Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I mean, we do excited about it. And in the case of Pluto, we're excited about it because Pluto could be a remnant from the early solar system. It could really tell us a lot about how we all got here. So, for me, this was really the highlight of the year, personally. I mean, we - you know, humanity sends a probe from more than three billion miles away, so far away it took four and a half hours just for the photos to make their way back at the speed of light. And, you know, this little probe gets these great pictures, sends them back and we learn just an enormous amount. It was very cool.

Now, I don't want to leave without talking about space cuisine. I understand there were important advances in the grub you get in space.

That's right. Space food is notoriously horrible to eat. It's all this vacuum-packed, freeze-dried stuff. It's sort of - they - they extrude it out of these packages and it comes out as a paste. It looks awful. But this year, they managed to grow some lettuce up there. And so for the first time, astronauts were actually allowed to eat it. They brought up a little balsamic vinaigrette to put on it. You know, this sounds kind of trivial. It is a little silly, but it's not as easy as it sounds. I mean, remember, plants, you know, grow on Earth and. . .

Well, we've all seen the movie where they had a hell of a time trying to grow potatoes on Mars.

turn 0 : Turn (1) has a figurative meaning: "highlight of the year" does not refer to an actual bright light but rather an important event or achievement.

What was the reason for excitement about Pluto?

Answer: Remnant


Yeah. So let's take Muslim China, you know, the western part of China - Uighur country. They use lamb, which they don't use in the rest of China, or very little. And their noodles are made from wheat. And they have bread. So that region has this food because of its religion and because of its proximity to Turkey.

The reason I called Anissa Helou is because of a dish I've been meaning to make for a long time. In her book, she has two versions - one from Egypt, one from Syria - a nutritious and simple meal made from beans that's perfect for Ramadan or for any time, really - ful medames, or simply ful.

Ful is a very filling dish. So if you ate ful at whatever hour, you could stay without eating anything or feeling very hungry for at least five, six hours.

Helou join me in my kitchen here in D. C.  via video chat to teach me how to make both the Egyptian and the Syrian recipes.

turn 0 : The food in a region is influenced by its religion and proximity to other countries.

Which dish is very filling and can make you stay without eating anything or feeling very hungry for at least five, six hours?

Answer: Ful


(Laughter) I have no idea. I know that the pope - his five most famous words may be - who am I to judge?- which is about gay people. And I know that he has gay friends. You know, one of the people that he met with during his papal visit in the United States was a gay friend and his partner. So he's open to what he calls a culture of encounter and accompaniment. He's certainly in favor of listening to people and meeting them where they are. And so on that page, you know, we agree.

You suggest in a couple of sections of the book that there must be priests who are LGBT, but they are faithful to their vows of chastity.

Yeah, I know them. And, you know, by saying that a priest is gay, it doesn't mean that he's breaking his promise of celibacy or his vow of chastity or, you know, lesbian nuns. And one of the challenges for the church is to recognize these people and to see them as the gifts that they are as all LGBT people are to the church. They are gifts, beloved children of God who bring certain gifts and certain talents to our church, to the community.

Father James Martin - his book, "Building A Bridge: How The Catholic Church And The LGBT Community Can Enter Into A Relationship Of Respect, Compassion, And Sensitivity" - thanks so much for being with us.

turn 3 :  expressing appreciation for Father James Martin's efforts to promote understanding and dialogue between the Catholic Church and the LGBT community, as reflected in his book.

What is Father James Martin's book about?

Answer: Relationship


The response that I'd make to that is a couple of things. Part of it is a culture clash. In the West, we are very fetishistic about originality. We want to touch the object that the master touched. This goes back to the days of reliquaries when people had bits and pieces of saints that they carried around with them. The old saw in the East, as it's my grandfather's knife, I replace the handle. My father replaced the blade. It's my grandfather's knife.

For people in other parts of the world, the role of objects is not to somehow through the object itself bring you close to history. It is a visual cue that provides memories of history. The history and heritage resides in the mind. And that's what these reconstructions can certainly provide and have provided for hundreds and hundreds of years. Indeed, most of the sites in Sicily today are 19th century reconstructions.

I never knew that. I mean, I've been to Syracuse and all over Sicily and I was seeing reconstructions?

Absolutely. If you were in Syracuse, you certainly did. Naxos is a very good original site, but many of the other sites are significantly reconstructed.

turn 0 : Implied meaning: the West's obsession with originality is a cultural clash with the East's approach to objects, which is to replace the parts of objects and thus keep them alive in memory and history.

What is the reason for the West's fetishistic approach to originality and how does it clash with the East's approach to objects?

Answer: Originality


Good. So, you received about 8,500 questions in your Explainer inbox over the year, and it's your job to go through all of these and pick the ones that you then allow your readers to vote on for their top pick. Can you give us a sample of what's on the ballot?

Well, there's a wide range of questions. For example, one person asks, can an average person not in politics get a pardon from the president of the United States?

Good question.

Which is a - yeah, a question that we've actually gotten quite a few times, especially as Bush gets ready to leave office. But then this particular reader adds in parenthesis, possession of a forged instrument, October of 1989.

turn 0 : top pick usually means the number one choice

Which position is usually referred to as top pick?

Answer: Number


But he was like an incredible, incredible hero. And when I interviewed him, God, probably two months later, he had a stroke. A year later, he was dead. So these stores are like - I mean, they're disappearing every single day.

When you think about a story like that, where someone gave his all and didn't get a lot of credit for it, is that a theme that runs through the book?

It definitely runs through the World War II section. I mean, pretty much all the vets who served in World War II. I mean, I have a vet who was at Iwo Jima, another story you don't hear much about African-Americans serving there. Also a buffalo soldier I have who came home after, you know, fighting in Italy the worst of Hitler's troop. Comes home, the ship lands in Virginia, and the white people in the town turn their back on the black soldiers. They don't even want to look at them.

I mean, it was - they walked through the town, he said it was like they were convicts. People turned their backs on them. And he was with me at the Smithsonian. We had an event for some of these vets. And he cried when he talked about that. And everyone in the audience stood up and cheered for him. And it was 60 years later, but it was like he was coming home that day.

turn 0 : "they're disappearing every single day" - This phrase is a metaphorical way of saying that the stories are being lost or forgotten over time, rather than literally disappearing every day.

What is the reason for the disappearing stories mentioned by A?

Answer: Beingforgotten


Well, first, it's going to sell a majority stake in its most prized asset, its investment-management division. The bank will also slash its stock dividends and sell off much of its mortgage business. You know, this announcement was triggered yesterday by the collapse of a possible deal with the Korea Development Bank that would have given Lehman some much needed capital. But Lehman's been struggling for awhile. Like Bear Stearns, it's been caught with a lot of bad mortgage debt and investors who've been frustrated that Lehman can't come up with the money to cover that debt. They've driven the bank's stock price down 80 percent this year.

So, this is a big concern on Wall Street and a big concern in the banking industry. What about consumers, should they be concerned as well?

Well, consumers will be feeling the bank's pain, most likely in the form of higher interest rates for credit cards and car loans and mortgages. I talked to Jane D'Arista at the Financial Market Center, and she pointed out that last weekend, when the government announced that it would back up Fannie and Freddie's debts, mortgage rates dropped almost right away.

Ms.  JANE D'ARISTA (Director of Programs, Financial Market Center): We had that lively little bounce there in the mortgage market where the rates went down, and everybody is very hopeful that this will restart the process of making mortgages, therefore getting rid of inventory and therefore protecting the prices of the housing market. But Lehman may take that away.

turn 0 : Lehman's financial troubles are affecting consumers through higher interest rates.

Which bank is facing financial troubles affecting consumers?

Answer: Lehman


And in talking to Smith, he's really thought a lot about what - why we have such a strong reaction to looking at embryos, and he's found this firsthand. I mean, and he gets emails all the time and sort of unpacks these questions, like, you know, is it - when you look at these pictures, does it strike you as more human or less human than you would have imagined, he asks. This is what he asked audience when he shows them. What is your experience with seeing these pictures in the past?You know, he said imagine 300 or 400 years ago, would - how would people imagine what an embryo is?This is a technologically. . .

Yeah. Yeah.

. . .  mediated experience.

And not only that, he's taken the technology faster - further, as you show. He's done MRIs, right?

turn 1 : In this context, "Yeah. Yeah." is not meant to indicate agreement or affirmation, but rather a sign of impatience or boredom, suggesting that B is not particularly interested in the conversation or does not want to continue discussing the topic.

How did PersonB respond to PersonA's comments about Smith's research?

Answer: Impatience


No, because the guys used to sit on the porch and play their guitars and (unintelligible). And then would beat to the tap of their foot. So I kind of adapted that tanta-ta-tan-tum, tanta-ta-tan-tum(ph). I mean, because - I mean, my people - my relatives, most of them were from Jackson, Mississippi. So when they migrated to Indianapolis, they kind of brought a lot of that feeling.

When he said write a hit, that one song people know me all over the world, in Russia, Africa, Japan, all over the world, people, the first thing they say when they see me, "Red Clay. "

In the course of your career, you had, obviously, highs and you had some lows, and they've been described as personal problems. Without going into detail, are we to assume that those problems were substance abuse related?

Well, substance abuse, I wouldn't really say I had a problem with that. I mean, I would say that at one period in the '70s, I started partying, I was in Hollywood A-list(ph). And everybody would come up there, I mean, all kind of movie stars, all kind of football stars, basketball stars, actors. And I had a spot right there in (unintelligible) overlooking the (unintelligible). And the people that I had coming up there - now, the substance abuse, it was around because a lot of people who would come to see me would bring it. But I would never really say I had a habit or anything like that.

turn 1 :  "Red Clay" is the song that made me famous.

How is the song that made the speaker famous referred to?

Answer: Red-Clay


Well, Michelle, we are going to miss you so much, but our listeners, they'll still be able to keep in touch with you, right?

Absolutely. I'm going to still be doing my column for the Washington Post. You can go to WashingtonPost. com. I have my own personal Web site, michellesingletary. com. And I've got a book coming out in the fall that I hope people get a hold of because it will help you during this crisis and afterwards. It's called "The Power to Prosper: 21 days to Financial Freedom. "And I'm going to, hopefully, come to some communities, and I hope people come out for some of the book readings.

All right Michelle, it's been a great pleasure interviewing you and speaking with you over the years. I've just loved your energy and your advice, and I wish you the very best, and thank you so much for being on our show.

You're so welcome. I'm really, really going to miss it.

turn 1 : She hopes people find a way to read the book that she has written.

Which book is Michelle hoping people read?

Answer: Book


So wait, you're saying to invest in fat?

Well, exactly. Or to invest in companies that prevent that fat. So that's one potential demographic change. The amount of chocolate consumed worldwide is greater every year, particularly, you know, as you have a lower class in China that's moving towards the middle class.

The problems with clean water in these urban areas is getting larger and larger every year. For instance, right now, just about 50 percent of all hospital beds worldwide are filled with people suffering from clean-water-related diseases or unclean-water-related diseases. So making investments based on these trends and the others I discuss in the book could be enormously profitable in the long run.

Does the fact that this economy, which seems to just take hit after hit after hit, and it seems to be heading straight into a recession if not worst, does that at all change the advice that you give?And presumably, you wrote this book before all the really bad news hit.

turn 2 : The statement of A implied that he is suggesting investing in companies that are working to address the problem of lack of clean water

What type of companies is PersonA suggesting to invest in?

Answer: Clean-water


Good morning.

Good morning.

The U. S.  has been unstoppable so far. Should the American women be worried about the Dutch?

Well, yes, the U. S.  has been amazing so far. They've only allowed three goals the entire tournament, and they've now won 11 World Cup games in a row, which is a record. But this could be a tricky match against the Netherlands. This Holland team has made it to the final by upsetting teams that were supposed to beat them. And this is, actually, only their second time playing in a World Cup. They made it to the round of 16 four years ago in Canada. But then they won the 2017 European Championships, and they've only gotten stronger since then.

All right, we'll get to Megan Rapinoe in a second. But I want to ask about the Dutch side first. Who are you watching there?

turn 3 : The teams were not upset emotionally but picked to win and lost.

Answer: Teams


Thanks, Michel.

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

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

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

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

turn 2 : Authorities are not present to regulate illegal border crossings.

How were the migrants crossing the river?

Answer: Inflatable


At this point now, those are the two sectors that are continuing to grow, that are continuing to be job engines. And the reason why I stress this is that historically, sectors which grow in downturns are the ones that set the pace for the recovery that comes afterwards. So, if I'm looking out ahead, I would sort of say the fact that these sectors have continued to grow is going to set the pattern for the coming upturn. So, you asked me about other parts of the sector economy that are doing well. It is very difficult to find other parts of the economy. My guess is that the next part that's going to recover is technology, but right now that part is still paddling hard.

OK, we don't want to hear any bad news right now. So…

No bad news. But…

We must end it on an up note.

turn 0 : Sectors that grown when the economy is failing do better when the economy begins to improve.  The techology sector as a whole is trying hard to make money.

Which sector has continued to grow and is expected to set the pattern for the coming upturn?

Answer: Sectors


Thank you for having me with you.

So, let's start with what exactly they are.

Okay. Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors. They're growth of muscle within the uterine wall. And sometimes they can be the size of a dime, and because of their location, they give you severe symptoms. And rarely, they can get to be the size of a basketball before they're recognized.

That's sounds pretty horrific.

It can be. It's amazing how much difficulty they can give to women that, in general, women can have severe menstrual bleeding - the kind of bleeding that keeps you home from work or keeps you from being able to do your daily activities - or they can press on a lot body structures. And they are very common, and it's surprising that so few women know that they have fibroids and that their symptoms may be related to them.

Now, research shows that about 25 percent of women in America are going to show some symptoms of fibroids, but they occur a lot more often in black women than white women. How much more often and why do scientists think that is?

turn 2 : Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors. They're growth of muscle within the uterine wall. And sometimes they can be the size of a dime, and because of their location, they give you severe symptoms. And rarely, they can get to be the size of a basketball before they're recognized. Implicated meaning: Providing information about fibroids, their size, and symptoms.

What can fibroids sometimes grow to before they are recognized?

Answer: Fibroids


"VIC" (Member, Overeaters Anonymous): Hi.

Vic, I want to start with you, and I want to be very specific. Give me an example of a day when you completely lost control over your eating.

"VIC": It wasn't a day. It was the day before (Laughing) and that day and the next day. But anyway - OK, so I wake up in the morning, totally hung over. Dr.  Lerner - Marty - described very well, you know, having lost control. So, I wake up, I feel terrible, and the last thing I want to do, I think in my rational brain, is eat because I feel so bad. And yet, I know that if I take one bite of anything, I'll be off and running. And I'm scared. I'm really scared.

Let me just ask one thing. When you say hung over, do you mean hung over from overeating or hung…

turn 1 : Vic has lost control over eating in the past.

What happened to Vic in the past with regards to his eating?

Answer: Lost


And there is a desperate need both for international humanitarian law to be observed in the conduct of the war to protect civilians but also for a move towards political negotiations and a political settlement, because it is now nearly two years since I sat at the United Nations with foreign ministers from the Gulf States who said they wanted a political settlement then. But it is no closer, and the bombing has undoubtedly deepened the divide inside Yemen and made it far harder to bring peace.

And this is the conduct of the war by Saudi Arabia?

The Saudi-led coalition has air power. The Houthis, who are an Iranian-backed rebel group, are on the ground. It's not the job of these humanitarians to take sides in the conflict. We don't take sides in the conflict. What we do is call out the abuse of international humanitarian law on all sides. And the striking thing about the Yemen conflict and the three other countries that are in danger of famine in Africa - in Somalia, in South Sudan that we've talked about, north and northeast Nigeria - these are man-made famine.

Mr.  Miliband, you've been a politician. How do you sustain interest in problems that are very remote from the lives of everyday Americans?

turn 3 : inquiring about strategies or approaches politicians use to engage and maintain public attention for issues that may seem disconnected or less relevant to the lives of everyday Americans.

What is PersonB asking David Miliband about?

Answer: Engagement


I also asked Precious Shumba if President Mugabe would have to leave Zimbabwe if he loses the election.

If Mugabe loses, it is widely expected he will have to negotiate on almost every facet of his life. So the issue of whether he would stay here in Zimbabwe or elsewhere entirely depends on the new administration probably led by the opposition.

Finally, I asked Precious, who lives in the poor urban heart of the capital city, why he chooses to stay in the country and if he ever questions being a journalist in Zimbabwe where his career is risky and sometimes dangerous.

It would be an act of cowardice if I were to say, I cease to be a journalist. I feel I'm accountable and needs to contribute to public discourse. So I'm not really intimidated or really afraid of what might happen to me.

turn 1 : A: If Mugabe loses, it is widely expected he will have to negotiate on almost every facet of his life. Here, the actual meaning is that if Mugabe loses the election, he will lose power and the new administration, possibly led by the opposition, will have the upper hand in negotiations.

How will Mugabe have to negotiate if he loses the election?

Answer: Negotiate


Like, do they even know really how to describe it?

It's been heart-wrenching. You know, I'm a parent. I have a have an almost 3-year-old, and I, you know, had to try to interview some kids about that age over the last week and even kids a little bit older. One in particular who sticks out of my mind was a 7-year-old who, you know, I asked one question - who'd you come to the U. S.  with?She said, my aunt, and then she just broke down in tears and couldn't really say anything else.

The government is basically making the argument that they want to make sure that they connect kids with their proper legal guardians. I mean, is that in conflict with trying to protect them?

It is absolutely the government's responsibility above all to reunify kids with parents where that's appropriate and where that's in their best interest. What really worried me about speaking with kids on the border who had been held for, as I said, weeks in the Clint detention facility was that there has no evidence that anyone was making any efforts to reunify these kids with parents. I personally started tracking down parents where I could to connect them with their children. And in every case, they had had no idea where their child was, and no one had contacted them.

turn 1 : The speaker interviewed young children affected by the border crisis.

How would you describe the PersonA's experience with children affected by the border crisis?

Answer: Heart-wrenching


Well, the government, it's been a little late and a little ad hoc, you know, beginning with the bailout of Bear Stearns. You know, the solutions were simply antiseptic, one-off types of solutions that ultimately led to bigger problems, and now, of course, in the last few weeks, the potential for one giant massive solution, but the ad hoc nature of it and the timeliness of the response has been a little lacking, in my opinion.

Well, now, we have this $850 billion rescue plan, $250 billion of that going directly into banks. That's something that you have called for in the last month. The government is responding. Still, in the markets, you don't see a sense of calm, and you write about that. America is afraid, you say.

Yes. America's afraid. Investors are afraid, and, you know, the delicate combination between Wall Street and Main Street has reinforced the fear of each.

From what I read, a fundamental source of the fear is this continuing uncertainty about what assets are worth. You have offered to help the government with that?You said you'd do it for nothing. Have you heard back from anybody at the Treasury?Have they called you up to say, gee, great, thanks, let's go to work?

Well, there have been discussions, Alex. We haven't had any final decision. We hope to hear, I suppose, within the next 24 to 48 hours, and so. . .

turn 0 : The government has not handled the financial crisis effectively.

Which crisis has the government been criticized for handling poorly?

Answer: a


No. There have not been significant infrastructure improvements since that storm. County voters passed a $2. 5 billion bond a year ago, but these projects take time, and most are still in the design phase. They haven't started construction. And the city of Houston doesn't have a comparable funding source, and so the city and county are both mostly waiting on federal aid for disaster recovery. And that's been extremely slow to arrive.

Help me understand this a little bit better here. Is there a political consensus in the area about what needs to be done?Does that exist?

Probably mostly yes to that. I think people agree that we need to do more projects, dig more detention basins, accelerate widening and deepening of the bayous, the streams and rivers that run through the area. I think most people are generally on the same page about that. It's just a question of money. But you've got to remember that our infrastructure, even at current standards, is only designed to accommodate maybe one or two inches of rain per hour, and the county got four, five, six inches of rain in one hour. And some areas got 30 inches in little more than a day, when our region usually - the city usually gets 50 inches of rain in a year. No infrastructure system is going to be able to handle that kind of storm without flooding.

Maybe people aren't ready for this conversation yet. Are people marrying the bigger conversation about climate change with the local conversation about infrastructure?Are people ready to talk about that?

turn 3 : Marrying two topic implies that people are grouping them together even if they are different.

Which two topics are being married in the conversation?

Answer: Climate,Infrastructure


But I'm sure that there's something else that you want to share with us. You have your poems about California, poems about the blues.

I've got one. The once called "Who I Am in Twilight. "And it's a poem that is actually emblazoned on the sidewalk. And it's set in stone, as it were, on something called "Poetry Walk" in Berkeley, California. They put down on sidewalk, Addison Street, about a hundred poets', I think, work. So it's fun to go over there and see how posterity works, because always somebody has dropped some pizza on it, mashed out a cigarette on it, or something like that.

So don't live for posterity, live for now. But here it is. "Who I am in Twilight. "

Like John Lee Hooker, like Lightnin' Hopkins, like the blues himself. The Trickster Sonnet, hoedown, the tango, the cante jondo. Like blessed spirituals and ragas, custom-made. Like sagas. Like stories. Like slick, slow, sly, soliloquies sliding into dramas. Like crime and punishment. Like death and birth. Canal Street, New Orleans. Like the easy, erasable, troubled voices a whirling ceiling fan makes in deep summer nights in hot, un-heavenly hotels. Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee. Like the Mississippi River so deep and wide, you couldn't get a letter to the other side. Like Grand Canyon. Like Yosemite National Park. Like beans and cornbread. Like rest and recreation. Like love and like. I know we last. I know our bleeding stops.

turn 1 : The poet's work has been preserved in a special place in California.

How has the poet's work been recognized?

Answer: Emblazoned


It really is. I don't think that people have an eye on the ground view. We're trying to help people. But helping people macro doesn't really satisfy people micro when it's happening in a neighborhood.

All right, Dr.  Melvo, thank you very much. Always good to hear your points of view.

Thank you, Tony.

That was author and economist, Dr.  Julienne Malveaux. She is also the president of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina.

turn 0 : "Eye on the ground" is not literal. It implies that people should view the situation from close up rather than far away.

Which view should people have on the situation?

Answer: Closeup


In the courtroom, a lot of people cheered. And in lots of the capital, we were in coffee shops where people also cheered saying, you know, it's time for stability. But then there were others whose hearts were broken; many who protested in 2011 for freedom from a police state who are saying that they are watching the symbols of that repression now be pronounced innocent.

And what's the environment in Egypt right now that surrounds this decision?

Really, right now, you have an environment of repression. You have three Al Jazeera English journalists in jail accused of being terrorists on little to no evidence. You've had mass trials of people getting death sentences with no due process. The first freely elected president, Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, was ousted from power and put in jail. Many people point to that as a sign that there really isn't democracy.

But after the decision, there were many people who were visibly happy?

turn 1 : The actual meaning of turn (2) is to understand the current state of affairs in Egypt and the implications of the decision, rather than the literal meaning of asking what the environment is like in the moment.

How does turn 2 differ from its literal meaning?

Answer: Interpretation


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

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

So why are we all under the impression that there is not this majority?

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

turn 2 :  It does. It includes 84 percent of Democrats, 68 percent of independents and 52 percent of Republicans. So yes, there is this difference between Democrats and Republicans. But nonetheless, a majority of Republicans do think that global warming should be a priority for our elected officials. (Literal meaning: stating the breakdown of support for global warming priority among different political affiliations)

Which political affiliation has the lowest percentage of support for global warming priority?

Answer: Republicans


That could be jeopardized?

Well, certainly the people putting forth these plans don't think it would be. What they want to do is change Medicaid from a guaranteed benefit to a block grant to states. So a state would get a fixed amount of money from the federal government and decide for itself how to spend it. The idea is that states know their needs better than the feds, and this would give them flexibility.

What critics of this idea worry about is, what happens in an economic downturn when demand on Medicaid goes up?They say states could be left with a sort of Sophie's choice. Do you cut back on services for poor children or for the frail elderly?

I know we've talked about Medicare and Medicaid. Are there proposed changes that would affect older Americans who might buy their own health care coverage?

turn 0 : The question is asking for turns whose actual meanings are different from their literal meanings. In turn 1, the literal meaning of the phrase "that could be jeopardized" is to suggest something is in danger or at risk, but the implied meaning is that the proposed changes to Medicaid could have a negative effect.

Which phrase in turn 1 has an implied meaning that suggests the proposed changes to Medicaid could have a negative effect?

Answer: Jeopardized


Well, she's made her mission here to expand or improve transparency and ethical reform in the state government. As you likely know, Alaska has been just shaken by corruption scandals for the past couple of years. The FBI has been investigating state legislators, three of them are in jail for bribery now, more maybe coming.

So she sort of arrived on the scene in the middle of all of that, and push for new ethics rule in the legislature and her - one of her biggest goals in office is to get a big new natural gas pipeline. Something along the lines of the old Alaska oil pipeline, built so that Alaska can ship out it's natural gas.

But she wants that done in a more transparent fashion. She says she wants more outside energy companies coming and bidding on that. As oppose to sort of, deals struck among the elite, as she would say, you know, the old governor was accused by her of cutting a deal with the oil companies that just wasn't too favorable to Alaska, or so she said at the time, in terms of oil production taxes. So, she wants all of that to have a lot of more sunlight.

Well, speaking of sunlight, she's facing an ethics investigation of her own, is she not?

turn 3 : The conversation has shifted from talking about Sarah Palin to talking about her ethics investigation.

Answer: Ethics


It looks like a stationary bike.

It was enamored with this lab. I'm just going to be honest. I thought it was the coolest lab.

Coolest lab in the world.

turn 1 : B: "And in your video - it's our Video Pick of the Week, which you have called the best laboratory in the world?" In this turn, the phrase "best laboratory in the world" is likely being used metaphorically to describe the quality or significance of the subject being discussed in the video, rather than referring to an actual physical laboratory.

Which phrase is being used metaphorically in PersonB's turn?

Answer: Metaphorically


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

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

That's right. The print media in North Korea is still putting all these statements thanking the supreme leader in that sort of glorious way they do, praising him for, for example, the pretty good performance of the athletes in the Asian games a week ago. So all that stuff is still coming out. There's no devaluation of him by the state media. But he's not there. Now, having said that, his father disappeared from sight at odd times as well. And sometimes that was seen as being a mark of his strength in that he felt that he was so strong that he didn't need to do all this stuff.

Is this a matter for particular distress because, after all, we are talking about a nation that's either a quasi-nuclear power or might be a nuclear power?

turn 0 : "there's been a coup, and he's lost power or certainly being shunted away from power" - This turn uses figurative language. The speaker is suggesting that there might have been a political power struggle or a change in leadership, rather than the literal meaning of physical shunting or pushing.

How is the term "shunted away" being used in turn 0?

Answer: Figurative


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

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

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

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

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

What emotion does the speaker in turn 3 express regarding Jo's death?

Answer: Disbelief


. . . Because I have Nusayba. And she is alive and smiling and well thanks to an anonymous live donor, who came through at the last second. . .

Yeah.

. . . And gave a piece of his liver, which is now in my daughter's belly. And she lives. What more can we ask for?My life is complete.

We can reveal his name, too, can't we?

turn 0 : the donor person allowed part of their liver to be used right before the person was to die.

Which organ did the donor offer to save the daughter's life?

Answer: Liver


Well, if you look at San Francisco, San Francisco, the volatile section is the section under $321,000. There really are houses in San Francisco worth less than that, and those are the ones that are really in the foreclosure pipeline. So even in the west, even in these very high-value markets, there are a lot of properties that are going to be affected by this too.

A lot of the foreclosure activity was at the low end because that's where the tremendous wave of credit flowed into the market, enfranchised people, caused the lower end to triple. The lower end is still by and large within that conforming limit.

Karl Case is a professor of economics at Wellesley College and co-developer of the Case-Shiller Home Prices Index. Their latest report is out today. Karl Case, thank you very much.

Pleasure.

turn 3 : you are welcome is implied in response to Thank you very much

How did PersonA respond to PersonB's gratitude?

Answer: Pleasure


That's it. It's a very interesting technology. It shoots this - 125,000 laser pulses a second down at the rainforest canopy. Now - and then it measures the reflections. Now, 99 percent of what's reflected comes off leaves. But here and there, there are tiny gaps in the canopy where a laser beam can reach the ground, bounce off and go back up to the plane. And then with massive software processing, they're able to remove all the reflections from leaves, leaving only the ground.

And it's just incredible to see these scientists at work. I mean, you see this impenetrable rainforest canopy. And then with a press of a button, it disappears and you see everything on the ground. It's absolutely amazing.

Well, it's a little more complicated than that. They have to then process the signals that they receive back from the ground. As you say, most of them come back from leaves. And I think, what, they handed you the disc and you flew it out and gave it to the computer guy.

Well, that's right. And in fact, it is very complicated. The LIDAR machine has inside it a highly classified thing called an IMU, an Inertial Measurement Unit that was developed for the military for use in guided missiles. And in order to get an export permit for the plane, the State Department required that the plane be guarded by armed soldiers at all times when it was on the ground because this is a very highly classified piece of equipment. Because it's important to locate the plane in the air in three dimensions as it's flying to within an accuracy of about a centimeter. I mean, that's incredible.

turn 3 : The accuracy required to locate the plane is impressive.

What is the name of the classified piece of equipment inside the LIDAR machine?

Answer: IMU


Ibiza being the Spanish island where this video was filmed.

Exactly - just blathering on and on to a Russian woman who they believed was the niece of a prominent Russian oligarch.

And I'll just insert here that I have not had the opportunity to verify exactly what is being documented on this video. But what it has done is raise all of these questions in Austria about the extent of Russian influence in Austrian politics. Is that right?

Absolutely. And, I mean, it's funny because these are actually fake Russians. This is - these are not necessarily people that were sent from the Kremlin. We don't really know the provenance of the video. Some people believe it's an activist collective. Other people are speculating that some secret services of various countries were involved. But the most important thing to say is that Vice Chancellor Strache hasn't denied any of the assertions.

Right. Well, let me insert a practical question here. Where does this leave the government of Austria?Who's in charge today?

turn 0 : Ibiza is the location where the video was recorded, not a person

How was the location of the video determined?

Answer: niece


The United Nation says it's made an agreement that will gradually release 3,000 child soldiers from an armed group in South Sudan. The children are between 11 and 17 years of age. They have spent their childhoods fighting and killing for a group called the South Sudan Democratic Army Cobra faction. Jonathan Veitch, UNICEF's South Sudan representative, says these children have been forced to do and see things that no child should ever experience. Sudan has a long history of civil war and using children for war. Only a few of the thousands of children who get captured and dragged into the conflict manage to escape. Emmanuel Jal did. He's now an actor and musician in Toronto, who had a role in last year's film "The Good Lie. "He was 8 years old when he became a child soldier.

Most of us have seen our homes burned down, have seen terrible things happen. So, I mean, I witness one of my aunt raped in our home area. And witnessing and seeing my home village burned down and then when we're told that I'm going to be given skills and a gun to fight the people who did that to my homeland, there was not much for me to be convinced.

What was life for you like as a child soldier?

It's hell seeing 6, 7 years old burying their own dead. Nobody's going to give them questions when they're beginning to ask questions. Simple questions - why are we here?Where's my mommy?That's when you get to know, like, these are children sometimes when the terrible things happen.

turn 3 : In turn (4), the speaker is using understatement to describe the horrific experiences of child soldiers, emphasizing how young and innocent they are and how terrible it is for them to witness and experience such violence and trauma.

How is the speaker describing the experiences of child soldiers in turn (3)?

Answer: Understatement


Yeah.

It's a little more controversial in the Senate race because it looks like bad ballot design might've cost Bill Nelson mightily because Broward County. . .

Yeah.

. . . Is a very Democratic county. And they had a tremendous number of undervotes - that is, no one voting in the Senate race - because it appears that a good number of people, perhaps as many as 20,000, might have missed the Senate race because it was in the lower left-hand corner right under the instructions. And if you look at the Senate race compared to all the other races, it got fewer votes in Broward County, even compared to. . .

turn 1 : The Senate race was controversial due to bad ballot design.

How did bad ballot design affect the Senate race?

Answer: undervotes


You know, between the flooding issues and river issues and then the trade war and the tariff war with China and also the renegotiation during the old NAFTA, we had a number of trade issues that were kind of tossed up in the air, and we're waiting for the puzzle pieces to fall back down in place.

I mean, I think in the Midwest and agriculture in general, you know, supported the president early on in improving trade relations with China. But unfortunately those in the livestock industry and soybean producers are taking the brunt of the hit.

Well, what would you like to see specifically from this trade deal, if they ever reach a deal?

We'd definitely like to have our full trade ratio, I guess you'd say. The amount of trade we were doing with China back a year ago - we'd love to see that back.

turn 1 :  "taking the brunt of the hit" - This is an idiomatic expression that means bearing the majority of the negative consequences of something. In this case, it means that the livestock industry and soybean producers are suffering the most from the negative effects of the trade war with China.

What does the idiom "taking the brunt of the hit" mean in the dialogue?

Answer: Consequences


And there is a desperate need both for international humanitarian law to be observed in the conduct of the war to protect civilians but also for a move towards political negotiations and a political settlement, because it is now nearly two years since I sat at the United Nations with foreign ministers from the Gulf States who said they wanted a political settlement then. But it is no closer, and the bombing has undoubtedly deepened the divide inside Yemen and made it far harder to bring peace.

And this is the conduct of the war by Saudi Arabia?

The Saudi-led coalition has air power. The Houthis, who are an Iranian-backed rebel group, are on the ground. It's not the job of these humanitarians to take sides in the conflict. We don't take sides in the conflict. What we do is call out the abuse of international humanitarian law on all sides. And the striking thing about the Yemen conflict and the three other countries that are in danger of famine in Africa - in Somalia, in South Sudan that we've talked about, north and northeast Nigeria - these are man-made famine.

Mr.  Miliband, you've been a politician. How do you sustain interest in problems that are very remote from the lives of everyday Americans?

turn 2 : (3) A: "What we do is call out the abuse of international humanitarian law on all sides" - This implies that all parties involved in the conflict are violating international humanitarian law, rather than only one specific party.

What is the focus of PersonA's role regarding the conflict in Yemen?

Answer: Abuse


I just wonder if we could close by you just telling me a few things about Jason, what you remember most fondly about him.

When I think about Jason, I think about his smile. He was a beautiful child. And the worst thing about this whole situation is I know in my heart he shouldn't be dead. It is horrible that we lose the soldiers that we have to; it's a tragedy when we lose a soldier that we shouldn't have, and Jason shouldn't be dead.

Chris Scheuerman, talking about his son Jason, who committed suicide in Iraq in 2005. In the 13 months since we first talked, Chris has continued to advocate for suicide prevention in the military. He testified on Capitol Hill and recently spoke at a Department of Defense conference on suicide prevention. We asked the Army for a comment on Jason Scheuerman's case when we first aired this story, and this is the written statement they sent.

(Reading) The loss of any member of the Army family is a tragedy, and suicide prevention is a top priority for the U. S.  Army. The 2005 death of Private First Class Jason Scheuerman was investigated thoroughly by his unit and by the U. S.  Army Criminal Investigation Command. In fact, the Associated Press's story about his 2005 death is based on the Army's comprehensive investigations. We continue to work with and assist his family. We are continuously improving and adapting our training, intervention and support programs. The Army recognizes the importance of suicide prevention and is taking many steps to decrease those risks that may contribute to suicidal behavior. Our prevention efforts do help soldiers and their families deal with the wartime challenges they face every day.

turn 1 : The statement "I know in my heart he shouldn't be dead," actual meaning a deep sense of sadness and loss over Jason's death, and wishes that he were still alive.

Which emotion does PersonA express about Jason's death?

Answer: sadness


Is this situation just overshadowed by other refugee and humanitarian crises in the world?

I think so. I think its a challenge that, you know, Uganda is the third largest refugee-hosting country in the world now, but I think most people dont realize that. When we think about refugees, we often think about the Syria crisis, which is the world's largest. We think about people who are crossing the Mediterranean. But we're not thinking about the now almost a million people who've crossed this land border into Uganda but have also fled from South Sudan into Kenya and Ethiopia and even into Sudan.

We're also in a situation where the administration has sent very limited aid budgets to Congress. And fortunately because the commitment that Congress continues to show, they've actually rejected those steep cuts to humanitarian aid and provided strong funding - robust funding for humanitarian assistance. But we need to see that funding really get out of the bank accounts in D. C.  and get out to the ground, where it's needed.

Has Uganda been been so welcoming?The international community has thought there's relatively little reason to get involved.

turn 1 :  I think so. I think it's a challenge that, you know, Uganda is the third largest refugee-hosting country in the world now, but I think most people don't realize that. When we think about refugees, we often think about the Syria crisis, which is the world's largest. We think about people who are crossing the Mediterranean. But we're not thinking about the now almost a million people who've crossed this land border into Uganda but have also fled from South Sudan into Kenya and Ethiopia and even into Sudan.  Implicated meaning: Most people are not aware of Uganda's significant role as the third largest host country for refugees, as their attention is primarily focused on the Syrian crisis and refugees crossing the Mediterranean. The situation involving almost a million people who have crossed into Uganda from neighboring countries is often overlooked or not given enough consideration.

How many countries have the almost a million refugees who have crossed into Uganda come from?

Answer: Neighboring


"My first awareness of homosexuality was followed by reading James Baldwin. No reference was made to this, which I think in the context of this program would have been a reference for listeners. I appreciate some of the discussion, however a little historical perspective helps us better understand the present. "

And finally, we got a letter about our sports blogger segment. Last week they talked about Tiger Wood's win in the U. S.  Open despite a leg injury. Tiger is now taking some time off the green. Lyn Porter (ph) in Lenni, Pennsylvania wrote us this. "I just wanted to disagree with the comment that people who watch golf are really tuning in to see Tiger Woods. All three of us here who watch golf regularly comment that we want to see someone else have a chance to win. I think it will be interesting to see golf without Tiger. I enjoy his play and hope he recovers quickly, but I would like a little variety. "

And that's it for letters. Thank you for writing and please keep your comments coming.

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

turn 0 : A thinks that listeners should have been informed about James Baldwin's homosexuality in the program to understand the context better.

How was James Baldwin's homosexuality related to the program?

Answer: mentioned


The alternative would be, you know, if you had a hurricane coming down in Florida, for example, and you had private forecasting services that said, you know, we can predict this with an extra day ahead of time, allowing for people to evacuate who have access to that information. And that information becomes a commodity rather than a public good.

Now that you know so much about the weather and the way that it works and its importance to us, I mean, what keeps you up at night?

I mean, Sandy was a scary scenario. But the implication is that it's not the worst possible. You know, its impacts were localized. Even in parts of New York I remember, you know, waking up the next morning. And in the neighborhood that I live, you know, things were basically normal, which was not the case three miles away.

So I think for me, you know, what keeps me up is the idea of a perfectly forecast storm that is catastrophic on a broader scale and that we see coming for six days ahead and need to make decisions - not just as individuals, but as a society or as a city - how to move and respond. And I think, you know, that anticipation is new. You know, we haven't had that capability before. And we have it now. And the next step is to figure out how to use it properly.

turn 1 : 'B' is asking what 'A' is worried about, not whether or not these things keep him literally awake during the night.

Answer: Scenario


So, what was a moment that crystallized for you what it was going to be like?You're. . .

Mm-hmm.

You were all the way through it, right?From. . .

Yeah, I started there in kindergarten, and I went through all the way.

turn 2 : B is confirming that A attended the same school from kindergarten until graduation.

Which school level did PersonA attend for their entire education?

Answer: a


Good to talk to you.

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

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

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

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

turn 1 : Implies that the event was of great significance

Which leader's family members are buried in the mausoleum mentioned in turn 2?

Answer: His-father


Yeah. Everyone agrees that our prescription drug costs are too high - both right and left - you know, Democrat, Republican. It's one of the few points of information, points of fact that everyone agrees on. The problem is everyone disagrees on how best to tackle that. And there are a lot of forces that are resisting any change at all.

The bipartisan solution which Senator Klobuchar and Senator John McCain have proposed is allowing prescription drug imports from other countries, so we allow for a global competition in the sense of, you know, if everyone else is getting a better deal than us, why can't we buy our prescription drugs from there the same way we buy our, you know, refrigerators and cars?

Elisabeth Rosenthal, editor-in-chief of Kaiser Health News and author of "An American Sickness: How Health Care Became Big Business And How You Can Take It Back. "Thanks so much for being with us.

Thanks for having me.

turn 0 : A implies that while both political parties agrees that prescription drug costs are too high, they cannot find a common ground on how to address the issue.

What is the main issue that both political parties agree on but cannot find a common solution to?

Answer: Costs


Sam, in this book, you're telling the story of the Assad family, but you're also telling the story of another Syrian family. Tell me about this lost family and their relationship with the Assads.

The relationship goes all the way back to the early '50s when Mustafa Tlass and Hafez al-Assad were in their early 20s. They were cadets at the Homs Military Academy. And they basically rose up together to the pinnacle of power until - you know, Mustafa Tlass was up by Hafez's side all the way through. I mean, he was willing to kill for him by his own admission in his own memoirs. He played a crucial role in the passing of power from Hafez to Bashar.

So you have these two men, Hafez and Mustafa. And then they both have sons. And their sons are Bashar al-Assad and Manaf Tlass. Tell me about the relationship between those two men.

So Hafez al-Assad had four sons and one daughter, and the eldest was Bassel, and he was the one being groomed to take over power from his father, but he died in a car crash. So Bashar was summoned to Damascus to basically fill Bassel's shoes. I mean, initially, members of the family, even Bashar's own sister, felt he was hopeless. You know, Bashar was not equipped to inherit power.

turn 1 : Mustafa Tlass was loyal to Hafez al-Assad and helped him gain power.

What was Mustafa Tlass's role in Hafez al-Assad's rise to power?

Answer: Loyal


I know you have to get through this fight now, but once that's over with, what's the next chapter going to be for you?

Oh, it's going to be coal mining. I've had a coal miner in my family from 1700. It runs deep in my blood. And I'm 44. And hopefully I'll find a coal mine job that I can retire from. That's my goal.

You know, Harlan County, Ky. , is the site of a mine protest that happened in the 1970s that went on for more than a year. So this is not only a long history of coal mining, it's also a long history of protest. Do you feel like you're a part of that today?

In some ways. We done our protest peacefully, but in Harlan, Ky. , we stand up for what we believe is right. That's been embedded in us from childhood up. You know, coal miners is brotherhoods. And we got a whole lot hanging in the balance here that we won't back down.

turn 3 : The speaker is implying that their protests might elevate beyond peaceful methods if they don't get what they think they deserve.

How does the speaker hint at their willingness to escalate their protests?

Answer: Beyond


We're still going to have a problem. I mean, there is no question that there is already layoff. There's going to be an economic decline. There's going to be a recession. The question is how deep and, you know, is this going to be a catastrophe or is just going to be bad. This is not the last thing we're going to have to do.

Yeah, we've got $2. 1 trillion in non-prime mortgages about to reset in the next 18 months. Many of which will go into foreclosure unless there is a mechanism for those homeowners who could meet obligations to renegotiate with their lenders. And there was a bubble in the housing market that's going to be deflated. But the question is, are we going to go off a cliff?Or is there going to be a gradual decline and then the settling down and that's what we hope to achieve.

Democratic California Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren. Thank you very much for joining us.

Thank you.

turn 1 : The housing market bubble will burst and we hope for a gradual decline.

How do we hope the housing market decline will occur?

Answer: Gradual


It's becoming a new Thanksgiving tradition. This year, like the year before, the newest installment of "The Hunger Games" movie franchise "Mockingjay Part 1" is an adaptation of the first half of Suzanne Collins third and final book in the series. And with the backdrop of what's been happening in the world, protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and shakeup at the Capitol - Capitol Hill that is. Audiences look for comparisons between the fictitious world of Panem and the real world. We're joined now by Stephen Carter, a professor of law at Yale, a novelist and columnist for Bloomberg View, where he writes regularly on popular culture. Stephen, thanks so much for being back with us.

It's my pleasure, Scott.

I'm just guessing you don't watch "Hunger Games" the way a lot of other people do.

You're right. I'm looking for tropes and ideas that are going to leap out of the film into public life. And one that's really striking about the "Hunger Games" franchise is how more than really anything else in recent years in popular culture, so many of the symbols - the nation of Panem itself with its deep wealth inequalities, the notion of the Capitol, this barricaded wealthy city and of course, Katniss Everdeen herself, the hero. All of these things have not only leapt into the public imagination, but they are regular features of political argument.

turn 0 : "installment" - This word literally means a portion of something, but in this context, it refers to a movie or book in a series.

Which word in the dialogue refers to a part of a movie or book in a series?

Answer: Installment


Tomorrow marks the end of the longest presidential campaign to date. This election looks like it might break all voter turnout records, and plenty of civil and voting rights groups are out there working to make sure you have a place to turn if you're having trouble voting. One of them is the NAACP. In September, Benjamin Jealous became the youngest man to lead the country's oldest and largest civil rights organization. He's got plenty of information about how to protect your vote. Ben, how are you?

I'm doing well.

So you are the head of this storied organization that has had so much to do with African-Americans in voting. You think about where we've been in the past decade with the contested 2000 election. What should people know firstoff about going to the polls and doing it in a way that protects their vote?

You know, there's really two things that I say to folks. You know, first is that you should be prepared, you know. You should really think about the time you need and make sure, you know, if you need to have somebody to watch the kids that you just take care of it. This is one of the most important things that you'll do in the next year, and just be prepared.

turn 0 : to break records means that a previous record was taken away by a new record

What event is tomorrow marking the end of?

Answer: campaign


Yeah, that was easy. Planet Fitness was the best job actually because I could do my little squats behind the desk. There was always time to just like mess around and just do whatever.

But Uber seems like that would offer a lot of storytelling possibilities.

Oh, my gosh, it did.

Do you think we'll find some of that in your songs at some point?

turn 2 : Uber job was interesting and provided inspiration for songwriting

Answer: Uber


You know, it's the - there's not formal groups that kind of, you know, identify themselves. They don't have a problem with some other towns in the South where there's like, you know, revived Klan groups and such. I'm aware of the SPLC's research and such. But it's more - I think it's less formal than that but it's probably no less prevalent.

One of the things I'd like to ask you, because you're a person who has been writing about this and the photographs have been printed and seen around the country - the role of the media in covering this, does it make it better, does it make it worst?

Well, I think that really depends on, you know, literally what skin you're in, you know?A lot of the - many of the black folks in that town are very happy to see outside attention brought, they hoped that that scrutiny is going to force some changes down there. But by the same token many of the white folks are just outraged and they think that, you know, this is outsiders meddling in their affairs and they ought to just get their nose out of their business. There was the local Methodist preacher the last time I was there a month ago who told me that I was no better than a Christ killer but you know, you just kind of have to have thick skin.

Howard, thank you very much.

turn 0 : There are informal groups in the town that are not identified openly

Which town has informal groups that are not identified openly?

Answer: Town


Oh, thanks. We're professional seguers here at NPR.

You took my breath away there.

Well, speaking of age, though, you're - you play a geezer in this picture.

Yeah, but I'm the youngest in the cast.

Really, I'm the baby.

turn 0 : B is making a pun on the word "segue" which implies that they are being professional in making smooth transitions during interviews without interruption.

Which word did PersonB use to make a pun on their professionalism?

Answer: Segue


That's an excellent question, and we're particularly challenged in this regard. On the Princeton campus, we have the only Civil War memorial in the world, as far as I know, that lists the names of students who died both for the Southern cause and the Northern cause but without indicating the side for which they died.

So the official Civil War memory as it was encoded on this campus was what we would call a reconciliationist memory. Each boy was equally right. Each boy was fighting for the side that he believed in. And it's a way of remembering the Civil War that completely erases slavery as the cause of the war and the great moral stake of that war. So this tension between remembering and commemorating is front and center in a monument on our own campus.

And so what are your thoughts on that tension?

(Laughter) I don't think we need to change our Civil War monument. I think it's an artifact of a particular historical time, and I think it's a wonderful starting point for a conversation about why Princeton chose to remember her alumni in that particular way.

turn 1 : The Civil War monument on Princeton campus erases slavery as the cause of the war and the great moral stake of that war.

How does the Civil War monument on Princeton campus remember the cause of the war?

Answer: Names


A tall building may become synonymous with a place, but it doesn't mean that it's born of that place. You can almost pick it up and put it in any city around the world and it would become synonymous with that city. And it denying thousands of years of vernacular architectural tradition, you know. . .

Yeah, yeah.

. . . to relate to environment and all these other things. So that's where the 95 percent figure, an arbitrary figure, comes from.

The Twin Towers in Abu Dhabi received the tall building innovation award. These buildings carry their own sunscreen, in a sense.

turn 3 :  "These buildings carry their own sunscreen, in a sense." - This turn means that the buildings have a feature that provides protection from the sun, rather than literally carrying sunscreen.

Which feature of the Twin Towers in Abu Dhabi provides protection from the sun?

Answer: Sunscreen


Thank you very much.

I think the profession of science is under attack. And why is that happening?Because we've really ceded the floor. We haven't engaged in politics. We've left that open for politicians to come in and really hijack and obfuscate science for their own selfish needs.

When you say that science is under attack, to what degree should we read this march as a protest against Trump administration policies?

turn 1 : (2): "What is the mission of this March for Science?" While the literal meaning is a straightforward request for information, the implied meaning is that the speaker wants to know more about the motivations and goals behind the March for Science. It implies that the speaker is interested in the larger context and political implications of the event.

What is the implied meaning of PersonB's question in turn 1?

Answer: Motivations


I hate to see it fade out.

Yeah, me too.

There's another story that really sounds like it has to be made up, about the driver who brought a hotshot guitarist from Macon, Georgia to Stax for a session.

Yeah. The driver kept bugging the musicians in the studio to give him a chance. And someone had promised him, OK, buddy, you know, chill out for a second. You'll get your chance. When nothing happened with the big talent, people had already started packing up their cars when they remembered, oh yeah, we got to let this guy try.

turn 3 :  (4) A is implying that the driver was persistent and eventually was given a chance, even though it almost was forgotten.

How did the driver get his chance at the studio?

Answer: Persistence


Oh, she did, and in such an interesting time. In the '70s, even before Betty Ford had famously stepped forward and talked about her struggles, Joan was convening people who were early thinkers in how to treat people differently. You know, AA had been around, of course, for decades. But there was a movement in the '70s to get people to look at the whole person with alcoholism. And Joan was really passionate about getting the word out.

Yeah. With Ray's death, Joan Kroc became one of the principal philanthropists in America. And she really took that responsibility seriously, didn't she?

She lived large, and she gave large. She felt this almost-burden with the money that she had. And saying she hit the lotto isn't really fair. But - she had this money at her disposal, and she felt obligated to use it in a constructive way. But that's not to say she was ascetic or like a monk. She lived very, very lavishly as well.

Yeah, she'd drip with jewels. She went to nice places. She. . .

turn 3 : Joan Kroc used her wealth to live a luxurious lifestyle and still dedicate her wealth to charitable causes.

Which word describes Joan Kroc's lifestyle?

Answer: Luxurious


We tried for about two and half years. And I had this fear that with every step we took, we would learn something that it would confirm my fear that I couldn't have a baby.

She struggled with anxiety, but eventually she got pregnant through IVF.

Tell me about that moment when you first saw your daughter Hazel for the first time. I mean, how did that feel?

turn 3 : "Oh, my gosh. It was - it was incredible. I mean, first of all, I was in labor for 24 hours."  Implicated meaning: The speaker had a long and difficult labor, but the experience of giving birth was still an incredible and meaningful moment for them.

Answer: incredible


They're placing a lot of their hopes on the Chevy Volt, the electric car that's due out at the end of 2010. What do you think about that, and do you think that that's enough to help the company?

In reading through the General Motors restructuring plan, they talk about it as if it's the next Ford Model T.  I think the language that they use is a fundamental reinvention of the American automobile industry. And, you know, I hope it is, but you have to be skeptical about anything coming out that will fundamentally reinvent the industry, at least at this stage. It's too mature an industry right now.

Is there anything that GM can say when they go before Congress tomorrow and Friday?Is there anything that they should do, do you think, that could save it?

Their objective in going to Congress is not to save the industry. Their objective in going to Congress is to get money from Congress. And if you read through these documents, they are - especially the General Motors document, it is full of really shameless Americanizing, patriotic propaganda. It's geared to getting the money, and that's their objective. And I believe they will come away from Washington with money.

turn 3 : patriotic propaganda implies that General Motors is using pro American speech to get taxpayer funds for their own purposes

What is General Motors' objective in going to Congress?

Answer: Money


Ms.  JANE D'ARISTA (Director of Programs, Financial Market Center): Commercial paper typically is about one third of the assets held by Money Market Mutual Fund. So, the fact that they have been skittish, and fear runs from their clients has meant that they have not been buying. So, the Fed has decided that it's going to buy the paper and try to get investors back in with the assurance that there is a buyer out there, namely, the Federal Reserve itself.

And Mitchell, the Fed is also doing something later this week with regards to interest rates, right?

Right. The Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee meets tomorrow and Wednesday. It seems like there's almost no chance that the Fed will sit on its hands. Economists predict an interest rate cut of either a quarter point or a half point. A half point would bring the Federal Funds Rate down to 1 percent, which would be its lowest level in four years.

Thanks, Mitchell. That's Mitchell Hartman of public radio's daily business show, Marketplace.

turn 0 : Money Market Mutual Funds have not been buying commercial paper due to fear, so the Fed is buying it to encourage investors.

What is the reason for the Fed buying commercial paper?

Answer: Encourage


Andrew, Ivan Golunov has been a vocal critic of the Russian government. But his arrest is, apparently, unusual.

Right. Yeah, I do think it's unusual. You know, when - attacks on journalists do happen in Russia and, you know, journalists have been beaten. They've been killed for their reporting in certain cases. But the idea that drugs would be planted on a journalist, that's a more unusual case here. It leaves sort of very little daylight between the journalist's reporting and kind of direct pressure being put on him by the government. So to be honest, I've been here for eight years, and I can't remember a case similar to this one. And I think that that in particular is what made people so angry about what's going on.

There wasn't even a requirement to sort of exact violence against him, but this idea that if Ivan can have drugs planted on him while he's walking through Moscow then literally anybody could have drugs planted on him, as well. And I think that that's what made people so nervous about the case, specifically among journalists, and that's why we've seen such a backlash.

Andrew Roth is Moscow bureau chief for The Guardian.

turn 2 : The backlash means that people are complaining about the situation.

Which term describes the reaction to Ivan Golunov's case?

Answer: reaction


Well, this is extremely complicated. And there doesn't seem to be a single kind of way at looking at this for all the different countries. Every country is wrestling with how to manage this. There's little legal precedent in many ways. One problem is that if you put people on trial back home, it's very difficult to get the evidence that you maybe need to actually be able to prosecute someone. So some people in - for example, in Germany have floated the idea of re-upping the sort of Nuremberg trials that were used to prosecute Nazis.

Wow.

In other cases, some have created laws to say, you know, going to Syria was itself a crime. So we've been following the case of an Austrian girl who was 15 when she left Austria. And we've been told that if she comes back, she probably would serve prison time for having gone to Syria. And there's even - the Kurdish authorities in Syria are talking about perhaps trying to set up an international tribunal to actually try these people in Syria or in Iraq.

NPR's Ruth Sherlock in Beirut.

turn 2 : Some countries have made going to Syria a crime and people may serve prison time for it.

How do some countries treat going to Syria?

Answer: Crime


So what we do is that when the cases come to my office, we first investigate. Once we know the perpetrator, we try to call or invite the person. If the person refuses, we collaborate with the legal department, issue the warrant of arrest. There, we come to the table of negotiation. If he's ready to negotiate, we try to negotiate and try to resettle the victim. If not, we take the case to the court.

Well, how long can the process take?

It can go three years, four years. It is indefinite.

Sister, you were honored at the White House earlier this week. What role can the United States play in trying to combat human trafficking?

turn 3 : The literal meaning of the turn is to ask what role the United States can play in trying to combat human trafficking. The implied meaning is to ask what role the United States should play in trying to combat human trafficking.

Which turn in the dialogue suggests an implicit criticism of the United States' effort in combating human trafficking?

Answer: 2


The story many Americans learn as kids may reveal a lot about America's role in the world. It's a story involving Theodore Roosevelt. Before he was president, he volunteered to fight in a war. He organized the regiment in which he fought. The Rough Riders went ashore in Cuba during the Spanish-American War of 1898.

On one level, this is an adventure story. Clay Risen of the New York Times felt there was more to it, that a story from the days of steam engines and horses and colonial empires was still relevant. His new book is "The Crowded Hour: Theodore Roosevelt, The Rough Riders And The Dawn Of The American Century. "

Who were the Rough Riders?

The Rough Riders were a unique volunteer regiment that was formed in the first days of the Spanish-American War. At the time, the U. S.  military was really small, and they needed to bulk up really quickly. So the U. S.  Army went out and recruited cowboys, athletes, people who you could train pretty quickly. And a lot of it was the brainchild of Theodore Roosevelt.

turn 0 : The story involving Theodore Roosevelt may reveal America's aggressive nature.

Which story involves Theodore Roosevelt?

Answer: Riders


And I don't know if they ever made the spreadsheet. But the two of them really decided early on that they were committed to this. He also happened to be Swedish, which she said helped. But, you know, really kind of staying on top of it seemed to be the most important thing for couples.

And so what do you think the takeaway is?What needs to happen?

I think the takeaway is more awareness. One of the problems is that we have this idea of the modern involved father. We all know that things have improved a lot since the 1950s. And it's really easy to focus on that rather than to know - and I think most people don't know because they don't look at statistics - that fathers' participation leveled off at 35% around the year 2000. So we go into parenting expecting something like parity. But it doesn't manifest. So our expectations are really not being met. And that leads to a lot of anger.

That was Darcy Lockman, author of "All The Rage: Mothers, Fathers And The Myth Of Equal Partnership. "

turn 1 : A takeaway is a key fact, point, or idea to be remembered, typically one emerging from a discussion or meeting.

Which word describes a key fact, point, or idea to be remembered?

Answer: Key


I don't see that this is something that you can avoid. I like the idea that they might have a problem with me liking it. That makes sense. I think, you know, in the West we have - it seems kind of retrograde that I would like it, but you know, insofar as my kids are concerned, I think it's part of a skill set that everybody should have growing up.

It used to be in the purview of the aristocracy, you know, from fencing societies to, you know, Marquis of Queensbury Boxing Rules. These were the pursuits of the upper classes, you know, not even 100 years ago.

So if you were a person fit for society, this is what you did. You know, somebody might counter with well, we no longer duel either. You know, we settle our disagreements, we're guided by the rule of law. You know, I mean, when you're in a bar and a guy is not letting you leave the bar because somehow he's chosen you in this, you know, great moment of flesh meeting flesh that you and him are going to - I mean, there are lots of options, but it would be nice at that point in time probably for you to learn - know how to defend yourself.

Now, there's some people who have never had occasion to need to defend themselves, and to them this might seem to be a very strange pastime, but I don't know many people like that.

All right. Well, Eugene, thanks a lot.

turn 1 : It used to be in the purview of the aristocracy, you know, from fencing societies to, you know, Marquis of Queensbury Boxing Rules.These were the pursuits of the upper classes, you know, not even 100 years ago. Literal meaning: The speaker is discussing the historical association of martial arts with the upper classes.

How does the speaker describe the historical association of martial arts with the upper classes?

Answer: Historical


And then the phone rang a few times, but I didn't pick it up. And, you know, you don't always answer your phone when you're having dinner on a Saturday night.

Right. Right.

But he was alive at that time?

The answer is no. He wasn't.

turn 2 : So that's when I called his mom. And her cousin picked up and said - Alex, you need to get on the next plane to Sri Lanka. There's been a bombing. And Kieran is hurt, and he's here in the hospital.  In this turn, the literal meaning is that the speaker called the mother of someone and was informed by the cousin that there had been a bombing in Sri Lanka and Kieran was hurt and in the hospital. However, the implied meaning is that there was a serious and potentially life-threatening situation that required immediate action.

How was Kieran when the speaker called his mother?

Answer: Hurt


Well, it's definitely run by individual nations but individual nations with their systems tied together. And that happens both geographically but also temporally. You know, one of the key tools for observations that feed the weather models are the polar-orbiting satellites. It's so well-integrated that the European polar orbiters cover the earth in each local time's morning, and the American orbiters come in the afternoon.

I mean, that's a sort of pattern that has been essential to making sure that, you know, we have the latest observations from every part of the earth's atmosphere. It's about this sort of continually humming system to step forward in time and correct slightly and, you know, keep spitting out a changing forecast that hopefully gets better and better.

And so up until now, it's been governments that have been obviously calculating the weather for the greater good. But you call privatization a major threat to weather forecasting. Explain.

Yes, it's a 150-year-old system of governments collaborating with each other as a global public good. You know, in the '60s, it was something that President Kennedy saw as a sort of counterpoint to the space race. You know, meteorology was a way that governments could collaborate. But more recently, we potentially have a kind of bifurcation. You know, we potentially have forecasts for the haves and forecasts for the have-nots.

turn 0 : The weather models obtain information from the satellites.

What is one of the key tools for weather model observations?

Answer: Polar-orbiting-satellites


That's a harsh statement. I mean, you know, some of us were expecting - I mean because this is a very delicate matter for Barack Obama. On the one hand he wants to keep those civil rights establishment figures behind him, supporting him throughout this general election period, but at the same time he knows well that if he can create a little bit of distance with Jesse Jackson, he may be able to pull on more moderate Democrats, white and black, and maybe even some moderate Republicans.

But Jesse Jackson, Jr.  seems to have taken the lead and seems particularly angry and personally offended by what his father had done. And it suggests that the relationship there is somewhat fractured as well.

Let's go deeper, linguistically into this. When, at the time that I spoke with Reverend Jackson, and this was yesterday, we believed, knowing what we did, we being most of the press, that he had said that Senator Obama had emasculated himself. As it turned out, the phrase was much rougher and much more, you know, I want to blank, blank, blank. Is there a difference between those two ways, neither of them particularly nice, of parsing out lack of manhood?

Well, you know, I actually read that slightly differently. When I heard about the specific comments and the castration and sort of the anger in which it was delivered, even though it was a whisper of. I immediately began to think back historically about, you know, the ways and which powerful black men, or uppity black men were punished.

turn 2 : The press misunderstood Jackson's comment as emasculation, but it was actually more severe

What did the press initially believe about Jackson's comment?

Answer: Misunderstood


Good to be here, Scott.

I tried. I tried, and she was insistent. She was in her first year at the great Georgia Tech studying aerospace engineering. She wants to be an astronaut. And she said, look, I've got to be fit. We have to do it. And I thought - past the age of 50, I just thought it was beyond me. I'd done it when I was young, but I didn't think I could anymore.

You are running six marathons in nine days, right?

turn 1 :  "So why didn't you just tell your daughter Ronnie let's train for a chili cook-off instead?" - The literal meaning of this turn is a question about why the person didn't suggest training for a chili cook-off instead of something else. However, the actual meaning is sarcastic and implies that the person is doing something very difficult or challenging.

How many marathons is the person running?

Answer: six


Yes, yes, and I was inundated with students and visitors and all of that because there's a fascination to this, and they all - well, they're all happy to be - to see something like this and realize that when I started and where I started is where they are and that they can do something. And that ought to be the goal: school, learn and then use your own abilities to go further.

Do they realize that?Do they understand that?

I know some did. Now others I think are still thinking I'm going to quickly grab a degree and get a fantastic job and get rich, but I don't think they're thinking beyond getting rich. Now I don't know if that's a good life.

Well, congratulations to you, Nick.

turn 2 : Getting rich may not lead to a good life.

What is the goal of school according to A?

Answer: learn


Wow.

. . . Actually the night he died. So he was a very well-respected young person by our staff, by our students and our community. And, you know, it was a very shame that that did happen.

I'm so impressed. I gather the youngsters themselves in your school came up with the idea of electing them king and queen. I got to tell you. . .

Yeah, you know, you think about social media as something that's bad sometimes. Well, they - her friends and his friends kind of started a little social media thing and the adults weren't even totally aware. And they wanted to - they wanted to have them be king and queen. Now, it wasn't, you know, the whole school. It wasn't everybody. It was a very tight group of kids that really. . .

turn 3 : Yeah, you know, you think about social media as something that's bad sometimes. Well, they - her friends and his friends kind of started a little social media thing and the adults weren't even totally aware. And they wanted to - they wanted to have them be king and queen. Now, it wasn't, you know, the whole school. It wasn't everybody. It was a very tight group of kids that really... Implicated Meaning: A is challenging a common perception or assumption about social media. The phrase "you think about social media as something that's bad sometimes" implies that there is a negative generalization or stereotype associated with social media. A is suggesting that this perception is not always accurate or applicable in every situation. The phrase "the adults weren't even totally aware" implies that the adults were unaware of the social media activity initiated by the friends of the individuals in question. It suggests a level of secrecy or exclusivity among a specific group of kids. The phrase "they wanted to have them be king and queen" implies that the group of kids had a desire or intention to elect the individuals as king and queen, which may have been unexpected or unconventional.

Answer: Elected


All right.

. . . I will say. . .

My generation.

(Laughter) This is - you know, the past two years have, of course, been dominated by the Russia investigation, the Mueller probe. And that was centered on the idea of foreign influence in the 2016 election from Russia. And now we have, you know, what appears to be a conversation between President Trump and the president of Russia's neighbor Ukraine talking about looking into a political opponent, Joe Biden, and his son. And so this does raise questions, again, about foreign interference and what the president is inviting or doing heading into the 2020 campaign.

If we can get a yes-or-no question, have you confirmed that this is the subject of the whistleblower's complaint?

turn 4 : A whistle was not blown but a person complained about an event publically that could be illegal.

Answer: whistleblowing


Firefighting is dangerous - raging flames, choking smoke, hot, floating ash - but what about the long-term health effects that persist after the fire's been doused and firefighters have gone home?The Chicago Tribune investigated links between fighting fires and deadly cancers that can catch up to those first responders long after they leave a scene. Karen Ann Cullotta reported the story, and she told us she started looking into it after two firefighters in the Chicago area died.

I wrote obituaries for both of them, and I was kind of taken aback that they were both young, and these were what was being called line-of-duty deaths cancer deaths. So I started asking around different fire departments and saying, you know, is this something you're seeing?Is this something that's being talked about?And without exception, every department I spoke with said this is pretty much all we're talking about.

Is it the toxic smoke?What is it?

Yeah. So there's just - there's a lot of questions - unanswered questions. And while there's been research into this for years, it's still unfolding. They've always known that, of course, inhaling smoke is dangerous. But now, these studies are looking at these toxins that are in the smoke and that settle on the skin. So it's not just inhalation. It's actually getting into the skin and into the blood stream from exposed areas.

turn 0 : Firefighting can have long-term health consequences for first responders, including deadly cancers.

Which Chicago newspaper featured the investigative report on the links between firefighting and deadly cancers?

Answer: Treasury


Now, the Russian government doesn't get many chances in this context internationally, on the global stage, to do the right thing. I have been criticizing the Russian government while I am here. What more can I do to satisfy you or any of these critics who hold these positions?The reality is there is nothing that will satisfy them because it is their suspicion, it is their skepticism, it is their distrust of the Russian government as an institution which is motivating this.

I mean, do I have to detail for you the ways in which the Putin government has earned (laughter) some suspicion?

No, no. Absolutely not. Again, I agree with you. This (laughter) - look, look; this is why I have been criticizing the Russian government. There's no distance between us on that. I'm not saying Vladimir Putin is an angel. I'm not even saying Vladimir Putin is a decent guy. What I'm saying is you have to understand there doesn't need to be a quid pro quo here for it to make sense.

Edward Snowden. Elsewhere in the program, he talks about his work at the NSA before he leaked classified information and tells us what's keeping him from returning to the U. S.  to face trial.

turn 0 : The Russian government does not get many chances for people to see them all over the world.

How does the Russian government appear internationally?

Answer: Limited


EDWARD O.  WILSON: Always a pleasure to be with you, Ira.

Thank you very, very much. This is almost like advice to the lovelorn sort of book, it's advice to would-be scientists. Why did you write this?

Well, 42 years of teaching at Harvard qualified me, and I had learned lot about what brings students into science, whether as professionals or as part of their general education program, and what drives them away. And I saw a lot of the brightest young people, the most qualified, potentially, to be in science and technology turned away because at an early stage in their career at Harvard they were just afraid of mathematics, and they were afraid of the kind of rigors that one experiences in the usual portrayal of scientists as white coat people standing at the blackboard explaining complex equations and other ideas to rapt audiences.

Because you talk about your career and about your work with such passion in your book that I few people would know that a scientist could be as passionate and as successful about their work. And it seems like it's a necessary - or it's something like, almost like continuing to have a childlike curiosity about the world for your whole life.

turn 1 : It seems like a book that gives advice that helps people get with the one they love, in this case, what they love.

Answer: NONE


But the important part for the corals is that these things are wonderful eating machines. They move slowly across the reef. They actually invert their stomach onto the corals and dissolve the coral tissue, you know, digesting it as they go. And they leave (technical difficulties) white behind them as they move forward.

So they're like little bulldozers.

Yeah, it's sort of like bulldozers. It's almost more like having a wave of people with flamethrowers going through the brush. You know, the coral physically is left behind, but it's all dead.

Do they have any natural enemies that might, you know, come out and eat them?

turn 1 : They are not literally bulldozers, but they move like them.

How do the creatures in the dialogue move?

Answer: slowly


Great to be here.

And a little background: It's been almost 20 years since the end of Guatemala's so-called Dirty War. General Rios Montt is now 86 years old. Some might wonder if justice delayed is justice denied.

Well, this obviously has been a really long time in coming for the victims of the crimes in Guatemala, and for their country, as well. I think the victims who had an opportunity to testify in the trial proceedings would say that justice ultimately was not denied, as a result of this really historic outcome, that I don't think anybody expected to happen.

Why?

turn 2 : a long time coming means something has been meaning to happen but hasn't happened until recently

Answer: Delayed


They open doors at about seven in the morning. The stores aren't open until 11 on Sundays. So there's just hours and hours of people just walking through the mall.

David Segal is a writer for the New York Times. His latest article is called "Our Love Affair with Malls Is on the Rocks. "David, thank you.

You're very welcome.

Stay with us. It's free, from Day to Day on NPR News.

turn 0 : The mall opens early and people walk around for hours before stores open.

What do people do in the mall for hours before stores open?

Answer: Walking


The body of Lucille sits in the body of Thelma. Her life circled there in the lap of her mother, who wore 12 fingers just as she wore 12, just as the baby inside of her as she sat in the body of Thelma wore 12.

Lucille there in the middle, lived her light-filled life, never losing her daughter seat, dying on the very day Miss Thelma died. All the daughters and sons, who long left the movies, all the poets black, who sought their lives only ordinary, recount their long calla lily fingers every day, wring their jewels into jewels hands, circling the unbroken light-filled two-headed body of the woman who keeps keeping us.

"The Ordinary Body of Lucille" by Nikky Finney, our guest. I have to ask you, jewels into jewels. That line is in italic.

Hmm. Yes. That's a line from Ms.  Clifton's poem. And it's - I just - I love it so much. It's one of - a thousand favorite phrases of hers.

turn 0 : Her mother's arms are around her as she sits in her lap.

Which body is being referred to in the statement?

Answer: Thelma's