What Does This Mean?
When I prepare for my Current Events Class that I teach each Monday at Literacy for Life, I put together a vocabulary list that Mary (in the program office) sends out to the class members before the class meets. Many of the students who get this list look up the words on their phones to see what the translation might be into their language, or they consult a pronunciation app to hear what the word sounds like.
Here is the list I made for today’s class, based on the CNN “5 Things You Need to Know for Today” and the News For You newspaper we use in the class. As you can see, we talk about a lot of things in this class.
Airbnb -- a residential property that hosts rent out on a short-term basis to travelers. Airbnb is an American company based in San Francisco
Besieged – to be surrounded by or under the control a military force
Care Package – generally refers to a parcel of food, money, or luxury items sent to a loved one who is away. Originally, it referred to a box of supplies distributed by the organization CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere – the original name in 1946 was Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe)
Child tax credit – a tax benefit granted to American taxpayers for each qualifying dependent child. For 2021, the maximum annual child credit was raised to $3,000 per child (under 18) or $3,600 per child (under age 6). You have to file your 2021 Federal Income forms to qualify for this credit, although it was paid in advance in 2021, based on your expected income.
Congressional Gold Medal -- Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. This was first awarded in 1776
Daylight Savings Time – the practice of advancing clocks (usually by one hour) during summer months so that darkness falls at a later clock time
Food Bank – a place where food, usually basic items and nonperishable foods, are supplied free of charge to people in need
Food Stamps – a government-issued coupon that is sold at little cost or given to low-income people and can be used to buy food. Also called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Hate Crime – a criminal offense motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity. Hate crime laws increase the penalties associated with activity that is already criminal under other laws. Examples include increasing the number of years an offender might have to serve in jail, or it might increase the level of the offense – from a misdemeanor to a felony, or from one class of a felony to another.
IRS – Internal Revenue Service – the US government organization that is responsible for collecting taxes. It is part of the Department of the Treasury.
Mass shooting – an event in which more than three people are killed by someone with a gun
Onslaught – an intense or fierce attack
Social Media – Internet platforms like Twitter (320 million users), Facebook (2.5 billion users), LinkedIn (260 million users), Instagram (1 billion users), Snapchat, Reddit, Pinterest.
Surrender – to “give up” control to another person or organization
Tax Day – the final day to file your 2021 taxes. In 2022, it is today, April 18.
Tonga – an archipelago (group of islands) consisting of 169 islands (36 of them are inhabited).