0:03 Welcome to Learning English, a daily 30 minute program from the Voice of America.
0:12 I'm Caty Weaver.
0:13 And I'm Mario Ritter, jr.
0:16 This program is designed for English learners.
0:20 So we speak a little slower and we use words and phrases as specially written for people learning English.
0:33 Coming up on the show, Dorothy Gundy tells us about the celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana.
0:44 Later, John Russell and I have a report about airport lution.
0:51 Most of the world's population is exposed to dirty air.
0:56 John And I tell about what experts say people can do to protect themselves.
1:05 Then Bryan Lynn presents the science and technology Report.
1:11 And we close the show with the lesson of the day.
1:17 But now here's Dorothy Gundy.
1:22 Wild celebrations of Mardi Gras come just before the start of Lent.
1:30 Lent is the Christian observance leading up to the Easter holiday.
1:36 It is a serious spiritual time, especially important to Roman Catholics.
1:45 The name Mardi Gras comes from the French language.
1:51 It means Fat Tuesday.
1:54 The day is also called Shrove Tuesday.
1:58 In some places, Mardi Gras marks the end of the carnival period, a time of public merrymaking energetically observed in Europe and South America.
2:14 During Mardi Gras, huge crowds fill the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the southern part of the United States.
2:25 People from all over the country come to eat, drink and dance.
2:33 Police watch the crowds carefully.
2:37 Many parties and parades have already taken place by the time Fat Tuesday arrives.
2:46 In fact, activities start in January and last for weeks before the Big Tuesday.
2:56 Social groups hold parades.
3:00 Some of the huge floats or special parade vehicles carry up to 250 people.
3:09 Riders on the parade floats wear colorful clothes.
3:15 Top hats made from bird feathers can stand a meter tall, beautiful and sometimes strange.
3:25 Masks cover the faces of people on the floats.
3:30 These people throw cups and necklaces to the crowds of people who watch the parades.
3:38 Another tradition is to eat king cake.
3:43 This food, similar to a sweet bread, is served at Mardi Gras parties.
3:51 Inside one piece is a small plastic baby.
3:56 Whoever gets the baby must promise to hold the next party.
4:04 The French Quarter is the oldest part of the city.
4:09 It remains the heart of New Orleans.
4:13 And the French Quarter is where some of the best food, a mix of French and Caribbean influences can be found in New Orleans.
4:27 Music spills into the streets, not just at Mardi Gras, but throughout the year.
4:35 New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz, but local sounds also include Cajun and Zydeco music.
4:48 On Bourbon Street, the music and the crowds seem like a huge celebration that never ends.
4:58 The most traditional old time jazz is played at Preservation Hall in the French Quarter.
5:07 I'm Dorothy Gundy.
5:11 VOA Learning English has launched a new program for children.
5:16 It is called Let's Learn English with Honor.
5:19 The New course aims to teach children American English through asking and answering questions and experiencing fun situations.
5:30 For more information, visit our website.
5:33 Learning English taught VOA News.com.
5:40 Air quality differs from place to place and day to day.
5:47 But about 99% of the world's population breathes air.
5:53 At some point that does not meet.
5:56 Pollution guidelines set by the World Health Organization, W.H.O..
6:04 Different forms of air pollution kill about 7 million people each year.
6:10 The U.N.
6:11 health Agency estimates.
6:14 But health experts say there are some actions individuals can take to protect themselves, even in the world's most polluted cities.
6:27 The first step is to start with the understanding that air is not only polluted when it looks smoky or smoggy, said Tanushree Ganguly.
6:40 She is an air quality expert with the Energy Policy Institute of Chicago's India program.
6:49 Blue Skies can't Guarantee you clean air, Ganguly told the Associated Press.
6:57 Air pollutants often come from people burning things.
7:02 Examples include fuels as well as clearing operations involving crops or trees.
7:12 Pollutants can also be released from wildfires.
7:18 Among the most dangerous particles we can breathe in are called particulate matter.
7:26 The smallest of these are known as PM 2.5.
7:32 This is because they are less than 2.5 micron in diameter.
7:39 These particles can travel deep inside human lungs and are mostly created by burning fuels.
7:50 Larger particles known as PM10 are linked to agriculture roadways, cars, mining or wind blown dust.
8:02 Other dangerous pollutants include gases like nitrogen dioxide or sulfur dioxide, which are also produced from burning fuels.
8:16 This information comes from ANU Mehta Roychowdhury, an air pollution expert at the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi.
8:29 The American based Health Effects Institute says air pollution is the second largest risk factor for early death worldwide behind blood pressure.
8:42 Short term exposure can cause asthma attacks and increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke, especially in older people and those with existing medical problems.
8:58 Long term exposure can cause serious heart and lung problems that can lead to death.
9:06 A recent study by the U.N.
9:08 children's agency UNICEF found that more than 500 million children in East Asia and Pacific countries breathe unhealthy air.
9:21 The pollution is linked to the deaths of 100 children under age five every day.
9:30 Joon Kanji, UNICEF's regional director for East Asia, said the polluted air limits growth harms lungs and affects thinking abilities.
9:43 Every breath matters, but for too many children, every breath can bring harm, she said.
9:52 Over 6000 cities in 117 countries now record and follow air quality levels.
10:03 Many mobile apps include air quality information as well, but it can be difficult to know how bad the air is by looking at these numbers.
10:17 To help people better understand air quality levels, many countries have established an air quality index, or AQI.
10:30 Larger numbers on this index mean worse air.
10:37 Different countries have different air quality standards.
10:42 For example, India's daily PM 2.5 limit is more than 1.5 times higher than in Thailand and four times higher than W.H.O..
10:58 Standards for individuals.
11:02 Experts say the goal should be to limit exposure when air quality is bad by staying indoors or wearing a mask.
11:14 This is not always possible, though.
11:17 Danny Jerram is with World Resources Institute.
11:22 He told the AP There are many people who live or work outside and can't really afford to stay indoors.
11:32 People also need to watch indoor air pollution that can be caused by common household activities like cooking or burning incense.
11:44 While air purifier errors can help reduce indoor air pollution, experts say they do have limitations.
11:53 The devices work by pulling air from a room and then pushing it through a filter that traps pollutants.
12:03 The filtered air is then sent back into the room.
12:07 Air purifiers work best when used in small spaces, and when people are nearby.
12:15 This is because they can only clean a certain amount of air, said Raja Sekhar Balasubramanian of the National University of Singapore.
12:28 He added, If we have a tiny air purifier in a large room, it won't be effective.
12:36 I'm John Russell.
12:38 And I'm Caty Weaver.
13:26 Japanese automaker Toyota says it is building a research center in a city like setting to test robotics, artificial intelligence, A.I.
13:42 and autonomous vehicle technologies.
13:47 Toyota recently announced it had completed the first part or phase of the center called Woven City.
13:58 It sits near the southern Japanese city of Sono.
14:04 Company officials recently showed off the latest progress to reporters from the Associated Press.
14:14 Daisuke Toyoda is an executive for Toyota who is helping lead the project.
14:22 He told the AP that the center was not designed to be a smart city.
14:31 However, it aims to carry out technology, research and development and be a test course for mobility, the company said.
14:44 Woven City would serve as a living laboratory.
14:50 It aims to test technology systems to support future changes in the movement of people, goods, information and energy.
15:04 Toyoda said the center is meant to be a place where researchers and tech knowledge company officials can come together and share ideas.
15:19 It will also seek to establish a community with a shared desire to co-create, develop and refine new technology products and services.
15:34 Woven City was built on the grounds of a closed Toyota automobile factory.
15:43 The automaker said the project's first phase covers about 47,000 square meters.
15:53 When completed, it will spread out over 294,000 square meters.
16:02 Building operations on Woven City began in 2021.
16:08 All the buildings are connected by underground passageways.
16:14 Among planned testing activities will include self-driving vehicles making waste pick ups and completing deliveries around the area.
16:27 Testing operations will center on how people living in cities can best interact with changing technologies.
16:39 Currently, no one lives in Woven City.
16:43 When it opens, officials plan on having about 100 people living there.
16:49 They will be called weavers.
16:53 These are workers employed by Toyota and its partner companies making other products.
17:01 When April reporters visited the area, Japanese coffee maker UCC was serving hot drinks from a self-driving bus.
17:13 The bus was parked in an area surrounded by still empty housing.
17:20 Toyota has supported electric vehicle EV technology in the past.
17:27 However, the company is currently involved in a push for hydrogen.
17:33 The Energy choice in Woven City, Keisuke Konishi is an automobile expert at Japan's Quick Corporate Valuation Research Center.
17:49 He told the AP Toyota has plans to expand into self-driving vehicle services to compete with Google's Waymo and other large companies.
18:04 Konishi noted the company has the money for such development, even if it means building up a completely new business.
18:15 Toyota has the money to do all that, he said.
18:20 Toyota officials have said they do not expect Woven City to make money, at least not for the first few years.
18:32 Several other futuristic developments have been planned in other areas of the world over the years.
18:41 They have included efforts in Toronto, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and San Francisco, California.
18:52 But those projects are either still being developed or have been canceled.
18:59 I'm Bryan Lin.
19:26 Hello.
19:27 My name is Anna Matteo.
19:31 My name is Andrew Smith.
19:34 And my name is Jill Robbins.
19:37 You're listening to The Lesson of the Day on the Learning English podcast.
19:42 Welcome to the part of the show where we help you do more with our series, Let's Learn English.
19:48 This series shows Anna Mateo in her work and life in Washington, D.C.
19:55 in another lesson of the day, we started to look at lesson 37 of the series in Lesson 37.
20:05 Anna starts talking to a man who is visiting Washington, D.C..
20:10 The man lives in a rural area and does not feel comfortable in the city.
20:17 Soon, Anna and the man start talking about whether they prefer to live in the city or the country.
20:25 And in this situation, the word country just means a rural area.
20:31 Let's listen to their conversation.
20:33 Thank you.
20:35 Thank you.
20:37 Are you okay?
20:39 You seem nervous.
20:42 Well, this is my first visit to Washington, D.C..
20:46 I'm from a small town in the country.
20:49 I feel a little lost.
20:51 I'm from the country, too.
20:54 And I understand When I first came here, I felt lost all the time.
21:02 So do you like living in the country or in the city?
21:07 I like to live in the city. Why?
21:11 The city is exciting.
21:14 It has more culture than the country.
21:17 There are many museums and restaurants.
21:20 Every night there's theater and music.
21:24 And there are more jobs.
21:27 That is why I'm here.
21:30 Well, I agree.
21:33 There is more culture in the city and there might be more jobs.
21:38 But the country has more nature.
21:41 It's peaceful and beautiful.
21:45 There are more trees and mountains.
21:48 The air is clean.
21:50 You can go hiking and camping.
21:53 The city is not beautiful.
21:56 It's noisy and dirty.
21:59 I disagree.
22:01 I think all the different buildings are beautiful and I like to watch all the different people.
22:09 That's another thing that is different.
22:12 People in the country are friendly.
22:15 They always say hello here.
22:19 No one says hello.
22:21 I think city people are rude.
22:24 Well, I agree.
22:25 Country people are friendly, but I don't think city people are rude.
22:31 I think they're just busy.
22:33 That's a good point.
22:36 Ana and the man disagree because they have different preferences.
22:42 Which means things they prefer or like more.
22:47 And I think it's important to notice that even though they disagree about something, cause they are not really arguing or fighting about their preferences.
22:57 True, they are not being disagreeable.
23:01 Disagree about is an adjective we can use to describe people behaving in a negative or rude way.
23:08 Unpleasant is another adjective we can use to describe this.
23:14 Like we can say that a way in which a person is talking is disagreeable or unpleasant.
23:22 And with Ana and the man, we can say that they are acting agreeably.
23:29 We know that might sound strange to our listeners.
23:33 Ana and the man disagree, but they are acting agreeably.
23:37 That means they are speaking nicely to each other.
23:41 That's right.
23:43 Just like the adjective disagreeable, the adjective agreeable can describe a person.
23:51 If someone is agreeable, they are pleasant and try to please other people.
23:57 So listeners, see if you understand this sentence.
24:02 They are agreeably disagreeing.
24:06 That means they are disagreeing in a nice way.
24:09 Remember, it's fine to disagree.
24:12 There's no problem with that.
24:14 But try not to be disagreeable when you disagree.
24:20 I'm Jill Robbins and you're listening to The Lesson of the Day on the Learning English podcast.
24:26 In their conversation, Ana and the man do agree about some things.
24:31 That's right.
24:31 They do find some common ground.
24:35 They agree that there are more jobs in the city and that people from the country are friendly.
24:42 To find common ground means to find things you agree about, even when you disagree about other things.
24:49 Now, let's listen to the rest of lesson 37 and find out what else they might agree on.
24:56 Well, I agree.
24:57 Country people are friendly, but I don't think city people are rude.
25:03 I think they're just busy.
25:05 That's a good point.
25:07 Look at me.
25:08 I live in the city and I said hello to you.
25:12 But you are from the country.
25:14 I have an idea.
25:16 Let's say hello to people to many people.
25:22 What? Why?
25:23 Well, if we say hello, then they will say hello to other people.
25:28 Hello?
25:30 And they will say hello to more people.
25:33 That's a great idea.
25:35 I'm glad you found my bag.
25:38 Come on, let's go. Say hello to people.
25:42 We don't have to agree with people.
25:45 They have their opinions.
25:47 We have ours.
25:49 And as we like to say, you can always agree to disagree.
25:54 Until next time.
25:56 Hello.
25:58 In the city saying hello to all the people who walk past you on the street is not normal behavior.
26:07 But then again, Ana does not always behave normally.
26:11 No, she doesn't.
26:13 When Ana and the man go up to lots of people in the city and say hello, they are breaking a cultural norm.
26:23 As you can hear, the word norm sounds similar to the word normal.
26:28 A cultural norm is a behavior, attitude, or belief that is commonly shared within a certain culture.
26:36 For example, in the United States, it is a cultural norm to apologize if you are late for a meeting.
26:46 Another cultural norm is for men and women to shake hands when they meet at a business meeting.
26:53 We can say that people break cultural norms when they show behavior, attitudes or beliefs not commonly shared within a culture.
27:03 And we use the verb add here spelled a d, h e r e plus the preposition to to talk about following the usual or normal behaviors within a culture.
27:20 For example, we might say in an important business or government meeting, people usually adhere to cultural norms in a physical sense.
27:30 The verb adhere means to stick to something.
27:34 For example, glue adheres to most surfaces.
27:39 Social norms means the same thing as cultural norms.
27:44 That's a good point.
27:46 Now let's review some of the vocabulary from today's lesson of the day.
27:52 We have the adjectives agreeable and disagreeable to describe either good or bad behaviors or conditions, and we have the adverb form of those words agreeably and disagreeable.
28:08 And we have the words pleasant and unpleasant, which also describe good and bad.
28:15 Then there's the expression Find common ground.
28:20 And next, we talk about cultural or social norms, and the expressions break cultural norms and adhere to cultural norms.
28:30 Now, here's something for our listeners to do.
28:34 Write to us and tell us what you think is an important cultural norm in your own culture.
28:42 We might discuss what you tell us in a future lesson of the day.
28:48 And you can email that to learning English at VOA News.com.
28:54 Remember, you can find us on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
28:59 You can also find all the episodes of Let's Learn English on our website at Learning English.
29:04 That VOA newscom.
29:07 And thanks for listening. I'm Dr. Jill.
29:11 And I'm Andrew Smith.
29:43 And that's our show for today.
29:46 But join us again tomorrow to keep learning English on the Voice of America.
29:53 I'm Caty Weaver.
29:55 And I'm Mario Ritter, Junior.
