Learning English Podcast - October 29, 2024
VOA Learning English Podcast - VOA Learning English
Deep Dive
What is the purpose of the Learning English program?
The program is designed for English learners, using a limited vocabulary and slower speech to help listeners improve their English skills.
What was the key finding of the CDC's youth tobacco use survey in 2024?
The survey showed a 20% drop in tobacco product use among middle and high school students, with the lowest usage rate since the survey began in 1999.
What factors contributed to the decrease in youth tobacco use?
Factors include increased product costs, public health education campaigns, age restrictions, and stricter enforcement against sellers targeting children.
What is the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. teens in 2024?
E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product, with usage falling to under 6% in 2024, the lowest rate in 10 years.
How has tobacco use among different groups of students changed in 2024?
Tobacco use among girls and Hispanic students decreased, but it increased among American Indian and Alaska Native students. Nicotine patch use rose among white youth.
What did scientists in Colombia develop to protect bees from pesticides?
They developed a plant-based food substance containing flavonoids, which protects bees' brains from neurological damage caused by pesticides.
Why are bees important for ecosystems and food production?
As pollinators, bees play a crucial role in maintaining natural ecosystems and ensuring food production by helping plants reproduce.
What is the potential impact of training until failure in weight training?
Training until failure may help build muscle mass but is not necessary for increasing strength. It can also lead to exhaustion, potentially causing missed workouts or rare harmful conditions like rhabdomyolysis.
What advice do experts give for achieving fitness goals without training until failure?
Experts suggest working out intensely but stopping within 5-10 repetitions of failure. This approach can still improve health and fitness without pushing to complete exhaustion.
What is the main conflict in Lesson 44 of Let's Learn English with Anna?
Anna faces an internal conflict between wanting to eat junk food and knowing she should eat healthy food.
What does the term 'guilty pleasure' mean in the context of food?
A guilty pleasure refers to something enjoyable, like junk food, that is not harmful in moderation but could be considered unhealthy if consumed frequently.
- All-time low in U.S. teen smoking rates.
- Significant drop in e-cigarette use among youth.
- Decrease linked to product cost increases, public health campaigns, age restrictions, and enforcement actions.
Shownotes Transcript