– Manuscript – Welcome to English in a Minute! Some plants, like roses, have thorns. They are sharp and can really hurt! Uh oh, I hope Anna and Jonathan are okay. Thorn in My Side Speaker A: So, Bob wants you to re-do the weekly meeting notes.Speaker B: Taking notes is such a thorn in my side.Speaker A: Oh, and he wants you to color-code all the questions and … [Read more...] about Thorn in My Side (Idioms)
How to Grow, Eat Sunflowers
– Manuscript – Sunflowers are huge plants with bright yellow flowers. They have a long history in North America. There is evidence they were used for food and for medicine by Native Americans beginning around 1,000 B.C. The seeds from sunflowers were likely brought to Europe by Spanish explorers around the late 16th century. Over time, they found their way to Eastern … [Read more...] about How to Grow, Eat Sunflowers
Platform (News Words)
– Manuscript – Welcome to the Voice of America's News Words. Businessman Elon Musk has identified several investors who will help him buy the social media site Twitter. Platform Musk has promised to make Twitter more "inclusive." But critics say he plans to loosen control on posts. They argue that the platform will lead to more misinformation and … [Read more...] about Platform (News Words)
How Technology Is Changing Investigative Reporting
– Manuscript – News reporters are increasingly using technology tools to cover stories in new ways. One kind of news gathering is known as “open-source” reporting. This is when reporters use publicly available materials to help them tell stories. These can include satellite images, video from mobile phones or security cameras and social media information. The field of … [Read more...] about How Technology Is Changing Investigative Reporting
Study Shows Dog Personalities Not Related to Breed
– Manuscript – A new study has found that all dogs have different personalities – even dogs of the same breed. Elinor Karlsson studies genetics at the University of Massachusetts. She co-wrote a report about the study, which appeared recently in the publication Science. Karlsson said, “Every dog really is an individual.” Karlsson noted there is “a huge amount of … [Read more...] about Study Shows Dog Personalities Not Related to Breed