Yes, definitely. Over the past several years, something called the field of behavioral economics has been gaining support. It used to be considered sort of a quirky field. Basically, what behavioral economics is, is it's trying to take sort of methods and insights of psychology and apply them to economics to at least temper this idea of the, sort of, rational economic man. And I think when you see these kind of panics, that only lends credence to this idea.

Well, now there is plenty of situations to study and look at, and maybe this is an exciting time for economists. John Maynard Keynes came out of the Great Depression as a visionary. What do you see as the new hot field of study, based on what's happening now?

Well, I do think trying to explain what happened to lead up to this crisis and trying to figure how to get out of it is only going to drive more people into trying to look at the psychology of economic behavior. I think also just fields like banking regulation, which have not been considered very sexy for a long time, are going to draw a lot more new, young, smart academics.

And what about market bubbles?

turn 2 : "Sexy" here has nothing to do with sex. It just means the field is considered appealing and relevant so that people want to study it.

How is the term "sexy" being used in this context?

Answer: Attractive.


Well, tell us first, let's go back. How did you find out about this because I know they try and keep this very secret?How did you find out you had been awarded the MacArthur Grant?

I kind of got punked a little bit. I mean, it's the best way to get punked you could imagine, but they called me into the offices, I was going to be in Chicago for an event, and they basically called me in more or less under the pretense that they wanted me to talk about some candidates that I was recommending.

So of course I kind of scampered in to sort of support the folks that I was hoping would get it, and they just sort of surprised me with this, you know, this incredible gift and just, you know, it kind of just blew my brains open.

So they really did manage to keep it a secret?

turn 2 : The experience of being awarded the MacArthur Grant was overwhelming.

How did the MacArthur Grant make the person feel? (Answer: overwhelming)

Answer: Treasury


Last night, Portland, playing in front of its raucus, loyal crowd missed all four of its long-range jump shots in overtime after hitting a bunch earlier in the game. Pressure?Well, pressure can tighten muscles and can wreak havoc on long-range shooting.

And I - look, I'll just say I, you know, I traveled with the Chicago Bulls a few years ago while writing a book. A lot of those guys prefer to play on the roads 'cause they said they didn't have to worry about arranging tickets for their third-grader's teacher - you know?- or driving their Land Rover through rush-hour traffic from the suburbs to get to the game. They can isolate and concentrate on the road.

Absolutely.

Look, next season the NBA's going to have to wait around for the Harrison twins - aren't they?- from the University of Kentucky?They announced they're coming back. What's going on - they want to stay in school?What'll they learn there?

turn 1 : Implied meaning: The speaker's use of a particular intonation or emphasis on certain words may suggest that they are being sarcastic or insincere, even if their words appear to be genuine.

How would you describe the PersonA's tone in turn 1?

Answer: Genuine


European companies and the European Union recognize that the dominance of the dollar in international trading gives the United States very considerable power. And I believe that the Iran episode is going to be a turning point. It will show Russia, China, India, the European Union the value of building up alternative mechanisms for concluding international trade that do not use the dollar in any shape or form.

So I think the United States is set maybe to use their excessive power on this occasion but, over the long term, to lose power. And I think that's right. It should be my country that decides what is lawful trade with any other country not the United States. And the United States' use of its dominance in international trading is totally intolerable when it seeks to place U. S.  law above the law of my country as to what my businessmen can do.

That's Sir Richard Dalton, former British diplomat now president of the British Iranian Chamber of Commerce. Thank you for speaking with ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.

Thank you.

turn 1 : US law should not be above the law of other countries in international trade.

Which law is the United States seeking to place above the law of other countries in international trade?

Answer: US


Well, what's your evidence that that can be done?I mean, what is your evidence that you can?

What's the evidence that I could beat Donald Trump?

Yeah.

(Laughter) Well, I think there's 37 people trying to figure out how they can do it right now.

turn 3 : This implies that people are already curious to know how A intends to defeat Trump.

Which person are people curious about defeating Trump?

Answer: A


It seems simple at the outset, and we seem - we take it for granted. I mean, we're fortunate enough to be able to exercise our sense of taste and smell three times, if not more, a day. But what "Taste What You're Missing" is about is really stepping back, slowing down and understanding a little bit more about the mechanisms of what make up the concept of flavor, taste.

And so what I hope this book does is teach people a little bit more because we know that with greater understanding comes greater appreciation. And so the bottom line takeaway from this book, I hope, is a greater appreciation for food. And I'm not talking about just those meals where we go out to a fine restaurant, we - we're spending a lot of our money to have a special occasion meal.

I'm talking about those mundane meals that we have every day because there's joy and incredible sensory experiences in everything we put in our mouth.

1-800-989-8255 is our number if you'd like to talk with Barb Stuckey, author of "Taste What You're Missing. "And let's get right into this then, and talk about what is wrong with the way that most people taste food. What you're saying, we're not taking advantage of just eating a plain old meat-and-potatoes hamburger or something like that.

turn 3 : "let's get right into this" - In this context, this phrase means to start discussing the topic at hand immediately. The literal meaning of getting into something would be to physically enter into it.

Which phrase means to start discussing the topic at hand immediately?

Answer: right


You know what else my mother said?You should talk to more people in their 80s because they've looked across the street at death for a decade. And they know what's really important in life.

Your mother was smart. Now, I'm talking as one of the people in the 80s. Nobody wants to hear that you met Harry Truman, you know. Shh.

(Laughing) You didn't meet Harry Truman, did you?

I met Harry Truman. But you know what I mean?Nobody's interested. They want to know you've met Rihanna, and that kills me.

turn 1 : "Nobody wants to hear that you met Harry Truman" - this is an expression meaning that people are not interested in hearing about things that happened a long time ago, especially if they are not relevant to their own lives.

What is the name of the person mentioned in the statement?

Answer: Truman


But also, at the moment, there is a decided sense of panic and loss of confidence in the financial system itself, which is actually exacerbating the situation. The scariest thing that's going on at the moment is, essentially, there's a run on the whole of the Western world's banking systems. It's a behind-the-scenes run, but it's a run nonetheless. And this is why you're seeing some extraordinary action by central banks, essentially because they are now the only people in the - around who are willing to fund or finance the banking sector.

If there's a loss of faith in leadership in the U. S.  and Europe, where do you look for world financial leadership now?

Well, I think the interesting thing is, the normal thing - place you would look would be to the finance ministers and the central bank governors of the world and seek to see whether they can come up with some sort of plan or some sort of coordinated action. Everyone is gathering together later this week in Washington on Friday and at the weekend.

And so this is a real test. I don't think they necessarily want it to be a test, but I'm sure it will be seen as a test to see whether the authorities can do more than look at how to stop this happening again in the long term, which is one of things, actually, they were intending the meeting to be about, but actually to try and stop the panic.

turn 0 : There is a sense of panic in the financial system and central banks are the only ones willing to finance the banking sector.

Answer: Loss


Yeah, it looks absolutely beautiful.

'Cause I've seen this painting - it's enormous. (Laughter) And I'm trying to picture, A, what that's like for people and, B, why you thought it was important for the public to see it as it was happening.

Well, I think there's two factors. And one is that the painting is - it's very large. So you know, removing it from the galleries would also present a certain amount of risk. And the other thing is that it's not really possible at this time to say how long the research or the treatment will actually take. All in all, this is really the best possible scenario to actually treat it in the galleries, where it can be followed by the public. I think the public actually find it fascinating to look behind the scenes.

I'm sure you couldn't have imagined that the painting would have been attacked with a bread knife, and you're doing quite the operation here. So what are some of the challenges and obstacles that, you know, are making you guys nervous?

turn 3 : B is implying that the situation is challenging and nerve-wracking for those involved in the operation, not necessarily that A and their team are nervous.

Which emotion is PersonB not necessarily implying that PersonA and their team are feeling during the operation?

Answer: nervous


The White House and the state of California are in the middle of a war over auto emissions. Now 17 automakers are calling for a truce. They want the two sides to reach a compromise on emission standards. The automakers' proposal offers a middle ground between existing Obama-era standards and the Trump administration's announced rollbacks of those standards. NPR's Camila Domonoske has been following this and is in the studio with us this morning. Thanks for coming in.

Yeah, happy to be here.

First, just describe the nature of this standoff. How did it come to be?

Right. So during the Obama administration, the White House set these ambitious targets for fuel economy, basically saying that year over year, cars on average should get more miles per gallon as a way to reduce the contribution to climate change. So these targets were set through 2025 with specific goals every year. The Trump administration wants to freeze those targets at 2020 levels. So basically, instead of getting more efficient over time, cars could stay about where they are now.

turn 3 : The Trump administration wants to keep fuel economy targets at 2020 levels.

How does Trump administration want to set the fuel economy targets?

Answer: Freeze


Good morning.

Good morning.

So your reaction to this meeting - the president seems to rely on his own brand of personal politics to get things moving.

Absolutely. And Kim Jong Un knows this. That's why he's been trying very hard to separate President Trump from his advisers because he thinks there is a deal to be had by just directly dealing with the president. There are a couple noteworthy things that came out of this meeting. I noticed that Trump - President Trump saying that speed is not the object here because he's looking for a comprehensive deal. And then he hinted that sanctions could be lifted during the working-level negotiations.

This is a departure from the Trump administration's previous stance that sanctions would be lifted only after denuclearization. So I think the bottom line is President Trump is looking for a deal. And potentially, now that working-level negotiations are going to resume, there is a deal to be had.

turn 2 : It's not literally a "brand" the president has; here it is referring to his own style and approach.

Which word in the dialogue refers to President Trump's approach and style?

Answer: Personal


Yes. There are tens of thousands of North Koreans who are hiding in China today. At the peak in the late '90s, early 2000s, there were more than half a million. But in - about 25,000 have made it safely to South Korea where they're living today. And about 140, 150 have come to the United States, and there have been several hundred who've gone to Europe.

And this underground railroad, obviously the phrase we associate with escaped slaves from the South before the Civil War, but the analogy, you say, is apt.

The analogy is very similar. It's a secret network of safe houses and routes - secret routes across the country. It's staffed. It's operated mostly by Christians, similar to the original Underground Railroad, though there are also people who are in it for the money who are involved - brokers and human traffickers. And many of the people who help the North Koreans in China are ethnically Korean. That is they're Korean-Chinese or they're South Korean or there are - they are Americans who are of Korean heritage. I interviewed a number of the rescuers, and their stories are incredibly inspiring. Especially in this Christmas season, you think about these are people who are living their faith by going to a hostile country to help, and helping people that nobody else in the world is prepared to help.

And it's interesting. You tell the story of one of them: Adrian Hong.

turn 0 : tens of thousands refer and implies large number

What was the estimated number of North Koreans who made it safely to South Korea?

Answer: 25,000


I think it's really important to understand that this is literally part of our human condition, right?We're a pack species. We like other people to like us. We like them to know what we're doing. And we've been doing this for centuries, whether it was commissioning portraits, whether it was sending postcards from our trips, whether it was holding our neighbors hostage and making them watch 10,000 slides from our family vacation. This is part of who we are. It's just a matter of managing it effectively.

If this is an essential part of the human condition, are these fatalities just going to keep happening?

I think so. I think so. There are some measures in place to kind of help with those people who are accidentally finding themselves in the situation of taking risky selfies. I think the more difficult question to ask is, what do we do with those people who are deliberately trying to find that high-risk selfie moment?

I mentioned the U. S.  Forest Service warning against bear selfies and Yellowstone having this safe selfie pledge. What other steps are being taken to try to keep people safe?

turn 2 : The turn (3) "those people who are accidentally finding themselves in the situation of taking risky selfies" is an example of figurative language, as the phrase "accidentally finding themselves" implies a lack of agency or responsibility. In reality, individuals make a conscious decision to take risky selfies, and this phrase may be used to downplay their responsibility for their actions.

How does the phrase "accidentally finding themselves" in turn 2 imply responsibility?

Answer: Lack


Is this a book about how someone becomes a terrorist?

In part. I talk about this as a sort of - as a Genesis moment for the book. But I remember distinctly I was watching this interview with a foreign affairs expert. And it was in the wake of the - there had been these sort of protests in an Afghan village against the U. S.  military presence in Afghanistan.

And the interviewer's question was something along the lines of, why do they hate us so much?And as part of his answer, this expert noted that sometimes the U. S.  forces have to go conduct these nighttime raids in these villages. And when they do this, they'll sometimes have to hold the women and children up at gunpoint. And they'll tear the places apart. And then he added, you know, in Afghan culture, this sort of thing is considered very offensive.

And I thought, you know, name me one culture on earth that wouldn't consider this sort of thing offensive?And so part of the book is - has to do with this idea that we all suffer the same way, and we become damaged by suffering in the same way regardless of which part of the world we grew up in or what we believe.

turn 1 : The literal meaning of the statement is that the speaker talks about the genesis of the book and how they were inspired to write it. The implicated meaning is that the speaker was motivated to write the book by their observations about the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and the reactions of the Afghan people to it.

How was the speaker motivated to write the book?

Answer: Observations


I wish I could think of a better opening. Tell me the Lyndon Baines Johnson story, if you could, please.

So during LBJ's administration, Mary was at home in her apartment one night. And she got a call from someone saying that he was with the Secret Service and the president planned to stop by. Mary was immediately convinced that it was one of her colleagues or friends pulling her leg. But when she opened her door and saw two Secret Service men standing by the elevator, she furiously began to tidy up her apartment and prepare for an impromptu visit from the commander-in-chief. Lyndon came in, they had a drink or two and Lyndon professed his great affection for her, Mary, I'm crazy about you, and made clear that he wanted to sleep with her. And in a way that was prototypically Lyndon Johnson, also said, I know you love the Kennedys, and now you should love me, which has to be about the worst pick-up line. . .

(Laughter).

. . . That I've ever heard in my life. And certainly the worst pick-up line for Mary.

turn 2 : The turn "Laughter" is not meant to indicate that someone is actually laughing but rather to acknowledge the humorous nature of the story being told.

What was the purpose of PersonB's response in turn 2?

Answer: Acknowledge


The writer Robert Strauss suggests that any new president would have to sink pretty low to meet the level set by the man the title of his book calls "Worst. President. Ever: James Buchanan, The POTUS Rating Game, And The Legacy Of The Least Of The Lesser Presidents. "Robert Strauss joins us now from member station WHYY in Philadelphia. Thanks so much for being with us.

Thank you very much, Scott.

Fill in some biographical blanks for us. James Buchanan was a Pennsylvanian, a bachelor and a Democrat.

That's all true. He had the greatest resume - at least, the greatest governmental resume - of anybody who's ever run for president. He was a state representative. He was a U. S.  congressman of both houses. He was the ambassador to Great Britain, ambassador to Russia and secretary of state.

turn 3 : James Buchanan had an impressive career in politics and government.

How would you describe James Buchanan's career?

Answer: Impressive


Immigration proponents hope that if we care as much about poor people outside the United States as we do about poor people inside the United States, we'll raise the level of care for both. We've seen, instead, as we have become more cosmopolitan in our sympathies, we've ended up caring as little for fellow Americans as for people everywhere.

It is precisely because we are not honoring our commitments and our promises and our obligations to our fellow Americans that I'm urging people to have a stronger sense of social solidarity. And the way you get that stronger sense of social solidarity is by making the meaning of Americanism stronger, and that means making it more of a national community. And communities have boundaries between themselves and the rest of the world.

You ground a lot of your argument, though, in white Americans' fears, really, about a country that's getting less white. So is limiting immigration the answer?I mean, doesn't that just play into those fears and then legitimize them?

I don't ground very much of my argument on that at all. What I ground my argument upon is a tendency of the human mind, perceived by psychologists in people of all backgrounds, to be stressed by rapid change.

turn 1 : Implied meaning: The speaker is trying to indirectly communicate a message or request to the listener.

Which turn in the dialogue implies that the speaker is discussing the tendency of the human mind to be stressed by rapid change?

Answer: A3


There are politicians from a wide variety of political parties that complain that the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, who is an Arab Shiite, that he has simply too much power. And critics have taken to calling him a dictator on TV over the last week. They're comparing his style of governance to Saddam Hussein. And they're basically holding up ratification and calling for a reform proposal that would curb many of Nouri al-Maliki's powers.

Meanwhile, Maliki's advisers are accusing these parties of using the American-Iraqi Treaty as a way to twist the prime minister's arm. They're calling this a desperate ploy for rival politicians to try to win popular support from the Iraq people.

So, Ivan, what are the prospects now for this status of forces agreement?It's intended to replace a U. N.  mandate which governs U. S.  troops being there. It's set to expire at the end of this year.

Well, that raises a lot of questions. The Iraqi prime minister has said he will not extend the United Nations mandate. The U. S.  has threatened, from what we're hearing from some Iraqi lawmakers, to begin withdrawal immediately.

turn 3 : The U.S. is using the threat of immediate withdrawal to pressure Iraq into extending the United Nations mandate

Which threat is the U.S. using to pressure Iraq?

Answer: withdrawal


The final thing is this. How has both - how have both the culture and the appearance of Harlem changed with this new money and these new properties, newly priced properties?

Well, the culture is even more vibrant, because we have people that have moved in who have the money to contribute to the children's art carnival or the Dance Theater of Harlem or the Harlem School of the Arts. I mean, it's not just myself, it's brokers, other people who have moved in are writing large checks to these organizations, like the Studio Museum in Harlem. They weren't thriving before. Some of the organizations didn't exist before. The culture is only going to continue to be as great as it is and continue.

What you notice, though, is the complexion of the people walking down the street. In the bad old days when I moved up to Harlem, if I wanted to go shopping, you had to get on the subway and go to 42nd Street. Now I just walk down to 125th Street, and everything I want is there. And while I'm walking down the street, I see people from around the world. We get tourists from around the world, in addition to the non-African-Americans who are now residents of Harlem. So the face of Harlem is changing, but the culture is not going anywhere. The non-blacks who moved to Harlem moved there because they want the nightlife that we can offer.

Willie, thank you so much for being with us today and sharing your points of view.

turn 1 : Harlem is now more diverse, attracting non-African Americans.

How has the complexion of Harlem changed?

Answer: diverse


Thank you very much for having me.

Can you describe the scene for us in Sana'a now?

The situation in Sana'a at the moment is very insecure and unpredictable. It's very scary, obviously, because the airstrikes come at any time. And now with the fuel crisis that's going on, Yemen is a country that is basically based all its - basics let's say from importing - the food, the fuel, the wheat - everything comes importing and talking about the main things that would allow the people to be alive. And now at the borders - the blockade in the borders - this is creating a huge catastrophe that is ahead of us at the moment.

turn 3 : (4) B: Oxfam had been pushing to end the fighting, at least to get these shipments into the country. Are you worried about future shipments?

Which organization had been pushing to end the fighting?

Answer: Oxfam


Yes. I think it still is hard for some categories of people, so I'm keen to support people from underrepresented groups in physics. But also, there are people who maybe badly need the money. People from less well-off households could be very good physicists but just don't have that financial cushion.

So I'm wondering what advice you'd give to a young woman pursuing a career in the sciences.

I'd encourage her to hang in there. It's not quite as easy for her as it is for her male colleagues, but it is getting better. And working in the sciences is fantastic. You'll never want for a job.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell is an award-winning astrophysicist. Congratulations on your award.

turn 0 : Most people don't have enough money to pay for school.

How does turn 0 relate to the rest of the dialogue?

Answer: Irrelevant


Well, you know, this is having a lot of different effects. So you know, some of the students have been expelled. Their admissions have been revoked. Some of the coaches have been fired. They face charges - athletic coaches who were involved in misrepresenting people as being recruits. And of course the legal cases are going to continue to unfold.

But I'm also interested in how it's unfolding in the broader culture at large. You know, whether you look at things like - we had a big debate last year about Harvard and affirmative action. And these conversations about things like legacy admissions are really bringing us to a broader conversation about, what do these elite colleges really offer?You know, the fact that they have nonprofit status - are they really serving the public, or are they just acting in a way that's really inflating their own bottom line and their own brands?

And so I think there's a broader conversation about, are there better ways to have admissions?And can we define excellence in education some other way other than, you know, something that's really expensive and only lets in about 5 percent of people who get to apply?

And for all that conversation, just in our last 30 seconds or so, do you see signs of systemic change coming?

turn 2 : The underlying implications are that elite colleges are more concerned about their own bottom line and reputation than actually providing access to higher education for all.

Which college attribute is being questioned in turn 2?

Answer: Reputation


Take Darwin, for example. His theory of evolution by natural selection, the key to that theory, the way favorable traits are passed on, it's through genes. The only problem is Darwin did not understand genetics. In fact, his original idea of how inheritance worked would have been discredited. It would have discredited the whole process of evolution.

And it's just one of the fascinating stories in my next guest's book, "Brilliant Blunders: From Darwin to Einstein. "Mario Livio is the author. He's also an astrophysicist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. Welcome back to SCIENCE FRIDAY, Dr.  Livio.

Thank you for having me, Ira.

All these people made great mistakes.

turn 2 : having me implies hosting me and where someone is a guest

What does Livio imply with his response to PersonB's welcoming statement?

Answer: Grateful


And so, finally, what would affect this backlog?What would be the most - in your view, based on your experience - the most effective way to address this backlog - this enormous backlog of cases?

I think, to begin with, any high-volume court system - criminal courts, you know, outside of the immigration system - can only survive when you have - the two parties are able to conference cases, are able to reach pre-case settlements, are able to reach agreements on things. If you could imagine in the criminal court system, if every jaywalking case had to go through a - you know, a full jury trial and then, you know, get appealed all the way up as high as it could go, that system would be in danger of collapse as well. So I think you have to return to a system where you allow the two sides to negotiate things.

And you also have to give the judges - let them be judges. Give them the tools they need to be judges and the independence they need to be judges. And lastly, you have to prioritize the cases.

Before we let you go, I assume that there were different political perspectives at this conference, given that people come from all different sectors of that - of the bar. And I just wondered - and I assume that there are some there who favor more restrictionist methods and some who don't. I was wondering, overall, was there a mood at this conference?

turn 0 : cases implies situations, issues or conditions and not suitcases or packs

What is the subject matter that the backlog mentioned in the dialogue refers to?

Answer: Backlog


So you were ready to stand up for yourself?

Oh, absolutely, 100 percent.

Do you ever talk to the students that you went to college with recently, students who were maybe sometimes 60 years younger than you, about what you have lived and what you have gone through?Do you ever tell them these kinds of stories?

In some of my classes, some of the fellows would ask me about the segregated South. I would reveal to them, like in one instance, we had a history major and he was just tickled to death to learn this stuff firsthand from somebody who had actually been through it. Example, I used to tell him that at Norfolk Navy Yard, the drinking fountains and lavatories were all segregated - black, colored water and colored bathrooms, white bathrooms. And the white water always broke down and they drank the colored water.

turn 2 :  "Do you ever talk to the students that you went to college with recently...about what you have lived and what you have gone through?" - The actual meaning could be, "Do you share your personal experiences with younger students to educate them about historical events and give them a firsthand perspective?" It may not necessarily mean just having casual conversations with former classmates.

How does PersonB suggest PersonA communicates their personal experiences with younger students?

Answer: Share


The American Medical Association has largely stayed on the sidelines of political fights over the past 30 years or so. But a North Dakota law set to go into effect next month is spurring the doctor's group to get involved now. The law will require doctors in North Dakota to tell patients that medically induced abortions can be reversed. Now, there's no scientific evidence to support that claim, and the AMA is taking the state to court over it and another existing abortion law. Julie Rovner covers health policy at Kaiser Health News. She joins us now.

Welcome back to the program, Julie.

Thanks for having me.

We just described one of these laws. What's the other one, and why is the AMA concerned about it?

turn 3 : The AMA is concerned about another abortion law.

How is the AMPersonA responding to the second abortion law?

Answer: Existing


Yes, it has. Theater has definitely been an escape to just, you know, work on the show, work on the production and see the magic of it going up and seeing that art. And theater has just become so much more diverse. All these stories that just tell these stories about people that you don't usually hear about. Whether they're queer, brown, black, trans, undocumented, it's all these stories. And I think that it's really magical, and it really paints like a really great picture of everybody on stage.

What shows have you worked on?

Here at VCU, we just closed "Into The Woods. "

Well, lots of luck to you - very good speaking with you.

turn 0 : "Theater has definitely been an escape" implies that A sees production and acting as a way to get away from stress and problems in the real world.

Answer: Theater


Yeah.

He said she's obsessed with divorce. Everyone in her family's divorced. Some of them are divorced twice. Her parents got divorced when she was 6. I don't like to think that a divorce haunted me. And yet look at me. This somehow became my art. And then, I looked at the sort of evidence. And, this year, I've been married for 13 years, which is the year my parents got divorced. And now I feel like I'm in this sort of unknowable land. What are you supposed to do now?

I must say - as the days roll by and Rachel doesn't return and sends no word, you find yourself - I found myself as a reader going from worry about where she was, what might have happened, to anger.

Right.

turn 1 : The speaker is worried about their own marriage

What feeling does the speaker express towards Rachel's disappearance?

Answer: Anger


Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Now, the books were released on inauguration day. I don't know if that was significant or not. Tell us if it was and what inspired these collections?

Well, these collections I have been thinking about for a long time. I've been talking about it with my agent for sometime about doing something like this. The big fear was that, no publisher would be that interested in it because they wouldn't think the collection could be sustained over a period of time doing it every year. But Bantam believed it and so Bantam, we ultimately made a deal with Bantam to do it. The date wasn't really significant. I mean, the date turned out to be significant but we had set the date a long time before and we were just hoping that Obama would win so the date would really have some significance but it was all an accident. It turned out well though.

Now, you're going to - we've had anthologies before obviously. But the new thing about this anthology is that you're going to try to publish it annually. How difficult do you think that is likely to be?

turn 1 : Tell us if it was and what inspired these collections?" is not actually asking for information about whether the release date was significant or not. The interviewer is using this as a prompt to ask the author about the inspiration behind the book collections.

How is the interviewer prompting the author to talk about the inspiration behind the book collections? (Answer: "prompt")

Answer: Prompt


It was really expensive. It was the most expensive substance on Earth at the time. We're talking about equivalent of 2. 2 million dollars for a single gram.

Wow. And in 1917, of course, with World War I cranking up, there was huge military demand for watches that you could see in the dark and dials that you could see in the - in the dark.

That's right. And as you said, this is when the book opens, so shortly before America joined the First World War. And once they did, of course, join that global conflict, there was this huge boom to the radium industry. Soldiers needed watches, and people needed it for the planes and the trucks and so on. And so the dial painters, who were the radium girls - they were employed to paint all these dials with luminous radium paint. And they were taught to lip point, so to put their brushes between their lips to make a fine point for the detailed handiwork.

To actually put the brush with the radium paint into their mouth.

turn 2 : (3), the speaker mentions the "radium girls" who were employed to paint dials with luminous radium paint during World War I. The implied meaning here is that these workers were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation due to their work, which had severe health consequences for many of them.

Which dangerous substance were the radium girls exposed to?

Answer: Radium


And he - those books served as sort of benchmarks of learning of the time. They were encyclopedias on whatever it was: optics, even music, that kind of thing. And even though they contained many propositions that could then be proven wrong by experiment, which is by the way a pretty valuable service in a way, you know, they were important works that almost all the major figures of that time had to contend with.

You've likened him to a kind of Forrest Gump of the 17th century.

I have, yeah. I mean, well, the thing is - the only difference is that Forrest Gump, you know, was this innocent, naÃ¯ve, you know, sort of - had a kind of pure quality to his character. Kircher was a courtier, a careerist. He was not above fibbing if it suited him to get ahead in his career. But he was, in the way that Forest Gump was, kind of one or two degrees of separation away from so many kind of characteristic moments of the time and also as well as people.

So as I say, you know, born on the eve of a witch hunt, he was kind of thrown around in the turmoil of the 30 Years War. He arrived in Rome in 1633 just months after the Galileo trial. He was in Rome in 1656 for the plague, you mentioned the plague, and. . .

And he survived.

turn 1 : Forrest Gump implies a person achieves a lot when they aren't expected to achieve a lot

How would you describe the person being compared to Forrest Gump in the dialogue?

Answer: careerist


. . . which has its own problems. Arranged marriages are - people are speaking up for them nowadays.

Well, you know, I mean, that that is the time. The woman - he asked the hand of this woman, his late 20s. But this is also because of that, that you can have this kind of melodrama. I mean, "Romeo and Juliet" today, it cannot happen because if the father of Juliet today say to Juliet, you cannot marry Romeo; and she say, I don't care. And she will go out and marry him anyway. And if she marries him, then there is no more love story anymore. You know, they marry; then they had a - lots of children.

You know, imagine Romeo and Juliet and they have like, 12 kids. Who would care about their story, you know?

Romeo and Juliet go to Costco. . .

turn 0 : "Arranged marriages are - people are speaking up for them nowadays." The literal meaning of this turn is that arranged marriages have some problems, but people are starting to support them nowadays. However, the actual meaning is that arranged marriages are controversial and people have different opinions about them.

Which topic is being discussed in turn 0?

Answer: Arranged


I've also been impressed by what Germany has done to address their history. And I notice in some spots in Germany, you will have plaques that remember the lives and the death of individual German soldiers. Is there room for that?

There's a room for a commemorating individual soldiers. There's a room for, I think, monument on battlefields. I mean, Gettysburg - people have asked me, what about Gettysburg?Well, you know, people fought and died there. So, yes, I think to the extent that these things are done in places that are not meant to send a message of domination, sure that's appropriate.

If it were up to you, what should be done with a lot of Confederate statues?

I think the Confederate statues should be removed. The notion that removing them means we're getting rid of history or changing history is not true. We will always write about Robert E.  Lee, Grant, the war, but that's - doesn't have to be commemorated, I think, in statues.

turn 0 : I've also been impressed by what Germany has done to address their history.And I notice in some spots in Germany, you will have plaques that remember the lives and the death of individual German soldiers.Is there room for that?  Actual Meaning: Is it acceptable to honor and remember the individual German soldiers who died in the war?

Answer: Plaques


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 0 : The use of the word "exciting" suggests that the developments in space during 2015 were particularly noteworthy or significant.

What word describes the developments in space during 2015?

Answer: Exciting


If Beijing could have its way, David, what do you think they would want to do with Hong Kong?What would they want from Hong Kong?

Well, we know they would like Hong Kong to basically focus on money and making money and not worry about politics at all. That was the model. I mean, it's a comparison that Beijing would hate. But the truth is they basically treat it like a colony. It used to be a British colony. It's now a colony of China. And like any well-behaved colony, you're meant to focus on getting rich, making money and not worry about politics.

And David, just briefly, what happens in 2047, 50 years after Britain hands Hong Kong back to China?What happens then?

Well, then the promise of one country, two systems falls away, but the truth is they're going to try and chip away as in all kinds of small and subtle ways before then. We're also going to see probably more mainland immigration into Hong Kong - would be one way of diluting Hong Kong's kind of will to resist. But let's not underestimate an amazing thing that happened. There is a piece of China that gets free press, that knows what's happening, that is allowed to protest - not allowed where I'm sitting in Beijing - and they said, no, and the government backed off. And that's an absolutely extraordinary thing that can only happen in Hong Kong.

turn 1 : Hong Kong's autonomy is being gradually eroded before the 2047 deadline

Which deadline is mentioned in the conversation?

Answer: 2047


What are the odds that the Iranian leadership, after maybe some public demonstrations of disapproval, decides, well, you know, there's still a lot of overwhelming economic reasons for us to stay in this agreement with the European Union?

Well, the problem is there's still not overwhelming economic interests coming in. If European Union can somehow protect its businesses and come up with some mechanisms that could give Iran at least some promises and guarantees that - moving towards the future, there could be some economic benefits. And depending on that, I think if Iran believes - as President Rouhani actually put out a different statements on his Instagram and Twitter - what matters is national interests, economic interests, whether Europeans can guarantee it without U. S.  We would be willing to remain compliant to the deal. And the supreme leader actually put out a statement approving that, as well. So all eyes are on Europeans right now.

Should the Iranian government be worried about their survival?

I don't think so. Usually, when the crisis like this arises, it actually brings more unity than anything. And I think the more pressure and sort of the more isolation for Iran, it actually strengthens the regime in a way. You know, I don't think that this strategy that some people talk about - and they think that there is a possibility that this could bring about regime change - is at all anything likely. And I think having to deal with a short-term crisis with the hopes that this will bring change - I'm skeptical on that.

turn 2 : The statement mean that There is possibility for Iranian government to face difficulty for survival if there is not support.

What is the concern about the Iranian government's survival?

Answer: Survival


I want to mention that Mark Bryant of the Gun Violence Archive is remaining with us for this hour to offer context if we need him. And so, Congressman, you unveiled a detailed plan to address gun violence as part of your presidential campaign. You had a chance to talk about some of these issues in the debate that you participated in. Tell us about, if you would, just, like, what's your signature idea here?And tell us why you think that's so important.

You know, the signature principle is we don't have to live this way. And so many of my constituents have been calling and texting and saying that they're afraid to go to public places. They're afraid to take their kids shopping with them - that they're mindful of that now and in ways that they've never been before. And, you know, one of the ways that we could reduce that fear would be to ban and buy back the 15 million assault weapons in America.

You know, many folks have called for an assault weapon ban on future manufacturing and sales, but I don't think that would go far enough. I think we need to get every single weapon of war off the streets. And it's not something - this is not an original idea. You know, Australia did it in the '90s and New Zealand is underway doing it now after their mosque shooting.

Well, advocates of expansive gun rights would argue that the United States is different, and that the right to own a gun is both - is a constitutional right. What do you say about that?

turn 1 : "ban and buy back" means prohibiting and repurchasing

Which two countries are mentioned by "A" as examples of countries that banned assault weapons?

Answer: Australia,New-Zealand


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

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

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

What will become of the Curtain when you're done?

turn 0 : "And indeed would make the sound of a lark" - Here, the phrase "make the sound of a lark" is not meant to be taken literally, but rather as a metaphor for the sound that the actor would produce, perhaps through singing or whistling, to create the impression of a lark.

How did the actor create the impression of a lark?

Answer: Singing


Absolutely. This is probably one of the most consequential elections in Israel in the last 10 years, since Netanyahu has been in power.

Daniel, thanks so much.

You're welcome.

That's NPR's Daniel Estrin.

Answer: 10


No, physically, we're - really pretty pathetic. Offhand, I cannot think of an animal which, if your size, let's say 150 pounds, that could not absolutely obliterate you in hand-to-hand or tooth-to-incisor combat. And our dominance in the world is all thanks to this trick of coming up with these codes that enable us to remember what happened yesterday or years ago. And it has a permanence that has a tremendous advantage (laughter). It has nothing to do with the theory of evolution.

Yeah. But you say that speech bedeviled Darwin as a matter of fact.

It did. He could not figure out what it was. He assumed because of his theory that everything evolved from animals, and he didn't even include it in his theory language until he decided that it came from our imitation of the cries of birds. And I think it's misleading to say that human beings evolved from animals. I mean, actually nobody knows whether they did or not. And there are very few physical signs, except for the general resemblance between apes and humans. The big evolution, if you want to call it that, is that this one species, Homo sapiens, came up with this ingenious trick, which is language.

Are you concerned, Mr.  Wolfe, or are you resolutely not concerned that people who don't believe in evolution for religious reasons, not scientific ones, are going to begin to cite your work as some kind of scientific proof?

turn 1 : In turn (2), the actual meaning is that speech was a difficult problem for Darwin to explain and understand, rather than speech causing trouble or vexation for Darwin, as the word "bedeviled" might suggest.

How did Darwin view speech as per turn (2)?

Answer: Imitation


Hobbes wrote about the challenges his generation faces in a December article for Highline, which is put out by the Huffington Post. Its headline, "Millennials Are Screwed," caught our attention this week. And we asked Hobbes to explain his pessimistic prediction.

Healthcare, housing and education are more than five times more expensive than they were for our parents. There are fewer steady jobs. Wages have stagnated since the 1970s. I mean, I can go on and on and on. And so its weird that we're constantly talking about how millennials should do this differently, and millennials should do that differently. But we dont talk that much about - hey, the country around us can do some things differently, too.

So you obviously believe that the baby boomers messed up your life?How did they do that?

Well, I've gotten a lot of emails since the article came out from boomers that are saying, we've fallen off the ladder, too. And if you're 55 years old, there's a lot of discrimination for getting back into the workforce. But what we're seeing is that those impacts are concentrated on the young. So I think there's really three paradigm shifts. The first one is work has become much lower quality, basically - that there's fewer decent jobs now. Many of the jobs that are available are contingent work or sort of have been farmed out to contractors. Many fewer jobs provide things like pension, benefits or health care these days.

turn 2 : "messed up" means to cause problems or difficulties, not that something was physically destroyed or ruined.

Answer: Problems


Madam de Pompadour was the mistress of Louis XV and a style-setter. A painting shows her at her vanity table with her mirror, her makeup brush and compact, wearing a shockingly low-cut gown. Her preening went on for hours, so she'd receive visitors as she put on her makeup.

She had incredibly good taste, and hired only the most important, the most well-known furniture designers, painters. She was very cultured, and she created amazing furniture. And this table was made for her Chateau Bellevue. And it's impeccably made. The marquetry is fantastic. It's all about her life and who she is and her lifestyle. And so you should notice that on the top of the bronze-gilt mounts of the legs, there are little castle tops representing where she lives, her chateau. And then the top shows all of her interests - her interests in gardening and nature, her interest in music. And this was, obviously, commissioned by her and was to make to show her interests and her likes.

There are exquisite combs in the exhibit. Some of them are decorated with precious gems, others made out of rubber, and some made out of ebony and ivory. But they were not all used for beauty alone.

The interesting thing about the double-sided combs: the wide tooth is to comb hair, and the narrow end is to comb out the lice.

turn 0 : (1) implies that Madam de Pompadour was very vain and spent a lot of time preening herself, indicating that she may have been more concerned with her appearance than her actual duties as the mistress of Louis XV.

Which exhibit showcases combs decorated with precious gems, rubber, and ebony and ivory?

Answer: None


So I'm going to plunge straight into another topic. That's gas prices. They rose more than six cents in one day following news of the damage to the Gulf Coast. There is a lot of oil industry there. Tropical Storm Ike also damaged that area.

Now, there is a question of whether or not folks are getting unfairly gouged. One gas station is said to have charged five dollars for a gallon of regular, and there are some other places in the damaged areas that don't even have gas. So is this price gouging?And I'm not just talking about the people in the effected areas, but people across the country.

There is some price gouging, I think, when you get to five dollars. On the other hand, when you're talking about what's happening with production, the fact is that there are almost immediate shortages. Gas stations have the gas that they have under their stations to pump, that's all they have. They have to get deliveries of other gas and it's more scarce, it costs them more.

So if someone decides, in anticipation of price rises, to raise the price on the gas under their station, that's not fair but it's somewhat reasonable. But when they take it from a few cents to five dollars, if it was being posted as $3. 65, which was the national average, and then you get up to five dollars, that does seem to be a bit much.

turn 2 : Gas prices are rising because of immediate shortages caused by the storm.

Answer: storm


As it stands now, it's getting bigger and better, and I am very hopeful that it would stay that way. At the same token, I know that it takes a smart business person to run a successful business. So it's all about how you position yourself. I'm continuously networking, and meeting with people, and developing relationships with some very prominent people. So therefore, business is prospering, and I will continue to do that.

But it would seem to me - and perhaps you can offer some clarification on this point - that there are a lot of people who are in business such as yourself, who are good at what they do, who are conscientious, who are working hard and yet who find themselves, for whatever reasons, not doing and not being as successful as they would like. And there must be something that separates you from them besides, perhaps, your business plan and your enthusiasm. Is that realistic?

That is very realistic. I mean, I think that goes with any position. You have singers, actors, and a lot of them have been in the business for years and have never made it, if you will, because certain people have it and certain people don't. You either have a drive and a knack for really connecting with people and making some things happen for yourself. Or you can be as talented as the next person, but you may never go anywhere with that talent if you don't have the right connections, the right personality and the right know-how.

You said that you've lived near the Obamas in Chicago, in the High Park area, right?

turn 1 : Being good at something is not enough for success.

How does PersonA describe the drive and knack required for success?

Answer: Drive


Sure. Well, before she becomes a pirate, she tries shoplifting. And when Gwen is shoplifting, she imagines herself as named Octavia. She imagines herself to much more glamorous persons, so there's a little bit in this book that's here.

(Reading) She remembered what it was called - shoplifting - and pictured lifting the whole place, the aisles tilting and tumbling their baubles and trinkety treasures into her pockets. Pink razors for her burnt leg and then a keychain she thought Naomi would like. And when she realized she could steal for other people, it was an avalanche, a chew bone for Toby the II, more stuff for Naomi, a stuffed bear and a tiny license plate that said Naomi. Three flasks of perfume, curvy and shapey like internal organs in her pockets, and she was done with Mother's Day for ages.

Her father liked the electronic things, which were behind locked cabinets. But she grabbed a slick stereo magazine and managed to slip into one of her boots. It would be a way to warm him for taking the bus by herself. By now she was thirsty and rounded a corner to open a fridge and grab an iced tea in a bottle that felt so good in her hands. It was One Universe Green Tea, which the label said was good for the immune system and for Octavia's skin. No one had stopped her. No one had spoken to her. It was smooth sailing. All for one and one for all.

So is there a straight line from that to piracy or just adolescence?

turn 3 : "straight line from that to piracy" - actual meaning: the author uses figurative language to question whether her shoplifting is a direct cause of her becoming a pirate, not that there is a literal straight line linking the two.

What does the author mean by "straight line"?

Answer: Connection


This seems to be something that President Trump does a lot. He doubles down on controversial comments.

And digs in. When someone tells him he's wrong, he especially digs in.

Yeah. Let's turn to trade now. There are reports that this administration is close to a new round of tariffs on Chinese goods, while they are still opening a new round of talks with Beijing. So what is going on?How should we read this?

Well, there might be something of a disconnect between the president and others in his administration. Others in his administration want to resolve what has been an escalating and ongoing trade dispute with China. What's being discussed here are $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese products. It isn't official yet, but according to many reports, it is coming. The question is whether these tariffs are a means to an end, the idea that you would be tightening the screws on China to get them to change their behavior and that then these tariffs would be dropped, or whether it's an end in itself.

turn 1 : "Digs in" is not literal. It is a metaphor implying that he, like soldiers in a trench, will not back easily away from his position.

Which term is used metaphorically to imply that President Trump will not easily back away from his position?

Answer: Digs


Well, because there are a number of reasons that a security clearance can be denied. Among them would be foreign contacts, foreign business interests, criminal activity, financial instability, drug and alcohol use. And some of these are very serious. If employees who had the history of these issues - and they weren't properly mitigated, they could be a risk to national security if they received security clearances.

You're saying hypothetically those could be reasons security clearances would be denied. Were they in these cases reasons that they were denied?

Some of them were applicable in different cases, yes.

turn 3 : "Is overriding 25 security clearance denials a large number?I have no idea what's normal in this situation." - The actual meaning is that B is unsure if overriding 25 security clearance denials is a large number compared to what is considered normal in this situation.

How many security clearance denials were overridden?

Answer: Overridden


The investigations into the fatal Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes have revealed troubling details about safety. For example, Boeing was charging extra for a safety feature - one that might've helped the pilots in those flights. Boeing says it will now make that feature standard. We wondered whether the same could be true of safety features in cars.

Some new cars have features to avoid collisions or stay in a lane. Depending on the make and model, features like those could come standard or cost extra. David Friedman was acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and he's now on the policy side of Consumer Reports. Welcome to the studio.

Thanks a lot for having me, Ari.

Let's start by talking about a feature called automatic emergency braking. I understand this is a technology that has been really widely adopted, largely because of a voluntary agreement where automakers said they'll make it standard by 2022. What does this do?How important is it?

turn 3 :  "Let's start by talking about a feature called automatic emergency braking."

How did PersonB suggest discussing a particular feature?

Answer: Talking


You've been following temporary staffing trends for more than two decades now. What sectors are relatively insulated from layoffs?

Well, the sectors that are most resilient are the higher-skill sectors, or if you can get into industries that are involved in education or health care or government. Those are the areas where you get the most bang. We're also seeing a nice increase in the mortgage-processing area, because one of the things the government's doing is lowering the conforming rate for mortgages. And so, there's kind of a rush to refinance.

When you say higher skills, are you talking about engineering, things of that sort?

Well, even within, say, clerical admin, there's always demand for good, you know, personal assistants. There's always demand for engineers or, you know, highly skilled folks. There are sometimes fewer jobs in those areas but for good people, you can get employed.

Now, geographically, where are the hot spots for temporary work?

We're seeing the best demand really around the D. C.  area. You know, Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, of course the government's kind of gearing up, and there's lots of activity to, you know, take on some of these new projects. Another good area is Texas. Texas still has some residual goodwill related to energy and utilities. Beyond that, there is most of the - most every area of the country is feeling some pinch. Some of the toughest places are California, Nevada and Florida.

turn 1 : Those are the areas where you get the most positive information.

How would you describe the information gained from the resilient sectors mentioned by A?

Answer: Positive


But to point out the obvious: the play chess, they don't watch it.

Who would ever in a million years have imagined that anyone would be interested in watching golf on TV?In our poll, golf is considered the most boring sport in America and yet it's incredibly successful on TV. It is indeed considered, in this poll, more boring than chess. But if you think about it, if you know anything about chess, you know that there's a rich, thick history, both of players and personalities and madness and theory that you can talk about on and on and on and on. There's nothing to talk about in golf.

Andrew Paulson speaking with us from London. Thank you very much. Good luck to you and to chess, Mr.  Paulson.

Thank you very much.

turn 3 : (4) implies that Andrew Paulson is wishing the interviewer good luck as well as himself and the game of chess.

Which game is Andrew Paulson associated with?

Answer: Chess


All right. Give me - we just have time for one tip for online dating, something you should do or shouldn't do.

One thing you should do is be yourself. Never ever, ever post any picture that's like five years old and 50 pounds lighter or heavier than you are. It's like your picture should reflect who you are, and the way that you write your profile should reflect who you are as a person, as well as the person that you're trying to attract for a date. Things you should not do, never have someone meet you in your home on a first date that you've never met before. Don't give out any specifics. I say, don't tell someone where you work unless you want them to come and visit you there.

Right.

Don't give them your address unless you want them to come and visit you there as well.

turn 0 : 50 pounds  implies a weight and not referring to 50 British pounds

Which number refers to the turn where the speaker advises against revealing personal information?

Answer: Turn3


I am - my lips are sealed. But let's just say we are a certain kind of gypsy and we - it's very much like a family. When you've been touring together for six months or more and you're all living on a bus, you become very close and very supportive and close in good ways and bad ways.

But we feel very privileged to be able to do what we do. And the places we get to go, the people we get to meet, the stages we get to perform on, it's a privilege. It really is. It's something we don't ever want to take for granted.

I was, again, thinking back to that song, in that leafy neighborhood you described around Washington, D. C.

Well, actually, I was thinking about where I grew up - the first 10 years of my life - in Princeton, New Jersey, when I was describing that. But you're right, very much, lot of leafy neighborhoods in Washington where I have spent most of my life.

turn 1 : We appreciate the opportunities we get to perform

How do they feel about the stages they perform on?

Answer: Opportunities


So it's not unusual for hospitals to sue patients for unpaid medical bills, but there's so much striking about this situation. Like, what are some of the things where - that stands out about this about how unusual this is?

So Methodist is really aggressive in their use of the courts to collect on these debts. Once they get a judgment, they will hound a patient from low-wage job to low-wage job to try to garnish their wages, and that's what we saw with the main character in our story, Carrie Barrett. I call her Ms.  Carrie. So Ms.  Carrie had surgery in 2007, was sued in 2010. And since then, the hospital has actually added $18,000 worth of interest to her debt. So not only do they add, you know, $5,000 in attorney's fees - they're also accruing interest even as they know she works at low-income jobs.

So part of how this works is Methodist gets the judgment, and then they filed a garnishment order. The employer can return that garnishment order saying, basically, this person doesn't make enough to even have their wages garnished. Ms.  Carrie's employer was telling her she's not even making more than enough to have her wages garnished, and Methodist kept after her. It was like they were just waiting to see if she made a little bit more money so they could take it.

And they also are affiliated with the United Methodist Church. I mean, there are three bishops, as I understand from your reporting, that serve on the board. Did they have something to say about this?

turn 0 : Methodist hospital is very aggressive in collecting unpaid medical bills.

Which hospital is aggressive in collecting unpaid medical bills?

Answer: Methodist


You know, it hurts them both because many of the voters just don't understand how this can be happening. They know the president wants it. They know the Senate majority wants it or says it wants it. But the Senate just can't muster even half its votes to do it, and they can't bring all the Republicans to bear on it. So something is not right. Either the mojo of the president isn't working or the mechanism of the Senate is not working, and to some degree, both are true.

Is there any reason why Democrats now might want to sign on to any kind of bipartisan health care effort when their own plan has been saved?

Yes, absolutely. The Democrats need to go forward with some kind of bipartisan solution because there are many real problems with the execution and the administration of Obamacare. Now, Patty Murray, the senator from Washington state, has been working with Tennessee's Lamar Alexander in the Senate. And he's a Republican. He's the chairman of one of the committees that's relevant here.

And, of course, a lot of the Democrats are aware of these shortfalls. And there are counties with only one insurance company and counties where it's not clear there are going to be any insurance companies. And some of that's been overblown, but there are real problems. And, of course, any bill, any large program, any law needs to be revisited and amended, and the parties need to get together to do that.

turn 1 : The implied meaning of this turn is that Democrats might not be interested in a bipartisan effort since their own plan has been successful.

How might Democrats view the execution and administration of Obamacare?

Answer: Problems


Well, because there are a number of reasons that a security clearance can be denied. Among them would be foreign contacts, foreign business interests, criminal activity, financial instability, drug and alcohol use. And some of these are very serious. If employees who had the history of these issues - and they weren't properly mitigated, they could be a risk to national security if they received security clearances.

You're saying hypothetically those could be reasons security clearances would be denied. Were they in these cases reasons that they were denied?

Some of them were applicable in different cases, yes.

Is overriding 25 security clearance denials a large number?I have no idea what's normal in this situation.

turn 0 : The reasons for security clearance denial listed by A are hypothetical but serious.

Which types of issues would make an employee a risk to national security if they received security clearances, according to PersonA in turn 0?

Answer: Foreign


Now let's turn to West Africa. For more than a decade, Liberia has been struggling to recover from civil war. It has a female head of state now, and it also has big supporters in the U. S.  One of them is Bob Johnson, who founded and later sold Black Entertainment Television. Now he's building a four-star beachfront resort near Liberia's capital, Monrovia. Bob Johnson recently told me why he decided to invest millions of dollars in Liberia's economy.

It's part of a commitment I made to President Johnson Sirleaf and the people of Liberia, to help Liberia recover from some 13, 14 years of civil war. And it came about as a result of my participation, as well as President Sirleaf's participation in President Clinton's global initiative that he hosts every year in New York. And the charter is, do something, small or large, but do something. And so my something is to help Liberia.

What are we talking about in terms of the kind of money it takes to make this happen?

We are putting in approximately 12 to 13 million dollars in the construction of this hotel and the opening of the hotel, which is scheduled for March of '09. It'll be an 86-room hotel, as I said, situated on the beach, great facility for everybody from government officials and expats who want to go back and visit Liberia, as well as business people who are looking to do business in post-conflict Liberia.

So, do you expect to get a tourist crowd eventually?

turn 1 : Bob Johnson invested in Liberia to help the country recover from civil war.

Which country was Liberia recovering from civil war?

Answer: Liberia


There's something magical about that part of a meal that really seems to have inspired the book. Like, the beginning, when everyone is, like, just arriving and gathering and, like, what you want to serve in a moment like that.

Yeah. I mean, even just hearing you describe it that way, it's the best moment of a party. So, you know, everyone's hugging and kissing, and there's catching up and clinking of wine glasses. And it's just the best moment. And I think when those first platters of food start to roll out of the kitchen, it's just a celebration.

Do you ever really sit down, or is it constant movement, like, more plates coming out and just kind of wandering around and eating and talking?

What I love about antipasti is that even in a restaurant, oftentimes they'll have sort of a big communal table in the center of the restaurant, and they'll allow you to come up with, you know, your plate and a big spoon and just kind of point to or pick through and serve yourself whatever you want from the antipasti spread. So that's kind of the most interactive moment of the meal, which is maybe also why it's one of my favorites.

turn 1 : "everyone's hugging and kissing" - This is a common expression used to describe a warm and friendly greeting between people, but it doesn't always literally mean that people are hugging and kissing.

What is the best moment of a party according to A?

Answer: greetings


I can imagine someone being stunned for a moment by being struck by an object, especially at a high speed like that. But I don't understand that because if there was over a minute when the throttle was advanced farther than it should've been and - you know, things happen when you're an engineer. You should be used to them. So I - it doesn't really seem to me like that's a probable cause, but we'll have to wait and see.

I don't have to tell you, Mr.  Hughes, that the crash and the deaths of eight people have set off a debate - those who say the derailment says Amtrak needs more money, others who say Amtrak isn't - is wasting a lot of the money that it gets. Recognizing there are no guarantees, would greater government funding have perhaps meant this derailment wouldn't happen?

It might have. The thing that is important here is Amtrak doesn't have any discretionary money. Every penny they get goes into something that's really important, especially capital money like this. And so I would think that money played some part in it in that when Amtrak has to do large projects, they have to space them out in smaller parts over multiple years. And I don't know the facts in this case, but I do know that that is true with a number of large capital projects. You just can't do them quickly 'cause the funding isn't there.

When you were in charge, Mr.  Hughes, did you find it hard to get funding for Amtrak, a lot of skepticism and doubt?

turn 3 : Did you find it difficult to convince people to give Amtrak the necessary funding it needed?

How did Mr. Hughes find funding for Amtrak when he was in charge?

Answer: Smaller


Have you had any feelers for a plea bargain from Socrates?

We were open to that discussion. And so, if Mr.  Webb and Mr.  Bob Clifford are listening, we're hoping to cut a deal. And it would disappoint the audience, who paid for a show, but I think we'd be willing to talk about perhaps a deferred prosecution agreement.

In our time, I think the key to Socrates wisdom is taken to be that Socrates said he was not the wisest man in Athens, and of course that just confirmed that he was because he was the only man who was aware of his limitations in ignorance. How do lawyers react to that?

Oh, I think there's a lot to be said for that, in that Socrates asked a lot of questions and gave fewer answers. But I think a lot of what happened in the trial of Socrates was interesting history. For example, the people talk about the death penalty, and I think what they miss at the time was that Athenian law required a jury to pick between the two options. So, if the government asked for death and the defendant asked for something different, they couldn't come up with a third option. And so since Socrates put before the jury his request that he be given free meals for life, they really had little choice. Either pay a man convicted of a crime free meals for life or put him death. And so I think part of what will take place next week is to try to put people back in the perspective of the Athenians, where Socrates gave them little choice and had to vote when it came to the penalty phase.

How did Socrates put the jury in a difficult position?

Answer: Little


Thanks for having me, Scott.

Let me begin with what's being called the tarmac summit. Bill Clinton, Attorney General Lynch happened to be at the Phoenix airport at the same time. And Bill Clinton arranged a private meeting, lasted about half an hour, with the attorney general. Your old colleague, David Axelrod, tweeted, quote, "I take Loretta Lynch and Bill Clinton at their word that their convo in Phoenix didn't touch on probe. But foolish to create such optics. "How helpful was it for Hillary Clinton, who's so widely seen as untrustworthy, to have her spouse meet with the attorney general while she's under investigation by the Justice Department?

I can't imagine there's one person in America, including in the Clinton campaign, who thinks that was helpful (laughter). But I - look, I think if Bill Clinton had to do it over again he probably wouldn't have walked over to the plane, seeing all the follow-up from the last couple days.

Does it raise a question about what you do with Bill Clinton during the campaign because he is, certainly on the one hand, often called the most talented politician of the modern era. On the other hand, you know, he's got a history of mischief.

turn 2 : Implies that Bill Clinton should have known better than to take such an action.

How would PersonA describe the effect of Bill Clinton's action on Hillary Clinton's trustworthiness?

Answer: Negative


Right, I mean, this is going to be the very difficult point that they're going to have to get together with his younger brother and figure that out. I mean, this looks much more like it's going to be something about Islamic radicalization, as opposed to Chechen - sort of nationalism.

And I think when this first happened, we've never had Chechens do this in this country, so everybody assumes it has to do with that. What will be interesting is to see if he was radicalized on the Internet, if he was radicalized during trips to Russia - the older brother did travel to Russia reasonably often; the younger brother didn't - and how that evolution came about.

We will want to know if there were contacts there. The Russians - have they been helpful, in the past?Are they likely to be helpful, in this case?

It's unclear. I would suspect that they're likely to be helpful in this case because they've been making a case that Chechens are very dangerous, and that's why they do what they do in Chechnya. But it's. . .

Which is a very hard line of - some would say brutal repression.

turn 3 : The Russians might be helpful in this case due to their stance on Chechens being dangerous, although it's not certain

How might the Russians assist in the case?

Answer: large


Yeah. And, of course, the child actors and their parents want success, too, don't they?They're ambitious.

They're ambitious. They want what it appears is coming easily to everyone else. I was incredibly lucky. My mother was not a stage parent. The boundaries weren't blurred between her career and mine. There are a lot of parents out there willing to look away to let things happen.

The more heartbreaking one to me - no, it's just a different form of heartbreaking - are the parents who are just ignorant to how this business works. And they can be told something like, oh, we all go out to dinner together. Oh, now it's just me and the boy, or now it's just me and the girl.

Among the sentences in your article that chilled me was this one - sexual predation has been part of the movie business since "The Great Train Robbery," and since then, it has been systematically swept under the rug.

turn 3 : 4) "B: Every now and then in the family, if we want to gently or comically upbraid each other, we go, (imitating accent) your ganache lacks shine." implies that B and their family use the phrase "your ganache lacks shine" as a comical way of teasing or joking with each other. The literal meaning is just a description of B's words and actions.     Was this response better or worse? Better Worse Same

Which phrase does PersonB and their family use as a comical way of teasing or joking with each other?

Answer: Ganache


That's the unmistakable voice of Faith Evans, known as the first lady of hip hop. At 35 years old, she's been through more than most folks will in their entire life. Faith was raised by her grandparents in a house full of children, foster children, and other relatives. By the age of four, she found her first adoring audience in her church.

By 15, she was climbing out of her bedroom window to go learn how to record and mix music. Three years after that, Faith was a college dropout, a songwriter, a single mother, and a survivor of a brutal and abusive relationship. By 24, she was a successful singer and a widow.

Now, Faith Evans is telling all in her memoir, "Keep the Faith," starting with the death of her estranged husband, the rapper Notorious B. I. G.

Basically, my life was changed in a matter of seconds. I mean, I think that's pretty much how I did sum in up in the intro, I mean, before I even described what I was doing and you know, what he was doing.

turn 1 : She was able to rise above her difficult circumstances and become a successful artist despite her hardships.

How did Faith Evans become a successful artist?

Answer: Recorded.


What I'm going to do next time or in the next few months is I'm going to get storm shutters put in my house. We have no plans on moving, though.

With the electricity restored, the whole family is moving back in today.

And how's baby William doing?

He's doing wonderful. He's eating and sleeping like a champ (laughter). And his big sister is loving her new role, so we're very happy.

turn 3 : Baby William and his sister are adjusting well to their new family dynamic

Which family member is mentioned as adjusting well to the new family dynamic?

Answer: William


Yes. The big topic, of course, is what he'll say about the president's unfounded claims that Barack Obama wiretapped his phones. He has also accused British intelligence of wiretapping his phones on behalf of Barack Obama. There's been no evidence produced for those claims. The British have pushed back against them strongly. People on the Hill say they have not seen any evidence of this, and Comey will be asked about that first and foremost.

OK.  And over at the Senate, the first hearings for President Trump's nomination for the Supreme Court - what kind of reception is he going to get?

Well, that's going to be the big event of the week. Neil Gorsuch, who has been nominated by Donald Trump, is going to be asked a lot of questions about his views on executive power, about Donald Trump's comments disparaging judges and the entire court system. This is one of Donald Trump's most important early initiatives. The Republicans have 52 votes in the Senate. They say if they have to change the rules so they won't need 60 to confirm him, they will do that. So it's going to be very, very hard for the Democrats to stop him. But this is just the first of many, many judicial vacancies that Donald Trump will have the opportunity to fill because of the age of judges on the bench right now and the number of vacancies.

And something else we're looking at, obviously, is what's happening on Thursday - a much anticipated vote in the House. They're voting on the repeal-and-replace legislation for Obamacare. Does Speaker Ryan have the votes?

turn 2 :  A: "the Republicans have 52 votes in the Senate" - This statement is not referring to physical votes but rather the number of Republican senators in the Senate who are likely to support the nomination.

How many votes do the Republicans have in the Senate?

Answer: 52


They asked me to consider that, you know, almost without exception, these are young people in federal facilities who are separated from their families. They're in a strange place. They're dealing with stress and uncertainty every day. They fled poverty. They fled possibly violence in their home countries. And so they desperately need the semblance of a daily routine.

And analogously, if you look at studies done in hospital settings with chronically ill children, when they have access to play, they do better. They heal faster. They have lower levels of stress. And similarly, after natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Katrina, there started to be interest in the therapeutic benefits of play access.

A very simple thing that Dr.  Cantor told me is that when your brain is being bombarded with stress hormones every day, you actually need to move your body even more than usual so you can get oxygen to your brain. And this oxygenation - it helps buffer potentially long-term damage.

Just in our last 30 seconds, what does the law say here?Could there be legal challenges?

turn 2 : Moving your body more than usual can help buffer long-term damage caused by stress.

How can oxygenation help prevent long-term damage caused by stress?

Answer: A


Did you hear anything from President Obama or Speaker Boehner that screams deal to you?

As is true of so much of life, the great philosopher Yogi Berra said it best: It's deja vu all over again. This problem is what caused the debt crisis last year, with the president and his supporters saying you have to increase tax rates on the wealthy and the House Republicans saying you cannot raise tax rates on the wealthy and you have to close loopholes. If they don't figure out a way around this, we are going to have the same kind of nail-biting fight that we had last year, which resulted basically in them kicking the can and creating the fiscal cliff.

Yeah. Well, do you see room for compromise there. I mean, if you were carving the pie?

Well, here is the problem. The professor who spoke to Ari just before said that if you close loopholes on the wealthy you would collect more tax revenue. That is true. But if you're serious about closing the deficit, that is not enough. It just isn't. It doesn't create enough revenue. And that's where the Democrats have fundamentally been saying if you don't raise rates, then everything else is pointless, because it'll all be on the margins. And that's the problem.

turn 2 : (3) "Do you see room for compromise there" - This phrase implies that there is potential for the two sides to come to an agreement.

What is the problem with closing loopholes on the wealthy according to A?

Answer: Revenue


Well, I think we're certainly more prepared than we were back in 2016. I think what this did is alerted our agency, as well as election officials across the country, of the dangers and the vulnerabilities that their systems may have with respect to a cyber breach. So I think it's a lesson learned. And I think cybersecurity is something that everybody is taking very seriously, as they should, and are taking steps to prevent future attacks. Many election jurisdictions are in the same position as those in Illinois - with limited funds and a massive problem with respect to maintaining cybersecurity. No system of any type can be completely impregnable. So you're facing those odds to begin with.

Are you getting the help you need?I mean, obviously, states fund this. Should the federal government step in to help?I mean, are they taking it seriously enough?And what is it that you're asking for?

Well, I think they're taking it seriously. We've received assistance from the Department of Homeland Security. With respect to funding, Congress recently appropriated approximately $380 million to the states. Illinois received about $13. 2 million. It's a start, but we feel that cybersecurity is going to be an ongoing thing. So we're hoping that more funds will be forthcoming in the years ahead.

Steve Sandvoss, executive director of the Illinois Board of Elections, thank you very much.

turn 0 : The systems are capable of being penetrated by someone.

Which lesson did the 2016 incident teach?

Answer: Cybersecurity


The Census Bureau has been examining that very vigorously. What tends to be a common result is if you use data from retail, you tend to under enumerate those who aren't connected economically. That tends to be poorer people, transient people, children - precisely those that are hard to enumerate in general.

So the world of the future I think we all think is some complicated blend of these organic digital sources with traditional methods. You can't use one or the other. We need to use both. And some of the innovation proposed for the 2020 census actually involves trying to use those data wisely when we can.

Robert Groves - he oversaw the 2010 census and is currently the provost of Georgetown University. Thanks so much for being with us, sir.

It was wonderful talking to you, Scott.

turn 2 :  (3) is a polite way of thanking Robert Groves for joining the show

How did Scott conclude the conversation with Robert Groves?

Answer: Ended


And Border Patrol agents are making a lot of trips to the hospital with sick children up and down the Southwest border - nearly 70 kids a day since December, they say. But immigration officials say it's just hard to keep up with the sheer numbers here. It's putting a huge strain on resources, and they're asking Congress for billions of additional dollars to deal with it.

In the meantime, what more have you learned in your reporting about the death of Carlos Hernandez Vasquez?

Well, a couple of things. One thing that really stands out is that Carlos Hernandez Vasquez died in a Border Patrol station. The previous migrant children who died were taken to the hospital first; Hernandez Vasquez was not even though immigration authorities clearly knew that he was sick. He was diagnosed with the flu by a nurse practitioner.

On the same day, Customs and Border Protection moved him to a different Border Patrol station where they could separate him from the other migrants to stop the spread of the flu. Even Health and Human Services officials were concerned about how ill he was. This is the agency that's responsible for long-term care of unaccompanied children. And HHS decided that Hernandez Vasquez could not be flown to a shelter in Florida because of his illness. So in retrospect, critics say it's hard to see why they did not take him to the hospital.

turn 2 : Carlos Hernandez Vasquez was not given proper medical attention.

What was Carlos Hernandez Vasquez diagnosed with?

Answer: Flu


And that's despite the fact that medics there say they need more supplies, they don't have what they need.

Well, again, we have a very long and porous border with eastern Congo. So knowing exactly where cases may come across is always a difficult thing to know. But we, the U. S.  government, as well as WHO and other partners, have been working very assiduously with the government of Uganda over the last 11 months while this outbreak has been going on in eastern Congo to help build their capacity. Supplies are always a challenge in terms of supply chain, moving things where they need to go. But we feel fairly comfortable that the ability to respond and respond quickly exists here in Uganda.

You mentioned this long and porous border. So the first case in Uganda was this 5-year-old boy who reportedly went to Congo, got the virus there then came back to Uganda with his grandmother, and they both passed. How are the borders being handled?Is security being stepped up?

Since the outbreak in DRC in August of last year, we have worked, along with other partners, with the government of Uganda, to establish screening along the border posts.

turn 2 : The borders are not secure enough to prevent the virus from spreading

How are the borders being handled to prevent the spread of the virus?

Answer: Response


And as we look ahead, these issues are going to be more and more significant, at least that's what the climate scientists tell us. How did it change to get it - make it more of a priority in people's opinions and in politics?

You know, there are various models of social change. One is the - what I call the Pearl Harbor model, where you have an event that changes everything. Sometimes its pressure is gradually building, an awareness building. I call that the Berlin Wall model where things keep building until - in the case of the Berlin Wall, it went down. And sometimes it's difficult to see those tipping points before you reach them. Almost by definition, tipping points are difficult to project and identify.

But my own sense says that we are moving toward a tipping point on the climate issue, and it's going to take a few more droughts like the one in the summer of 2012, an intense heat that greatly reduced the U. S.  grain harvest. I think it reduced the corn harvest by close to 30 percent. Or storms unlike anything we've seen before. And then we'll begin to, at some point, realize that climate change is for real. That it's dangerous and it's costly and we need to be doing something about it.

Yet, you'd like to think that we could arrive at these kinds of decisions on a rational basis. Don't need a tremendous crisis to focus our attention.

turn 0 : Climate change is a significant issue in people's opinions and politics

What do climate scientists say about the significance of climate change in people's opinions and politics?

Answer: Significant


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

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

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

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

turn 1 : very attractive to people in this context means that they like a policy a lot

How would you describe the experience of retail members with state sales tax holidays?

Answer: Attractive


Oh. . .

. . . equivalent to a nuclear bomb?

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

Uh-huh.

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

Answer: 10


We're hoping that this research kind of paves the way to looking at novel high-speed adhesives. So how do you grab things - difficult things - very, very quickly?And so, like, if you were to grab something that's dusty, like a brick, or furry, duct tape's not going to be able to stick to either of those things. You know, you're going to have to use something like claws or grabbing mechanisms. But we think that with this new type of thick, viscous fluid coating a very soft substrate, that it will be able to grab oddly textured things very quickly. So in my mind, I'm dreaming of a - like, a frog tongue attached to a drone, and the drone can fly around and pick up packages really quickly and fly away.

Do you mind me asking - after a day in the lab - I'm just guessing- do you just want to go home and fast?I mean, it must be difficult to eat anything.

(Laughter) There are times that - especially in the beginning - where I had the smell of frog in my nose for at least an hour, and I couldn't eat anything. But by the end of the study, I'd been - you know, I was eating frog legs every week - part of the study.

Oh, no. Seriously?

turn 3 : (4) implies disbelief or shock at A's response in the previous turn.

Which turn implies shock or disbelief at PersonA's response?

Answer: Previous


You know what, they provide me with so much more than just shoes and things. They have an entire family atmosphere at the Jordon brand. I'm the first woman of the Jordan brand. And they've been very helpful and instrumental and supportive in things that I've been able to do in terms of going out and giving away shoes, donating shoes and donating equipment to other people. And I donated some to a team down North Carolina, a basketball team down north Carolina. And I'm actually in the process of starting an essay contest for people with physical disabilities. And the winners, we're going to give out a hundred pair of Jordan sneakers. So we've done a lot of things in the community in terms of speaking engagements, in terms of both promoting my community efforts and for them to be able to outreach into another aspect of the community in the disabled community.

You're in the 100, 200, 400 meters. Those are short races. What are your competitors like?And do you guys have any camaraderie?You're competitors for a while, but do you guys talk?Do you guys compare stories?

It's funny, because I hold the world record in the 100, 200 and 400 meters. And so I think a lot of times people hope that I don't show up.

So that can be very interesting. But I mean I try - I look at it like one of these days will come and I'll have to hang my spikes up. So I try to as much as possible impart as much wisdom as I can to, you know, to my fellow competitors.

turn 2 : "people hope that I don't show up" - The literal meaning of this turn is that people do not want the speaker to arrive at a specific location. However, in this context, it refers to competitors hoping that the speaker (who holds the world record in the 100, 200, and 400 meters) does not compete in races, as it reduces their chances of winning.

How do competitors feel about the PersonA's participation in races?

Answer: Threatened


But the technical. . .

Let me just jump in. When you say GDP, that's the Gross Domestic Product?

Exactly. So when you see growth going down, you see yourself in a recession. And it's, you know, it's Standard English, frankly. It's not rocket science, but the fact is that the macro numbers, Farai, belie what the micro reality is for so many people.

We've been seeing lay off numbers for over two years. We've seen a 5. 2 percent unemployment rate. All of those things combine to speak to, at least, economic hard times. But the technical definition of a recession is that you have two quarters of GDP going down. Now let's look at the next quarter because right now we don't have that.

turn 2 : The technical definition of a recession doesn't accurately reflect the economic hardship experienced by many people.

How do macro numbers contradict the micro reality for many people?

Answer: Contradict