It doesn't want to concede to American pressure because it fears that if it concedes under pressure, that's going to project weakness and invite even more pressure. And so for that reason, you've seen, rather than Iran capitulating or compromising, they've begun escalating. But I think the endgame for both sides is - there's really no alternative to coming back to the negotiating table.

And there has been a string of headlines from the region involving Iran in recent weeks. This incident with the British tanker, of course, comes right after the U. S.  says it brought down an Iranian drone. Of course, Iran disputes that version of events. How connected are these events?

They're all interconnected. And essentially, the Trump administration's policy toward Iran has been to subject Iran to significant economic pressure and sanctions in the hopes that either Iran will come to the negotiating table and capitulate over its nuclear program or - I think there's some folks in the Trump administration, like national security adviser John Bolton, who would like to see the implosion of the Iranian regime.

And what Iran has done in response - Iran's supreme leader has been ruling for 30 years, and he's become pretty adept at these escalatory cycles. And he's adept at waving both the white flag of diplomacy and the black flag of radicalism and escalation. So on one hand, he sent his chief diplomat - Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif - he was recently in New York City, and he met with a lot of Western journalists. And he was talking about Iran wanting to pursue dialogue and diplomacy.

turn 0 : The person thinks that the situation will come to an end with both sides negotiating with one another. There is no game or table.

How does the person describe the endgame between both sides?

Answer: A


So who is the ultimate decision-maker here?And what is that person likely to be guided by, if you have any sense of that?For example, is there any precedent that either side could point to that might give us a sense of how this might proceed?

Well, there'll be several levels inside the U. K.  judicial system. There'll be a hearing before a judge in the U. K.  and then probably through an appellate level in the U. K.  And then, if history is any indication, if Mr.  Assange loses, he could then keep appealing all the way up to the European Court of Human Rights saying that his human rights have been violated. Historically, the British have extradited numerous individuals to the U. S. Although many of them and their defense counsel have argued that they would face unfair or improper trials in the U. S. , most of those have been extradited.

But in a few cases in the past, there have been individuals whose extradition from the U. K.  to the U. S.  have been denied. In this case, this will really be, I think, a battle royal because Assange and his lawyers will argue very forcefully that I'm sure particularly the Trump administration is coming after him for political reasons.

So, as you mentioned earlier, Assange has only been charged with one count of conspiracy. If he's extradited to the U. S. , could he face other charges here?And is that something that his lawyers might raise?

turn 1 : Assange could potentially appeal his extradition all the way to the European Court of Human Rights based on historical precedent.

How far could Assange potentially appeal his extradition based on historical precedent?

Answer: European


I really feel disappointed that a member of the House took the time to attack the people that are contributing to the campaign of President Trump, an attack that we are fueling or helping to fuel hate among Hispanics. In my office, half my personnel is Hispanic. I love Hispanic people. They're family-oriented. My wife - all of us got scared. I said people are going to come to attack us.

But you do know that this is public information.

Yes. But we are not contributing to fuel any hate. We are contributing because we want President Trump to be reelected. I like the job he's doing as president. I love the way he loves America, the same way that I love America. I named my company Great America Companies in 1972 when I first immigrated to America because I felt this was a great place.

President Trump has used the words invasion and killer, according to new statistics, over 500 times when speaking about immigration and immigrants since 2017. That is as president. People see his rhetoric as divisive and specifically when speaking about Latino immigrants. Does that not concern you?

turn 0 : They are contributing to and/or worsening hate among Hispanics because they are contributing to Trump's campaign, allowing him to continue doing so. Trump wouldn't be able to continue his devisive rhetoric if people didn't contribute to his campaign, so they are being blamed and attacked because of them.

What are the consequences of contributing to Trump's campaign according to turn 0?

Answer: consequences


Depending on how they go about it, how big of a deal could this announcement by Zara be, and what kind of an impact could it have?

Well, I think the really interesting thing about Zara's statement is they've made a public statement to back their intention, and they will be held accountable for whether they achieve that target or not over time. So the fact that they made this very public target I think is really positive. And I think hopefully what that will do is also encourage other brands and retailers to be bold and to make these statements as well.

What individual responsibility do consumers have here?

Personally, I think every consumer has some responsibility for their actions. The consumers are buying products, they are making decisions about where they're buying those products from, how long they keep those products for and what they do with those products at end of life. So I think there is definitely some responsibility that the consumers have in all of this. But I also recognize as - there is this deep-seated sort of psychological driver within our human psyche to engage in fashion.

turn 3 : "Engage in fashion" means to buy clothing that is about fashion rather than pure functionality.

Which term describes the reason for consumers engaging in fashion?

Answer: Style


Was the jet stream actually screening out the cold air?Do I have that right?

Pretty much. The jet stream is typically the dividing line between the warm tropical air to the south and the cold, Arctic air to the north. And for the most part, it had retreated to close to the Canadian border for large parts of the winter.

Hmm. What about the "Farmers' Almanac"?I have to admit that I like picking it up and looking at it, and I sort of - I'm hesitant to even ask. Is there any science backing it up?

Well, I think the "Farmers' Almanac," they do look at some of the same things that NOAA look at, that AccuWeather looks at, as well as the Capital Weather Gang, when developing their outlooks. At the same time, they're using some more suspect features like sun spots and planetary alignments and things like that, which have never been proven to have any real predictive skill in terms of forecasting the weather in the long range.

turn 1 : The jet stream separates warm and cold air

Answer: Separating


And so if we organize the production and the processing and distribution of organic foods on a large scale, there's efficiencies to be had. This is actually kind of an experiment, a test. You know, how much of the extra costs that you pay when you buy organic food - how much of that is just the fragmented nature of the business?How much of it is the small-scale aspect?And how much of it is inherent in organic production?

Well, there's no question that Walmart is kind of the king of logistics. But if you talk to some of their suppliers, they'll also complain that Walmart is the king of squeezing them and making them produce the product ever more cheaply at their own expense.

Right. So you could say this is a threat to some organic producers who are used to higher margins. On the other hand, I mean, the organic production is expanding, and if Walmart wants large quantities, they may have to outbid other producers. There is a limit right now on the amount of organic food for sale. They say they want to expand that, and there's no reason why they couldn't. There's lots of land out there. Right now, organic is actually a very small part of American food production, people say 5 percent or less. So there's no reason why Walmart couldn't expand organic production if they offered a good price. The question is can they do it cheaply?

Part of this has to do with trust. Are people going to stop going to Whole Foods and go over to Walmart 'cause they can get the eggs $2 cheaper?I'm a little skeptical.

turn 3 : Implied meaning: The speaker's tone or body language suggests that they may be withholding information or not fully expressing their thoughts and feelings on the topic at hand.

Answer: Withholding


And let's begin with mumps. Officials in Ohio say it's the largest outbreak since the forties. How can that happen?

Mumps vaccine, although a very good vaccine, is not a perfect vaccine. And it's about 80 percent - 85 percent effective if mumps is reintroduced into a population. And so what we're seeing here is largely people who have been vaccinated, but now that mumps has been imported into the United States - into that population - it's spreading slowly in that group and it's difficult to contain.

What about the decision that some American parents have made not to vaccinate their children?Do you think that contributes?

Not so much to the mumps outbreak, but it does contribute to the measles problem that we're having. The measles outbreaks are clearly occurring in populations whose parents have withheld their children from immunization. They remain susceptible.

turn 2 :  In (3), the implied meaning is that some parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children, which may be contributing to the measles problem.

Which vaccination-related problem is not largely contributing to the mumps outbreak, but contributes to the measles problem?

Answer: Measles.


Rod Blagojevich appealed for his sentence to be reduced last year. A judge refused, saying his long sentence is deserved, but Blagojevich's lawyer attached letters from a hundred other prisoners who spoke of his kindness and spirit. He was at the top level, wrote a man who identified himself as a convicted drug dealer, and now he is in prison with so many true felons and he accepts that as fate with his head held high, no ego, no arrogance and, most importantly, with humble humility.

A portrait of Rod Blagojevich in ornate, official hallways could remind governors who follow why citizens can be cynical about politicians. It might remind politicians not to think that getting elected endows them with honesty, wisdom or character. And, yes, it might give a disgraced politician a little recognition for finding a way to make his life useful to others.

The King. You're listening to NPR News.

turn 2 : (Singing) The warden threw a party in the county jail. The prison band was there, and they began to wail. The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing.  Implicated meaning: The warden organizing a party in the county jail and having the prison band perform creates an atmosphere of excitement and enjoyment, turning the otherwise somber and restrictive environment of a jail into a lively and energetic place.

How did the warden create an energetic atmosphere in the county jail?

Answer: Enthusiasm


Yes. I mean, the biggest actor in all of this has been the U. N. Refugee Agency. That's the UNHCR. But, you know, the reality is that these organizations can only do so much without international supports. The UNHCR has said that they need $46 million from the international community for their response to the Venezuelan crisis this year alone

Mr.  Ramsey, just a few years ago, Venezuela was booming, wasn't it?

It was. You know, Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world. But due to a combination of falling oil prices, governmental mismanagement, you know, the situation has gotten extremely bad. There was a study that came out a couple months ago that found that over half of Venezuelans report losing weight in the last year with an average loss of 20 pounds. People are dying of treatable diseases because of a lack of medication.

Do any of the refugees talk about the political situation?

turn 2 : Venezuela's situation is dire due to falling oil prices and governmental mismanagement.

How did the situation in Venezuela become so dire?

Answer: Combination


We reached out to everyone. And basically, they said, as so many doctors are want to say, we don't think about price when we prescribe. We just want to give, you know. . .

The best thing that's out there.

The best. But I'd have to say in this case there's not even proof that this is the best. In the studies that got this drug approved, this drug was only effective in curing toenail fungus from 6 to about 9 percent of the time after 11 months of treatment. So it's not even a very effective drug.

From your reporting on this, though, why do doctors do this?They say it's not about cost, but is there an ulterior motive - something that makes certain doctors push certain medicines?

turn 3 : Doctors may push certain medications for reasons other than effectiveness

What is the motive of some doctors to push certain medications?

Answer: Cost


So, you're skeptical about a car czar. You think that there should be loans, though, with strict provisions attached to them.

Right, right.

What else?What else needs to be done?I mean, this is a massive, massive problem, and two of the three are facing extinction at this point.

Don't forget, what's putting them in this condition is the economic, you know, the economic condition of the nation right now. But the kind of fixed-cost structure that these auto companies have is massive, massive losses that have to do with what's happening to demand.

turn 3 : The auto companies need to restructure their fixed costs due to the current economic situation, resulting in significant losses.

What is causing significant losses for the auto companies?

Answer: Demand


Well, yes, they are because the concern here is that if you do it for medical research, what's to stop other scientists to try to do it for other reasons, like, for example, to try to create designer babies that are taller or smarter or better athletes?Now, we're nowhere near being able to do anything like that. But the concern is that this could open the door to someday creating genetic haves and have-nots.

So, Rob, these CRISPR researchers are involved in projects that have tremendous promise to benefit our lives, but also raise very difficult ethical and moral questions.

That's right. That's right. And another example I could give you is I just got back from a trip to London. And there, scientists are using CRISPR to genetically modify mosquitoes that spread a mutant gene to wipe out the mosquitoes that spread the malaria parasite. And the idea there is to try to wipe out this disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people every year, most of them children.

Now, the fear here is that they're using CRISPR to modify these insects with something known as a gene drive. And a gene drive spreads a genetic modification through an entire species really quickly. So something could go wrong. You know, it could wipe out an entire species of mosquito. And that could upset the delicate balance of an ecosystem some way that could maybe unleash some new epidemic or cause the ecosystem to collapse and cause famine.

turn 3 : The potential consequences of genetic engineering could be extreme and far-reaching.

What kind of consequences could genetic engineering have?

Answer: consequences


I never had an apartment before, so just finally having my own place. And it was magical. It was gorgeous - beautiful tub. I never could use the tub because I was afraid of the roaches.

So unfortunately there's always like pros and cons to that, but it was mine. And I loved it like it was my baby. And I still miss that apartment even though there is bug issues. I miss it.

Well, it made me wonder why there aren't more songs like that in R&B. I mean, R&B is very dominated by relationships - right?- sex, relationships songs. But it does - it did make me wonder, why aren't there more songs about other milestones in R&B?Like, why is that?

Well, first of all, I'm thankful that people love new apartments so much because I always feel like my comfort zone is writing about romance and sex. But I think there's this narrative that the world just wants to hear about simple things and - or just extreme, like, sadness. I've just been broken up with or something like that.

turn 1 : The speaker has emotional attachment to the apartment despite its flaws.

How did the speaker feel about their apartment despite its issues?

Answer: Loved.


And in the end, what has speech enabled us to do as a species?

It's enabled us to think up strategies to head off what you think might be about to happen, and the strategies depend upon memory. And speech is a fantastic memory device. There's absolutely nothing like it, and I think it's time for people who are interested in evolution to say that the theory of evolution applies only - only to animals.

Tom Wolfe - his book - "The Kingdom Of Speech. "Thanks so much for being with us.

My pleasure, thank you very, very much for having me, Scott.

turn 0 : Speech has enabled us to communicate more effectively and creatively, enabling us to come up with solutions and strategies to deal with situations.

Which device is a fantastic memory device according to A?

Answer: Speech


Now it's, I should say this is a demonstration, it's not, you know, there is an actual kill that takes place in the video, but it's not a real kill, it's a demo kill. But what the system that they are playing or working on actually is designed to do and will do when it is deployed is to hunt, and if necessary kill, real targets. It fires missiles, it drops bombs, you can hear the guy talking about the weapons that he has available on one of his drones.

And they didn't just make it feel like a video game, they figured out that there's a sort of a feedback loop that was a problem for the operators, they couldn't kind of sense what was happening. And they hired video gamers to redesign their system for them.

Yeah, they hired real game developers. Because, you know, when you compared what people in the military were using to operate drones to what the latest Xbox or PlayStation system looked like, I mean the screens on this wrap around you so you feel as though you were there. One of the executives Raytheon describes it as projecting your mind into a place where you want it.

You write about watching this demonstration video with your seven year old kind of standing behind you watching this screen, and he gets it right away and he kind of likes it.

turn 1 : "they hired video gamers to redesign their system for them" - The literal meaning is that video gamers were hired to redesign the system. The implied meaning is that the video gamers were able to improve the system's design by applying their expertise from playing video games.

Which experts were hired to improve the system's design?

Answer: Gamers


Wow.

. . . all the different individual pieces, we've got tens of thousands of pieces, but basically, 1,800 or more than 1,800 different distinct meteorites. And we have some of the - there's all different kinds of meteorites. I know this is radio, but I actually did bring some samples in with me for the studio audience at least. So if anybody afterwards wants to come by and take a look at these. . .

You'll count them on the way out.

I will count them on the way out.

turn 3 : You will count the number of samples you have after the presentation implying that the studio audience might steal some.

What will the speaker do after the presentation?

Answer: Count


The latest U. S.  State Department Trafficking in Persons Report names a new country among the world's worst offenders on human trafficking - China. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson criticized China for not taking, quote, "serious steps to end its own complicity in trafficking," including forced laborers from North Korea that are located in China. China now joins Russia, Iran, North Korea and Syria on the bottom of that list. Secretary Tillerson also honored activists from around the world for their efforts to end human trafficking.

Sister Vanaja Jasphine was one of those aid activists to be named a 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report Hero. Sister Jasphine is the coordinator of the Kumbo Diocesan Commission for Justice and Peace in the northwest region of Cameroon, and she joins us now. Sister, thank you so much for being with us.

Thank you.

How big a problem is human trafficking in Cameroon?

turn 0 : China now joins Russia, Iran, North Korea and Syria on the bottom of that list."  The actual meaning that is different from its literal meaning is that China has been added to the list of countries considered the worst offenders on human trafficking. The phrase "joins...on the bottom of that list" implies that China is now included in the group of countries at the lowest rank or with the worst performance regarding human trafficking.

What is the name of the country that has been added to the list of worst offenders on human trafficking according to the U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons Report?

Answer: China


I have credit, but it was delayed. I've never had trouble getting credit here in Brazil. I've always paid my bills, and so credit's available for me. But this year, the credit promises were made, but then the credit wasn't going to arrive until it was too late to order the fertilizer and actually work out the logistics of receiving it. And so it's changed my plans a lot this year.

And timing is really essential for farmers. So, how is that going to play out there with your 2000 acres of soy?

The 2,000 acres I'm going to plant this year are technically for another farmer. I'm not going to farm anything in my own name this year. And that's common enough, really; I'm not alone in that. Total acreage of corn and soybeans could easily be down this year in Brazil. Most people expect there to be less corn, a lot less cotton, and also less of some of the food crops like rice and edible beans. So, it's caused everyone to plant less than they normally would.

Where do all of those crops grown in Brazil - corn, wheat, and soy - where do they get exported to?

turn 0 : A has had trouble getting credit in Brazil this year despite having a good credit history.

Which aspect of PersonA's credit history is mentioned in the statement?

Answer: Trouble


There are plenty of great public colleges like UCLA. They used to be much cheaper than equally strong private colleges. But now the price of many public colleges is rising fast, and that leaves some high school students with little or no choice for higher education, including African-American students. So what options do you have if you want to get an education but don't want to run up years' worth of student loans?We'll ask economist and author Dr.  Julianne Malveaux; she is the president of Bennett College. Hi, Dr.  Malveaux.

Hi Farai, how are you?

I'm great. Across the country, though, public and state universities are reporting anywhere from a 5 to 8 percent tuition increase for the upcoming year. Why is that?

Costs are rising. If you are running a college, you are looking at energy costs, you are looking at the same costs that the rest of the nation is looking at. And so people are raising tuitions to go along with that. Some of us are not. Bennett College's tuition has been stable for the last three years. We are not raising tuition this year. But many colleges are looking at the costs and saying, we've got to meet it. In addition, frankly, there have been years where colleges have not raised costs, and now people are trying to catch up. In some state universities, people have not seen raises in two or three years, they have seen pay freezes, and so now we are trying to catch up. Lots of people are trying to catch up.

turn 2 : The reason behind the increase in tuition fees for public and state universities is not because of the lack of money but because of the rising costs.

Which factor is responsible for the increase in tuition fees at public and state universities?

Answer: Rising


Yeah.

Well, Mayor Belangia, good luck. I hope I see Oriental someday. It sounds like a lovely place.

Please do. You will fall in love with it.

And I'll bring a loaf of bread for you.

turn 3 : The actual meaning of (4) is that B is expressing appreciation for the invitation, and that he will bring something as a gift when he visits.

Answer: Bread


And those two factors - genetic variation and large populations - are perfect recipes for Darwinian evolution. So RNA viruses evolve very quickly. They adapt very quickly. If they pass from one species of host into another - for instance, from a bat, or a monkey or a rodent, into humans - they seem to have a better chance of flourishing, of adapting to the new host and finding ways to transmit onward. So the RNA viruses, the single-stranded RNA viruses, are particularly on the watch list for the disease scientists who study this field.

I'm Flora Lichtman, and this is SCIENCE FRIDAY from NPR, talking with David Quammen about his book "Spillover. "Are we reservoir hosts for viruses that have caused pandemics in other animals?

Well, certainly we've caused disease. It does go the other way. It can go either direction whenever there's fairly close contact. For instance, Jane Goodall's chimps in Gombe in Tanzania, in the late '60s, suffered what seems to have been a little epidemic of polio. A number of the Gombe chimps died.

And that polio virus is thought to be non-zoonotic. It's thought to be a virus that only affects humans, but it's capable of passing from humans into chimps. So it seems to have made those chimps sick and killed some of them.

turn 0 : RNA viruses are a high risk for disease scientists.

How do disease scientists perceive RNPersonA viruses?

Answer: High


Hey, Lulu.

For those of you who love esports, bear with us. But there is a segment, I'm sure, among our listeners who don't know what esports is. So tell us, what is it?

It's basically people that play video games competitively. It's more than just your son or daughter sitting in their basement playing video games. Last year, Madison Square Garden sold out two nights in a row. Tickets cost about $50 in order to watch a video gaming competition.

So let's talk about esports, the business of esports. It's been described as the next big thing. How big is the sport right now?How big do you think it could get?

turn 1 : (2) is different from its literal meaning. While the speaker asks the listeners to bear with them, they are not actually asking for the listeners to tolerate or endure anything difficult or unpleasant. Instead, the speaker is acknowledging that not all listeners may be familiar with esports and is asking for patience as they explain what it is.

What is the speaker asking for when they say "bear with us" in the dialogue?

Answer: Tolerate


Oh. . .

. . . equivalent to a nuclear bomb?

Well, it's about - its equivalent - the energy in that explosion is about 10 times the energy in the first atomic bomb. . .

Uh-huh.

turn 2 : The energy released in the explosion is incredibly powerful.

How would you describe the power of the explosion?

Answer: Powerful


Yes, there was a peace agreement. But the big part of the peace agreement was that there is no border between Ireland and Northern Island. And that was possible because both Great Britain and Ireland are within the EU.

Can Britain get what they call a soft exit, or are there too many hard feelings for that?

I think on the EU side, there is a lot of willingness to have the soft Brexit. There's not much willingness among the hard Brexiteers to have a soft Brexit because a soft Brexit means that you stay within the customs union. The customs union means that you export and import goods freely. But if you stay within the customs union, you keep the same standards and the same rule book.

This sounds like an awful mess.

turn 0 : The peace agreement has a condition where there is no border between Ireland and Northern Island.

What was the big part of the peace agreement?

Answer: borderless


Yes. Britain put trade restrictions and taxes on tea being shipped to the colonies. And this led to everyone's favorite act of cultural appropriation and vandalism, the Boston Tea Party. But it also inspired a lesser-known tea party - the Edenton Tea Party in North Carolina. And what's remarkable about the Edenton Tea Party is that it was all women - possibly the first women-driven political protest in U. S.  history.

And I guess we can keep beating up on the British for just a moment here.

(Laughter) Why not?

The Brits were also behind the Opium Wars.

turn 2 : A humorous response indicating agreement with continuing to criticize the British.

Which act of cultural appropriation and vandalism does PersonA mention in the dialogue?

Answer: Boston


Well, that would be an interesting question. Right now, we make a decision. We say we're going to harden particular targets to make them difficult for terrorists to attack. So yes, terrorists do act rationally and choose another target - they choose a less hardened target. The question is whether it could respond very rapidly to changing information.

Large terror attacks take a lot of work and a lot of planning. And if the market predicted a high probability of an attack in a particular place, it's not as though it's a trivial matter for a terror group to suddenly switch all of its resources to another place. I'm not suggesting this would work. It would be a tool that would be used alongside other tools. And I'm just suggesting an experiment to see if it can improve the accuracy of intelligence forecast.

And what do you say to those people who say - my God, this is hideous?It's blood money.

It is hideous in a sense. It is. There's no question. I share the revulsion of people who say - but people shouldn't profit from this. On the other hand, if allowing people to profit from this, from making these predictions, improved our ability to predict, then it might be something worth trying because of the lives it would save on the other side.

turn 3 : Implicates that the speaker is willing to sacrifice certain moral values for the sake of saving lives.

What is the PersonA's motivation for suggesting the experiment?

Answer: Accuracy


A whistleblower has told Congress that at least 25 people were granted security clearances by the Trump administration after career employees recommended denying those clearances. Those 25 include two current senior White House officials. The whistleblower's name is Tricia Newbold. She's an 18-year career employee who currently works at the Personnel Security Office. That's the office that recommends for or against granting security clearances to members of the administration. She gave these details in private testimony to the House Oversight Committee last month.

Joining me now is a member of that committee, Jamie Raskin, Democrat from Maryland. Welcome.

I'm delighted to be with you.

So Tricia Newbold flags three particular instances involving senior White House officials who are kept anonymous. Can you tell us a little more about these officials who were initially denied security clearances but those decisions were overruled?

turn 1 : "Joining me now" does not imply that Jamie Raskin physically joined the interviewer in the same location, but rather that he is participating in the conversation remotely or over a video call. This is an example of a figurative or idiomatic use of language where the intended meaning is different from the literal meaning of the words used.

What is the intended meaning of "Joining me now" in the dialogue?

Answer: Participation


What do you think - if this decision is permanent, what do you think the U. S.  will miss by not being a member of UNESCO?

Oh, I think the U. S.  will miss a lot. It's a big loss for the United Nations family because we are part of this family. It is a big role for multilateralism. But I believe it is also a loss for the U. S.

Irina Bokova is director general of UNESCO. Thanks so much for joining us.

Thank you very much for inviting me.

turn 3 :  The implied meaning of this turn is that the guest is expressing gratitude for being invited to the show

What is the guest's response to the invitation?

Answer: Gratitude


(Laughter).

So. . .

So I take it you don't like it.

I think it's kind of a joke. I think it has nothing to do with Wall Street.

Well, bullish markets - that sort of thing - yeah?

turn 1 : The speaker is asking the other person to continue the conversation.

Which turn implies that the speaker does not agree with what is being talked about?

Answer: Turn3


We've got two foreign vessels in Iranian custody. We've got one Iranian tanker in British custody and no sign of the tensions cooling off. So what happens next is the big question and a lot of the options are not that great. I mean, remember, this is all happening in the context of the Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign against Iran.

Trump has been saying the return of American sanctions on Iran and other pressures are all designed to force Iran back to the negotiating table to hammer out a tougher version of the 2015 nuclear agreement - that's the one Trump pulled the U. S.  out of. So far, Iran's unanimous response from the military to the supreme leader has been, nope, Iran doesn't negotiate under pressure. We're not going to do it. So we'll have to see if this continuation of commercial vessels being seized in the Persian Gulf adds more pressure for some kind of international response.

That's NPR's Peter Kenyon in Istanbul.

Thank you very much.

turn 0 : The tensions do not cool as they are hot but they do lesson.

How do tensions between Iran and other countries lessen?

Answer: lessen


They have. About 40-plus have gone, probably as we talk, a number of them have left.

He's not considered a good candidate to lead the party to victory in a general election, I gather.

No, no, he's not. The leadership's come to him very late in life. He's a poor communicator. And that makes it very difficult to win over votes. He excites a section of Britain young people who will turn out in their thousands for his rallies and his meet and. . .

They feel the Bern.

They feel the Bern. The comparisons, again, you can see parallels between what is happening in Britain with what is happening in America. And they're not false. They're not invented.

Kevin Maguire of the Daily Mirror who joined us on Skype, thanks very much for being with us.

turn 2 : This statement of  A implies that the Aspirant is too old and does not have a good communication skill to be a leader.

Which trait of the aspirant is mentioned as a barrier to winning votes?

Answer: communication


And tell us a bit about the ocean bed.

It's a bit rockier than the Rockies. It's that sort of terrain. The location they're looking at is at the foot of a huge mountain. That mountain rises about three and a half kilometers. That's about two miles up from the sea floor. So it's on a really quite steep terrain. We don't know whether the seabed there is muddy, silty - in which case things can sink into the seabed - or whether it's rocky. We've got better maps of the moon's surface for this area than we do of the seabed itself. So, you know, if someone said to you, this is on the moon, we could tell you what the terrain was like. We don't really know what it's like here. We don't have detailed maps.

I have a lot of respect for the Royal Australian Navy, but has anybody ever been able to pick up something this deep in the ocean before?

The technology is there, but it's rare. And there isn't - there aren't that many vehicles that can operate at these sorts of depths.

turn 3 :  A: "The technology is there, but it's rare." This sentence has a non-literal meaning because the word "rare" does not refer to the technology being scarce, but rather to the fact that it is uncommon for vehicles to operate at the depths of the ocean where the object in question is located.

How is the word "rare" used in PersonA's statement?

Answer: Uncommon


Times like this, when the economies of states are in default, can states really afford this?

I really don't think they can, and in many, many states, legislatures are starting to agree with that idea and to really rethink their priorities. I mean, every dollar that you spend building and running a prison is a dollar that's not spent on a public university or healthcare or roads and bridges. At this point, Kansas, Texas and at least 11 other states are taking a very serious look at how to try out some new strategies that will curb their prison population, shrink the number of people behind bars so they can save a little money, reduce some recidivism and have money for other budget priorities.

Well, back up and tell us how we got here, because in your article you say in 1970 our prisons held fewer than 200,000 people. What happened?

A number of things happened. But primarily, it's what's called our nation's war on drugs. And I say so-called war on drugs, because, you know, we like to use that metaphor all the time on everything. But essentially a new host of sentencing practices took hold in the early '70s and spread across the country. Mandatory minimum sentences, meaning that the amount of drugs involved in a particular crime would affect the severity of the punishment. So even if you're a low-level drug mule, for example, the amount of drugs you were carrying was going to ensure that you get a very large sentence, perhaps even more than a drug king pin if that person was caught without a lot of drugs.

turn 1 : The states are considering new strategies to reduce prison population and save money for other budget priorities.

What are Kansas and Texas doing to their prison population?

Answer: Reduce


When you say that this law is intended to create a firewall around the state, do you think that this is where things are headed - where certain states will allow access to abortions and other states simply won't?

That's certainly my fear, and that was why this was so important to get passed before we adjourned. And, you know, ultimately, I've been working on this issue my entire adult life.

And I used to say, if Roe falls. And for the last year, I've been saying, when Roe falls. And it, frankly, still feels like a gut-punch every time I say it. But I think that there has been this very strategic and determined process by the other side to get cases into the pipeline that will ultimately lead to Roe falling.

Do you think that Democrats and people who support abortion rights have been outmaneuvered?

turn 0 : It is not a firewall but a law that protects the state from others.

How does the law that was passed aim to protect the state?

Answer: Protect


How embarrassing. How. . .

I love how you mention the head rag because it's like. . .

Exactly.

In my family, it was like - it's a disgrace to the race when you leave the house with your head rag.

turn 1 : The head rag is associated with negative stereotypes.

How is the head rag viewed in some families?

Answer: Negative


So this is all being done because the government's in debt?

Well, that was sort of the impetus for all of this. They have brought in a lot of revenue. And the government, anticipating that some people would say, hey, it can't be worth your time and effort to go after these small, old debts. The process of going after them's going to cost you more than you bring in. So they've done an analysis that actually shows that they are bringing in more money than it costs to go make the collections. So to that end, they say that they're saving the taxpayers money.

When I asked the Social Security folks who came up with this idea to go after these old debts, they said, well, go talk to Treasury. I went to Treasury. They said, well, go talk to Congress. I went to Congress. They said, oh, it had to be somebody back in Treasury or somewhere in the bureaucracy. So no one is willing to step up and take credit for this. And now that this story has appeared, there's kind of a circling the wagons and it's not - no one wants to be associated with this at this point.

Marc Fisher, who's senior editor at The Washington Post. Thanks so much for being with us.

Thanks, Scott.

turn 2 : The literal meaning of (3) is that no one is taking credit for the decision to go after old debts owed to the government. However, the implied meaning is that there is a lack of accountability and transparency within the government, as no one is willing to take responsibility for the decision.

How can the implied meaning of turn 2 be described?

Answer: Accountability


I think it had to because of the workers and the communities where you had all of these plants. But because it became a 60-percent owner - the U. S.  government owns 60 percent of General Motors as a result of the bankruptcy - they could have straightened that company out, but they were completely hands-off with the post-bankruptcy management. In retrospect, they had to save General Motors. But they could've laid down tougher conditions.

What do you think about when you see some of the accounts in recent weeks about General Motors concealing what seems to have been a major problem which led to injury and death?

Eternal vigilance of the regulator is required. And the auto safety agency fell down on the job. It's just that simple. I think now we're going to get stronger legislation as a result of the GM debacle. A lot of good will come from it, unfortunately because of these fatalities.

Ralph Nader. His new book "Unstoppable: The Emerging Left-Right Alliance To Dismantle The Corporate State. "Thanks so much for being with us.

turn 3 :  implies that the speaker is expressing gratitude for the other person's time and attention.

Which speaker expressed gratitude at the end of the dialogue?

Answer: A


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 0 : "excessively high percentages of sales" - This turn's actual meaning is different from its literal meaning because "excessively high" means a lot or too much, but it is not necessarily related to a specific number or percentage.

Answer: Lot


But you say there is a glimmer of hope in that if we do collectively work together, some of these problems can be fixed. What are some of the most important changes you would like to see in terms of public policy?

We have to stop the rollback of EPA policies. Under the Obama administration and earlier administrations, we were starting to make real progress. When the current administration took office, there were only four chlor-alkali plants left. The others had been closed. These spew a great deal of mercury into the atmosphere. They were slated to close. But the EPA under Trump decided not to close these plants. A few days ago, the EPA under Trump decided to stop surprise inspections, which is going to, of course, diminish their effectiveness. So we're rolling back the progress that we had made.

Then we have to re-evaluate the way we test chemicals. In the European Union, you have to test a chemical that's going to be used in or near humans for its effect on human health before you can market it. In this country, we market the chemicals and only began testing after complaints that people have been harmed. And one of the things corporations tend to say is that it's so expensive to do these tests. There are things more important than money. Right now, 23 million IQ points are lost every year in children from exposure to lead. And how do you put a price on that?

That's Harriet Washington, author of the new book "A Terrible Thing To Waste: Environmental Racism And Its Assault On The American Mind. "

turn 0 : a glimmer of hope means that there is a small amount of hope left

Which element of the EPPersonA policy rollback does PersonA specifically mention in their response?

Answer: Testing


So about a year ago, they were ousted by the Ethiopian invasion. And since then, there has been a gorilla war that's been going on that has left most of Somalia in constant turmoil.

Is it a forgotten crisis?

I'd say yes, for the most part, that it is. And it's forgotten at least in the United States because there is not the direct involvement of U. S.  troops. There is indirect U. S.  involvement, absolutely. But the — but when the, you notice very often in the U. S.  media that when no one from the United States is dying, a situation is not declared to be a crisis. And so in Somalia, it's the people of Somalia, as well as Ethiopian troops, that are dying, and therefore it's not on our screen.

One more thing about Somalia before we move on, talking about a split there, potential split. The Bush administration and some members of Congress are considering whether to recognize Somaliland. Tell us about that, and what concerns do you have?

turn 1 : The situation in Somalia is not receiving the attention it deserves.

Answer: Ethiopia


You know, let's just take a look at Los Angeles' demographics. You have people from incredibly wealthy to incredibly poor. You have immigrants, native-born people who've come here from other parts of the U. S. , people, of course, who were born here. How do you think L. A. 's demographics affect the need for public transportation?

Well, clearly there is a very serious need here in the region. We are very geographically dispersed in other words. We have suburbs that extend for miles in every direction. So the need for a broad-based transportation system that depends on a lot of bus service is particularly important in our region. Here in the downtown area, we do have a more extensive rail network that starts in the downtown region and then extends outwards.

But again, that's only the metro services. There are also Metrolink services and Amtrak services that serve more of the Southern California region. So there are lots of transportation choices here, and it would do people that are trying to save money well to look into these services.

Finally, is the federal government supporting the system at all?

turn 1 : There is a serious need for public transportation in the region.

Answer: Region


Exactly. I mean, I have at least two publications on my resume that are no longer in existence. And I think a lot of reporters and journalists can say the same about theirs.

Yeah. You realize - I mean, maybe, I don't know - Gerard Baker, the editor of The Wall Street Journal, they won a Pulitzer this week too. He's hearing, maybe, this interview. He's certainly heard of you and your Pulitzer. What if he or another big-time newspaper editor found you and offered you a job?Do you hope for anything like that?

Well, I can't say that it wouldn't be a dream come true - it kind of would be. But, I don't know what I would do because that opportunity hasn't presented itself. And there's the other factor, which is, I like the job I'm at now. I work for USC Shoah Foundation, which isn't just some place to land. It's a pretty amazing place. It's, you know, really one of the world's leading institutions of Holocaust and genocide studies. Never thought I'd be there in a million years either, but it's turned out to be a very rich and rewarding experience. So the answer is, I - it's a very good question - I don't know what I would do if that happened.

Rob Kuznia, the Pulitzer Prize-winning PR man. He won the Pulitzer this week, along with Rebecca Kimitch, and Frank Suraci of The Daily Breeze in Southern California.

turn 1 : The implied meaning in this turn is that B is suggesting that Rob Kuznia should be hopeful of getting a job offer from a big-time newspaper editor.

Answer: Pulitzer


A few hundred?

A few hundred?

A few hundred, yeah.

There is a composition on this recording "Fur Elise". . .

turn 1 : The literal meaning of turns (1) and (2) is asking a question about the number "a few hundred". The implied meaning of these turns is that B is surprised by the number A mentioned.

Which turn implies that PersonB is surprised by the number PersonA mentioned?

Answer: Implied


What was fascinating was that, although most of them, in their 90s, don't want to have German citizenship back, they were saying that their children and grandchildren are also applying.

I try to be careful with questions that are premised on what someone who is gone would think. But I'm going to chance one in your case. If your parents were here, what do you think they'd make of your decision?

I've been thinking about that a great deal. And my mother only went back to Germany once, and she only went back when my father said - my father was born in Britain - when my father said to her, Liesel, if you don't go to Germany now, I won't be alive, and I won't be able to come with you. And she went back. And she had an amazing time, and she saw her all old school friends. And what would she have felt?I think she'd have felt ambivalent, to be honest. My father would have just been completely relaxed about it, I think.

But it's been very interesting because my son feels very strongly that he wants German citizenship. My daughter's not at all sure. She can't see it, and she just says, you know, why would you want it, given the history?

turn 3 :  implies that the speaker's daughter has a negative view of Germany and its history, and thus does not understand why anyone would want German citizenship.

Which daughter of the speaker expresses uncertainty about wanting German citizenship?

Answer: daughter


And now we'll go to another Dickerson. This is Brian Dickerson. He's a political columnist for the Detroit Free Press. And we're going to talk about Michigan. It is one of the key swing states in this election. Welcome to the program.

Thank you, Madeleine.

Well, both candidates have stumped a lot in Michigan, and is either candidate getting more traction?

Well, the most recent polls this week are a little mixed. But generally, the average of the reputable polls has been showing Obama steadily in front since about mid-June and picking up some momentum in the last two or three weeks.

turn 3 : "But generally, the average of the reputable polls has been showing Obama steadily in front since about mid-June and picking up some momentum in the last two or three weeks." - This turn has a literal meaning and is also used with its actual meaning.

Which candidate has been steadily in front according to the average of reputable polls?

Answer: Obama


One of the other things you mentioned in the book, among many, is that al-Qaeda might become the world's first terrorist nuclear power without possessing a single nuclear weapon. And I suppose the answer to that is in part what you just were describing.

It is. What's interesting is that the director of the Central Intelligence Agency has said that al-Qaeda is the CIA's top nuclear concern. Now that's a fascinating comment. Obviously, that assessment is based upon intentions rather than capabilities. Insofar as we know, al-Qaeda has no nuclear material, has no knowledge to put together a nuclear bomb, but it is the number one nuclear concern because it is believed that if it had a nuclear bomb, it would use it.

You know, it's been a number of years now, seven since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Two questions. First is, how did Americans view the threat of terrorism back then, and how do they see it now?And how effective have the agencies like the Department of Homeland Security been in preventing another terrorist attack?

Well, in terms of our perceptions of terrorism, terrorism has been a concern for a long time for Americans. But the concern would spike, of course, in the wake of some spectacular episode, you know. The sabotage of Pan Am 103 in 1988, or the destruction of the American Embassies in Africa in 1998, and then it would quickly diminish.

turn 1 : Al-Qaeda has no nuclear material, but they are the CIA's top nuclear concern.

What is the reason for al-Qaeda being the CIPersonA's top nuclear concern?

Answer: Use


There's been a lot of death on this mountain over the past couple of years. 2012, six climbers died one day on the summit. In 2013, there was that brawl between some Sherpas and some European climbers. Sixteen people died last year on Everest, and there was the April earthquake. Why would someone want to climb Everest now?

You know, it baffles me, but, you know, this mountain has an inescapable pull for a lot of people. It's been more than four years now since there's been, you know, what would pass for a quiet season on Mount Everest. And each year that I thought that there might be a normal season, it got unimaginably worse, which is just difficult to fathom.

You know, I think that some teams are thinking about going to the North side. Some people are actually, you know, canceling their trips, and people are thinking about other mountains. But for a lot of people, you know, Everest is - it's a mythical kind of place. And for a lot of people, I think it's a lifelong dream that nothing is going to stand between them and the summit.

Grayson Schaffer, Outside Magazine senior editor, speaking with us from Santa Fe. Thanks so much for being with us.

turn 1 : (2) In this turn, the speaker says "this mountain has an inescapable pull for a lot of people" which means that Mount Everest has a strong attraction that draws many people towards it, despite the danger and risks involved. The literal meaning would be that the mountain physically pulls people towards it, which is not true.

How would you describe the attraction of Mount Everest for some people?

Answer: Pull


Look, if I were running the FBI, you know, I probably would want to have backdoors as well, so I'm sympathetic to the director's view. But there is risk if you put that backdoor in. There's no question you enhance the risk, number one. Number two, there are the privacy implications that are of concern to parties.

When you were working for the government, obviously you were institutionally on a different side of the argument. You were on the side of being able to get into whatever you needed to get into and find out whatever you needed to find out. What happened?Did you have a sort of a Saul of Damascus moment?I mean, did you always believe what you believe now?

My beliefs really haven't changed since I was in government. If anything, it gave me appreciation for how challenging it is for the government to balance and play the roles that it needs to, both wanting to keep the nation secure, both having the rights to collect extensive intelligence overseas, less so within the country. You know, the richness of that debate in many ways would, I think, make the founders of our country proud.

Rod Beckstrom was the founding director of the U. S.  National Cybersecurity Center. Thank you very much for this.

Thank you, Linda. Great to be on your show.

turn 1 :  implies that the speaker is asking if the person had a sudden change of heart, (3) implies that the person is proud of the balanced debate surrounding the government's decision making,

How does turn 1 relate to the rest of the dialogue? (The answer is "it doesn't")

Answer: doesn't


Then Clark Carrington(ph) chimed in from Dar Salam, Tanzania. He wrote, I'm an African-American living in Tanzania and totally rely on Farai and crew through podcast to keep me informed about what is going on in the U. S.  and the world, for that matter. However, Farai's much more than a female African-American voice. She is an informed progressive and an insightful mind.

And finally, we go to a fan in Saudi Arabia. Ibrahim Sadik(ph) heard a re-broadcast of a conversation we had on Latin jazz and sent us this. I wish to thank News & Notes for the excellent program on Latin jazz as well as the month-long treatment on jazz. I currently live in Saudi Arabia and enjoy News & Notes, which is rebroadcast during my morning commute. It provides a refreshing entry for the morning. I hope that the coming months will bring about a turnaround in the U. S.  economy that will allow kaleidoscopic programs such as News & Notes to remain on air.

And that's it for letters. So wherever you are, please keep your thoughts coming over the next few months.

To write us, just log on to npr. org and click on contact us. When you get there, you'll see lots of shows to choose from. Make sure you pick News & Notes when you write to us.

How many shows can you choose from when you click on contact us on npr.org?

Answer: Lots


That's good. That's a start.

That's good.

But there are also very few issues that could get us at daggers drawn in the short term. You could have a misunderstanding and miscalculation in the South China Sea. Taiwan remains very concerning.

But overall, to date, there are very few areas in which the United States and China are headed toward conflict with each other. And there is great concern in both capitals that it not get there. But between that observation - that we mustn't go to war - and the growing list of complaints against each other, there is insufficient strategic thinking in both capitals.

turn 2 : There are several issues that could lead to conflict between US and China in the short term

What is one of the concerning regions mentioned by PersonA that could potentially lead to conflict between the US and China?

Answer: Taiwan


Yeah. To learn street - Glasgow street language.

They must have - well, a few particular words must have stuck to their vocabulary.

They spring to mind immediately, don't they?

Our guest is Billy Connolly. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR News. And there is a lot of material, it would seem to me, that would go over better in Scotland than it would here. How do you have to change to adapt to audiences?

turn 0 : Learning Glasgow street language involves learning specific words.

Answer: Specific


Burnt hair, desiccated strawberry, armpit, you know (laughter).

Very precise and unusual.

And there's also this new trajectory to incorporate the language of science. So instead of saying that something smells like green bell pepper, sommeliers are now describing it as smelling of pyrazines, which, by the way, is a chemical that is present in both sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon grapes and in green bell peppers. So don't always roll your eyes at the sommelier.

I don't roll my eyes at the sommelier. I've actually always been intimidated by interacting with the sommelier. I wanted to ask you if you would take a moment to sort of teach someone like me. Can you walk me through it?

A lot of us, when we're given the wine list, treat it as a multiple-choice test. We're handed this list of a hundred options. And we have until the sommelier circles back to us to figure out the right answer.

Exactly.

turn 2 : In this turn, the literal meaning of "incorporate the language of science" would imply using scientific terminology to describe wine aromas. However, the actual meaning is that sommeliers are adopting a more scientific approach to describing aromas by referring to specific chemicals present in the wine or food.

Which chemical is present in both sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon grapes and in green bell peppers?

Answer: Pyrazines


Mr.  Bostrom, as I understand it, you have spent a lot of your working life dealing with nuclear war and asteroid strikes and now the prospect of superintelligent machines. How you doing?

Well, I actually also spend some time thinking about the upside of things, like, if things go well, if humanity makes it through this century intact, I think the future for Earth originating intelligent life could be very long and very large and very bright, indeed. We might reach technological maturity in this century, and with that would come the possibility to colonize the universe and to cure cancer and to accomplish many other things that we can only vaguely dream about today. It's worth being really careful and making sure that we don't screw up along the path.

Nick Bostrom is the founder and director of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University and the author of "Superintelligence. "Thanks for speaking with us, Mr.  Bostrom, and I don't mind saying good luck.

Thanks.

turn 2 : In (3), the speaker is not wishing Mr. Bostrom good luck in the literal sense, but rather expressing his appreciation for speaking with them and thanking him for his efforts.

How did the speaker express his appreciation to Mr. Bostrom in (3)?

Answer: Thanks


Will you try and legislate in spite of the president instead of with him?I mean, it seems that he is distracting from what the Republican Congress is trying to do.

Oh, absolutely. I think we'll move forward without that. I think that the president can certainly - I mean, it would be helpful, obviously, if the president makes that pivot - and I certainly hope that he does - where he's certainly more deliberate, more thoughtful in his approach - certainly gets off this Twitter stuff (laughter) - where, you know, I think that, as commander in chief - and I've said this before - that the men and women who serve this country in uniform want to see a president focused on the fact that we're a nation at war and not in a Twitter war with Rosie O'Donnell.

And so I think - I hope that this president can self-correct - this presidency can stabilize. But the Congress needs to move forward with policies that matter to the American people. And the president is doing something important right now in having visited Saudi Arabia - and to strengthen our alliance with Saudi Arabia, to counter that Iranian - Syrian, certainly under Assad, and Russia axis of power that is strengthening.

You know, you're talking about Twitter, but there were reports last week that the president disclosed sensitive intelligence information from Israel to Russian diplomats in an Oval Office meeting. You're a veteran. Do you have any concerns about the president's national security judgment, just briefly?

turn 2 :  "the Congress needs to move forward with policies that matter to the American people" - literal meaning, refers to the Congress passing laws that are important to the citizens of the United States.

Which group of people does turn 2 refer to?

Answer: American


So Beijing has basically made an offer to the people of Hong Kong that if they're willing to give up on dreams of greater democracy, they can be part of China's amazing economic rise, and they have offered them more integration with the kind of boom cities on the other side of the border in the mainland. The problem is that again and again and very dramatically over this extradition bill, the people of Hong Kong have said, no. They do not want that trade off. They actually are willing to protest and fight hard to maintain those freedoms that they still have.

So it's not even as though these protesters in Hong Kong are fighting for additional freedom. They're just saying we want to keep things the way they are. We don't want to see an erosion of the freedoms we do have.

That's right. I think it's important to be realistic. I mean, this has been an absolutely extraordinary - at times, very moving - protest by over a million people - overwhelmingly peaceful, very civic-minded, lots of different generations coming together. That's a fantastic thing and utterly unthinkable where I'm sitting in Beijing on the mainland - could never happen. But they are not about to get more democracy. They're not even about to get more freedoms. This is a defensive set of protests to keep what they have.

Interesting that you point out this would be very, very unlikely to happen in China. It makes me wonder, do the protests in Hong Kong pose any threat to China's leadership, to President Xi Jinping, to the Chinese Communist Party?Are they worried about this?

turn 2 : The protests in Hong Kong are not about gaining more democracy or freedom, but rather to protect what they currently have.

What are the Hong Kong protesters defending?

Answer: currentfreedoms


But then again, the Southsider group from Los Angeles, which has essentially a lot of Latino members, will try to exercise dominance in the jails as a message to all African-Americans that there's more of us and we can dominate the situation in the jails and we're going to dominate the situations in the street.

We're talking with L. A.  County Sheriff Lee Baca. Sheriff, is there much difference, as far as racial issues are concerned, between inmates in, let's say, county jail as opposed to state or federal prisons, where the inmates are serving longer terms and there are more of them?

Well, there is a slight difference. You know, the transient nature of the county jails is that inmates have access to each other much easier than in a state prison system, and at the same time, the state prison system is a long-term incarceration and they're more calculated when they're going to do a hit. Whereas in a county jail, they can hit anytime and be spontaneous and virtually disrupt the entire environment in the jail without a real comprehensive plan. Whereas in state prisons, it's more calculated.

Now, in California, particularly in Los Angeles, we have talked a lot about the tensions between Latinos and blacks. We haven't said very much about tensions between blacks and whites or Latinos and whites. How much of that is there?

turn 1 : B is interested in learning about racial issues among inmates and whether there is a difference between county jails and state/federal prisons.

What is PersonB's primary concern in their question to Sheriff Lee Baca?

Answer: Inmates.


Well, Shadow, my producer, who up until then had been noted for producing the Shangri-las, he didn't really try to get me too so much as he gave me a choice. He said if you will change black as night, because the opening line is face is clean and shining black as night. He said if you change that word black to anything - anything else I can guarantee you a number one record. And he said, but it's your choice. And a friend of ours was standing there and he said, quote, unquote, "you whore now, you'll whore forever," and that's a pretty strong words. I was 15 at that time. That was pretty strong. But from my point of view, hey, I was getting to make a record. How cool is that, you know?

Yeah.

When it was a hit or not was secondary.

Let me ask you, is that a scar, or is it just a lesson learned from then that carries with you today?

turn 3 : They want to know if that is something that still affects them today or is it a lesson learned.

Which turn in the dialogue refers to a friend's quote and the PersonA's choice to change a word in a song?

Answer: turn0


So, Bill, what do you make of the president's remarks?

Every time I hear President Bush talk about billions, I start thinking about Carl Sagan and talking about billions of stars and billions of this. Part of the problem when I listen to and consider what President Bush is talking about is more what he doesn't talk about, that U. S.  aid to Africa is significant in terms of dollar amounts that are mentioned, but as a percentage of what the United States does offers internationally, it's actually not all that significant.

A couple of years ago, I did a little research on this and discovered that U. S.  aid to Africa, if you withdraw Egypt, is less than Israel. That is - that the total aid is less than the aid to one country, a key ally of the United States. So that figure told me a little bit about the priorities of the United States.

The second thing is that there are regularly strings attached to U. S.  aids. So whether it's the assistance to combat HIV and AIDS, there are these strings around the issue of abstinence, abstinence only, as a condition for significant amounts of aid to combat that disease. A second issue is that whereas the United Nations has had a internationally recognized program combating AIDS/HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, the Bush administration has refused to give full funding to that U. N.  program and instead was more interested in setting up its own bureaucracy to offer assistance, which seems to be run contrary all of the rhetoric about a, you know, that conservatives often offer about eliminating costs.

turn 1 : Every time I hear President Bush talk about billions, I start thinking about Carl Sagan and talking about billions of stars and billions of this. - Implied meaning: A is critical of President Bush's remarks, particularly regarding U.S. aid to Africa and his failure to discuss its significance in terms of international aid offered by the United States.

Which astronomer does PersonA refer to when talking about President Bush's remarks on billions?

Answer: Carl


I want to get into one other really fascinating part because we're running out of time, and that's is when you did this preliminary work in mice before you did it in humans, you used nanoparticles instead of white blood cells.

Well, we used both, actually. We developed over many years the use of the white blood cells as carriers for the antigens to knock down the autoimmune response. But more recently, we used nanoparticles that we think are surrogates of these apoptotic white blood cells. So they actually have the same efficacy in mouse models of both preventing and treating animal models of multiple sclerosis.

The advantage, of course, being that these nanoparticles can be manufactured under FDA-approved conditions and can be pulled off the shelf, the therapy is less intrusive than withdrawing, you know, billions of cells from a patient and manipulating them in a blood bag and re-introducing them.

So when do we get to a human trial of whether your technique works, in this phase two where you actually. . .

turn 2 : nanoparticles can be easily kept on hand and accessed quickly when needed

What is the advantage of using nanoparticles over white blood cells in terms of accessibility?

Answer: Accessibility


Yeah. I think what's really interesting is that when you look at the team that won four years ago, part of why they won was that they had a very strong defense. They went 540 minutes, several games without conceding a goal, whereas this U. S.  team comes into this tournament having actually conceded a lot of goals when they play good competition.

So what the U. S.  is doing right now is kind of focusing on the attack. They have a lot of really strong attacking pieces. Players like Alex Morgan can score a lot of goals. So I think that's kind of their game plan is just outscore their opponents even if they end up conceding some goals this time around.

And we mentioned that they're battling on a number of fronts, not just on the pitch, that this lawsuit against U. S.  Soccer was filed three months ago. Can you tell us a little bit more about the underlying complaint?What is it that the players are alleging?

Yeah. So the players have filed a lawsuit alleging institutionalised gender discrimination. And there are sort of two pieces to it. The easiest piece to understand is the non-compensation issues. So it's things like the women alleging that U. S.  Soccer has been flying the men's team to games on charter flights, whereas the women have had to fly on commercial flights - having the men play most of their - almost all of their games on natural grass, whereas the women have had to play a significant portion of their games on artificial turf. And players say that artificial turf is more harsh on their bodies, harder to recover from.

turn 1 : The U.S. team's strategy is to score more goals than their opponents, even if they also concede some.

Which team's game plan is to outscore their opponents even if they concede some goals?

Answer: U.S.


Do the findings differ according to what you majored in or, you know, engineering versus philosophy?

It did. For example, if you look at in the middle of the career of someone, say, 15 years out after graduation, the typical earnings of an engineer is pretty close to $100,000 a year. The same is true of my field of economics. But if you were to go to teaching or social work, the figure is more likely $50,000 a year.

Dr.  Vedder, without getting you into trouble, you're a professor of economics. Does this lead you to ever tell your students you're wasting your money here?

Well, you've asked a delicate question, Scott, but I am at the age where I am tenured and semi-retired, so I guess I can say anything I want. I've tried to be honest with my students and I tell my students that there are risks in anything one does in life and any kind of investment one makes in life. And colleges are subject to the same kind of risks that investing in, say, stocks and bonds. Part of the risk, of course, is that 45 percent of those who enter college don't graduate within six years. And students who think they can major in social work then go get a fancy job and then live in an upper middle-class suburb are perhaps living a life that's devoid of much reality these days. And so I point this out to them. I don't tell them don't go to college, but I tell them there are risks associated with it and be cautious about piling up a lot of debt.

turn 1 : The findings are likely to vary depending on what field of study you have chosen, such as engineering or philosophy.

How much is the typical earnings of an engineer 15 years out after graduation?

Answer: $100,000.


What were some of the challenging parts of school?What did you find the hardest?

Reading, studying my lessons. You know, because I had to read more, you know, and because, you know, as you get older, your short-term memory sort of fails you once in a while. So to make sure that you got the material where you could reproduce it, you had to study a little harder and do a little more research.

So tell me what graduation day was like?

Oh, the best day of my life, I guess. Life doesn't get any better. Life doesn't get any better. With my family there, all my friends cheering me on, I felt like I was 16 years old. What a day. What a day. I was happy. Everybody was pleased. They gave me a good ovation. I really enjoyed it. I really did. I cannot explain to you in words my feelings.

turn 3 : Oh, the best day of my life, I guess.Life doesn't get any better.Life doesn't get any better.With my family there, all my friends cheering me on, I felt like I was 16 years old.What a day.What a day.I was happy.Everybody was pleased.They gave me a good ovation.I really enjoyed it.I really did.I cannot explain to you in words my feelings.

Which day did PersonA describe as the best day of their life?

Answer: Graduation


Look. We - no - we have low-skilled workers who come to this country all the time. . .

Low skills is different than no skills.

. . . Well, low skill - that's what the chief was talking about. We're talking about bringing in the best and brightest from around the world. That's not what is occurring now. But let's not pretend for a second we have a mean, heartless immigration policy. We have the most generous immigration policy in the world. So to pretend as though, somehow, we're closing off to the world is just ridiculous. What this president and what the chief of staff was talking about is we want people in this country who have a lot to offer the United States, who are the best and the brightest. And right now our immigration system as such - we don't get that.

I'm afraid I got to come back to the McCain question one more time because, you know, we wouldn't keep asking it if someone in the White House would say, look. I wish it hadn't happened. He's a great American. He's given great service to the country. He might be in his last days. Let's just shut down this controversy and say, thank you for everything you've done for America. But why won't the White House say that?

turn 1 : Having low skills is not the same as having no skills

What does the chief want to bring in from around the world?

Answer: Best


Today, Turkey formally requested NATO to deploy Patriot missiles on the border with Syria. And while the new anti-government coalition wins friends in foreign capitals, it gets a mixed reception from rebel groups inside Syria. NPR correspondent Deborah Amos joins us now by Skype from southern Turkey. And Deborah, always good to talk with you.

Thank you, Neal. Glad to be here.

And some European nations are already considering Turkey's Patriot missile request. If fulfilled, will that effectively establish a no-fly zone over parts of - over northern Syria?

NATO officials are downplaying the no-fly zone aspect of this. But there is no doubt that if there are Patriot missiles on the border, the Syrian air force will think twice about bombing any city close to that border. That is already happening on this - on the Turkish border. There are towns now that are under the umbrella of Turkey.

turn 2 : Fulfilling Turkey's request for Patriot missiles may establish a no-fly zone over northern Syria, but NATO officials are downplaying it.

How would NATO officials describe the establishment of a no-fly zone over northern Syria if Patriot missiles are deployed on the border?

Answer: downplaying


I'm well. I'm going to read a bit from the editorial. You're answering attacks on Maryland Representative Elijah Cummings and on his district, which includes Baltimore. And you wrote, (reading) it's not hard to see what's going on here. The congressman has been a thorn in this president's side, and Mr.  Trump sees attacking African American members of Congress as good politics, as it both warms the cockles of the white supremacists who love him and causes so many of the thoughtful people who don't to scream.

So it seems that you think this is all very much premeditated, and it's not just, as some have said, the president responding to Fox News.

Yes. Well, I think it clearly is - both things are going on at the same time. I think Fox News gives him the ammunition he needed, and he gave it probably about, you know, two seconds of thought to find an opportunity to slam Representative Cummings who, of course, has been critical of his border policy, and so he took it. And so 750,000 people woke up in the 7th District yesterday being told that they were the worst place in the country by the president of the United States.

When you first read those tweets, what was your thought?

turn 3 : When you read the social media post, what did you think?

How many people woke up in the 7th District being told that they were the worst place in the country?

Answer: 750,000


Depending on how they go about it, how big of a deal could this announcement by Zara be, and what kind of an impact could it have?

Well, I think the really interesting thing about Zara's statement is they've made a public statement to back their intention, and they will be held accountable for whether they achieve that target or not over time. So the fact that they made this very public target I think is really positive. And I think hopefully what that will do is also encourage other brands and retailers to be bold and to make these statements as well.

What individual responsibility do consumers have here?

Personally, I think every consumer has some responsibility for their actions. The consumers are buying products, they are making decisions about where they're buying those products from, how long they keep those products for and what they do with those products at end of life. So I think there is definitely some responsibility that the consumers have in all of this. But I also recognize as - there is this deep-seated sort of psychological driver within our human psyche to engage in fashion.

turn 0 : how big of a deal means how much of a problem would this be

How will Zara be held accountable for achieving their target?

Answer: Unclear


. . . if you want to call it better than mud. And those soils actually have very little - they get - they amplify the ground motion, and they have very little resistance in terms of - when compared to bedrock. And the piling of the existing structure is about, you know, 30 meters deep. They're actually timber piles. They're 30 meters deep. And there are many, many, many of those. And that particular foundation is not made to resist the seismic motions that we're dealing with.

The other part of it is the fact that the existing eastern spans have - it's a truss structure. And by default, a truss structure has many connections, many members, unlike a suspension bridge. And thereby retrofitting those members to satisfy the new design codes would require a lot of work, overhead traffic and blocking lanes.

But if you look at your design of your new bridge, it's not - it's almost unlike anything we've seen before. . .

Well. . .

turn 1 : The speaker is not literally saying that retrofitting the truss structure would require blocking lanes and overhead traffic. They are implying that the retrofitting process would be difficult and disruptive due to the many connections and members of a truss structure.

How would you describe the retrofitting process for a truss structure?

Answer: Challenging


Now what we didn't hear was a huge thunderous applause that you got from the crowd. Would you run for office again?And if so, what office?

I do - I would like to run for office. I really believe very firmly in public service. I enjoyed my years as lieutenant governor. And, you know, as a small-government Republican, really began to appreciate beyond the rhetoric of just saying, you know, I want a smaller government, but really focusing on how you make government work for people and how you make it efficient - more efficient partner in our daily lives.

And so I walked away from the office with a great appreciation for the value of public service and the importance that you can play in helping small businesses, in getting healthcare where it needs to be, and in dealing with problems of crime and the things that lead up to people to do things that create problems in their community, recidivism, and drug addiction, and things like that. So yeah, I'd like to get back to it. I'd like to run for governor of Maryland one day. And we'll see if that ever happens. But yeah, it's on the table. I don't know if it's in the cards yet, but it's at least on the table.

So you're chair of GOPAC, and it aims to elect more Republicans into office. So what are you working on specifically this time around?Are there any races or any strategies you're working on?

turn 2 : "in the cards" implies has a high degree of possibility. "on the table" implies an existing possibility

Which phrase indicates a probability of something happening?

Answer: probability


So we've now been looking at harmless bacteria, so - and we've been using that as a model system. So there's, I think, two major interests. One is a biological one, a microbiological one, is understanding bacteria better. And so it turns out there's also a number of pathogens that wear these coats, and so we would really like to look at what they look like and how they're able to interact with the host. And another interest is that because they are these highly ordered structures - and really the proteins, they assemble themselves, and that's a property that material sciences are interested in. So it's those -both those aspects that are interesting.

If the bacteria have this chainmail that surrounds them, how do nutrients and things get in and out of them?

So it - there you can really compare it like a chainmail. A chainmail is also not just like the armor that we probably know. It is little rings sitting next to each other, and they have holes. The nutrients get across those holes.

And does - do - does the chainmail look the same on all different kinds of bacteria, or are there distinctive patterns on some?Could you say, oh, I recognize that one?

turn 2 :  "So it - there you can really compare it like a chainmail.A chainmail is also not just like the armor that we probably know.It is little rings sitting next to each other, and they have holes.The nutrients get across those holes." - The actual meaning is that the chainmail-like structure of the bacteria's protein coats allows nutrients to pass through, not that the bacteria are literally wearing chainmail armor.

Which structure allows nutrients to pass through the bacteria's protein coats?

Answer: Holes


Well, we have very large ones - gorillas are our largest - all the way down to Cotton-top Tamarins, which are probably about a pound.

You've been there for quite a few hours already. How's the day going so far?

My morning has been fairly busy. I went down to our gorilla area. We have a gorilla that has some teeth issues, and we were brushing her teeth. We did a dental rinse on her and getting them ready to go out in their habitat for the day. And I went early this morning to our Mandrill building and was checking the exhibit. We're doing some rehab work and mandrills went out for the first time in several months.

Mandrills is a type of animal?

turn 0 : The speaker is referring to different sizes of primates.

How would you describe the range of primates discussed in turn 0?

Answer: Different


These Special Forces and SEAL veterans, Navy SEAL veterans - they deployed on a mission to kill the leader of the Aden branch of Al-Islah. And Al-Islah, as I write, is a very important political party in Yemen. It's an Islamist party, but it's not viewed in the wider world as a terrorist group. Nonetheless, the UAE, as we write, hired this company to kill this local political leader, this Islamist leader.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are leading the war in Yemen against rebels in Yemen, and they have U. S.  support. Now, you suggest in the story that somebody in this group was a member of the active military, don't you?

A reservist - he was a reservist, and he was a SEAL reservist. He was at that level of command, one of the nation's best, most highly trained. And he was still - you know, technically, he had a top-secret clearance, sources told us, even when he was doing this very strange, unique, unprecedented mission, as far as we know.

I guess I'm among those Americans who just assume that that had to be illegal, that U. S.  citizens couldn't do that.

turn 3 : Assassinating the Aden branch leader of Al-Islah may have been illegal

How was the Aden branch leader of Al-Islah removed?

Answer: Crowding


That is against the law.

This is a BuzzFeed story, not an NPR story. It hasn't been reflected in our reporting. We can't vouch for it. Is this an anecdote or a trend?

Right. Is this an anomaly?It's the real key. I believe this is potentially a trend. Are they the only ones who've done this?Are there other countries who try it?

Are there other Americans other than the ones that you've believed you've uncovered?

And are there other Americans - right.

turn 1 : BuzzFeed is unreliable and their story cannot be trusted.

Which news outlet is being criticized in the dialogue?

Answer: BuzzFeed


It's going to be tough to do that tonight if there's a clear trend early, and there's a reason why, it's the Internet. Everyone's going to be look at the Internet. The Internet's going to be full of all kinds of numbers, exit polls, there are going to be all sorts of people predicting one way or another.

And the cable operators, the cable television news operations, CNN, Fox, MSNBC are going to in a tremendous competition to see which one of them can call it first, and that's going to pull the broadcasters over. So I don't think people in California can expect that the East Coast will not be talking about a winner, if there is a clear winner, before the polls close in California. Now, that isn't necessarily a good thing, I'm not trying to put a. . .

Right.

Put a happy face on it, it does make people in California feel angry to hear the race declared over hours before the polls close in that state. But because it's going to be on the Internet just about every where, and I suspect we'll start seeing it on cable television, it's going to be hard for the networks to resist the temptation to do the same.

turn 3 : This make sure anger for every violence people get some illegal activities

What emotion might people in California feel if a clear winner is declared before the polls close in that state?

Answer: angry


Well, this is where this gets controversial, is that about half the attorneys general in the United States say they will not feel nearly enough pain. Forbes magazine puts their wealth at around $13 billion, and a lot of that money will not be touched by this deal. There's also no admission of wrongdoing here, David. And that angers a lot of people. And remember, the Sackler family, we've seen over the last year, they really - members of the family played a very forward role in bringing OxyContin, but also other opioid medications, into the mainstream. Two hundred and eighteen thousand Americans have died from this prescription opioid epidemic alone. And so the fact that they're not feeling more personal sting here, that's controversial.

Well, and you mentioned a lot of attorneys general are not satisfied with this result. I mean, does that mean they could really keep this going, this could mean that this is not over at all for the Sacklers?

Yeah. So New York Attorney General Letitia James announced, just on Friday, that the Sackler family had wired about a billion dollars to offshore accounts. She talks about Swiss bank accounts. So they're looking for that money, and they say they'll keep piling suits directly to family members.

Well, and we're talking about Purdue Pharma. They actually didn't - I mean, a fairly small producer of opioids, right?There are other drugmakers out there, distributors, pharmacies. Does this bankruptcy impact all of them in some way?

turn 2 : 'They'll keep piling suits directly to family members' would be written in the literal sense as 'plaintiffs will file several lawsuits against family members directly'

What action will be taken against family members directly?

Answer: Treasury


The census is required by the Constitution and federal law. There's really no wiggle room here. Trump did sign this executive order directing all agencies to provide the Commerce Department with U. S.  citizenship and noncitizenship data of everyone living in the U. S. The thing is, though, that that data collection was already under way, or at least some of it was. So it's not clear what this executive order is really achieving.

House voted to limit the president's authority to use the military to strike Iran. What's the significance of that vote?

So this defense bill was really aimed at reining in the president's power to use military force against Iran without approval from Congress. This has been an issue not only with this president, but, obviously, with prior administrations - the question of when a president must get permission to take military action. And Democrats in the House are trying to take some of that authority back and give it back to Congress. Obviously, Trump was on his - very close to striking Iran, according to him, a few weeks ago.

But although the bill passed the House, it did so along party lines, and it's going to have a much harder time in the Senate. You're likely going to see some compromise have to be made for this bill to become law.

turn 0 : The executive order signed by Trump may not be accomplishing anything new.

Answer: Executive


So, you're skeptical about a car czar. You think that there should be loans, though, with strict provisions attached to them.

Right, right.

What else?What else needs to be done?I mean, this is a massive, massive problem, and two of the three are facing extinction at this point.

Don't forget, what's putting them in this condition is the economic, you know, the economic condition of the nation right now. But the kind of fixed-cost structure that these auto companies have is massive, massive losses that have to do with what's happening to demand.

turn 0 : None of the turns in this conversation have a figurative or non-literal meaning.

Which turn in the conversation implies that there are no figurative or non-literal meanings?

Answer: Turn0


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 should not be shared with others

What is the phrase that PersonB uses to describe Joe Torre's autobiography?

Answer: Autobiography


Not a bad thing. Oh, yes. But my favorite apple that's in the book - that's mentioned in the book - is called the Pitmaston Pineapple. And it tastes of nuts and honey, but it also has a kind of pineapple finish - faint taste of pineapple at the end. And - but I love them so much that I have planted my own Pitmaston Pineapple tree. And in a couple years, I'm really hoping it bears fruit.

Tracy Chevalier's new novel is "At The Edge Of The Orchard. "

Tracy Chevalier, it's good to talk to you. Thanks so much.

Thank you.

turn 1 : The narrator has a strong appreciation for the Pitmaston Pineapple, as they have made the effort to plant their own tree to experience the taste of it.

Which type of fruit does the narrator mention planting a tree for?

Answer: apple


A lot of people are very skeptical of the talks. The government, before even going to Geneva, voiced their concern that they're not going to Geneva to negotiate or deal. They just wanted to go to Geneva to make sure that the Houthis will comply when the U. N.  see a resolution. So to begin with, the political parties were in Geneva not to talk, not for dialogue, not to negotiate. They were there for blinking contests.

And what's the mood there in the capital?

A lot of people are depressed 'cause pretty much everybody was hoping that there's going to be some sort of a truce, especially now that it's the month of Ramadan. It is the holy month for four weeks where people fast. People - they don't actually have food to begin with. But it's a religious month where people fast, so we were hoping for some sort of a cease-fire, some sort of a truce where the blockade will be lifted so that the aid will come in, so that the commercial vessels now stuck at the seaports will be allowed to move in. Yemen imports 90 percent of its food, so we're in dire need of those commercial vessels to be allowed into the country. Unfortunately, the Geneva talks ended without the lifting of the blockade, without a truce being agreed upon.

We should explain to our listeners that blockade has been led by Saudi naval forces to keep weapons out of the hands of rebels. You have said that you're both anti-Houthi and anti-airstrikes. How do you solve one problem without the other?

turn 2 : "fast" - The word "fast" is being used in a religious context to mean abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours as an act of devotion. It is not being used to describe moving quickly.

What does the word "fast" mean in this context?

Answer: Abstaining


. . . You are from this area - born in D. C. , raised in Maryland and Virginia - the DMV, as we like to say. So what's it like to be back home now that you're blowing up like this?Can you go to, like, the CVS if you want to without being recognized?

Yeah. I definitely can go to the CVS. You know, sometimes people recognize me, sometimes they don't. But it's a beautiful feeling, and I just can't wait to move back eventually.

How did you start singing or how did you realize you could sing?

I don't know. I just was always singing. I didn't know if it was good or not, but my grandma, she told me that I sounded like an angel. And that maybe - perhaps that kept me going. I mean, I always wanted a solo at the church, and they didn't ever give it to me. But eventually they did, and I froze. But then I killed it. And I just feel like that kind of just followed me all throughout my life.

turn 0 : The phrase "blowing up like this" does not literally mean that the speaker is exploding, but rather that they are becoming popular and gaining fame

What does the phrase "blowing up like this" mean?

Answer: Popularity