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Norwegian Parliament votes to decriminalize drugs

Last week, the majority of Norway’s Parliament voted to decriminalize all drug use and focus on treatment instead. The vote does not automatically decriminalize illicit drugs -- rather, it directs the government to begin revising its current laws related to drugs. Under the proposed plan, people found with small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, and other illegal drugs could be sent to a treatment program, rather than fined or imprisoned. The new rules would mimic those in place in Portugal, which decriminalized drug use in 2001 and has since seen a decrease in habitual drug use and drug-related deaths. In 2006, Norway began testing a decriminalization program in Oslo and Bergen, through which drug users are sentenced to treatment. Last year, courts throughout the country were given the option to do this.

Supporters of the new approach argue that helping addicts recover from addiction will reduce the likelihood that they will commit crimes. A report released in June by Europe’s drug addiction monitoring agency found there were more than 48,000 drug law offenses and 266 drug overdoses in Norway in 2014, the most recent figures available.

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Scientists discover a “twin” solar system with eight planets

Last Thursday, NASA scientists announced the existence of a solar system with eight planets, the same number as our own solar system. The Kepler-90 system is more than 2,500 light-years away. It ties our own solar system for having the highest number of known planets.Scientists had already known about seven planets orbiting the Kepler-90 star. The discovery of the eighth planet was made with the help of artificial intelligence developed by Google. Google software engineers created a “neural network,” a type of machine-learning technique, to analyze data collected by the Kepler space telescope. There was too much of this data for humans to examine on their own.

The Kepler-90 system is like ours in that it includes smaller, rocky planets closer to its sun and larger, gaseous planets farther away. Yet scientists believe that the eight planets are too warm to host extraterrestrial life. The Kepler-90 star is about 20 percent bigger and 5 percent warmer than our sun, and all of its planets orbit the star more closely than the Earth orbits the sun.

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Naples pizza-twirling wins UNESCO heritage status

On December 7th, the Neapolitan technique of pizza twirling was added to the UNESCO’s “intangible heritage” list, which aims to raise awareness of traditions around the world. The practice, called “pizzaiuolo,” was one of 33 traditions added to the list this year; also among them were German organ craftsmanship and a style of Serbian folk dance. The practice of pizzaiuolo has been handed down for generations, and includes songs and stories that turn pizza-making into a social ritual. UNESCO’s decision to add the practice to its list followed years of lobbying, and around 2 million people signed a petition to have the practice added to the list. The day the honor was announced, Neapolitan pizza makers handed out free pizza in the streets.

The intangible heritage list was created in 2003 and now includes more than 350 traditions and art forms. Other food-related traditions include Turkish coffee culture, the gingerbread craft of northern Croatia, and the Mediterranean diet.

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  Superlatives

  Joshua:	Jessica, don’t you miss the time when the United States was bipartisan, a leader in global thinking and free trade, and the biggest enforcer of the liberal order in the world, instead of promoting isolationism and “America first?”
  Jessica:	Yeah, it’s a shame that isolationism and populism are on the rise and, unfortunately, it’s not just in the United States. The “liberal order,” meaning countries that subscribe to a free, democratic system, is under the most horrible pressure from the inside and out. The world seems to have forgotten what made it prosperous and peaceful in the first place.
  Joshua:	Exactly! And that prosperity for one nation means prosperity for all. Remember, for instance, when President Truman helped save Berlin with the airlift?
  Jessica:	The airlift by American and British forces to supply Berlin, is one of the most uplifting stories I have ever heard. In 1948, Berlin was in the worst possible situation after the end of WWII.
  Joshua:	After the war Germany was divided into 4 parts. The sectors of the western allies formed West Germany, and the Soviet sector became communist East Germany. Berlin, likewise, was divided into West Berlin and East Berlin.
  Jessica:	West Berlin’s biggest problem was that it was an island deep in the Russian sector, located about 100 miles away from the rest of West Germany. It was essentially the most helpless and most isolated outpost of the West, deep in the most hostile territory.
  Joshua:	On June 24th,1948, the Soviet Union started the strictest blockade of West Berlin. All goods were blocked from entering the city, no people were allowed to leave and the electricity for West Berlin was cut off. It was the start of one of the first major crises of the Cold War.
  Jessica:	To make a long story short, the intent was to starve out West Berlin. At the time of the blockade, West Berlin had enough food for about 35 days and enough coal for about 45 days. Its very survival as a free city was at stake!
  Joshua:	President Truman decided to work with the British to supply Berlin by air, which most people at the time thought could not be done. But once the airlift began, planes were landing at Tempelhof Airport every three minutes.
  Jessica:	Yes, they maintained the strictest possible time table. The Soviets were helpless to stop these flights. Shooting one down would have been an act of war. Two million tons of food, fuel and other supplies were flown into the city by the bravest pilots.
  Joshua:	This changed our relationship with Berliners. We were no longer seen as occupiers of the city. The inhabitants began to see us as friends. The airlift cost $224 million, which would be billions today, but there is no question that the rescue of West Berlin was well worth the cost.
  Jessica:	There was another cost we must not forget: 101 pilots gave their lives. They were the first victims of the Cold War, which would last decades. But nobody can argue that the fight for the liberal order, against communism, didn’t pay off big time for the United States.
  Joshua:	Yeah, if only people today looked more at history books, they might learn that “America First” is definitely not the best way to go if we want to live in a stable world.

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  Superlatives

  Superlatives are adjectives that describe a noun which is the highest or most of something, such as the smartest, the most interesting, the best. They are used in sentences where a subject is compared to a group of the same noun. Whenever we use a superlative, it generally follows the following formula: Subject + verb + the + superlative adjective + object.

  Nathan received the highest grades in the class. This deli serves the most delicious sandwiches in the city.

  
  

  I. One-Syllable Adjectives

  To create a superlative for a single-syllable adjective, we add -est to the end of the adjective, or -st if the adjective already ends in ‘e’.

  My school is the largest in the city. Sarah is the smartest student in the school.

  If the adjective ends with a consonant-vowel-consonant, such as big or sad, then the last consonant is usually doubled when forming a superlative.

  Her family’s house is the biggest on the block. That film is the saddest movie I have seen.

  
  

  II. Two-Syllable Adjectives

  To form the superlative for adjectives with three or more syllables, simply add ‘most’ immediately before the adjective.

  Her golden retriever is the most peaceful dog I’ve ever met. My father is the most careful driver I know.

  However, two-syllable adjectives ending in ‘y’ are formed differently. Instead, drop the ‘y’ and add -iest.

  I think Jerry Seinfeld is the funniest comedian. O’Hare is the busiest airport in the Midwest.

  
  

  III. Adjectives with Three or More Syllables

  To form the superlative for adjectives with three or more syllables, simply add ‘most’ immediately before the adjective.

  Shaun bought the most expensive car at the dealership. Choosing where to go to college was the most important decision of her life.

  
  

  IV. Irregular Superlatives

  Some adjectives do not follow the above rules and have irregular superlative forms.

  Jason is the best striker on the team. bad → worst This year had the worst winter in fifteen years. little → least The business made the least amount of money on record last year. many → most She sold the most cars of all the salespeople this quarter.

  
  

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  To get out of hand

  Joshua:	Our obsession with pets has gotten out of hand!
  Jessica:	“Our?”
  Joshua:	Yes, our, as in the American obsession with pets! Worldwide, the US ranks #1 for both dog and cat ownership. There are over 70,000,000 pet dogs and I am sure the number of pet cats is even bigger! We spend about $65 billion on our “furry friends” each year.
  Jessica:	It doesn't really surprise me – we love our pets!
  Joshua:	You’re not surprised? OK, what about these statistics? 27% of pet owners have had a professional photograph taken of their furry friends; 36% buy their dog birthday presents; 50% admit they talk to their pets. The pet products industry has even come up with a term for that: the humanization of pets.
  Jessica:	Still not surprised! Just look at social media these days! I’m sure it’s playing a big role in the humanization of pets. There’s no better way to show off your matching manicures and designer outfits. I read somewhere that dog owners post a picture or talk about their canine companions six times per week. In 2016, one in six pet owners had created a social media account – Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube – specifically for their pet.
  Joshua:	Technology is certainly driving this trend!
  Jessica:	So what other shocking discoveries led you to say that things have gotten out of hand when it comes to pets?
  Joshua:	There are so many! According to a 2014 study by Wakefield Research, 76% of young Americans say that they would rather spend money on their pets than on themselves. 44% of them would buy expensive, gourmet treats. 38% would buy a custom bed that costs an arm and a leg!
  Jessica:	A custom-made bed?
  Joshua:	Yep! By comparison, only 50% of Baby Boomers – people born between 1946 and 1964 – said they would spend more on their pets than themselves.
  Jessica:	So pet ownership and spending in the US is growing, especially among younger people?
  Joshua:	Three-fourths of Americans in their 30s have dogs, while 51% have cats. Compare that to the overall US population, where 50% own dogs, and 35% own cats. The numbers don’t lie!
  Jessica:	OK, enough numbers. You’ve convinced me – things are getting out of hand. Now tell me, how do you explain this phenomenon?
  Joshua:	Well, first, retired people are living longer, healthier lives, which makes them more likely to get a pet.
  Jessica:	That’s true!
  Joshua:	Second, and most important, are young people. Millennials are half as likely to get married or live with a partner than Americans were 50 years ago. They are also delaying parenthood and demanding flexible work arrangements, which means they often work from home. All of these factors lead to higher rates of pet ownership.
  Jessica:	So, your point is that younger Americans are getting more pets because...?
  Joshua:	Love!
  Jessica:	A-ha!
  Joshua:	Do you know how the dictionary defines “pet?”
  Jessica:	Let me look that up... Pet: a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure.
  Joshua:	“Companionship or pleasure!” If you ask the most obsessive pet owners why they are so attached to their animals, I bet you many of them will say their pet gives them more love than any person could. More than a spouse, a sibling, or even parents.
  Jessica:	Now that’s getting out of hand!
  Joshua:	Well, it is true that a dog will love you just the way you are.
  Jessica:	Hmm… So in the era of online dating, Millennials are buying pets because they want true, unconditional love?
  Joshua:	Yes! After all, “all you need is love! Love is all you need!”

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  To get out of hand

  We have all been in a situation where you make a sensible plan to get something done, but then when the time comes, circumstances have a way of changing our plans. We lose control of the situation and the end result is overall more complicated, expensive, and far less sensible. When we let circumstances and improvisation lead us down a path of excess, we can rightfully say that things got out of hand.

  Here is another very simple way to think about this expression. If you say that something is out of hand, it means that it is out of control.

  This leads us to the origin of the phrase. Out of hand is a reference to horses and reins. A well known hazard of riding horses or carriages is that the failure to maintain a firm grip on the reins could result in an out of control horse. That “horse out of hand” becomes the metaphor for any situation that gets away from the person in charge and results in unintended and often wild results.

  Example 1:

  My roommate asked me if his girlfriend could spend the night “every once in a while,” and I agreed. But now she’s been here every night for over a month and her stuff is everywhere! This has really gotten out of hand.

  Example 2:

  My daughter wanted a piñata at her birthday party. We hung it up in a tree and let the kids have fun trying to break it open with a stick. Of course, there were several adults there to supervise. It’s the kind of game that can quickly get out of hand!

  Example 3 [Incorrect use]:

  I was walking next to the swimming pool and my brand new smartphone got out of hand and landed in the water. I was so upset!

Let's practice pronunciation on few short phrases from today's episode. Listen carefully how the native speaker pronounces each sentence. Follow the intonations in each sentence. When you are ready, record one paragraph at a time with your own voice and then compare your pronunciation and intonations to the native speaker's:

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