easy english news january 08

Wordsin black printwith a star (*)

are inWORD HELPon page 12.

What’s Inside?

Elizabeth ClairElizabeth ClairElizabeth ClairElizabeth ClairElizabeth Claireeeee’’’’’ sssss

NEWSEasyEnglish

Events in January ................2, 3This is your page .................... 4Ask Elizabeth ......................... 5Green Card Scams ................ 5America the Beautiful—

The Climate ....................... 6Electing a president ........ 7,8,11Idiom Corner .......................... 8Funny Stuff ............................. 8Citizenship test questions....... 9Crossword Puzzle .................. 9Answers to quiz and puzzle....11Let’s talk about it ...................11Word Help ............................ 12

Volume XII Number 5January 2008

(continued on page 10)

Life in the U.S.A.Getting to work

How do you get to work? How do you get to school? Can you walk to your foodmarket or to a drug store*? Can you take a bus to the shopping mall*, the movies,or your friends’ homes?

People often think about transportation*when they choose a place to live. Howmuch will it cost to get to work? How longwill it take? Public* transportation is thecheapest way to go. But it is not alwaysconvenient*.

People who drive to work have to buy acar and then pay for gas, tolls*, andparking. They have to pay for insurance andrepairs, too. People save money and time ifthey live close to the place they work.Riding a bike or walking to work or schoolis good exercise.

Each city has a public transportationsystem. The most common forms oftransportation are bus, trolley*, train,

See page 10 for prices and ordering information.

The next president of the UnitedStates will take office* on January20, 2009. Who will it be? Manypeople are running* for this office.

The way Americans elect thepresident is very complex*. Not allAmericans understand the way ourdemocracy* works.

Primary elections

There are two large politicalparties*: the Democrats and theRepublicans. There are many smallerparties, too. Registered* voters*may join any political party. Theymay vote in the primary elections.

Each party chooses its owncandidate* for president and vicepresident. Members of the two bigparties will be voting soon in

Primary elections beginprimary elections* orat meetings calledcaucuses* [kaw/ kissiz].

Different states havetheir primary electionsor caucuses at differenttimes. The first caucusis in Iowa on January3. The first primaryelection is in NewHampshire on January8. Six other states willhave caucuses orprimary elections laterin January.

(continued on page 2)

Commuters at a subway station

Thousands of delegates

Each political party holds anational convention in the summer. Inthe primary elections, party members

vote for delegates* to go to theirconvention*. A total of 4,339

Candidates travel the country to meet people in their own party. Here,former New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani talks to a woman after makinga speech at North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro, N.C., December3, 2007 AP Photo.

Events inThis is a day of new beginnings.

Many people start diets and otherprojects. They make plans for thethings they want to accomplish*in the new year. They make NewYear’s resolutions* to help startnew habits*.

Some people sleep late. Somepeople visit friends and family.Other people stay home and invitepeople to visit them.

Easy English NEWS January 2008

New Year’s DaySome people watch football

games on TV on this day.

“Polar Bear Clubs”* goswimming in icy waters. Otherclubs, like the Mummers*, haveparades.

Some mayors, governors, andother government officers aresworn in* on New Year’s Day.

The calendarThe Gregorian* calendar is

used by people all over the worldfor business purposes. It is asolar* calendar, based on thesun. Christians say that it’s theyear 2008 A.D.* Non-Christianscall it 2008 C.E.*

The solar year is 365.24 dayslong. There is an extra day everyfour years to keep the dates intime with the seasons. The year2008 is a Leap Year, with anextra day, February 29.

The Jewish New Year is inearly fall. The old Irish (Celtic)new year was in the late fall. TheChinese New Year is in Januaryor February. The Persian (Iranian)New Year is March 21. TheMuslim year is 254 days long.The New Year comes eleven daysearlier each year.

In 2008, the Muslim year is1428. The Jewish year is 5768.The Persian year is 1386. TheChinese year will be 4705.

delegates will go to theDemocratic Convention and 2,066delegates will go to the Republicanconvention.

More than 24 states will haveprimaries on February 5. Peopleare calling this date “SuperDuper* Tuesday.” See the datesfor primary elections on page 8.

The conventions

The Democratic Convention willbe August 25 to 28 in Denver,Colorado. The RepublicanConvention will be September 1to 4 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The person who gets a majority*of delegates’ votes at a party’sconvention becomes the party’scandidate for president. Theconventions also name the can-didates to run for vice president.

The campaign

The political parties try to helptheir candidate get elected. Theyraise money to pay for thecampaign*.

The candidates travel aroundthe country to meet people, makespeeches, and take part indebates*.

The campaign means meeting millions ofpeople. Here, Hillary Clinton writes her nameon a supporter’s sign. Photo courtesywww.HillaryClintonforPresident.com

Primary elections begin

The general election

The general election isNovember 4. Voters do not votedirectly for president. They votefor electors* from their states.They choose electors who arepledged* to the candidatethey want. A candidate mustget 270 electoral votes tobecome president. Each statehas a number of electoralvotes, based on itspopulation. The number isequal to the number of itsrepresentatives in Congress,plus two for its two senators.

The official electionOn December 15, the

electors vote for president.They must vote the way thatthey promised. It’s just aformality*.

Americans do not have towait until December 15. Theyusually know the winner ofthe election by early morning,November 5.

Secretary of the StateSusan Bysiewicz andState Senator AndrewRoraback showvoters how the newoptical scanningvoting machineworks, in LitchfieldCounty, Connecticut,September 14, 2006at Sharon Town Hall.Photo from:www.sots.ct.gov/CAPITOL/2006WeekInReview

(continued from page 1)

See page 7: Electing apresident. See page 8 for thedates of the primary elections.See page 11 for the Republicanand Democratic candidates.

JanuaryJanuary 2008 Easy English NEWS

The third Monday of January isMartin Luther King, Junior* Day.This day celebrates the life andwork of a great civil rights*leader.

King became famous when hewas 26 years old. He was aminister* in a small church inMontgomery, Alabama. At thattime, there were segregation*laws in the southern states. Theselaws separated white people andblack people in schools and in allpublic places. For example, therewas a law that said that blackpeople had to ride in the back ofany bus, while white people rodein the front.

The Montgomery bus boycott

One day in 1955, a blackwoman in Montgomery, Alabamawas arrested. She had refused togive her seat to a white person.

Black people asked ReverendMartin Luther King, Jr. to lead a

boycott* of the bus company. Itwas the beginning of the greatCivil Rights Movement* in theUnited States.

King was an eloquent*speaker. He encouraged* peopleto walk to work, and not ride thebus. He taught the boycotters tobe nonviolent*.

The police arrested King andput him in jail, but the boycottcontinued.

It was very dangerous tooppose* the segregation laws.Some angry white people bombedKing’s home. They bombed achurch, too. They killed four littlegirls who were at Sunday schoolin the church.

The end of bus segregation

Finally, the Supreme Court saidthat bus segregation was not legal.Anybody could sit in any part of abus.

After that, King and other civilrights leaders worked toend segregation inrestaurants, schools, andall public places. Theyregistered* blackpeople to vote. Theymarched in parades. Kingtaught them to “use love,not violence” to changethe hearts of the peopleand change the laws.

But many Southernerswere not peaceful. Thepolice attacked the civilrights workers with water

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

I have a dream.“. . . .I have a dream that one

day this nation will rise up andlive out the true meaning of itscreed*: ‘We hold these truthsto be self-evident*: that allmen are created equal.’

“I have a dream that one dayon the red hills of Georgia, thesons of former slaves and thesons of former slaveowners willbe able to sit down together at atable of brotherhood. . . . Ihave a dream that my fourchildren will one day live in anation where they will not bejudged by the color of their skinbut by the content* of theircharacter. I have a dreamtoday. . . .”

hoses and police dogs. They beatthem. White governors of southernstates vowed* that they wouldnever let segregation end.

The March on Washington

People in the North watchedthe events* on TV. They admiredKing. They joined the Civil RightsMovement. In 1963, Kingorganized a huge march onWashington, D.C. He wantedCongress to pass a new law toprotect black people’s rights. Hegave a speech about his dream ofequality*. This became one of themost famous speech of the 20thcentury*. Congress passed the

Civil Rights Act* of 1964. Soonafter that, Martin Luther King, Jr.won the Nobel Peace Prize*.

More work to do

Martin Luther King, Jr. alsoworked to help all poor people.He worked to end the war inVietnam. However, in 1968 hewas assassinated*. His killernever told who had hired him.

King worked to make greatchanges in the United States. Thisholiday reminds people of thework that King did, and thepeaceful way in which he did it.

Martin Luther King , Jr. speaking at theMarch on Washington, August 28, 1963 APPhoto

Police used dogs to attack a 17-year old civil rights activist during amarch in Birmingham, Alabama.on May 3, 1963 AP Photo.

Martin Luther King’s brother’s home was bombed,May 13, 1963. AP Photo

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. center front, walks with more than 10,000 people indowntown Chicago, July 26 to protest* segregation in the city’s schools. AP Photo

Source: Martin Luther King, Jr: The Peaceful Warrior, Pocket Books, NY 1968. You can see andhear Martin Luther King at http://www.holidays.net/mlk/speech.htm


This is your pageDid you get a plate?

One Monday moring I was latefor my class at the Huntington BeachAdult school. When I walked intothe classroom, Mr. G., my teacher,said “Did you get a plate?”

I was confused. What was hetalking about? I didn’t knowwhat to say.

During class, I kept thinkingabout that odd question. Whenclass was almost over, Mr. G.said, “If your alarm clockdoesn’t wake you up on time,you should get it fixed so youwon’t be late again.”

Then his question becameclear. He had asked me, “Didyou get up late?” not “Did youget a plate?”

I apologized to him and explainedthat I had had car trouble.

Vinh DoWestminster, CA

First snowWhen I got to the United States, I

felt very strange. I saw big cities andlots of lights. I was so excited whenI saw snow. I had never ever seensnow before in my life. There is nosnow in India. I thought peoplecould eat snow and that’s why itcame from the sky. I tried to catchthe snow in my hand and eat it. Iasked my uncle, “Do the people eatsnow?” My uncle said, “No, theydon’t eat it, they play with it.”

Arpita PatelEasthampton, MA

India

I could read his eyesEleven years ago I finished my

studies to be an architect*. I got ajob at a small architectural firm.There were just five people in theoffice, including our boss.

I liked my job and was veryenthusiastic* about my work there.I always got to the office beforeanyone else. After a while, I becameafraid of my boss. He always triedto touch me when he passed by meor stood near me.

He started coming early when helearned that I came to work early. Iread the look in his eyes. I wasafraid to be with him.

I was very young and shy atthat time. I became scared andupset. I started thinking that Iwould have to quit* my job. ButI didn’t want to because I couldlearn a lot there. There weren’tmany jobs for people with noexperience. I didn’t know whatto do.

Finally I decided to talk to anolder coworker*. She did notseem fearful like me. To mysurprise, she knew about theboss’s nature. She told me notto quit my job. She said that Imight find the same kind ofperson like him in my next job.

“Don’t come in earlyanymore,” she said. “And don’tstay late.”

I began to leave when she leftthe office every evening. Istayed away from my bosswhenver I could. I talked to himonly when it was necessary forthe job. Soon he realized I wasnot interested in him, and hegave up.

After that everything wentwell. I worked there for anotheryear with no problems.

M.KIndia.

Are you a citizen?Are you 18 years old

or over?

Learn about the candidates.Register to vote!

Join a political party.

You may be able to vote in yourstate’s primary elections.

Find out how and when toregister in your state at

www.DeclareYourself.com

We made a miracle*I was working in New York with a friend, editing a Chinese

pholosophy book. She found out that another friend of hers neededhelp. Marjorie Holcombe, a professor of English, had becomeparalyzed* Her muscles were shrinking*. Doctors did not knowthe cause.

My friend asked me to go to California to help Marjorie with theexercises she needed to do. There was no one left to help her. I hadno training, but I have fine Qi * (energy) and I am strong.

When I arrived in California Marjorie could not use her musclesany more. She could not stand or move her legs at all. She couldn’teat or drink by herself. One medical doctor had said she wouldnever walk again. Another doctor had said she had only a short timeto live.

I noticed that Marjorie’s thinking was clear. She said over andover, “I don’t want to give up! I want to stand again, and I want towalk again!”

Yet each day, her muscles got worse and worse.

Marjorie went to Dr. Zhu, a Chinese acupuncturist*. Dr. Zhusaid she could walk again if she followed his instructions. Marjoriehad to exercise six hours or more every day. We had to use specialways to make her muscles and nerves grow again. We had to makethem grow faster than they were dying. It was a race. Many of usworked as hard as possible: Marjorie’s family, the aide*, doctorsand therapists*, acupuncturist*, and her chiropractor*. I helpedMarjorie exercise six hours a day, seven days a week.

I used my own style of massage* to wake up Marjorie’s musclesand nerves and give her energy. I planned her daily exercise andtried to do something new, something fun every day. I builtequipment* for her and changed the store-bought equipment. Idrove her from the mountain to town three times a week forappointments.

After the first week, Marjorie began to eat and drink a little byherself. I saw the first little smile on her face. Two weeks later shebegan to practice sitting. Some of her confidence* came back.Three weeks later she began to practice standing. Six weeks latershe began to practice walking and painting pictures. Twelve weekslater she practiced going up and down stairs and playing the piano!

Everybody says that we made a miracle. On December 6,Marjorie was able to walk without a cane! She still has a long wayto go. I hope she will continue building her body even after she canwalk normally. I hope she will write a book about it. Other peoplewith health problems like this may find a way to keep going.

Sean Cheng, Gettysburg, PA (China)

Do you see your story on this page?Did you receive a check from us?If not, we don’t have your address.Please email us your address at

[email protected] Sean Cheng, Marjorie Holcombe, Dr. Ming Qing Zhu

Read Marjorie’s story at our website: www.easyenglishnews.com

January 2008 Easy English NEWS

Ask ElizabethAsk ElizabethAsk ElizabethAsk ElizabethAsk Elizabeth

Green card scams* hurt many immigrants

Dear Elizabeth,

I read in Easy English NEWSin October that the U.S. PostalService is the second largestemployer* of Americans. Iwonder which is the largest one.What are the other largeemployers?

Grace Tong (Taiwan)

Dear Grace,

The U.S. government is the largestemployer!

The federal governmentemploys more than 2,715,000workers. If you add in themilitary* and people who workfor companies that work for thegovernment, the number is muchlarger, nearer 14 million workers.

Wal-Mart is the largest privateemployer in the whole world.

Other large employers in theU.S. are:

McDonald’s (UPS) United Parcel ServiceSearsTargetGM (General Motors)IBM (International Business

Machines)GE (General Electric)CitigroupFord MotorHome DepotNestléTyco InternationalFedEx

Dear Elizabeth,

You are my family’s last hope. Icannot find the information I needon the Internet. I have written toadministrators but they have notanswered me.

My brother lives in Russia. He’sa medical student in his last year.He wants to get a higher degree inthe U.S. However, we don’t knowanything about requirements*.How can he get permission tocome here? Is an M.D. degreefrom Russia good in the U.S?Does he have to take the TOEFLand MCAT tests? How much will

by Betsy J. Green

A scam* is a criminal’s plan toget your money. A scam artist*does not use a gun or otherweapon*. He or she uses wordsto tell a story. There are many,many different stories. At theend of the story, the victim* haslost thousands of dollars!Immigrants are easy targets*for scam artists!

The first thing a scam artistdoes is gain the trust* of thevictim. He or she seems to be afriend. Then the story begins. “Ihave a friend who works in theImmigration Office. She can get agreen card for you, but I have topay her.”

An immigrant with a green cardcan get a better job. With a greencard, a person can become acitizen. A green card lets a personbring his or her children to theU.S. A person who entered theU.S. without a visa cannot legallyget a green card.

Then the story continues. “You

know what you can do with agreen card,” says the “friend.”“And it’s only $9,000.” The victimgets happy and excited. He or sheborrows money from friends andfamily members.

The “friend” tells the victimwhen and where to bring themoney (in cash* of course). Thevictim drives or flies to anothercity. He brings the cash. He fillsout application* papers. “Gohome and wait six weeks,” says aclerk. “You will get your greencard in the mail.”

Six weeks go by. Nothingcomes in the mail. The “friend” hassaid good-bye a long time ago.Then the victim “wakes up.”

Illegal immigrants are afraid togo to the police. They are afraidto go after the scam artists. Theyare afraid the scammers will tellimmigration authorities* aboutthem. The police cannot stop scamartists if no one reports* them.

Immigrants who have been

victims can help others. They cansend an anonymous* letter tothe United States Attorney intheir state. The U.S. Attorney’sjob is to stop such scams. Thevictims should describeeverything they can about thescam artists: What did they looklike? How old were they? What

it cost for him to go to medicalschool as a graduate each year?

Can you give us thisinformation?

Oanha--

Dear Oanha,

I do not have information toanswer these complex* questions.I can only point you in somedirections so you can getinformation from the correctplaces.

You can read information inRussian about education in theUSA at http://educationusa.state.gov/life/pubs.htm This on-line book hasinformation about getting a studentvisa, too.

Your brother can call or visit theAmerican consulate* orembassy* in Russia to ask howto get a visa to the U.S.

The medical schools haveinformation about the costs of theirprograms. They will tell about theTOEFL exam, too.

You can get a list of the medicalschools in the U.S. at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_medical_schools_in_the_United_States

At that website, you can reachany medical school in the U.S.Click* on a school’s website.Then look for “admissions” andthen “international students”. Lookfor “graduate studies” to find outif the school has the advancedprograms your brother wants. Youmay find telephone numbers soyou may ask to speak directlywith a person in the admissionsoffice or the International StudentAffairs office.

U.S. hospitals hire manydoctors who have degrees fromother countries. English isimportant here, of course.

This is very complex andimportant. You need help from anexperienced person. After youhave gotten all the information youcan get easily, look for aprofessional to help you. Ask adoctor you know to recommend acounselor to help. Or a highschool guidance counselor may beable to help you. It will cost youmoney, but can save you manyweeks of time.

Good luck.

story did they tell? Where did theyreceive the money? What kind ofcar did they drive?

To report an immigration scam,go to http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/offices/index.html First find yourstate. Then, find the phone numberand address of the U.S. Attorney.

Hispanic immigrants are targets of many scams. Here, Texas State AttorneyGeneral Greg Abbot speaks to the press in 2003 warning about scams. APPhoto/Tony Gutierrez


The climate of the United StatesThe United States is a very large

country. The climate* is differentin different places.

The Southwest is warm and dryall year. You seldom* see clouds.It’s cool at night. There aredeserts* in the Southwest, too.Death Valley is the hottest anddriest place in the country. Thetemperature there on a summer dayis often 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Southeast is also warm. Itrains more frequently* there. Manyretired* people move to theSouthwest or Southeast. They don’twant to shovel* snow anymore.

Do you enjoy the changes of theseasons*? You will like theNortheast. Winters in the Northeastare cold and snowy. Spring and fallare colorful and pleasant. Summersare hot.

In the Northwest, there is a rainyseason and a dry season. It is nevertoo hot in the summer. Winters arenot too cold. It rains a lot.

The North Central states have thegreatest differences betweenwinter and summer. North Centralwinters can be very cold with lotsof snow. Summers are hot.

The Hawaiian islands arepleasant* all months of the year.Alaska has long, cold, dark winters.The summer is short, with long days.

America the Beautiful

3. Florida is hot in summer, warm in winter.

7. Hawaii is pleasant all year round.

to Alaska

to Hawaii

Northwest

Southwest

South

South-east

NewEngland

CANADA

MEXICO

UNITED STATES

North Central

Central Plains

MidwestMid-

Atlantic

1. Arizona is hot in the daytime and cool at night

2. The Northeast and northern states havecold winters and warm summers.

6. The Northwest has cool wetwinters and mild* summers.

5. Death Valley

4. Spring is a lovely time in New York.

x Death Valley


November 4, 2008 Election Day

December 15, 2008Electoral College votes

DemocraticCandidates for

President and VicePresident

RepublicanCandidates for

President and VicePresident

1. Primary Elections and Caucuses in each state

2. National Conventions

Registered* Voters vote for “electors*” in their state whoare pledged* to a candidate. The number of votes in eachstate decides which candidate gets that state’s electoralvotes*. The winner will need 270 electoral votes.

January 6, 2009The votes of the ElectoralCollege are counted in theHouse of Representatives

January 20, 2009The new President

takes office.

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3. The Campaign*

Candidates travel around thecountry to meet people, makespeeches, raise money, advertiseon TV, and debate issues withother candidates on TV.

Republicans vote for delegatesto the Republican nationalconvention. The delegates arepledged to certain candidatesfor president.

Democratic ConventionAugust 25 to 28

Denver, ColoradoDelegates vote for a Democratic

candidate for president. Then theychoose a candidate for

vice president.

Democrats vote for delegatesto the Democratic nationalconvention. The delegates arepledged* to certain candidatesfor president.

Electing a President

4. General* Election

Delegates vote for a Republicancandidate for president. Then they

choose a candidate forvice president.

Republican ConventionSeptember 1-4

St. Paul, Minnesota

5. Official* election

6. Official counting of electoral votes

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January 3 to June 3 January 3 to June 3

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Small partyConventions

Small PartyCandidates


Have you heard people use these idioms?Illustrations by Dave Nicholson

Patient: I’m very sick. I’d like tosee the doctor.

Nurse: The doctor can see you onJanuary 20, at 3:45 pm.

2. to be sitting on topof the worldto be extremely happy; tofeel very lucky

Janet agreed to marry Ken.Now Ken is sitting on topof the world.

Carla got a great new job.She’s so happy, she’ssitting on top of theworld.

1. to be toastto be in trouble; will soonlose or be punished

You forgot to call yourmother? Uh- oh. You’retoast. She’s going to beangry.

I’m toast. I didn’t get myhomework done on time. Myreport card grade will bezero.

4. to smell a rat

to suspect that someone hasdone something wrong

I walked to my locker andsaw that it was open. Ismelled a rat. I looked tosee if my jacket was gone.

The price for the house wasvery low. Jack smelled arat. He found out that thehouse needed a lot of fixing.

2. to turn down

to say no to an invitation

Paul asked Sara out on adate, but she turned himdown.

The Joneses offered$200,000 for the house.The seller turned themdown. He wanted moremoney.

PracticeWrite an idiom in each sentence. Be sure to use thecorrect tense of the verb and the correct pronoun.(Answers are on page 11.)

1. That ad for a job seems too good to be true.

I _______ _______ _________. Find out if youare paid a salary or only get paid after you sellsomething.

2. Sally had many invitations to the dance, but she

_____ them all _______.

3. Mr. Sweet won $50,000 in the lottery. He’s

___________ _______ _______ _______

_______ ________ now.

4. I forgot that my girlfriend’s birthday is tomorrow.can’t take her out. She’s going to be really upset.

__________ _____________.

January 3: Iowa

January 5: Wyoming (R)

January 8: New Hampshire Primary

January 19: Nevada; South Carolina R)

January 26 South Carolina (D)

January 29— South Carolina, (D) Florida

February 1: Maine (R)

February 5: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas,

Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecti-

cut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho (D), llinois,

Kansas (D) , Massachusetts, Minnesota,

Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico (D),

New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma,

Tennessee, Utah, American Samoa (D)

February 9: Louisiana, Kansas (R),

Nebraska D), Washington,

February 9: Guam (R), Virgin Islands (D)

February 10: Maine (D)

February 12: District of Columbia, Mary

land, Virginia

Dates for 2008 Primary Electionsand Caucuses

February 19: Washington (state), Wisconsin,

Hawaii (D)

February 26: Hawaii (R)

February 22 Puerto Rico (R)

February 23 Virgin Islands (R), American

Samoa (R)

March: Americans living in other countries.

March 4: Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, Texas

March 8: Wyoming (D)

March 11: Mississippi

April 22: Pennsylvania

May 3: Guam (D)

May 6: Indiana, North Carolina

May 13: Nebraska, West Virginia

May 20: Kentucky, Oregon

May 27: Idaho

June 1: Puerto Rico (D)

June 3: Montana, South Dakota, New Mexico

(R)

Patient: But that’s two weeks! Icould be dead by then!

Nurse: In that case, you cancancel* your appointment.

Are you a citizen 18 years old or older? Find out how and when toregister to vote in your state at www.DeclareYourself.com

Source: Federal Election Commissionas of 11/27/07. These dates may change!

(R) = Republicans only (D) = Democrats only


Crossword PuzzleAcross

Down

Citizenship Test Questions and answers

1. The story of people andevents in the past

7. Rule made by a government10. Having the same value or

worth; ___ rights for allpeople

11. The national bird of the UnitedStates

12. Without water; not wet13. Having great age; opposite of

young14. Music note: Do re me fa sol

la ____ do16. Conjunction: Which do you

want, juice ___ milk?18. A woman who rules an empire22. Has more sand: this beach is

___ than that beach.23. Abdominal muscles, for short25. Put shoe strings into one’s

shoes (past form)26. Overweight; chubby; opposite

of thin27. Speak: What did the teacher

___ about the homework?29. A condition in which a person

owns another person31. A man’s name; short for

Alfred33. We see with these.34. Cold season: spring, summer,

autumn, ____35. Tom Trainer’s initials

1. People who do great things2. Intelligence quotient

(abbreviation): He has a veryhigh ____.

3. Quickly, without any warning.The sun was shining when ___it started to rain.

4. Sticky black material madefrom petroleum; it’s used inmaking roads.

5. Sports contests for athletes ofthe world; ____ games

6. The day before today was_____.

7. Large (abbreviation)8. In addition; too9. You and I together

15. A verb. He ___my friend.17. Style again.19. Missile Defense Agency

(abbreviation)20. Person who reels in a fish on a

fishing pole21. The least dangerous

24. Another name for tavern27. Past form of see28. Famous boxer was

Mohammed ____.30. Animal doctor (short form)32. Pronoun for a thing. (Give ___

to me.)

11

1. What is the supreme* lawof the land?

2. What are the first threewords of the Consitutionthat tell about the idea ofself-government?

3. What is an amendment*?4. What is another name for

the first ten amendments tothe Constitution?

5. What is one right orfreedom in the FirstAmendment to theConstitution?

6. How many amendmentsdoes the Constitution have?

7. What was the purpose ofthe Declaration ofIndependence*?

8. What are two rights thatpeople have, according tothe Declaration ofIndependence?

9. What is freedom ofreligion?

10. What is the “rule of law?” 1.The Constitution2.We the people3.An addition or change to the

Constitution.4.The Bill of Rights5.Freedom of speech; freedom

of religion, freedom toassemble*, freedom of thepress*; freedom topetition* the government

6.Twenty-seven7.To say that the the United

States were no longercolonies* of Britain

8.Life, liberty, and thepursuit* of happiness.

9.The right to go to anychurch, or practice anyreligion, and the right to nothave a religion.

10.The idea that everyone mustfollow the law, with no onehaving special privileges*.Even leaders and thegovernment must follow thelaw. No one is “above” thelaw.

All applicants who file for citizenship on or after October 1, 2008will take the new test. Ten questions will be picked out of 100, by acomputer. Students who study for the test will learn more about theAmerican government and history. Easy English NEWS will help!

The Preamble*The Preamble*The Preamble*The Preamble*The Preamble*to the Constitution*to the Constitution*to the Constitution*to the Constitution*to the Constitution*

of the United States of Americaof the United States of Americaof the United States of Americaof the United States of Americaof the United States of America

We the peopleWe the peopleWe the peopleWe the peopleWe the people of the United

States, in order to form a more perfect

union, establish* justice*, insure*

domestic* tranquility*, provide for the

common defense*, promote* the

general welfare*, and secure* the

blessings* of liberty to ourselves and

our posterity*, do ordain* and

establish this Constitution for the

United States of America.

Questions Answers


(continued from page 1)

subway*, and ferry*. A citytransportation system has stationswhere you can buy tickets. You canalso get maps and a schedule* ofthe bus routes* and subway routes.

You can get a map of the bus routes or aschedule of train stops at the same place youbuy your ticket. You may find publictransportation information for your city on theInternet.

In some cities, one fare* lets you travelanywhere in the city. You can get a transfer*if you have to take a second bus. In othercities, the farther you ride, the more you pay.

It can cost two dollars or more each wayfor a bus or train ride to work. In some cities,commuters* can save money if they buy amonthly ticket.

Car pools* are popular. In a car pool, two(or more) people ride together. They share thecosts of driving to work or school.

Useful Bus and Train Conversations

How much is the fare? Can I pay cashwhen I get on the bus? Can I get a discountif I buy a monthly pass?

Where can I buy a subway ticket? A metrocard?

We don’t use tickets. We use tokens*. Atoken costs $2.

We use magnetic* swipe* cards. The cardcosts $50. It’s good for 40 swipes.

Do you have a bus schedule?

Get one at the token booth* over there.Or use this vending machine*.

Do children travel free?

Children aged five and under travel free.You must pay the full fare for children sixand older.

Can I get a discount*? I’m a student.

Yes. Show your student ID. Seniorcitizens* get a discount too, if they travelat “off times.” That is, not during rushhour*.

When is rush hour?

When everyone is going to work or goinghome: from seven-thirty to nine-thirty in themorning, and from four p.m. to six p.m. inthe evening.

Does this train go to the City Zoo?

No, take the Number 4 train uptown. Getoff at 59th Street. Change for the Number 6train. Get off at the City Zoo station.

Which bus goes to Fair Lawn?

That’s the NJ Transit bus, Route 164.

How often does the Crosstown bus come?

On week days, during rush hour, it comesevery five minutes. At other times, everytwenty minutes.

When do I get off the bus for Broadway?

That’s the next stop.

When is the last bus to Fair Lawn?

The last bus leaves at midnight.

Getting to work

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Easy English NEWSPublished by .................. Elizabeth Claire, Inc.Editor ..................................... Elizabeth ClaireDesign ............................... Dr. Andrew SachsCopy Editors ....... Nancy Baxer, Sharon Flynn,

Devra Weingart, Lorraine Sarhage,Jonathan Steele, Marilyn Gelman

Writers ........... Elizabeth Claire, Betsy J. GreenCustomer Service ........................ Tina DiBellaCirculation .......................... Fumie FukushimaIllustrations ........................... Dave NicholsonEditorial Assistants ................ Adelaide ColesPrinted by ............. JB Offset, Westwood, NJ

Welcome to the United States! Thepurpose of Easy English NEWS is to helpnew readers of English to learn about thelanguage, culture, customs, holidays,history, heroes, geography, laws, andgovernment of the U.S.

Easy English NEWS is published tenmonths a year, from September to June. Itis sold by subscription. Class discounts areavailable. A monthly Teacher’s Guide andReproducible Quizzes are included.

Send comments via mail, fax, or Email.Stories for This Is Your Page should besent by Email, typed, or neatly written. Thewriter’s name, address, native country, andtelephone number must be on or stapled toeach article. If you want us to return yourmaterials to you, please include a stampedenvelope addressed to yourself. Be sure towrite the names of people in any photosyou send.

All material in Easy English NEWS isprotected by copyright. It is against thelaw to photocopy it.

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©2008 Elizabeth Claire, Inc.ISSN: 1091-4951

Telephone: Toll free: (888) 296-1090Fax: (201) 791-1901

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.Elizabethclaire.com

A city bus. Photo: www.itsmybus.com/city.php


Visit our website!www.Elizabethclaire.com

Let’s talk about itElecting a president(pages 1, 2, 7, 8, and 11)

1. Who is the president of theUnited States now? Whendoes his term end?

2. When will there be an electionfor a new president? Who canvote in that election?

3. What are the two largestpolitical parties in the U.S.?

4. What are caucuses? What areprimary elections?

5. When will your state have aprimary? Who can vote in it?

6. What is a convention? Whenare the Democratic andRepublican nationalconventions?

7. Who votes at the convention?Who do they vote for?

8. Who chooses the candidatefor vice president?

9. How many electoral votes areneeded for a candidate to beelected president?

10. Tell six steps in electing a newU.S. president.

11. Have you watched any debatesor seen the candidates on TV?How many candidates can youname?

12. Do you have an opinion aboutany of the candidates? Tellabout it.

13. Who is the leader of yourhome country? How did he orshe become the leader?

12. Who can vote for thenational leader in yourcountry?

13. Tell the meaning of thesewords: term, politicalparty, campaign,delegate, convention,general election, electoralcollege, official, formality

Transportation— part 1(pages 1 and 10)

1. How do you get to Englishclass? How do you get towork? To other places?

2. Is transportation in yournative country differentfrom transportation here?Tell about it.

3. Tell the meaning of thesewords: fare, tolls,schedule.

Events (pages 2 and 3)

1. What do people in yournative country do onJanuary 1? What will youdo?

2. Have you made any NewYear’s resolutions? Howwill you keep them?

3. What is the Gregoriancalendar?

4. When is the New Year for:Chinese? Jews? Iranians?Muslims?

Answers toCrossword Puzzle

5. Who was Martin Luther King,Jr.?

6. What did Martin Luther King, Jr.teach his followers?

7. Who marched to Washington in1963? What happened after that?

8. Do all people have equal rights inyour home country? Tell about it.

9. Who, in your opinion, does nothave equal rights in the U.S.?

9. Tell the meaning of these words:civil rights, segregation,nonviolence.

This is your page (page 4)1. Does it snow in your area of the

U.S.? Does it snow in your homecountry?

2. What is the difference between aplate and up late?

3. Have you ever had problems witha boss at work? Tell about it.

4. What was the miracle that SeanCheng and Marjorie Holcombemade?

5. Have you ever done or seen a“miracle?” Tell about it.

6. Tell the meaning of these words:architect, enthusiastic, quit,avoid.

Ask Elizabeth(page 5)

1. Do you have a job? Tell about it.2. What kind of job would you like

to have some day?3. How can a person find

Answers to Idiom Quiz

1. I smell a rat.2. turned . . . down3. sitting on top of the

world4. I’m toast.

information about visas? Aboutcolleges?

4. Tell the meaning of thesewords: employer, military,requirement.

Green card scams (page 5)1. What is a scam?2. Why do scam artists ask for

their money in cash?3. Why is it hard for police to

stop scam artists?4. What scams have you heard

of?5. What can you do to avoid

being “scammed?”6. Tell the meaning of these

words: gain someone’s trust,out of reach, authorities,anonymous.

America the Beautiful(page 6)

1. Tell about the climate in yournative country.

2. What kind of climate do youlike best? What part of theUnited States has that climate?

3. What is your favorite season?Tell why.

4. Tell the meaning of thesewords: desert, plains, mild,pleasant.

Visit our website:www.Elizabethclaire.com

Electing a president

Have you seen these faces? Do you know their names? Thesemen and a woman want to be president. American voterswill begin to choose their party’s candidates in primaryelections and caucuses in January. Numbers 1 to 8 areDemocrats. Numbers 9 to 16 are Republicans.

1 3 4 5 6

7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14

15 161. Christopher Dodd2. Barack Obama3. Joe Biden4. Dennis Kucinich5. Hillary Rodham Clinton6. John Edwards7. Bill Richardson8. Mike Gravel

9. Mike Huckabee10. John McCain11. Ron Paul12 Rudy Giuliani13. Fred Thompson14. Mitt Romney15. Duncan Hunter16. Tom Tancredo

2

Some of the words below have many meanings. We give only themeanings you need for this month’s newspaper.

WORD HELPPage12 Easy English NEWS January 2008

20th century noun. 1901-2000accomplish verb . Tocomplete a job or project .act noun . A law.activist noun . A person whodoes things in order to makechanges in society.acupuncturist noun. Adoctor who applies smallneedles in specific places inthe body.A.D. anno domini, or theyear of the Lord (since thebirth of Jesus Christ).aide noun . A personalassistant; a health aide.amendment noun. A changeto the Constitution.anonymous adjective.Without giving a name.application noun . A writtenreques t .architect noun . A personwho designs buildings.arrest verb. To take intocontrol by the police.assemble verb. To gathertogether in a group.assassinate verb. To kill animportant person.authorities noun, plural.People in charge; police, etc.blessings noun, plural. Goodthings given by nature or byGod.bomb verb . To blowsomething up with dynamiteor other explosive.booth noun. A small placewhere you can do someactivity: ticket booth, votingbooth, telephone booth, etc.boycott 1. verb . To stopusing a company’s servicesin order to change somethingabout their business. 2.noun . An act of boycotting.campaign noun. The timebefore an election whencandidates are trying to getpeople to like them.cancel verb. To call off anappointment; to stop anevent .candidate noun. A personwho wants to be elected.car pool noun. A group ofdrivers who take turnsdriving each other to work.cash noun. Money in bills,not in checks or credit card.caucus noun . A conventionof political party members.C.E. Initials for the commonera (the calendar we all use).chiropractor [kiy/ roh praktuhr] noun. A doctor whospecializes in the health ofthe spine.civil rights noun , plural .The rights that all citizens ina country have, equally.Civil Rights Movement noun.Activities to bring equalrights to blacks and otherminorities in the U.S.click on verb phrase. Topress a computer mousebu t ton .climate noun . Weather over along period of time.colony noun . A land thatbelongs to another country.common adjective . For all theparts or states.commuter noun . A personwho travels to work.complex adjective. Havingmany steps or parts; not

easy to understand quickly.confidence noun. A feeling ofbeing able to do something.Constitution noun . The basicset of laws for the UnitedSta tes .consulate noun. The officethat helps people in othercounries to get visas to theUnited Statescontent [kahn/ tent] noun.Something that is inside ofanother thing.convenient adjective . Easy touse; close by.convention noun . A gatheringof a large group of people inan organization.coworker [co-worker] nounA person at the same job.creed noun . Belief.debate verb . A discussion inwhich each person gives anopinion and facts to supportthe opinion.Declaration of Independencenoun . The document that toldwhy the United States hadthe right to be free from GreatBritain.decorate verb . To putribbons, flowers, jewels,ornaments, etc. to makesomething look beautiful.democracy noun. Governmentby the people.defense noun. Protectionagainst enemies.delegate noun. A person whowill represent, or vote for, orspeak for, a group of peopleat a convention.Democrat noun. A member ofthe Democratic party whichgenerally has more liberalideas about government.demonstration noun . A publicact that shows how a personor group of people feel abouta law or an event.desert noun. A large area thatgets very little rain, and hasno trees or grass.discount noun. Money that issubtracted from a usual price.domestic adjective .Belonging to things at home;inside the country.drug store noun . Pharmacy; aplace where you can buymedicines, prescriptions, andtoiletries.easy target noun phrase.Someone who is easy to hurtor steal from.elector noun. A person whocasts one of the state’s votesfor president.electoral college nounphrase. All of the electorsfrom all of the states.electoral vote noun. A vote byan official electoreloquent adjective. Able tospeak very well.embassy noun. The place inanother country where anambassador works.employer noun . A person orbusiness that gives someone ajob.encourage verb. To give aperson energy or spirit to dosomething.enthusiastic adjective .Excited; full of positivefeelings.equality noun . The conditionof having equal rights.

equipment noun . Things thatare needed to do a job orperform an action.establish verb. To cause thebeginning of a government.event noun . Something thathappens .fare noun. The cost of ridingon a bus, taxi, train, or plane.ferry noun . A boat thatcarries cars and peopleacross a body of water.festival noun. A celebrationwith music, food, dancing,and activities.fire verb. To end a person’sjob.formality noun . An actionthat is done by tradition andlaw, but doesn’t have anypower to change things.frequently adverb. Often;happening many times.gain someone’s trust verbphrase. To cause a person tobelieve that the speaker ishones t .general election noun. Anelection in which all voters inthe country can vote.Gregorian adjective. Namedfor Pope Gregory, whoreformed the calendar in 1582.habit noun . Actions that aredone over and over again.insure verb. To make sure;to be certain aboutsomething.junior (Jr.) noun/adjective .A son who has the samename as his father.justice noun. Fair treatmentunder the law.major adjective . Large,important.majority noun. A numberthat is at least one more thanhalf of a larger number.mall noun. A place wherepeople may shop in manys to res .massage noun . Manipulating,rubbing, pinching, tapping,etc. on the body with hands.meal noun. Breakfast, lunch,dinner, or supper.mild adjective . Gentle, warm.military noun. Armed forces;army, navy, air force, etc.minister noun . A leader of areligious group of people.miracle noun . Somethingthat seems impossiblewithout the help of God.mummer noun. People inmasks and costumes.Nobel Peace Prize noun . Aprize each year for a personwho promotes peace.nominate verb . To namesomeone to a job or as acandidate for president, etc.nonviolent adjective . Usingpeaceful actions only.official adjective . Accordingto the Constitution or law.oppose verb . To speak orfight against something.ordain verb . To set up orbegin.out of reach idiom,prepositional phrase. Not ina person’s ability to get.paralyzed adjective . Unableto move.petition noun . A request tothe government to getsomething changed.pleasant adjective. Pleasing;making others feel good.pledged past participle,adjective. Promised;committed.

Polar Bear Club noun.People who like to swim incold weather.political party noun. Anorganization of people withsimilar ideas about government.population noun . the numberof people who live in a place.posterity noun . The futuregenerations; one’s childrenand grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.preamble noun . Thebeginning of a writtendocument that explains itspurpose .press noun . Newspapers,magazines, movies,television, Internet, radio,etc.primary adjective.Something that happensbefore something else.primary election noun. Anelection within a state tochoose a party’s candidatefor the national election.privilege noun. A specialright that a person hasbecause of his or herposition in society.promote verb . To increase ormake better.protest verb . To publicly tellthat one does not like a lawor a situation.public adjective. Not private;partly paid for by taxes.pursuit noun. The search forsomething.qi noun. in Chinesephilosophy: life force.quit verb . To leave a job.refuse verb . To say that onewill not do something.register verb . To put one’sname on a list.report verb. To tell someoneabout something.Republican noun. A memberof the Republican Party,which has more conservativeideas about government.requirements noun, plural.The conditions a personneeds in order to get a job,get into a school, etc.resolution noun . A promiseto take some action.retired adjective. Referringto older people who havestopped working.Reverend noun/adjective.The title for a minister of achurch.reunion noun . A gatheringtogether of people who havebeen separated for a while.route noun. A map showingwhere a bus or train goes,and where it makes stops.run for office verb . To be acandidate for president,governor, mayor, etc.rush hour noun. The timewhen most people are goingto, or coming home from,work.scam noun. A trick played onsomeone in order to getmoney from the person.scam artist noun . A personwho tricks others into givinghim or her their money.schedule noun. A chart withthe times that buses, trains,or planes stop at each place.season noun. Summer, fall,winter or spring.secure verb. To get and makesure of.segregate verb . To separate

into groups by race, religion,language, gender, age, etc.segregation noun . Thecondition of being separatedinto groups by race, etc.seldom adverb. Not often;almost never.self-evident adjective. Easyto see; obvious.senior citizen noun . Anolder person, usually 60 ormore.shovel verb. To clean snowoff one’s sidewalk.shrink verb . To becomesmaller and weaker.shy adjective. Not havingcourage in social gatherings;quiet and reserved.slot noun. A narrow hole intowhich you can put a coin ordollar bill in a vendingmachine.society noun. The people,manners, customs, rules, laws,and traditions in a place.solar adjective. Having to dowith the sun.subway noun . A train thathas stations in a tunnelunderground.super duper slang adjective.Extra special; very powerfuland large.supreme adjective . Highest.sworn in swear in verbphrase. To officially induct aperson into an office.symbolize verb. To representsomething. A flag maysymbolize a country.take office verb phrase. Tobegin a job after being elected.term noun. A number ofyears that an elected officialkeeps the office.therapist noun . A healthprofessional: a physicaltherapist helps a personregain the use of muscles.token noun. A type of cointhat is used to pay a fare.toll noun . The cost of usinga bridge, tunnel, toll road,etc.traditional adjective .Following the way thingshave been done for a longtime.tranquility noun.Peacefulness; calm..transfer 1. verb. To changeto another bus or train. 2.noun . A ticket for a latertrain or bus.transportation noun . Waysto move oneself to otherplaces: by foot, by bicycle,by car, train, plane, etc.trolley noun. A one-car trainpowered by electricity.union noun. The joining ofthe states into one country.vague adjective . Cloudy, notclear.vending machine noun. Amachine that you put moneyinto, to buy something.victim noun. A person whohas been hurt in an accident,war, robbery or injustice.voter noun. A citizen 18 orolder who is registered tovote .vow verb. To promise withgreat intention.weapon noun . An object usedfor defense or offense: gun,knife, etc.welfare noun. Health, wealth,and safety.

easy english news january 08

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