뉴스&스피킹(영자신문)
하루 10분이면 영어에 대한 두려움을 극복하고 누구나 유창하게 영어를 구사하실 수 있습니다.
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07.24 - Tuesday
07.25 - Wednesday
07.26 - Thursday
07.27 - Friday
07.28 
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Barbenheimer: Two Movies, One Day Two of the biggest summer movies are being released on the same day, July 21st, Barbie directed by Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
The release of the movies has gotten a lot of attention on the internet and in social media. Many people are buying tickets to watch both films on the same day, creating the double feature event called “Barbenheimer.”
The word “Barbenheimer” is a portmanteau or blend word of, not only the letters of the words, but their meanings as well. There is even some disagreement about how the word should be spelled: “Barbieheimer” or “Barbenheimer” or even “Boppenheimer.”
Studios often target films in different genres for release on the same weekend. Oppenheimer is a serious drama about the man who supervised the development of the atomic bomb. Barbie is a colorful film about a popular line of American toys played by real people.
Directors Gerwig and Nolan have enthusiastic fans online. Some people are fans of both. When a new advertisement is shown for one movie, both show a lot of social media interactions. There are even memes and tee-shirts made about the release of the two movies on the same day.
Paul Dergarabedian is a media expert. He said that the “Barbenheimer” marketing is good for both movies.
"You're certainly aware of both movies in a more profound and compelling way," Dergarabedian said of the two movies.
Many theaters have already reported tickets sale for the double feature. AMC Theaters reported that 20,000 AMC Stubs members have bought tickets for both movies. That is over four hours of movie-watching.
Barbenheimer days
The stars say they are planning “Barbenheimer” days.
Margot Robbie plays Barbie. She spoke at the movie’s first showing in London. She said people should start and end their day with Barbie, watching Oppenheimer in the middle. “It's a perfect double bill. "I think actually start your day with 'Barbie,' then go straight into Oppenheimer and then a Barbie…" The movie’s star said people should watch her film twice.
Actor Tom Cruise’s movie Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One was released just one week before “Barbenheimer.” He said that he plans to see both films on opening day, probably starting with Oppenheimer.
Issa Rae is one of the actresses in Barbie. At the London premiere, she said there is a reason for people wanting to end their day with Barbie.
"I think that there's a very specific order that (you should) see them in," Rae said.
Some people in Hollywood think that the July 21st date for the opening of both films is not by chance. Many wonder if Warner Bros. Studios wanted Barbie to open the same weekend as Oppenheimer because Nolan had opened other films like Inception and Dunkirk through Warner Bros.
Nolan left the studio because of a decision to send a year’s worth of movies to streaming services. Nolan then made Oppenheimer with Universal Studios.
Unspoken rule
There is an unspoken rule in Hollywood: Never publicly say bad things about another studio’s movie. This idea is connected to a belief that supporting one movie is good for other movies. If a person goes to one movie and sees advertisements for another, it might create more interest and help the whole industry.
Cruise knew that that his Mission: Impossible would no longer be shown on the huge IMAX screens at some theaters when Oppenheimer is released. But Cruise posted photos of himself and director Christophere McQuarrie in front of advertisements for competing movies Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Barbie, and Oppenheimer.
Cruise posted the photos on his social media account saying: “This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters. These are just a few that we can't wait to see on the big screen.”
Dergarabedian said, "Not only is Tom Cruise the biggest box office star in the world, but he's also an incredible ambassador for the movie theater, for the movie theater experience and boosting other movies."
He added that the friendly environment created by competition in Hollywood was a good thing.
The actors, directors and official social media accounts of all the movies have been very supportive of one another. Cillian Murphy plays Robert Oppenheimer. He told the Associated Press at the movie’s London showing that, “of course” he would watch Barbie.
But everyone still enjoys a number one debut. Both Barbie and Oppenheimer reportedly cost $100 million to make, not including millions of dollars spent on marketing.
The Barbie opening weekend could make over $90 million in North America only, while Oppenheimer is expected to make $40 million on its first weekend. But Oppenheimer may have a longer life into awards season.
There is a lot of pressure on “Barbenheimer” to increase revenues for underperforming summer movies. And other issues like the writers’ strike, which actors recently joined, are on people's minds. For example, the actors of Oppenheimer walked out of their movie’s first showing in London as the actors’ strike was announced.
I’m Dan Friedell.
And I’m Faith Pirlo.View -
Women’s Soccer World Cup Opens with Wins by New Zealand and Australia The Women’s soccer World Cup has started in Australia and New Zealand and will continue until August 20. The teams from the host countries won their first games on Thursday.
New Zealand defeated Norway, 1-0. It was the first-ever win in the tournament for New Zealand.
Australia is playing without Sam Kerr, one of the world’s best players, but it still defeated Ireland, 1-0.
Norway had been one of the top teams in the world when women’s soccer was young, winning the 1995 World Cup. However, the team has not been as good recently, losing early in both the 2019 tournament and at the 2022 European Cup.
Katie Bowen is a member of the New Zealand team. Seeing her team ahead when the game ended was “absolutely surreal,” she said.
Players from New Zealand and Norway said they were not distracted by a shooting in Auckland earlier in the day. A man with a gun went into a construction site near the hotel where Norway was staying. He killed two people and later died after a shootout with New Zealand police.
Extra police watched over the opening game at Eden Park stadium. Over 40,000 people were there, including New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins. He thanked the team for starting the tournament with an “inspirational” performance.
For Australia, Steph Catley scored a goal on a penalty kick early in the second half and that was enough to win. Australian fans had been concerned about the news that Kerr would miss the tournament’s first two games with a leg injury.
Over 75,000 fans watched the match in a stadium built for the 2000 Olympics. Australia had trouble scoring without Kerr, who plays in the women’s professional league in England for Chelsea.
New Zealand’s next game is on July 25 against the Philippines and Australia plays Nigeria on July 27.
The defending champion United States plays Vietnam in its first match on July 22.
The tournament is larger than in past years, with 32 teams. Many countries are in the tournament for the first time. They include Ireland, Vietnam, Zambia and Haiti. Other first-time competitors are Morocco, Panama, Portugal and the Philippines.
The Americans are looking for their third-straight win, but other top teams include France, Japan, Germany, Canada and Brazil.
Canada’s coach is Bev Priestman. She said more countries are putting money into developing their teams and players. She said some teams could lose in the tournament’s first games, known as the group stage, but then do well at the next level, called the knockout round. “It’s tighter than it’s ever been,” she said.
Soccer experts pointed to a recent 3-2 win by Africa’s Zambia over Germany.
“The world is catching up,” said American coach Vlatko Andonovski.
I’m Caty Weaver.View -
How US and North Korea Communicate Without Diplomatic Ties The United States and North Korea do not have diplomatic ties. But they still have ways to communicate.
An American official said that the U.S. government had reached out to the North to discuss a U.S. soldier who went into North Korea and was detained last Tuesday.
The Associated Press reported on some ways the nations could discuss Private Travis King. King is the first American held in North Korea in nearly five years.
Pink Phone
One of the most trusted ways for the U.S. to reach North Korea is through a light, pink-colored phone. The phone is at the U.S.-led U.N. Command at the Korean border village of Panmunjom. That is where King went into North Korea on Tuesday. The telephone line connects the officers on each side. The offices are reportedly only 40 meters apart.
Matthew Miller is a State Department spokesperson. He said Wednesday that the U.S. Defense Department tried to reach the North’s army but “those communications have not yet been answered.”
Observers say the U.S. likely used the “pink phone.”
In January, the U.N. Command said on social media that it had remained in contact with the North's army throughout 2022.
Moon Seong Mook is a retired South Korean military officer. He said North Korean officers appeared to be ignoring the calls made by the U.N. Command on orders from higher-level officers.
The reason for King’s border crossing is unclear. He was found guilty of assault in South Korea and could be discharged from the military and face other punishments.
New York mission
Miller said the U.S. maintains a number of channels to send messages to North Korea.
One of those is North Korea’s mission to the United Nations in New York. That mission has provided a way to have negotiations between the countries. It serves as a substitute embassy because the U.S. and North Korea do not have embassies in the other’s capital.
The mission played an important part in negotiating details for the meetings between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019. At the start of their second meeting in Vietnam, both Kim and Trump said they supported the opening of a U.S. office in Pyongyang. But the idea was cancelled after negotiations broke down.
Swedish Embassy
Sweden does have relations with the North and an embassy in Pyongyang. It has offered consular services for U.S. citizens. That includes citizens who had been detained in North Korea on charges of illegally entering the country or spying.
Miller said State Department officials have reached out to Sweden about King.
But Sweden’s diplomats based in Pyongyang have not returned to the North since leaving the country because of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. Still, experts say North Korea’s Embassy in Sweden could be a place for communications.
Other channels
North and South Korea have a set of phone and fax lines of their own to set up meetings, plan border crossings and avoid accidental problems. But North Korea has not answered South Korean attempts to exchange messages using those methods since April. That was a time of high tensions over the North’s nuclear program.
Kim Yeol Soo is an expert at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs in South Korea. He said communication could happen through a hotline between the two Koreas’ spy agencies. South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that South Korea and the U.S. were in contact, without going into more details.
Kim Yeol Soo said North Korea will not answer the U.S. until it completes its investigation of King. After that, he expects negotiations between the U.S. State Department and the North Korean Foreign Ministry.
In the past, North Korea released U.S. civilian detainees after well-known Americans, including former presidents, travelled to Pyongyang to gain their freedoms. Kim said similar measures could be required in King's case.
I’m Anna Matteo.View -
US Agriculture Department to Target High Food Costs, Increase Competition The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says it aims to lower food prices and increase competition among agricultural businesses.
The department plans to work with 31 states and the District of Colombia to target unfair price-setting activities. It also plans to act against anticompetitive behavior in the food and agriculture sectors.
On Wednesday, the USDA said it would work with a group of attorneys from both political parties. It aims to enforce laws on price fixing and the consolidation of businesses.
The government says farmers have been unhappy about low prices for their products and unfair contracts with the biggest buyers and processors in the agriculture industry.
Months of rising food prices have some farm groups and lawmakers wondering if companies were unfairly raising prices. Recent reports, however, show that food prices are easing.
In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said: "We can ensure a more robust and competitive agricultural sector."
The partnership will bring attention to anticompetitive activities including price fixing and gouging. Price gouging happens when a seller demands unfairly high prices from buyers during periods of increased demand.
The department also said it wants to create new research programs to study the problem.
In the coming months, USDA will also complete new rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act. A top administration official spoke about the changes in a call with reporters. The Packers and Stockyards Act is a law meant to protect members of the livestock, meat and poultry industries from unfair trade and businesses that have too much influence over markets known as monopolies.
The USDA says it has already proposed two of the three expected rules.
The department will also give money to expand the meat and poultry industries. The goal is to increase the number of processing choices available to farmers who raise animals.
Vilsack said the new effort is linked to President Joe Biden’s executive order this month supporting competition in the American economy. The order calls for a “whole-of-government” competition policy.
I’m Gregory Stachel.View -
'To Sink or Swim' Is Up to You And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give examples, notes on usage, and sometimes we use them in short stories.
Today we talk a great about a great activity to keep healthy and cool. In hot weather, there is nothing better than swimming in cool water. Swimming is a great way to beat the heat and get exercise.
But swimming is not only for fun. Knowing how to swim can save your life. If you do not know how to swim, you could sink in the water. And it can happen fast. So, today we talk about the idiom to sink or swim.
Sink or swim
To sink or swim means you either quickly succeed at something or quickly fail.
To sink or swim suggests that you will either succeed or fail based on your own skills. Others may have taught you or helped you to prepare for something. But, the final responsibility is yours. So, we use this idiom to describe a high-pressure situation where your success or survival depends on your ability to perform.
We sometimes pair the idiom sink or swim with the expression to be thrown into the deep end -- as in the deep part of a pool. A parent, teacher, or coach could throw a child into the deep end to see if the child will sink or swim, although it is not likely. Usually, it means to put someone in a situation to see how they do.
For example, let’s say you have been preparing for an English test for many weeks. If you pass it, you may be able to get a better position at your job. You had a great teacher who helped you. But on test day, it’s sink or swim. Success is up to you.
Sink or swim can also describe a situation where you must succeed quickly or you will fail fully. There is no middle ground. It is a win or lose situation.
In these situations, we can also say, “it’s now or never.” This means the time to prove yourself is … now. You will not have another chance. All your preparation has come to this moment … whatever that moment is. You need to rise to the occasion.
Sink or swim situations can also be called make or break events. They can either make you better. Or they can break you. If the situation is very serious and the risks are very great, you can also say do or die. You either take action or you will definitely fail.
Luckily learning English is not a do or die situation. And VOA Learning English will be here to help you grow your English skills -- so you can swim, instead of sink, in the test pool!
And that’s all the time we have for Words and Their Stories.
Until next time … I’m Anna Matteo.View