No, I think this will be about fact. That's why I added a number of authors and historians to this commission. When these monuments were erected, they were to celebrate but also, I think, to intimidate individuals, as well. They were there to continue to convey what I think is, you know, alternative facts and history. At the end of the day, these individuals defended a time and a purpose that would probably have me and my ancestors in bondage. And that should not go untold.

Some, though, would say this is a cop-out. New Orleans has torn down a number of its Confederate monuments. The city of Charlottesville, Va. , voted to sell its statue of Robert E.  Lee. Why not remove these statues?

Well, first I will say that our monuments commission will obviously listen to all sides. They'll listen to those who think that we may be trying to rewrite history. We're going to listen to people who think that we should remove the monuments. My charge to the commission is to tell the whole truth. For some, this was the third rail in Richmond politics - that you can never touch Monument Avenue. And I think that right now this is an opportunity for us and a responsibility for us to write the next new chapter for the city of Richmond.

Levar Stoney, the Democratic mayor of Richmond, Va.  We've been checking in with him throughout his first year in office. And we will be doing so as the year rolls on. Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you, Lulu.

turn 2 : The monuments commission will listen to all sides and tell the whole truth.

How will the monuments commission approach the issue of the statues?

Answer: Listen


As the 2018 NFL season begins, professional football is still the most popular spectator sport in America. But it's declined 10 percent in viewership last year and is beset with tough questions about how the game destroys players while it earns billions of dollars and a continuing controversy over players demonstrating their social and political concerns during the national anthem. A sport once considered a source of national unity now inspires divisions.

Mark Leibovich, The New York Times Magazine correspondent who got the goods on official Washington, D. C. , in his bestselling "This Town," has turned his attention to the National Football League - his new book, "Big Game: The NFL In Dangerous Times. "He's in our studios. Mark, thanks so much for being with us.

Good to be here, Scott.

I have to ask you a hard news question first. An arbitrator ruled this week Colin Kaepernick's grievance against NFL owners could go to trial. He says NFL owners have been colluding to keep him out of the game. Does this case have what I'll call Mueller-like potential?

turn 0 : Professional football's viewership has declined and the game is controversial, despite its ongoing popularity in America.

How has professional football been affected despite its popularity in America?

Answer: Declined


The United Nations, in a new report, paints a picture of just how violent Venezuela has become. The U. N.  human rights chief says security forces have killed nearly 7,000 people over the past year and a half. She says, quote, "a shockingly high number of these were extrajudicial killings at the hands of what interviewees called death squads. "All as President Nicolas Maduro has vowed to stay in power.

NPR's Philip Reeves joins us now with more on that report. Philip, can you give us a little more detail on what the U. N.  team found in Venezuela?

Yeah. This takes a very broad look at the crisis in Venezuela over the last year up to this May. But a couple of things really leap out at you. One is the treatment of men and women in detention. The report says people are frequently arbitrarily detained and cites evidence of a variety of forms of torture - routinely used, it says - against prisoners by the intelligence or security services, others a form of punishment or to get them to talk. And that includes electric shocks, suffocation by plastic bags, waterboarding and sexual violence.

And the other striking section concerns those extrajudicial killings you mentioned. The Maduro government says, since the beginning of last year, some 7,000 people were killed in security operations, as you mentioned. And it says this was for resisting authority, as it puts it. But the U. N.  rights team believes many of these may be extrajudicial killings.

turn 0 : The situation in Venezuela is very violent and dangerous.

Which country is being discussed in the dialogue?

Answer: Venezuela


One of the things that struck me is some of the comments by some of the women. They don't necessarily see themselves as beautiful. They did not see in themselves the thing that you saw in them. Did you find that to be common?I'm thinking in particular of the sisters from Switzerland with the red hair who said they'd been made fun of as children because of the color of their hair. And you were drawn to them.

During the project, I did realize that women that I photographed were not confident in their way of being. So whenever I posted their picture on my social media, we got a lot of comments and positive reaction from the people. So the women that I photographed, after that, they realized how beautiful they are. That was extraordinary for them and for me because it gives them confidence.

How did this project change you?

I'm much more confident. I'm much more respectful of what the other women in the world have to go through every day because the life is so difficult in so many parts of the world. And this project was a huge gift in my life. And this is why I'm trying to put it out there in the world for people to understand that the world is extremely beautiful. And we should really appreciate everything that's happening in our life.

turn 1 : Posting their pictures on social media helped the women gain confidence

Which social media platform did the photographer use to post the women's pictures?

Answer: Social


Oh wow, so that's what is actually creating that plaque?

Right, so if you can knock out its activity without - of course that's the other question is, what's the downside of it?These are the things we don't know and will take years of testing. But that would be a truly extraordinary way of being able to prevent heart disease.

But you know what?It's never going to be that you have to - that you can't take care of yourself, and you rely on a vaccine or take a medicine. There's always going to be, you know, some interplay between these things.

Thank you, Dr.  Topol, for joining us today.

turn 2 : The statement implies that vaccine and medicine goes together in prevent heart disease.

How are vaccine and medicine interplayed in preventing heart disease?

Answer: Interplay.


Only 34 percent of the voters went to the polls this week. Isn't that usually the kind of election in which a well-financed campaign with a good ground campaign is supposed to win?

That's the way it's been rigged for years. For years, the reason Chicago had a municipal election - not a primary - and put it in February when people were too frozen to leave their homes was to guarantee the installation - or reinstallation - of the incumbent. So this goes against all of that conventional wisdom.

Still, Mayor Emanuel just has to get another five percent of the vote. Does this runoff on April 7 look like a real election now?

Yes, it does. And the reason it does is that it's not the only activity and sort of fire burning in the city. We have a record number of runoffs. As you know, we have 50 aldermen. Nineteen of them didn't make it directly into a victory. They are going to runoffs, and they are the insurgents. They are the so-called progressives. They're the people that Emanuel's forces formed a PAC to try to reduce the numbers of. And so there's a lot of activity in wards, and it all speaks to this overall issue of voter discontent.

turn 1 : (2) A: "That's the way it's been rigged for years." - The actual meaning is that the system has been intentionally manipulated or controlled in favor of certain individuals or groups for a long time, rather than simply describing a physical or mechanical rigging.

How has the election system been intentionally manipulated for years?

Answer: Manipulated


So when we think of plays like "Romeo And Juliet," quite often they mention - well, in particular "Romeo And Juliet" - it mentions nightingales and particularly larks. And indeed would make the sound of a lark. So found - in any other context you could just say, oh, it's a (unintelligible). But found in this context, there's a possibility that it was used, as you say, as a special effect during performance.

Oh, my word. What else have you found that'd we'd enjoy hearing about?

We're just starting to find things that may have been used by actors or the audience - things like clay pipes or hair combs and the old coin.

turn 3 : "What will become of the Curtain when you're done?" - This question is not about the physical fate of the curtain, but rather about the future of the theater itself. The Curtain was the name of a famous theater in Shakespeare's time, so the question is really asking what will happen to the theater once the research project is completed.

How is the question in turn 3 related to the research project? (Answer: Theater)

Answer: Theater


One thing in the filing that might undercut that is a detail where she had booked a hotel room with the company card in Washington, D. C. , for an event. She changed her travel plans so that she was no longer coming for the entire time. And one of the nights in the hotel room that she had booked, Duncan Hunter went and had a tryst with one of the individuals that he was having an affair with in the hotel room that she had booked. So her knowledge about all the spending that was being done doesn't necessarily add up with what his theory is for the defense.

What's next in this trial?And in the meantime, is there any sign that Duncan Hunter would consider resigning?

He has not shown any interest in resigning. We haven't seen that. Right now it's on pace to go to trial in September. It's possible there will be a plea deal before then. It's not looking great for Hunter. But that being said, there's very little chance that any plea deal would not involve any jail time, so of course he would have to resign. He won reelection last year and seems very much focused on getting past this, so we will find out.

That's KPBS reporter Max Rivlin-Nadler reporting from San Diego. Thank you.

turn 0 : The woman who booked a hotel room with the company card did not know about the affair, which contradicts Hunter's defense theory.

How does the woman's hotel booking contradict Hunter's defense theory?

Answer: Contradicts


Aw. We mentioned that you worked for President George W.  Bush, who advised John McCain. In your circle of friends, people there at the Hoover Institution - without violating any any confidences - your friends and colleagues - is your opinion widely held or are people who ordinarily would support the Republican candidate talking about voting for Hillary Clinton?

I think this is a real time of crisis for Republicans. It's hard for many of my friends to think about supporting Donald Trump. And it's very hard for many of my friends to think about supporting Hillary Clinton. In fact, I would have indulged the luxury of writing in one of my terrific nephews for president if I hadn't seen that the polls during the British referendum were off by 12 points. And my concern that (inaudible) be accurate, and everybody's vote's actually going to count this election.

Kori Schake is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. She joined us by Skype. Thanks very much.

You're welcome.

turn 1 : Many of my friends are in a difficult position deciding whether to vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.

What is the current dilemma of many of PersonA's friends regarding the presidential candidates?

Answer: Dilemma


Well, it has been a conversation where I think the most important point in the conversation is to get the average Californian to understand that this fiscal crisis is different. And so interacting with people number one, to inform them about the crisis, to talk to them about the impact of cutting education and cutting healthcare, what that means to their daily lives. For example, 800,000 children might have to go without health insurance. Thirty thousand teachers might be laid off unless we are able to close the gap in a way where we bring money to the table, we don't just try to close the gap through cutting programs. Then that's, you know, most important.

What about race relations?And I don't just mean, you know, do we all get along?I mean. . .

We don't.

I mean the long term ability of California to synthesize its role as the biggest diverse state in America and set a path that is hopeful for other parts of the country.

turn 1 : Race relations are a critical issue in California

How would you describe the main focus of PersonB's question?

Answer: Race.


Well - and now they'll get $25 million, right?

I guess.

NPR's Ina Jaffe, thanks so much for being with us.

You're welcome.

turn 2 : The actual meaning of turn 3 is "Thank you for joining us and providing information on the topic."

Which turn expresses gratitude towards the speaker for providing information on the topic?

Answer: Turn2


Now, there are a handful of things we know about the narrator of your book, Alice Hare. She's a philosophy graduate. She's adopted. She has complicated relationships with her adoptive and her birth relations. And she is obsessed with a slightly older woman, a Japanese writer called Mizuko Himura. So could you sort of pick it up from there?

I think you're totally right in saying that she is completely obsessed with this older woman. And I think part of the reason why that happens is because her own story is very dim. And in place of any sort of certainty about who she is or where she comes from or what her own origin story might be, she starts to fixate on this woman who, for her, is this mixture of some parallels that she perceives between them, but equally quite a lot, I think, of wishful thinking and this sort of imaginary bond she assumes them to share.

Now, Alice's relationship to Mizuko in real life is a creation, right?I mean, she's done all this research. She's googled all over the place.

(Laughter).

turn 1 : implies that Alice's own story is uncertain and she is looking for a connection that she wishes to share with Mizuko.

Answer: Obsession


Exactly.

OK.  Go on. So after two weeks, what happens?

Well, she defies the ban. And as she was docking in the port, the ship rammed a small police boat that was blocking her - caused some damage, but no injuries. But she was arrested, and she was charged with what prosecutors actually claim was an act of war. Rackete also faces charge of abetting illegal immigration, and the NGO could face a fine of up to $57,000.

What does she say - the captain?Does she say, I was just - I needed to dock the ship?

turn 1 : "Go on" implies to proceed talking, to elaborate on the topic being spoken of

Which word implies to proceed talking and to elaborate on the topic being spoken of?

Answer: Go


Well, it has been a conversation where I think the most important point in the conversation is to get the average Californian to understand that this fiscal crisis is different. And so interacting with people number one, to inform them about the crisis, to talk to them about the impact of cutting education and cutting healthcare, what that means to their daily lives. For example, 800,000 children might have to go without health insurance. Thirty thousand teachers might be laid off unless we are able to close the gap in a way where we bring money to the table, we don't just try to close the gap through cutting programs. Then that's, you know, most important.

What about race relations?And I don't just mean, you know, do we all get along?I mean. . .

We don't.

I mean the long term ability of California to synthesize its role as the biggest diverse state in America and set a path that is hopeful for other parts of the country.

What is a major concern for the long-term ability of California?

Answer: Race.


Dina, if this is ISIS, which it seems to be, this seems a real departure for a group - a large-scale terrorist attack against an international target. They've never done that before.

Right, I mean, when ISIS first began to rise, one of the things that counterterrorism officials were really worried about was that ISIS and al-Qaida would begin to compete for the world's attention and they would do that with spectacular attacks against the West. For months, U. S.  counterterrorism officials have said that al-Qaida was the biggest threat against the United States. I think that changed last night. Everyone I was talking to was convinced that the sophistication of the attacks that Eleanor was talking about - suicide belts, explosions, simultaneous targets - and the similarity to Mumbai clearly pointed to an al-Qaida-linked group. They didn't think ISIS had the organizational ability to pull off something like this. And now it seems they clearly do. And President Obama said yesterday that the ISIS threat was contained. This makes it seem that perhaps it isn't.

And I guess we should remind ourselves, just a few days ago ISIS was also linked to the downing of a Russian airliner near Sharm el-Sheikh.

Exactly. I mean, officials said they're 99. 9 percent sure that ISIS managed to put a bomb on that plane. U. S.  officials haven't been allowed to analyze the forensic evidence on the ground there. But they did have a satellite image of the plane that suggested, from the photograph of the image, a military-grade explosive brought it down. So again, that suggests things have really changed here.

Do you know where the investigation goes from here?

turn 0 : "a real departure" - this phrase means that something is different from what is expected or what has been done before, rather than referring to a physical departure or leaving.

Which phrase in turn 0 describes something that is different from what is expected or what has been done before?

Answer: Real-departure


Is there any such thing as truly pure water from any source, bottled or tap?

Well, it's called distilled water, sure. It ends up actually not tasting very good. It's funny actually - for Aquafina and Dasani and actually the major bottled water brands, that's actually tap water that is passed through very fine filters. It's called reverse osmosis. And then the water actually is too clean to taste good. So, in the industry they call it pixie dust - they put some minerals actually back into the water to improve the taste.

So, clean water tastes bad.

Well, I mean, what's clean water, right?I mean, the water that we have out of our tap is clean. The water that we have out of bottled water is clean, right?The question is do you want water that has no contaminants in it all, which would be distilled, or water that's safe to drink?And the fact is we could certainly treat water if we wanted to, to the point where there's nothing in it, but we wouldn't be willing to pay the cost.

turn 2 : (3) "So, clean water tastes bad." The speaker is not suggesting that clean water always tastes bad, but rather making a statement based on the previous speaker's explanation that excessively purified water (i.e. distilled water) can have a less appealing taste. The implied meaning is that excessively purified water can have a less appealing taste, not that all clean water tastes bad.

What is the PersonA's response to the idea that excessively purified water can have a less appealing taste?

Answer: Ingenuity


No. But what about the misinformation campaign that we keep discovering more about, hacking, what seems to be just a lot of Russian involvement on a lot of different fronts?Why - what is the Russian interest in causing unrest or consternation in the United States or Western Europe?

Well, actually, I think that causing unrest and consternation is an end in itself. And part of it - part of the goa; is psychological. You know, all of us are interested in seeing our worldviews affirmed. And Russia's worldview - the Russian - the contemporary Russian ideology is that the whole world is rotten. Everybody is corrupt. Everything is for sale. Elections and the United States are just as rigged as they are in Russia. And so sowing the kind of disruption that Russia is sowing first and foremost pursues the goal of affirming that view.

Much of your book is devoted to the stories of four Russians who'd hoped that when the Soviet Union came undone, free speech and democracy would take hold. What happened instead?

Well, actually, those four Russians were much too young to hope for anything when the Soviet Union collapsed. They were preschoolers or kindergarteners when the Soviet Union collapsed. But what happened - and I was interested in them because they came of age - you know, they - or they became human beings in the 1990s, a period that is variously portrayed as a flowering of democracy or as a period of chaos and, you know, robber barons and that sort of thing.

turn 1 :  (2) the implied meaning of "sowing disruption" is that Russia is attempting to spread confusion and uncertainty

What is the primary goal of sowing disruption according to A?

Answer: Psychological


I mean there's no logic to what he does. There's no way to anticipate what he's going to do. Often, what he ends up doing defies logic, defies everybody's expectations, defies explanation.

When you hear this from people who've been around the president, is there a but anywhere?Do they say, I love this man, but?

There used to be. Remember - so I've done - this is my second book. This is effectively a sequel. I've spent the last three years pretty much non-stop talking about Donald Trump. And there used to be buts. There are no buts now. I might make a reservation for some of the most sycophantic people around him. But even they, if you push them a little, get to the vile and ludicrous pretty quickly.

I'm thinking of a description attributed to a former senior White House official, Steve Bannon, describing the president the United States and the president of Russia, Putin and Trump, quote, "two narcissistic, cult leader-type presidents. Both had populist talents, yet both were ultimately out for their own benefit. "And then a key line here, I think - of the two, Putin was the far cleverer one. It sounds like even Steve Bannon, who did so much to promote the president's career, doesn't seem to think he's very bright.

turn 2 : Even the most sycophantic people around the president think he's vile and ludicrous.

What do even the most sycophantic people around the president think of him?

Answer: Vile


Nick Vlahos, the Peoria Journal Star columnist, points out that in 2015, ConAgra Foods moved its headquarters from Omaha to Chicago. He thinks many executives of what's become a world agricultural industry jet around the globe and just want to live somewhere else, he wrote this week. How are you going to keep them down on the farm after they've seen Kuala Lumpur?

Caterpillar will continue to employ about 12,000 people in Peoria, although Nick Vlahos asks, after all the happy horse pucks the company has propagated about its commitment to Peoria, does anybody believe that?But 300 people, executives and support staff will leave town. In one stroke, Peoria will lose many of the people who help enrich a city's institutions.

I hope Caterpillar's executives will enjoy Chicago's many museums, theaters, symphonies, ballets, sports teams and restaurants in all of the flavors of the world. But who will now buy box seats to cheer the Peoria Chiefs or support the Peoria Symphony - now in the middle of its season - the Peoria Children's Museum, the Corn Stalk Summer Theatre, the Peoria Zoo, the Players Theater - now performing "Into The Woods" - and the Peoria Riverfront Museum and its huge glass tank filled with silvery striper, trout, walleye and channel catfish from the Illinois River?

(Singing) Yes, I'm proud to live in Peoria.

turn 1 : is implying that Caterpillar's commitment to Peoria may not be as strong as they suggested;

How does Nick Vlahos question Caterpillar's commitment to Peoria?

Answer: Commitment


Now, what about the bloggers who are, you know, in our camp. What story are they hitting?

Well, in the Democratic side, among bloggers, the Web site Blogpolls, which measure these trends, posted about Hillary Clinton outnumbered blog post about Barack Obama, leading up to last weekend, South Carolina primary. And interestingly, on January 24th, two days before the voting started in South Carolina, posts about Bill Clinton spiked and they equal the numbers of posts about Barack Obama. But after he won in South Carolina, post about Obama spiked and he's been the most blogged about candidate ever since. Now, on the Republican side, John McCain has been and is the most blogged about candidate.

What about on News and Views, our own blog?

Well, lot of issues people are talking about. They run the spectrum. They're talking about Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's text message scandal, suggesting an affair with his female chief of staff, which could lead to perjury charges. We called it textual healing on our blog.

turn 3 : The literal meaning of this turn is that the bloggers on News and Views referred to the scandal involving the Detroit mayor's text messages as "textual healing." However, the implied meaning is that the bloggers are using a humorous or ironic phrase to refer to a serious and potentially damaging scandal. The phrase "textual healing" is a play on words on the song "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye and suggests that the scandal is being trivialized or made light of.

How did the bloggers refer to the scandal involving the Detroit mayor's text messages?

Answer: Textual


Yeah. This is, again, completely innovative. You know, part of the problem that we have with tall buildings is building them all out of glass and then having to go to gymnastics to kind of cover them up on the outside, and we see that in America. But in intense solar environments like the desert, it makes even less sense.

This is an innovative way to control this. It actually, to my knowledge, for the first time creates this skin on the outside made up of, you know, hundreds of modules, which can open and close by computer control, depending on the angle of incident sun. So if the sun's on the other side of the building, the modules open up and allow natural daylight into the space. And if the sun is incident on the building, then those modules close up and block the sun from entering.

Is what makes a tall building great the ability to actually look like it fits in with the rest of the buildings in the neighborhood or the culture of the people?

I believe so. That's - you know, as a professor, that's the thing that I advocate. I believe that a Chinese tall building or a, you know, an American tall building or a Middle Eastern tall building should be different to each other in the same way that, you know, religious and other architecture is clearly identifiable.

turn 1 : "creates this skin on the outside" - This is a metaphorical expression that refers to the outer facade or surface of the building, rather than a literal skin.

Answer: Modules


This is Day to Day from NPR News. I'm Alex Cohen. Today, federal marshals continued their search for a 38-year-old man from Indiana. They believe Marcus Schrenker faked a distress call while flying his single engine plane over Alabama shortly before he parachuted out of it. The plane later crashed in a swamp 200 miles away in Florida.

Schrenker is an investment manager, and it appears he was in some financial difficulty. With more now, we're joined by business reporter Jeff Swiatek, who joins us from the newsroom of the Indianapolis Star. Jeff, welcome to the program. And could you tell us why federal marshals are assuming this distress call was fake?

Well, I guess all the evidence seems to point that way. His distress call mentioned an imploded windscreen on his airplane. When they scrambled some military jets to check out the plane, the windshield was still intact, and the wreckage on the ground also indicates the windshield is intact.

So Schrenker parachutes out of this plane. Do they know where he went after that?

turn 2 : Schrenker's distress call was fabricated and he left the plane intentionally

What did Schrenker fake during his distress call?

Answer: Windscreen


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

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

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

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

turn 0 : on and off means in this context that they are doing something then not doing something

Which term describes the AMPersonA's past stance on abortion?

Answer: Illegal


So they set up a system of community courts - without lawyers - to sort of repurpose a system that really had only been used for small claims mitigation in traditional Rwanda, called gacaca, and have open, communal - what we might call a town hall - format for trials. And then the idea was to hold people accountable and have a system of punishment. And this system banked very heavily on encouraging confession and rewarding it. But the confessions were supposed to be also verified by the community.

And what was the specific role of the victims or their surviving family members?They had to be there. And then, after verifying a certain account, were they expected to then make a public state of forgiveness or reconciliation?

They weren't necessarily in a position to verify. Many of them knew that so-and-so was always said to have killed their family members. But they weren't direct witnesses because, by virtue of their survival, that usually meant that they were either somewhere else or well-hidden or had escaped or. . .

Not present, yeah.

turn 2 : Survivors of the genocide did not have direct knowledge of the crimes committed against their family members.

What did survivors lack about the crimes committed against their family members?

Answer: Direct


He had a very utopian view of how computers would change work, but he had also a kind of warning. He had a very utopian view of how computers would change work, but he had also a kind of warning.

That's computer scientist Eugene Fiume of Simon Fraser University. That's computer scientist Eugene Fiume of Simon Fraser University. Fiume says that despite his concern about the need for rapid re-education, Asimov was an optimist in his predictions. Fiume says that despite his concern about the need for rapid re-education, Asimov was an optimist in his predictions.

What he predicted was that computers themselves would allow people to become researchers and scientists and artists - this idea of replacing that low-level intellectual work and allowing people to improve themselves by looking at higher level intellectual work. What he predicted was that computers themselves would allow people to become researchers and scientists and artists - this idea of replacing that low-level intellectual work and allowing people to improve themselves by looking at higher level intellectual work.

It's hard to say how many laid-off factory workers have moved on to pick up paintbrushes, but Fiume says that Asimov's 1983 essay envisions how, left to their own devices. . . It's hard to say how many laid-off factory workers have moved on to pick up paintbrushes, but Fiume says that Asimov's 1983 essay envisions how, left to their own devices. . .

turn 1 : Asimov was optimistic in his predictions despite his concerns.

What was Asimov's view on the impact of computers on intellectual work?

Answer: Optimist


The numbers you've tossed around show you how expensive. People have been able to do experiments. They've found all kinds of really interesting possibly valuable properties, but nothing, no industry is really going to start until they can make enough of this stuff cheaply to use it.

Until now, most of the ways of making it started with this first step: Get some really pure, really expensive chemicals that you're going to mix in and do the next stuff. Huge expense. What Jim Tour down in Houston discovered and showed is that anything that's got carbon in it you can turn into graphene.

And to demonstrate that he meant anything, he did it with Girl Scout cookies. He turned those into graphene. He did it with chocolate. He got some chocolate half-dollar coins. He did it with dog feces from a miniature Dachshund, and he did it with a cockroach leg. And essentially he just got a really big oven, heated it up to about 1,000 degrees C and filled that oven with a little bit of this stuff, the cockroach or the dog feces, whatever, and a sheet of pure copper and a little bit of gas, left it for about 20 minutes, and viola, he'd made little bits of really high-quality graphene.

Wow.

turn 0 : Numbers tossed around implies that they did some calculations for the cost

What was the first step in making graphene according to PersonA in turn 1?

Answer: Pure


Well, we don't have a clear answer on that. That's not something that either side is answering in black and white. But the unusual nature of this information sharing certainly raises that question again with Manafort. And Manafort of course does face the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison with the conviction in Virginia and then the plea deal in Washington. And the president certainly didn't do anything this week to try to head off talk of a possible pardon.

No, he - in fact, he said that's still on the table. Why should I take it off the table, right?

Exactly. exactly.

And a March 5 sentencing date for Paul Manafort, right?

turn 0 : "raises that question again with Manafort" - The literal meaning is that the unusual nature of information sharing raises a question about Manafort. The actual meaning could be that the information sharing suggests Manafort may have information about the president that could lead to a pardon.

How does the unusual nature of information sharing raise a question about Manafort?

Answer: Pardon


The administration position, as I alluded to, is that the number of migrant children apprehended crossing the border without a parent or guardian is at all-time record highs, that this is an emergency situation and that they're having to process so many children that they are out of money for everything which is not - and I'll quote - "directly necessary for the protection of life and safety. "What is your response?

Well, I'd argue that legal counsel is often an issue of life and safety for these children. They have fled horrific, violent conditions in their home countries. And an order of deportation without the opportunity of due process could mean a threat to their life and safety. When we're talking about the numbers of children coming in here, while the numbers may be higher, they're not that substantially higher than they were in 2014. And we were able to continue and actually expand services.

In your view, is this move legal?I mean, is the U. S.  obligated by law to provide these services for unaccompanied minors in federal shelters here?

Absolutely. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act mandates that children be provided with Know-Your-Rights presentations and legal screenings when they are in the custody of ORR.

turn 0 : The number of migrant children crossing the border is a crisis, and they are out of funds for non-essential expenses.

Which act mandates that children be provided with Know-Your-Rights presentations and legal screenings when they are in the custody of ORR?

Answer: Trafficking


So I've started shifting to doing a lot more interviews, which I love, and just stories about the major cases that are happening at the Supreme Court right now or that they're going to hear. And that's kind of what the other kids who've joined the blog have been doing as well. And I'm so psyched to have them on. I have five other teenagers who are all just so smart and passionate about the Court. It's been very cool to make friends who are my age who have the same kind of fanaticism that I do.

Why should young people be interested in the Supreme Court?I mean, what's your pitch to them?

High schoolers should care because the Supreme Court is enormously influential in our society. It makes decisions that affect where we can live, what rights we have when we're arrested, who we can marry, how much power a president has and so many other things, I couldn't list them on here. It really matters, so I think that high schoolers should get in the habit of paying attention, just as they might keep up with President Trump's tweets or a contentious Senate debate because it'll serve them well to be civically engaged and to know their rights.

And when you tell that to them, do they listen?

turn 0 : The person is happy, engaged, and hopeful by having teenagers on the blog.

Which emotion is being conveyed by the person in turn 0?

Answer: Incorporating


So I think that the Barack Obama, of course, then has a political legitimacy that neither of those gentlemen had because he's a United States senator elected to represent a district and serve a quarter of people. And yet, he's a charismatic figure as well, creating a sense of movement among the millions who now acclaim him as the best thing that happened to American politics since Jack Kennedy.

So Barack Obama has claimed the unique space within the context of American political destiny and has joined the charismatic authority that attends black messianic figures who become leaders in black America, as well as the quest for political legitimacy that transcends black communities. Because he's not just representing black people; he's representing white people and Latino people, and Asian people. He's representing Americans. And so he's taking it to yet another level in pioneering an even different path than the one blazed by Martin Luther King Jr.  or Jessie Jackson and, to a certain degree, Al Sharpton.

Well, Michael Eric Dyson, thank you.

Thank you very kindly, Farai.

turn 0 : "creating a sense of movement among the millions who now acclaim him as the best thing that happened to American politics since Jack Kennedy." - This implies that Barack Obama has generated a significant amount of enthusiasm and support from a large number of people, which goes beyond his role as a senator and his political legitimacy.

How did Barack Obama's charisma affect the people?

Answer: Enthusiasm


We should explain that money is not an issue. More than 80,000 people have donated to a fundraising campaign to support the Gard family. Why do you feel this case has drawn such, at this point, international attention?

I think it has sparked outrage because it gets down to the point of whose child is Charlie?Does Charlie belong to the state, or does Charlie belong to his parents?And if he belongs to his parents, then they should be given the right - and not the government, not the hospital, not the courts - to decide Charlie's fate because the moment they turn off the ventilator, he's going to die.

Would a life spent on a ventilator be worth living?

From the Christian perspective, yes because every single human life is valuable. His life has meaning. And if his parents want to increase and prolong and give him the best chance possible, the hospital has no right to step in the role of the parents to try to give their son the best chance possible.

turn 3 : The actual meaning, however, is emphasizing the importance of honoring the parents' decision and questioning the hospital's interference in the parents' role and their desire to provide Charlie with the best possible care and chance for survival.

Which role does the hospital interfere in?

Answer: Parents


Yeah. Yeah, I was. I got given "The Hobbit" to read on the set of "About A Boy," actually - by the directors, the Weitz brothers. So I read that then and really loved it, obviously. It's a magical world to disappear into. And then I was a fan of the films. They came out when - I think I was about 13, 14.

Exact age when this is the good stuff to be reading and watching.

Oh, I was prime, yeah, for that.

(Laughter).

turn 2 : I was prime, meaning I was the ideal age to appreciate and enjoy the book.

Answer: Prime


And how did this start?

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

How many stories do you typically get?

We run between 300 and 450 submissions in issue.

turn 1 : "Well, about 20 years ago, we were thinking about doing a literary magazine because at the time there weren't too many journals out there for new writers. There weren't many literary journals at all during that time. And so we stumbled upon an idea that we had started with one of our friends from college where he had given me a first line to start a story." - This turn has a literal meaning and it explains how the idea of the literary magazine was born and how they came up with the concept of exchanging first lines to create stories.

Which literary journal did they think of starting 20 years ago?

Answer: Story


It took a toll on my self-confidence, my decision making. I think he preyed on the fact that I was very naive. And so for me as being a powerful person, having gone and believed in myself and gotten to the "Today" show and had all of these people, producers, talent believing in me - and then he only seeing the physical side of me and only wanting that out of me. It shattered my confidence. So I couldn't focus on my job at all as I was trying to start my journalism career.

Since you went public with what happened, has anyone at NBC reached out to you?

I have not heard one peep from anyone in management at NBC. Of course, I have heard from several colleagues, staffers at the "Today" show who I knew and used to work with - Ann Curry, dear, dear friend of mine - but no one from management. Nobody has called to ask me questions about how it happened and what our communication for the last 17 years - how we've managed it.

Do you have confidence that NBC can really change its culture with that being true - what you just said - that they haven't even reached out to you?

turn 2 : The management at NBC did not reach out to the speaker despite their public testimony of harassment.

Which company's management did not reach out to the speaker after their public testimony of harassment?

Answer: NBC


Is this - does this - this explanation of how it works, does this offer you and other scientists an opportunity to study other materials or find out other ways things might work and become semiconductors?

Absolutely. I think the reason we were able to figure it out is because we have these very powerful probes like this very high-energy, very powerful X-ray source and these supercomputers where we were able to look at the atomic level of how the atoms are arranged and when they're arranged in a certain way why they exhibit this behavior.

And we can try and reproduce that in other materials and maybe even enhance it in design from the bottom up, new types of materials that have very strange properties.

And I think it's quite fascinating the tools that you use. One of the tools you used was an aerodynamic levitation furnace. It sounds like out of a science fiction movie.

turn 3 : It's a high level concept but it's exaggeration to say that it's fictional.

What was the tool used in the experiment?

Answer: Aerodynamic


Yeah. They say that he's the fastest pitcher there ever was. It's just he really couldn't find home plate. I mean, some of the stories you learn about this guy, it reads like fiction. When he was - I think this is around 1960. He's pitching in the minor leagues, and he pitched so fast he ripped the man's ear off.

Oh.

Yeah.

And Steve Dalkowski didn't make it to the Hall of Fame because. . .

turn 1 : The literal meaning of (2) is a simple expression of surprise, while the implied meaning is that the speaker is in awe of Steve Dalkowski's remarkable ability.

What is the PersonA's emotional state towards Steve Dalkowski's ability?

Answer: Awe


. . . Positions. What will you be looking for, Danielle?

You're right. They back a lot of the same policies - like "Medicare for All," a $15 minimum wage, that sort of thing. And so they have some basic, similar ideas on economics. They both talk about inequality a lot, for example. So one big thing I'm going to look for is just what, if any, daylight emerges between them on some of these really big issues. But aside from that, I'm going to be watching their rhetoric because they do talk about their ideas in different ways.

Elizabeth Warren, for example, tends to talk about how she likes capitalism, but she thinks it needs some major, major fixing. Bernie Sanders, of course, considers himself a democratic socialist, so that's one way they might clash. But aside from that, they tend to frame their ideas in different ways. Bernie Sanders frames his stump speech as being about big, overarching goals about revolution. He brings in these big national inequality statistics over time and says these things need to change. And his supporters love that. Now, Warren, on the other hand, has branded herself in a different way. You may have heard her slogan by now, the. . .

She has a plan.

turn 0 : to look for something in this context means they are trying to see if something will happen

Which verb describes what PersonA is going to do to see if there is any difference between the candidates' ideas on economics?

Answer: Watch


Well, we - it seemed that this is something that happened fairly recently. Dan Coats had been at odds with the president, seemed like he might be on the way out. So that part of it wasn't such a surprise. And there were reports that Ratcliffe did meet with the president a couple of weeks ago, so he had sort of caught the president's attention. And then Ratcliffe was a very sharp critic of Robert Mueller, suggesting that Mueller had overstepped his bounds in the sort of televised hearing when Mueller went up to Capitol Hill.

So some are saying that almost was sort of an audition for this job because, in just a few days later, the president tweeted that Dan Coats was out and Ratcliffe was in. And then today the president has tweeted again saying, John Ratcliffe is being treated very unfairly by the lame-stream (ph) media. And rather than go through months of slander and libel, he's decided to stay in Congress.

What does this mean for the intelligence community?

Well, we'll find out. Dan Coats is still scheduled to leave the job on August 15. Now, by statute, the deputy, Sue Gordon, who's very highly respected - spent well over 30 years in the intelligence community; widely known, widely respected - she's supposed to take over on an interim basis, but it hasn't happened yet. And just within the past hour, Trump said that he might choose her on an interim basis but didn't commit to it.

turn 0 : to be at odds means that you disagree with someone and argue about it

How was Ratcliffe a critic of Robert Mueller?

Answer: Sharp.


Sounds like if you could meet with the president again, you would tell him the same thing you told him last time.

That's exactly right. Matter of fact, obviously that was the announcement there, but he was heading to Japan. And in the Oval Office, I said, Mr.  President, we need a trade agreement with Japan. We're losing market share there right now because others are entering that market at a lower tariff rate than what we are. Canada is taking our market share that we worked hard to earn. And the longer this goes on, the more harm it is. It's going to be the more difficult force to be able to regain. And so, Mr.  President, when you're talking to Abe, please let's get back into have a free trade agreement with Japan.

Is it frustrating though that you would have to tell them the same thing again when you thought less than two weeks ago you had a fix?

Well, compared to me not planting my corn, it's not that frustrating. So - but, you know, I think you've got to be understanding that on the rural playing field that yes, there are other issues. We can be patient. We know that - I would have a tendency to agree that there is unfair trade practices in other areas, and those need to be addressed. To a certain effect, we're getting sideswiped because it's not our product. It is what it is, but I think we need those that - we are true believers in free and fair trade. And so we want that in all sectors of society.

turn 1 : The speaker wants the President to negotiate a new trade agreement with Japan

Which country does the speaker want to have a trade agreement with?

Answer: Japan


Oh, the subpoena is the basic working tool of these investigations. It can be a single piece of paper that demands that the witness show up on pain of contempt. Or it can also be a subpoena of the kind that seeks documents, including digital material like emails. By bringing in a witness, they cut through a lot of the stalling. And by demanding the documents, they have the materials to pin the witness down in the questioning.

And what about the value of closed-door sessions?Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and top adviser, met with the committee behind closed doors this week. What's the value of that to the committee even as it frustrates the public a bit?

Well, there are pluses and minuses to it. It's best if it's a preparation for a public session. Committee staff, for example, will do a behind-closed-doors questioning very thoroughly and minutely using documents in a way that you don't see so much in a public session. So it can be good preparation. It's also, in this particular situation, it's possible that there's a mixture of classified and non-classified material and you sort that out during the behind-closed-doors.

It sounds like you're describing a dress rehearsal or something like that.

turn 1 :  The literal meaning of this turn is to ask what is the value of closed-door sessions, however the implied meaning is to question the fairness of closed-door sessions to the public.

What is the implied concern about closed-door sessions?

Answer: fairness


I did, yes. My dad worked for a nonprofit. And part of the work that he did is he volunteered to visit women in the federal prison camp in Alderson, W. Va.  - women who hadn't received a visit from family or friends in more than a year. And I would often go along with my dad. So as a very young child, I think it was exciting to me because I got to eat candy out of the vending machines. But those experiences stuck with me.

Well, and they come up here?

They do. So I think, you know, when I started writing "Sugar Run" and started realizing that my character Jodi had spent a significant amount of her life in prison, those impressions that I formed when I was young came back to me. I specifically remember overhearing my dad speaking with women at the Alderson prison who were soon-to-be released. And later as an adult, I realized just how strong their joy was, you know, to be released, but also their fear of what it meant to make a life on the outside.

Did I hear you say, once I realized my character Jodi had spent all these years in prison?

turn 1 : Sugar Run implies the title of a book and not a running sugar

Which word in the dialogue implies that the author is referencing a character from a book?

Answer: Character


I should remind Americans that, in Britain, the prime minister normally controls the agenda in Parliament. He was blocked yesterday. What was it like to be on the floor for yesterday's vote?

Well, it was exciting. I mean, the chamber the House of Commons - I often take Americans around it. It's very different from Congress or the Senate. It's very confrontational. There are seats facing opposite each other, so you get to shout at each other. But, of course, in this instance, the fight was between people sitting on the same benches. So you kind of shout across at each other. It's also a very small chamber, a very intimate chamber. So in that sense, it adds to the drama.

Well, Prime Minister Johnson said he would expel you rebels from the Conservative Party. Did that happen overnight?Are you no longer a member of the Conservative Party?

Yeah. He's been true to his word. I have lost what we call the whip. So we're not members of the Conservative Parliamentary Party, we're independent MPs, which has been forced on us rather than a choice made by us.

turn 1 : The House of Commons is a confrontational environment

What kind of seats are there in the House of Commons?

Answer: Seats


Well, he had his archenemy, a man by the name of Julian, who he claimed had tricked him out of this magical cheese that he had made. And so I eventually got around to visiting with Julian and found myself being able to slowly release myself from Ambrosio to tell it.

You took your kids to Guzman a couple of times, and so they also got to know the place and Molinos' family, right?

Yeah. Those are some of the best memories of having done this book. I was in love with our children being young and living forever, and I knew the minute I broke the spell, time would start again. The minute you put an ending on a story, you have to walk out into real life, and, you know, that's where you feel the real losses, and I think that I was probably hiding from that a little bit, too.

Did writing this book, meeting this man, spending time in this place, change you?

turn 3 : :while (4) implies that the speaker was asking if the experience changed the speaker in some way.

How did the experience impact the speaker?

Answer: Change


You know, we - we're in constant communication with our states. I know South Carolina has done - and all the states, for that matter - but South Carolina, they've done a very proactive job. North Carolina is really going to amp up the messaging on evacuations. Florida has, and Georgia. So, you know, we will be able to tell what those evacuation rates are, obviously working with our state. The states and the locals are the ones that actually call for those evacuations.

Right now, it seems to be going well, but it always could go better. You know, if you're in a danger or hazard area, you know, I ask you to take those warnings seriously, and evacuate and protect yourself and your family.

Jeff Byard of FEMA, thanks for speaking with us today.

Thank you so much.

turn 0 : The federal government relies on states to determine when to call for evacuations.

How does the federal government determine when to call for evacuations?

Answer: States


Yeah.

You know, everything. Frederick was called Frederick the Wise. This was a very learned man. And you think, well, wait, you know, how could he have really thought this was, you know, the - a strand of Jesus's hair or a piece of straw?And the answer is, I suspect he didn't in his heart of hearts, but his - the overriding theology, if you will, was I think he thought that if relics make people more pious, where's the harm?I'm attracted to that notion. If it - if belief in a, you know, a bone leads you to praying to be a better person - how quickly I descend into truism - where's the harm?

turn 0 : 1)	B:	Am I wrong to see in this novel a theme that the relics we worship are often no more than making a choice among frauds? (2)	A:	You know, Frederick - he had 19,000 of these things. (3)	B:	Yeah. (4)	A:	You know, everything.Frederick was called Frederick the Wise.This was a very learned man.And you think, well, wait, you know, how could he have really thought this was, you know, the - a strand of Jesus's hair or a piece of straw?And the answer is, I suspect he didn't in his heart of hearts, but his - the overriding theology, if you will, was I think he thought that if relics make people more pious, where's the harm?I'm attracted to that notion.If it - if belief in a, you know, a bone leads you to praying to be a better person - how quickly I descend into truism - where's the harm?  Please choose the turns whose actual meanings are different from their literal meanings.   (1) Please choose a confidence score ( marks how confidence you are that there is implied meaning in this turn ) :   4 : You are not sure whether everybody will agree that this turn has implied meanings but you believe that most of them will Please write a implied meaning ( More than 8 words! ) :  Write reason here.

Answer: The


I mean, race is all throughout this conversation in the way people think about it and who the actual players are literally in this case. So Shaun Harper, who is a scholar on diversity in higher education at USC, said that, you know, many of the schools in the Power Five were either officially or effectively segregated for most of their histories. And that has really tangible consequences for the way campus life looks. And so these are conceived as white spaces. Their fan bases are white. Their alumni bases are white. Their cultural spaces are white. And so black students will be players in football and basketball. They'll be on the court and the field but they won't be in the stands.

So you're saying black people will be players. What do those demographics look like?

So most of the players in the money sports, in football and basketball at the Power Five schools, are black. So 56 percent of the basketball players - men's basketball players - are black. Fifty-five percent of the football players are black. But 2. 4 percent of the students at these schools are black men. And so this is -

Only?

turn 0 : The schools in the Power Five are predominantly white spaces.

Which sports have the majority of black players at Power Five schools?

Answer: Football,Basketball


Yeah, so in the final bend, Maximum Security drifted wide into another horse's lane. That caused a domino effect, disrupting the progress of three other horses. Country House's jockey, Flavien Prat, was the one who filed the objection after the race. So three stewards, which are basically, like, referees, reviewed the footage and interviewed the affected jockeys. Eventually, steward Barbara Borden gave a brief statement saying that they unanimously decided to disqualify Maximum Security, then walked away without taking any questions.

Wow, it sounds like a political conference. All right. Has anything like this ever happened before?

So one other horse was stripped of his title after the fact. That was because he essentially failed a drug test back in 1968. But no, this - this was a first. And the outcome of this year's Derby was just so unpredictable. The original horse couldn't even compete. And the second favorite, Maximum Security, lost even though he crossed the finish line first.

All right, so give us the story with Country House briefly. His trainer is named Bill Mott. Did you hear from him?

turn 0 : It was not dominoes but horses that began to fall in the race.

What caused the disruption of the progress of three other horses?

Answer: Drifted


All over. I was just meeting with a friend. I had served at the U. S.  Embassy in Mexico. She's here with a group of students and professors. I have just met recently a TV crew from Romania. Another one has come in from Serbia. And, of course, of special note, a number of journalists have come in from Kenya, where there's a very very big interest, obviously, for the roots of the candidate Senator Obama.

Well, tell us, what's drawing the other journalists?What is it that they're so fascinated by?

I think it goes back probably to the caucuses in Iowa in January, and it's just grown. Clearly, as the enthusiasm in the United States has grown, I think a lot of them are focusing on the young people so involved, but in general, the U. S.  public so involved in these elections and in these campaigns. And I think, in part, it is, the U. S.  does remain a certain kind of example in terms of democracy.

Well, I mean, is it fair to say that, were Barack Obama not in this race, there wouldn't be as much interest?

turn 3 : The interest in the U.S. elections is primarily due to Barack Obama's participation.

What is the main reason for the interest in the U.S. elections?

Answer: Participation


What should we make of these shocking statistics?

I think to most Alaskans, these statistics aren't surprising. Anyone who lives here knows someone or is themselves a victim of sexual violence. And so this is a reality that Alaskan residents are constantly made aware of.

You say in an opinion piece you wrote for the Anchorage Daily News that 59 percent of women in Alaska say they've been sexually assaulted.

That's right. And it should be noted that, though that number is remarkable, it is likely that that number is also conservative. And we should also note that amongst the 59 percent of Alaska women, 61 percent are Alaska Native, which makes Alaska Native women almost 10 times more likely than other Alaskans to be victims.

turn 3 : Alaska Native women are at a significantly higher risk of being victims of sexual assault.

How much more likely are Alaska Native women to be victims of sexual assault compared to other Alaskans?

Answer: 10


Well, there's no doubt about that. So the near-Earth asteroids number about 500,000, but we only know of 9,000. And the reason that they're so interesting, Ira, is because they are actually energetically easier to reach than the surface of the moon. So we've been to the moon many times, and the moon is a great place, which is very worthy of our exploration. But just to give you an idea of how close some of the asteroids are, they're easier to reach than our own moon.

Yeah.

So they're not way out there in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. These are. . .

Right.

turn 0 : The actual meaning is that there are only 9,000 known near-Earth asteroids despite there being approximately 500,000 in total.

Which type of celestial bodies are energetically easier to reach than the moon?

Answer: NearEarthasteroids.


Shelter in place. Stay away from windows. Maybe get in a reinforced room like a bathroom, something with no windows. The building I'm in - we're retreating to the inner corridors right now. And there's a stairwell inside that - we have some kids with us. We're putting the kids in there. We're putting pets in crates in bathrooms - just to get to the safest part of the building you're in. Stay away from the windows. And wait for the winds to go down.

Just to give us a little bit of context, you know, how have the Keys weathered major storms in the past?Is - how does this hurricane fit into the history of Key West and its exposure to storms?

Yet to be seen. But to me, it looks like the most serious one since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, which was a Category 5. It went across Islamorada. In the upper Keys, it took out the overseas railway, and it killed more than 400 people. So Key West has seen other impacts since then. Wilma, in 2005, sent about a 5, 6-foot storm surge over the islands - and not just U. S. , a lot of the Keys. So that was a pretty serious impact. But nothing like this - not a Category 4.

Nancy Klingener of member station WLRN. We'll be checking in with you, we hope. Please stay safe.

turn 0 : There is a dangerous situation happening that requires people to seek shelter and take precautions.

How should people prepare for the dangerous situation mentioned in turn 0?

Answer: Reinforced


Right.

. . . And the British Parliament. And British lawmakers are threatening to block it, which, again, means that we're in, you know, a gray zone of not knowing exactly what happens next. The European Parliament is likely to approve it because, again, all of their heads of state will have approved it tomorrow. So I mean, there are still huge, huge. . .

Yeah.

. . . Problems and difficulties ahead for Prime Minister Theresa May.

turn 1 : This statement implies that while the British parliament are having approving a decision, the European parliament are good to go with the approval.

Which parliament is likely to approve the decision?

Answer: European


We can say she grew up. She had a daughter of her own who became curious about family secrets kept from both her and her mother for decades. That daughter is Laura Cumming, and she's the author of "Five Days Gone. "She joins me now from London.

Laura Cumming, welcome.

Thank you.

Start with the kidnapping, which is absolutely central to the book you've written. It was not central to your mother's life. She was only 3. She had no memory of it. And she didn't even learn of it until she was well into middle age. Is that right?

turn 3 : "which is absolutely central to the book" implies, that without that part of the story, there really wouldn't be much of a story

What is the main focus of the book "Five Days Gone"?

Answer: b


Israel is saying the same. The Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the parliament today that Israel is essentially in a state of all-out war with Hamas and that Israel has no intention of stopping with their campaign as long as Hamas continues to fire its rockets.

And meanwhile, Israeli soldiers are massed along the border. Is it expected that there will be a ground war?

Israeli officials are saying that it's certainly possible, and they have closed off the part of Israel that directly borders Gaza. They've created a military zone there. It's been closed to all civilians and to reporters, so we don't know exactly what is happening there now.

And what is Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni saying?

turn 0 : Israel is engaged in a serious conflict with Hamas.

How would you describe the current situation in Israel?

Answer: Conflict


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.

Which field of study has typical earnings of $50,000 a year for a mid-career professional?

Answer: Teaching


First week of the season, a young boy - he has the ball over his head. He's ready to make the throw-in. And a spectator on the sideline puts her hands on the child's shoulders, spins him around so he'd be redirecting the ball to a different player. So I blew my whistle. And I said - is this your child?And she said, no, this is not my child. So I explained to her, I said, you can never, ever, ever, ever touch a player.

So this was a cry for civility, not I'm sick and tired and can't take it anymore?

Well, it sounds that you're complaining less that your feelings were hurt than the youngsters might be getting a very bad example of what it is to be an adult.

turn 2 : That's correct. This is a cry for civility. This is a plea for everyone to join me and everyone else who believes that we can have a fun, fair and safe experience in which sanity is expressed on the sideline.

Which experience is the speaker trying to promote?

Answer: Fun


So, right then, your life changed. You quit your job. You made plans to leave your family for a year and go to China.

Well, yeah. My weight had gotten so out of control that I wasn't even working at that time, unable to work.

So, when you got there seven months ago, how much did you weigh?

I weighed approximately 646 pounds.

turn 1 : the turn "out of control" in (2) is an idiomatic expression that means something is unmanageable or chaotic. Its actual meaning is different from its literal meaning, which would be that the person's weight was physically out of their control.

What was the actual meaning of the idiomatic expression "out of control" in the dialogue?

Answer: Chaotic


I, Karen Bass. . .

In May, Bass was sworn in as the first black female speaker of California's Assembly. That post has been called the second most powerful in the state behind the governor.

I recently asked Speaker Bass how she's dealing with her rise in profile and her new level of responsibility.

I felt definitely overwhelmed. But, you know, since May, or really since the election in February, I've just had a tremendous amount of support and welcome and good will. So I'm very excited about serving in the role.

You are someone who has certain interests that particularly are important to you. Foster care is one of them. Tell me about foster care.

turn 1 : Speaker Bass's post is the second most powerful position in California, behind the governor.

Which position in California is considered the second most powerful one?

Answer: Post


(Laughter).

I was going to go as Robert Siegel, so that'll be perfect.

Esquire magazine's editor at large A. J. Jacobs. Happy Halloween, A. J.

Thank you. Happy Halloween, Scott.

turn 2 :  Esquire magazine's editor at large A.J. Jacobs. Happy Halloween, A.J. The literal meaning of this turn is that B is greeting A.J. Jacobs, who is the editor at large of Esquire magazine. However, the implied meaning could be that B is dressed up as A.J. Jacobs for Halloween, suggesting that they are celebrating Halloween in a creative way.

How is PersonB dressed up for Halloween?

Answer: Creative


But you can imagine that if you don't exercise, you might lose it. So we haven't studied that, per se, but we were more interested in how the muscle can store and utilize sugar and fat as energy sources when it's working. And so those were the particular proteins and genes that we were studying.

So lest anybody think that this is a trait like Lamarck thought many years ago, that you're going to pass down the - that your DNA, from usage, has changed and you pass that down to your offspring, that's not what happens here.

Well, these chemical marks disappeared after exercise. . .

Yeah.

turn 1 : The implied meaning of this turn is that it is not possible to pass down acquired traits to offspring.

Answer: Theory


What about people who work for somebody who's in power and might not get the same guarantees?

Well, the problem with the guarantees is that who gives them?Because now there is a highly fragmented global community of attorneys, of activists, of non-governmental organizations and foundations that can't initiate proceedings against these people. Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet felt very safe in, you know, in a trip to Europe. And all of a sudden, he was taken into custody unexpectedly by a judge in Spain. And so, you know, no one today can offer foolproof guarantees to dictators that they will not be prosecuted once they are out of power or even if they are still in power.

If you take a look, for example, at Syria, have we seen that at play?

Yeah. Well, in Syria remember; we - the international community thought that Bashar al-Assad was gone and that his days were counted. And he's still there.

turn 3 : when someone or somethings days are/were counted means that they are dead, or for a company means going out of business, or in some cases it means the person is in trouble

How does PersonA describe the guarantees that can be offered to dictators?

Answer: No-one


And I'm wondering how to square the situation now with - I remember interviewing you last year. You had a new book just out on Libya. You were telling me. . .

Yeah.

. . . This did not feel like a country at war, that markets were open, that there were signs of normalcy in Tripoli. That has now changed with these latest developments.

Tragically yes. I mean, of course the country's always had problems. But through international assistance and a U. N. -brokered effort, things were improving in Tripoli modestly. Libyans have a way of getting by. And of course that has all been reversed, so of course now you're seeing electricity blackouts, I mean, displaced. The militias have a newfound presence in the capital. So the country's really been put backward.

I should mention you were just in Libya for a few weeks last month, in Tripoli.

That's right.

turn 3 : Despite previous improvements, Libya has regressed due to latest developments

What word describes the situation in Libya after the latest developments despite previous improvements?

Answer: Regressed


And when you have spoken out publicly about it, you got a lot of backlash, very ugly stuff. Why do you think that hockey fans are so protective of this aspect back to the game when it seems like we should all be able to agree that if we can just be - keep players healthier and keep their brains safer, that should be a good thing?

Yeah. I think it's just - I think it's a resistance to change. That's really what it comes down to. But yeah, when I - I tweeted out about this in response to Don Cherry, who's a big pro-fighting guy here in Canada. And I got a lot of vitriol. It was ugly. I mean, it ranged from respectful disagreement to homophobia, sexism, misogyny. And that was kind of when I realized this truly is a cultural stigma, a cultural touchpoint and powder keg issue that needs to be investigated and discussed further.

The larger important issue here is the health of players. And the NFL and football have really dominated the conversation when it comes to concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, this this brain neurological illness. But hockey has this issue as well. Can you talk a bit about how injuries in hockey are factoring into this?

Yeah. I mean, I would argue that the NHL is probably lagging behind most of the other contact sports leagues as far as addressing this issue. There was a class-action lawsuit settled last year. But the players only got - who were involved - only got about $20,000 each and some promises for future medical testing and medical treatment.

Much less than the NFL football players got.

turn 0 : They got a lot of people complaining about what they spoke about.

How did PersonA react to the backlash they received?

Answer: Shocked


Is it important to the grassroots to have that still?

Absolutely. I mean, fiscal responsibility is still a measure of what I would call conservative values. The problem is we just don't seem to see the Congress expressing those values any longer. The CBO and the GAO have both said that this kind of spending cannot be sustained. And what can't continue won't continue. So it's irresponsible for us not to deal with the spending issue.

Mark Meckler is the president of Citizens for Self-Governance. Thank you so very much.

Thanks for having me, Lulu. I appreciate it.

turn 0 : grassroots is a movement made by a district and still implies that it holds the feature in order to hold the government's attention.

Which feature holds the government's attention for the grassroots movement?

Answer: Grassroots


Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So he's not exactly saying that what he said was offensive.

Or maybe he's, like, opening up, like, a hotline for people to call up and be like, hey, listen; I was - being very charitable there.

Right, OK.  And then meanwhile, while all of this is going on with Shane Gillis, another one of the new cast members who was announced this week for "SNL" was Bowen Yang, who's actually the show's first Asian American cast member, so this is kind of awkward timing.

turn 1 : He may have said something offensive, but he didn't admit it.

Answer: offensiveness


(Unintelligible) exactly did some tests.

Marc, I hate to interrupt. . .

Yup.

. . . to say this is SCIENCE FRIDAY from NPR. I'm Ira Flatow with Marc.

OK.

turn 3 : The literal meaning of turn (4) is that B is interrupting A to introduce the radio program they are both on, "SCIENCE FRIDAY from NPR," and to announce their names. However, the implied meaning is that B is politely interrupting A to take over as the host of the radio program.

What is the name of the radio program that PersonB interrupts PersonA to introduce?

Answer: SCIENCE


Out of respect, I don't want to go there, out of curiosity I do.

How much are you willing to tell us about how your innocence was stolen from you?

Well, growing up in a Christian family, you would have thought what happened to me would never happen because my mother loved me and she was very much aware of who I am, but I was a very mature little girl. And at 14, I was allowed to have a crush on a man who was 21. And because he was worldly, and had money, and he'd been in the Navy, you know, and I was, like, all little girls seek older men and we go, Oh my God, he's so cute. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.

Well, somehow in there my father wasn't watching, my mother was watching very closely and thought she could handle the situation and she allowed this relationship to happen. It should not have happened. I should not have been allowed to date a man, it made me have insecurities at an early age that I should never have had, but a man who could manipulate a little girl's mind and her heart. He was allowed to do things he shouldn't have done.

turn 2 : A had an inappropriate relationship with an older man at a young age.

What was the age difference between PersonA and the man she had a crush on?

Answer: 7


Reptilian, exactly, and now we know that many species of dinosaurs had feathers or simple filaments that seem to be feather precursors in some cases.

Do your findings come from the relatively recent discovery that some dinosaurs had feathers?Is this sort of, like, the next step?

We are sort of taking the next. In the last 10 years, we've discovered that we can gain insight into the colors of dinosaurs and how they may have used visual signals in important contexts. And so what we wanted to ask is, can we gain insight into the vocal communication that extinct dinosaurs might have had?

Well, so what's next for you in your research?

turn 1 :  is actually asking if A's findings are related to the discovery that some dinosaurs had feathers, rather than just asking for a literal explanation of the findings.

What is PersonB's question about PersonA's findings?

Answer: relation


Bill M wrote about it - read about it and wrote. Kilpatrick's stays in the news proving all the naysayers right with his childish antics and questionable judgment. He should resign.

And there's also the news that Broadway's "The Color Purple" is closing next month due to slow ticket sales and some people said it was because of singer Fantasia left the show without any thunder after she left.

All right. Just briefly, what do you think about the newsletter?What does that offer people that everything else we do doesn't?We've got the radio show and the blog. But, you know, you put out this great newsletter every day. What's going on with that?

Well, we've got headlines that pertain to African-Americans. We have highlights from the show. And the difference is - it's called Push me (unintelligible). It's a '90s Internet buzz word. And the idea is that you get all these things that you want sent to your inbox every day without having to surf from Web site to Web site. And it's a service that we offer.

turn 3 : The literal meaning of (4) is that they offer a service called Push Me that delivers daily headlines and highlights related to African-Americans to your email inbox. The actual meaning is that Push Me is a play on the 90s internet buzzword "push" which means to receive notifications without actively seeking information. Therefore, the newsletter is designed to deliver the information people want directly to their inbox without the need to browse different websites.

What is the 90s internet buzzword that Push Me plays on?

Answer: Push


Thanks for having me.

What new details did we learn with this filing?

So the new filing focuses on five extramarital affairs that Duncan Hunter had when he was in Congress, the first one starting just four months after he was elected and took office in April 2009. So he took office in January.

The longest feature in the filing is about an individual identified as Individual 14, who was a lobbyist. And they spent campaign money on things like a ski trip together, a thousand-dollar hotel tab. They went to concerts together. And they also went on a double date with another congressperson to Virginia Beach, but that congressperson has not been identified.

turn 2 : Duncan Hunter had extramarital affairs while serving in Congress

How many extramarital affairs did Duncan Hunter have while serving in Congress?

Answer: Five


And how does Syria's war spark violence in Iraq?

Yes, it's a bit of a long story, Neal. I won't go into too much detail, but what I will say is that, you know, what happened in Syria, we all know it started as an uprising. It was during the Arab Spring. There were people going to the streets to protest. It took awhile for this to kind of catch on in Iraq. But when it did, it was a wave of protests in mostly Sunni areas. That's because the government in Iraq is controlled now by Shiites, Shiite politicians, different Shiite political parties. And so you saw in many Sunni areas of Iraq people going to the streets to protest, demanding jobs, demanding better treatment, demanding an end to what they see as kind of a police state behavior with their people, they said, you know, unlawful detentions.

And so when you have protests in a country that's already very divided along sectarian lines, the protests are going to get sectarian pretty quickly. And they also got violent. You saw in tandem with these protests were the rise of some violent attacks, and a lot of people attribute these attacks to local insurgent groups like al-Qaida in Iraq. And then you saw sort of Shiite militias, you know, fighting back with their own attacks. And then it basically spiraled out of control.

You mentioned al-Qaida in Iraq. This was a group that was, well, largely defeated by the Sunnis themselves, in cooperation with American and some Iraqi forces as well. But the Sunnis themselves discredited these people.

turn 2 : the protests got worse and worse until there was no way to control them any longer.

Answer: Protests


This was back in 1982?

'82. But I think people thought, oh, my God, you know, you can't put a black person's heart in a white person. You cannot possibly put a woman's heart in a man. I mean, it's interesting that with the heart, sort of the emotions we ascribe to it get all wrapped up in the medical techniques also.

So they got beyond that. And you write about this group of researchers and doctors in Houston - big egos, big personalities and a big state (laughter). Tell us about these two pioneers who had this incredible rivalry that helped shape this field - Dr.  Denton Cooley and Dr.  Michael DeBakey.

When I started looking into it again, it was kind of like the right stuff for heart surgeons. These were people with outsized personalities and outsized wills. And the story really starts in Houston with the theft of an artificial heart from Michael DeBakey's lab. And DeBakey at the time was perhaps the most famous heart surgeon or surgeon in the world. And his nemesis was a guy named Denton Cooley, who, for a time, worked under him and got tired of waiting for Dr.  DeBakey to put this artificial heart in someone. So he purloined it with the man who had designed it into DeBakey's lab and put it in a man. And the operation, to some extent, was a success because the patient lived. And this became the most famous feud in medical history.

turn 1 : The notion of gender and race plays a significant role in the medical field.

What plays a significant role in the medical field?

Answer: Gender


And, of course, in "Hamlet" there's that famous play within a play, which, in my version, was a book within a book. And in this book, in "Romeo And/Or Juliet," there's actually two books within a book. When Juliet is taking that sleeping potion, she's out of the play for 42 hours. And while she's knocked out, she has a dream, which is "A Midsummer Night's Dream. "And you can play through that as Juliet in her subconscious.

And when Romeo's banished to Mantua, he's also kicked out of the narrative for a while. And he can visit the library and read a book called "Fair Is Foul And/Or Foul Is Fair" which is obviously "Macbeth" done in this format. So I tried to cram all the Shakespeare I could into this because I'm not sure there's that many other plays that would lend themselves so easily to this format.

It has to be a play with which people are generally familiar, too.

Well, that's the fun of it, right, because you know what these characters are supposed to be like. And when you kind of push them off the rails a little bit, there's a sense of breaking the rules that's a lot of fun, I think. It's fun to write (laughter).

turn 2 : In turn 3, "It has to be a play with which people are generally familiar, too" implies that the play must be well-known in order to be easily understood and appreciated by the audience.

How does familiarity impact the choice of play in "Romeo And/Or Juliet"?

Answer: Familiarity


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

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

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

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

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

Which structures did the prehistoric people build?

Answer: Pyramids


He was instrumental in the Times that year winning a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage. And it was after the Kerner Commission came out with its report in 1968, looking at the great divide among the racism in American society that pointed to the American news media in particular, that needed to do a better job in covering the great diversity of American society.

What are the upsides?What are the upsides for journalism as it evolves, because it has to evolve?

The upsides are the incredible access you have to audiences now. Anybody in this age can be a publisher, a writer, a communicator. And there are tremendous possibilities.

Well, Neil, thanks so much.

turn 0 : to be instrumental in this context means that the person was needed for something happening.

Which year did the Times win a Pulitzer Prize?

Answer: 1968


I'm Farai Chideya, and this is News and Notes. Illinois Senator Barack Obama declared he was running for president back in February of 2007. Back then, he was the dark horse, long-shot candidate. Some people looked at him, and talked only about race. Other voters and pundits seem to try to avoid the topic.

Now, the economy is in meltdown, and much of the political debate has turned to mortgages and finance. But race is still there say the polls, and author and commentator Tim Wise says so as well. Wise is an anti-racism activist whose latest book is called "Speaking Treason Fluently: Anti-Racist Reflections From an Angry White Male. "Welcome to News and Notes.

Thanks.

So, your latest essay is called, "This Is Your Nation on White Privilege. "

turn 0 : dark horse, long shot implies that he was not expected to win

How was Senator Obama viewed as a candidate?

Answer: Long-shot


Yes, I do. I think General Kelly is right. I think a lot of America is out of touch with those of us who have served and the sacrifices that we've made or seen our colleagues make. And that's a divide that we ought to bridge. But you don't do that by politicizing an incident like this. You do it by taking responsibility for your actions. If you're the president, you say I don't think I said that, if that's what he believes. But if I offended the widow in any way, then I apologize.

Congressman, I - a bit off the central topic we've been talking about - did you know U. S.  forces were operating in Niger?

As a member of the armed services committee, I am aware of it but only very peripherally. This is not something that we have talked about or has been briefed to us extensively at all.

So you think there's more to be known about this mission and about U. S.  operations in that area of the world?

turn 0 : "But you don't do that by politicizing an incident like this. You do it by taking responsibility for your actions." Implicated meaning: A person should take personal accountability for their actions instead of exploiting a situation for political gain.

Which principle does the statement in turn 0 suggest one should prioritize over political gain?

Answer: Accountability


Thank you very much for having me.

And let me begin with the set up for a very old joke: How hot is it?

It's so hot, it's not a joke. That's how hot it is. It's - people always - people come out to me, though, and they ask me - since I've been here, they go, well, you must be used to this, right?I mean, you're from Africa. So, I mean, this must be - no, no. No, this is not weather. This is - I'm used to weather. This is an oven, and I'm not enjoying it. It's very hot. So barely surviving, but I'm glad to be here.

You are wearing a t-shirt that has the words nah mean(ph).

turn 0 : having me implies hosting someone or engaging with someone and not referring to owning someone

Which words are on the t-shirt that PersonA is wearing according to B?

Answer: mean(ph)


I am not a dog owner. I would say I'm an aspiring dog owner. Just a couple of weeks ago I did a review of robot pets. This is the only kind of pet that I think I would be responsible enough to take care of.

OK. So cockroaches was number one. Dogs was number four. What was two and three?

Well, number two was why don't humans have a mating season?It turned out that there's an entire chapter of a book by Jared Diamond, the author of "Guns, Germs, and Steel," that looks at just that question. And question number three was about a photograph from an old issue of Life magazine showing the descendants of George Washington. The person wanted to know, who is the current living descendant of George Washington?And, I guess, who would be king of America if George Washington had been king?That question has been answered most recently in an article for Ancestry magazine.

Slate. com's Daniel Engber. Thank you, Dan.

turn 2 : A has recently researched various topics and is knowledgeable about them.

Which topic did PersonA research that relates to human reproduction?

Answer: Reproduction


Absolutely. No question. When I first started to sing, the last thing I wanted to do was sing my dad's music. And ironically, when I was signed to a label, it was Capitol Records, which I thought that they would be like, oh, you got to sing your dad's music. But they did not. . .

He made Capitol Records.

He certainly did. The house that Nat built. But they did not insist on that, whereas I went to two other labels and they said, well, are you going to sing your father's music?And I said no. And it took 15 years into my career before I felt comfortable and confident enough to even attempt at singing my father's music.

Like a lot of famous fathers, Nat King Cole was often away from home. He died when Natalie was just 15. She had some rough times in the years that followed, sometimes making her own name in all the wrong ways with drugs and drink. But she sought help and she persisted, having her own R&B hits in the 1970s before she recorded a 1991 duet with the recorded voice of her father that sold over seven million copies and won many Grammys.

turn 0 : Singing my dad's music wasn't literally the last thing I wanted to do, it just means I really didn't want to do it.

How did Natalie feel about singing her father's music when she first started her career?

Answer: Didn't


Hmm. For - yeah, for all of us to take a look at.

Mm-hmm.

What made this an outstanding candidate?Just the story like that, for your. . .

To write about?Well, yeah. The things that I'm always looking for are things that have the quality, as you heard me say a few times, they make people laugh and then think. When you first see them, they're funny. You have almost no choice but to laugh. And then a few days later, you find it still rattling around in your head, and you just want to tell somebody about it. These are the things that really - they're funny mainly because they're so unexpected. There's something about them that you just - at first glance, it's beyond anything you ever had any reason to think about it, just - it's staggering. Maybe later on when you get used to it, it doesn't seem funny anymore, but at first glance. . .

turn 3 : Funny things that make people think and stick in their mind

Which qualities attract the attention of "A" in a story?

Answer: Funny


A young upstart reporter at a national news network, a political newcomer fresh from Hollywood, his opponent - a female senator firmly rooted in the establishment, a ratings-obsessed media mogul - does any of this sound familiar to you yet?Amazingly, Alisyn Camerota, a veteran news anchor and host of CNN's morning show "New Day," started writing her new novel years ago. And now the book "Amanda Wakes Up" seems like a crystal ball. Alisyn Camerota joins me from our studios in New York. Welcome to the program.

Thank you, Lulu. Great to be with you.

So are you psychic?(Laughter).

Well, there were many times, many times in the writing of this that my agent editor and I thought I was. But I think, what it turns out, is that there are some perennial favorite themes in politics and in presidential races. And I hit on them because you can predict with some certainty what will come back around.

turn 0 : "fresh from Hollywood" - This turn of phrase is used figuratively to describe someone who is new to politics and has no previous political experience. It does not mean that the person actually came from Hollywood.

What phrase is used figuratively to describe someone who is new to politics and has no previous political experience?

Answer: Hollywood


. . . in Romania. And he's an 18-year-old who did this pretty much on his own. And this isn't his first project. Before this, he was building jet engines.

And 18-year-old?

Yeah, from the Internet.

turn 3 : The turn with an actual meaning different from its literal meaning is (4) "Don't try this - well, he tried it at home, I guess." This statement is a sarcastic remark that implies that the speaker thinks the project the 18-year-old completed is difficult or dangerous and that the listener should not attempt it. However, the speaker acknowledges that the 18-year-old had the audacity to try it anyway.

Which statement in the dialogue implies that the speaker thinks the project completed by the 18-year-old is difficult or dangerous?

Answer: turn4


Well, I think they're convening a panel tomorrow to discuss it once more. Declaring a public health emergency of international concern has big implications. So the closing of borders - you know, these are border towns. People - their livelihoods are dependent on being able to cross borders and do business.

Yeah.

Refugees who are fleeing armed conflict in DRC not being able to come into Uganda. So it - there are some serious implications on making that declaration, and I'm sure those will be considered.

How hopeful are you that this outbreak can be contained?

turn 0 : Declaring a public health emergency of international concern has big implications for border towns and people's livelihoods.

Which kind of emergency was considered for discussion tomorrow?

Answer: Health