– English Lyrics

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[English]

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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Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
glaciers /ˈɡleɪʃiərz/ B2	noun - large mass of ice moving slowly down a valley or slope
shrinking /ˈʃrɪŋkɪŋ/ B1	verb - getting smaller
scientists /ˈsaɪəntɪsts/ B1	noun - people who study and learn about the natural world
discovery /dɪˈskʌvəri/ B2	noun - finding something unexpectedly
conditions /kənˈdɪʃənz/ B1	noun - the state of something
result /rɪˈzʌlt/ B1	noun - something that happens because of something else
samples /ˈsæmplz/ B1	noun - small parts or amounts used to show what the whole is like
experts /ˈekspɜːrz/ B2	noun - people with special skills or knowledge
measured /ˈmeʒəd/ B1	verb - to find the size, amount, or rate of something
concentrations /ˌkɒnsənˈtreɪʃənz/ C1	noun - the amount of something in a particular area
decay /dɪˈkeɪ/ B2	noun - the process of something getting destroyed or rotting
exposed /ɪkˈspəʊzd/ B1	adjective - able to be seen or touched
era /ˈɪərə/ B2	noun - a long period of time in history
savings /ˈseɪvɪŋz/ B1	noun - money that is put aside for the future
interglacial /ˌɪntəˈɡleɪʃəl/ C1	adjective - relating to a warm period between ice ages
tropical /ˈtrɒpɪkəl/ B1	adjective - relating to the area near the equator
climate /ˈklaɪmət/ B1	noun - the usual weather in a place