Learning English Podcast - December 19, 2024
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I have good judgment. I have good taste. And it's ironic that only I feel that way. I promise them that you're different.

♪ And everyone makes mistakes but just don't ♪ ♪ I heard that you're an actor so act like a stand-up guy ♪ ♪ Whatever devil's inside you don't let him out tonight ♪ ♪ I tell them it's just your culture and everyone rolls their eyes ♪ ♪ Yeah, I'm all I'm asking, baby ♪ ♪ Don't prove I'm right ♪

Don't bring me to tears when I'm just in my makeup so nice. I want to think my ego embarrassed me. Little sucker. Peace. Yeah, babe, maybe just stay inside. I know you're craving some fresh air, but the ceiling fan is so nice. And we could live so happily. Who knows that you're with me? I'm just kidding. Really, really, really.

Please, please, tears when I just did my makeup so pretty. My ego, you don't embarrass me, little sucker. Please, do it, please. If snow builds up on the branches of evergreen trees and shrubs, remove it.

the heavy weight can damage branches keep a record of plants you mean to move from one place to another in your garden the notes will guide you in early spring a time that is best to move plants that bloom early in the season

If you have extra seeds, consider trading them with gardening friends or at a gardening event. Store and organize seeds for the future in glass containers in cool places without light. Make sure to write down what they are and when they were collected.

If insects or diseases were a problem during the growing season, use winter months to read about companion plants that can ease the problem in the coming year. The cold winter months also affect houseplants.

Bring houseplants near a south-facing or west-facing window to get the most sunlight possible. Turn the houseplants about one-fourth of a turn each time you water them. This will support more even growth. If you are buying poinsettias for the holidays,

be sure to examine them for white flies before bringing them home if you do not you could bring home insects if you plant amaryllis bulbs indoors now they will bloom during the coldest months of the winter

plant them with their pointed ends reaching out of the potting soil and place them in a warm sunny spot watering them well after they bloom keep them in a cooler place to extend the life of their flowers but keep them away from children and pets

Amaryllis bulbs are poisonous to eat. Damiano also advises to remember that non-migrating birds need food because most of their food sources are gone during the winter months. High quality bird seed and water can help.

These same birds will repay the effort by feeding on thousands of insects that threaten your garden during the warm growing season. I'm Katie Weaver. For more than two years, Ebony Vasquez searched to find a music teacher of color for her son, Giovanni.

he is eleven years old and loves to play the violin now she has found that teacher at new hope presbyterian church a christian religious center near los angeles california chenita goodjoyne a black pastor leads new hope

She started a string orchestra at the church in April to help children of color have a better chance to learn classical music. Good Join and the orchestra's leaders think it is important for the music teachers to look like their students and share similar life experiences.

That is why the orchestra's director, Charles Dickerson, and all its music teachers are people of color. Dickerson is also the director of the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, which he founded in 2009.

After Goodjoin's daughter Nyla began playing in that orchestra, Goodjoin decided to build a similar group at her church. The church's orchestra now has about 18 members, aged 9 to 20. They play the violin, viola, bass, and cello. The orchestra accepts all students who want to join.

Ebony Vasquez says having teachers of color has helped the orchestra members feel like they fit in well. It's important they don't feel like outsiders, but are supported and feel like they belong, she said. It has definitely helped my son connect more to the music and the craft.

her son giovanni said that in the church orchestra he could play classical music or popular modern music he values being part of the church orchestra because it's a piece of our community

They encourage young musicians of color and everyone gets a chance to play and maybe use it as a stepping stone to get better or even turn this into a career, he said. Elizabeth Malthrop is executive director of El Sistema, an international network of music education programs that was founded in Venezuela.

She said programs like the Church Orchestra can help students go to life-changing summer music camps, receive college scholarships, and find connections to jobs. Goodjoin said she and her husband, Reggie Goodjoin, see a future for the orchestra where African-American kids play classical music and play it well.

Reggie Goodjoin is a jazz musician and the church's music director. The group plays a mix of both classical and popular music. I like to say they play everything from Bach to Beyonce, added Goodjoin. They also learn music by famous African-American jazz composers such as Count Basie and Duke Ellington.

Goodjoin said she believes the church is a great place to start talking about fairness in music. Music is freedom, Goodjoin added. The pastor is already getting praise from parents. One boy who plays the upright bass was about to quit playing because no one in his school orchestra looked like him.

his mom said that when he came here the pressure to play and compete was taken off and that it's a delight to now watch her son light up feeling a sense of worthiness she said dickerson said he started the los angeles orchestra when a group of students told him they wanted to play closer to where they live

they would have to drive long distances to be in these orchestras where they didn't know the other kids he said the young kids from our communities were always put in the back row and the back row was right next to the door it's easy to walk out that door he added

when you don't really feel accepted and when you know you're probably not as skilled as the others he added that those other students usually had more music lessons and started playing at a younger age

Dickerson said the black church has at times been the only place the African-American community could organize services they needed, such as banks and newspapers. If we can come together in the church and create a symphonic orchestra, all I can say is all praise to God, he added. I'm Andrew Smith. And I'm Ana Mateo.

U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications after a major hacking campaign. Federal officials released a list of security suggestions for U.S. telecommunications companies that were targeted. The advice includes one suggestion that everyone can use.

ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible end-to-end encryption also known as e2ee means that messages are protected so that only the sender and receiver can see them

if anyone else gets the message all they will see is disordered information that cannot be understood without the key law enforcement officials had until now resisted encryption this resistance is because the encryption means the tech will not be able to look at the messages

in addition the companies will not be able to respond to law enforcement requests to turn the data over the associated press or ap recently offered some ways that normal people can use for end-to-end encryption officials said the hackers targeted the metadata of a large number of people

that included information on the dates times and recipients of calls and texts the hackers also got to see the information from texts from a much smaller number of people if you are an iphone user information in text messages that you send to someone else who also has an iphone

will be encrypted end to end. Look for the blue text bubbles which mean that the messages are encrypted iMessages. The same goes for Android users sending texts through Google Messages. There will be a lock next to the timestamp on each message to show that the encryption is on.

But there is a weakness. When iPhone and Android users text each other, the messages are encrypted only using Rich Communication Services, or RCS. That is a common method for messaging that has replaced the older SMS and MMS methods.

Apple notes that RCS messages aren't end-to-end encrypted, which means they're not protected from a third party reading them while they're sent between devices. Samsung, which sells Android smartphones, also indirectly described the issue in a small area at the bottom of a press release last month.

Samsung said about RCS, encryption only available for Android-to-Android communication. To avoid getting caught when exchanging texts, experts recommend using encrypted messaging apps. Privacy supporters are big fans of Signal, which uses end-to-end encryption on all messages and voice calls.

Signal is an app that is run by an independent non-profit group based in Mountain View, California. It promises never to sell customer data. The group has also made its source code publicly available so that it can be examined by anyone for security and correctness.

Signal's encryption method is so respected that it has been included into competitor WhatsApp. End-to-end encryption is also the normal mode for Facebook Messenger, which like WhatsApp, is owned by meta-platforms.

Telegram is an app that can be used for one-on-one discussions, group chats, and broadcast channels. But Telegram does not use end-to-end encryption normally. Users have to turn on end-to-end encryption. And Telegram's end-to-end encryption does not work with group chats.

Cybersecurity experts have warned people against using Telegram for private communications. Instead of using your phone to make calls through a wireless cellular network, you can make voice calls with Signal and WhatsApp. Both apps encrypt calls with the same technology that they use to encrypt messages. There are other choices.

If you have an iPhone, you can use FaceTime for calls, while Android users can use the Google Fi service. Both are end-to-end encrypted. However, with all these choices, the person on the other end will also have to have the app.

WhatsApp and Signal users can choose the privacy setting they want in the settings. Such choices include hiding an IP address during calls to prevent your general location from being guessed. I'm John Russell. VOA Learning English has launched a new program for children.

It is called Let's Learn English with Anna. The new course aims to teach children American English through asking and answering questions and experiencing fun situations. For more information, visit our website, learningenglish.voanews.com. And now it's time for the lesson of the day on the Learning English podcast.

My name is Jill Robbins, and I'm joined by Andrew Smith. Hi, Andrew. Hi, Jill. Our lesson is based on our video series, Let's Learn English. The series shows Ana Mateo in her work and life in Washington, D.C. Here's Ana introducing herself. My name is Ana Mateo.

Lesson 27 of Level 2 of this series shows a few ways to make friendly and informal invitations. We'll listen to those examples, and we'll listen to some expressions and show you how to use them. Okay. In our first example, Anna's boss, Ms. Weaver, invites Anna to a dinner at a restaurant. Hello, Ms. Weaver.

Oh, Anna, I've invited some people to dinner Saturday. We're going to that new seafood restaurant, Fish on a Dish. Why don't you join us? My treat. We can say the three words, why don't you, at the beginning of an invitation. It means the same thing as, would you like to?

We use "Why don't you?" with friends or when we do not want to sound too formal. Jill, why don't you explain the expression "my treat"? All right, I will. Listen to Ms. Weaver again. Why don't you join us? My treat. "My treat" simply means that Ms. Weaver will pay for dinner.

For example, if you are at a restaurant with a few friends or family members and you want to pay for everyone, you can take the bill and say, my treat. Another way of saying my treat is to say, it's on me. If I say, it's on me, that means I want to pay for it.

But if I say dinner's on me, that might mean that I spilled my plate in my lap. Yes, in the literal, physical sense. That's true. After Ms. Weaver asks Anna to dinner, Anna politely says that she cannot join her. To do this, she simply begins with the word thanks. Thanks, Ms. Weaver, but I already have plans.

My friend has invited me to her houseboat. Houseboat? Really? That's unique. Yes, it is. In fact, I'm thinking of living on a houseboat. The word unique means very special or being the only one of its kind.

And notice how Anna talks about the future by using the present progressive tense. Yes, it is. In fact, I'm thinking of living on a houseboat. When we say the three words I'm thinking of and then add an ing verb, that means we are considering or planning a future action. Right. So, for example...

I'm sitting at my desk right now, but I'm thinking of going for a walk with my friend later today. Sounds like a good idea. Now let's hear Ms. Weaver's reaction to Anna. Yes, it is. In fact, I'm thinking of living on a houseboat. Are you too tall and klutzy to live on a houseboat? I am not too tall. Ms. Weaver uses the adjective klutzy.

That means someone who does not have good control of their body and tends to have little accidents. Oh, you mean like me? For example, if you are klutzy, you might drop a glass or knock over some object like a desk lamp or bump into something. Klutzy is spelled K-L-U-T-Z-Y.

In the video, Anna knocks over two signs in the hallway at work just after she says she is not too tall. The noun form of klutzy is the word klutz, and a synonym of klutzy is clumsy. That's spelled C-L-U-M-S-Y. Andrew, I noticed the two words sound similar. They do sound similar.

But, you know, one is spelled with a K and the other with a C. And the other has a Z and one has an S. So there are some differences there. And the words have different origins or language roots. Klutzy comes from Yiddish and clumsy from an older form of English. Now let's hear Anna arriving at her friend's houseboat. Her friend's name is Fanny.

Listen for the way Fanny asks her son to show Anna the boat. Anna, I'm so glad you could come. Hi, Fanny. Hi, this is my son, Phoenix. Hi, Phoenix. Hello. You give Anna a tour, and I will make some lunch. Fanny used the informal expression of the two words, how about, to ask her son, Phoenix, to show Anna the boat. During Anna's visit on the boat, she starts to feel seasick.

We sometimes get seasick because of the movement of a boat on the water. We say, "The boat rocks back and forth." Can you stop this boat from rocking? The problem for Anna is that the boat continues to rock. Later, Fanny notices that Anna does not feel well.

Anna, are you feeling okay? Yeah, yeah. You know, I just need some fresh air. Let me open a window for you. No, I need some fresh land air. I mean, I need to breathe air on land. Oh, is that the time? I should really be going. Thanks for lunch, Fanny, and a tour of your houseboat. It's given me a great idea. You're going to live on a houseboat? Sort of.

Thanks again. At the end of the video, we see the idea Anna was talking about. She invites Ms. Weaver to hang out or spend time on a boat. Hi. How would you like to hang out on my boat? Great. See you then. This time, Anna uses the more formal expression, would you like to? However...

By adding the word how at the beginning, she makes it sound just a little bit less formal. Listen again. Hi, how would you like to hang out on my boat? Great. See you then.

At the end of the video, we see Anna and Ms. Weaver sitting in a small boat on the grass in Anna's yard. And Ms. Weaver does not look too excited about it. No, she doesn't. But hey, at least she doesn't have to worry about getting seasick. I've been seasick before, and I can tell you it's not fun. Yeah.

But I've heard acupuncture is helpful, or just pinching on your ears when you feel seasick. Hmm. Well, I wish I had known that at the time. Well, before our listeners get sick of listening to me, let's remind them that each lesson of the Let's Learn English series has a lesson plan that they can download for free from our website.

The plans can be helpful for both students and teachers. And remember that you can find us on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Thanks for listening to the lesson of the day on the Learning English Podcast. I'm Jill Robbins. And I'm Andrew Smith.

And that's our show for today. But join us again tomorrow to keep learning English on The Voice of America. I'm Katie Weaver. And I'm