whichever side seemed to be winning.

VOICE TWO:

As many as thirty thousand Americans fought for the British during the war. Others helped Britain by reporting the movements of American rebel troops.

Who supported Britain? They included people appointed to their jobs by the king, religious leaders of the Anglican Church, and people with close business connections in Britain.

Many members of minority groups remained loyal to the king because they needed his protection against local majority groups. Other people were loyal because they did not want change or because they believed that independence would not improve their lives. Some thought the actions of the British government were not bad enough to make a rebellion necessary. Others did not believe that the rebels could win a war against such a powerful nation as Britain.

VOICE ONE:

Native American Indians did not agree among themselves about the revolution. Congress knew it had to make peace with the Indians as soon as the war started, or American troops might have to fight them and the British at the same time. To prevent trouble, American officials tried to stop settlers from moving onto Indian lands.

In some places, the Indians joined the Americans, but generally they supported the British. They expected the British to win. They saw the war as a chance to force the Americans to leave their lands. At times, the Indians fought on the side of the British, but left when the British seemed to be losing the battle. Choosing to fight for the British proved to be a mistake. When the war was over, the Americans felt they owed the Indians nothing.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Black slaves in the colonies also were divided about what side to join during the American Revolution.

Thousands fought for the British, because that side offered them freedom if they served in the army or navy. Some American states also offered to free slaves who served, and hundreds of free blacks fought on the American side. Many slaves, however, felt their chances for freedom were better with the British. Details are not exact, but history experts say more blacks probably joined the British in the North than in the South.

VOICE ONE:

At least five thousand African-Americans served with the colonial American forces. Most had no choice. They were slaves, and their owners took them to war or sent them to replace their sons. Others felt that a nation built on freedom might share some of that freedom with them.

In the South, many slave owners kept their slaves at home. Later in the war, every man was needed, although most slaves did not fight. Instead, they drove wagons and carried supplies. Many African-Americans also served in the American navy. Blacks who served in the colonial army and navy were not separated from whites. Black and white men fought side by side during the American Revolution.

History experts say, however, that most black slaves spent the war as they had always lived: working on their owners' farms.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

The American rebels called themselves patriots. They called British supporters Tories. Patriots often seized Tories' property to help pay for the war. They also kidnapped Tories' slaves to be used as laborers for the army. Many Tories were forced from towns in which they had lived all their lives. Some were tortured or hanged. In New Jersey, Tories and patriots fought one another with guns, and sometimes burned each other's houses and farms.

VOICE ONE:

A painting of Benjamin Franklin by Joseph-Siffrede Duplissis

Some history experts say the American Revolution was really the nation's first civil war. The revolution divided many families. Perhaps the most famous example was the family of Benjamin Franklin. Ben Franklin signed the Declaration of Independence. His son William was governor of the colony of New Jersey. He supported the king. Political disagreement about the war tore apart this father and son for the rest of their lives.

VOICE TWO:

Different ideas about the war existed among the patriots, too. That is because the colonies did not really think of themselves as one nation. They saw themselves as independent states trying to work together toward a goal. People from Massachusetts, for example, thought Pennsylvania was a strange place filled with strange people. Southerners did not like people from the North. And people who lived in farm areas did not communicate easily with people who lived in coastal towns and cities.

This meant that the Continental Congress could not order the states to do anything they did not want to do. Congress could not demand that the states provide money for the war. It could only ask for their help.

George Washington, the top general, could not take men into the army. He could only wait for the states to send them. History experts say George Washington showed that he was a good politician by the way he kept Congress and the thirteen states supporting him throughout the war.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

As the people of America did not agree about the war, the people of Britain did not agree about it, either. Many supported the government's decision to fight. They believed that the war was necessary to rescue loyalists from the patriots. Others did not think Britain should fight the Americans, because the Americans had not invaded or threatened their country. They believed that Britain should leave the colonies alone to do as they wished.

King George was not able to do this, however. He supported the war as a way to continue his power in the world, and to rescue British honor in the eyes of other national leaders.

Whichever side British citizens were on, there was no question that the war was causing severe problems in Britain. British businessmen could no longer trade with the American colonies. Prices increased. Taxes did, too. And young men were forced to serve in the royal navy.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

At the start of the war, the British believed that the rebellion was led by a few extremists in New England. They thought the other colonies would surrender if that area could be surrounded and controlled. So, they planned to separate New England from the other colonies by taking command of the Hudson River Valley.

British general John Burgoyne surrenders at Saratoga, New York, in October 1777, as painted by Percy Moran

They changed this plan after they were defeated in the Battle of Saratoga in New York state. Later, they planned to capture major cities and control the coast from Maine in the north to Georgia in the south. They failed to do this, although they did occupy New York City for the whole war, and at times had control over Philadelphia and Charleston.

VOICE ONE:

The British experienced many problems fighting the war. Their troops were far from home, across a wide ocean. It was difficult to bring in more forces and supplies, and it took a long time. As the war continued, American ships became more skilled at attacking British ships at sea.

The colonial army had problems, too. Congress never had enough money. Sometimes, it could not send General Washington the things he needed. Often, the states did not send what they were supposed to. Americans were not always willing to take part in the war. They were poorly trained as soldiers and would promise to serve for only a year or so.

VOICE TWO:

The political and economic developments of the American Revolution concerned not just the Americans and the British. European nations were watching the events in America very closely. Those events, and the reactions in Europe, will be our story next time.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Today's MAKING OF A NATION program was written by Nancy Steinbach. This is Rich Kleinfeldt.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Ray Freeman. Join us again next week for another VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

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Rating College Football Teams Off the Field

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U.S. schools face growing pressure to make sure athletes graduate. Second of two parts. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Today we have the second of two reports about the education of college athletes in the United States. Millions of Americans follow college sports, mainly football and basketball. Schools with good teams are under pressure to win. But now they are also under pressure to do more to make sure their players get a complete education.

Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman throws a pass during a game in October

On January seventh, the two top college football teams will play in New Orleans for the national championship. Ohio State, rated number one, will play number two Louisiana State.

Privacy laws limit what schools can say about academic performance. Still, we wondered how these two universities support their football players off the field as well as on.

Stan Jefferson directs player development for the football program at Ohio State University. He says all the players can receive the same academic help. This includes, in their first year of school, required meetings of what is known as the Interactive Study Table.

This is a program in which players meet with a tutor before classes to discuss their work. Stan Jefferson tells us that players also meet with counselors who make sure they are progressing toward their degrees.

L.S.U. says on its Web site that football players there also receive extra help. It says one hundred tutors are available and can provide help in every subject.

We noted last week that the organization that governs college sports is paying closer attention to academic performance. Schools now receive an academic progress rate, or APR, from the National Collegiate Athletic Association. This number represents graduation rates for athletes on scholarships in each sport.

An APR of nine hundred twenty-five equals a graduation success rate of about sixty percent. So how are the top schools doing? Nine hundred fifty was the average APR for all the male sports teams in Division One in the last report in May.

Football teams had a lower average -- nine hundred thirty-one. Louisiana State had an APR of nine hundred forty-one. And the Ohio State football team had an APR of nine hundred twenty-eight.

Teams below nine hundred twenty-five must develop plans to improve their athletes' academic performance.

Good athletes often get a free education on a scholarship. Critics say it is only fair to these young players to invest in their minds as much as their bodies.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. The first part of our report can be found at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

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