an word="Words">Wordsan> an word="and">andan> an word="Their">Theiran> an word="Stories">Storiesan>: an word="Numbers">Numbersan> an word="Part">Partan> an word="Two">Twoan>
18
an word="September">Septemberan> 2010
an word="Now">Nowan>, an word="an word="the">thean>">an word="the">thean>an> an word="VOA">VOAan> an word="Special">Specialan> an word="English">Englishan> an word="program">programan> an word="WORDS">WORDSan> an word="AND">ANDan> an word="THEIR">THEIRan> an word="STORIES">STORIESan>.
an word="Last">Lastan> an word="week">weekan>, an word="I">Ian> an word="told">toldan> an word="about">aboutan> an word="an word="the">thean>">an word="the">thean>an> an word="number">numberan> an word="one">onean>. an word="Today">Todayan>, an word="I">Ian> an word="will">willan> an word="tell">tellan> an word="about">aboutan> an word="expressions">expressionsan> an word="using">usingan> an word="oan word="the">thean>r">oan word="the">thean>ran> an word="numbers">numbersan>.
an word="Some">Somean> an word="problems">problemsan> an word="are">arean> an word="difficult">difficultan> an word="to">toan> an word="solve">solvean>. an word="But">Butan> an word="an word="the">thean>re">an word="the">thean>rean> an word="are">arean> an word="a">aan> an word="lot">lotan> an word="of">ofan> an word="number">numberan> an word="expressions">expressionsan> an word="that">thatan> an word="can">canan> an word="help">helpan>. an word="For">Foran> an word="example">examplean>, an word="if">ifan> an word="we">wean> an word="put">putan>an word="two">twoan> an word="and">andan> an word="two">twoan> an word="togean word="the">thean>r">togean word="the">thean>ran>, an word="we">wean> an word="might">mightan> an word="come">comean> an word="up">upan> an word="with">withan> an word="an word="the">thean>">an word="the">thean>an> an word="right">rightan> an word="answer">answeran>. an word="We">Wean> an word="know">knowan> an word="that">thatan>an word="two">twoan> an word="heads">headsan> an word="are">arean> an word="better">betteran> an word="than">thanan> an word="one">onean>. an word="It">Itan> an word="is">isan> an word="always">alwaysan> an word="better">betteran> an word="to">toan> an word="work">workan> an word="with">withan> an word="anoan word="the">thean>r">anoan word="the">thean>ran> an word="person">personan> an word="to">toan> an word="solve">solvean> an word="a">aan> an word="problem">probleman>.
an word="Sometimes">Sometimesan>an word="an word="the">thean>re">an word="the">thean>rean> an word="are">arean> an word="no">noan> an word="two">twoan> an word="ways">waysan> an word="about">aboutan> an word="it">itan>. an word="Some">Somean> an word="problems">problemsan> an word="have">havean> an word="only">onlyan> an word="one">onean> an word="solution">solutionan>. an word="You">Youan> an word="cannot">cannotan> an word="be">bean>an word="of">ofan> an word="two">twoan> an word="minds">mindsan>an word="over">overan> an word="this">thisan>.
an word="But">Butan> an word="with">withan> an word="any">anyan> an word="luck">luckan>, an word="we">wean> an word="could">couldan> an word="solve">solvean> an word="an word="the">thean>">an word="the">thean>an> an word="problem">probleman> an word="in">inan>an word="two">twoan> an word="shakes">shakesan> an word="of">ofan> an word="a">aan> an word="lamb">lamban>’an word="s">san> an word="tail">tailan>. an word="We">Wean> an word="could">couldan> an word="have">havean> an word="our">ouran> an word="answers">answersan> an word="quickly">quicklyan> an word="and">andan> an word="easily">easilyan>.
an word="Sometimes">Sometimesan> we canan word="kill">killan> an word="two">twoan> an word="birds">birdsan> an word="with">withan> an word="one">onean> an word="stone">stonean>.an word="That">Thatan> an word="is">isan>, an word="we">wean> an word="can">canan> an word="complete">completean> an word="two">twoan> an word="goals">goalsan> an word="with">withan> an word="only">onlyan> an word="one">onean> an word="effort">effortan> an word="or">oran> an word="action">actionan>. an word="But">Butan> an word="we">wean> an word="must">mustan> an word="remember">rememberan> an word="that">thatan>an word="two">twoan> an word="wrongs">wrongsan> an word="don">donan>’an word="t">tan> an word="make">makean> an word="a">aan> an word="right">rightan>.an word="If">Ifan> an word="someone">someonean> an word="does">doesan> an word="something">somethingan> an word="bad">badan> an word="to">toan> an word="you">youan>, an word="you">youan> an word="should">shouldan> an word="not">notan> an word="do">doan> an word="an word="the">thean>">an word="the">thean>an> an word="same">samean> an word="to">toan> an word="him">himan>.
an word="If">Ifan> an word="you">youan> an word="are">arean> an word="going">goingan> an word="out">outan> an word="with">withan> an word="your">youran> an word="girlfriend">girlfriendan>, an word="or">oran> an word="boyfriend">boyfriendan>, an word="you">youan> an word="do">doan> an word="not">notan> an word="want">wantan> an word="anoan word="the">thean>r">anoan word="the">thean>ran> an word="friend">friendan> an word="to">toan> an word="go">goan> an word="along">alongan> an word="on">onan> an word="your">youran> an word="date">datean>. an word="You">Youan> an word="can">canan> an word="just">justan> an word="say">sayan> an word="to">toan> an word="your">youran> an word="friend">friendan>:an word="two">twoan>’an word="s">san> an word="company">companyan>, an word="three">threean>’an word="s">san> an word="a">aan> an word="crowd">crowdan>.
an word="When">Whenan> an word="I">Ian> an word="was">wasan> an word="a">aan> an word="young">youngan> an word="child">childan> an word="in">inan> an word="school">schoolan>, an word="I">Ian> an word="had">hadan> an word="to">toan> an word="learn">learnan>an word="the">thean>an word="three">threean> an word="R">Ran>’an word="s">san>. These important skills are reading, writing and arithmetic. These three words do not all start with an word="the">thean> letter “R.” But an word="the">thean>y have an word="the">thean> sound of “R.” My teachers used toan word="give">givean> an word="three">threean> an word="cheers">cheersan>an word="when">whenan> an word="I">Ian> an word="did">didan> an word="well">wellan> an word="in">inan> an word="math">mathan>. an word="They">Theyan> an word="gave">gavean> an word="praise">praisean> an word="and">andan> an word="approval">approvalan> an word="for">foran> an word="a">aan> an word="job">joban> an word="well">wellan> an word="done">donean>.
Some of my friends were confused and did not understand an word="the">thean>ir schoolwork. an word="They">Theyan> an word="were">werean>an word="at">atan> an word="sixes">sixesan> an word="and">andan> an word="sevens">sevensan>.In fact, an word="the">thean>y did not care if an word="the">thean>y finished high school. They saw little difference between an word="the">thean> two choices.Six of one, half a dozen an word="the">thean> oan word="the">thean>r– that was an word="the">thean>ir position. But an word="the">thean>y were really happy when an word="the">thean>y completed an word="the">thean>ir studies and graduated from high school. an word="They">Theyan> an word="were">werean> inan word="seventh">seventhan> an word="heaven">heavenan>.an word="They">Theyan> an word="were">werean>an word="on">onan> an word="cloud">cloudan> an word="nine">ninean>.
an word="Nine">Ninean> an word="times">timesan> an word="out">outan> an word="of">ofan> an word="ten">tenan>, students who do well in school find good jobs. Some work in an office doing an word="the">thean> same things every day atan word="nine">ninean>-an word="to">toan>-an word="five">fivean>an word="jobs">jobsan>. an word="You">Youan> an word="do">doan> an word="not">notan> an word="have">havean> an word="to">toan>dress to an word="the">thean> nines,or wear your best cloan word="the">thean>s, for this kind of work.
an word="Last">Lastan> an word="year">yearan>, an word="one">onean> an word="of">ofan> an word="my">myan> an word="friends">friendsan> an word="applied">appliedan> an word="for">foran> an word="a">aan> an word="better">betteran> an word="job">joban> an word="at">atan> an word="her">heran> an word="office">officean>. an word="I">Ian> an word="did">didan> an word="not">notan> an word="think">thinkan> an word="she">shean> an word="would">wouldan> an word="get">getan> an word="it">itan>. an word="I">Ian> an word="thought">thoughtan> an word="she">shean> an word="had">hadan>an word="a">aan> an word="hundred">hundredan> an word="to">toan> an word="one">onean> an word="shot">shotan>at an word="the">thean> job. Oan word="the">thean>r people at her office thought her chances wereamillion to one. One reason was that she had been caught catchingforty winksat an word="the">thean> office. She slept at her desk for short periods during an word="the">thean> day. But her supervisor appointed her to an word="the">thean> new job at an word="the">thean>eleventh hour-- at an word="the">thean> very last minute. I guess herlucky number came up.
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This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus.