In this conversation, a student (Ajay) explains the different holidays he will celebrate with another student (Lucía).
Ajay: How’s the studying going, Lucía?
Ajay: Alan invited Lee and me to stay with his family. Home-cooked food for three holiday meals!
Lucía: Three holidays?
Ajay: Alan’s dad is Jewish, and his mom is Christian, so they celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. And his mom is a professional chef, so she goes all out for both holiday meals.
Lucía: And what’s the third holiday?
Ajay: New Year’s Day. They have all their family over, and Alan’s mom cooks again. Alan has raved about his mom’s cooking all semester, so Lee and I can’t wait.
Lucía: Holiday meals cooked by a professional chef. I want to hear all about it later. I’ve never had a traditional Hanukkah meal.
Ajay: Neither have I. I’m looking forward to it.
Now let’s review the vocabulary.
How’s (something) going? This question is used to ask someone about his/her progress or about life in general. For example, how’s the studying going means what’s the progress of your studying. The general question how’s it going is informal and similar to how are you.Can’t wait means to be very eager, anxious or impatient for something.
A winter break is a period of vacation between semesters of college or other schools that includes the winter holidays, such as New Year’s Day.
Home-cooked or homemade food means food prepared at home and not made in a factory, store, etc.
Hanukkah or Chanukah is an eight-day Jewish holiday, usually in late November or December, that commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago.
Commemorate means to do something special to remind people of an important event or person from the past.
To go all out means to put all of your energy into what you are doing or to put a lot of effort into doing something.
To rave about something is to talk or write about something in an excited and enthusiastic way.
A holiday meal is special food prepared and eaten for a certain holiday. Sometimes these foods are only made and eaten during a certain holiday season. For example, for many families in the U.S. on Thanksgiving, the holiday meal includes cranberry sauce. This is not a food that many people eat at other times of the year.
In this conversation, a student (Lee) talks about the Arctic and global warming with two other students (Jana and Akinyi).
Akinyi: The weather is getting so cold. I really hate it!
Lee: Don’t say that. I don’t want the Earth to get any warmer. One of my classes yesterday got me freaked out about global warming.
Jana: More freaked out than usual?
Akinyi: I think we’re all concerned about global warming. What was different about yesterday’s class?
Lee: We started studying the melting permafrost in the Arctic.
Akinyi: The Earth has to get a lot warmer for the permafrost to melt, right?
Lee: No, and the scariest part is the feedback loop.
Jana: The feedback loop? What’s that?
Lee: Well, there’s carbon frozen in the permafrost, right? And when the permafrost melts, microbes release carbon dioxide and methane. This leads to more climate change.
Akinyi: What’s the loop part?
Lee: We all know that carbon dioxide and methane cause global temperatures to rise.
Jana: And if the temperature rises, then more permafrost melts.
Lee: Exactly. And when more permafrost melts, more carbon dioxide and methane is released. That causes global temperatures to rise even more. And the cycle continues.
Akinyi: That is one scary cycle. What can we do to stop it?
Lee: Reduce our carbon dioxide emissions. For most people this means using less energy, using cleaner energy like solar and wind, and driving less.
Now let’s review the vocabulary.
Freak out is a phrasal verb and informal. It means to become anxious, upset or afraid.Global warming: the increase in the Earth’s temperature caused by the increase of certain gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide.
Permafrost is ground that stays frozen for two or more years in a row.
The Arctic is the area around the North Pole.
To melt means to change from solid form to liquid form because of heat.
The feedback loop in this conversation refers to a cycle that keeps repeating and increasing. The warmer temperatures of the Earth cause permafrost to melt. When the permafrost melts, carbon dioxide and methane are released into the air. Carbon dioxide and methane cause global temperatures to increase even more. This causes more permafrost to melt and then more carbon dioxide and methane are released into the air.
Carbon is a chemical element.
Microbes are very tiny living things that can only be seen under a microscope (a special device used to clearly see tiny objects).
Carbon dioxide is a gas that is produced when people and animals breathe out. Carbon dioxide is also produced when certain fuels are burned. In this conversation, tiny organisms that are frozen in the permafrost release carbon dioxide when the permafrost melts. Increased carbon dioxide in the air can cause the earth’s temperature to increase.
Methane: a gas that can be burned for fuel. Methane absorbs (takes in) heat very quickly and can contribute to global warming.
Students (Lucía, Akyinyi and Ajay) discuss the many different groups of people who have moved from their homeland to the U.S. and the different cultures in the U.S.
Lucía: Hey, Ajay. Akinyi and I are going to an event about diasporas at the Campus Center tonight at 8. Do you want to come with us?
Akinyi: It definitely will. There are a lot of different diaspora communities in the U.S.
Lucía: Yeah, we’ve been studying this in one of my classes. The U.S. has more global diaspora members than any other country in the world.
Akinyi: I knew it was a multicultural country, but I had no idea just how multicultural until I got here.
Ajay: Well, which diaspora community do you think I should write about?
Akinyi: I think you should choose a diaspora community that is prominent in this city.
Ajay: Yeah, I could interview people in the community and talk to them about their experiences here in the U.S. and even see how their experiences are different from ours as exchange students. I really want to know what the community is like.
Lucía: You should talk with Kayla. She lives in our dorm. Her family is part of the Ethiopian diaspora, and they own a really popular restaurant downtown. We should all go there for dinner one night.
Now let’s review the vocabulary.
A diaspora is a large group of people who have moved from their home country to live in other countries in the world. Often this move is not completely by choice but is because of war, political issues, famine, etc., in the people’s home country.A diaspora community is a large group of people who have moved from their homeland and live in a different country.
Multicultural: relating to or including people who have many different customs and beliefs.
To have no idea is an informal way to say one does not know. For example: “I have no idea where I’m going” means “I do not know where I’m going.”
Something that is prominent is well-known, important, easily seen.
When we use the phrase what something is like or the question What is something like, we want to know more about the place, object, event or person. For example: Q: What is Florida like? A: It’s hot and humid, but I like it. Q: What is Maria like? A: She’s thoughtful and friendly, and she’s an excellent student.
Dorm is short for dormitory. A dormitory is a large building at a college or university where students live.
Downtown refers to the main or central part of a town or city
In this conversation, a student (Ajay) explains the different holidays he will celebrate with another student (Lucía).
Ajay: How’s the studying going, Lucía?
Ajay: Alan invited Lee and me to stay with his family. Home-cooked food for three holiday meals!
Lucía: Three holidays?
Ajay: Alan’s dad is Jewish, and his mom is Christian, so they celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. And his mom is a professional chef, so she goes all out for both holiday meals.
Lucía: And what’s the third holiday?
Ajay: New Year’s Day. They have all their family over, and Alan’s mom cooks again. Alan has raved about his mom’s cooking all semester, so Lee and I can’t wait.
Lucía: Holiday meals cooked by a professional chef. I want to hear all about it later. I’ve never had a traditional Hanukkah meal.
Ajay: Neither have I. I’m looking forward to it.
Now let’s review the vocabulary.
How’s (something) going? This question is used to ask someone about his/her progress or about life in general. For example, how’s the studying going means what’s the progress of your studying. The general question how’s it going is informal and similar to how are you.Can’t wait means to be very eager, anxious or impatient for something.
A winter break is a period of vacation between semesters of college or other schools that includes the winter holidays, such as New Year’s Day.
Home-cooked or homemade food means food prepared at home and not made in a factory, store, etc.
Hanukkah or Chanukah is an eight-day Jewish holiday, usually in late November or December, that commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago.
Commemorate means to do something special to remind people of an important event or person from the past.
To go all out means to put all of your energy into what you are doing or to put a lot of effort into doing something.
To rave about something is to talk or write about something in an excited and enthusiastic way.
A holiday meal is special food prepared and eaten for a certain holiday. Sometimes these foods are only made and eaten during a certain holiday season. For example, for many families in the U.S. on Thanksgiving, the holiday meal includes cranberry sauce. This is not a food that many people eat at other times of the year.
In this conversation, a student (Lee) talks about the Arctic and global warming with two other students (Jana and Akinyi).
Akinyi: The weather is getting so cold. I really hate it!
Lee: Don’t say that. I don’t want the Earth to get any warmer. One of my classes yesterday got me freaked out about global warming.
Jana: More freaked out than usual?
Akinyi: I think we’re all concerned about global warming. What was different about yesterday’s class?
Lee: We started studying the melting permafrost in the Arctic.
Akinyi: The Earth has to get a lot warmer for the permafrost to melt, right?
Lee: No, and the scariest part is the feedback loop.
Jana: The feedback loop? What’s that?
Lee: Well, there’s carbon frozen in the permafrost, right? And when the permafrost melts, microbes release carbon dioxide and methane. This leads to more climate change.
Akinyi: What’s the loop part?
Lee: We all know that carbon dioxide and methane cause global temperatures to rise.
Jana: And if the temperature rises, then more permafrost melts.
Lee: Exactly. And when more permafrost melts, more carbon dioxide and methane is released. That causes global temperatures to rise even more. And the cycle continues.
Akinyi: That is one scary cycle. What can we do to stop it?
Lee: Reduce our carbon dioxide emissions. For most people this means using less energy, using cleaner energy like solar and wind, and driving less.
Now let’s review the vocabulary.
Freak out is a phrasal verb and informal. It means to become anxious, upset or afraid.Global warming: the increase in the Earth’s temperature caused by the increase of certain gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide.
Permafrost is ground that stays frozen for two or more years in a row.
The Arctic is the area around the North Pole.
To melt means to change from solid form to liquid form because of heat.
The feedback loop in this conversation refers to a cycle that keeps repeating and increasing. The warmer temperatures of the Earth cause permafrost to melt. When the permafrost melts, carbon dioxide and methane are released into the air. Carbon dioxide and methane cause global temperatures to increase even more. This causes more permafrost to melt and then more carbon dioxide and methane are released into the air.
Carbon is a chemical element.
Microbes are very tiny living things that can only be seen under a microscope (a special device used to clearly see tiny objects).
Carbon dioxide is a gas that is produced when people and animals breathe out. Carbon dioxide is also produced when certain fuels are burned. In this conversation, tiny organisms that are frozen in the permafrost release carbon dioxide when the permafrost melts. Increased carbon dioxide in the air can cause the earth’s temperature to increase.
Methane: a gas that can be burned for fuel. Methane absorbs (takes in) heat very quickly and can contribute to global warming.
In this conversation, one student (Peter) discusses his family’s holiday traditions.
Peter: Lee, what are your plans for the winter break?
Peter: That’s right. But first I’m going to go home and spend Christmas with my family. It’s an important holiday for my family. We have lots of Christmas traditions.
Lee: Interesting. Like what?
Peter: Well, one of our traditions is also a tradition for some families in the U.S. — the Advent calendar.
Lee: What’s that?
Peter: It’s like a large card, with a picture on it. There’s also a small opening with a door for each day in December, up until Christmas. And each day, you open one of the doors. The best part is that behind the door is a piece of chocolate.
Lee: It’s a calendar with chocolate? That’s the best kind of calendar.
Peter: Some of them only have pictures, but my family gets the ones with chocolate. Another tradition is the Christmas market. In the local squares, there’s a market that sells food, drinks and local crafts.
Lee: That sounds great. I think there are some places in the U.S. that have Christmas markets too.
Peter: One different tradition is that we open presents on Christmas Eve. In the U.S., people usually open presents on Christmas.
Now let’s review the vocabulary.
A winter break is a period of vacation between semesters of college or other schools that includes the winter holidays, such as New Year’s Day.To volunteer means to offer to do something without being paid to do it or without being asked.
Christmas (also Christmas Day) is a holiday of Christian origin that is recognized by many people in the United States, as well as in other parts of the world. It is celebrated on December 25. Some traditions of Christmas include decorating a Christmas tree, giving and receiving gifts, and spending time with family and friends.
A tradition is a belief, custom or way of doing something that has been used by a particular group of people for a long time.
An Advent calendar is a large decorated card used to count down the days until Christmas. For each day in December, up until Christmas, there is a small opening with a door. Children open one door each day. Behind each door is a picture or piece of chocolate.
A Christmas market is a street market where food, drink and products are bought and sold. These markets sell traditional food and drink for Christmas as well as local crafts. They are set up and open during the Christmas season.
In the conversation, a square means an open area in a town or city, often in the shape of a square (a shape with four equal sides).
Local: belonging to or relating to a particular area or place.
Crafts are objects that are skillfully made by hand.
Christmas Eve is December 24, the day before Christmas Day.
