Learning English Podcast - January 18, 2025
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Welcome to Learning English, a daily 30-minute program from the Voice of America. I'm Katie Weaver. And I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. This program is designed for English learners, so we speak a little slower and we use words and phrases especially written for people learning English.

Coming up on the show, Jill Robbins and John Russell bring us everyday grammar. Andrew Smith has Ask a Teacher. We close the show with an American story. We hear the third part of The Blue Hotel by Stephen Crane. But first, this report.

Art Deco is an international artistic style that was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Now, interest in the style and its qualities is growing. A new generation is enjoying the style's roots and turning it into something new.

A public showing or exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York provides a look at the style that helped define the city 100 years ago. Famous Art Deco buildings include the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and Radio City Music Hall.

the public showing called art deco city new york postcards from the leonard a lauder collection also has clothing and film clips from the time in london the victoria and albert museum has a collection of day and evening clothing jewelry and more

The collection comes from Les Ballets Russes, a dance company that had a major effect on fashion. And in Paris, organizers of the 2024 Olympics created Art Deco posters last year to celebrate the Games and mark the 100 years since the 1924 Olympics, which Paris also hosted.

Experts have different opinions about Art Deco. Design writer Arika-Hélène Sanson, for example, said last year in El Décor magazine, Ask three historians to define the term Art Deco, and you'll likely get three varying answers.

appearing after world war i the first art deco era had a spirit of creativity and freedom with the aim of appearing modern the style became one of the most important forms of design in the nineteen twenties and early nineteen thirties

the art deco style is believed to have first appeared at the nineteen twenty five international exhibition of modern decorative and industrial arts in paris the early nineteen thirties saw the development of the style in miami where south beach's art deco district is popular with visitors and a center for design

in some large cities low-rise buildings of two or three floors turned into landscapes of high-rise skyscrapers public and private spaces showed themes involving geometrical designs and luxurious materials

in transportation faster cars and better trains suggested a new age while jazz music urged people to celebrate the same energy can be found in to-day's fashion shows and red carpet events for stars some of to-day's colorful clothing suggests the jazz age another name for the period when art deco was popular

stars like zendaya gigi hadid beyonce and demi lovato have used elements of the deco era in new ways the aesthetic of the nineteen twenties is enjoying a fashionable renaissance said kirsty thatcher of the australian fashion magazine rush a renaissance represents a rebirth of something from the past

new york based interior designer vanessa de leon told the associated press the boldness and elegance of art deco are what appeals to me jamie watkins and tom kennedy of the london design company divine savages include art deco elements in their collections of products for the home

Watkins suggested, "It's no wonder we're drawn to it again." Linda Klitsch is the co-organizer or curator of the exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York. Klitsch noted that postcards were the social media of their day. Travelers at the time busily wrote messages to friends and family.

New York's famous Art Deco buildings appear in over 250 postcards. There is also a selection of clothing from the 1920s, shoes, and other objects. Art Deco was the look that sold the city to the world, said co-curator Lily Tuttle. The exhibition in New York City runs through February 17th. I'm John Russell.

This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Christina in Poland. Here is Christina's question. Dear teacher, I would like to know of different ways to use words such as apply and application for getting jobs or other purposes. Thank you. Christina.

I'm happy to answer this question, Christina. The word "apply" is a verb and the word "application" is a noun. We can use both words when discussing the process of looking for a job. We say we "apply for a job" when we go through the official process of asking an employer for work.

To do this, we usually have to complete a job application. The application is a form, either online or on paper, that gives the employer information about the person applying for the job. We commonly use the phrasal verb "fill out" to express the act of completing an application.

Consider the following examples. You must fill out this application first. Did you fill out the application? While we say "apply for" when trying to get a job, we say "apply to" when we are trying to get accepted into a school or other program, as in the following example.

She applied to three medical schools in California. However, we say "apply for" when we are trying to get financial aid or special awards. The expression "apply to" also has another meaning. It can mean that something relates to something else.

or that something is true for all people or things. Listen to the following examples. The new rule only applies to people who work more than 40 hours each week. The right of freedom of speech should apply to all citizens. The word application has other meanings besides a form people fill out.

Among these is a computer program that does a specific task or kind of work. From this meaning, we get the term "apps" which we use in our smartphones and computers. There also is another expression with the verb "apply." If you apply yourself,

That means that you are working hard over a period of time to complete a project or develop a skill. And that's Ask a Teacher. I'm Andrew Smith. From VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. In a previous Everyday Grammar story, we discussed two common sentence patterns using the word "be."

This week, we are going to give you more information about another common pattern in English: the linking verb pattern. To get you started with linking verb patterns, consider this passage from a story called "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. As he approached the end,

His sentences became broken, became short and uncertain, and his body seemed tense, seemed strained to catch the slightest pressure or whisper of life in the spaces around him. By the end of this story, you will be able to recognize one major linking verb pattern that Fitzgerald uses many times in this sentence. Remember.

A sentence has a subject and a predicate. A clause has a subject and a predicate, too. The predicate is the verb phrase. It has a main verb, such as a linking verb, and other words, such as a subject complement, that give more information about it.

When you capitalize the first word of a clause and put a period at the end of it, a clause becomes a sentence. Keep this idea in mind because it will help you understand sentences that use several clauses. In the book Rhetorical Grammar, Martha Cohn says,

that the term "linking verbs" applies to verbs that are completed by a subject complement, the adjective or noun phrase that describes the subject. Many grammar experts consider the verb "be" to be a linking verb, but Cohn says "be" verb patterns are sometimes different from other linking verb patterns.

This is because adverbial information often follows "be" verbs, such as in the following sentence: My sister is at the store. In this case, an adverbial structure, a prepositional phrase, tells about the location of the subject, "my sister." This "be" pattern is one we discussed in a previous Everyday Grammar story.

Subject + be + adverbial. Be + adverbial make up the predicate. In contrast, the usual linking verb structure is this: Subject + linking verb + subject complement. The linking verb + subject complement make up the predicate. Some of the most common linking verbs are verbs of the senses.

They include taste, smell, feel, look, and sound. These verbs often link an adjective to a subject. For example, consider these memorable lines from Dirty Harry, a famous American film. You've got to ask yourself one question. Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?

In the sentence "Do I feel lucky?" the adjective "lucky" acts as the subject complement. It describes the subject "I." If you were to answer the question, you might say this: "Yes, I feel lucky." Verbs of the senses are not the only linking verbs.

Two other common examples of linking verbs are "remain" and "become." These verbs often link a noun or noun phrase to a subject. Consider the opening lines from "Casablanca," another classic American film. With the coming of the Second World War, many eyes in imprisoned Europe turned hopefully or desperately toward the freedom of the Americas.

Lisbon became the great embarkation point. In the second sentence, Lisbon became the great embarkation point, you can see the basic linking verb pattern. Even though the subject complement has several words, Lisbon is the subject of the sentence. The predicate has the linking verb "became" as well as the noun phrase "the great embarkation point."

Aside from the verbs of the senses and become and remain, there are three other common linking verbs. They are prove, seem, and appear. Like other linking verbs, these verbs link an adjective or noun phrase to the subject. All these verbs use the same basic pattern.

Subject + linking verb + subject complement. Think back to this passage from "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz." As he approached the end, his sentences became broken, became short and uncertain, and his body seemed tense, seemed strained to catch the slightest pressure or whisper of life in the spaces around him.

Fitzgerald uses some phrases that do not fit into the linking verb pattern, but if you look closely, you will see that he uses the subject + linking verb + subject complement pattern in the sentence. Consider these clauses: His sentences became broken. Fitzgerald then repeats the linking verb pattern, but does not say the subject.

The repeated subject is understood. His sentences became short and uncertain. His body seemed tense. His body seemed strained. This sentence contains other structures that are more complicated than the basic linking verb pattern.

but you can still see that these basic patterns can serve as the starting point for very long, complicated sentences. Learning how to use linking verb patterns will help you improve your writing. You can think about creative ways to use them, or you can learn to recognize when you use them too often. I'm John Russell.

And I'm Jill Robbins. The Blue Hotel, Part 3. The men prepared to go out. The Easterner was so nervous that he had great difficulty putting on his new leather coat. As the cowboy pulled his fur cap down over his ears, his hands trembled. In fact, Johnny and Old Scully were the only ones who displayed no emotion.

No words were spoken during these proceedings. Scully threw open the door. Instantly, a wild wind caused the flame of the lamp to struggle for its life. The men lowered their heads and pushed out into the cold. No snow was falling, but great clouds of it swept up from the ground by the fierce winds were streaming all around.

The covered land was a deep blue, and there was no other color except one light shining from the low, black railroad station. It looked like a tiny jewel. The Swede was calling out something. Scully went to him, put a hand on his shoulder, and indicated an ear. "What did you say?" "I said..." screamed the Swede again.

"I won't have a chance against this crowd. I know you'll all jump on me." "No, no, man," called Scully, but the wind tore the words from his lips and scattered them far. The Swedes shouted a curse, but the storm also seized the remainder of the sentence. The men turned their backs upon the wind and walked to the shelter side of the hotel.

Here a V-shaped piece of icy grass had not been covered by the snow. When they reached the spot, it was heard that the Swede was still screaming. "Oh, I know what kind of a thing this is! I know you'll jump on me! I can't beat you all!"

Scully turned on him angrily. You won't have to beat all of us. You'll have to beat my son Johnny. And the man that troubled you during that time will have to deal with me. The arrangements were quickly made. The two men faced each other, obeying the short commands of Scully. The Easterner was already cold and he was jumping up and down. The cowboy stood rock-like.

The fighters had not removed any clothing. Their hands were ready, and they eyed each other in a calm way that had the elements of fierce cruelty in it. "'Now,' said Scully. The two leaped forward and struck together like oxen. There was heard the dull sound of blows and of a curse pressed out between the tight teeth of one."

As for the watchers, the Easterners held in breath burst from him in relief, pure relief after the anxious waiting. The cowboy leaped into the air with a scream. Scully stood unmoving, as if in complete surprise and fear at the fierceness of the fight, which he himself had permitted and arranged.

For a time, the fight in the darkness was such a scene of flying arms that it showed no more detail than a moving wheel. Sometimes a face would shine out, frightful and marked with pink spots. A moment later, the men would be only shadows.

Suddenly, the cowboy was caught by warlike desires, and he leaped forward with the speed of a wild horse. "Hit him, Johnny! Hit him! Kill him! Kill him!" "Keep still," said Scully icily. Then there was a sudden loud sound, dull, incomplete, cut short.

Johnny's body fell away from the swede, with sickening heaviness to the grass. The cowboy hardly had time to prevent the mad swede from throwing himself upon the fallen body. Scully was at his son's side. "Johnny! Johnny, my boy!"

His voice had a quality of sad tenderness. "Johnny, can you fight some more?" He looked anxiously down into the bloody, beaten face of his son. There was a moment of silence, and then Johnny answered in his ordinary voice, "Yes, I... it... yes." Helped by his father, he struggled to his feet. "Wait a minute now till you get your breath," said the old man.

A few steps away, the cowboy was telling the Swede. No, you don't. Wait a second. The Easterner was pulling at Scully's arm. Oh, this is enough, he begged. This is enough. Let it go as it is. This is enough. Bill, said Scully, get out of the way. The cowboy stepped aside. Now, the fighters advanced toward each other.

Then the Swede aimed a lightning blow that carried with it his entire weight. Johnny, though faint from weakness, luckily stepped aside and the unbalanced Swede fell to the ground. The cowboy, Scully, and the Easterner cheered. But before its finish, the Swede was up and attacking his enemy madly.

There were more wildly moving arms, and Johnny's body again fell away like a stone. The Swede quickly struggled to a little tree and leaned upon it, breathing hard while his fierce and flame-lit eyes wandered from face to face as the men bent over Johnny. "'Can you still fight, Johnny?' asked Scully in a voice of despair."

After a moment, the son answered, "No, I can't fight anymore." Then, from shame and bodily ill, he began to weep, the tears pouring down through the blood on his face. "He was too, too heavy for me." Scully straightened and spoke to the waiting figure. "Stranger," he said calmly, "we're finished."

Then his voice changed into that deep and quiet tone, which is the tone of the most simple and deadly announcements. Johnny is beaten. Without replying, the winner moved away to the door of the hotel. The others raised Johnny from the ground, and as soon as he was on his feet, he refused all attempts at help.

When the group came around the corner, they were almost blinded by the blowing snow. It burned their faces like fire. The cowboy carried Johnny through the piles of snow to the door. Inside, they were greeted by a warm stove and women who took Johnny to the kitchen. The three others sat around the heat

and the sad quiet was broken only by the sounds overhead when the Swede moved about in his room. Soon they heard him on the stairs. He threw the door open and walked straight to the middle of the room. No one looked at him. "'Well,' he said loudly to Scully, "'I suppose you'll tell me now how much I owe you.' The old man, with a dull expression, remained calm."

"You don't owe me anything," Mr. Scully called the Swede again. "How much do I owe you?" He was dressed to go, and he had his bag in his hand. "You don't owe me anything," repeated Scully in the same unmoved way. "I guess you're right. I guess the truth would be that you would owe me something. That's what I guess," he turned to the cowboy.

"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" he repeated in the tone the cowboy had used. Then he laughed, but he might have been laughing at the dead. The three men did not move or speak, just stared with glassy eyes at the stove. The Swede opened the door and passed into the storm, giving one last glance at the still group.

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