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This paper is for you!(It's for anyone else, too!)Easy

EnglishNEWSDecember 2017

Volume XXIII Number 4 See page 10 for prices and ordenng information.

Western Wildfires*Wildfires are a danger every year in western

states. During the hot, dry months of summerand fall, forests burn in California, Washington,Oregon, Texas, Montana, Arizona, Colorado,and Idaho.

Wildfires burn thousands of acres* ofgrassland and forest. Some wildfires destroy*homes of people who live close by.

Ninety percent of fires start because of humancarelessness*. A fire can start when a persondoesn't completely put out a campfire*. Aperson can cause a wildfire by throwing a litcigarette or match away. Fireworks* can causewildfires. Lightning and fallen power lines startabout ten percent of fires. Arsonists* have alsocaused fires.

This year, there were large, uncontrolled firesin ten western states. As of October 31, morethan 50,000 wildfires had burned 8,830,898acres of land. Twenty-three thousand firefighters

worked to contain* thefires.

Wordsin black printwith a star (*)

are in Life in

A firefighter pulls a water hose toward afire burning near Calistoga, California, on October 13.2017. Heat and high winds made it difficult to stop thefire. AP Photo/Jae C, Hong

California's firesThis fall, California had the deadliest* and costliest* fire

season in its history. Wildfires in this state destroyed more than8,900 homes and 3,200 cars. They killed 43 people.

(contrnued on page 9)

the U.S.A.WORD HELPon page 12. Buying meat

Supermarkets sellmany kinds of meat:pork* from pigs, beeffrom cows, veal fromcalves* , and lamb

What's Inside?

Events in DecemberThis Is Your PageAsk Elizabeth:

The Metric SystemAsk a Speech Coach:

Double ConsonantsWinter in the U.SEJJis Island, the

"Island of Tears"Idiom CornerFunny StuffCrossword PuzzleAnswers to PuuleLets Talk About ItWord Help

234

5

5

6

7

888

11

11

12

T-bone steak

Filet mignon

Hamburger

from young sheep.Americans also eat alot of poultry*, suchas chicken and turkey.

Only a fewsupermarketssell meat from A cuts apiece ofmeat. Bigstockphoto.c@m

rabbits, goats, orsheep (mutton). Nosupermarket sells horsemeat, cat meat, or dogmeat. That meat istaboo*. These animals

steak, sirloin steak, London broil,and T-bone steak. A large piece ofbeef may be used as a roast*.

Ground* beef is often calledhamburger. (But there is no ham*

are pets. Most state laws prohibit* the

killing of horses, cats, or dogs for food for

humans.

Beef: Meat from cattle*

Beef may be cut into steaks*: round

in it.) Corn d beef* is beef that hasbeen prese ed* in salted water andspices*.

Veal is meat from a calf*. It is cutinto veal chops*, leg of veal, andveal steaks.

(continued on page 10)

December 2017Page 2 Easy English NEWS

Eid Milad

Events inun-Nabi December 2017

This holiday is the birthdayof the Prophet* Mohammed.Sunni Muslims celebrate EidMilad un-Nabi at sunset onNovember 30. Shia Muslimscelebrate at sunset on December5. Some Muslims do notcelebrate this birthday.

Muslims go to their mosque*for special prayers on Eid Milad

un-Nabi. Some Muslims may

fast*. In some communities*Muslims have a meal together.

At some Islamic schools,classes teach how Muslims can

live a correct life. They may

invite non-Muslims to these

classes. Some communities

have parades. Some Muslimbusinesses are closed on Eid

Milad un-Nabi.

Sun

3

10

17

24

Mon

4

11

18

25

Tue

5

12

19

26

wed

6

13

20

27

7

14

21

28

Thur Fri Sat1

8

15

22

29

2

9

16

23

30

Pearl Harbor*Remembrance* Day

On December 7, 1941,

Japanese warplanesattacked* Pearl Harborin Hawaii. They droppedbombs on American Navy

ships. Three thousandAmericans were killed.Japan had declared* war on

the United States.

President FranklinRoosevelt then declared

war on Japan. On December11, Japan's ally*, Germany,declared war on the UnitedStates. Many other countrieswere already at war. Between1939 and 1945, more than60 million soldiers and other

The Japanese signed a treaty* with the U.S.

on September 2, 1945, on the battleship USS

Missouri. That ship is now a museum in Pearl

Harbor, Hawaii. Bigstockphoto.com

people died. It was calledWorld War 11 (Two).

Today, Japan and Germanyare allies* of the UnitedStates.

Hanukkah

31

Bill of Rights* DayDecember 15 is Bill of Rights

Day. On this day in 1791, our

Founding Fathers* added the

first ten amendments* to the

Constitution of the United States.

The amendments listed the

rights of the people so that

the new government could not

take them away. These first ten

amendments are called the Bill The all Americans'

of Rights.

Wright Brothers DayWright Brothers Day is

December 17. On this day,in 1903, Wilbur and OrvilleWright flew their newinvention, the Wright Flyer.The Wright Brothers werethe first people to pilot* aHanukkah is a Jewish holiday.

It lasts eight days. it is alsocalled "The Miracle* of theLights." This year, Hanukkahbegins at sundown on December12. (The Jewish calendar is

different from the westerncalendar, so the date changes

each year.)

Hanukkah celebrates amiracle that happened morethan 2,000 years

ago. At that time,the Jews lived inthe land of Judea,part of a largeGreek empire*

The Jews had abeautiful temple*on a hill. In it was"the Eternal*Light." This was a

The Jews fought againstthe king for three years. Theyfinally won and got their templeback.They wanted to light theEternal Light again. But theyhad oil for only one day.

A miracle happened. Thelamp burned for eight days!Every year since then, Jewishpeople have lit special candleson the eight days of Hanukkah.

On thefirst night of

the mother orfather lightsthe firstcandle in themenorah*.The familysays specialprayers. The

heavier-than-air machineand control its wings.

On December 17,there are special eventsin Kitty Hawk, NorthCarolina (where theyflew the plane) and inDayton, Ohio (the WrightBrothers' hometown).

People go to KittyHawk each year towatch different kindsof planes fly over the

The Wright Brothersflew a plane like this orr in

1903 It was 21 feet long with a wingspan • €40 feet

It weighed 605 pounds and could hold one gyrson

iStockphoto.com

Wright Brothers NationalMemorial*. Students

double-decker* passenger jet, the A380, isAirbus' the largest passenger plane eter built. It is 238 feet

learn about the history of long. It weighs 1.2 millionpoundsandcan carryflying. 880 passengers. Dreamstime.eom

Winter beginslamp that burned A Jewish girl helps light a menorah. family has

every day and night, Bigstockphoto.com a big dinner.

A new king of the

empire wanted the temple to be

a place for statues of the Greek

gods. The king's army forced

the Jews out of their temple.

On the second

night, they light two candles.On the third night they lightthree candles. and So on foreight days.

The winter solstice* isDecember 21. This day of theyear has the fewest hours ofdaylight.

The United States is a large

country. The winter weatherin northern states is cold. Itsnows a lot. But southern andwestern states do not get muchsnow. (Read about winter

•safety on page 6.)

December 2087 Easy English NEWS Page 3

DecemberChristmas

Christmas is

December 25. It's the

day most Christianscelebrate the birth*of Jesus. (EasternOrthodox Christians*celebrate Christmas onJanuary 7.)

Seventy percentof Americans areChristians*. Many Carolers sing Christmas songs. Bigstockphoto.com

other people celebrate shopping malls. AmericansChristmas, too. There are many think about poor people at thisevents and holiday parties time. They make donations* toduring December. People charities*.

Who is Santa Claus?"Santa Claus" came st. Nick: "He

to America with Dutch* was dressed

immigrants. Sinterklaas all in fur; his

was the Dutch name for beard was as

Saint* Nicholas. white as the

snow; he wasSaint Nicholas was a andchubby*

bishop* in a Christian plump* "church in Turkey in thefourth century C.E.* In 1863,

There are many stories Thomas Nast,

of Nicholas's kindness a famous

and miracles*. He Santa Claus Bigstockphoto.comcartoonist* ,

decorate* an evergreen* treewith lights and ornaments*.They shop for gifts, orthey make gifts for eachother. People send holidaygreetings by mail or emailto friends and family.

During December,you can hear holidaymusic in stores, inmany homes, andon TV and radioprograms. Carols *

are traditionalsongs of Christmas.Groups of peopleoften go caroling*in the streets, in Christmas tree

Many people like to be homefor the holidays. Schools closefor a week or more.

There are special churchservices* on ChristmasEve and on Christmas Day.Many Christians eat fishand seafood on ChristmasEve. Roast beef, roastturkey, or baked hamare popular for dinneron Christmas Day.

Christmas is alegal holiday. Banks,

post offices, and moststores and businesses are

closed.

became the patronsaint* of children.

At first, children receivedgifts on St. Nicholas Day,December 6. Starting inthe sixteenth century, gifts"from St. Nicholas" came on

Christmas Day.

In other countries, childrenbelieve their gifts are fromFather Christmas, GrandfatherFrost, Pere Noel, Kris Kringle,and the Three Kings.

In 1822, an American,Clement Clark Moore, wrote

drew pictures

of Santa Claus. Nast's picturesshowed Santa's home at the

North Pole. Santa was very fat.

His suit was red. In 1931, Coca-Cola used a picture of SantaClaus in its advertising*. Thatpicture became Americans' ideaof how Santa Claus looks.

Children write letters to Santa

Claus to tell what they want forChristmas. On Christmas Eve,children hang large stockings

for Santa to fill. They leavemilk and cookies for him. Santacomes down the chimney*

a poem for his children called ——(or he has some other magical

hospitals, or in Bigstockphoto.com

"A Visit from Saint Nicholas."In this poem, Saint Nicholastravels through the sky tobring toys on Christmas Eve.His sleigh* is pulled by eightreindeer*. Moore described

way of getting into the house).He leaves presents under theChristmas tree. He fills thechildren's stockings. Then hequickly leaves, with a jolly*"Ho, ho, ho!"Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa begins December

26. It lasts until January l. Itis a week-long celebration ofAfrican-American culture* and

community*

Kwanzaa is not a religiousholiday. It was started in

1966 by Maulana Karenga.

He wanted a special time forAfrican Americans to enjoy

family customs and traditions*.

People use Swahili* words

the principle is Ujamaa(cooperative economics*).

The fifth day, the principle isNia (purpose).

The sixth day, the principle isKuumba (creativity).

The seventh day, the principleis Imani (faith*).

Learn more about

Kwanzaa at this website:officialkwanzaawebsite.org

New Year's EveNew Year's Eve

is December 31.

Some people go tosleep early. Othersitay up late to enjoya party and ringbells, blow horns,shake noisemakersat twelve o'clockmidnight. They singa traditional* song,

People cheer in "Auld Lang Syne* " Times Square, New York, waitingfor

midnight on December 31, 2016. Sipa via AP Imagesfor the seven

principles* ofKwanzaa. Each day

of Kwanzaa remindspeople of oneprinciple.

The principle for

the first day is Umoja(unity*). The secondday, the principle is

Kujichagulia (self-

control).

The third day, theprinciple is Ujima(cooperation).

The fourth day,

Lezlee Hinesmon-Matthews pours water into a bowl

during a ceremony* at the Kwanzaa celebration at the

East Anaheim Community Center, Anaheim, California.

Eugene Garcia/the Orange County Register via AP

In New York City,almost a million people go toa big outdoor party at TimesSquare*. Famous bands andsingers play music. At 11:59p.m. Eastern Time, a ball oflights falls slowly down theflagpole at the top of OneTimes'Square. When it stops

one minute later, the new yearhas begun. Fireworks light upthe sky. People kiss each other,hug, or shake hands to greet

the new year.

People in different parts of

the U.S. celebrate the newyear when it's midnight intheir time zone.

It's a tradition to drink atoast* to the new year. Somepeople drink too much. Thepolice tell people: If youdrive, don? drink; ifyoudrink, don drive.

On New Year's Eve, policestop cars to test drivers to seeif they are sober*. There areserious penalties* for drunkdriving.

Page 4 Easy English NEWSDecember 2017

This is your pageany other surprises!

Now I know

Christmas was almost here. Ineeded to find a present for myhusband. The store was verycrowded*. A lady stopped me.She asked me what I thoughtabout a blouse she chose. Ididn't answer right away. Thenshe asked me, "Do you speakEnglish?" I said, "Litter." Shelaughed. I didn't know why.

j.

Litter Bigstockphoto.com

I told my husband what

happened. He told me that I

pronounced the word wrong.

Litter means trash. Little

means a small amount. There's

a big difference in the meaningof these two little words.

Katarzyna Milkowska

Hixson, Tennessee

(Poland)

Where is everyone?

I moved to Huntsville,Alabama. There were very few

people on the street. Children

weren't outside playing in the

neighborhood*. Where are the

people? I wondered.

In China, thousands ofpeople walk in the street

every day. When you come

home from work, parents and

grandparents are outside. The

children play together. Adults

talk to each other.

Cars Bigstockpbot0M»rn

In China, everyone rides on

buses. There are many buses

on the road. In America, there

are very few buses. Everyone

here rides in a car.

At first, I wasn't going to

buy a car. Now, I own a used

car. I drive everywhere.

So, where are the people?

They are all in cars. Cars are

their feet!

Jinlian Lin

Huntsville, Alabama

(China)

Different place,different size

My friend and I went to

Pier 39 in San Francisco. We

ordered a clam chowder*bread bowl and a small drink

for lunch. The food came. We

looked at each other. The drink

was so big! We thought we

ordered the wrong size. We

checked our receipt*. It was

correct.

Bigstockphoto.com

A small drink in the USA

is bigger than a large drink ih

Japan. The next time we order a

drink, we'll share it!

Connie De Oliveira

Concord. California(Japan)

Ice Christmas

I came to America

a few weeks beforeChristmas. There

was a joyful* airof the Christmasholidayeverywhere.

Peoplesay, "MerryChristmas!"Friends andfamily giveChristmas gifts to

each another.

I heardthe wordChristmasall day long.

Ice cream cone

Bigstockphoto.com

It filled my ears and stayed in

my mind.

The day after Christmas,

my husband and I went out for

lunch. He ordered a slice of

pizza. The girl asked me what

I'd like. I wasn't hungry. I

looked up at the food pictures

on the wall and said, "I'd like

ice Christmas."

She looked confused. I

thought she didn't hear me.

I repeated, "I'd like ice

Christmas."

She said, "I'm sorry. I don't

know what you mean."

My husband didn't

understand what I said either.

He asked me in Chinese what I

meant. I pointed to the sign. He

laughed and told the waitress

that I wanted ice cream.

Qun Wu

Mason, Ohio

(China)

Look before you sleep

I rented a room in anapartmentv I never visited the

apartment. I only saw pictures

of the room. It looked clean and

neat. When I got there, therewas a bird in the apartment. I'mafraid of birds! I wasn't toldabout the bird.

I was so tired. I just wantedto sleep. J went to my room.There were no mirrors orhangers*. I went to sleep. Iwoke up after a few minutes.The bed was flat on the floor.

I didn't understand whathappened. The landlord* toldme it was an air mattress* andit had a hole in it.

An air mattress Bigstockphoto.com

bought a kit* to fix it.It was useless. I was very

tired on my first day of work.

When I came home, I asked

the landlord to lower my rentbecause of all the things thatwere wrong. She said shecouldn't do that.

I looked for another room.This time. I learned to askabout everything. I want tomake sure that the room isfurnished*. I don't want any

pets or

Heba Hussein

Aldie, Virginia

(Egypt)

Strange elevator*

My daughter lives on the

first floor in a big building inQueens*. It has one hundredapartments. There are manydoors.

An elevator (left) in an apartment

building Dreamsüme.com

I saw many people fromdifferent countries come outof the same door. There wasa Japanese girl, a Russiangrandma, Korean boys, and a

white family.

I asked my daughter how

big the apartment was. So

many people lived there. She

laughed and said, "That's not

an apartment. It's an elevator!"

Elevator doors look totally

different from apartment doors

in South Korea. In some old

buildings in New York, they

look the same. The elevator

doors are even painted the same

color as the apartment doors.

That's why I was confused.

All those people came out of

the same door. I thought it

was an apartment. It was just a

strange elevator.

Yun Kim

Sunnyside, New York

(South Korea)

Send your story to ESL@elizabethclaire.com. Write

your story title and your

name in the subject line.

Please see our website forWriter Guidelines. Wepay $15 for each story wepublish. Write your nameand mailing address so wecan send you paynent ifwe print your story. Tell usyour home country, too.

December 2017Easy English NEWS Page 5

ASQEIizabeth: The metric system*Dear

Elizabeth,

Whydoes agreatcountry

like theU.S. usesuch

Photo by Karen Riposoan

old anddifficult measuring system?Why doesn't the U.S. change tothe metric system?

Brian

Dear Brian,

This isvery hard fornewcomersto the U.S. tounderstand.Almost

thought that it was a good idea.He created a decimal-based*system for the U.S. His idea didnot pass Congress. However,the United States was the firstcountry in the world to use adecimal-based money system,with 100 cents to a dollar.

So, the U.S. kept on usingthe English measuring systemof pounds, ounces, inches, feet,yards, miles, cups, pints, quarts,and gallons.

The U.S. made the metricsystem legal for use in 1866.

However, it wasvoluntary*'

In 1975, theU.S. Congress*voted to changethe U.S. to the

in both systems ontheir labels* , Butmany other businessescomplained that itcost too much to makethe change. It is a bigmess.

People can easilylearn to calculate*in the metric system.The hard part isthe cost and theconfusion in business,construction*, andlaws.

Thousands of laws

and regulations* inevery state containU.S. measurements.Construction plans forbuildings, roads, andbridges are to

50 —120

30

20

10

-o

40

In Celsius, water

freezes at Odegrees and boils

at 100 degrees.

In Fahrenheit,

itfreezes at 32

degrees and boils

at 212 degrees,

Bigstockphoto.com

One example happenedwhen Canada went onthe metric system in1970. A Canadian jetwith 66 passengersran out of fuel* while

flying from Ottawa toEdmonton. Both enginesstopped working inmid-air! The pilots*didn't know whatwas happening. Theythought their lives wereover. Luckily, they wereable to land in a nearbyracetrack. No one died.What had happened? Aworker put in 22,000pounds of fuel insteadof 22,000 kilogramsof fuel. (A kilogram isabout 2.2 pounds.)

everyother country inthe world nowuses the metricsystem. Allscientists use themetric system.

The metricsystem wasdeveloped in

metric system.The law gaveAmericans tenyears to get ready.Schools began toteach the metricsystem.

Many foodproductsnow have

France in 1791. A carpenter measures a window.

Bigstockphoto.com measurements

convert* to the metric system.

These are things that wouldneed to change: road signs andspeed limits*; gas pumps tomeasure gas in liters, not ingallons; clothing sizes and shoesizes; cookbooks and measuringequipment; thermometers* ,and the weather reports*.

any rmstakes cari"bé'hååde.

not easy Another example

Thomas Jefferson

Ask a speech coach: Double*by Gene Zerna

DearGene Zerna,

My

studentsusuallyleave outone or twoconsonantsat the endsof words.

second tap, words slowly. Feel the doubleIt/ or /d/ on drumbeat yourself.

For example they may say,"This answer is correck." "Islep eight hours." Can you givethem some help?

Ms. Harris

Dear Ms. Harris and students,

English words have moreconsonant sounds than mostother languages. New speakersof English often have trouble in

pronouncing them.

I call the consonant sounds

such aspt, kt, gd, bd, and ct the

"double drumbeats." That is,

you can feel a double tap tap asyou say them. You can feel each

consonant as a separate* event.

The lips make the first tap,/p/ or /b/. The tongue makes the

the gumridge* inback of theupper frontteeth. Theback of Bigstockphoto.com

the tonguemakes the drumbeat for the [k/

or /g/.

The /p/ and 1k/ are voiceless*.

The sound following them forthe past tense is also voiceless:/t/. even if it is spelled with a d.

Listen to an English speakersay these words slowly. Watchhis or her mouth for thedouble drumbeat. Then say the

slept wept accept

stopped clipped shipped

slipped tripped transcript

wiped walked adopt

except bankrupt

helicopter reptile tiptoe

talked

raked

locked

fact

correct

walked

liked

act

direct

baked

biked

asked

addict

suspect architect*

Now practice thesesentences:

Harry baked a cakewhile his mother rakedleaves,

She walked to herhouse. and tripped onthe step.

Benedict talked to

the young addicts. Heasked them the facts in

their life.

is the loss of the U.S. MarsClimate Orbiter. All itsmeasurements were in themetric system. But onecompany supplied one smallitem measured in the U.S.system. That caused the $650million dollar spacecraft to flytoo low when it reached Mars.It brokeintosmallpiece

consonants*The next words have voiced*

sounds: 1b/ and Listen toan English speaker pronouncethem. Then try them yourself.

nabbed* rubbed robbed

stabbed sobbed* grabbed

begged tugged bagged*

tagged wagged plugged

Billie plugged in thecomputer.

Kara rubbed her cold handstogether.

Jack bagged a duck, andtagged its foot.

A man grabbed Betka 'shandbag. She begged him togive it back. She sobbed toa police officer: "That manrobbed me!" Soon the policenabbed the man.

Gene Zema has a degree intheater direction and has trainedmany actors for the stage, He isthe author and producer of MasterSpoken English, a 5-DVD programfor advanced learners who wishto improve pronunciation. DOyou want to sound more like anAmerican? You can contact him atMasterspokenenglish.com

He baked; she raked Bigstockphotocom

Page 6 Easy English NEWS December 2017

WinterAre you new in the United States? Are

you from a warm country? You need toprepare many things for winter weather inthe northern states.

What's the temperature?

Keep a thermometer* outsidea window, so you will know thetemperature* outdoors.

Check the weather reporton radio, TV, or the Internet.The temperature may be indegrees Fahrenheit* (F). Youcan change it to Celsius (C)with this formula: (F-32) x 5/9.For example: Fifty degreesFahrenheit —32 = 18. 18 x 5/9 =

ten degrees Celsius.

F

-4

C40

30

20

0

in theAt first, the fingers or toes feel

numb*. They begin to hurt as

they are warming up inside. Donot rub them! Place hands or feet

in a sink or tub of warm water

(not hot) about 100 degrees F(40 degrees C) to let them warmup gradually. For nose and ears:

cover with soft cloth slightlywarmed in the microwave (nothot).

Snow emergency

When there is a heavy Snow blocked this man's car. He is shoveling it away so he can move

A quick way to change Fahrenheit toCelsius: Subtract 32. Then divide by 2.The answer is nine degrees. It's close, butnot exact. Winter temperatures in northernstates often go below zero Fahrenheit.

Dress for the weather

You'll need winter coats, hats, scarves,and gloves when the temperature goesdown to 45 0 F or lower. You'll need

waterproof* boots when there is snow or

rain. On a very cold day, dress in layers*:wear a T-shirt, long-sleeve shirt, a sweater,and then a coat or jacket. Wool* is warmer

than polyester*. Cotton* feels the mostcomfortable near your skin. Wear a scarffor your neck and a hat to keep your head

warm.

Prevent frostbite*

The wind-chill factor* is important, too.

When the wind is blowing, it can chill*

your body more. Fingers, toes, nose, and

ears may freeze. This is called frostbite.

This is a danger when a person is outside

in the cold for a long time or gets wet when

outdoors. A person may need to go to the

hospital for treatment.

Snow plows* cleør the streets. They cannot

do this job if there are cars parked m their

wcm 'Ibere may be afine* fur rzrking on

some streets a snow.

snowfall, schools may close. Find his car.

out your school system's wayto tell students when the school will beclosed. Can you get this information from aspecial radio or TV station, or the school'swebsite? Will someone call you? In a smalltown, there may be a fire whistle* to letpeople know that schools are closed.

If your childhas no school, youmay need a baby-sitter for "snowdays." It's not safeto leave youngchildren homealone.

Homeownersmust clear snowfrom the sidewalksin front of theirhomes. Stop oftenwhen you areshoveling snow.People who areoverweight* or over 40 years old shouldbe especially careful. It's a common way tohave a heart attack!

If there is ice on the sidewalk, spreadsand, cat litter*, or rock salt* on it.

Many accidents happen when peoplefall on icy sidewalks. Snow boots are saferfor walking on ice than regular shoes.Be especially careful when you cross icystreets. Cars are not able to stop easily onicy roads.

Snow emergency routes*

During a snow emergency, people maynot park their cars on streets with the signs"Snow Emergency Route." Snow plowsmust clear these roads for police cars,fire trucks, and ambulances. Tow trucks

may remove cars parked on the route. The

owners will have to pay a fine* to get their

cars back.

In case of a very high snowfall (12inches or more), the city may close allroadways except for vehicles* used by

police, fire, ambulances, and emergencyvehicles.

Keep warm at home

Indoor temperatures in winter shouldbe 68 0 to 700 F. Older people may need itwarmer. Lower the temperature at night.

Wear warm clothing in your home if youfeel cold. In homes with older windows,you can put clear plastic sheets overwindows. (Stores such as Home Depot sellwindow insulation kits.) These can keep theheat in and cold winds out. Watch a videoabout them at:Youtube.com/watch

Cold air cannot hold much moisture*.When air is heated indoors, it becomesvery dry. You can increase the moisture inthe air in your home with a humidifier*.Or put a few inches of water in the bathtubto evaporate*. Hang up wet towels.

Skin, hands, andlips dry out easilyin the winter: Usehand cream and lip

moisturizer*. Drinkmore water.

Never use yourgas stove or oven

to heat your kitchen.Kerosene* heatersare dangerous, too.They can start firesif they fall over.They use up oxygenthat you need to

A carbon monoxide

detector* should be

placed low on a wall.

Carbon monoxide gas is

heavier than air Smoke

detectors* should be

placed near the ceiling as

smoke is lighter than air.

breathe. Electric heaters are safer. Read the

instructions carefully. You can keep one

room warm while you are working in it.

Turn the heater off when you are not in the

room. Keep the heater away from papers,

curtains, or other things that can burn. Keep

children away from the heaters.

Be sure you have smoke detectorsTest the batteries* to make sure theyare working. If you have gas heat orstoves, you also need a carbon monoxidedetector*. This can save your life!

All photos from Bigstockphotocom

Winter can be a lot offun. These children atesleddmg.

December 2017

Easy English NEWS Page 7

Heroes and HistoryEllis Island, the "Island of Tears"

Immigrants* have been coming to the UnitedStates from its very beginnings. Ellis Island wasthe immigration inspection* station from 1892 to1954. Ellis Island is in New York Harbor*. In those60 years, 12 million people came through its doors.The immigrants during that time were mostly fromcountries in Europe: Italy, Poland, Russia, Germany,Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Austria,Greece, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden. A largepercentage of Americans can trace* their family'sarrival in the U.S. to this "doorway."

Crossing the ocean

Immigrants crossed the Atlantic Ocean in largesteamships. The poorest immigrants traveled in thirdclass, which was the cheapest. The conditions wereterrible. Immigrants were packed into large roomsbelow the decks. There would be 200 people, withonly two or three toilets. There were no windowsto let light in. There were bedbugs and lice* in thebunk beds*. The smell was awful. The food was not

The good. People became seasick.

shared

U.S.

between

Immigration

both states

Inspection

It is now

Station

an immigration

was at Ellis Island,

museum.

New

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JerseyfNew York The island is

The first sight for new immigrants whentheir ship arrived in New York Harbor wasthe Statue of Liberty*

The inspection

Immigrants in third class had to passinspection at Ellis Island. They had to prove*that they had a job waiting for them. If they

had no job, they had to prove that someone

would support* them. They had to pass a

health inspection, too.

"Island of Tears"

The U.S. would not let immigrants with

and certain diseases* enter thehandicaps* country. Immigrants who failed the health

inspection had to return to Europe.

Long lines go through inspection in the main hall.

Black and white

The return trip back to Europe was free for a sick person. But

what if a child were sick? The mother would have to go back,

too. Then the other children would have no mother to care for

photos courtesyLibrary ofCongress

Statue of Liberty

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them in America. About two

percent of immigrants failedinspection. Many families were broken up. For that

reason, Ellis Island got the name, "Island of Tears."

Ellis Island today

Today, Ellis Island is an immigration museum.

This island and Liberty Island are both part

of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

Visitors ride a ferry* across New York

Harbor to Ellis Island. Visitors can see a

movie about immigration. They can hear the

stories told by immigrants. Many visitors

look for names of their ancestors* who came

Immigrants on a ship, arriving m New York Harbor, waitingto go to Ellis Island for inspection

through Ellis Island more than a hundred

years ago.

Read more about Ellis Island at:

www.nps.gov/elis/index.htm

Families were separated if one family member failed the health inspection