Exactly. And so this is how you get this agency in the middle of this fight with its current director leaving and trying to set something up to protect it on his way out the door.

So why is this complicated?Because directors leave agencies all the time and acting directors come in through clear lines of succession and then ultimately somebody else might be appointed. What's going on here?

Yeah. So Richard Cordray, the Obama-era appointee, was basically trying to protect the agency. And written into its founding document - written into the Dodd-Frank law - it says that when there's a vacancy, the deputy director becomes the acting director. So Cordray named Leandra English, who had been his chief of staff, to be the deputy director as he was walking out the door. Then, a few hours later, the White House announced that the president had picked Mick Mulvaney to be the acting director. He's the White House budget director, also an outspoken critic of CFPB - basically, saying at one point along the way that he thought it should be shut down.

Now the White House says the law's on their side.

turn 3 :  implies that something else is going on behind the scenes that is not typical of director changes, (3) implies that the Obama-era appointee was trying to protect the agency in an unconventional way, and (4) implies that the White House is attempting to justify their side of the argument by citing the law.

How was Leandra English appointed as the deputy director of CFPB?

Answer: Leandra


You were screamed at in Duluth?Could you tell us these stories?

I think the man in Braddock, PA was a case in point. I was photographing the original Carnegie Library, the very first one. And it was, you know, quite an amazing experience for me. The interior Carnegie had produced was quite magnificent, and it had a swimming pool and a basketball court and, you know, as well as all the books. And then I went outside to photograph the exterior. And the entire project I did with a large-format 4-by-5 camera, so it's - I have to be under a dark cloth to focus the camera.

And the - at one point, while I was focusing, a hand reached in and tried to grab the camera. And I pushed it away and came out from under the dark cloth and was punched very strongly in the jaw. This man had thought I had photographed him. You know, he obviously was out of his mind. He had - who knows what his problem was - but the homeless population is something that librarians have to deal with in the libraries. It's not something they're necessarily trained to do. It's just an added thing. And I - you can't blame the libraries. It's - where do people go if they're on the streets?

The Northeastern Nevada Regional Bookmobile, as the name implies, that's a library on wheels.

turn 3 : Is the Northeastern Nevada Regional Bookmobile a library service that provides books to people in remote areas?

What type of service is the Northeastern Nevada Regional Bookmobile?

Answer: Bookmobile


Let's start with the AP style guide - maybe I should say the Associated Press style guide because we're going to be talking about abbreviations. Those sometimes present decisions, right?Do we always need the say Internal Revenue Service on first reference?Doesn't everybody kind of know the UN or FBI by its initials, or NPR for that matter?So AP has now ruled about BLT.

They have. We can say BLT on first reference. Now I should start out by saying that NPR - we have our own standards and styles, but we usually are in line with AP's. In this case, I found a reference going back, at least to 2002 by someone named Scott Simon. . .

(Laughter) Oh, no.

. . . Who referred to a BLT as a BLT without saying bacon, lettuce and tomato.

I bring this up though because, as I don't have to tell you of all people, Mark, there are initials that have entered everyday language because they're abbreviations for profanities.

turn 3 :  "referred to a BLT as a BLT without saying bacon, lettuce and tomato" - The literal meaning is that the person referred to a BLT sandwich without mentioning its components, which is also the actual meaning.

What did Scott Simon call a BLT without mentioning its components?

Answer: BLT


So there were a couple of feuds on the blog this week. Break them down for us.

Well, I'll start with the more-amusing one: Aretha Franklin versus Beyonce and Beyonce's dad. So flash back to last week's Grammys. Beyonce introduced her duet partner, Tina Turner, as the queen. Aretha Franklin, the reigning Queen of Soul, was none too pleased and released a statement saying it was a cheap shot for controversy. Beyonce's dad/manager responded, saying Franklin's statement was ridiculous.

Now, most people on our blog seem to agree. C.  Cody(ph) wrote: Re-re(ph) should have exercised her right to remain queen by remaining silent; and Willis Page(ph) had his own beef with Ms.  Franklin. He wrote: I've had tickets to see Aretha Franklin three times, and three times she has cancelled in different cities. How about being mad at the title of Queen of No-shows?

And then the other big feud this week was between Tavis Smiley and Michelle Obama. Journalist Tavis Smiley invited Barack Obama to speak at his annual State of the Black Union. Obama declined, saying he had to campaign, but he offered to send his wife, Michelle, in his place. Tavis Smiley essentially said no thanks.

turn 2 : Tavis Smiley declined Michelle Obama's offer to speak at his event in place of Barack Obama.

Which feud did Willis Page have a problem with on the blog?

Answer: Franklin


What does it mean to put your hat in someone's ring?Does it mean that you are, for example, trying to lead your constituents that you're trying to lead other people, who are a part of the Congressional Black Caucus or part of Congress?What exactly does you putting your chips on the table mean?

For the past 20-something years, I have been putting out a sample ballot. And if people don't get it at the time that they think they should, my office is inundated with calls. You know, through the media, through your sample ballot operation, I let people know what's on my mind. And I try and let them know why I'm doing what I'm doing and then they make their decision.

Congresswoman, I've had a chance to come to your offices in South Los Angeles and you have a multi-racial coalition of staffers - black, white, Asian…

That's right.

turn 0 : In turn (1), the speaker is asking for clarification on the meaning of the phrase "put your hat in someone's ring." The literal meaning of the turn is that the speaker is asking for a definition of the phrase. However, the implied meaning of the turn is that the speaker is curious about the context in which the phrase is used and wants to understand the implications and nuances of its usage. The turn implies that the speaker is interested in the social and political dynamics that underlie the phrase and wants to gain a deeper understanding of its meaning beyond a simple definition.

Which turn reveals the PersonA's interest in understanding the social and political implications of the phrase "put your hat in someone's ring"?

Answer: 1


This was during the Gilded Age, and this - you know, the original 1-percenters in this country. They wanted - especially Western Pennsylvania - I mean, steel moved this country. Steel helped build this country in the industrial age. And that steel was in Western Pennsylvania and throughout Pennsylvania - and the titans of steel and of coal and railroads. And they wanted a club that their compatriots had out West. And so they created the South Fork Hunt and Fish Club. And they wanted to be able to go out boating and fishing. And so they're in the Conemaugh Valley. They dammed up a river, created an earthen dam. But it was not well prepared. And the people were concerned about it. And they said this dam could fail. And if this dam fails, it would be catastrophic.

There was a lot of rain, wasn't there?

I mean, we talk about rain of biblical proportions. I mean, it was more than a foot of rain. But the problem was in the engineering of the dam. There was no way to - on a methodical basis - to be able to release water. The water just kept coming over the spillway and eroding the face of the dam, which was holding in all the rock and stone. And that gave way. Within 40 minutes, 20 million tons of water was emptied and heading down the Conemaugh Valley at about 40 to 50 miles per hour.

And as the water threatened to burst through - of course, in those days, no radio, no TV, no Twitter.

turn 2 : they mention detailed miles and tons of water

How many tons of water were emptied within 40 minutes?

Answer: 20million


Did you get an answer?

We did not. I guess - I suppose an answer in sort we're saying why; we don't know when it's going to be released. And then as we dug into it further, the answer that we really got was it was a White House decision.

You're hearing this from who - from - when you're reaching out to the Pentagon, they're telling you - ask the White House?

Correct. Yes.

turn 1 : They asked more questions to find out the answer and got one.

Answer: Ask


You know there are some including the West Point history professor, Lieutenant Colonel John Gentile, who say that it's not so much that we've sent in these extra troops or changed our strategy, it's that we got Muqtada al-Sadr's forces to have a ceasefire and we essentially hired 100,000 former Sunni insurgents to come onto our payroll and try to keep quiet.

That's an absolute distortion of what's actually happened. Look, I've been going to Iraq for the last two years, every three or four months for a couple of weeks at a time. I have spoken to the Sunni insurgent leaders and they have capitulated. There's not a white flag of surrender, but they have come into the political process.

Why did you come into the political process?Why didn't you continue to seek your political objectives using armed violence?Answer, because we couldn't win. One of them said, when Bush occupied Baghdad, we knew we didn't have a chance. Those are his words not mine. The awakening movement had already started in Anbar province, but the fact of the matter is with the catalyst of additional troops, that awakening movement, as you say, the Sons of Iraq.

This is the people we hired to.

turn 1 : The Iraqi Sunni insurgents have given up their struggle against the US-led government, and have accepted its terms for peace.

Which group has accepted the US-led government's terms for peace?

Answer: Sunni


UNESCO must have known in July when they declared the old city in Hebron a Palestinian world heritage site that Israel would object because they say that Judaism has a lot of links to Hebron and that this would create problems in the United States.

One should make a difference. In UNESCO, there are different bodies. So when you say UNESCO took a decision, I think the more precise will be to say that the World Heritage Committee took a decision. But on my side, I have done many - implement many initiatives to strengthen the - our ties with the Jewish people. I think if you look at the bigger picture, you will find also these important activities of the organization that I think makes it a little bit more complex just to be one-sided when when you judge us.

Well, I mean - I wasn't asking if you or UNESCO were anti-Semitic. I was asking if you didn't realize in July when the Heritage Site committee made the declaration.

Well, I personally realized it. But as I said, I'm not taking these decisions to the World Heritage Committee. But I did realize it.

turn 3 : the speaker is implying that they personally realized the potential consequences of the decision when it was made, even though they are not part of the decision-making process.

How was the speaker involved in the decision-making process?

Answer: None


Four-hundred-fifty advisers - a good step, enough?

It's OK as far as it goes. It's clearly not enough. We already have about 3,100 Americans there. And ISIS has momentum, and this is not going to change that, I think.

Congressman, what do you say to, I think, a lot of Americans, including some Republicans who might be listening to this interview, who say America doesn't have a good history of sending troops to Iraq?And they're worried about sending any more.

Yeah, I worry about that, too. Clearly, the preferred option is for the Iraqis themselves to provide security for their own country. They have not been very successful at doing that so far. And so we've sent folks back into Iraq after having left there prematurely, in my view. But when we send them back, we only allow them to train Iraqis inside the bases. We do not allow the advisers to go out into the field with them.

turn 2 : This statement implies that Americans are skeptical about sending more troops to Iraq due to the country's previous history with military involvement in Iraq.

How do Americans feel about sending more troops to Iraq based on their past history?

Answer: Skeptical


Some analysts call the decision a compromise rather than a punt, but the ruling leaves open many questions about what's next for affirmative action. We're joined now, as we often are, by David Savage, Supreme Court correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune newspapers. He joins us by phone from his office here in Washington. David, always good to have you with us.

Hi Neal.

Waiting a long time for this decision on a case the justices seemed to have picked to issue a sweeping ruling on affirmative action.

Yes, this is one that the most surprising aspect of it is what they didn't do. When this case came up for argument in October, it sure looked like the case that the conservatives had wanted to basically say no to affirmative action. Five of them are very familiar with this subject and have in the past been very skeptical of the idea of using race.

turn 0 : The decision was not something that was given up by one side.

How was the decision described by some analysts?

Answer: compromise


Yeah.

(Reading) Bridgette McNeal, the Atlanta mother of four, has been on Second Life for just over a decade. Though Bridgette is middle-aged, her avatar is a lithe twenty-something whom she describes as perfect me, if I'd never eaten sugar or had children. When we spoke, Bridgette described her Second Life home as a refuge that grants permission. When I step into that space, I'm afforded the luxury of being selfish, she said, invoking Virginia Woolf. It's like a room of my own.

I mean, there are so many reasons to love this woman. Her real everyday life is so difficult. She's raising two disabled children. What did you feel when you talked to Bridgette McNeal?

I felt so much. The idea of constructing these online selves that we prefer in certain ways to our real selves is really relevant to so many people. And for Bridgette, I was fascinated by her daily life. She's raising four kids, two of whom are autistic teenagers, and there's a lot of joy and meaning in those relationships and also a lot of hard work.

turn 1 : She began to act like and say things like the author, Virginia Woolf.

What author did Bridgette McNeal invoke when describing her Second Life home as a refuge that grants permission?

Answer: woolf


Yeah.

. . . Of having people close who actually are talking to each other. . .

Yeah.

. . . Which is - like, when I was little, I thought they were very best friends. Then I got older and I'm like, oh, they just - they get along. But like. . .

turn 3 : A is reflecting on the nature of relationships between people close to each other.

What is PersonA's perspective on relationships?

Answer: Reflective


That's true. And people who are addicted to it are too scared to death to tell anybody, because they're going like, yeah, if I tell somebody I'm addicted to a computer game, I'm going to get laughed out on the street, you know, because so many people haven't seen it or experience it, or they themselves are addicted, so they don't even want to believe that there's such a thing, because they might have to look at their own issue.

Just one quick piece of advice. If you're - you obviously tried to stay in contact with your son. He made it difficult for you, and he's dead. Whether or not some people would argue that it's not the gaming's fault, you think it is. One very small piece of advice for families who are trying to help someone.

I really need to talk to parents and tell them that these games are not glorified babysitters. And I see so many parents so excited because they're teaching their two year old to play games, and by five, they're addicted. You know, it's just heartbreaking to me, because it's like giving their child the drug, and they don't even know what they're doing. They're helping ruin their child's life, because it does affect their brain. It rewires their brain, and it affects how they function in society.

Well, Liz, thank you so much for sharing your story.

turn 0 : People are ashamed to admit they're addicted to computer games.

What are people afraid of when admitting they're addicted to computer games?

Answer: Ridicule


It's time now for our Africa Update. The search begins for an African Einstein. In South Africa this week, at least two dozen people have been killed in a wave of attacks on foreigners and we look at Rwanda's new economic force, women. For more, we've got Roxanne Lawson, she's director of Africa Policy for TransAfrica Forum. Hey, Roxanne.

Hi, how are you doing?

I'm doing great. So let's talk about some disturbing news form South Africa. It's the biggest economic power on the continent and plenty of immigrants from other African nations are flooding into the country, legally or not. South Africans are accusing these immigrants of taking away jobs and causing crime, in some ways it's similar to a lot of the debates right here in the U. S.  Now, some South Africans are getting into brutal attacks on foreigners. At least 24 people have been killed in unrest that broke out a week ago. So what's the latest on the violence?

You're directly right that it actually is very much like what we see here in the United States with our migration issues. As of this morning, official reports that 217 people have been arrested, over 3,000 have been displaced and 22 people are dead.

turn 1 : There are no turns in this conversation whose actual meanings are different from their literal meanings. All of the turns are being used in a straightforward and literal manner.

Answer: Organization


Well, Yelena Grigoryeva was an activist. A few years ago, she came out and said that she was a gay woman and began to defend LGBT rights in St.  Petersburg. And the community of LGBT in St.  Petersburg is quite vibrant. They're victims. Almost all of them are victims of violence. They get attacked during their rallies. They receive horrible, nasty threats. And Yelena Grigoryeva, shortly before her death, received a photograph of a knife. So her friends say it cannot be just a coincidence. . .

Yeah.

. . . That she receives a photograph of a knife and then she gets stabbed to death.

Now, a local news site reports that a suspect has been arrested. What is known about the crime and the man who's been arrested?

turn 0 : came out implies she revealed publicly that she is gay

How did Yelena Grigoryeva become involved in defending LGBT rights?

Answer: Gay.


Well, can you describe to us what the situation is on the ground there in Gaza?What does it looked like?What's going on in the hospitals?

It is a very bad situation. The hospitals are ill-equipped and not ready to deal with a mass-casualty event like this one. Israel did allow humanitarian supplies to go into Gaza today. They allowed quite a few trucks to enter. Aid workers on the ground say that it's not enough, that there's still real a shortage there.

Griff Witte is the Jerusalem bureau chief for the Washington Post. Thank you very much.

Thanks, Madeleine.

turn 1 : The situation in Gaza is much worse than the humanitarian supplies suggest.

What do aid workers say about the humanitarian supplies in Gaza?

Answer: Shortage


What about the government ordering banks to rewrite some of these loans, or mandating them, I should say, or even buying back these loans?

Well, mandating is tough. I mean, we do live in a country where contracts are held firm and the government can't essentially say, we want you to void these contracts. I mean, the government could give some relief from a legal perspective that would allow people to modify more easily. Some people have argued what you say, that, you know, the best way to do this is to have the government acquire these loans and then it could do - it can make any changes it wants with a much freer hand than sort of doing this from a bully pulpit or from a sort of a threatening posture.

And Vikas, what about all the people who have already lost their homes and have nothing. Is there anything for them?Can they get any money back?

Yeah, certainly that's painful. I'm not sure that anybody is really talking about that right now. I mean, in the settlement at the states, there were countrywide - there were some - and there was a provision that countrywide would help these people find, at least in that case, rental housing. It's unclear whether they will be more - sort of done broadly for those people. I think the best thing that could be done is to alleviate the economic problems in the country so that the people will be able to, you know, not to lose their jobs or find new jobs, if they have already lost their job.

turn 1 : The government could acquire loans and make changes more easily.

Which option would allow the government to make changes more easily?

Answer: Government


Yeah.

. . . Jupiter. But there's no debris right now. It looks like whatever hit Jupiter, Jupiter just kind of swallowed it whole.

Yeah. You know, I'm reminded - when you say debris, I'm reminded of that famous Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet that broke up and smashed into the planet in 1994.

Well, you're right. And, you know, I said 10 or 20 years ago, people might have said that Dan Peterson, who saw the impact, was just, you know, seeing things. But back before comet Shoemaker - excuse me, SL9 hit Jupiter, astronomers were very skeptical that big impacts like that occurred in the modern day solar system. And then we saw that tremendous series of 21 impacts with our own eyes, when Shoemaker 9 hit Jupiter. And, of course, that was a comet.

turn 3 : The tremendous series of 21 impacts with our own eyes when Shoemaker 9 hit Jupiter was a comet.

Answer: comet


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

Yeah.

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

Right.

turn 2 : The actual meaning is that near-Earth asteroids are easier to reach than the surface of the moon.

Which celestial body is easier to reach than the moon according to turn 2?

Answer: Moon


Ground-based solar is only good when the sun is shining. And this applies to wind energy, too. It's only good when the wind is blowing. You have to have fossil fuel generators, standing by to pick up the load when the wind stops blowing, or the sun stops shining. So that has to be figured into the economics of wind- and ground-based solar. And, of course, you don't have either of those problems with a solar power satellite.

What would my electricity bill look like if I were getting solar power beamed down from satellites?What would it cost me?

That is hard to come by, but the best estimates we have, it's somewhere between eight to 20 cents a kilowatt hour.

Well 20 cents a kilowatt hour would be very expensive electricity.

turn 0 : Ground-based solar and wind energy are not reliable sources of power.

What is the problem with ground-based solar and wind energy?

Answer: Reliability


You're very welcome.

What made you write this letter?

What I've noticed is that the sidelines has become more venomous. When expletives come across, when parents are yelling you're the worst referee ever because of one bad call that was made - this is outrageous behavior. It's unacceptable on every level.

Is there a particularly egregious incident that sticks in your mind that you could relate to us we might learn from?

turn 1 : (2) "What made you write this letter?" - Implied meaning: What inspired you to write this letter?

What behavior is considered unacceptable on every level?

Answer: Outrageous


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

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

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

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

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

What was the PersonA's reaction to the fact that the couple that PersonA helped were strangers?

Answer: Admiration.


No. And the thing is that this book, to me, it was very important that it's not just a bunch of recipes put in a nice book. It's also really a document of food culture. And I think that out of those 700 or something recipes that are in the book, there are probably at least 50 of them that I doubt that anyone is actually going to cook. But they're still really important because they explain something about food culture, you know.

Yeah. And, I mean, I'm just guessing - blood pancakes with smoked reindeer fat makes the point that the Sami people, living in arduous circumstances, have to make use of every part of the reindeer.

It does, you know. It tells that story in a really, really clear and very good way.

If we were to say - chef, could you make us one recipe from this book, what might you try?

turn 2 : The book contains more than just recipes - it is also a way to gain insight into and appreciate the culture and history of the cuisine.

What does the book offer besides recipes?

Answer: Insight


We had testimony submitted to us this morning in writing by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who engineered - according to the government and himself - the attacks of 9/11. And he was questioned about the role of Salim Hamdan, and I'll just read you one paragraph from what he answered.

The question was, did Salim Hamdan ever have any role in planning, or carry out, any activities that you either directed or were involved in?, as he was the director of operations. He didn't play any role. He was not a soldier. He was a driver. His nature was primitive. He was a Bedouin one person and far from civilized. He was not fit to plan or execute. But he is fit to change truck tires, to change oil filters, wash and clean cars, and passing cargo and pickup trucks. He could tighten bolts and could select the best maintenance shop.

This is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, saying this about Hamdan?

That's right. We also had testimony from Waleed bin Attash, and as I understand it, he was responsible, or has boasted his responsibility, for the attack on the USS Cole. And he says Salim Hamdan's activities were distinctively clear, as he was seen driving the cars going and coming every day. His responsibilities were those related to driving, such as mechanical and maintenance and repairs. He was not involved in planning any attacks against the United States.

turn 2 : : The speaker is expressing frustration or disappointment about a situation, and may be looking for empathy or support from the listener.

Which emotion is the speaker trying to convey through turn 2?

Answer: Frustration


My parents are actually still in Khartoum. We're lucky that they are among the few whose mobile phones still work. There's been a widespread outrage. It just sounds incredibly scary that the city is in a state of paralysis. Activist groups have called for a general strike, and people seem to be sticking to it. Roads are closed off.

And what makes this particularly terrifying is it's not even really the armed forces that people are clashing with. It's a specific paramilitary segment that was regularized as part of the armed forces but used to be an out-of-control militia in Darfur - the Janjaweed militias, the Rapid Support Forces. And that's what's scaring people is that this isn't even a regular force that's taken control of the town.

This means the military is fracturing?I mean, we should say all this happened after protesters demanded the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir. And military there is now in charge of Sudan, but what you are describing is that there is no cohesive military either. Right?

Absolutely. The military as a token is in charge. The head of the military council is a general. But the second in command is head of these forces, the Rapid Support Forces. And everyone I've spoken to on the ground says those are the people that are on the streets. All the videos that we've been sent by eyewitnesses, from the citizens show that it was Rapid Support Force guards that charged the sit-in. And it's incredibly chilling because this is a militia that was accused of war crimes in Darfur. And to have them control the ground in the capital of Sudan is very scary for people right now.

turn 1 : The paramilitary forces are in control and people are scared

Answer: Paramilitary


To the outside world, your mother, a progressive voice, but what was going on inside the family?

My mother was dealing with a lot of what black women were dealing with in Jackson, Miss. So from the outside, it looked like she was doing really well. She was on television - local television - doing political prognostication. She was in an abusive relationship. She did not make much money. She was dealing with what I would call, like, the shards of abuse. And, you know, when I was around 9 or 10, she started to whip me when I didn't do right. And she would always say she was whipping me because what I would face from police or white people would be even harsher.

And those beatings just I think started to get progressively worse, and I think that the beatings my mother was taking from life, from our town, from her partner, also started to get progressively worse. And I think the scariest part about it looking back is that we just didn't know how to talk about any of it. We didn't know how to talk about what we were doing to one another, and we didn't really know how to talk about what the world and our state was doing to us.

As the very title suggests, that the cost of trauma, including, for example, the beatings you endured from your mother, the beatings that she endured, all of that takes a toll on our bodies. What happened to you?

turn 1 : Despite looking successful, my mother was dealing with abuse and financial struggles.

Which struggles was PersonA's mother dealing with?

Answer: Abuse


Most Americans agree Congress should do something to try to end gun violence. There is wide support for a range of ideas, including keeping tabs on or limiting who can get a gun and making it easier for police and family members to temporarily take guns away from people who may hurt themselves or others - what's known as red flag laws. There's more division on other proposals. We all - we know all of this because of a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.

NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro has dug into the numbers. He joins us now. Hey, Domenico.

Hey, Ailsa.

OK. So I want to start where there is some agreement. Let's just start positive for now. What does this poll tell us?

turn 3 : Let's focus on the areas of agreement before discussing divisive issues.

Which area should they focus on before discussing divisive issues?

Answer: Agreement


There is a - after so long under dictatorship, and it was certainly not just Mr.  Mubarak but his predecessors all the way back through Nasser and before it had a king and, well, effective British rule before that, there's been one person in charge of Egypt for a very long time.

Yes. And, you know, people wanted that to change. And one of the things we heard a lot of in Tahrir Square today is we didn't oust Mubarak to get an Islamist dictator - oust a secular dictator to get an Islamist dictator. And Morsi was elected, but the idea is to have a democratic process. One of the complaints also about the draft constitution is it gives too much power to the president. And now people are saying, we want to be represented; all of Egypt, not just the Muslim Brotherhood.

Is there any indication that at this point, the president and the Muslim Brotherhood will reconsider?

So far we're not seeing indications of that. Of course, as you mentioned, yesterday, the president's spokesman kind of came out and tried to explain the decrees. One of the decrees basically said, any law or decision I make from now until the constitution is written or a parliament is in place has - there is no way to challenge it in courts. He said, actually that's limited to sovereign act. What sovereign acts mean, though, is so vague and unclear. And it really didn't appease his opposition.

turn 3 : A implies that Sovereign act in its acceptable sense does not exist when a decree has been made which makes such claim vague.

How did PersonA describe the meaning of sovereign act in the decree?

Answer: vague


Thanks so much for having me on.

Can you tell me a little bit about Nebraska's land and what it means to its residents, the farmers?

Yeah. So Nebraska is in many ways a typical Great Plains state. Because the Missouri River cuts through along the eastern edge of the state, that's where all of the population originally settled. And so you have major industrial centers in south Sioux City and in Omaha. And then you have the capital educational center of Lincoln. But when you travel west of Lincoln, there's almost no one there. The small farming communities have gotten smaller and smaller in the last 50 years. And you can drive for hours essentially seeing only flatlands that are planted to corn and to soybeans and occasionally dotted with hog barns and feedlots for cattle.

Speaking to that disappearing landscape, I'd like you to read a page from your book, page 69.

(Reading) To understand, first remember - Nebraska is a place. It sits square as an anvil in the center of our maps. And yet somehow, everyone manages to forget it exists. Maybe that's because Nebraska is also a land of ghosts, of small towns dwindling to the point where in another generation they might simply cease to exist.

Why are they disappearing?Where are they going?

turn 1 : B is asking about the impact of Nebraska's land on its residents, not just its geographical features.

What is PersonB asking about Nebraska's impact on its residents?

Answer: Impact


Of, you know, as climate change or renewable energy, things like that. The choice is not even offered on the sheet of things that you - that is on your radar screen.

Yeah. Well, this is actually a really important point, is that when you look at - and I'll just come back to media coverage as an example. You know, for most people, this is an issue that's invisible. I mean, you can look out your window right this moment, and there's CO2 pouring out of tailpipes, out of smokestacks, out of buildings, but you can't see it, and likewise you can't see the impacts unless you know where to look. In fact, the only way most Americans even know about this issue is because of what they've learned about it in the media. They're not reading the peer-reviewed literature. They don't know scientists personally. They're learning about it through the media. And when the media doesn't report this issue, it's literally out of sight and out of mind.

Mm-hmm. Is there a difference between the national poll you conducted and registered voters?Do they have different opinions about it?

No. In fact, that's exactly what we did in this study, is that we asked people, are you registered to vote?And we only looked at those Democrats, Republicans and independents who are registered because, obviously, those are the people who will actually walk into the voting booth.

turn 1 : A's turn: The implied meaning is that media coverage plays a significant role in shaping public perception and awareness of issues like climate change. Despite the visible impacts of CO2 emissions, many people remain unaware of the severity of the issue until they learn about it through media outlets. If the media fails to report on climate change, it can become an "out of sight, out of mind" issue for many people.

How can media coverage affect public perception of climate change?

Answer: Shape


So, I ended up spending the night at the Juvenile Detention Center. And then, the next day, they went to arraign me, which - you are not supposed to get arraigned in the juvenile detention, when you are on that system. It is a whole different procedure. And I was like, what is going on?And they were like, we are going to, we are going to put you over. We are going to charge you as an adult, because of the severity of the crime. And I was like, whoa, you know?So, it was definitely an eye opener.

How it was different in adult prison than juvenile detention?

Oh, it was, it was harsh. I mean, you are in there with grown men, I was only 17, maybe a 160 pounds, you know?It is just was a - it was quite the dramatic change, you know, from the Juvenile Detention Center. I mean, it was whole another world.

And then, when you got out of prison, you were the victim of violence. What happened then?

turn 1 : 160 pounds implies the body weight and not referring to money or 160 British pounds

Which number was mentioned to describe the body weight of the speaker?

Answer: pounds


And it's not just the president who's criticizing him. He's facing a lot of pressure from Republicans on the Hill, as well. Is that right?

That's very much so. McCabe was dragged up to Capitol Hill twice last week. He spent around eight hours testifying behind closed doors for the House Intelligence Committee. That was about Russia. And he spent a little more than eight hours with the House Oversight and House Judiciary Committees a few days later talking about the Clinton matter.

Now, there's one thing in particular that Republicans want to talk to McCabe about, and that's a senior FBI agent by the name of Peter Strzok, who's been in the news a lot. He worked on both the Mueller probe and the Clinton investigation, and he sent highly charged, politically charged text messages about Trump. Now, Strzok was removed from the Russia investigation, but those text messages have given Republicans a lot of ammunition for their allegations of political bias.

With about 30 seconds left, what sort of effect does all of this criticism from the president, from Republicans on the Hill have on the FBI?

turn 1 : McCabe faced intense questioning and scrutiny by Republicans.

How was McCabe questioned by Republicans?

Answer: intense


Yeah,. It's really amazing, yeah. It turns out he was, you know, an avid, you know, layperson but had great interest in butterflies and how they evolve and so on. And he suggested that butterflies moved in certain ways from between Asia and Europe and so on. And just about a couple of years ago scientists discovered that, you know, what he suggested is actually correct.

And how did he come up with that idea?I mean, was it based on fact?

He was really following - yeah, yeah. He was following, you know, the butterflies and, you know, and where - what kinds of species you find where and so on. He was really very interested and very knowledgeable in butterflies.

Mm-hmm. OK.  Let's move on to another famous guy: Lord Kelvin. Tell us who Lord Kelvin was and what his big blunder was.

turn 0 : The person being discussed was not an expert on butterflies but had great interest in them

Which aspect of the person's expertise is not mentioned in turn 0?

Answer: Expertise


The last 48 hours, President Guaido ordered security forces to restore constitutional order. That's what we saw. This was not a coup d'etat. This was a legitimate president recognized by the Venezuelans and by over 60 countries asking security forces to go on the right side of the Constitution.

And at this point, when you're talking about directing the security forces, do you know what proportion is still loyal to Nicolas Maduro?

This is a nationwide movement by the security forces. And the majority of security forces are with the people. Remember; these military men, lower and high-ranking, have Venezuelan families that don't have food on the table, that they can't find medicine. So they're deeply impacted by the crisis.

But if we look onscreen and see a crackdown and see people going after protesters, how should we see that?

turn 2 : The majority of security forces are with the people due to the impact of the crisis on their families

How are the security forces impacted by the crisis?

Answer: deeply


We're playing the waiting game. We had a submarine try to break loose on us in Muskogee, and it's a completely unique problem. When you talk to the state emergency management officials, they don't know how to handle a World War II submarine.

So let's paint a picture for people listening, trying to imagine what you are able to see. Usually, the Batfish, which is how many feet long?

Three hundred eleven feet long.

Normally, it sits in the middle of a big kind of lawn - meadow. Is that right?

turn 3 : The Batfish is not on water but on land.

Which element of the Batfish's location is unusual?

Answer: Land


I was like, yeah. She's like, what do you talk about?I say, my life, our life. And she's like, so you tell them about us and they pay you.

And she's like, I've never found you entertaining enough to pay you anything.

In fact, I wish you would shut up so - so she was - and my father is even worse. I mean, he's very dry. My mom has all the personality. My father is a - he's Swiss-German, so I mean he's just a combination of. . .

Known so much for their humor.

turn 0 : A: "And she's like, so you tell them about us and they pay you." - The phrase "she's like" is a colloquialism that means "she said" or "she asked", and it does not convey the literal meaning of the speaker's words.

Which phrase in turn 0 is a colloquialism?

Answer: She's


Well, I've said for a long time that I think the president needs an assistant to the president for Twitter control. And once again, we have an example of why you would want that. In this case though, I have to say, when I first read the tweet, you know, you're just shocked. I was shocked at the the mayor's speech last night begging for help and saying that people were dying. That was heartbreaking to hear. But this feels to me like it fits in a theme that he has had for a while starting with his inaugural, which is to side on the side of the forgotten people. In this case, he names the military, the first responders and the aid workers.

Yeah. But nobody feels more forgotten than the people of Puerto Rico.

And - yeah. I was gonna say, and the people of Puerto Rico - versus what he sees as the elite, which would be the mayor and questioning the mayor's poor leadership ability - can't get workers to help, was told to be nasty to Donald Trump is in the tweet also. And this fits with his M. O. of going against the elites. And this fits with the rest of the news this week as well. I'm not surprised.

Is the Trump administration failing Puerto Rico now?

turn 1 : The speaker is implying that the people of Puerto Rico feel forgotten and neglected by the Trump administration.

What group of people does the speaker imply feels neglected by the Trump administration?

Answer: People


I'm not sure. I think, certainly, if the other leading candidate in the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton, had won, she would also be generating a lot of interest. I think it's, at the end of a two-term presidency, you always get an upsurge anyway. But I think you're right. There's no doubt about it. These are historic elections. And for the same reasons that the American public have gotten so engaged in them, probably some of the same reasons are affecting foreign publics.

You know, there have been a lot of memorable phrases that have come out during this election. Maverick is one word that we've heard a lot, and what about lipstick on a pig?How do you explain that phrase, which seems particularly American, or lipstick on a pitbull?

What is fascinating is that, both those terms that you brought up, I know of cases where people here that work with me with journalists on a day to day basis have been asked to help. One was working with German press and the term Maverick and how could they, you know, where does that come from and so on. And we actually have a researcher that works here and can go back and find, you know, the roots of these different phrases. Even - I speak Spanish pretty well, and even lipstick on a pig, I wouldn't even try.

So, I don't know how they go about trying to kind of - I think they go through a longer two-paragraph explanation.

turn 0 : Hillary Clinton would also generate a lot of interest.

How did the American public get engaged in the elections?

Answer: Upsurge


The problem is 90 percent of space in our military is in the Air Force. So what we're basically going to be doing is taking the current infrastructure - for example, Space Command in Colorado Springs will become the headquarters for the Space Corps. We're talking about taking the people that we need to take that deal with space and segregating them into a culture that appreciates them.

The Air Force has pushed back on this. The Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said, quote, "the Pentagon is complicated enough. This will make it more complex, add more boxes to the organization chart and cost more money. "Is she wrong?

She's absolutely wrong. The bureaucracy is always going to fight reform - always, especially the Pentagon. They're fighting this because they don't want Congress meddling. You know, what I've told her is, in 16 years, the Air Force has not changed a thing. And they've got us in this situation now where Russia and China have become near peers. They're close to surpassing us. What we're proposing would change that.

I think what some people would say is that we are cooperating with the Russians on the International Space Station. Should space be the new frontier of warfare, or should it actually be a place where, indeed, these cooperations flourish?After all, we are all on one planet.

turn 0 : "segregating them into a culture that appreciates them" - This phrase implies that currently the people who deal with space in the military are not appreciated or valued, and that by creating a separate "Space Corps" culture, they will receive the recognition and resources they need to excel in their work.

Which culture appreciates the people who deal with space in the military?

Answer: Space-Corps


Well, I think what I heard - and I heard it over the three days - is that the president is not going to let up pressure on Japan, on Prime Minister Abe on trade. Despite the close personal relationship, despite all the pageantry of this visit, it was just at the surface that the president was getting a little irritated with the arguments that Japan has been making on trade.

I think that this is not going to bode well for how this is going to end up. Mr.  Abe doesn't have a lot of latitude to give the president what he wants. But I think they're trying very hard to keep it from bursting the seams, so to speak, on the overall political strategic relationship.

What about on North Korea?As Anthony alluded to there, President Trump contradicted not only his host, the prime minister, but his own national security adviser, John Bolton, on the significance of these recent missile launches from North Korea and whether they violate U. N.  Security Council resolutions. How significant a disagreement is that between Tokyo and Washington?

I think that will be a disappointment for Prime Minister Abe for a couple of reasons. You know, again, President Trump said he was not personally concerned about the tests, still trying to lay out what I think he thinks is the base for a bargain with Kim Jong Un, and that is an economic development strategy by North Koreans that will then mitigate the military challenge.

turn 2 : President Trump disagrees with both his own national security adviser and Prime Minister Abe on the significance of North Korea's recent missile launches, which could strain the relationship between Tokyo and Washington.

Which country's relationship with Washington could be strained due to President Trump's disagreement on the significance of North Korea's recent missile launches?

Answer: Tokyo


Dual loyalty is something that relates to the potential conflict between clinicians' duties to their patients and their obligations to their employers. When these organizations have sometimes questionable tasks to fulfill, that becomes a very, very serious almost ethical minefield, I would say.

You and I have both been to immigration detention centers. What do you imagine the work will be like?

Well, I think when you talk about any correctional facility, especially immigration detention centers, there are a couple of hats that one has to wear. One is to take care of routine medical issues - so somebody has a headache, somebody has an infection, is vomiting. But also, we're talking about people who are coming with immense trauma, people who may have injuries, people who have suffered from violence. You need to address that in some ways. There's also making sure that there's no spread of contagious diseases, that people are being nourished well. So it's a very big job.

Isn't it important to have the best medical personnel possible in those facilities?Wouldn't you want somebody extremely qualified to be hired for a job like this?

turn 1 : "a couple of hats that one has to wear" implies performing different duties.

How many hats does one have to wear according to A?

Answer: Two


Yeah.

Most people don't know that. But you lose several days of shelf, whether it's in code or out of code. Or do you leave the milk out on the counter while your kids are having breakfast?There's all kinds of ways in which, if you handled it properly, you extend the life.

Well, I think that - well, first, you'd have to ask them. But most of what we'll be selling will be fruits and vegetables, freshly prepared product, stuff that's really not brand-driven. And they're in areas that frankly, are underserved, that - you know, there aren't Trader Joe's in the inner-cities in America, at least to my knowledge.

turn 2 :  Mr. Rauch, is there any concern among, let's say the people that might own a Trader Joe's or some other food store today, that somehow, your places are going to be potentially under-pricing them?  - Implied meaning: Is there any concern among owners of Trader Joe's and other food stores that your places will be offering prices that are too low and therefore potentially damaging their business?

What concern does Mr. Rauch's business raise for owners of Trader Joe's or other food stores?

Answer: potential


I think it's a story that can stick with you for many different reasons. If you leave a film, if you put down a book, and there is something that you didn't know before or something that has informed you about the world you live in that you care about but you didn't know before - if you can walk away from any kind of story with that, I think that's the goal of storytelling. I believe this is a film that does that.

And so that's what I love about this film - is it really has moved people. And it's become more, I think, socially important today than it was when we made it. There's been a lot more attention being given to Indigenous and Native American people within our country since we made the film. And there is also this whole epidemic that every day, we're learning more about men in power and sexual assault. And those are what this film is about in a very specific story.

Elizabeth Olson, speaking with us from Atlanta. Thanks so much for being with us.

Thanks for having me.

turn 3 :  The literal meaning of (4) is "Thanks for having me."  The actual meaning is "Thank you for the opportunity."

Answer: Opportunity


Jay Austin and Lauren Geoghegan were both 29. For years, they worked desk jobs in Washington, D. C.  - Lauren at the admissions office at Georgetown University, Jay at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In their travel blog, they wrote that they wanted to live life on simpler, more deliberate terms and see the globe in an inexpensive, sustainable and gratifying way. They wanted to bike it. Back in 2015, Jay Austin showed an NPR reporter around his house as part of a feature on the tiny house movement.

That's the parlor over there, seating for about seven or so, two couches.

All 143 square feet of it. Jay Austin believed in tiny homes.

I think it's really been great to have kind of not a very complex, not a very expensive space but to have the ability to have easy access to nature. If I am feeling like I have cabin fever, I open my front door.

turn 2 : Jay Austin's belief in tiny homes is reflected in the 143 square feet parlor.

How is Jay Austin's belief reflected in the parlor?

Answer: Belief


Might give them a viral moment on YouTube.

It could, indeed, give them a viral moment on YouTube. So that's part of the game that's being played. But what the Democrats are trying to do here is educate the public about what this president did and how he did it. And they've got a witness who has impeccable credentials. I don't think the Republicans are going to try to undercut this man. He is one of them. And he served his country. And he did this not because he was looking for a job. He did it because he thought somebody had to do it.

Well, let's get down to the prognostication part of this conversation. Robert Mueller has been pretty plain about how he doesn't want to testify and has nothing to say beyond the report. Do you support his logic?

Well, you know, there've been some very powerful commentary about his position. A former deputy solicitor general, deputy attorney general, a fellow by the name of Donald Ayer wrote a rather sharply worded piece kindly but clearly saying that Mueller had a duty to actually go beyond the four quarters (ph) because of what's happened. Attorney General Barr has tried to discredit his work. He's actually belittled his work. And as Ayer says, you know, this man's got to step up and defend his work and not be rolled over. I think he'll do that.

turn 1 : "that's part of the game that's being played." meaning that the function of how politics work.

What is the function of politics according to turn 1?

Answer: Function


Absolutely. In fact, Dr.  Landreth and his colleagues have replied to these four and said no, no, no, wait. I mean, while the general tenor is you've got four papers that didn't replicate our findings, there are elements of these papers that, in fact, do replicate their findings.

So, in particular, some of the behaviors improved in some of the animals that were tested in these other studies, and a particular form of the amyloid - the so-called soluble amyloid, or the oligomeric form of the amyloid - was in fact replicated in these other papers.

So Dr.  Landreth and colleagues are saying no, no, no. I mean, some features weren't, but in general, the basic premise was replicated.

Since that original study came out, did you have patients that actually came to specifically asking for this drug based on the reports they heard in the news?

turn 0 : General tenor means that the basic idea is true but there is conflicting data.

How was the general tenor of the replicated findings?

Answer: Conflicting


You've lived with HIV your entire conscious life - I mean, as I understand it, that you contracted HIV through blood transfusion when you were an infant in the early 1980s. So do you sense a change in how HIV has been viewed by the broader public and not just by the medical community?I mean, do you remember - I mean, I don't know that most of us kind of as kids think about becoming an organ donor, right?

(Laughter).

But do you remember feeling that the world of possibility has changed for you?

I do think in some places in America things definitely have changed with the science. In places, for example, where I live in the Deep South, there are a lot of long-held stigmatizing beliefs that people still have. And one of the reasons I did decide to go public as a resident of Atlanta was to really push people's perceptions into the 21st century because I couldn't think of any better way to show people that, you know, this isn't the 1980s anymore. You can live a long and healthy life living with HIV. People like me don't bring death, we can actually bring life.

turn 3 : I couldn't think of any better way to show people that, you know, this isn't the 1980s anymore. You can live a long and healthy life living with HIV. People like me don't bring death, we can actually bring life.  The actual meaning of this turn goes beyond its literal meaning. While A is stating that HIV is no longer a death sentence and that people with HIV can live long, healthy lives, the turn also communicates A's desire to challenge stigmatizing beliefs about HIV and to educate people on the reality of living with HIV. The phrase "People like me don't bring death, we can actually bring life" is a powerful statement that challenges the notion that people with HIV are a danger to society.

How does PersonA want to challenge people's perceptions about living with HIV?

Answer: Simplistic


Well, one way is that the schemes at issue here were really sprawling. This was not just one man doing something criminally inappropriate but rather pervasive, longstanding, industry-wide conspiracy, for lack of a better word, to promote these products.

And, you know, there may be a false sense of vengeance or accountability in pinning it on one individual and essentially letting others go free who were the ones that carried out this scheme. You could argue that the deterrent effect of legal action would be greater with a massive financial penalty that would really send a message to all other executives at all levels of a corporation that this could be their economic downfall.

Did we see that with the $500 million judgment in Oklahoma?Is that a big enough penalty to be a deterrent, or is it just the cost of doing business for Johnson and Johnson?

I think for a company on the scale of Johnson and Johnson, $570 million is not a lot of money. And we saw that in Wall Street's reaction to the verdict. To them, it was good news. This was probably the first time that having to pay $572 million was considered good news.

turn 1 : pinning it on someone refers to someone else having to take the consequences for something

Answer: Consequence


I understand, Mr.  Doyle, that you and other members of the Watergate investigation team still with us - well, you have reunions now and then. And I gather for the first time you had a reunion on the actual anniversary of the Saturday Night Massacre. What are the - my 15 year old now says, you know, what's the tea?What went on there?

Three weeks ago, Saturday night October 20, the Watergate Special Prosecution Force held a reunion. It was the 45th anniversary of the Saturday Night Massacre. None of the senior leaders are any longer with us. But the young idealists who had been in their 20s back when we began, they all showed up in their 60s and 70s as earnest as ever, as idealistic as ever and still full of hope.

Sorry.

No, I think someone was talking to you, telling you that, I think, we're running out of time. But did you want to make the final point?

turn 1 : The people who were part of the Watergate investigation team still held onto their youthful idealism.

Which anniversary did the Watergate Special Prosecution Force celebrate during their reunion?

Answer: Anniversary


I think my career - had before this was 48, and I thought I had a pretty good game in that game. But it turns out it didn't even come close to this one.

I've read you just came from a weekend tournament where you went 11-41 in two games; from the depths to the heights.

Yeah. Yeah. I had a pretty poor shooting weekend. So coming into this game, my coaches and my teammates really wanted to get me going a little bit offensively to get my confidence up before we head into conference play.

And get your confidence up, you made, I think - what was it?More than 50 shots.

turn 1 :  "from the depths to the heights" is an expression used figuratively to describe a significant improvement or progress, rather than literally referring to a physical location or elevation.

Which expression describes a significant improvement or progress?

Answer: heights


I know it does.

How you doing, Tony?

I'm doing great. Listen, you heard the conversation we just had with Dave Zirin about the intersection of sports and politics. Do you agree with the basic premise that it's an issue that is ongoing and ever changing?

Oh, yeah. Absolutely, you know, Dave makes great points. What I thought was very interesting, Tony, was before the Olympics, LeBron James was going to become very interested, you know, about slave trade, and slavery in Africa. And he was making some points, saying I really want to do this, I think I'm going to do it, I think I'm going to speak out, and by the time they got to the Olympics, Tony, they had sat on LeBron. And suddenly he had changed his tune, he was well, this is nothing but sports, and we just want to keep it to sports. And to me, once again, it reinforces this whole idea of here you've got this team of multi-millionaires led by LeBron and Kobe, and these guys basically were intimidated. They were intimidated into not saying anything. So yeah, sports is very political by definition, and by the absence of it. It's just a phenomenal contradiction.

turn 3 : LeBron James was silenced by the Olympic organizers and not allowed to speak out about slavery in Africa.

How was LeBron James affected by the Olympic organizers regarding speaking out about slavery in Africa?

Answer: Silenced


Make sure you got the right booty shorts on.

Well, it depends on the job you're applying for, I guess.

Yeah. I guess it does. No. I think you're bringing up something that's happening not only in the employment sector, but also for college admissions, and all types of things. So it's finding itself, trickling down into other areas. So the bottom line, first foremost, remember that the Internet is a public space. All right?Anything that you put up there can ultimately - I don't care if you're password protected or not. Ultimately that could be copied, found, and reposted somewhere else. So first and foremost, make sure that your content that you're revealing of yourself is something that you're comfortable with showing to a possible employer or a college admissions officer.

Secondly, use it to your advantage. Use these things like LinkedIn. You create your own blog site. Make sure that some of the discussion that is out there about you, you're controlling that. Make sure you have your own presence online. So talk about some of the extracurricular activities, your hobbies, your interests, things that you've done really, really well or you're very proud about, and take advantage of some of that. I think that's something to really take consideration of because this is a time where people are actually looking at these online sources, and you have to separate between your social life and your business life, and be able to understand how to do that in this online world.

turn 1 : Choosing the appropriate outfit is important for job interviews.

Which aspect of job interviews did PersonA emphasize when discussing revealing content online?

Answer: Revealing


Absolutely. I think some Republicans have. The administration has missed a political opportunity to expand their base. They're speaking to a very small portion of the Republican base, and it's a big missed opportunity for them.

You engaged with President Obama and the Democrats on this issue. Explain how you did that.

I was asked by the State Department to travel to India and Germany and meet with mayors in those countries to talk about what the U. S.  is doing and, in the case of India, to encourage those local mayors to influence President Modi of India to actually come to Paris and sign the agreement. That was up in the air for a long period of time.

You know, what the mayors in India told me, for instance, was that the U. S. 's leadership means a lot. It helps them get to where they want to be, and that's probably my greatest fear with this change, is that some of these countries won't come along. And so my message to those mayors I spoke with in India today would be - simply because the federal government isn't going to make progress, our mayors are going to continue to make progress. We're going to keep our word. We're going to honor the commitments made and continue to improve the air quality and reduce our carbon emissions in each of our cities.

turn 3 : "keep our word" - this is a figurative expression meaning to fulfill a promise or commitment, rather than literally retaining the ability to speak.

Answer: Fulfill


I have. I was, yes, one of the scholars who figured it out by searching on Google. And it turns out that Jack of jack-o'-lantern fame was not such a terrible guy. In fact, he's quite clever and entrepreneurial. And he almost outwitted the devil, so that's the Irish folktale. Jack tricked the devil into climbing a tree to get him an apple. And then Jack carved a cross on the tree trunks so the devil couldn't get down. So Jack says I'll take away the cross if you promise never to send me to hell. So they made a deal, but, of course, the devil being the devil, he found a loophole. So he didn't send Jack to hell, but Jack was consigned to walk the earth forever, holding a lantern to light his way. And by the way - this is important - the lantern was made of a turnip, not a pumpkin. So somewhere along the line, the turnip industry got really screwed.

Have you ever opened the door and seen a trick of trick-or-treater dressed as B. J. Leiderman, who writes our theme music?

(Laughter) No. But that's a great idea for my kids today.

(Laughter).

turn 0 : Jack's clever and entrepreneurial nature allows him to make a deal with the devil and escape from certain doom.

What was the material of the lantern in the Irish folktale?

Answer: Turnip


What are some of the challenges for businesses in addition to your own, as you see it?

Well, first off, it's one thing to put the law in place. But then how do you actually track hours?And when is a person working?If I send an email to one of my employees in the evening or just give them a call to talk about something, now they have to clock in and clock out.

Or if they go to, you know, a trade show, when are they technically working?- versus, when are they not working?There's lots of challenges faced by practically every business out there to some degree.

Now that a judge has halted these rules, do you change yours?What are you going to do?

turn 3 : "What are you going to do?" does not literally mean "What are you going to do?" but rather "What are you going to do in response to the judge's decision?"

How does turn 3 relate to the judge's decision?

Answer: response


Well, for me it's almost anything that I'm sent and asked to click on in which somebody else is supposedly really embarrassing themselves. And I'm supposed to find this funny. I'm supposed to enjoy the spectacle. But it's just a physical response that I can't, you know. I clench sort of every muscle in my body and I can barely bring myself to watch it and then end up pressing stop. So, you know, examples would be the recording that was around this week of an employee of a cable company attempting to make a departing customer stay using all sorts of extraordinary arguments, I'm told. I'm told it was very embarrassing for the cable company employee. But I don't know because I can't bring myself to listen to it.

The guy who proposed marriage to a woman at the ballpark - you know about this one?

Oh, this is going to be a wedding proposal that is rejected in public, I think?

Yeah, that's it.

turn 2 : Turn (3): The speaker is suggesting that the proposal at the ballpark is likely to be a rejected one.

Which proposal is likely to be rejected?

Answer: Ballpark


So the sport itself has given me countless opportunities. And for me, the reason why I'm so interested in doing this, it's sort of like my way of giving back, in a sense. You know, I'm going places with the javelin and it's helping me out and probably going to get me into a nice school. So why not give back?And I feel like if I have to do this research project at my school, why not do it on something that I like?

Yeah. I'm just going to guess you've heard from some people that know somebody who was injured by a javelin who've said there's no need for this sport?

Honestly, I haven't. I mean, I know there are some people that have gotten injured and there are people that are against the implementation of the event. But personally, I do not know anybody that has been injured.

You know, Mr.  Christensen, there are people listening around the country I'm sure might point out that it seems easier to buy a gun in South Carolina than to throw a javelin in high school.

turn 0 : "it's sort of like my way of giving back" - The literal meaning is that the speaker sees the sport as an opportunity to give back to the community. The actual meaning is that the speaker wants to use their involvement in the sport to contribute to something meaningful, such as a research project.

How does the speaker view their involvement in the sport?

Answer: Opportunity


Yeah.

Even the CIA's, like, getting this information. I imagine it's like the details that are the stuff that really make it pop, right?So can you give us an example of some of the details that you get about the personal life and interests of the dignitaries he may meet?

Sure. So as you can imagine, politics is about relationships and personalities. And so every leader has their own lifestyle, their own favorite things to do, their own personal interests. And so we endeavor to find out what those are. So for example, I'll take a meeting that happened between President George W.  Bush and Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. Koizumi was a huge Elvis fan.

(Laughter).

And we learned that, and we knew that. And so the president decided, let's take Prime Minister Koizumi to Graceland. So they flew to Memphis. . .

Wow.

turn 2 : Knowing personal details about foreign dignitaries is important for diplomacy

How does the CIPersonA gather information about foreign dignitaries?

Answer: Research


Well, I think that where journalists and correspondents tend to stray into trouble is when they use metaphor. For instance, using words like blank slate. They tend to sort of overlook the fact that there are more than 600,000 people still living here.

Yeah, that's a pretty crowded slate. What about when you see a phrase like urban settlers?

Well, that sets off all kinds of unpleasant associations. You're talking about the process of colonization in a metaphoric sense. And typically, the people who are colonized tend to see their culture and their land and, you know, their identity despoiled.

Putting Detroit on the map.

turn 3 : "Putting Detroit on the map" implies that through the journalist's work, Detroit is becoming well known.

Which city is becoming well known through the journalist's work?

Answer: Detroit


This is such a different type of story than we often see after a disaster. I mean, it's just the sheer numbers and the sheer amount of land in these three countries that was affected. I mean, you've decided to bring us just into one life and profile - one person doing one thing. Was that experience different for you journalistically?

It was a different - oh, gosh. It was a different experience for sure. I've never followed anyone doing this kind of work. And I've had two reporting trips to Mozambique now. And a lot of the work has been focused on the many, many people trying to deliver aid to people still alive - you know, frantic - organized frantic chaos, you know, trying to help people survive. And this was a very different, quiet experience but just fascinating to see.

Is there one image or one scene or one moment that stands out for you after following this man?

I think it was just the one in the field. It just struck me as an immense task. And I wanted to bring that to life as much as possible immediately for people. And he said it himself as he stood and he looked around the field. And he said, this is literally like a needle in a haystack.

turn 2 :  "one image or one scene or one moment that stands out"

Which task did PersonB follow someone doing this kind of work?

Answer: Mozambique


Well, we got a response from a listener in Athens, Georgia, when our bloggers discussed whether black media outlets were balanced when covering Barack Obama. Scott Dugan (ph) wrote us this. I am surprised to find no mention of the constant comments from the media and McCain campaign that Obama was behaving presumptuously during his trip abroad. To me, these comments are all short hand for calling Obama uppity. Why have you called the media and the McCain campaign out on this?

And this month we're doing a series on addiction. Vernon Martin (ph) in Hollywood, Florida, wrote in to say he liked the segment we did last week on functioning addicts. So many times we conjure the wrong view in our minds about functioning addicts. They're found practicing law, operating, or assisting in operating rooms, teachers, police officers, construction workers or any other person maintaining a career. As a drug and alcohol counselor, I have seen all of them.

And last week, we covered the news that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sent to jail. Peter Williams (ph) lives in the Motor City and wrote us this. Your panel missed the point on Mayor Kilpatrick. The problem is not his unfaithfulness to his marriage. It is that he wrongfully fired three police officers who, while performing their duties, might have uncovered the affair. That is the type of abuse of public trust that warrants his dismissal.

And finally, Victor Emanuel (ph) in Inglewood, New Jersey wrote in about the interview we did about a black reporter who was thrown out of a John McCain event. Victor thought we cut the story short.

turn 0 : It implies that media and the McCain campaign were biased as they have used coded language to criticize Obama, and that this language is racially charged.

How did the PersonB describe the comments made by the media and the McCain campaign about Obama?

Answer: Uppity


It had some effect.

Well, thanks very much for being with us, Serena and Olivier Blanchard. Serena Blanchard's hieroglyphics appears in all editions of the classic "Lectures on Macroeconomics," by Stanley Fischer and Olivier Blanchard. Pick up your copy. . .

. . . at your local airport bookstore.

Thank you both very much for being with us.

turn 1 : Well, thanks very much for being with us, Serena and Olivier Blanchard. Serena Blanchard's hieroglyphics appears in all editions of the classic "Lectures on Macroeconomics," by Stanley Fischer and Olivier Blanchard. Pick up your copy... Implicated meaning: The speaker indirectly suggests that Serena Blanchard's contribution or writing in "Lectures on Macroeconomics" is difficult to understand or decipher, comparing it to hieroglyphics.

Which author's contribution is compared to hieroglyphics in the dialogue?

Answer: Serena


But banning food products from Western countries had an immediate effect. And - but there was also a lot of contraband. And so one of the measures against the contraband was incinerating food once it was exposed as contraband. And it - really it was a display of something that I think inspired terror in a lot of people in a country that has known famine and in a country where a lot of people have feared starvation in living memory.

Yeah. We certainly have our own struggles with bigotry in the U. S. But it's hard not to go through your book and not be staggered by the persistence in Russia of anti-Semitism and prejudice against gays. What role does this play?

You know, I actually wouldn't call it prejudice against gays because I think it conveys the sort of impression that it comes from the grassroots, that this is - that the Russian population is homophobic. Not that it isn't. But what we're really talking about is a concerted campaign by the Kremlin over the last five years to single out and target LGBTQI people as, you know, scapegoats in the country, as the chosen other.

Towards the end of your book, you use a phrase that chills me, where you say that in Russia today, quote, "life is a foreign agent. "

turn 2 : In (3), “life is a foreign agent” does not mean that life is a foreign operative, but rather that life in Russia is heavily regulated and monitored by the government.

How does the author explain the meaning of "life is a foreign agent" in Russia?

Answer: Damage


So what I did was incorporate the superhero, but have them have HIV in real life situations, if the person were to have it. So they would have the same illnesses, the same sicknesses, and even some of the characters may die from AIDS or something like that.

So, the book really shows you - I have in one scene where you see one of the characters is about to have sexual relations with a woman, and he - I show a condom. I talk about. . .

Robert, I'm sorry. We have to wrap it up here. There's so much to talk about. . .

I'm sorry for that.

turn 0 : Incorporating a superhero with HIV in real life situations to raise awareness of the disease.

Which illness does the book depict characters dying from?

Answer: AIDS


. . . Had you wanted to see these images. You had to have heard about it. You're just seeing brief news reports saying that foreign powers, especially the United States, have been provoking riots and dangerous behavior in Hong Kong for their own selfish reasons - those kind of terse news bulletins. But on the social media that the Chinese exchange every day that they love on their smartphones, any hint of searching for news that Hong Kong is immediately shut down by the censors.

So the U. S.  is being blamed on mainland China. The U. S.  does have a lot of financial interests in Hong Kong. The State Department has expressed grave concern over this extradition law. It says there are more than 1,300 U. S.  firms with operations in Hong Kong, about $80 billion in U. S.  investment, 85,000 American citizens. Are U. S.  businesses operating in Hong Kong likely to be affected by all of this?

They certainly would have been if this law had gone through. I mean, in essence, what this proposal was was that for the first time ever people in Hong Kong, whether foreigners or locals, could be sent for trial by being extradited to the mainland, and the mainland's courts are explicitly under the control of the Communist Party. They are not independent courts. They're not meant to be independent courts. So that caused a gigantic backlash from even rather meek and mild business groups. . .

Hm.

turn 0 : There is censorship in China preventing access to information about Hong Kong protests

What is the reason for the censorship in China?

Answer: Control


And it's interesting, your book had pictures of the hands of some of the great catchers of those days, gnarled and twisted. Anybody who played catcher could expect to be crippled - their hands - for the rest of their lives.

Exactly. And people would say, you know, I don't know what this guy looks like but just look for a catcher's hands. And as soon as you'll see - you see those hands, you recognize, oh, that's - that must be who it was.

Are there stories about Deacon White?You mentioned he traveled from team to team. I guess he had one fantastic year in Boston. But what kind of a man was he?Do we know?

He was a really high-character man. In a time when baseball had a lot of guys who spent their evenings drinking and carousing, Deacon - he was known as Deacon because he went to church and he was a Sunday school teacher. And family came absolutely first for him.

turn 0 : Playing catcher is a dangerous position that can cause permanent physical harm.

How would you describe the hands of catchers mentioned in turn 0?

Answer: Gnarled


It's been an exciting year for developments in space. Just earlier this week, SpaceX successfully landed a 15-story tall section of one of their rockets back on Earth. And joining me to discuss what's been going on off our planet during 2015 is NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel. So explain exactly what happened that a part of the rocket returned.

In some sense, this was just another rocket launch for SpaceX. You know, they sent 11 communication satellites into orbit. What really makes this special is what happened to the big first stage of the rocket. Now, normally this would just fall back to Earth. But this time, SpaceX flipped it around and then flew it back to near the launch site and actually landed it. They fired the engines a second time and it sort of floated down onto the pad. It was pretty spectacular to watch.

The space pad looks big when you're looking at it on the Earth. But from space, it must be a tiny dot.

Yeah, I mean SpaceX describes it as trying to shoot a pencil over the Empire State Building, have it turn around and land in a shoebox vertically. That's how hard this is.

turn 2 : The size of the landing pad appears much smaller from space, highlighting the incredible precision required to land a rocket vertically.

Which aspect of landing a rocket does turn 2 emphasize?

Answer: Precision


It's important to note that the French didn't suspend support. So, there is some disagreement over the way forward, even among allies. There are indications that the moderates backed by the U. S.  and the Islamists are negotiating over a merger. Both these groups oppose the Assad regime. They both oppose the hard-core al-Qaida group; in fact, they fought against them. There are reports that U. S.  policymakers are rethinking the approach to the Islamic front. U. S.  officials have reportedly met with some of the leaders of this group last month in Turkey. And this all comes in the context of the Geneva talks which are scheduled for January. That's when the Syrian regime and the political opposition are going to sit down face to face for the first time.

The only group, Scott, that can deliver any change on the ground is the Islamic Front. They're the most powerful rebel formation across northern Syria. They hold great swaths of territory. They are the important players, much more important than the moderate Free Syrian Army, who showed on Friday they can't even protect their warehouses. They are the weakest group on the battlefield, even though they're supported by the U. S. So, that's why there is a crisis in U. S.  policy and there appears to be some rethinking of that policy.

NPR's Deborah Amos speaking with us from Beirut. Thanks so much.

Thank you.

turn 2 : The literal meaning of the statement is Deborah Amos thanking the speaker, but the implied meaning is that the conversation is over.

Which turn implies that the speaker holds a pessimistic view about the Free Syrian Army?

Answer: One


So that's the drug industry's argument against this proposal. They say that because of insurance coverage, hardly anyone pays the price the Trump administration is forcing these drug makers to include in their ads. That price is often called the list price or the sticker price, as we said. Drugmakers argue that including that price would scare consumers off from even going to their doctor and asking about a drug because they'd see a sky-high list price, and they would think - I can't afford that; I'm not going to go to the doctor.

Well, now that's interesting because that could be bad for someone's health. But is that actually what the government may want in some cases - for a consumer to make an informed decision that this drug just seems really pricey for the benefits alleged with it?

So I don't think the Trump administration would go that far. They say that this is the start of a conversation between a consumer and their doctor about a drug. They really want to try to get drugmakers to lower their prices. They've, countless times now, sort of shamed drug companies and said - if you're ashamed of your price, if you don't want to put it in your ad, lower the price.

And we should note that this is only for somewhat more expensive drugs - more than $35 per month. That's who the rule - that's what the drugs that the rule applies to. Hasn't one company, though, already gone ahead and just done this?

turn 2 : The Trump administration wants drug companies to lower their prices.

Which administration wants drug companies to decrease their prices?

Answer: Trump


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

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

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

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

turn 3 : A reflects on his childhood experiences of racism and isolation as the only black kid.

What was the darkest moment in PersonA's life?

Answer: Isolation


You're speaking with us from near Manchester, England, at the moment, where there was an attack. You're based in London, where there's been another attack. Can you describe the mood?

The mood is very alarmed. I've been literally corresponding with hundreds of British-Muslim community members across the country. And there is a genuine feeling of shock beyond the last few attacks because of the severity of this and the frequency of it. And there is a sense - a real sense that something has to change.

Now, I know all sectors are feeling this. But, you know, what they're telling me is that, you know, we're going to have to face some difficult questions. Now the only thing is, how are we going to handle those questions?Is it going to be as a community, as part of wider society?Or are Muslim communities going to be a target?That's going to make a little bit of a difference here.

Just briefly - we only have about 30 seconds - how is the Muslim community reacting?This is the holy month of Ramadan, a time of prayer and reflection.

turn 0 : "Can you describe the mood?" - This turn is meant to inquire about the emotional state of the people in the area where the speaker is currently located. The literal meaning of the turn is clear and does not differ from its actual meaning.

Answer: Muslim


Jamal Khashoggi's eldest son was photographed meeting the crown prince earlier this week. For a lot of people, it was heart-rending to see. And it was announced shortly after he'd be allowed to travel to the U. S.  We gather, according to reports, he's arrived there. Is it possible someone told him pose with the prince and you can get out of here?

Absolutely. There's no question. The royal family had banned him from traveling since his father had left the kingdom to go into exile. And there had to be a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering, including requests specifically by the United States and Secretary of State Pompeo to allow him to leave the country and join his brothers in the United States. Three of Khashoggi's sons are American citizens, and I gather the fourth son was not.

The head of the CIA, Gina Haspel, was in Turkey this week being briefed. What do we know about what she was told and what she did?

Well, the CIA hasn't provided specifics, but it's been widely reported that she listened to this alleged tape of Jamal's last moments and what happened to him inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. I mean, this is going to be a pivotal moment for the Trump administration. It has to make a very hard call - what to do about an ally that has been pivotal in three of President Trump's five most important foreign policy goals.

turn 0 : It is suggested that the meeting between Jamal Khashoggi's son and the crown prince was staged to give the impression that he is safe and free to leave Saudi Arabia.

What was the reason behind the ban on Jamal Khashoggi's eldest son's travel?

Answer: Exile


No. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson is not the final arbiter of all this. I think both countries do want to negotiate. The United States certainly does. And there are important actors within the Iranian political system that also do, including President Rouhani himself, who's been intrigued by the idea of negotiations with President Trump. Ultimately if they want to get out from under the sanctions, the only path out of that particular predicament is some kind of a negotiations between the two sides.

Do you think that the Trump administration is on to something when they say that a maximum pressure campaign will force Iran to the negotiating table?I mean, if you're saying Iran wants out from under these sanctions and negotiation's the way to get there, does that suggest the Trump administration is on the right track?

The maximum strategy of pressure has been tactically successful. It has put enormous pressure on Iran. It has even managed to slice Iran's oil exports - unlikely to get down to zero, but it will be close to zero. So at a tactical level, this certainly has been successful. And I think at the end of the day, it will probably press the Iranian government toward the negotiations. Now, what happens at those negotiations of course remains to be seen.

The other option is that it presses both sides to war, intentionally or unintentionally. Both sides say they don't want this. Iran's president restated that today. Do you think that war is a real risk here?

turn 1 : The Trump administration's strategy of maximum pressure may lead Iran to negotiate

Answer: Negotiation


So you show pictures of people who play with kittens but also behead human beings?

Absolutely. It's a very strange contrast, but you'll see them behaving in very normal ways. Then you also see them participating in this awful violence.

Social media platforms are private companies. Why don't they just shut them down?

The problem is the companies don't really want to do thought policing. Open displays of violence, threats of violence against other people oftentimes get these accounts thrown off-line. But beyond that, it's very tough because who's to say one person's thoughts or ideas should render them thrown off the platform versus another?

How do social media companies handle open displays of violence and threats of violence on their platforms?

Answer: Thought


I think, given what we know about the internal divisions within Iran on some of these issues and the - their negotiating behavior in the past where they've made outrageous public statements and then in negotiations walk right - walked them right back, I wouldn't put too much credence in those statements at this point.

How much confidence do you have that the sanctions and the negotiations are going to be fruitful?

I think that this is going to create the best opportunity we've had in many, many years to test the seriousness of the Iranians and whether they're willing, you know, really, they're - they have a choice between either saving their economy and being part of - a viable part of the region or pursuing a nuclear weapons program that will make them a pariah, even more of a pariah than they are today. That's a pretty fundamental strategic choice. And I think we'll know in the coming weeks and months what choice they make.

Why won't deterrence and containment work with Iran?

turn 2 :  "a viable part of the region" means being accepted and respected by other countries in the region, rather than being physically viable.

Which aspect of being "a viable part of the region" is being emphasized in turn 2?

Answer: Accepted


Can you give a practical example of that?

So companies like Starbucks. Starbucks was the place people went. It was the third place, not home and not the office. Can they rekindle that connection people have between Starbucks and their lives?

So how do you build an emotional connection with Starbucks, especially at a time where people are saying, 3. 75 for a latte?No thank you.

Yeah. The key word here is the experience. What are the experiences that you render to people as they go about their day?And those experiences can be online. Those experiences can be offline. They can be - how do you live and emote with a company like Starbucks or with a company like Microsoft or with a small company, with a product that you might buy -an ice cream that you might like.

turn 1 : This statement implies that people saw Starbucks as a place to go to that was distinct from their home or workplace but A was wondering whether Starbucks can recapture that emotional connection with consumers.

What was the key word mentioned by PersonA in regards to building an emotional connection with companies like Starbucks?

Answer: Experience


Every day - every day there's. . .

Every day.

. . . More coming, absolutely. We average about 220 to 250 a day. And they're saying that that's probably anywhere from six months to 18 to 24 months. We just don't know.

Extraordinary. Chris Brice, the interim assistant manager of Luna County, N. M.

turn 0 : A is starting a conversation and B is interrupting with a short response.

How did PersonB respond to PersonA's opening statement?

Answer: Everyday


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

No.

Glenn Thrush is the chief political correspondent of Politico. Thanks so much for being back with us.

Great to be here.

turn 3 : Glenn Thrush is a highly respected journalist and it is an honor to have him join us.

How would you describe Glenn Thrush's profession?

Answer: Journalist


So after the wasp sneaks under, it stings the tarantula. Then what does the wasp do?

Paralysis sets in almost instantaneously. In a second or two the tarantula is completely incapacitated, but still alive. And the tarantula hawk will then drag that tarantula to a burrow. So this could be the tarantula's own burrow. It could be a burrow that the tarantula hawk has dug itself. And it'll drag the tarantula down in there and place the tarantula upside down and it'll lay a single egg on the body of the tarantula. In a few days, that egg will hatch and the larvae will begin to feed on the living tarantula.

And the spider is still paralyzed.

That's right. So interestingly enough, if the egg doesn't hatch, the tarantula can actually recover and go on its way. But more often that larvae will hatch and eat its way into the living but still paralyzed tarantula, and it'll feed on that tarantula for several weeks. And at least some species will selectively feed on non-vital organs first to keep the tarantula alive longer.

turn 2 : (3) "And the spider is still paralyzed." implies that the previous statement about the tarantula being completely incapacitated but still alive was correct, and that the paralysis has not yet worn off. However, the statement itself is quite literal in its meaning.

How is the tarantula after being stung by the wasp?

Answer: Incapacitated


Her fencing tutor, when she is 13, makes her his mistress. Julie says he gave everything I desired and quite a few things I hadn't known existed. Oh, my word.

(Laughter) He was her father's boss. And he was one of the great nobleman of France at the time, a very, very powerful man. And all of a sudden, she was the very young mistress and was moved into Paris so that he could keep her separate from his wife, but she wanted more. And so very quickly she got bored and she ran off with her fencing master.

Yeah. There's a lot of fencing in this book. As soon as I say that, I realize metaphorical but also actual fencing in this book.

turn 3 : Well, I used to fence as a kid. It's one of the reasons I know about her. I fenced all through school and college, but I have to say that I'd - when I'm writing the fencing scenes, I do jump out of my chair and grab a foil - I've still got my old swords - and I act out the scenes for myself just to make sure that they make sense.  The implied meaning here is that the author's statement "I act out the scenes for myself just to make sure that they make sense" suggests that the author physically performs the movements and actions of fencing while writing the fencing scenes in the book. It implies that the author engages in a form of role-playing or physical enactment to ensure the authenticity and realism of the fencing scenes.

How does the author ensure the authenticity of the fencing scenes?

Answer: Act