What I can tell you is that they are very interested in immigration. They are very concerned about the numbers of people who have been crossing the border in recent months, and they feel like Congress isn't giving the president what he wants. You know, I've been talking to voters both here and in the area yesterday. And I'd ask people - you know, what is the most important issue to you?And again and again and again, they brought up immigration.

Describe the scene for us there in Orlando. I know people have been camping out for this rally. What's the atmosphere like?

It's this, you know, festival atmosphere that often pops up around a Trump rally. There were people lined up, as you say. I came out at 8 o'clock this morning and walked around, and the line was very, very, very long. And then it turned into Woodstock because there was a massive thunderstorm - I mean, just an unbelievable thunderstorm and lightning and thunder. And there was a sign that went up on a big electronic board that said, we encourage you to take shelter. No one took shelter. Everybody stayed exactly where they were in line as mud just built up around them on the ground. They weren't about to get out of line.

OK. This is the mud part of Woodstock, not the free lover, psychedelics part of Woodstock.

turn 0 : People are concerned about immigration, not just interested.

Which issue did voters bring up repeatedly when PersonA asked them?

Answer: Immigration


Then later on, I ended up having to deal with, really, racism from both sides, from white people, as well as from black people who claimed that I was not really black because of the music I listened to or the way that I speak or some intangible delineation that people make in terms of how you're supposed to behave based upon the color of your skin.

Well, Brian, you know, you went on to basically go about your life and kind of sublimate this incredible pressure. But at some point, it all broke for you. What happened then?

Well, what happened was - I should back up and say that at the time that I wrote "Not a Genuine Black Man," the book and the play, I decided that in order for it to be real and to be true and to be what I wanted it to be, I'd have to be completely naked. And that being the case, I knew that I would have to talk about the darkest moment in my life, which was a very severe period of depression I went through in 1999.

I had - I didn't realize it at the time, but apparently I had suffered depression since childhood, from all of the, you know, strangers driving down the street yelling the N-word, not being included because I was the only black kid and being different. And I'd spent a lot of time isolating and by myself.

turn 0 : A faced racism from both white and black people due to his behavior and interests not aligning with stereotypes of his skin color.

How did PersonA's behavior and interests lead to racism from both white and black people?

Answer: Behavior


I think Senator Clinton is prepared to carry forward into her service as secretary of state the change of heart that she underwent in the last several years regarding the war in Iraq. She was for it in the first place. She saw it as necessary in the wake of 9/11. She was, after all, the senator from New York, and she was, I think, in fairness, we can say, anticipating running for president at some future date against a Republican who would try to make her seem relatively a lightweight on national security.

She has seen it all in a different light, of course, and in running for president in 2008, while she did not ever say she had made a mistake, and she never really repudiated her vote for the war, she did make it clear that she had changed her mind about it. So, I think that she is in harmony with the general thinking of the other members of the national security and foreign policy team here, including, of course, the president-elect himself.

Although the president-elect did say that there would be disagreements when it came to how to approach his foreign policy objectives, he doesn't seem to be shying away from that. Where are some of those disagreements?

There could be disagreements with respect to how we deal with foreign leaders who are particularly of a mind to give the United States fits, let us say, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, for example, other foreign leaders perhaps who might emerge in Pakistan or might emerge in other countries who are not in power there now, possibly also including Iraq.

turn 2 : Not shying away means he is not pretending those disagreements don't still exist.

Answer: Acknowledgment


There was an early and well-organized campaign of civil disobedience on the streetcars by forcing their way nonviolently onto streetcars and hanging onto their seats until conductors or police officers bodily threw them off.

You know, we like to say he's one of the few historic figures who has been likened to both Martin Luther King and George Steinbrenner. He was part of a generation of young men and women of color who had been raised by parents who had been denied the right to a schoolhouse. And yet, by the time Octavius Catto was 12 or 14 or 15 years old, he'd gotten a terrific education because his father was going to get that for his kid by hook or crook. And so along comes Catto and other men and women like him, by civil war time, came to adulthood believing that they could change the world.

And I have to ask about the baseball team.

turn 1 : Octavius Catto must have been an extraordinarily compelling personality.  Implicated meaning: The statement suggests that Octavius Catto possessed exceptional charisma or persuasive qualities that made him stand out. It implies that his personality had a significant impact on others and likely garnered attention and admiration.

How would you describe Octavius Catto's personality?

Answer: Compelling


We cannot tell each time because the publicly available data on Facebook is not - doesn't show you everything. But in many countries, like in Spain, it was actually pretty much two individuals running a coordinated network of pages to spread their message. One was a bit more publicly known. The other one was just, I think, a pensioner in some small island in Spain. And then we saw it all across. Like, it's very fringe-type, sometimes white nationalist. Again, we did not find much political affiliation - only in Germany, where even local and regional AFD politicians were involved in setting up fake and duplicate accounts and be friend with them. And that worried us, as well.

The AFD being that - the far-right party in Germany.

That's right.

Here in the U. S. , as authorities have tried to track disinformation across social media, a lot of the trail has led back to Russia. That's been very much in the headlines here. Did you find that in your investigation in Europe?

turn 0 : Individuals in Spain coordinated network of pages to spread their message

What country did the individuals in the coordinated network of pages operate in?

Answer: Spain


I - you've made that point. Let me get to one last question, if I could. President Trump cited Canada as a model of merit-based system, but several news organizations and the Canadian Council of disabilities have pointed out that Stephen Hawking wouldn't be permitted to immigrate in Canada under their system because it does not admit handicapped and disabled people. Do you want that for the United States too?

Well, a merit-based system needs to focus on education and skills, but there is also room for immediate family members to come as well. Canada's point system really contributes only about 15 percent of Canada's annual immigration now. It used to be much higher. It's all in, you know, how you set it up. And we need to be more nimble in our immigration system and look at the outcomes of our immigration policy the way Australia does and be ready to change it if it's not meeting our needs, particularly our economic needs.

Jessica, we. . .

I think that we can do both.

Jessica Vaughn of the Center for Immigration Studies, thanks so much.

turn 3 : I think that we can do both" - Implied Meaning: We can both focus on education and skills and be flexible in our immigration system.

What needs to be focused on in a merit-based immigration system according to A?

Answer: Education


There had to be an innovation. Yeah, John Graham was actually building a revolving bar in Honolulu, and they thought, well, let's since they had - Graham wanted a flying saucer shape. And, of course, Washington state had kicked off the whole flying saucer craze with the sighting at Mt. Rainier in 1947 that the press had called flying saucer. But it became this kind of iconic idea of what the future would look like. Well, because it was this circular shape, a revolving restaurant made sense. Graham patented a gearing system that allowed you to turn the entire restaurant of 250 people with a one-horsepower motor.

Wow.

And that was built up in Everett, Washington, just north of Seattle.

With a size that drives a washing machine. It's very small.

turn 0 : The flying saucer shape is the common shape of how alien space ships were depicted.

What was the shape of the revolving restaurant?

Answer: BEACH


OK. So let me break down - let me ask you to break down what that means. What is the yield curve, and what does it mean when it's inverted?

So the yield curve represents interest rates at different maturities. So usually, it's the case that a longer-term interest rate has a higher rate than a short-term interest rate. So think of a certificate of deposit at your bank. If you lock your money up for five years, you expect to get a higher rate than, let's say, locking it up for six months.

But in certain rare situations, things get backwards, and it turns out that the long-term interest rate is lower than the short-term rate. And that's called an inverted yield curve. That's exactly the situation we've got right now. And it is a harbinger of bad news.

So unemployment is at a 50-year low. The GDP is growing. Does that have an effect on the yield curve?

turn 2 : harbinger it implies to announce or to precede

How would you describe the yield curve in an inverted situation?

Answer: rates


And a couple of weeks after that, I got a phone call from a Vietnam vet who wanted me to write an obit about a World War II vet who served on a submarine and is basically a hero. And I was so moved by his story. And I realized that this is where I connect. This is where all African-Americans connect to America. I mean, our people have served and have done so much so that people like me can have the opportunities that I have.

So I guess it's a story of - in a way, of me searching for who I am. Searching for my history, searching for my people's history.

Give me an example of one of the stories that you found about a World War II veteran.

Well, one of the veterans I interviewed was a man named Waverly Woodson (ph). And I saw the movie "Saving Private Ryan," and I mean, I thought it was a great movie. But I was really struck by the fact that there were like no black people in it. And I assumed that no African-Americans served on D-Day. But when I started writing the book, I really wanted to find an African-American who served on D-Day, because I soon found that that was not the case.

turn 3 : black people  implies African American people and not black color humans beings

What does the turn "black people" refer to?

Answer: to


So Flame has - so far they've found about 20 modules that can be swapped in and out, and they do everything from turning on the internal microphone and webcam on your computer, this way that they could record conversations that you have over Skype or conversations that you have in the room, in the vicinity of the computer.

It takes screenshots of your communications. They seem particularly interested in any email communications or instant messaging communication that you do. It also turns your computer into a Bluetooth beacon. So if you have Bluetooth enabled on your computer, they will turn that on and do a discovery for other Bluetooth-enabled devices in the vicinity, such as a phone, and they will use your computer to then siphon the contact information that is in any phone in the area.

Wow. Wow.

Why all those things?I mean, what's the reason for that?

turn 1 :  "Bluetooth beacon" is a figurative expression that means that the software makes the computer emit a signal that other Bluetooth-enabled devices can detect, just like a lighthouse beacon emits a signal that ships can detect.

Which type of signal does the Flame software make the Bluetooth-enabled devices detect?

Answer: Bluetooth


I don't know where life would have led Ionel Talpazan if he'd slept on a cardboard box on a corner of, say, Akron or Peoria. But in New York, a famous art figure named Henry Tobler saw an artist in his drawings and wrote about him in scholarly journals. His pictures were included in Manhattan art galleries, and from the 1990s on, Ionel made his way in the world by his art. By the time he died, his works had hung at the American Visionary Art Museum and museums in San Francisco, London, Berlin, Madrid and France. Talpazans were sold in fancy galleries from SoHo to Chelsea. The man who'd slept in a box moved to a New York apartment.

My art shows spiritual technology, something beautiful and beyond human imagination that comes from another galaxy, he once told the Western Folklore journal. So in a relative way, this is like the God. Ionel Talpazan imagined incredible things and made them alive in the eyes of others. In a way, he did escape on his UFO.

(Singing) I wouldn't fool you, but I - I've seen the saucers so many times, I'm almost. . .

Elton John. You're listening to NPR News.

turn 3 :  while (4) is a call back to the story of Ionel Talpazan by using the metaphor of a UFO to symbolize his escape from his life in poverty.

Answer: Ionel-Talpazan


There was a feeling over the last couple of days before I left that the military-backed ruling party was just a little taken aback by this humiliating defeat. I mean, they only won one seat and that hardliners in the party might not have taken too kindly to what happened and might want to retaliate in some way. And I think some people are afraid that some disgruntled hardliners might try to retaliate against Aung San Suu Kyi, which, of course, would be a disaster for the reform process and a disaster for the country. But so far, that hasn't happened yet, and now, they're talking about trying to reinvent themselves in the run-up to the 2015 general election.

Push could come to shove, yes. I mean, people used to having their way for a very long time aren't usually very eager to give up what they have.

turn 0 : (1)	A:	There was a feeling over the last couple of days before I left that the military-backed ruling party was just a little taken aback by this humiliating defeat.I mean, they only won one seat and that hardliners in the party might not have taken too kindly to what happened and might want to retaliate in some way.And I think some people are afraid that some disgruntled hardliners might try to retaliate against Aung San Suu Kyi, which, of course, would be a disaster for the reform process and a disaster for the country.But so far, that hasn't happened yet, and now, they're talking about trying to reinvent themselves in the run-up to the 2015 general election. (2)	A:	And if last week's election results were any indication, the NLD looks like it would sweep those elections, and then what happens to the military-backed ruling party?I mean, they're out the door, and then if you - if the NLD, for example, had a majority in parliament - I know we're getting ahead of ourselves - but if they had a majority, then they could actually talk about rewriting that constitution, yeah? (3)	B:	And at that point, push comes to shove, no? (4)	A:	Push could come to shove, yes.I mean, people used to having their way for a very long time aren't usually very eager to give up what they have.  Please choose the turns whose actual meanings are different from their literal meanings.   (1) Please choose a confidence score ( marks how confidence you are that there is implied meaning in this turn ) :   4 : You are not sure whether everybody will agree that this turn has implied meanings but you believe that most of them will Please write a implied meaning ( More than 8 words! ) :

What could be a potential disaster for the reform process and the country?

Answer: Retaliation


They have indeed. They've been subject to very serious, tough sanctions in the past not just from the United States but from the entire international community. That's involved restrictions on their energy sector, their banking sector and an array of other economic sectors.

How have they gotten around them?

Well, in some instances, they haven't been able to. So during the period of most intensive, multilateral sanctions on Iran - this is 2012 to 2015 - they had great difficulty evading sanctions. It happened here and there, certainly when it came to sales of oil, certain cargoes or bartering - financial bartering - some smuggling activities. But the fear now is that, in an instance where there's unilateral sanctions on Iran, it may have ample opportunity to cheat and evade these sanctions.

Unilateral meaning, of course, just the United States. So it'll be tougher for the sanctions to have any effect if, for example, China or Russia and, let's say, Germany don't go along.

Right, exactly. So right now the European Union, in general, and the E3, in particular, have - that being the United Kingdom, France and Germany - have expressed an interest in maintaining their commitment to the deal. And that means continuing to give Iran economic relief promised to it under the deal. That means potentially violating U. S.  sanctions or creating ways for European companies to not abide by U. S.  sanctions.

And how does the U. S.  respond, at least under this administration?

turn 4 : European countries may violate US sanctions or find ways for their companies to not abide by them to maintain their commitment to the Iran deal.

How might European countries respond to U.S. sanctions on Iran?

Answer: Violate


Thanks, Michel.

Now, you've been reporting along the border all day. What have you seen?

Well, I was at the actual border this morning. It's a river that divides Mexico and Guatemala. And there was no presence of authorities there. So there are these inflatable rafts that carry people and goods across the river, and they were traveling without a problem across the river. So I saw several groups of migrants cross this morning. But things change as you move north on highways here.

So I'm currently at a highway checkpoint. There's about a dozen Mexican migration officers, as well as Mexican Army and Mexican police. And they're stopping every van and bus that comes by here and checking it for undocumented migrants.

So tell us a little bit more, if you would, about what happens to travelers who arrive at those checkpoints.

turn 3 : Mexican officials are actively searching for undocumented migrants.

What are Mexican officials searching for at highway checkpoints?

Answer: Undocumented


Look, I think the president's actually been very clear about the things that he wants. He wants to address border security, he wants to deal with chain migration, and he wants to deal with the lottery. And he's certainly willing to provide legal status for DREAMers. So if those are your four principle points and they've been known for months, there ought to be a way to reach an agreement.

Border security means a wall?

It means border security. The president's acknowledged he's not talking about a wall from sea to shining sea. But it does require physical structures in a lot of places. Back in 2006, Congress actually voted for about twice the amount of physical barriers that we have today - so finishing that off, rebuilding parts of it. But again, as both General Kelly and the president acknowledged, we're not talking about a wall across the entire length of the border. But we are calling for much more intense border security.

Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma, thanks for joining us.

turn 2 : It means border security... But we are calling for much more intense border security.  Implication: A is clarifying that "border security" does not only mean building a wall, but also includes other measures, such as physical barriers in certain areas and intensified security measures overall.

What does "border security" mean according to A?

Answer: security


Captain, thanks for coming on the program.

You're welcome. Thank you for having me.

So as I understand, you began your transition in 2016. And I know a lot of this policy and whether it applies depends on where someone is in that process. Does this policy apply to you?

Well, so any policy that the DOD implements is going to apply to me as a member of the DOD. I think, specifically, I'll be part of the so-called grandfather clause here and be, quote-unquote, "OK" as we move forward. And so maybe not in the specific sense, but I think it applies in general that any time you put a policy in place that affects a specific group of people, i. e. transgender people in this case, it's going to affect me, whether directly or because of the implications and the intention behind it.

turn 1 : Implied meaning: The speaker's use of a particular tone or emphasis suggests that they may be implying something indirectly, without stating it explicitly.

Answer: Implying


(Reading from diary) Woke up not feeling well. I spent the entire day online on WebMD. I can say with a hundred percent certainty that I have pleurisy, tuberculosis, brainstem cancer or an enlarged prostate. I found a great cure for whatever ails you - a coffee enema. The only negative - I could never go back to Starbucks.

I can't read this. Joan Rivers' new book is called "Diary of a Mad Diva. "She joins us from New York. Thanks so much.

Oh, it makes me so happy when you laugh.

Well, it's funny. I have to ask you, do you have as much plastic surgery as you say you do or is it kind of like Dean Martin and his drinking?

turn 3 : (4) B's question about plastic surgery implies that B thinks the person being asked has had a lot of plastic surgery and may not be truthful about it, even though the literal meaning of the question is simply asking about the extent of the person's plastic surgery.

Which question implies that PersonB thinks the person being asked has had a lot of plastic surgery and may not be truthful about it?

Answer: B


Yeah, thank you.

So tell us what the article said.

Well, it's very interesting. It's in the Jesuit magazine La Civilta Cattolica. It's a very historic magazine, the Jesuits, of course, being the same order that Pope Francis - an order of priest that Pope Francis is a part of. And what's very interesting is that these two authors are known to be quite close to him. One, Antonio Spadaro, was the person who interviewed him in 2013 and made a big splash. And what they're saying is that they're concerned about ties between fundamental evangelicals and, kind of, right-wing Catholics in the U. S.  that are focused only on very neuralgic issues and kind of dividing in politics.

And the article, I believe, specifically talks about xenophobic and Islamophobic views.

Yeah. What the authors say is that, you know, Pope Francis has really been trying to create a culture of dialogue encounter, really working with people across all the spectrums. And what the two authors in this article are saying is that these right-wing groups in the U. S.  have been really doing the opposite. Where Pope Francis is trying to build bridges, they're trying to build walls. And they're playing up concerns about migration, about refugees. And they're kind of operating in the exact opposite way of the pope which, for a Catholic, is obviously a very strange thing.

All right, this article also directly mentions President Donald Trump and his adviser Steve Bannon. What does it say about them?

turn 1 : "Tell us what the article said" - The literal meaning is a request for a summary or explanation of the contents of an article.

How is the Jesuit magazine La Civilta Cattolica described in the dialogue?

Answer: Historic


I think it is a serious threat. I don't see strong evidence that it has increased as of late. Iran has the ability to act via proxy organizations towards United States troops, diplomats, other assets that might be in the region. It also has the mechanisms to act against our partners and against our allies either directly or through the proxy organizations that it has a relationship with.

And paint me a little bit of a picture of what that map looks like when you describe Iran's proxy organizations in the Middle East.

So Iran's strongest relationship is with Lebanese Hezbollah. That allows them to have a measure of influence both to act in Lebanon, to act towards Israel from Lebanon but increasingly to act in other countries where Iran has essentially deployed Lebanese Hezbollah troops to, including Syria.

It has also been improving its relationship with Houthi rebels in Yemen, though its ability to direct or control the Houthis is still very limited. And it has long-established relationships with Iraqi militias.

Does Iran have control over its proxies?

turn 2 : Iran uses Lebanese Hezbollah troops to expand its influence in the region

How does Iran expand its influence in the region?

Answer: Troops


Absolutely. In fact, there is. It's very simple. If you go to the grocery store and you buy some blue food coloring, you can take it home. And I caution you to be very careful. It will stain the rug in your house, as I am. . .

Yeah.

. . . living proof of.

I hate it when that happens, you know.

turn 3 :  B: "I hate it when that happens, you know." The literal meaning suggests that the person simply dislikes it when something similar happens. However, the actual meaning could be that the person is using the phrase "when that happens" in a broader context, expressing frustration or annoyance with situations that lead to unwanted consequences or accidents in general.

What is the actual meaning of "when that happens" in PersonB's statement?

Answer: Situations


Well, that's the thing. Three areas we've looked at - covering about 55 square miles of the jungle - target one, target two and target three. And the first one was target one, and we found these all these archeological features. They covered hundreds of acres, maybe even thousands of acres, and this is gigantic. And then they moved on to target two, and they marked that, and then they moved on to target three. And target three showed even more striking features.

And we've - an archaeologist has been looking at them and a guy named Chris Fisher, who is an archaeologist at the Colorado State University, who's an expert on LIDAR, and he tells us that there is a city in T3 that is comparable in area to the city of Copan. It's absolutely enormous. The track is two square - five square kilometers.

And if these valleys are so remote, how did these civilizations develop in this unforgiving area?

Well, that's the thing. We're only now starting to realize that this so-called virgin or impenetrable jungle in prehistoric times was anything but. It was very heavily settled. There were many thousands of people living in these areas, and it wasn't virgin jungle. It was more like a tended garden. They cleared huge areas for farming. They terraced. They built irrigation canals. They built roads. They built enormous pyramids and structures.

turn 3 : The prehistoric people cleared huge areas for farming, terraced, built irrigation canals, roads, pyramids and structures.

Answer: Structures


Both the trains slowed. I was standing there with my bag over my shoulder, ready to jump. It was windy. It was cold. It was kind of getting dark. And so they finally lined up the cars correctly, and I was told to run across the loose rocks and jump on to the other train.

The conductor on the other train pulled me on to that car. Once I was onboard, another conductor came through the car, and she said to me, don't get up when we get to Milwaukee. What I heard from her was don't get up, or I will kill you. I did not move the rest of the trip.

So I get to Saint Paul. I'm looking for my brother. He's late. So he gets there, and I ask him, why were you late?And he says, well, I checked the train schedule, and it said it was running behind. Oh, that was because of me.

A travel nightmare with a happy ending from Anne Fleury in Milwaukee. Send us your stories, please. Go to weekendeditionsaturday@npr. org. Click on contact. Put Travel Nightmare at the top of your message.

turn 1 : (2) The actual meaning of the turn is different from its literal meaning. The statement "don't get up when we get to Milwaukee" is meant as a warning not to get off the train at Milwaukee, rather than a threat to kill the speaker if they move.

Which city did the speaker receive a warning not to get off the train at?

Answer: Milwaukee


Do you report them?

Yeah. I mean, I can call up, you know, different agencies if I have enough information. And in this instance, I did. I do know that, you know, a couple days later, I saw the same person was booked into the jail for domestic violence. You know, for me, that helps me to sleep at night because just maybe that firearm that I would've sold that person - what would it have done if it would've been used in that crime?

Were there other instances where maybe something bought from your store, you know, was used to commit a crime, or is this the first time that you've had to deal with something like this?

You know, it comes around. This is the first time where it's been national, and we've had all kinds of coverage of it. But it is not an uncommon thing to have the FBI or the ATF call up and say, we need to know this person's information or what happened with this situation. That happens probably every couple months.

turn 3 : The speaker has had multiple interactions with law enforcement agencies inquiring about the activities of their customers.

What is the frequency of the PersonA's interactions with law enforcement agencies?

Answer: Every


Here's another example - property buyouts. So the federal government will sometimes buy properties with federal and local money after a disaster, like floods. And the land gets turned into permanent green space. And in the future, no other homes or businesses or potential lives will be lost there. That's the point of the buyout.

So if they're buying out property, you have to be a property owner to benefit from that. And people with more wealth are generally more often property owners. Is that how this is working?

Mm-hmm. And there have been barriers to property ownership in the U. S.  for various people, various racial groups, as well.

Sure.

turn 1 : In turn (2), the speaker acknowledges that people who own properties are more likely to benefit from property buyouts. However, the implied meaning is that the property buyout program may reinforce existing socioeconomic disparities, as people with more wealth are generally more often property owners. This suggests that the program may not be equally accessible to everyone, which is different from the literal meaning of the turn.

How does the property buyout program potentially reinforce socioeconomic disparities?

Answer: Socioeconomic


You know, the liveliest speculation game in Washington right now is playing Rexit (ph), guessing the day that Rex Tillerson exits the Cabinet. He was first suggested to Bush - suggested by Bush officials. He was not a Trump crony. And the Bush officials had little use for Trump. And Tillerson was accepted by Trump despite the fact that he had little use for former Bush officials. So this was not a marriage made in heaven. And at the moment, it promises to be a mercifully brief marriage.

Bob Corker of Tennessee Senate, head of the Senate foreign relations committee, said, quote, "I think Secretary Tillerson, Secretary Mattis and chief of staff Kelly are those people that help separate our country from chaos. "That is not a ringing endorsement of executive leadership, is it?

No. And the question is, from whence cometh this chaos?Is it something that the president can't protect us from?Or is the chaos, in a sense, the responsibility of this palace guard because it's coming from inside the palace itself?

And president had dinner with military families, called in photographers and said, maybe it's the calm before the storm. And when he was asked why, he said, you'll find out. What do you make of this?

turn 3 : The literal meaning of (4) is that President Trump had dinner with military families, called in photographers and said that it may be "the calm before the storm". When asked why he said "you'll find out". The actual meaning of (4) is that President Trump is creating a sense of mystery and suspense, which implies that there may be something major yet to come.

How did President Trump create a sense of anticipation during his dinner with military families?

Answer: Mystery


It's great to be with you, Ira. Thank you.

I'm just looking at the abstract of your study, and some of these numbers are amazing. Seventy-two percent, 72 of all Americans think that global warming should be a very high or medium or a priority for the president and the Congress. That crosses all party lines.

It does. It includes 84 percent of Democrats, 68 percent of independents and 52 percent of Republicans. So yes, there is this difference between Democrats and Republicans. But nonetheless, a majority of Republicans do think that global warming should be a priority for our elected officials.

Ah. Great question. So one of the things that became very clear to us early in our research was that Americans don't speak with a single voice on this issue. And in fact, what we've identified is what we call a global warming's six Americas, that essentially you can look at the country and find that there are six very different communities within the United States, that each respond to this issue in very different ways. One group we call the alarmed. That's only about 12 percent of the public.

turn 3 : So why are we all under the impression that there is not this majority? (Literal meaning: asking for an explanation for the discrepancy between the actual support for global warming priority and the perception that such support is lacking)

What is the name of the group that represents only 12% of the public in terms of their response to the issue of global warming?

Answer: Alarmed


It occurred on August 1st, in the late hours of the morning. One Serbian fell, and another (unintelligible) porter fell as well trying to rescue him, and that was the beginning of the fatalities. However, the serac fall, which stranded most of the climbers, didn't occur until quite late in the evening on August 1st.

A serac is a big column of ice, a big sheet of ice. And it fell off the mountain, and that complicated things for a lot of people. What were conditions like?

The weather was completely calm, very cold and clear, which is normal. No wind and as the day began to - as the sun began to rise, the weather was actually better than we could have hoped for. But, of course, things changed. The wind began to pick up the next day as people were stranded, and that complicated the rescue effort.

turn 3 : "You were attempting to summit on that day, weren't you?" - The literal meaning is that the speaker is asking if the person was planning to reach the summit on that day. The implied meaning could be that the speaker wants to know if the person was involved in the events that were being discussed earlier.

Answer: August


So the first thing you need to do is call your fund and see, you know, are you going to be covered, are you going to buy into the pool?I have to say, in all my years - and I've been doing this for a ridiculously long amount of time - I was extraordinarily surprised by the collapse of money funds. If you - right now, they are being backed by the government, and I think that's as good as you can get. If you're - again, if you're terrified, you're going to want to go to Treasury bills or you're going to want to go to your local bank

All right, John, hold on for a minute. We're going to take a quick break and we're going to come back and continue this conversation, and we're going to ask you to answer some questions from some listeners on News & Notes. We'll be right back.

This is News & Notes, I'm Tony Cox. We're back with USA Today's investment columnist, John Waggoner.

John, you've been explaining to us how the ripple effects of Wall Street are hitting the average American, and now we have some questions for you from a few of our listeners. You ready?

turn 0 : Pool is not a literal term, it just means a collection of money.

Answer: Collection


And how did this start?

Well, about 20 years ago, we were thinking about doing a literary magazine because at the time there weren't too many journals out there for new writers. There weren't many literary journals at all during that time. And so we stumbled upon an idea that we had started with one of our friends from college where he had given me a first line to start a story. And then I would write the story. And then I would send it to him. And I'd give him a first line. And he would start a story. And he would send that back to me. And we did that. And so we decided that we'd open that up to the rest of the world.

How many stories do you typically get?

We run between 300 and 450 submissions in issue.

turn 2 : 3) is the same as its literal meaning, which is asking for information about the number of stories typically received by the literary magazine.

Which issue receives between 300 and 450 submissions?

Answer: Magazine


Hello.

Hi. I don't even know where to begin this story. It is so crazy. I guess I'll note Britons who do seem to love a really deliciously gossipy trashy tabloid tell-all, maybe they were overdue for a good scandal.

I have to say we've really, really needed it. Britain is exhausted by Brexit and the constant doom and gloom. So it's no surprise that WAGatha Christie, as you mentioned in the introduction, has broken the Internet today. And the reason why it's called WAGatha Christie is that WAG or WAGs is an acronym commonly used here to refer to the wives and girlfriends of high-profile athletes. And two of the women involved in today's feud are two of the most high-profile WAGs in the country.

OK. The wives or girlfriends in question here are Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy. Who are these two women?

turn 1 : The internet had a large amount of cites where they was mentioned

Which medium had a large amount of cites where they were mentioned?

Answer: Internet


I think, it means, that the voters, or the people being polled as voters, don't take their cues from the media, which is not really hard to believe. I think most people absorb a certain amount of media information that they choose from certain sources of media information. They generally tend to go to ones that they find simpatico. They may agree or not agree with a lot of what they hear, but they make up their own minds, and they make up their minds on the basis of things that were in their minds before they went to the media.

Well, Ron. Thanks so much.

My pleasure, Farai.

Ron Elving is NPR's senior Washington editor. He joined us from NPR's headquarters in Washington, D. C.

turn 0 : The media does not have as much influence over voters as people might think.

Which entity's influence on voters is being questioned in the dialogue?

Answer: Media


Well, Jo, when she came to Parliament in May 2015, she immediately began work on the Syria refugee crisis. She set up a cross party group of MPs to work on the issue. She was one of the first people to call for humanitarian aid drops to the besieged towns and cities of Syria. And she was instrumental in changing U. K.  government policy so that the conservative government has now agreed to take 3,000 unaccompanied Syrian refugee children who are in desperate need of our help, solidarity and support. And so in that short one year, one month in Parliament, she made a tremendous difference. People had already marked her down as a rising star in the Labour Party.

And we should remember, she had a young family, I gather.

Jo had two young children, age 3 and 5, and she was talking about how one of them had chickenpox only the other day. She (inaudible) houseboat with her husband Brendan and the children. And it is so hard for people to come to terms with this senseless death. And we are shocked to the core.

Campaigning has been temporarily suspended in the referendum that's coming up in just a few days about whether Britain should stay in the European Union or leave. Could you tell us something about the political atmosphere in Britain as you see it now as this important referendum approaches?

turn 2 : implies that the speaker is impressed with how Jo was able to balance her work with parenting; (3) implies that the speaker is expressing disbelief and dismay at the tragedy of Jo's death; (4) implies that the speaker is asking for an opinion on the current political atmosphere in Britain

Which turn implies admiration for Jo's ability to juggle work and family?

Answer: Turn2


Does an event like this and forecast like that have the effect of concentrating the mind of not just financial planners. . .

. . . but people in Congress making these decisions. And I hear a little laugh.

You would think it would. And in the past, it has. I mean, as they gotten closer to the deadline, enough fear spread that they could pass something or do something or kick the can or whatever. But this time, one of the things that makes this time feel different is that there really are a lot of House Republicans who say, ah, let it default. It'll just shrink the government, will be all good. And it is an act of - I don't even know how to describe it. It's insanity.

Yeah. Well, Austan Goolsbee, I believe, used that word. Quick last question, if we could. So, October 17th is a real deadline but you think some of the effects, potentially, will be down the road.

turn 2 : The phrase "kick the can" is a metaphorical expression meaning to delay dealing with a problem. Additionally, the phrase "let it default" is a figurative expression meaning to allow the United States to default on its debts.

How would you describe the House Republicans' attitude towards default?

Answer: Shrink


I think they have put a scare into people enough that they'd approve almost anything, and that's unfortunate. But I think we rely on our leadership. Cal Rapson, who is our vice president, has been in General Motors his entire life. I worked with Cal when I was here as a president. I think he understands the needs of auto workers, understands what GM can do and what they can't do, and I think, if we follow his leadership along with Ron Getelfinger, we're not going to be in too bad a shape.

You worked at a GM plant for 32 years. What you're seeing right now, how does that compare to what you've seen in the past?There have been troubled times before.

Never have seen anything to this magnitude. Well, my local has gone from 14,000 members to 2,000. When I was here, we were worrying about what was our next product, not worrying about whether we were going to have a product.

And so, for some of the workers that are there now with you at this UAW hall currently employed, what are they talking about?Are they coming up with a plan B in case this doesn't happen and they don't have jobs?

turn 1 : The situation is much worse than ever before and people are starting to think about alternative options if their current job is not secured.

What are workers at the UAW hall discussing as a plan B?

Answer: Alternative


Yes.

They got very close.

Yeah. They got way too close. It would've been an absolute disaster, politically, politically - never mind anything else - for Mr.  Lincoln if the Confederates had just marched into Washington, you know, burned Washington. And that could have very easily had happened. Grant would have been disgraced. Lincoln might have lost the election in November because this would be such an embarrassment, psychological impact would've been incalculable.

I want to talk about Lincoln and I think that there's a monument up there to Lincoln's role in this battle.

turn 3 : Turn (4): "I want to talk about Lincoln and I think that there's a monument up there to Lincoln's role in this battle" - The literal meaning is that the speaker wants to discuss a monument related to Lincoln's role in a battle. However, the actual meaning could be that the speaker wants to discuss Lincoln's role in the battle itself, rather than just the monument.

What does the speaker want to discuss beyond the monument?

Answer: Battle


And how do you do that?

Well, on the behavioral side, that means helping them go from being in this setting to open air and open - eventually open water. We would take them through a very careful process of getting used to the transport units, getting used to being on a crane and in a truck and then in a tank on the dock. Eventually, they might even take drives around Baltimore to get used to the idea that they're going to be mobile since they've have not done that before.

The other aspect is the physiological adaptation, and that's a very complex and laborious process. Every - all living organisms have a microbiome associated with them. That's all the microorganisms that live around us and on us - bacteria, fungus, spores, larvae, et cetera. Dolphins do too and, in fact, in seawater, it's quite present. And the water that they live in now, which is man-made saltwater, it's fairly sterile. And of course, the ocean is not sterile.

So we will go through a long process, once we've selected a site, that will begin to integrate that water into the water they live in here so that eventually, when they leave here, they will be in water that almost completely matches the water that they'll be moving to.

I gather, Mr.  Racanelli, you've known dolphins, worked with them in a sense, since you were a teenager.

turn 3 : The process of helping dolphins adjust to open water involves gradually introducing them to the same type of water they will encounter in the ocean, so that when they are released, they will be able to survive in the new environment.

What is the purpose of integrating the water in the dolphin's current location with the water they will encounter in the ocean?

Answer: Integration


With more tariffs looming in the U. S. -China trade war, American companies are growing more pessimistic about the outlook for doing business in China. But 87% of U. S.  firms with operations in China say they still haven't moved production to another country, and they have no plans to do so. That's according to a new survey from the U. S. -China Business Council.

To find out why most plan to stay put, we've called up Jay Foreman. He's the CEO of Basic Fun. It's the toy company that makes K'Nex, Lincoln Logs, Cutetitos and Pound Puppies.

Jay Foreman, welcome.

Thank you. Glad to be here.

So I understand that currently 90% of your products are manufactured in China. Tell me why. What benefits does China offer you to base your manufacturing there?

turn 4 : What is China offering you to keep using them to manufacture the products?

Which country is being referred to in turn 4?

Answer: China


Hey, Lulu.

So, Gene, let's start by looking at the money involved in big-time college sports. You looked specifically at the Power Five.

Yup, the Power Five conferences - the SEC, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the Pac-12, and the ACC. They win all the trophies, and they make all the money. According to ESPN, in 2015, they made $6 billion.

Six billion?

turn 1 : B wants to discuss the financial aspect of big-time college sports.

What did the Power Five conferences make in 2015, according to ESPN?

Answer: $6-billion


My father believed the world was divided between those who were mentally and physically strong and those who were weak and lazy. For this, I had to undergo a physical and psychological training.

Can you tell us about those nights in the cellar?

From the age of 6, I had to spend one night a month in the basement meditating on death. I sat on a stool, alone, in the dark, surrounded by rats. And I had a cardigan with small bells on it. I wasn't allowed to let the bells tinkle, as it meant that I was moving. It was one of his exercises.

There are just too many instances of abuse and cruelty to recount - I mean, the way he didn't turn on the heat, the way he made you bathe in his dirty water. He said he gave you his energy that way or something.

turn 3 : My father wanted to create a dichotomy between those who could endure physical and psychological hardships and those who were not as strong or determined.

Which dichotomy did the father want to create?

Answer: Endure


But so yeah, so toilet seats and pillowcases are very, very similar. We tend to find more species associated with our mouths on pillowcases and more species associated with feces, with gut microbes, on toilet seats. But in any given house we might or might not be able to distinguish those two. And in general, you know, these places that we sit, that we lay down, they sort of fill with species that fall off of us, you know, biased in one way or another toward a specific part of our body.

But it's kind of this mark we leave on the world everywhere we go, and presumably it's the same on planes, it's the same in our cars.

It sounds like our dogs leave a mark, too.

Yeah, so one of the really interesting things for us was to try to figure out what explains why your house is different from my house, why any house is different from any other house. And there are lots of things that you can imagine might be important, you know, the size of your house, your air conditioner, the number of people in your house, whether you're a vegetarian.

turn 0 : Toilet seats and pillowcases have more microbes than we think.

How are toilet seats and pillowcases similar in terms of microbes?

Answer: Similar


You offered to do this for nothing. Is that offer still out there?

Of course.

You manage, well, you did manage $720 billion in assets. I'm not sure your portfolio's still worth 720. A month ago, it was.

Well, it's worth more now because we've grown and taken in additional assets, not because our assets have miraculously gone up in price.

turn 3 : A clarifies that the value of the portfolio increased due to acquiring additional assets, not due to a rise in asset prices

Which factor caused the value of the portfolio to increase?

Answer: Acquiring


My pleasure.

Could you just tell us what the weather is like right now?

Well, currently, it's been blue day. I mean, we've had some bands of rain come through from time to time, but it's a nice day. The water is calm. It's clouding up a little bit.

Do you have any guests at the resort at the moment?

turn 2 : The weather is not actually blue, but it's a nice day overall

Answer: Cloudy.


Tequila.

Hey, before we go - I go pouring it in, give it a smell, though.

OK.

It's very vegetal.

turn 2 : the literal meaning of "OK" is simply an acknowledgement or agreement. However, in this context, the actual meaning might be something like "I understand" or "I accept."

Which word might PersonB have used instead of "OK" to convey a deeper level of understanding in this context?

Answer: Understand


God, I know, the torment of it. You know, it's weird to be an artist who works really slow. I mean, we have a country that does not like people to take the time. We have a country that even its artists are on the punch-clock. So someone like me really stands out, you know. But you've got to do what you've got to do. And hopefully I can just finish it, forget how long it takes. As long as I can finish the darn thing, I'll be grateful.

Yeah, the last book took - I know it was sort of a painful process for you, wasn't it, this most recent book?

But, you know, that process gets lost. No one remembers it. No one - and that's what's the best part about being artist. There's all the sweat you break, all the dust you raise, all the sort of things, all the internal emotional timbre that goes in the work. No one will remember. That's the best part. All that's left is the actual work.

And, you know, my books, I try to keep the sweat off the books. So people read it, and they're like wow, this feels like this was effortless. That's a great - for me, more than anything, that's the best part of this. My work, that what I put into it doesn't show on the page. That's, like, great.

turn 2 : The hard work and emotions put into creating art are not always acknowledged or remembered.

How does the artist feel about the hard work put into creating art?

Answer: Satisfied


Well, there have been reports - I mean, certainly the separatist commander that we spoke to today said that they, in fact, are moving westward. There have been some reports of fighting in a village not far from here. But the large-scale offensive that sort of seemed to be happening earlier in the week has slowed for now.

And anything about a Ukrainian fighter jet being shot down?There were some reports this week.

Yes, this is the third jet in recent times that has been shot down. And in this case, the Ukrainians claim it was some sort of Russian missile launcher that brought it down. There's been no response from the Russian side. Of course, the Russians deny there are any Russian troops here at all. They say if anyone's here, they're volunteers. And, in fact, the commander that we spoke to - the separatist commander who claims he's from Odessa - says that they have some volunteers, but these are a very tall or short people. A one-eyed sniper was one person that he referred to and said these are not people who would be serving in the Russian military.

NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, thanks very much for being with us.

turn 2 : The actual meaning is different from the literal meaning in turn (3). When A says "these are a very tall or short people. A one-eyed sniper was one person that he referred to," they are not literally referring to people who are only tall or short or have one eye. Rather, they are using these descriptions as a way to suggest that the volunteers mentioned by the separatist commander are unconventional and perhaps not what one would expect to see in a typical military unit.

What is the reason behind using the descriptions "tall or short" and "one-eyed sniper" to refer to the volunteers mentioned by the separatist commander?

Answer: Volunteers


I think it's also worth noting that the money here is astronomically higher than what an insurance commissioner normally raises. It was donated three years in advance to when Causey would have been running for re-election. He hadn't even announced his re-election bid here. And the maximum that donors can give in this state is $5,400 per person.

Any response from Hayes or the other defendants?

I've left Chairman Hayes a voicemail. I have not heard from him. He has not said anything publicly. We have not heard from any of the other ones, any other folks who have been indicted at this time.

And to pull back for a moment, what about the state Republican Party?

turn 1 : To pull back for a moment means to take a step back and consider the bigger picture.

Answer: Step


It's the most vegetal thing I've ever smelled.

Excellent. And we're going to add the ginger.

OK.

And then I got some mint. And then I got a little lime. OK, and then I'll do a little agave.

turn 3 : (4) "And then I got some mint.And then I got a little lime.OK, and then I'll do a little agave" is a list of ingredients and a plan of action.

Answer: Turn3


Well, the state of the free world is at stake as always in college football, as you know. I really feel that the one thing about college football that people do gravitate toward - I'm not a huge college football fan myself - but I feel like what it does to people who really care about it is that it really is a winner-take-all type of thing. You kind of have to win every single game. You lose one game and your national title hopes are dashed. So, when you have a big matchup early and you're just getting started, this is a big game. Well, I think it's a bigger game for Michigan and for Alabama, naturally, because Alabama is defending national championship. They'll be there at the end. But if you're Michigan, this is a good chance early on to show what you've got.

I guess things don't look so great for my Boise State Broncos, right?This is a rebuilding year in Boise.

Exactly. And I was thinking that last night when they lost. I said, oh, well, goodness, Boise State lost one game therefore their entire future has been destroyed, and for - at least there's next year, right?

At least there's next year. Howard Bryant, senior writer at ESPN. com and ESPN the Magazine. Howard, thanks so much. Have a good U. S.  Open.

turn 2 : In this turn, the speaker is using sarcasm to imply that the reaction to Boise State losing one game is exaggerated and that there is always a chance for redemption in the future. The literal meaning of "therefore their entire future has been destroyed" is not true, but the speaker is using hyperbole to make a point. The actual meaning is that losing one game is not the end of the world, and there is always the possibility of improvement in the future.

How did the speaker imply the reaction to Boise State losing one game?

Answer: Sarcasm


We normally surveyed the coastline up and down the West Coast. The second year, we went to a joint ocean adventure, the Indian Ocean expedition. And there I went to the Philippines, Jakarta, Malaysia, Singapore, India, West Ceylon, which is now Sri Lanka, Penang, Midway, all of the ports between California and India and back.

You also learned to do karate while you were on that ship, right?

I hung out with a bunch of guys from the Islands, Hawaiian guys, and that's where I first heard of Ed Parker. And I started talking to him and the philosophy and how they had to take care of themselves, and we would punch the metal sidings around the quarter deck to toughen up our hands. And of course, they showed me a few things. Why I got started, I was with a bunch of Hawaiian guys, and we were on Waikiki, and there was a little Chinese guy that didn't sail with us, but a couple of - I guess mainlanders were bothering him. And he tried to walk away several times, and they caught up with him. And then it was like, in a flash, and it was over with. All these guys were like on the ground, and I said, what was that?And that was, of course, some kung fu. And Ed Parker teaches kung fu on the streetside.

And Ed Parker went on to become one of the best-known names in martial arts.

turn 1 : A learned karate from Ed Parker during his ocean adventure.

How did PersonA first hear of Ed Parker?

Answer: Islands


What happens to a city when a whole bunch of its residents get really rich really quickly?A lot of people in San Francisco are worried about that right now. The city's in the middle of a tech IPO boom. Lyft and Pinterest went public earlier this year. Stock in Uber begins trading tomorrow. Other big names plan to follow. And that means thousands of new millionaires in a city that's already one of the least affordable in the country. This week, Gordon Mar, who serves on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, proposed a new payroll tax targeting IPOs. He says the tech boom of the past decade has been good for San Francisco, but there are downsides.

We've seen growing traffic congestion and gridlock on our streets due to the huge influx of new workers here in our city. We've seen a growing housing crisis, housing affordability crisis, to the point where the median rent right now for a one-bedroom apartment is $3,500 a month.

Unbelievable.

Yeah. And then sort of related to this, our homelessness crisis - tens of thousands of our community members continue to live unsheltered on the streets due just to the growing economic divide here in our city.

turn 0 : bunch of its residents implies many people living within the area

How would you describe the impact of the tech IPO boom on San Francisco's population?

Answer: Influx


The bad news in this story involves the main character's family and her country of origin. She is from Haiti. Most of the characters in Danticat's new book of short stories are Haitian-American. They live in New York or Miami, but Haiti is often in their hearts and on their minds. Natural disasters and political disasters have sent many of its people fleeing to the U. S.  Danticat's book of short stories called "Everything Inside" reflects her experiences as an immigrant.

How did your family come to the United States?

My father first came when I was 2 years old. He came on a tourist visa, which he overstayed, and as did my mother. When I - she left when I was 4, and they were undocumented for about eight years. And during that time, we were separated. I stayed in Haiti with my aunt and uncle. And when I was 12, after they had changed their status and were - got their papers, then they were able to send for me and my brother to join them in Brooklyn, N. Y. , in 1981.

I'm sure you've had to tell this story more than once, and I'm sorry to dwell on it. But both as a parent and as a son, to think about so many years away from your parents and especially those particular years, that could not have been easy.

turn 0 : Danticat's book of short stories reflects the immigrant experience

Answer: Experience


Before there was "Gangnam Style," the dress or the ice bucket challenge, there were other stories that raced around the country. In the 19th century, newspapers throughout the U. S.  were kind of early aggregators. They just helped themselves to each other's stories, so if something juicy turned up in Boston, it would soon find its way into print in Chicago or Kansas City. That's the finding of researchers at Northeastern University. They used computers to search through those old publications for stories that went - sorry, can't avoid saying it - viral. Ryan Cordell is one of those researchers. He joins from the studios of WBUR in Boston. Thanks for being with us.

I'm glad to be here.

What is the 19th century equivalent of a cat perching on the toilet?

Well, we found quite a few of them; a lot of household hints and stories. One of my favorites is a story that purports to be a young man in church who is wooing a young lady by circling passages in the Bible and handing them to her and that they're married a year later as the story says at the end.

turn 2 : The literal meaning of (3) is asking what type of story was popular in the 19th century that could be compared to a modern day internet meme. The implied meaning is asking what was popular or trendy in the 19th century.

How would you describe the 19th century trend that is being compared to a modern-day internet meme?

Answer: Thank


The oldest one, the one I've been studying the longest, is called cosmological natural selection and was in fact the subject of my first book in 1997, "Life of the Cosmos. "And in that hypothesis, under that hypothesis, universes reproduce by giving birth to new universes inside of black holes, which is an old idea in the field.

And each time that happens, I presume that the laws of nature or the numbers that characterize them change slightly. And then one has a scenario very akin, very analogous to natural selection. One can derive consequences from it.

So every time there is a black hole, and there are many, many of them in our universe, correct?

An impressively large number of them, at least a million times a million.

turn 0 : The universes don't give birth but they form other universes in some way.

Answer: b


There's a number of them that the federal prosecutors mentioned, things like excessive purchases with cash in some pharmacies, purchases from well out of the region of the pharmacies. And these are opioid purchases we're talking about - excessively high percentages of sales of fentanyl patches and opioid oxycodone painkillers from some pharmacies and some of the larger pharmacies that RDC dealt with. So those are some of the things that the feds highlighted.

Two RDC executives face charges. What are they accused of?

Basically sort of being players in this whole, you know, alleged kind of ignorance or willing ignorance, I should say, of RDC's role in the opioid epidemic, the things we talked about - you know, just sort of closing your eyes to pharmacies that were obviously pushing painkilling prescription meds onto the streets in big numbers. And the allegations are that the former CEO, Larry Doud, and former compliance officer were key in allowing this to happen internally and just ignored all the signs. One has pleaded guilty and is cooperating. And Doud is facing the criminal charges.

You've talked a lot about the pharmacies here. And so I'm wondering, what about them?And what about the doctors making the orders?Are they being held accountable?

turn 2 :  "players in this whole, you know, alleged kind of ignorance or willing ignorance" - This turn's actual meaning is different from its literal meaning because "players" does not necessarily mean someone who is literally playing a game, but rather refers to individuals involved in a situation or event. "Willing ignorance" is also a figurative expression that means someone deliberately ignores or avoids knowing about something.

How would you describe the type of ignorance that the RDC executives are accused of?

Answer: Deliberate


He was.

He wrote many articles in magazines and newspapers, so I guess you could see where he might get carried away a little bit. He was popularizing science to come up with something maybe that was sort of like Einstein said, a little literary license maybe.

Yeah. Einstein regretted having put the term in, but he didn't use those precise words. And this became interesting to me because this is almost Einstein's most quoted phrase. So you know, it was interesting to see has he actually used those words.

Yeah. That is quite interesting. Let's talk about another strange fact that's in your book. You write that Vladimir Nabokov, the author of "Lolita" and "Pale Fire," actually came up with a scientific theory about butterflies at one point.

turn 1 : He did not just get carried away but he exaggerated his claims.

Which word describes the behavior of the person mentioned in turn 1?

Answer: Exaggerated


Correct.

And that's the idea?

That's exactly the idea and that's where we are today. So you kind of keep the country in limbo. And you say, as long as there's no election then I get to be president.

Have there been any calls for President Kabila to be investigated, forced to step down, impeached, put on trial for violating the constitution?

turn 2 : (3) Implied Meaning: Is President Kabila using the current situation to remain in power?

What is the current political situation in relation to President Kabila's position?

Answer: Position


Well, certainly, I think in the case of missing children, in the case of some kind of criminal act. But this is just to sort of - hey, this person came in and applied for a driver's license. And they have a Latino last name, and you might want to check that out, you know?So. . .

But can you have one without the other?I mean, once the state responds to this kind of request, can it pick and choose?

That's a question, I think, for lawyers. I don't know. I don't know how they would. I mean, I think that any legislation that we had would have to address that - under what circumstances would this be allowed?

At this point, where does that leave some of the people who advocated for this law in the first place?Are they having regrets as you are?Are you hearing from them?

turn 3 : having regrets implies not being happy and satisfied over an outcome

Which emotion may be associated with having regrets according to turn 3?

Answer: Unsatisfied


This is a shattered, disunited party. And the one thing that they have in terms of cohesion is what seems to be, for the most part, their mutual collective disdain for Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Is there an uprising against Speaker Ryan that's already begun?

I think what's going to happen, if - again, if the polls - and we're projecting forward here - those - he's not likely to lose the speakership. The Republicans are likely to retain control. But a number of, quote, unquote, "moderates" or centrists in his caucus are likely to lose. And that means it's Ryan versus what we call the Freedom Caucus - used to be the old Tea Party caucus. So he could come under significant pressure.

Yeah. The numbers aren't necessarily looking his way.

turn 0 : "their mutual collective disdain for Hillary Rodham Clinton" is an example of a figurative language that conveys a meaning different from its literal meaning. It suggests that the only thing that unites the party members is their shared dislike for Hillary Clinton, which is not a tangible object that can be shattered or disunited.

What does the figurative language used by PersonA suggest about the cohesion of the party members?

Answer: Disunity


Can I ask you about a couple of calls for which you are famed?

Sure.

There was a horse, I have seen the video, whose name you had a hard time with.

Yakahickamickadola.

turn 2 : That statement implies that B had difficulty pronouncing a horse's name which is "akahickamickadola" and it is a notable event that the speaker is aware of.

Which horse had a hard-to-pronounce name?

Answer: akahickamickadola


And then it's like, it kind of makes it more of a treat.

(Singing) You took me from the shelter of a mother I had never known…

I read that - about you having, as we all do, ups and downs in life. In 1977, I read that your mother died, which was a painful period for you.

Very.

But the very next year, you gave birth to a son.

turn 4 : Giving birth to a son could imply that the speaker was able to find hope and joy despite their pain.

What event brought joy to the speaker after a painful period?

Answer: Birth


Yeah, I mean, that certainly has been the view on the right and in the Republican Party and from many quarters over, you know, this isn't fair and you keep moving the goalposts. One of the problems has been that it's built into the Clean Air Act that it is updated every five years in accordance with the science.

And what the science has found in its progress over the decades has been disturbing from a health perspective. And it's also been sort of onerous from a regulatory perspective because those findings are that levels of pollution that years ago were thought to be safe actually are still killing people. America's air is much cleaner now than it was back in 1970, but a hundred thousand Americans still die every year from the effects of air pollution. That's a lot of people.

As you travel the world reporting on air pollution in other countries, did you gain an appreciation for what the U. S.  was able to accomplish with the Clean Air Act?

Yeah. I think as I traveled around the world, I could see actually in clearer and clearer focus that America's progress since 1970 is a real success story. I went to China, and officials there are trying to sort of replicate the achievements that we've had here in the United States. And it's, you know, I guess sort of ironic to see the United States undermining its own Clean Air Act enforcement capability as other countries begin to try to replicate it.

turn 3 : "replicate the achievements" - This phrase means to repeat or recreate the successes or accomplishments that the United States has had with its Clean Air Act. Its actual meaning is metaphorical and not related to copying or duplicating something exactly.

What does "replicate the achievements" mean?

Answer: Repeat


Sometimes, small complaints can trigger absurdly large medical bills. We're joined now by Dr.  Elisabeth Rosenthal, editor-in-chief of our partner Kaiser Health News, to talk about a bill to treat a toenail fungus and what happened next. Welcome to the program.

Thanks for having me.

The bill we're talking about is $1,469 for medication for a woman here in Washington, D. C.  Tell me the story.

Well, Anne Soloviev went to her dermatologist just for a skin check. She didn't even realize she had a toenail problem. And the physician assistant who saw her said, oh, you have toenail fungus. Let us call in a prescription. And she thought, yeah, sure. Why not.

turn 3 : The woman did not go to the dermatologist for a toenail problem, but was prescribed medication for it anyway

Which medical issue was the woman not aware of when she visited the dermatologist?

Answer: Toenail


It's really interesting. You know, they've been involved on and off in sort of smaller ways. But you know, they put out a press release. They're filing lawsuits. There's a lot of speculation as to why now. Some of it may be just they feel like these laws have finally gone too far. Some of it may be there's a woman president of the AMA and a woman past president and there'll be a woman president next year. For a group that's long been older, whiter and more male, that's changing.

So what kind of stance had they taken in the past?

Well, the AMA has been kind of everywhere on abortion. The AMA in the late 1800s led the fight to make abortion illegal in the United States. That was part of their effort to sort of centralize power over the medical profession. They wanted to get rid of unlicensed practitioners like midwives, who had traditionally been involved with women's reproductive health. And they really didn't change that position until just before Roe v.  Wade. And even when Roe v.  Wade happened, the effort to liberalize abortion laws in the U. S.  was really led by the legal profession, not by the medical profession.

You reached out to the American Medical Association - seems like maybe they're not so comfortable with this new stance. Can you tell us what you learned?

turn 0 : The American Medical Association's membership demographics are changing.

What is the reason behind the American Medical Association's change in stance?

Answer: Demographics


And there is a correlation between dogfighting rings and other crimes, perhaps?

Oh, my God, yes. You know, if you've got dogfighting and gambling, you got just about any type of crime that goes with it. It - and that's what people are more aware of.

What is the line, as research has established it, between people who abuse animals and violence against other human beings?

Well, the research is very clear. And it's been there for a long time, as I said earlier. Law enforcement just hasn't got it yet, even though some have. Some agencies do a very good job. It's growing. If you look back at Son of Sam and Dahmer and. . .

turn 3 : Turn (4) is implying that even though research has been conducted in this area, law enforcement has not been paying attention to it and is only now beginning to do so.

What is the reason law enforcement has been slow to recognize the connection between animal abuse and violence against humans, despite clear research?

Answer: Attention


Absolutely. And the blog that you refer to with Melissa Harris-Lacewell is a blog called Down from the Tower, and it's an ongoing discussion between Melissa and Marc Lamont Hill, who is a professor at Temple. And so, one day, you might click on, and Melissa will have the call and Marc will have the response. One day, he may toss out a question to her. He'll have the call and she'll have the response. And it's a very lively - up to now, it has been a political discussion. But they may take on other things. Politics seems to be dominating the moment.

But I do hope that the site evolves into one where our writers are talking to one another and talking to the Web and to communities that live outside The Root, bringing new information and ideas and, you know, creating a vibrant marketplace for idea.

And I also think one of the things that I like about - I'm glad you pointed out the exchange between Melissa and Marc, because it is debate and it is thoughtful, weighty, witty debate. And it's not…

All right.

turn 1 : In turn (2), the speaker expresses their hope that The Root evolves into a platform where writers engage with each other and with communities outside the website, creating a vibrant marketplace for ideas. The literal meaning of the turn is straightforward. However, the implied meaning is that The Root aims to foster a diverse and inclusive online community where different perspectives are heard and debated. This suggests that the website has a broader mission than just providing a platform for writers to share their ideas.

What is the implied mission of The Root?

Answer: Diverse


One of the reporters who's been digging into this story is Dustin Volz of The Wall Street Journal, who joins us in our studio. Thanks so much for coming in.

Good to be here. Thank you.

And let's begin with what you've learned about - I guess it was the president's phone call in July to Ukraine's new president, Zelensky.

That's correct. So we reported yesterday on Friday that President Trump had a phone call in July, sort of a congratulatory call in many ways. But during that, he told the new president of Ukraine - we're told about eight times - to look into the Biden family amid sort of ongoing allegations, unfounded, that there are some sort of corruption concerns there with the 2020 candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who served as a board - on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

turn 2 : It does not seem clear on whether Trump made the phone call or received it

What was the topic of the phone call between President Trump and Ukraine's new president, according to Dustin Volz?

Answer: Biden


Do you remember some of the people you were able to help?

I do, yeah. There was a couple in particular who kind of lived in a - not assisted living, but it was designated for elderly couples. And they needed help. I mean, they had almost three feet of water in their home. So you couldn't get there by boat necessarily. And you couldn't get there by lifted Jeep, either. So the only option was to go in with an inflatable kayak. And the husband had just had heart surgery, so it was really difficult getting them out. You know, they needed to bring all their medications and everything.

But we just brought the inflatable kayak into their house and got them out the best way we knew how. The front entrance of their neighborhood was completely blocked off by water. There was a gate entrance. You couldn't even get in, so we had to bust down a fence to the back of the neighborhood to bring them out, so. And that flooding. . .

And let me - you - these were strangers to you. You didn't know who they were.

turn 3 : (4) "And let me - you - these were strangers to you.You didn't know who they were." implies a different meaning from its literal meaning. The speaker is not simply asking for confirmation that the people the other person helped were strangers to them, but rather expressing surprise or admiration that the person was able to help strangers in need.

Which emotion is conveyed by the speaker in turn 4?

Answer: Surprise


Well, I say that may be the case. And I'm for affirmative action. I'm for giving opportunities to minorities. I'm for immigration reform. I'm a very proud Hispanic. But I just think the Democratic Party has to communicate a better message of economic populism, of helping small businesses. Somehow the centrist white male, the conservative white male that used to vote Democratic from the South and the Midwest is eluding us. And we've got to get that base back or get some portion of the base because they're leaving us in droves.

And what about those politicians that might say, hey, look, we won a couple of national elections with the demographics that we have in the Democratic Party.

Well, what I say to them is that's great. But we've lost the Congress. We've lost the House. We've lost the Senate. We lose governorships. And, you know, it's not just the presidency that has the power in this country. It's local officials, it's county commissioners, it's governors. It's not just the Congress. It's a whole range of offices where we're not competing because we - we need a stronger, compelling economic message. And somehow, that seems to be eluding us if you look at recent elections, especially in the South and the Midwest.

You've already cited Bernie Sanders. And I gather you have endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for president. How do you think Secretary Clinton addresses these issues?

turn 1 :  implies that the Democrats should not become complacent with their current demographics and should focus on further outreach

How should the Democrats approach their current demographics?

Answer: Outreach


I've gotten almost universally positive feedback. People were really encouraging me and just being much kinder than I would have expected or hoped for. The kinds of people who read it - I don't know. I guess a lot of lawyers, a lot of journalists who keep up with the court.

Yeah. I mean, the Supreme Court is definitely paying attention. You got to visit at the invitation of Justice Neil Gorsuch's clerk, and you shot some hoops on the famed Supreme Court basketball court. Is that true?

That was very nice of that clerk to do. He had seen my blog and then sent me an email asking if I'd ever had a Supreme Court tour before. And yes, I did get to shoot a basket in the highest court in the land. I kind of thought it was a joke. I'd heard about it before, but it's very real. And it took me many tries to make a layup.

So in your blog, you've interviewed - and here's an NPR plug - our own national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson. So what kind of articles are you hosting on your site?And who's writing them?

turn 0 : Not feedback from everyone in the universe but a wide variety of people on the planet giving feedback.

What kind of feedback did PersonA receive?

Answer: A


That's right. In the last few years where, as a fugitive, when he was living in Belgrade, he eked out this living as a new age guru. He grew a big bushy white beard, had glasses, had a top knot at the top of his head tied up with a black ribbon. He presented this rather remarkable monk-like figure and, as you say, hid in plain sight. He was often at seminars and conferences about alternative medicine.

He went to his local bar and he didn't sit on the sidelines there. He took center stage and actually played a kind of Balkan fiddle called a gusle. And everyone stood around and clapped and applauded him. And he was sitting under a portrait of Radovan Karodzic, this man who was the hero for most of the people in the bar. And not one of them spotted the resemblance.

He lived across the stairwell in his block of flats from a woman who worked with Interpol. And her - every time she went into work, she logged on to her computer and saw the world's most wanted, including Osama bin Laden and Radovan Karodzic. And the penny never dropped. It was like a long-running performance that only came to an end really when his brother made a vital slip.

He made a phone call, right?What happened?

turn 1 :  Implied meaning: Radovan Karodzic was a war criminal but no one in the bar recognized him as such.

Which criminal was not recognized in the bar?

Answer: Karodzic


Well, I say that may be the case. And I'm for affirmative action. I'm for giving opportunities to minorities. I'm for immigration reform. I'm a very proud Hispanic. But I just think the Democratic Party has to communicate a better message of economic populism, of helping small businesses. Somehow the centrist white male, the conservative white male that used to vote Democratic from the South and the Midwest is eluding us. And we've got to get that base back or get some portion of the base because they're leaving us in droves.

And what about those politicians that might say, hey, look, we won a couple of national elections with the demographics that we have in the Democratic Party.

Well, what I say to them is that's great. But we've lost the Congress. We've lost the House. We've lost the Senate. We lose governorships. And, you know, it's not just the presidency that has the power in this country. It's local officials, it's county commissioners, it's governors. It's not just the Congress. It's a whole range of offices where we're not competing because we - we need a stronger, compelling economic message. And somehow, that seems to be eluding us if you look at recent elections, especially in the South and the Midwest.

You've already cited Bernie Sanders. And I gather you have endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for president. How do you think Secretary Clinton addresses these issues?

turn 0 : "eluding us" - This means that the centrist white male and conservative white male voters are not voting for the Democratic Party, but the literal meaning of "eluding" is to escape or avoid something.

How are centrist and conservative white male voters eluding the Democratic Party?

Answer: Damage


It's significant because you have a journalist who's killed in the line of duty doing some investigative work into a story he wanted to write. And as far as we understand, the people that he was investigating put out a hit on him, and he was killed. I mean, that's a very chilling reminder that we do - sometimes do dangerous work. And the project's main mission is to tell those people, if indeed they are the ones responsible, that you cannot kill the message by killing the messenger.

There has been a confession, hasn't there?And yet you remain unsatisfied. Why is that?

Well, the person who confessed was a very low-level member of the Your Black Muslim Bakery. He was a handyman. He originally told police he did not do the crime, and then after he was led to - he was allowed to meet privately with the bakery CEO, a 22-year-old named Yusuf Bey IV, this guy basically convinced him to confess. Now, whether or not he did the crime or not, we don't know. What we do know is, is that he did not do this by himself, as he has told police.

Now, what would you say is the latest in the ongoing investigation?Or is the investigation ongoing, since the police had someone who confessed, although your organization doesn't necessarily buy it?

turn 0 : Journalists sometimes face danger, and killing them won't stop the truth.

What is the main mission of the project?

Answer: exposition


Yeah, that's what's, you know, a little crazy about me because - and that's what my friends point out often. And even in the middle of terrible things happening to me, if there's one little piece of something positive happening, I'll think, yes. And I make these crazy logical leaps, like if some little positive thing happens, I suddenly think that, you know, Tom Cruise is going to star in some movie and it's going to get me, you know, bucket loads of money, and everything's fine. And it's all - they're delusions, but they keep me warm at night.

So this book just screams out to be made into a movie. It's written -no doubt - because of your skills in a very cinematic style. If it gets made into a movie, who do you want to play you?

There are a couple of people. I mean, I would think Terrance Howard would be terrific because he's so handsome, and I would feel like, wow, that's such an idealized version of myself.

And I love - you know, I love Don Cheadle, as well. He's so brilliant, and I would be honored if either one of them would play me.

turn 0 : The turn in (1) where the speaker talks about making "crazy logical leaps" and having "delusions" that keep them "warm at night" is an example of a non-literal meaning, as they are using figurative language to describe their thought processes and coping mechanisms.

What type of language is used by the speaker in turn 0 to describe their thought processes and coping mechanisms?

Answer: figurative


When we had a transfer of presidencies in this country, when Barack Obama came in four years ago and George W.  Bush got aboard the helicopter and left town, well, George W.  Bush has pretty vanished from the American political leadership. He wrote a book, did pretty well with that. I gather he gives some speeches, but he plays no great part in the American political system. Bill Clinton has been playing a little bit more in this election.

But in the meantime, Mr.  Hu Jintao on his way out - really, on the way out?He will be a member of the Standing Committee. He's not going to be president. He's not going to be chairman of the party anymore, but?

He still may have a pretty strong role in the military. There's also the former president of China, who I covered back in the '90s, named Jiang Zemin who's from Shanghai. He has been front and center at the Party Congress. He's been out and about. He's in his mid-80s. He's playing role in terms of lining up who's going to take over. There's a lot of horse trading, but it's very, very opaque. And the average Chinese person really doesn't have any sense of where it's heading.

So you're getting this new generation of younger leaders, but the gerontocracy, the old leaders, behind the scenes, they're still playing a role.

turn 3 : Although there is a new generation of younger leaders, the older leaders still play a role behind the scenes.

Which generation of leaders is still playing a role behind the scenes?

Answer: older


Coming from the black holes. But in these cases, the population of the universe is organized according to progeny, according to inheritance. There's a lot of structure. And we can use that structure to make predictions, as I was describing. What I'm against, and what I argue - and what I think nobody's really answered these arguments. What I argue is that to postulate that our universe is simply one of a population of simultaneously existing universes that have no relation to each other, and that just have randomly chosen laws, that idea takes us outside of science, because it's not verifiable or falsifiable.

No postulate - no hypothesis about those other universes can be checked experimentally, because they don't - they have no influence on our own. And I think it's very important to draw a distinction between making up stories that might be true and science.

You know, the rock-and-roll band They Might Be Giants has a song about what's science and what's not that I think nails the matter. So if a rock-and-roll band can understand it, I think anybody can understand it.

In other words, you're saying what - science requires that you are able to make predictions about your theory and test them. And you're saying this multiverse can't really be tested. So it's more a theoretical belief in something than being a scientifically valid theory.

turn 2 : A doesn't literally think the rock song proves anything about who can comprehend science. The implication is the concept of what science is should not be hard for ordinary people to understand.

What does PersonA argue is outside of science?

Answer: Multiverse


There are some states out there, for example Oregon and Maine, which currently don't have sales taxes throughout the year. Is there anything that you can potentially learn from states that have been doing this for a while?

What we are looking at are states that have had sales - state sales tax holidays. As you may know, there are 17 states plus the District of Columbia that currently have sales tax holidays during the year. And the experience of our retail members with those holidays is that they're very attractive to people. They really do bring people into the stores. It's an exciting time.

You can say, well gee, if the average state sales tax is five, six percent, why would that drive consumers to come into the stores more than a sale advertised at 15 or 20 percent. And it's an interesting psychological phenomenon, but it does seem to drive more traffic. It may be because people just don't like to pay taxes, and they're very excited when there's a period where they won't have to pay taxes to the government.

Rachelle Bernstein is with the National Retail Federation. Thank you, Rachelle.

turn 2 : It is being implied that consumer behaviour is not obvious.

Which word describes the phenomenon that seems to drive more traffic during state sales tax holidays?

Answer: Psychological


It's too late by then.

. . . but I think nobody has tried it with the pickled kind.

OK.  We got a minute left. Tell us about the weekly newspaper column. You talked about a recent one about the laws of stupidity. Quickly, do tell that to us, quickly.

Yeah, yeah. Well, this is something done by an Italian economist about 30 or 40 years ago. His name is Cipolla, and he wrote the little piece to be funny, but it's also quite true. He called it "The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity," and these laws boiled down to very few things. One is that there are more stupid people around than anybody will ever estimate accurately. And the other is that there's nothing you can do about them, other than become aware of it. They just are a fact and you better deal with the fact that they're not going to go away, and that there is no point to trying to accommodate them. There's no way you're going to prevent them continuing to be stupid.

turn 3 : Implied meaning: The speaker may be using a sarcastic or ironic tone to convey their true feelings or opinions about the situation, without explicitly stating them.

How did the speaker describe the laws of stupidity?

Answer: True


Good to talk to you.

How important an event was this that Mr.  Kim missed?

It was a very important event. It's an event in a mausoleum where his father, previously ruler of North Korea is buried, interred, and so is his grandfather, the founding leader of North Korea. So it was a big deal. Kim Jong Un has not been seen since September 3, when he attended a concert in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, with his wife.

Before that, he'd been seen frequently, but always waddling with a really bad limp. He was clearly in discomfort, and finally the North Korean authorities said he is in physical discomfort. So there's something up. We don't quite know what. The speculation is he's had surgery, he's ill, ranging right through to there's been a coup, and he's lost power or certainly being shunted away from power. That's the speculation.

Now, we're talking about somebody who - as my recollection is - he's on television every two minutes. So this must be a tremendous vacuum in the lives of North Koreans.

turn 1 : Implies that the event was of great significance

How would you describe the event that Mr. Kim missed?

Answer: Significant


It sounds like from what you're saying the city leadership including the mayor is very much in support of there being this massive celebration.

I think that's fair to say. It's kind of been interesting to watch this unfold over the last couple of weeks, because the venues that would have been available, Soldier Field, the football stadium just a little ways away from here wasn't available apparently, or couldn't accommodate the Obama Campaign. The indoor arena, the United Center, some thought may be too small, seating 18,000, 20,000. But there's a concert there tonight anyway, so that was ruled out.

And it seemed to surprise city officials to some degree a month or so ago when the Obama campaign said they'd like to do it in the park. But the city has been very accommodating. They have pulled back - and initially Mayor Daley said everybody should come down, even if they don't have a ticket and just be a part of the celebration in the streets and around the park. The police department and the fire department and the emergency management folks for the city kind of pulled back on that and said, we only want people in the are who are supposed to be in the area, let's try to set up an alternative venue. And so that's what they've gone ahead and done in setting up in another section of Grant Park the big Jumbotrons.

Now, I understand that you have already gone and voted today.

turn 1 : to watch something unfold means to watch an event happen

Which word means to observe the development of an event in the dialogue?

Answer: unfold


What goes in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse - until the baseball manager writes a book, that is. It's Thursday, and if you haven't guessed, it's time again for a look at sports with our very own sports guru, the New York Times Sports Columnist, Mr.  Bill Rhoden. Mr.  Bill, what's up?

Hey, the great Tony Cox. How you're doing?

I'm doing great, man. Joe Torre, leaving New York as a beloved figure, but now he has written his autobiography, "The Yankee Years. "I know that he's been on his New York tour. People are buying the book. But, you know, some people are happy, some people not so happy.

Well, the people who are most important to be happy are happy. The publisher of course. . .

Anybody reading book, it's about selling books. And I, Tony, I sort of equate it to in football, the most important statistics for a receiver are yards after catch.

turn 0 : What happens in the clubhouse is supposed to be kept secret

Which day of the week is it in the dialogue?

Answer: Thursday


Syria continues to suffer. Russia now mounts military strikes against the Islamic State that also help shore up the regime of Bashar al-Assad, whom they support and whom the U. S.  says must leave. President Obama says there's no meeting of the minds. Niall Ferguson, the historian, has been critical of what he considers the president's lack of policy. Professor Ferguson joins us from the studios at Harvard. Thanks so much for being with us.

My pleasure.

You write the great flaw you see in President Obama's Syria strategy has been, I'll quote, "his insistence that the only alternative to doing next to nothing was all out invasion. "What alternatives do you think he's missing?

Initially, it was a relatively straightforward proposition that the United States should give military assistance to the opposition, to Assad, the free Syrian army. And that was something the president resisted. And the last throw of the president's dice came this year when he was offered by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, the option to cooperate against Islamic State. And the president essentially said no to that. I think it's fair to say that the president has divert (ph) - I put it this way - that he was playing solitaire while everybody else was playing chess. And unfortunately it's now much, much more difficult to intervene effectively than it was at the outset of the Syrian Civil War.

turn 3 : Niall Ferguson believes that President Obama has missed out on many opportunities to address the situation in Syria, such as providing military assistance to the opposition or cooperating with Russia.

Which option was offered by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to President Obama to cooperate against Islamic State?

Answer: Cooperate