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

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

Well, Michael Eric Dyson, thank you.

Thank you very kindly, Farai.

turn 1 :  "joined the charismatic authority that attends black messianic figures who become leaders in black America" - This implies that Barack Obama has become a leader who inspires and motivates people, particularly in the black community, based on his charisma and personal qualities, rather than just his political credentials.

Which community is Barack Obama representing in addition to black people according to turn 1?

Answer: Americans


In terms of the natural ecosystems, rapid changes coming, suddenly roads are getting built. People having the first time in nearly 22 years of warfare that they're able to get up and still moving around and finding markets and exploiting resources. Animals are resourced. They will be facing severe problems if poaching becomes more common that it already is, which is somewhat routine, and these things could be wiped out very badly in a few years, especially vulnerable species like elephants which are in so much danger elsewhere and even species that are quite rare and it's just only in South Sudan like certain kinds of antelope that were thought extinct and now have been found in South Sudan.

And there are - the ivory route is that these poachers come down and kill the animals for their ivory. It's taken then to Sudan, carved and sent to China.

Yeah. There's a city called Onderon(ph) - if I'm pronouncing it correctly - which has a traditional center of artisanal carving of ivory and export. So some elephant tusks do flow into Onderon and get shipped out from there to markets in the Middle East and China.

Yet, there are still large herds of elephants left in South Sudan. You saw one from an airplane.

turn 2 : Onderon is a city known for its ivory carving and exporting, which contributes to the illegal ivory trade.

Which city is involved in the illegal ivory trade?

Answer: Onderon


It's surprising to me how many people believe that most suspects will invoke their right and remain silent when in fact they don't.

Gee, what's the psychology behind that, do you think?

The crooks think they're smarter than the cops. They've rehearsed their story and their alibi and they got to get it out. And they're hoping that if they waive their rights and speak to us they'll be able to baffle us and we'll leave them alone and walk away.

Can you recall a scene that you think really gets it right?

turn 3 : In (4), the speaker asks if the other person can recall a scene that accurately portrays suspects' behavior when questioned by the police. The implied meaning is that the speaker is interested in finding examples of suspects speaking to the police despite having the right to remain silent, possibly to better understand the phenomenon.

Which phenomenon is the speaker interested in better understanding?

Answer: Silent


You know, you're helping a lot of people, Mr.  Mayor.

Well, I hope I am. I don't see it, and that's what scares me most of all. We care about everybody. We have to reach out for all of them and try to be successful for them to help them be that support deal for them. It's not a positive day every day, but you have to make it into one.

The mayor of Fulton, Texas, Jimmy Kendrick - thanks so much for being with us, Mr.  Mayor. Good luck to you.

Well, I appreciate it. And just keep us in your prayers. It's always nice to have a prayer given for us.

turn 3 : (4) "Just keep us in your prayers" - This implies that the mayor is asking for support from those listening, which is different from the literal meaning of the sentence.

How does the mayor want the listeners to support him?

Answer: Support


When we say kids, how old are these kids?

We saw kids as young as 10 stealing cars. And the kids we spoke to that were older talked about getting involved around that age, around 10 or 11.

So once they get these cars, what do they do with them?

Well, so that's where the fact that they're juveniles really comes into play. When adults steal cars, it's often about, you know, sending them off to another continent or chopping them up for parts, making money.

When kids steal cars, they keep them on the streets. They're using them as toys. They're seeing how fast they can go - 160 miles per hour on the highway. They're driving the wrong way. They're chasing other friends in other stolen cars. In at least one case, we saw stolen cars used in a drive-by shooting.

turn 1 : The speaker is implying that kids are getting involved in stealing cars at a very young age.

Answer: 10


So, what do you make of all these pardons?

These pardons are a typical old practice in Russia and the Soviet Union. But, of course, President Vladimir Putin made a wonderful publicity show of pardoning Mikhail Khodorkovsky and this was totally unexpected. There had been talk about another trial against him. And instead, now he's already in Germany.

Let me ask you about what seemed to be, from Mr.  Putin's point of view, a productive week. Ukraine's government, after weeks of some wavering, decided not to sign an agreement with the European Union and instead threw in with the economic aid package from Moscow. How do you read that?

Well, I think it's quite a victory for President Putin and also for President Yanukovych. What President Putin got, it was some kind of alliance with Ukraine. And he also got support for his kind of economic and political system, rather authoritarian and not quite run by the rule of law. And President Yanukovych, he got $50 million in a probably quite expensive loan, which means that he can keep going for 15 months more, until he has presidential elections in Ukraine.

I'm curious as to why Ukraine seems to be teetering. Because when the USSR split up, a lot of people said this is going to be a country with a lot going for it - almost 50 million people; it was considered the breadbasket of the old Soviet Union; coal, steel. What's happened?

turn 3 : A: "What President Putin got, it was some kind of alliance with Ukraine" - The literal meaning of this statement is that Putin gained an alliance with Ukraine. The actual meaning could be that Putin gained a strategic advantage by aligning Ukraine with his economic and political system.

How did Putin benefit from Ukraine's decision not to sign an agreement with the European Union?

Answer: Strategic


It is true that I will confess that I have an incredible fascination for pop-culture stories about the Apocalypse and the end of the world. And, you know, I wanted to see if I were going to write a science book that was basically the equivalent of a giant monster movie, what would that be. Like would be the disaster that I would tackle?

And that was why I decided to look at mass extinctions, which are the worst disaster that can possibly happen to the planet.

Are we headed for one, or are we in the middle of one?And if you're in one, do you know it's happening?

It's a good question. There is evidence that we are headed into what would be the planet's sixth mass extinction. It's hard to know for sure if you're in one because a mass extinction is an event where over 75 percent of the species on the planet die out over a - usually about a million-year period. The fastest it might happen is in hundreds of thousands of years.

turn 0 : His science book is not actually like a giant monster movie, it simply means it has a story where something destroys a lot of cities, etc.

What is the equivalent of the disaster in the science book?

Answer: Giant


. . . Telling people to get the torches and the pitchforks. Look, I don't think that is going to happen. But this kind of precedent is dangerous. And it's really unnerving.

Who's alarmed by the - by Donald Trump's statement on this?Is it just - forgive me - the political chattering class, which, I guess - ostensibly of which we are both members. . .

(Laughter).

. . . And who he, Mr.  Trump, says are helping to rig the election with biased media coverage in any case?

turn 3 : (4) Implied meaning: It is ironic that Donald Trump is accusing the political "chattering class" of rigging the election when both parties are part of the same class.

Which class is accused of rigging the election?

Answer: Chattering.


The banks can bring in their junky securities and swap them for cash or treasury bills. And that, on top of interest rate cuts, Bernanke thought would be enough to keep the financial system working until it healed itself. The strategy at the Fed was known as the finger in the dike strategy, keep the water out and eventually things will recover.

But obviously, you know things didn't work out like that. And in the spring, we had the great Bear Stearns crisis, and the Fed was forced to intervene to prevent them going bankrupt. Then, we had another few months where it seemed like things had stabilized, but this thing's like a disease. It goes away for a while, and then, you know, it comes back in a more virulent form.

In September, after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, you know, all hell broke out, basically. And since then, we've had a sort of slow motion collapse of the financial system.

Now, this entire crisis has really tarnished Alan Greenspan's legacy, and he even admitted that his basic economic philosophy is now changed. What about Ben Bernanke?Does he deserve the same criticism?

turn 3 : Alan Greenspan's economic philosophy was flawed, and Ben Bernanke's may also be flawed.

Which person's economic philosophy was criticized as flawed?

Answer: Greenspan


Coming from the black holes. But in these cases, the population of the universe is organized according to progeny, according to inheritance. There's a lot of structure. And we can use that structure to make predictions, as I was describing. What I'm against, and what I argue - and what I think nobody's really answered these arguments. What I argue is that to postulate that our universe is simply one of a population of simultaneously existing universes that have no relation to each other, and that just have randomly chosen laws, that idea takes us outside of science, because it's not verifiable or falsifiable.

No postulate - no hypothesis about those other universes can be checked experimentally, because they don't - they have no influence on our own. And I think it's very important to draw a distinction between making up stories that might be true and science.

You know, the rock-and-roll band They Might Be Giants has a song about what's science and what's not that I think nails the matter. So if a rock-and-roll band can understand it, I think anybody can understand it.

In other words, you're saying what - science requires that you are able to make predictions about your theory and test them. And you're saying this multiverse can't really be tested. So it's more a theoretical belief in something than being a scientifically valid theory.

turn 2 : A doesn't literally think the rock song proves anything about who can comprehend science. The implication is the concept of what science is should not be hard for ordinary people to understand.

How does PersonA suggest that the concept of science can be understood by ordinary people?

Answer: Nails


Now, when we look at this, what they're doing, there was a - you know, in some ways perhaps a minor incident, but a telling one where the British publication, the Telegraph, reported online that the G8 leaders enjoyed a six course lunch followed by an eight course dinner. African leaders were not invited and of course they're talking about the global hunger situation. There was a lot of static about that. Do you think that, that was symbolic in any way or just, you know, big time world business as usual?

Well, Farai now you're going to draw the cynical side out of me. This was an incredibly stupid, careless move, by the G8 leaders where they basically seemed to have thought off camera they could do whatever they wanted to. And they demonstrated, for all to see, the contempt actually that they have towards the rest of the world.

That they basically - they see themselves, as in effect, the rulers of this planet. So, when they're on camera there'll be the tears, there'll be the concern. Off camera you saw this hideous example of consumption.

What do you think the G8 leaders should be doing in terms of an Africa agenda?I'm going to get to a couple of specific things, specific national issues of Zimbabwe and Nigeria in a second.

turn 1 : The G8 leaders were careless and demonstrated contempt for the rest of the world.

How did the G8 leaders behave towards the rest of the world?

Answer: Contempt


Yes, they were congenial outdoors as they greeted each other with their wives, and they waved for the cameras, and they walked inside. They spent about an hour together in the Oval Office and then nearly a second hour talking in the residence portion of the White House, which, of course, was being shown to both of the Obamas so that they could get some idea of where they might want to locate themselves and put their children, how they might want to redecorate. And while I think this was a ginger conversation between the two of them, I think it was cordial as well, and there was quite a bit to discuss.

Right, well, this is a ritual. It happens every four years or every eight years, but was there any substance at all?

You know, I believe there was. I believe that, going into the discussion, the White House chief of staff currently, Josh Bolton, was saying that the president really did have a number of things he wanted to convey to his successor about how things are going in certain realms, and I think we're talking foreign policy here largely, but also in terms of the economic crisis and the rescue packages.

And he wanted to have a little bit of a discussion to kind of unburden a little bit of his own thoughts on what we ought to be doing on those fronts and, of course, we can assume the president-elect would have responded. That's why it took some time.

turn 0 : The meeting was polite but not necessarily friendly.

Which word describes the tone of the meeting?

Answer: Polite


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 2 : behind the scenes - to see the inner workings of things

How was the public able to follow the treatment of the painting?

Answer: galleries


Isabelia Herrera, welcome. Thanks so much for joining us.

Thank you for having me.

Now, you write about something that might be a surprise to some. But you write that many people within the Latino community bristle at the term Hispanic. Why is that?

Yeah. I think these conversations have been going on for a while now. But now we're seeing them enter into more mainstream spaces. The question with the term Hispanic is primarily about its connection to Spain. The term Hispanic basically includes that colonial relationship to Spain. So it refers to people who are of Spanish descent, either living in Latin America or the U. S.  And I think that now, as, you know, we're re-evaluating what that term and what that identity means, there's a lot of questions around that connection to Spain.

turn 3 : "enter mainstream spaces" could mean that something is becoming more popular.

Which term is primarily questioned for its connection to Spain?

Answer: Hispanic


So California Chrome is supposed to be a little slow out of the gate.

He's all right out of the gate. He's fidgety in it. He's actually a lovely horse disposition wise - loves people, is very tractable. But in the gate he gets really easier to go so he will fidget, fidget, fidget. And one very top trainer, Bob Baffert, who has won his share of Triple Crown races said if he can get out of the gate well, he will win this race.

He has got white homes. And I have read white hooves make a horse vulnerable.

Yes. Well, white hooves does tend to be softer than dark hooves. And his actually point east and west, his front feet, he does not have straight feet. You can see in the starting gate. He's like Charlie Chaplin in there.

turn 1 :  The turn of phrase whose actual meaning is different from its literal meaning is:  (2) "out of the gate" - in this context, it means how well the horse starts the race from the starting gate, rather than literally coming out of a gate.

Which phrase did Bob Baffert use to describe California Chrome's chances of winning the race?

Answer: Win


Billion with a B. And they have their own cable channels. I mean, they're major sports players. And almost all that revenue comes from two sports, men's basketball and football.

So where does all of that money go?

Not to the student athletes. Under NCAA rules, they're amateurs. They cannot be compensated beyond their scholarships and the cost of attending college. But it goes to coaches' salaries. It goes to facilities. It goes to the conference commissioners who all make an excess of $2 million now. There are a lot of people who are millionaires because of these sports. And so everyone gets paid except for the student athletes.

So how does race factor into all of this?

turn 3 : This implies that there is a racial component to the exploitation of student-athletes.

How does race play a role in the exploitation of student-athletes?

Answer: Race


It's very different, obviously, from normal public sculpture. I have to use materials which obviously don't pollute in any way, that are friendly to the marine life. They're also durable. The idea, especially with a lot of the tropical pieces that make artificial reefs, is that they're going to be around for a very long time. Obviously corals, you know, can - hard corals can take ages to really get established.

Do the elements always behave as you would like them to?Is that a real challenge?

It works in both ways. I mean, obviously they're all designed to change and evolve in the ecosystem where they're placed. And sometimes that provides spectacular results. You know, we get sort of pink and purple corals and sponges and all these amazing things growing on them and morphing them. And that only adds to them. They really sort of then become alive. But also you're in this really kind of difficult environment. You're in the sea. So in tropical areas, you get big hurricanes, you get the surges of waves. And so with that in mind, you know, I really have to sort of program them then so they're fixed. And that can be a challenge.

I wonder, is part of the appeal you want to make to people with these installations, you have to work a little to see them?

turn 3 : (4) implies that part of the appeal of the installations is that people have to work to see them, rather than them being immediately visible.

Which turn implies that the artist has to use materials that are friendly to the marine life?

Answer: 0


And the other one is silencers or suppressors - a push to deregulate those devices. And that hasn't gone through. So the big ticket items that the NRA wants the NRA doesn't get. You mentioned at the top there this idea of strengthening background checks. I think it's important to be specific about what's under discussion there. There is bipartisan legislation. And what it would do would provide grants to the states to make sure that all of the records that show that a person is prohibited from owning a gun get into the databases that are scanned during a background check.

Mr.  Burnett, there's renewed interest on the sale of assault weapons. A ban went into effect in 1994. It expired 10 years later. Based on your reporting, what effect did that ban have?

There is some evidence - and we talk about assault - bans on assault-style weapons. What a lot of public safety experts say is the most meaningful piece of that is a restriction on how large the magazine - the ammunition magazine - that's basically how many rounds the gun can hold at one time, can be fired at one time before you have to reload.

Is there, in your mind, compelling evidence that the ban on assault weapons actually succeeded in banning assault weapons or reduced the supply or use of assault weapons and criminal activity?

turn 0 : "big ticket items" - this is an idiom meaning important or valuable items, not actual physical tickets.

Which idiom means important or valuable items?

Answer: Idiom


Several of them. I mean, Espanola had only 14 individuals left in the 1960s, and then it was 12 females and two males. A third male was found in the San Diego Zoo and brought back to Galapagos (unintelligible) 1975. And there have now been about 2,000 young tortoises released back to that island through the reproduction program at the tortoise center here on Santa Cruz.

The same holds true for several of the other populations. I would say many of the populations are out of danger. But we're still, given the exploitation from the 1800s, the total tortoise population of Galapagos is still about 10 to 20 percent of the original population. So we have a long way to go to bring them back to the original populations.

A couple of questions tweeted and asked by listeners of the same ilk, saying: Would it be possible to clone him?

OK, this is an interesting thing, and we are trying to save some of Lonesome George's tissues, cells. Cloning in reptiles has really not been developed at all, and we're doing - a few mammals seem to be doing OK, but in general the technology, the methodology to actually clone reptiles is decades away.

So hopefully they will be able to maintain cells as in cryogenics, and who knows in the future, but at the moment, it would be impossible.

turn 4 : "maintain cells as in cryogenics" - This implies the possibility of preserving cells through cryogenic freezing for future use, rather than just storing them for research purposes.

What is the suggested method for preserving cells for future use?

Answer: Years


Hi - so glad to have you with us. And let me start here. Just to recap this war of words, Iran says the U. S.  is lying about where the drone was shot down. The U. S.  says Iran is lying. How are we likely to know?How will this be resolved beyond a take one person's word over the other situation?How do they figure that out?

Well, first, there is, obviously, the release of the actual location data for where the BAMS or Broad Area Maritime Surveillance aircraft was flying. That - hopefully, it will be released shortly by Central Command. But part of it, too, Mary Louise, is the fact that there's absolutely no reason for this aircraft to have to fly over Iran to gather the data that the U. S.  military was interested in gathering.

You're saying there's circumstantial evidence that just - why would it have been there?- which tends to support the U. S.  position.

Well, right. And no U. S.  commander - speaking from experience - would put the aircraft in that kind of a situation. And for your audience, that reason is that, unlike aircraft - surveillance aircraft in the past, the kind of sensor systems that are onboard this drone are such that they can see dozens and dozens and dozens of miles away from the aircraft. So, you know, it's flying up above 50,000 feet over the Strait of Hormuz. It can monitor the entire strait plus see inside Iran without having to fly over it.

turn 3 : The drone could monitor inside Iran without entering Iranian airspace.

Which country could the drone monitor inside without entering its airspace?

Answer: Iran


When we say kids, how old are these kids?

So once they get these cars, what do they do with them?

Well, so that's where the fact that they're juveniles really comes into play. When adults steal cars, it's often about, you know, sending them off to another continent or chopping them up for parts, making money.

When kids steal cars, they keep them on the streets. They're using them as toys. They're seeing how fast they can go - 160 miles per hour on the highway. They're driving the wrong way. They're chasing other friends in other stolen cars. In at least one case, we saw stolen cars used in a drive-by shooting.

turn 1 :  A: "We saw kids as young as 10 stealing cars. And the kids we spoke to that were older talked about getting involved around that age, around 10 or 11." - The literal meaning is that children who were 10 or 11 years old were involved in stealing cars. The actual meaning is that children as young as 10 years old were involved in stealing cars, which is surprising and concerning.

How old were the youngest kids involved in stealing cars?

Answer: 10


Yeah.

Well, we'll see what happens with the movie end of it.

Black Francis. He's written a new novel - if that's what you call it - together with Josh Frank and illustrated by Steven Appleby, "The Good Inn. "Thanks so much for being with us.

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate talking to you.

turn 1 :  "We'll see what happens with the movie end of it." This is an idiomatic expression that means they will wait and see how the movie turns out in the future, rather than simply observing it with their eyes.

Answer: Wait


Oh, my goodness.

And it's been another brutal cycle. And the rhetoric is really intense. What do you hear?

What I hear and what I see and what's been the case for me for, gosh, two or three years now is that we are all having these conversations about big news of the day that dances around race and never really engages with it. I think, for me, the biggest example this week was President Trump's comments about possibly altering the 14th Amendment, which we know guarantees birthright citizenship. And so, you know, the history of that amendment is rooted in race. And I think a lot of folks have been really lacking to talk about that. But this amendment was passed for black people to give slave descendants the right to be citizens. And so we cannot talk about this adequately without talking about the racial history of the amendment, but even that is not enough.

Why not?Explain.

turn 1 : The conversations do not talk about race but avoid it.

Which topic is being danced around in conversations?

Answer: Race


Wow. I guess the submarine floats. It's still watertight.

Well, you know, we were wondering about that because, you know, it was built in America - built to last. So would it still be floating after all these years?And the answer is, yes, it is floating. Half of it is floating. So we had to strategically float some aspects of it and bury some aspects of it. The goal was to get the rudder to dig into the ground almost as an additional anchor point, which is something that, you know, for a bunch of museum professionals, you'd never anticipate having to do.

Now, I gather there is some concern if the Batfish were to break free of the lines you're trying to secure it with and - what?- float on down the river, what would - what are you preparing for here?

Well, that was a huge concern on Thursday and Friday. So some of the lines started snapping, and we were actually on-site when the lines started snapping, and it was probably one of the scariest things I've seen in my life. So it was in danger of floating down the river, which the main concern would be that it would float down and hit a dam. And if it would have hit the dam - see, Muskogee already had a problem with loose barges. Had they actually breached a dam, it would have wiped out communities completely instead of just giving communities time to evacuate.

turn 3 : Loose barges had already caused problems in Muskogee.

How did loose barges cause problems in Muskogee?

Answer: problems


So how did you get on to this story?I mean, were you just curious about vanity plates?Like, what was your thinking about how it happens?

Well, I think vanity plates are kind of everyone's hobby in Los Angeles. It's a very car-centric culture. People regularly talk about the most out-there plates that they see. I was curious about the ones that didn't make it.

Now, is there an official database of dirty words and euphemisms?Or like. . .

What's the yardstick that the DMV uses to say whether something's inappropriate or not?

turn 0 : The speaker is asking about the process of obtaining a vanity plate and the motivations behind it.

What is the topic of conversation between PersonA and B?

Answer: Vanity


Story's still unfolding, we understand. What are you hearing?

Well, the evidence is that the Islamic State is behind this. In addition to French President Francois Hollande saying that the attacks were the work of ISIS, the group itself claimed responsibility in an online statement a short time ago. And they say the attacks were a response to French airstrikes in Syria and that France would remain, in their words, a top target as long as it continued its current policies.

This has been independently confirmed by intelligence officials you've been able to talk to.

Well, my understanding is that officials first started to suspect ISIS was behind this late last night. There were some cellphone conversations or texts that the gunmen were exchanging while the attacks were going on. And they mentioned ISIS. And here's why that's important. You remember the Mumbai attacks in 2008 that were - those were attacks on hotels and Jewish centers and a railway station. Well, one of the ways that they traced it back to the perpetrators was by picking up phone conversations between the gunmen and their handlers in Pakistan. The information is still coming in, but it appears that something similar happened here.

turn 1 : EXPLAINATION: (2): The implication is that French airstrikes in Syria are the cause of the attacks.

Answer: Airstrikes


Yeah, he loved it. He totally loved it, because he's not musical. He doesn't play an instrument. So, you know, I think when he's writing, it's a basic, almost like a poetry kind of - he's just writing with a little beat in his head. But when he hears a song of his completely flushed out with melody and instrumentation, it really bowls him over.

MR.  DAN AUERBACH: (Singing) How you were?In my sleep. (Unintelligible) never keep. . .

A number of songs that you've done as half of half of the Black Keys have wound up in films and in TV shows and even video games. The tune "Strange Times" appeared on the radio station in Grand Theft Auto IV. How do you feel about your music winding up in these places?

I think it's cool. I mean, you know, they don't play music much on the radio anymore, you know, not major radio. Getting our music out there anyway possible, it's the way to go, and video games are pretty huge, although I can't really play video games. I don't know. The modern video games kind of - they're too three dimensional. Have you ever played the. . .

turn 0 : When he hears a song of his completed with music and song he gets really excited and impressed.

Which adjective describes how he feels when he hears a song of his completed with music and instrumentation?

Answer: Impressed


Oh, it's inspiring always. This is one of the reasons why I wanted this book to come into the world. It's because, you know, there are so many brilliant writers now being forgotten. There's so many brilliant writers - contemporary writers who have not been given the platform they deserve. And the literary world is not zero sum, even though sometimes we are led to believe that it is. There's enough attention and enough love for everyone.

And I think that it's all of our duty, if we are given a certain amount of privilege, to say to readers, hey, look at this person you may not know. Please read this exquisite story, and I hope you will love Nancy Hale as much as I do. I hope you'll love other contemporary writers as much as I do.

That is the author Lauren Groff talking about the new book "Where The Light Falls: Selected Stories Of Nancy Hale. "

Lauren Groff, thanks so much. It was great to talk to you.

turn 0 : She wanted the book to be written for the world to read. Many writers do not have their work published on a large enough scale for a large number of people to read it.  The literary world is the people that work in writing and publishing written work.

Which world is "she" referring to in turn 0?

Answer: Literary


Well, let's talk about that pivot. We heard that Barack Obama will be speaking with President Bush sometime, perhaps, this week?

He will be. He'll be having lots of conversations with President Bush, with Secretary of Treasury Paulson, Secretary Gates at the Pentagon. These are all conversations he will have. He's got a couple of different tasks. One, of course, is to name his team going forward, but then also to deal with some things that are right in front of him.

There are decisions to be made both - Congress is coming back to hold a session to talk about another stimulus package. And then, of course, there's a meeting at the White House of international leaders, to which Senator Obama has been invited. And so, he already sort of has a to-do list before he's even in office. That goes beyond what presidents traditionally face, which is merely putting together a cabinet and putting together a White House staff.

Yeah, I was going to say, when was the last time this happened, that almost the day after or even the night of his election, he's already planning. He's already governing, in a sense.

turn 1 : Obama is already working before he is officially in office.

Answer: Planning


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

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

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

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

turn 3 : The jungle was transformed by early civilizations through farming, terracing, irrigation, and building.

How did early civilizations modify the jungle environment?

Answer: Modifying


But you also said let me reassure you, I've seen the quality of that work. In other words, these plans are viable, credible, ready to go?

Yes, I have. I did say that. Part of my job in the Pentagon was the oversight - civilian oversight of military planning, and one of the things that we've, you know, we're charged with is to prepare options for the president no matter the contingency. And certainly, there are very viable plans with regard to contingencies involving Iran. But again, the judgment is at this point that's not where the focus should be.

And as you know, Israel has - well, has plans of its own - contingencies. And I know a large part of your speech was devoted to the idea that they should hold off and reassuring them the United States would take action if necessary and that Israeli action would be counterproductive. More counterproductive than an American strike?

Well, my point to them was we have a shared objective here - preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons and that, you know, any military action really only buys time. It's a delaying action for one to three years. It sets the program back, but it doesn't solve the fundamental problem of Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability. To do that, you'll need a continued international campaign with sanctions, with negotiations to eventually change their calculus.

turn 0 : "In other words, these plans are viable, credible, ready to go?" - The actual meaning here is not about the meaning of the words used but rather about the speaker trying to confirm if the plans are indeed viable, credible, and ready to be implemented.

Which word does PersonB use to confirm if the plans are viable, credible, and ready to be implemented in turn 0?

Answer: Viable


It's 2075, and America has been beset by flooding linked to climate change. The president has banned the use of fossil fuels. The southern states have broken away looking to protect the coal mining industry, and a rabid civil war is taking place. Omar El Akkad joins us now to talk about the dystopian world he created in his new book "American War" and what inspired it. Welcome to the program.

Thanks for having me.

The main character of the book is a young girl. Her name is Sarat Chesnut. She lives in Louisiana in what is known in the book as the free southern state. Who is she at the beginning of the novel?

turn 3 : A: She - of all the characters I've written, she's the only one who came to me sort of fully formed. At the start of the book, she's six years old. And to me, she's sort of this very curious, trusting, defiant young girl whose chief attribute is this kind of rebellion against unknowing. She wants to know as much as possible. And the central arc of the book is essentially her life and how her desire to know - her curiosity is sort of used against her during this war.

What is Sarat's chief attribute according to the author?

Answer: Rebellion


Hi, David.

They are accusing the Vatican of some very serious things there, it sounds like. Tell me more about what prompted this.

Well, the Women Church World is the monthly supplement to the official Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano. Lucetta Scaraffia created it seven years ago. In her final editorial, she said the new editor of the main Vatican daily who arrived in December had published articles in the main paper that were in contrast with the supplement's editorial line. And then she wrote an open letter to Pope Francis, saying, we are throwing in the towel because we feel surrounded by a climate of distrust and progressive delegitimization. She added, it seems there's a return to the antiquated and arid custom of choosing women considered trustworthy from on-high, under the direct control of men. But the new editor of the L'Osservatore Romano, Andrea Monda, denied the charges that he'd tried to interfere in the women's supplement.

What more should we know about the founder of this magazine who's speaking out here?

How long ago was Women Church World created?

Answer: Seven.


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

The best thing that's out there.

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

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

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

Answer: Push


. . . For your research on pulsars and for being a leader in the scientific community. So what does this latest accolade mean to you?

Well, it left me speechless when I got the news because I never, ever dreamt of this, I must admit. And it's a vast sum of money, as well, which. . .

. . . Is, really, I think, a bit hard to believe.

It certainly is. A lot has changed for women in science, but, as I'm sure you know, a lot hasn't. And I think the fact that you're giving away the money for scholarships may be a nod to the fact that it's still hard for certain people to break into the field.

turn 3 : It may be a way to give attention to women trying to break into science.

Answer: Recognition


I want to ask you about an episode in which math, science figures into the plot even if you don't realize it at first. And this is "Springfield or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling," where Homer gets endowed with Henry Kissinger's brain.

Of course, that comes about because - I don't know how to explain this - Henry Kissinger uses the loo, and his thick glasses fall into the loo. And Homer puts them on, and he's endowed with this perception.

Well, the thing about that is that it sounds like Pythagoras' theorem. So he gets it all wrong. It sounds right, but it's wrong. And he's actually quoting the scarecrow from "The Wizard of Oz" - because when the scarecrow gets his diploma, he reels off exactly the same equation. It sounds impressive, but it's actually all wrong.

And you say in the book that your judgment is, it was calculatedly wrong because of the way Ray Bolger must have had to rehearse to be able to make that recitation.

turn 3 : (4) B says that Ray Bolger's recitation of Pythagoras' theorem in "The Wizard of Oz" was calculatedly wrong because of the way he must have had to rehearse it. The actual meaning here is that Bolger intentionally delivered the theorem in a way that made it sound impressive and convincing to the audience, even though it was not accurate. This highlights the idea that performance and presentation can be just as important as content, and that people are often willing to overlook mistakes and inaccuracies if they are presented in a compelling way.

What was the reason behind Ray Bolger's calculatedly wrong recitation of Pythagoras' theorem in "The Wizard of Oz"?

Answer: Performance


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

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

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

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

turn 1 : the phrase "sometimes people recognize me, sometimes they don't" does not literally mean that the speaker is unrecognizable or that their appearance changes, but rather that their level of fame and recognition varies.

What does the phrase "sometimes" imply in turn 1?

Answer: Varies


Stocks in two major computer chip companies - Qualcomm and Broadcom, two major ones - were down 6% today. Google dropped 2%. And this was after Google said it would stop supporting Android devices for phones made by Huawei because the company was on the Commerce Department's blacklist. Google is a major software provider for Huawei. And if these restrictions went on for months, Google could take a beating.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, Jackie, but didn't the U. S.  back off last year in a somewhat similar way shortly after blacklisting another Chinese telecom company?

That's right. It was a company called ZTE, and they were on the blacklist. And it went on for a while. And they were on the verge of bankruptcy. And this is a major Chinese corporation - almost went bust until the Trump administration reversed that decision and allowed U. S.  companies to supply it again. So it's the same sort of scenario. But, Mary Louise, the Trump administration has been tightening the screws on Huawei for months now in part because it has links to the Chinese government.

And U. S.  intelligence agencies believe Huawei could use its equipment to spy on the U. S.  and its allies. The administration asked Canada to arrest and extradite one of Huawei's senior officials. And administration officials have been fanning out across the world asking allies, pressuring allies not to use Huawei equipment. So up until now, it's been a full-court press by the administration to contain the company.

turn 3 : The Trump administration is actively trying to limit the use of Huawei equipment by its allies.

How is the Trump administration responding to Huawei's equipment usage by its allies?

Answer: Limiting


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

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

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

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

turn 2 : A decided to be vulnerable and share about his severe depression in order to be authentic in his book and play.

Which personal struggle did PersonA reveal in his book and play?

Answer: Depression


I think there are millennials that are doing fine. I think that when you talk about wealth transfer, what's really interesting is Americans over 62 are 80 percent white. And so when you look at these wealth transfers, white millennials are five times more likely to receive an inheritance than millennials of color. Forty-five percent of millennials are non-white. That's going to exacerbate inequality within the millennial generation. And so we're already seeing this where cities are becoming concentrations of wealth. Cities have better social services, better hospitals, better schools. And it's only the kids whose white parents can get them into those engines of opportunity, that are able to access those better services.

What do you think the responsibility of the boomer generation is at this moment?

I think, really, to think about the ways that their kids have it harder than them. Right now, the growth is going to people primarily who own land, who own homes, who own stock. Those are all people that are disproportionately old. And we need to find ways, systematically, to share those gains with people that are younger.

And I hesitate to ask this, but what is the responsibility of the millennial generation?

turn 0 : Inheritance inequality perpetuates disparities within the millennial generation.

What perpetuates disparities within the millennial generation?

Answer: Inheritance


Great to be here as well.

So let's start with the most recent news. This past Friday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear an abortion case out of Louisiana. Can you just briefly explain the central issue in the case and why this is so significant?

Louisiana had passed a statute that required doctors to have admitting privileges before they could perform abortions. And that would result in virtually no abortion facilities in the state. It's similar to what Texas attempted to do several years ago, and the Supreme Court struck down that law in 2016. But this time, the federal appeals court for Louisiana has upheld the law, and the court was sort of forced to take the case.

The question I think for people who both support abortion rights and expansive abortion rights and those who oppose them is whether the court will turn over the precedent set in Roe v.  Wade. Is this case a case that could do that?

turn 3 : The question is whether the Court will redo the case of Roe v. Wade and change the outcome of it.

Answer: Admitting-privileges


I think the sentiment has to change. Two years ago, people were very disappointed about the Occupy Movement that after 71 days, and it came back nothing. But now, the Hong Kong person seems to be - Hong Kong people seems to be much more determined, less (unintelligible). So they have been planting the seed in the heart of the young people.

So this time, we see at the midnight of town, you've got the 300-somethings young peoples being arrested and 80% of them are just 16 to 25 years old. So that's - we haven't been expected. We thought the youngster don't care about politics anymore. But it turns out that those young guys are coming out and becoming the front line. The seed had grown, and they were out.

That is Galileo Cheng. He's a social affairs executive for the Hong Kong Catholic Institution Staff Association. He's been out all day, and he's giving us a report from the front lines of the protests.

Galileo Cheng, thank you so much for talking with us.

Thank you.

turn 0 : The Hong Kong people are more determined this time and the young people are actively participating in politics

How are the young people participating in politics in Hong Kong?

Answer: Protesting


Thanks for having me.

What new details did we learn with this filing?

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

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

turn 3 : Duncan Hunter spent campaign money on personal expenses

Which politician spent campaign money on personal expenses?

Answer: Unidentified


It's a common complaint about poetry. It's the oldest form of expression, but what can it do for us now in an age of social media, Twitter, Facebook and national urgency?Poet Claudia Rankine's new collection, her fifth, has an answer. Its cover shows a black hoodie against a white background, recalling Trayvon Martin. And it's a very personal meditation on race in America. The book is called "Citizen: An American Lyric. "It was a finalist for the National Book Award. Claudia Rankine joins us now. Thank you, welcome to the program.

Good morning, Eric. Thank you for having me.

Before we chat, I want to give listeners a sense of your book. It reads like a series of kind of diary entries, so to speak, and an anatomy of encounters with perceived racism. I'd like you to read, if you would. Could you start "You Are In The Dark"?

Sure. (Reading) You're in the dark, in the car, watching the black, tarred street being swallowed by speed. He tells you his dean is making him hire a person of color when there are so many great writers out there. You think maybe this is an experiment, and you're being tested or retroactively insulted or you have done something that communicates this is an OK conversation to be having. Why do you feel comfortable saying this to me?You wish the light would turn red or a police siren would go off so you could slam on the brakes, slam into the car ahead of you, fly forward so quickly both your faces would suddenly be exposed to the wind.

turn 0 : B's statement implies that poetry is often seen as outdated and irrelevant in today's fast-paced world

Which book was a finalist for the National Book Award?

Answer: Citizen


Boy, melodrama going on, on the Washington football club whose team name I refuse to utter. Coach Shanahan benching Robert Griffin III for the rest of the season - good idea or. . .

Well, it's all part of a bigger power play. The big problem is the owner. The problem with the Redskins goes back to Daniel Snyder. He's worse than George Steinbrenner, worse than Marge Schott; worse than all of them. He's one of the worst owners that you could possibly have. When he started, he had past-prime players with Deion Sanders and Bruce Smith trying to make a splash.

We're about to run out of time. Not much time for many more worse, yes?

Awful. He's just bad.

turn 0 : The Washington football team is in chaos due to their controversial name and the coach's decision to bench Robert Griffin III.

Which team did the coach bench Robert Griffin III from?

Answer: Washington


It probably had more to do with Moore - Roy Moore - and his unique trainload of baggage. But it's still hard not to compare it to what happened back in 2010 when Scott Brown was elected in Massachusetts, taking Teddy Kennedy's seat. And this was at about the same point in President Obama's first term.

That really changed the mood on Capitol Hill. It did not stop the passage of Obamacare, but it signaled a big turnover in Congress in the next elections. And we could be heading into a correction here in the other direction under President Trump.

NPR's Ron Elving. Thanks so much.

Thank you, Scott.

turn 3 :  (4) implies politeness and acknowledgement,  (4) implies that the conversation is continuing.

What does turn 4 imply about the continuation of the conversation?

Answer: Continuing


I think that we need to have a conversation and debate on what it means to be a Republican. Traditionally, the Republican Party stood for some level of financial conservatism. That seems to have been thrown out the window of late, as you see, got instance, with this latest debt deal, the president adding $2 trillion of additional debt to the national debt and a third of a trillion dollars in new spending over the next two years without even a debate.

I think we need to have a conversation about where we're going on trade. I think we need to have a conversation with regard to institutions and political norms which the president has thrown out. But that has historically been the glue that has held together that balance of power that makes our system work, and I think we need to have a conversation on town.

I think that some might argue that the way that those intra-party debates take place is exactly in the kinds of positions that you have had in down-ballot races. I mean, you lost the Republican primary to a candidate endorsed by President Trump, so I think some might argue, asked and answered.

Well, there's a difference between a battle and a war, and I would say that as Republicans, in some cases, we're winning battles but losing wars. So what happened in that race after I lost the primary was that for the first time in about 50 years, the seat went Democrat.

turn 0 : Nothing was thrown at a window, but financial conservatism has been disregarded by the republican party.

Which aspect of the Republican Party was traditionally stood for?

Answer: conservatism


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

Right. Right.

But he was alive at that time?

The answer is no. He wasn't.

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

Answer: Sri-Lanka


Well, they've arrested these two men. One is an official in the office of the governor of the province. The other is the president of the university. Those would seem to be two pretty prominent individuals. Does anyone know what's happened to them, where they are?

That's still murky right now. We know they've been arrested. We don't know where they're being held, and according to Iraqi officials, they've apparently been arrested on charges of committing violence, committing terrorism. We don't much - really much more than that.

So we have this day in Iraq. It begins with this pretty normal thing, a visit from a - from the leader of a neighboring country, and then this kind of a development, which doesn't sound normal at all. It leaves you kind of wondering, one step forward, one step backwards.

Sure, but, you know, what it really illustrates is how uneven the security situation in Iraq is. Sure, you're seeing signs of progress. You're seeing neighboring leaders and neighboring countries visit. You are seeing violence levels down, but there are still large parts of Iraq that could explode at any moment. And it really shows how little the security situation is in many areas.

turn 2 : (3) In turn (3), the speaker implies that the recent events in Iraq are not normal and that there is a sense of uncertainty and instability, despite some signs of progress.

What does the speaker suggest about the security situation in Iraq in turn 3?

Answer: Uneven


I agree. I was shocked - really shocked - when I found them. And then many things happened to me with Chopin through my life.

Such as?

Well (laughter), you're not going to believe this if you don't believe in the unknown normal. But I had a death mask of Chopin given to me. Some friends came over, and they said, what's that?I said, it's death mask of Chopin. That's what they used to do in those days. When someone died, they'd get someone to put wax on his face and make this death mask as a memorial. I took it off - down. I said, please be careful with it because it's, you know, very unique. There are only two or three in the world. My wife was there. My son was there - he was about 17 - and these two friends. And, suddenly, a fluid started coming out of one of the eyes. And I put my hand into this fluid, and it was salty. So I guess there was no question in my mind these were tears. What I felt was that Chopin was happy that he could communicate somehow with the current world.

You know, I learned one thing. People who are negative about these kinds of unknown normal things - they will never change. They'll always find another way that it could've happened or try to find another way that it could've happened. But I just give up try to convince them because they won't ever be convinced. The ones who are skeptics - once they hear about it, they say, oh, actually, it's real.

turn 3 : (4): Implied meaning: Advising to not waste energy in trying to convince people who are negative about unknown normal things, since it is not possible to change their mindset.

What did the fluid that came out of the eye of the death mask of Chopin feel like?

Answer: Salty


Now, Steve, everything I've just said has a caveat. OK?As you'd mentioned, yesterday the administration lightened their touch and said American tech firms could keep engaging in existing business with Huawei until mid-August. That's presumably to give some transition or prep time.

Is it really possible that the administration could raise these alarms of Chinese spying through Huawei equipment - that's the scenario they put out - and then just let the business go on?

Sure. That's totally possible. And there would be a precedent for that. Last year, President Trump banned sales to another Chinese phone-maker, ZTE, also citing national security concerns. That basically brought China's president to the bargaining table. And then Trump announced ZTE would pay a billion-dollar fine to do business with America again. So you know, maybe - maybe - the Huawei ban is a move to create leverage. In the last couple of weeks, the Trump administration has increased tariffs on $60 billion worth of Chinese goods, too. China's responded and, you know, tensions are growing.

You have underlined for us how deeply engaged U. S.  companies are already with Huawei, whether it's a small rural phone provider here in the United States or service provider in the United States or whether it's Google operating in Europe. How are tech companies responding?

turn 2 : This implies the growing economic war between Trump administration and China.

Which event led to China's president coming to the bargaining table?

Answer: ZTE


I'll say.

Dissection, anger, back and forth, denunciation by both major party presidential campaigns. Do you think that this cover crossed the line of propriety?

Of propriety?Perhaps. But what it - I think it did so for an urgent and good cause, which is to blow this stupid calumny about Obama away, once and for all. It travels as the subtext through all this polite conversation. I just saw some NBC report that was quoting a Newsweek poll saying 50 percent of Americans believe that Obama is or was a Muslim, or was signed - sworn in on the Koran to the Senate seat, and so on. It's madness. And I - it seems to me that showing the fevered image directly will be a possible way of looking at and dissipating that image.

I think as a result it's a fairly brave thing to do, in which the New Yorker's fulfilling its function at its best, which is to make people think and talk. And the New Yorker helped that discussion happen. And it's one of the times where I feel, hats off, New Yorker!They got it right, you know. This is not something that goes away by saying, but it's not seemly to discuss this.

But there are some people who are always going to read this un-ironically and say, well, yeah, he is a Muslim despite, you know.

turn 1 : The cover story in question caused controversy but served an important purpose.

Answer: Debunking


This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. Spies try to protect America from its enemies, but does that mean spying on friends too?The steady drip of intelligence leaks from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden continues with the revelations that the National Security Agency tapped the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Guardian newspaper broke the story this week and also reported that the U. S.  spy agency intercepted 70 million phone calls and text messages in France. Now, the response from Germany and France has been swift, and as you might imagine, sharp. Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, called the spying shocking and unacceptable. He told Le Monde: We cooperate in the useful way in the fight against terrorism but that does not justify everything. P. J. Crowley is a former U. S.  assistant secretary of state for public affairs. He joins us in our studios. Thanks so much for being with us.

P. J. CROWLEY: Pleasure to be here, Scott.

There's scambling(ph) going on here, yes. I mean, Europeans have a different view of privacy than Americans do. So, I think there is a difference of attitude or perspective on this. That said, I don't think it should shock anyone that governments spy on each other.

Well, but these are allies.

turn 2 : "Are Germany and France shocked, shocked like in Casablanca, or are they truly surprised?" - The speaker is not asking if Germany and France are literally experiencing the same shock as the characters in the movie Casablanca. Instead, the speaker is using a rhetorical device to question the genuineness of their shock or surprise.

What rhetorical device is used by the speaker in turn 2 to question the genuineness of Germany and France's shock or surprise?

Answer: Rhetorical


So when we are forced to cut, we have to decide which is the best way to do it. We can do a shallow cut, like 10 percent 20 percent of the full ration. Or we can do a deep cut if we think the contributions will not be coming in anytime soon. The difficulty with doing a deep cut is that over the longer period, of course, people will become malnourished. Their immune systems will be suppressed. And if the cuts continue, or they're getting absolutely no food from WFP, inevitably, over time, they will fall sick. And, ultimately, many people will perish.

So - I mean, forgive me. It's one thing to make appealing ads that people are in danger of starving to death. What you're saying now is, because there's a crunch for aid, people are in danger of dying slowly.

That's what, in the end, will happen to the most vulnerable. It's the women and the children who will go first. The difficulty about the situation confronting us in 2018, however, is that it comes on the heels of 2017, when the world really pulled itself together, and our donors and donors for other organizations stepped up and provided a lot of funding because we were facing what was said to be the greatest humanitarian needs. . .

Yeah.

turn 3 : (4) is the same as its literal meaning, which is a brief acknowledgement of what was just said.

Which turn in the dialogue is a brief acknowledgement of what was just said?

Answer: Turn3


No, so Wim van Egmond is an artist, and he was trained as an artist. He was a painter at first, and he was really into painting from these scientific illustrations, biological illustrations from hundreds of years ago. And he said, well, you know, I could just do this myself. So he purchased his first microscope about 20 years ago and since then has been kind of perfecting the technique.

But when he started, you know, he was also working with film, like Roman Vishniac. And, you know, when he had to look up what he was looking at, these organisms, he was looking in reference books, things that are just unthinkable these days, of course you would just Google.

So he said that, you know, progress has gotten much faster because now you can just look and see your result immediately. You don't have to develop your film, and - you know, and so he's gotten - it sounds like he's gotten - he's sort of refined his techniques much more quickly in the days of the digital camera.

Now I know you like to limit the size of your video pick to like three or four minutes.

turn 2 :  "progress has gotten much faster because now you can just look and see your result immediately." Literal meaning: Advances in technology have made progress faster because you can immediately see your result without having to wait. Actual meaning: The availability of digital technology has allowed Wim van Egmond to refine his microscopy techniques more quickly than he would have been able to in the past.

How has the availability of digital technology affected Wim van Egmond's microscopy techniques?

Answer: technology


And they don't take into account what other areas of knowledge are developing. I think perhaps a solution that could be sought, one of many, is that the humanities consider colonizing the sciences. And what do I mean by that?I mean that humanity lives in a minute intersection of sensibilities, that is sense, the powers of sense; of cognitive patterns, the way we think.

We're very, very specialized, and we live in only a small segment of the whole universe of possibilities. I'm not talking about expanding into science fiction. I'm just talking about gaining a perspective that could somehow be - or validated by what we're learning from science at an exponentially increasing rate and making some better use of it in the creative and interpretive processes of the humanities.

That's a long speech, but you asked a difficult question.

Well, I'm actually - you brought up something in my mind. I'm thinking you brought up what C. P. Snow's "Two Cultures" argument was, you know, that they don't talk to each other, you know?

turn 0 : None , I do not believe there is any here

Which area of knowledge does PersonA propose the humanities should consider colonizing?

Answer: Sciences


That is very funny. What about dessert?Give me a dessert for the holidays that you love.

One of my favorite ones is this cornmeal and rosemary cake. So we use polenta corn meal and a little bit of rosemary. And you bake it, it becomes basically like a pound cake. It's buttery and rich. It's the holidays. That happens. Sometimes I stud it with some cranberries for some color, other times I do not. It depends on my mood. And then I top it with a balsamic syrup. So I reduce balsamic, gets nice and thick like a chocolate sauce, and then I pour it over the top. I can't tell you - breakfast, lunch dinner, whatever, snack, it is phenomenal. It's one of the those things I keep in my house during the holidays.

That sounds fantastic. So, you're a mother now, and your baby's first Christmas is coming up. How's that going to affect you to have someone - a little tiny one to take through the holidays?

You know, she's now about eight months, and so she's not quite a year old yet.

turn 1 : The cake is not made of traditional cake ingredients.

How is the cornmeal and rosemary cake described?

Answer: Phenomenal


Abortion. Abortion.

Really?

Because it's such a driving issue, a lot of one-issue abortion voters. The courts are determining what's legal in abortion. We see now that the court has got these new two conservative members to the Supreme Court and the lower courts. That's why you see states now pushing ahead with their tough abortion restrictions because they think that they can get these upheld. So I do think abortion - school prayer. Ronald Reagan played on school prayer when he was running. And these were the kind of things that conservatives vote on. These are important to them.

These are these sort of moral and cultural issues that they are interested in, consumed by to some regard. And so the courts have just been more important to them. You do see Democrats reacting now. There's new groups springing up. Demand Justice is a new group that was started to kind of make Democrats more aware of the potency of the court and the importance and why Democrats should be more interested in voting on it. I do think, in this election, Democrats are going to talk a lot more about the Supreme Court than they have in the past.

turn 0 : Abortion is a controversial and politically charged topic.

What is driving the tough abortion restrictions pushed by some states?

Answer: Conservative


I failed chemistry really disastrously. Kind of tellingly, my father wanted me to take it because he wanted me to be a doctor. And I really didn't want to be a doctor. I wanted to be a writer and an actor. You know, a lot of people don't know how to break into show business.

(Laughter) But failing chemistry is the way.

First way.

(Laughter) So what prompted you to pick up science journals and read them later on?

turn 1 : Failing chemistry is a hindrance to becoming a doctor

Which subject did PersonB's father want him to take?

Answer: Chemistry


How has Koinadugu been able to avoid the infection for so long?

We took concrete measures, proactively, way back in May. The district decided to self-quarantine. There was control of movement - people coming into the district and people going out of the district. We also embark on major sensitization door to door. We involve community leaders, and we just involve the whole community to say this is a real. Ebola is real. Let us avoid Ebola.

Sierra Leone is a society with a lot of faith healers. What do they do that might help spread the disease?

The act of healing involves the use of the hands. They are not trained people. They don't have gloves. It's a lot of physical touching, and that is why we are saying the faith healing practice should be stopped for now because once the patient shows signs and symptoms of Ebola and they go to a faith healer, it's almost 100 percent that they will transmit it to the faith healer and eventually to the community.

turn 3 :  (4).  The speaker is not simply stating that faith healers use their hands and physical touch, but rather that this practice is a high-risk behavior that can easily spread the Ebola virus. The speaker is suggesting that in order to contain the spread of the virus, faith healers should temporarily stop their practice until appropriate safety measures can be put in place. The implied meaning is that traditional practices such as faith healing may need to be altered or suspended in times of crisis, even though they are deeply ingrained in the culture.

How does the speaker suggest to contain the spread of the Ebola virus in regards to faith healing?

Answer: Stop


Now, when we look at this, what they're doing, there was a - you know, in some ways perhaps a minor incident, but a telling one where the British publication, the Telegraph, reported online that the G8 leaders enjoyed a six course lunch followed by an eight course dinner. African leaders were not invited and of course they're talking about the global hunger situation. There was a lot of static about that. Do you think that, that was symbolic in any way or just, you know, big time world business as usual?

Well, Farai now you're going to draw the cynical side out of me. This was an incredibly stupid, careless move, by the G8 leaders where they basically seemed to have thought off camera they could do whatever they wanted to. And they demonstrated, for all to see, the contempt actually that they have towards the rest of the world.

That they basically - they see themselves, as in effect, the rulers of this planet. So, when they're on camera there'll be the tears, there'll be the concern. Off camera you saw this hideous example of consumption.

What do you think the G8 leaders should be doing in terms of an Africa agenda?I'm going to get to a couple of specific things, specific national issues of Zimbabwe and Nigeria in a second.

turn 1 : G8 leaders are contemptuous of the rest of the world and think of themselves as the rulers of the planet.

What was the attitude of G8 leaders towards the rest of the world?

Answer: Contempt


All right, so how did it feel in those moments after the race?Take us there.

Picture this. There are about 150,000 people at Churchill Downs rooting for this race, plus millions more watching at home. But from the vantage point of the people in the stands, all they see are the pink silks of Maximum Security's jockey pulling out ahead and crossing the finish line on a muddy track. So first, there was cheering. I mean, Maximum Security was the favorite to win, and a lot of people were betting on that horse.

Then there was 20 minutes of confusion. You have the objection. You had these unofficial results on the board, saying that Maximum Security won. You have people trying to cash in their tickets at the betting windows. Other people are leaving not knowing who won. And in the press room, we were just sitting there stunned, waiting for the official call.

Why did racing officials disqualify Maximum Security?

turn 1 : It wasn't the pink silks that won but the horse and jockey wearing them.

Which color were the silks that the jockey was wearing during the race?

Answer: jockey


Well, speaking of talking, do you think that Mr.  Obama is now speaking with both the Israeli and Palestinian leaders?

I would not expect that. It would not necessarily be in his interest to do that. There's certain amount of meaning in the often-repeated statement that we just have one president at a time, and of course, over the weekend, we heard Obama's people repeating that. It's really not something that makes sense for him to be caught up in, the decision-making or negotiations, until he has a standing to be so and to be doing so as president of United States.

Well, this is certainly something that Mr.  Obama doesn't need right now, given that he's got a lot on his plate dealing with the economy. How distracting will it be for him?

It would be a tremendous distraction, except that this is the nature of the job, and he has himself said, back during the campaign, a president of the United States needs to be able to focus on more than one crisis at a time. It's a good thing he's thinking that way because he's going to have lots of them, and he's going to have to try to use the energy and the attention focus that he gets from one crisis to keep the country going forward on a number of fronts - that's the economy, the energy crisis, the healthcare situation - all of this while he tries to deal with international crises. That's the situation we're in, and he seems to know that, and he seems to be up for it.

turn 1 : Mr. Obama should not negotiate with Israeli and Palestinian leaders before he becomes the president.

How does PersonA describe the situation that Obama will face as the President of the United States?

Answer: Multitasking


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

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

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

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

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

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

Which speaker in the dialogue was the founding director of the U.S. National Cybersecurity Center?

Answer: B


No. We all hang about. That's exactly the same as "Mrs. Brown. "People will call you, amazed that - you know, you read all about actors who stay in character all day and hide in caves, and then only come when they're called for and get the family to behave as a fill-in character.

Well, I have found with the vast majority of those great British actors, that they stand, telling stories at the side of the set, and they're called for. And they say, oh, look. The light's one. We've got to go. And they go and get straight into character. It's like stepping into an old shoe. And it's lovely. It's - especially Judi Dench. You know, we used to just stand screaming well after and then say, right, lads. Get yourself together. Right, then, action, and we'd be into it again.

And there she's queenly again.

And then she's a queen, yeah, and I'm a scruff.

turn 0 : Actors don't have to stay in character all day

What is the misconception about actors that the dialogue challenges?

Answer: Staying


Things have been added during the years. There is what's called the SkyLine level, which is a public event space built at the 100-foot level. They've also built a building kind of around the base that has the gift shop. Otherwise, it's pretty much intact.

Mm-hmm. And it was built with the science fair in mind as part of a larger ground. Part - it would fit into the larger works of the whole world's fair here.

That's right. It was actually late coming in the fair. They realized in the process, they needed a symbol for the fair, and they didn't have one. They didn't have a means of financing it. They didn't have a location for it. The Space Needle is where it is because the city managed to find a small piece of property that they could sell to a private developer to build the Space Needle. And it happened to be the perfect spot.

You talked about the structure itself having a very feminine shape to it. But anybody who has looked at this thing swears that it looks like a UFO at the top there landing or taking off.

turn 3 : The tower has curves along it's base that resemble the curves of a woman.

What shapes resemble the curves of a woman on the tower?

Answer: Base


You know, we like to be considered a young couple.

We are a young couple.

But I don't know about role model and the word role model, but I like the word responsibility. And Gina and I do feel a tremendous amount of responsibility in terms of the images we project, and the fact that, hopefully - you know, we get letters all the time, and I think one of the nicest letters we received was from one of our fans that watched the show that said, you know, you gals have really enhanced my marriage. Me and my husband, we get in the kitchen, we cook, and we spend time together. And it's those types of testimonies that really motivate Gina and I, and make us feel real good about what we're doing.

turn 3 :  All right. Now, I want you to make my taste buds jump. I am not in front of any of your food, but I want you to describe this dish that sounds so intriguing, barbequed spaghetti. What does that taste like?  The phrase "make my taste buds jump" is an idiomatic expression that means to describe something in a way that sounds so delicious that it creates a physical reaction in the listener.

What is the meaning of the idiom "make my taste buds jump"?

Answer: Description


Yeah, yeah. And then tomorrow, let's focus more on the hammer (tapping piano hammers).

That pounds the strings.

Yeah. And then let's focus more on the keys the day after (playing piano).

He did this while explaining why he is returning to compositions he played as a child. Lang Lang is a concert pianist for whom almost no composition seems too difficult.

Yet his latest album, "Piano Book," features much simpler classics, tunes many adults recall trying to play in piano lessons and that Lang Lang played growing up in China.

turn 4 : "Yet his latest album, 'Piano Book,' features much simpler classics, tunes many adults recall trying to play in piano lessons and that Lang Lang played growing up in China." - The literal meaning of this turn is that Lang Lang's latest album features simpler classical music that many adults tried to play in piano lessons and that Lang Lang played when he was growing up. The actual meaning is that Lang Lang is showcasing his roots and paying tribute to the music that inspired him as a child, rather than just playing difficult pieces to show off his technical skills.

Which album of Lang Lang features simpler classics that he played growing up in China?

Answer: Book


So right now, there are multiple congressional committees investigating this issue. We've got them on the House side. We've got a couple on the Senate side. I guess I want to know why is there a need for multiple investigations, and how do these congressional investigations differ at their core from what Special Counsel Robert Mueller is conducting?

Well, Senate Intelligence looks at intelligence matters primarily. Senate Judiciary looks at matters that fall under the broad scope of the Judiciary Committee. All these congressional investigations differ very much in function from what the Special Counsel Mueller does. Mueller works in secret and long, long deep studies of things like finances. And he doesn't bring his results public. If he finds something that's really important, he won't let you know until it's time to indict somebody. Whereas, the congressional committees when classification allows them to be in the open, they live for open hearings. They want people to know what they found.

And what about compelling witnesses to testify?The subpoena, is that a last resort thing or is it just a negotiating device?

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

turn 3 : demanding the documents, they have the materials to pin the witness down in the questioning. The literal meaning of this turn is explaining the different types of subpoenas used in investigations and how they are effective in obtaining witness testimony and documents.

Which tool is used to obtain digital material like emails in investigations?

Answer: Digital


Yes, thank you.

We get it.

A lot of things in the book are things that I wrote about in my newspaper column. For about nine or 10 years I've been doing a column every week for the Guardian newspaper in England, and it's about any kind of unexpected, funny thing that I run across or people tell me about. And to do the book, I went back and grabbed a lot of these stories and then did some more digging to see what else have these people done.

Mm-hmm. Some of the stories seem to have sort of a moral to them, like the one - mysterious one I'm going to call the rectum in a jar.

Yeah, this is the case of the rectum of the Bishop of Durham. If you go to London and you visit the Hunterian Museum, it's a wonderful, wonderful - one - in fact, one of the world's few remaining big medical museums. It's part of The Royal College of Surgeons of England. If you go and visit it, on display on the main floor inside a jar is something they call object RCSHC/P192. The label identifies it as being the preserved rectum of the Bishop of Durham, and we're talking about Thomas Thurlow, who was born in 1737, died in 1791. Would you like to hear the story of why it's in a jar in London on display?

turn 4 : A is willing to share the story of why the rectum of the Bishop of Durham is displayed in a jar.

How did PersonA come across the story of the rectum in a jar?

Answer: column


This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has had a rapid career rise. He was appointed Egypt's defense minister after the Arab Spring outpouring by Egypt's first freely elected president, the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi. But just a year later, General Sisi helped oust Mr.  Morsi and then he began to run the country. Now, his title is Field Marshal Sisi, the top military post. And just this past week, he took the next step to becoming Egypt's next president. The possible rise of a new military strongman raises questions about if the Arab Spring put Egypt on a path of democracy and civilian rule or more authoritarianism. Samer Shehata joins us. He's a political scientist at University of Oklahoma, and he joins us from the studios of KGOU in Norman, Oklahoma. Samer, thanks very much for being with us.

Pleasure to speak to you.

Why is a field marshal, according to various surveys, so popular in Egypt?

He's popular for a number of reasons. One, there were many people, of course, who were opposed to the Muslim Brotherhood and Mr.  Morsi before he became president. And of course it was a disastrous year in office. And there are many people who, as a result of all of that, are longing for stability and security. And the idea of a military general running the show is reassuring.

turn 1 : Pleasure to speak to you. (This is a polite way of expressing appreciation for the invitation to speak on the show.)

Answer: Pleasure


Now, Steve, everything I've just said has a caveat. OK?As you'd mentioned, yesterday the administration lightened their touch and said American tech firms could keep engaging in existing business with Huawei until mid-August. That's presumably to give some transition or prep time.

Is it really possible that the administration could raise these alarms of Chinese spying through Huawei equipment - that's the scenario they put out - and then just let the business go on?

Sure. That's totally possible. And there would be a precedent for that. Last year, President Trump banned sales to another Chinese phone-maker, ZTE, also citing national security concerns. That basically brought China's president to the bargaining table. And then Trump announced ZTE would pay a billion-dollar fine to do business with America again. So you know, maybe - maybe - the Huawei ban is a move to create leverage. In the last couple of weeks, the Trump administration has increased tariffs on $60 billion worth of Chinese goods, too. China's responded and, you know, tensions are growing.

You have underlined for us how deeply engaged U. S.  companies are already with Huawei, whether it's a small rural phone provider here in the United States or service provider in the United States or whether it's Google operating in Europe. How are tech companies responding?

turn 2 : This implies the growing economic war between Trump administration and China.

How does turn 2 relate to the discussion on Huawei?

Answer: leverage


My pleasure, Scott.

First, the basics - Secretary Pompeo's attending a meeting about - of about a dozen Asian nations. We know the president likes to negotiate one on one. So what is the multilateral message in Singapore?

So Pompeo was at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. One of his main messages to them is that the U. S.  is not retreating from the region or turning in on itself. And he underlined this by announcing $300 million in new U. S.  government funding for security cooperation in the region and another roughly $100 million for economic and infrastructure projects. Now, observers were quick to note that that's really not very much money compared to China's investments in the region. And it's also a pretty small commitment compared to the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal, which the Trump administration pulled out of in its early days. The other main message to Asian governments there was to just keep on enforcing those sanctions against North Korea until they give up their nuclear weapons.

The secretary says that Russia's violating U. N.  sanctions regarding North Korea and that Pyongyang is going back in its commitment to denuclearize, which says essentially the - you know, that summit a few weeks ago we hailed did nothing.

turn 2 : The U.S. is making a small commitment to security cooperation and infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia, compared to China's investments and the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal that the Trump administration pulled out of. Asian governments were encouraged to continue enforcing sanctions against North Korea.

How much new funding did the U.S. government announce for economic and infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia?

Answer: $100million


Yes, absolutely. And to all of who are - and even though I don't do it anymore, I mean, it's like really once a clown always a clown. Once you've been a real performing clown you realize you've tapped into something big and universal and eternal. It's a frustration to us because clown, which was a word that used to be associated with joy and laughter and happiness, now has a lot of negative connotations to it. You know, you got characters like Crusty the Clown on "The Simpsons" and there are members of Congress.

By the way, isn't it amazing this year I think there's a record number of members of Congress who are retiring at the same time there's a shortage of clowns?What doesn't work here?

I'm reacting almost reflexively with regret and woe over a clown shortage. But I'm wondering, I mean, you know, there are not as many shepherds as there used to be. Is this just - to my knowledge - is this just something we have to. . .

They certainly are in my living room.

turn 2 : In (3), the speaker is questioning the importance of the clown shortage compared to other shortages, such as the shortage of shepherds. The actual meaning is not that the speaker is truly concerned about the relative shortage of clowns and shepherds.

What shortage is compared to the clown shortage in the dialogue?

Answer: Shepherds


Sure. I'm glad you mention that. So that is coming through subpoenas to the reporters to reveal the names of their sources. So it's not a direct prosecution of those reporters. But they are - you know, as you mentioned with Judith Miller, it can amount to jail time if the reporter refuses to testify.

So what's happening is that they are being called to testify in the case against the leakers. And when they refuse to do so, they're in contempt of court, and they may face jail time.

That's exactly right. And that is much more acceptable. I should add that under Attorney General Holder - after the James Risen subpoena where James Risen was told he had to testify and refused, the U. S.  government did not push him to testify. They obtained a conviction anyway, and Holder shortly thereafter announced that, under his watch, no reporter would go to jail for doing his job. It remains to be seen whether that same policy would be in place under the Sessions Department of Justice. Everything he's said indicates that he will not follow that policy.

Meaning that he and the Trump administration may indeed prosecute journalists. We've heard Trump himself and other Republicans raising the possibility of prosecuting journalists. Do you think that there is - that that is a possibility?

turn 3 : There is a possibility that the Trump administration may prosecute journalists.

What is the potential risk for journalists under the Trump administration?

Answer: Risk


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

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

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

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

turn 2 : A couple of years ago, I did a little research on this and discovered that U.S. aid to Africa, if you withdraw Egypt, is less than Israel. That is - that the total aid is less than the aid to one country, a key ally of the United States. So that figure told me a little bit about the priorities of the United States. - Implied meaning: A is suggesting that the United States' priorities may be misguided in terms of the amount of aid provided to Africa compared to other countries such as Israel.

How much is the U.S. aid to Africa compared to Israel?

Answer: Less


Well, you know, we've done a bunch of these kinds of stories that run in the body issue. And we've done everything from the importance of the glute to the strange secret ritual of the team shower. And we thought, gosh, we've kind of gone there with every other story. The last thing to explore was pee breaks.

I want to talk about the Tour de France in particular. These guys are on their bikes for hours and hours and hours. But it's the Tour leader wearing a yellow jersey, I might add, who gets to signal - is this right?- when it's time for the riders to pull over for a bit of relief?

It turns out, yeah. One of the greatest honors, according to the riders, of getting the yellow jersey is that you get to control when everybody else who's racing stops for a little bit of a pee break.

Which is extraordinary.

turn 2 : Getting the yellow jersey in the Tour de France is a great honor because it allows the wearer to control when the other riders stop for a bathroom break. Implicated meaning: The yellow jersey is a symbol of leadership in the Tour de France, and controlling when bathroom breaks happen is seen as a demonstration of power and control over the other riders.

How is controlling bathroom breaks seen in the Tour de France?

Answer: Power