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Welcome to Learning English,
a daily 30 minute program
from the Voice of America.
I'm Ashley Thompson.
And I'm Mario Ritter junior.
This program is designed
for English learners.
So we speak a little slower,
and we use words and phrases,
especially written for people learning
English.
Today
you will hear reports from Anna Matteo
and Jill Robbins.
Later, Bryan Lynn presents
this week's Science Report.
We close the show with the next part
of our National Parks series.
Today we visit the world
famous Grand Canyon National Park.
But first,
a new study finds that the glaciers
across the Andes in South America
are shrinking at a speed not seen before
in the history of human civilization.
This discovery surprised scientists.
At first, they only planned to study
the current conditions of glaciers
and how they changed through history.
We thought this result was decades
away, said Andrew Goren
as lead writer of the study.
He first thought the results
were an accident,
but later he and his team
confirmed the results with more samples.
Goren said that the shrinking of glaciers
is happening
even faster than experts had thought.
He and a team of scientists
carbon dated bedrock
that had been recently exposed
by shrinking glaciers.
They measured beryllium ten
and carbon 14 nuclide levels
and found that concentrations
were nearly zero.
He explained that
if the rock can see the sky,
it collects these new Clyde's.
He added that the decay rate
of these new Clyde's
shows that the rock had not been exposed
during the Holocene era.
This era dates back
11,700 years,
but could go back even further.
I would bet my whole life savings
that in fact, these glaciers are smaller
than they've been
since the last interglacial period,
Goren said.
The last interglacial period
ended about 115,000 years ago.
The study collected data
at four glaciers across the Andes.
These glaciers make up 99%
of the world's tropical glaciers.
They are more affected by changing weather
because they are regularly at
or near freezing point.
We think this is the canary
in the coal mine
that this is going to happen everywhere.
Before long and maybe
sooner than we thought, Goren said.
Canary in the coal mine is an expression
that warns of danger.
Coal miners would use a canary to tell
if the oxygen levels in a coal
mine were dangerous.
Researchers published the new study
in the journal Science on August 1st.
I'm on a Mateo.
Mom. Young son had low expectations
for the subtropical bananas
he planted in a community farm.
And saw
he must use a greenhouse
for part of the year
to protect them from South Korea's
cold winters.
But warmer temperatures
due to climate change
have produced a welcome surprise
in the form of flowers and fruit
in the land area where subtropical crops
are grown in South Korea
has increased from about 295 hectares
in 2021 to 3306 hectares in 2023.
South Korea's state agricultural
organization, the Rural Development
Administration, reports
that there are 67 banana
farms in the South, and Ma
is among a growing number of farmers
experimenting with crops
usually grown in a warmer climate.
I want to try growing other
tropical crops to.
So as you can see here,
I have planted these papaya trees as well,
Ma said, pointing to a small papaya plant.
Ma opened up part of his family's farm
to people from the city in 2006.
He is happy about his small success,
but he worries about what it means
for the climate.
I feel that the climate crisis
has become very serious, said Ma,
who has been a farmer for 25 years.
South Korea lies in the temperate
zone and has four seasons,
but its climate appears
to be getting warmer and wetter
throughout the year.
The Korea meteorological administration
reports
that since 2012, the average
yearly temperature
has been continually rising.
The average temperature
last year of 13.7°C
was the highest since its records began
in 1973.
Rainfall during last year's rainy season
was 660.2mm nationwide,
nearly two times
the 356.7mm annual average.
Figure.
Kim Kwang soo is a professor
of agriculture
and life sciences
at Seoul National University.
Kim said South Korea's climate conditions
were becoming more like subtropical areas,
so it is important for farmers
to find the right crop varieties
for the climate.
Tropical and subtropical fruit
are usually expensive in South Korea,
so shoppers
should welcome the less costly
local produce.
My kids love bananas,
so it would be good if we harvest bananas
in this country, said Kim Ji eun,
who was purchasing
imported bananas in a Seoul supermarket.
I'm Jill Robins.
And. Two American astronauts
could remain
at the International Space Station I.s.s.
until February.
If the spacecraft that transported them
cannot be fixed.
To safely bring them home, the U.S.
space agency NASA said last week
it had not yet
made return plans for astronauts
Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams.
The two have been aboard the I.s.s.
since June 6th.
The American astronauts were expected
to stay in space for only a week,
but technical issues with the Boeing built
Starliner spacecraft have so
far prevented a return trip.
The trip that carried Wilmore
and Williams was a test flight
for Starliner.
That marked the first time the spacecraft
successfully carried astronauts to space.
NASA officials held
a news conference Wednesday to discuss
the ongoing situation with Starliner
and the astronauts at the I.s.s..
They said the agency is still working
with Boeing
to find a solution for the spacecraft's
technical difficulties.
Investigations have centered
on helium leaks
and thruster problems with Starliner,
but if those issues cannot be resolved
in the coming weeks,
NASA said it could decide to use
space XS Crew Dragon spacecraft
to bring the astronauts back to Earth.
NASA has been using SpaceX XS Crew Dragon
to regularly carry astronauts and supplies
to the ISS since 2020.
If NASA decides to use Crew Dragon,
it said it would leave
two of four seats open
during the spacecraft
its next planned launch to the I.s.s.
in late September.
Wilmore and Williams would then make
the trip back to Earth with Crew Dragon.
NASA officials told
reporters they had brought in
additional experts
to examine Starliner's
leak issues and thruster failures.
At the same time, the space agency
is looking more closely at space X
as a backup solution
to get the astronauts back home.
The agency's space operations
mission chief Ken Bowersox said NASA's
current thinking is that we could take
either path.
He added that during a recent meeting,
we heard from a lot of folks
that had concern,
and the decision was not clear.
NASA has said a final decision
should be made by mid-August.
Boeing representatives
did not take part in the news conference,
but the company issued a brief statement
Wednesday repeating its position
that Starliner could still be fixed
to safely transport the astronauts.
We still believe in Starliner's capability
and its flight rationale, Boeing said.
The Boeing statement said if
NASA did decide to change
Starliner's mission,
the company would take the actions
necessary
to configure Starliner
for an uncrewed return.
Steve Stich is the commercial crew
program manager for NASA.
He said the agency was not seriously
considering
launching a separate space flight
to pick up Wilmore and Williams.
Officials said tests run
by Boeing and NASA on Earth
have reproduced
Starliner thruster problems.
This has suggested to engineers
a possible issue
with the thrusters seals.
But Stich noted it was not clear
what is causing the seal issues.
The thrusters are important
for permitting Starliner
to back away from the I.s.s.
during its separation operations.
At the same time, engineers are seeking
to find the cause of helium leaks
in the spacecraft's propulsion system.
The first leak happened before the launch,
but more appeared during flight.
Boeing has faced repeated delays
as it struggles to complete NASA's
flight testing process before
it can receive approval to start running
official trips to the I.s.s..
I'm Bryan Lynn.
Bryan Lynn is
here now
to talk more about his science report.
Thanks for joining me, Bryan .
Sure.
Ashley, it's good to be here.
This week you reported on plans
NASA is considering
for how to bring a pair of astronauts home
from the International Space Station.
Their return has been delayed
because of problems
with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
Have the astronauts themselves made any
statements about their current situation?
Yeah, so there had been a couple of live
news conferences
the two astronauts have taken part
in during their stay on the I.s.s..
One of those happened
just about a month ago.
And it was interesting to me
that during this conference,
the astronauts talked about all the things
they were doing to help
get things ready for the trip home.
So far, we've heard a lot from NASA
and Boeing officials
about the steps they're taking to fix
the spacecraft difficulties,
but the astronauts said
they are also taking part
in these efforts
as much as they can every day.
What sorts of
things
have they said they have been doing?
So one of the things astronaut
Sonny Williams said they've been doing
is supporting the work of technical teams
seeking to resolve starliner's problems.
That effort has involved
many people on the ground,
but the astronauts aboard the station
have also been carrying out safety tests,
for example, and coordinating
important updates for the spacecraft.
Now, Starliner only carried
two people in this test flight,
but is designed to support
four astronauts.
So another thing they did was to put
two additional astronauts staying at the
ISS into the capsule and performed
some tests with the spacecraft.
The original plan for these two astronauts
was to spend only about a week at this.
What are they saying about being delayed
there now
for over
two months with no new return date set?
Well, both of the astronauts
have said
this delay was not totally unexpected,
and they've emphasized
this was only a test flight
which was carried out.
Of course, to learn
more about the Starliner spacecraft
and all flight processes.
And the pair also noted
that if NASA had found another flight home
for them, perhaps with SpaceX's Crew
Dragon rocket, that would have been okay.
But they also said that would not
have been the best solution,
because there is so much they feel
they can do from the i.s.s.
to support the current
troubleshooting efforts on Earth.
And they said so
much more is being learned
by them remaining in space.
All right.
Thanks again
for joining me on the podcast, Bryan ,
and thank you for your science report.
You're very welcome, Ashley.
Thank you.
VOA Learning English
has launched a new program for children.
It is called Let's Learn English with Ana.
The new course aims to teach children
American English
through asking and answering questions
and experiencing fun situations.
For more information, visit our website.
Learning English.
VOA News.com.
Our national parks journey continues
with one of the most popular
and beautiful places in America.
Grand Canyon
National Park in the state of Arizona.
The Grand Canyon is one of the seven
natural wonders of the world,
and one of the largest canyons on Earth.
It stretches for 450km.
Parts of the canyon
are more than 30km wide
and one kilometer deep.
Many writers have tried
to describe
the wonder of the Grand Canyon.
They use words like mysterious,
overpowering, and strange.
But it is not possible
to put human meaning to such a place.
The Grand Canyon truly is beyond words.
Is this your first time
at the Grand Canyon? yes.
And what do you think?
Do you have a few words to describe them?
Beautiful.
amazing.
What do you think of the Grand Canyon?
Oh, very huge and very colorful.
Do you have some.
Words to describe what you're seeing?
Amazing. It's so amazing.
When I see it at the first look.
The canyons of America's southwest
are deep, ancient openings in the Earth.
They look as if they formed as the Earth
split apart in reality.
Rivers formed these canyons
40 million years ago.
The Colorado River
began cutting through the area
around the present day Grand Canyon.
The river carried dirt and pieces of stone
that slowly ate away at the surrounding
rock.
It left a pathway of enormous
rock openings.
At the same time, forces deep within
the Earth pushed up the surrounding land.
Rain, snow, ice, wind, and plant roots
rubbed away at the top of this new canyon
below.
The river continued to uncover more
and more levels of ancient rock.
Some of the exposed rocks along
the Grand Canyon
walls are nearly 2 billion years old.
They are among the oldest rocks on Earth,
with many levels of granite,
schist, limestone, and sandstone.
The Grand Canyon measures 2500m
from the canyon floor
to its highest point.
Because of its size.
The weather at the top of the canyon
is often much different from the bottom.
On some winter days.
For example, you may find cold winds
and snow at the top,
but at the bottom of the canyon
you may find warm winds and flowers.
The Grand Canyon is home to some 2000
plant species.
Some of these species
can only be found in the park.
The park is also home to more
than 370 species of birds,
90 kinds of mammals
and 40 kinds of reptiles.
Many of the birds spend their whole lives
in the Grand Canyon.
Other species depend on the Grand Canyon
for food
and shelter during large migrations.
The Grand Canyon was named a
Globally Important Bird Area in 2014
because of the role it plays in protecting
many species of birds.
Native Americans occupied the Grand Canyon
3000 years ago.
Bones, hair, feathers,
and the remains of plants
have been found in deep, dry caves.
High in the rock walls, the Hopi, Paiute,
Navajo, and other Native American tribes
have all been in the area
for at least 700 years.
In 1869, American John
Wesley Powell explored the Grand Canyon.
He recorded much of what we know today
about the area.
Powell and his group traveled
in four boats along the Colorado River.
He and his group of explorers
knew very little
about getting over the vast,
rocky waters of the Colorado River.
In many places, boats
could be turned over by giant waves.
Soon after they started their journey,
Powell
s group
lost some of its food and equipment.
Three members decided to leave the group
as they walked up
and out of the Grand Canyon.
They were killed by Native Americans.
The rest of Powell's group
survived the journey, starved and tired.
Powell and his group
reached the end of the canyon.
They had traveled by boat
down the Colorado
for more than three months.
John Wesley
Powells reports and maps from the trip
greatly increased interest
in the Grand Canyon,
but visitors did not begin to go there
in large numbers until 1901.
That year, a railway was built
that reached the area.
5 million people
visit the Grand Canyon every year.
The first sight of the canyon can leave
visitors speechless.
Depending on the time of day.
The sun lights up the rock walls in red,
orange and golden colors.
The bright colors are the result
of minerals in the rock.
Their appearance changes endlessly
with the light,
the time of year and the weather
at sunset.
The canyon walls display fiery
red and gold hues.
Then they take on softer colors of blue,
purple, and green.
Most visitors
walk along paths partway down the canyon.
It takes several hours
to walk to the bottom,
and even longer to climb back up.
Some visitors choose to ride
mules to the bottom of the canyon.
Mules are strong, sturdy animals
that look similar to horses.
Visitors can also explore
the Grand Canyon in other ways.
Hundreds of thousands of people
see the canyon by air each year.
They pay a helicopter or airplane pilot
to fly them above and around the canyon.
Thousands of people every year choose
to explore the Grand Canyon by boat
from the Colorado River.
These trips last 1 to 3 weeks.
Most people who
come to the Grand Canyon
National Park visit
an area known as the South Rim.
That area has shuttle busses
that take visitors to overlooks.
Fewer
people see the canyon from the North Rim.
The North Rim is less than 20km
across the canyon from the South Rim.
But visitors must drive
more than 350km by car
from the South Rim
to access the North Rim.
Visitors can also see the Grand Canyon
from a huge glass
walkway called the skywalk.
The skywalk is on the Hualapai
Indian Reservation
in the western part of the canyon.
The Hualapai Indians built it
to increase tourism at the reservation.
It opened in 2007.
The skywalk extends more than
20m from the canyon's rim.
It is suspended.
More than 1200m
above the bottom of the canyon,
and is shaped like a giant horseshoe.
Many call
the skywalk an engineering wonder,
but others have criticized
the skywalk and its development.
They say it reduces the enjoyment
of nature in the Grand Canyon.
For visitors
hoping to get a view of the entire Grand
Canyon, they will have to travel well
beyond the state of Arizona.
The only place to see the entire canyon
at once is from outer space.
I'm Ashley Thompson.
And I'm Jonathan Evans.
And that's our program for today.
Join us again tomorrow to keep learning
English through stories
from around the world.
I'm Ashley Thompson.
And I'm Mario Ritter, junior.
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