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Welcome to Learning English,
a daily 30 minute program
from the Voice of America.
I'm Bryan Lynn.
I'm Anna Matteo.
This program is made for English learners,
so we speak a bit slower
and we use words and sentences,
especially written for people learning
English.
Here are the stories
we have for you on today's program.
John Russell will tell us about bird
watching in the U.S.
state of Alabama.
I will return with words and their stories
this week.
I talk about doing too much or
spreading ourselves too thin.
I'll return later with a science story.
We will end our show
with the Lesson of the Day
with Andrew Smith and Jill Robins.
But first, a story about bird watching
in flooded
agricultural fields
near the Tennessee River.
Tens of thousands of birds called
sandhill cranes in search for food
such as berries,
corn seeds and insects.
The cranes come to the Wheeler
National Wildlife Refuge Center
in northern Alabama.
During the winter.
The yearly movement
or migration of sandhill Cranes,
brings many birdwatchers
who want to see the tall birds up close.
The birdwatchers
also come to see the rare and endangered
whooping cranes
that migrate in much smaller numbers.
Two wheeler.
Many other birds can be seen,
including geese, ducks,
bald eagles, kestrels and hawks.
Park ranger David Young described
the area as a birders paradise, meaning
it is a perfect place for birdwatchers.
The cranes fly from the Great Lakes,
an area far to the north to Alabama.
Each year, the Sandhill Cranes started
migrating to Wheeler for the winter.
In the mid 1990s, their numbers
increased by a lot in the mid 2000s.
Young said Last year,
the migratory sandhill population
reached a new record of 30,000 cranes.
The refuge has become a popular place
for birdwatchers,
who bring handheld
telescopes called binoculars.
Birdwatchers
can even get closer to the 1.2
meter tall cranes as visitors
stay hidden behind photography blinds
and a two level observation center.
A yearly festival of the cranes in January
brings more attention and visitors.
The cranes put on a fun show,
dancing on their thin legs,
moving their wings
and putting their long beaks in the air
to make different sounds.
Diana Mayberry Sharp
regularly comes to Wheeler
with friends to hike and look at birds.
It's pretty extraordinary.
I've seen them in other parts
of the country where there were
just a few Mayberry, Schaap said.
They're not vocal like they are here.
There's so many here
that it's an unusual experience.
The whooping
cranes are part of the eastern
migratory population
that comes from the north
central state of Wisconsin.
Young said
they started coming to Alabama in 2004.
Their population is between 12
and 20 each winter.
Whooping
cranes nearly died out in the early 1900s
because of hunting and farming.
The International Crane Foundation
says recovery and reintroduction efforts
have slowly increased their wild
and captive populations to more than 800.
The whooping cranes are sometimes
hard to see among the Sandhills,
but their height
and white feathers help them stand out.
Young said
the migration patterns of the cranes
might change
depending on the climate of both
their nesting places to the north
and their winter homes in the south.
Rob Berggren brought along his camera
and a long telephoto lens
and found a good place to work
on his wildlife photography skills.
He comes to the refuge about twice
a month each year
to photograph the birds and ducks.
You just need to be patient
and wait for them to do something
interesting
and make their calls, Pruitt said.
You get that cool shot
and that's a good day.
The Sandhill Cranes will start leaving
the refuge in mid-February.
Young said he notices a lot more activity
when the birds are showing
they are ready to travel back
to their nesting grounds.
It's usually on a day
when we have some sort of a south wind.
Young said They are smart
and they will ride the wind back
to their breeding grounds
whenever it's most convenient for them.
I'm John Russell.
VOA Learning
English
has launched a new program for children.
It is called Let's Learn English
with Honor.
The new course aims to teach children
American English
through asking and answering questions
and experiencing funds situations.
For more information, visit our website.
Learning English taught VOA News.com.
And now words and their stories.
From VOA Learning English.
So today
we talk about our busy lives.
Many people have family
and work responsibilities.
We might have religious or community
activities.
Taking
care of our health is also important.
And let's not forget
about our personal projects.
Our interests and our friendships
with everything on our plate.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed over
extended care and overcommitted.
However, if we try to do too much,
we may spread ourselves too thin.
This expression
means we have taken on too much.
We are pushed to the limit.
People who are spread too
thin take on too many
jobs, projects or goals.
The heavy load requires more energy
or attention than they possess.
If we work on many projects
simultaneously or at the same time,
it is possible that none will get done
well if they get done at all.
And it is possible such multitasking
working could stress us out.
Being spread too
thin can also be described
as biting off more than we can chew
when we bite off. More than we can chew.
We attempt to do more than is possible.
Now let's hear
some of these terms and expressions
used in a conversation.
So how are your classes going?
Not great.
Many of my best students are failing
my course.
They all missed an important deadline
for a project.
That's strange.
What else do they have going on?
A lot.
They are all performing in the same play.
So they have had rehearsals
every night for the past month.
And many have part time jobs as well.
Sounds like
they've spread themselves too thin.
They've got too much going on.
I think you're right.
So what are you going to do?
Well, first, I'll extend the deadline
and then I'm going to warn them
about biting off
more than they can chew.
And that's all the time we have for this.
Words and their stories.
Until next time I'm Anna Matteo.
Two American astronauts
awaiting their return flight
from the International Space Station.
ISIS have stayed busy carrying out
a series of scientific experiments.
The U.S.
space agency Nassar has said the pair,
Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams,
will remain at the ISIS until late
March or early April.
When they arrived at the orbiting
laboratory in June 2024,
the astronauts expected to stay
in space for just one week.
Their trip was a
test flight of Boeing's
Starliner spacecraft,
while Starliner safely transported
the two to the SS six.
The spacecraft had several problems
that persuaded NASA's
to send it back to Earth
for further testing
without the astronauts on board.
NASA's current plan calls
for Wilmore and Williams
to fly back on a space sex spacecraft
in late March at the earliest.
NASA's has been using Space X's
crew Dragon, to regularly carry astronauts
and supplies to the ISIS since 2020.
The astronauts
have been using their extended mission
to carry out experiments.
In addition,
Williams stepped out of the space station
earlier
this month to complete a spacewalk.
Another NASA's astronaut, Nick Hague,
joined Williams on the spacewalk
on January 16th.
The agency said in a statement
the two repaired a piece of equipment
that helps
guide the movements of the recess.
The spacewalk also included
work on an x ray telescope
as well as maintenance activities
for other excess systems.
NASA's noted it was the fourth spacewalk
for Hague and the eighth for Williams.
The space agency said William Owens
was preparing for another spacewalk
planned for January 30th.
Wilmore is expected
to join Williams on that spacewalk,
which NASA's estimates will last
about six and a half hours.
The two will be aiming to remove
a radio antenna structure.
They will also be searching for microbes
around the ISIS for use in experiments.
Here is a look at other experiments
Wilmore and Williams
have completed during their stay.
NASA's said
Wilmore and Williams have tested
different methods
for growing crops in space.
Such methods could support humans
who have longer stays in space
in the future.
One experiment is called the Plant
Water Management Investigation.
NASA's said this experiment uses
the physical properties of fluids
to overcome
the lack of gravity and provide hydration
to plants.
The experiment aims to help Nassr
develop hydroponic systems
to support future space missions.
Another experiment examines
a new way to grow vegetables, plants
and flowers inside the recess
to provide nutrition and beauty.
As part of this experiment.
Wilmore installed a new light meter
inside the recess.
The device is designed to measure
available light
and to help crew members
improve growing operations.
Nasser
also said that throughout the current
mission, Williams
had deployed and observed three
free flying robots called Astrobee.
This robotic experiment seeks to examine
how such robots could assist astronauts
with daily duties and maintenance work.
The agency said the square shaped
robot's are designed to help scientists
and engineers
develop and test new robotic technologies
for use in microgravity environments.
The assistants are also designed
to help astronauts with daily tasks
and give ground controllers
additional eyes and ears on the space
station.
Williams tested the robot's ability
to map the inside of the space station
and Astrobee flight abilities.
NASA's astronaut is visiting
the SS have a long history of capturing
images of Earth from space,
and this is another activity Wilmore
and Williams have carried out.
The excess gives astronauts
a window to the world as they orbit
400 kilometers
above their home planet
during their mission.
NASA's said the two astronauts
had captured hundreds of photographs
of Earth, ranging from Auroras Land,
Sea, orbital
sunrises and sunsets and more.
Another space station
tradition is for U.S.
astronaut arts to connect with students
and other interested
individuals during their stay in space.
They have
virtual visits with people back on Earth
who can ask the astronauts
how it feels to live in space
and can learn about NASA's experiments
aboard the USS.
In early August, Williams
used ham radio technology
to connect with students
from Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
Nass explained
that students get the chance
to communicate with the astronauts
when the excess passes overhead.
The students can ask
about research on the recess,
as well as the radio wave technology
that makes the communication possible.
I'm Brian Lynn.
Hello, my name is Ana Matteo.
My name is Andrew Smith.
And I'm Jill Robbins.
You are listening to the Lesson of the Day
on the Learning English podcast.
Welcome to the part of the show
where we help you do more
with our series, Let's Learn English.
The series shows Ana Matteo
in her work and life in Washington, D.C.,
in less than 34 of the series.
Ana has a decision to make.
She is trying to decide what costume
to wear
for Halloween,
a popular tradition in the United States.
A costume is a special set of clothes,
very different
from what a person normally wears.
Halloween is celebrated on October 31st.
People dress as monsters,
ghosts, witches or other scary creatures.
They also dress as all kinds
of other things,
such as American football players,
animals, and even objects
such as a bottle of beer.
But people can get very creative
with their costumes.
Let's listen.
And find out what costume
Ana might decide to wear.
Hello.
Halloween is very popular
in the United States.
Children, trick or treat.
They ask people for candy.
Children and adults
wear costumes and go to parties.
In fact,
there is a Halloween party tonight.
I made my friend Jeannie. Jeannie.
Hi. Hi, Grandma.
What do you need tonight?
There is a Halloween party.
I love Halloween.
Are you going?
I might go.
I might not go.
I don't have a costume.
Can you help me dress as a genie?
Great idea.
I can do a genie trick.
Like reminds.
I'll not be careful.
Things might go wrong.
What could go wrong?
You might guess
that things will go wrong for Anna.
A genie is a magical person
with special powers.
A genie can make
people's wishes come true.
In English,
we ask a genie to grant us our wish.
To grant us our wish.
Means to make our wishes come true.
And in general,
to grant something to someone.
Means to give them something.
Ana thinks her genie costume
might also give her the power
to know what other people
are thinking or read their minds.
But then again, it might not.
Ana sits outside with a sign.
The sign has the words mind reader
written on it.
People see the sign and ask her about it.
Let's listen.
Are you really a mind reader?
I might be.
Okay.
Tell me what I'm thinking.
Sure. First, what do you do?
I study. I'm a junior in college.
What do you study?
I study journalism.
Okay, wait.
You are thinking
you will graduate from college
in about one year?
Well, yeah, that's the plan.
I told you, I'm a junior in college.
Right? Wait, there's more.
You are thinking
you might get a job writing the news.
I might get a job reading the news.
I might.
That means I might not.
And I'm studying really hard.
No, no, no, no, no.
You will.
You will get a job writing the news.
I will.
You will? I will.
I think
Ana changed
her statement from might to Will.
To make the person feel better
and more certain about her future.
Yes, but I'm not sure This person feels
very certain
she will get a job writing the news.
It seems that Ana might not have
the mind reading powers, she thought.
I think she will find out pretty quickly
that her costume does
not give her a special powers.
The model will expresses certainty
about the future.
We use it when we are sure
something is going to happen
and we use the expressions it could
or it might when we are not sure
something will happen,
something uncertain
often depends on things we can't predict
or know in advance.
To predict
is to say what will happen in the future.
When we predict, we make a prediction.
A prediction is what we think will happen.
There are accurate
and less than accurate predictions
people make about the future.
Meteorologists
are scientists who study the weather.
They also make predictions
about the weather.
These predictions are called forecasts,
thanks to computers, satellites
and other technology.
Weather forecasts these days are more
accurate than they were in the past.
We can say that weather patterns
or kinds of weather that repeat
are predictable.
So we have the verb predict,
the noun prediction
and the adjective predictable
and the adverb form is
predictably
like.
Ana is predictably silly in these lessons.
That is a good example.
Sports gambling is another area
where people try to predict
what will happen
when people gamble money
or place bets on sporting events.
They are also making predictions.
If they make
the correct prediction,
they can win money.
But sometimes a bad prediction
can end up costing them a lot of money.
Whether they make money depends on
how the athletes play
and these expressions.
It depends and it depends on
are very common and useful in English.
Let's look more closely
at these expressions
when we say it depends,
we mean the results or predictions
may be affected by other things
or factors.
For example, whether or not
your garden produces a lot of vegetables
depends on factors such as the amount
of rain or water, sunshine, temperature
and the condition of the soil or ground.
And notice that we use the preposition
on after the verb depend.
We often add a noun clause
after the phrase.
It depends on like this example.
It depends on what kind of phone you have.
The noun clause is
what kind of phone you have.
We can say it depends on this
or it depends on that,
or it depends on plus a noun clause.
Here's
one more example with the noun clause.
The noun clause in this example
has four words.
It depends on how much you study.
Did you hear the noun clause?
What are the four words?
That's right.
The noun clauses.
How much you study?
I think for people learning English.
Their success depends on how much
they study and how well they study.
Like if they use good methods or ways
to improve their English.
That's right.
And the free lesson plans
that go with the Let's
Learn English series give learners advice.
Four Ways to Study.
We call these learning strategies.
I predict these strategies will help
the learners improve their English,
and I predict that you will
make another prediction about Ana Wu.
My prediction is that Ana
will change her costume to something else.
Actually, that's not a prediction.
I am certain she will change your costume
because I've already seen lesson
34 of the Let's Learn English series.
What costume does on a change? Two.
We hope you will watch Lesson 34
to find out
and remember that each lesson
has a pronunciation practice video
and a lesson plan
you can download for free.
You can find that all on our website
at learning English that VOA Newscom.
Just go to the beginner tab.
Remember that you can find us on YouTube,
Facebook and Instagram.
Thanks for listening to the lesson of
the day on the Learning English Podcast.
I'm Andrew Smith.
And I'm Dr.
Jill.
And that's
all the time we have for today's show.
Thanks for listening.
Some content in today's
show is from the Associated Press
or Reuters News Agency.
And don't forget to join us again
tomorrow when we will have more stories
from around the world
aimed at helping you learn English.
I'm Anna Matteo.
And I'm Bryan Lynn.
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