Shrinking Glaciers, Bananas in South Korea, Starliner Flight Delays

Ashley Thompson and Mario Ritter, Jr. are the hosts of the VOA Learning English Podcast for Monday, August 12, 2024.
00:56 The program starts with Anna Matteo’s report on shrinking glaciers across the Andes in South America. Scientists say that they are shrinking at a speed not seen before in the history of human civilization. "We thought this result was decades away," said Andrew Gorin, the lead writer of the study. He first thought the results were an accident. But later he and his team confirmed the results with more samples. learningenglis...
4:45 The warming weather affects farmers in South Korea, too, Jill Robbins reports. Farmers in the temperate zone country are now experimenting with tropical crops like bananas and papaya. South Korea’s state agricultural organization, the Rural Development Administration, reports that there are now 67 banana farms in the country. learningenglis...
08:07 For the Science report, Bryan Lynn has a story about flight delays in space. Two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, left on June 6 for a planned one-week stay in space on board Boeing’s Starliner. However, problems with the thruster’s seals of the spacecraft have extended their stay in space. Now, they might have to remain at the ISS until February. learningenglis...
Bryan joins Ashley in the studio for a discussion about their plight. Bryan says that the two astronauts continue to work with NASA to address the problem and remain hopeful about the craft’s safety.
Ashley promotes Let’s Learn English with Anna.
18:15 Ashley then joins Jonathan Evans for a report on the Grand Canyon. It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and one of the largest canyons on Earth. It stretches for 450 kilometers. Parts of the canyon are more than 30 kilometers wide and one kilometer deep. Five million people visit the Grand Canyon National Park every year. And Jonathan says the first sight of the canyon can leave them speechless. Depending on the time of day, the sun lights up the rock walls in red, orange, and golden colors. learningenglis...
Ashley and Mario then sign off.
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