POP

CULTURE

REAL

Versus

AMERICA

English Learning Edition

REAL

P P

Versus

CULTURE

AMERICA 

REAL

P P

Versus

CULTURE

AMERICA 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
 

BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS
 

http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/english/publication
 

Published 2013
 
Pop Culture Versus Real America 

English Learning Edition 

ISBN (print) 978-1-62592-021-8 

ISBN (ePub) 978-1-62592-024-9 

ISBN (mobi) 978-1-62592-025-6 

STAFF

Coordinator............................ Dawn L. McCall
 

Executive Editor .................... Nicholas Namba
 

Publications Office Director.. Michael Jay Friedman
 

Editor in Chief ........................ Mary T. Chunko
 

Managing Editor .................... Lea Terhune
 

Associate Editor .................... Philip S. Kurata
 

EFL/ESL Editors .................... Shira Evans 


Catherine Schell 

Art Director/Design................ David Hamill 

Dori Gordon Walker

Julia Maruszewski 

Photo Researcher.................. Maggie Johnson Sliker 

This edition of Pop Culture Versus Real America is intended for the sixth- to seventhgrade level students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or English as a Second 

Language (ESL). It was adapted from the original publication Pop Culture Versus 

Real America (2010). 

Front Cover: Top photo: AP Images/PR Newswire 

Bottom photos: left, Candy Moulton; middle, right, Seth Harrison 

 

iv
Table of Contents

Foreword iv 

Introduction vi 

Doctor 

Grey’s Anatomy 1 

A Passion to Serve 2 

Teenager 

Gossip Girl 5 

Helping Her Family, Friends and Community 6 

Family 

Desperate Housewives 9 

Their Own Support Network 10 

Lifeguards 

Baywatch 13 

Saving Lives Takes More than a Nice Tan 14 

Police Chief 

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 19

All’s Quiet on the Small-Town Front 20 

Psychologist 

Dr. Phil 27 

Helping Youth, One Conversation at a Time 28 

Food 

Krusty Burger and The Simpsons 33

Farm to Table: Fresh for the Picking 34 

Cowboy 

Unforgiven 37

Modern-Day Cowboy 38 

Wind Farmer 

Montgomery Burns 43 

Cutting Costs While Saving the Earth 44 

Glossary 47 

v
© Shutterstock

vi
Foreword

This book is the learner's edition of Pop Culture 

Versus Real America. It shows how characters in 

popular American TV shows and films are not always 

like real Americans. Each chapter gives a description 

of a TV show or movie along with a story about a 

real person who is a doctor, lifeguard or cowboy.

Some words are in boldface type. You will find their meanings, or definitions, in a colored box on the same page. You 

will also find them at the end of the book in the glossary, 

which is a list of words and their meanings.

As in other languages, English has many words that may have 

two, three or more meanings. In this book, only the meaning 

of a word as it is used on that page is listed. If you want to 

learn other meanings or ways the words in this book can be 

used, go to the library or, if you have access to the Internet, 

free dictionaries are available. Dictionaries that you may find 

in the library are also online, such as the Merriam-Webster 

Learner’s Dictionary of English, at the website www.learnersdictionary.com. There you will find every form and meaning of 

each word and many examples in sentences.

Also, along with this book you may have received a CD. On it 

is a person reading the entire book. If you listen while you 

read, you can hear exactly how each word is pronounced.

If you are an English teacher, you can use this book as another tool to help your students learn new words and the different ways they are used. If you use the Internet, you can find 

the recorded book online and a Portable Document Format 

(PDF) of the book.

We hope you enjoy the features of this book. We plan to provide other English learner editions of our books. We want 

your feedback about this book and your suggestions for future titles. Write us at learnerenglish@state.gov.

vii
Introduction

© AP Images

People throughout the world think about Americans in a certain way. American tourists are sometimes seen as loud and insensitive to other cultures. 

But they can be warm and friendly, too. People 

around the world watch American television shows 

on satellite television. But these TV shows do not always show Americans in a good way.

At a restaurant in Italy, a quiet European might compare a 

loud, talkative American to Homer Simpson. Homer is a main 

character on the TV show The Simpsons. This popular cartoon 

series is a spoof on American lifestyle and stereotypes. It is 

an international hit, and is watched by millions of people 

around the world.

“I know that the stereotypes of the United States are out there,” 

President Obama told a group of university students in Istanbul in 2009. “And I know that many of them are informed not 

by direct exchange or dialogue, but by television shows and 

movies and misinformation.”

This book tries to change some of these false stereotypes. 

American pop culture icons — such as Homer Simpson, or 

the fantasy lifeguards on Baywatch — can give people the 

wrong impression about Americans. If they do not know 

Americans personally, they might think these fictional characters are like real Americans.

Sometimes the fictional characters and their situations can 

seem a little realistic. This makes good comedy! However, it 

does not tell the whole story. The loud American in the Italian restaurant may seem like a stereotype. But at home, he 

Spoof: a humorous show 

that copies something in a

silly and exaggerated way.

Stereotype: an often unfair

and untrue belief that many people have about all people

or things in a group that is

different from their own.

Pop culture:(short for "popular culture") what is popular

now in art and entertainment.

Icon: a person who is very 

successful and admired. Fictional: not real, made up.

viii
ix

may volunteer to help disadvantaged members of his community. He might tutor children, or donate money to charity. In 

2008, Americans volunteered 8 billion hours to community 

service. They also donated more than $300 billion to charity.

In this book, the pop culture image of Americans is contrasted 

with the real thing. The Simpsons’ Krusty Burger is paired with 

a story about farmers markets in “Farm to Table: Fresh for the 

Picking.” Baywatch lines up against real California lifeguards 

in “Saving Lives Takes More Than a Nice Tan.” The petty, 

fictional teens of Gossip Girl are put to shame by the story of 

young Katheryn Conde in “Helping Her Friends, Family and 

Community.” Conde, who tutors classmates and helps poor 

children in her free time, cannot understand the shallow

Gossip Girl characters. “It seems like all the girls are focused 

on the social part of their lives,” she says.

Television and movies wrongly show all Americans as vain, 

self-obsessed and violent. In contrast, this book shows real 

Americans. The articles here do not show caricatures or misrepresentations. Instead, they show ordinary people — who 

work hard, are generous and care about others.

Charity: an organization that

helps people in need.

Petty: being concerned

about trivial things, in a 

small-minded or spiteful way.

Shallow: not caring about 

serious or important things.
Doctor

© Image credit to come

© Frank Ockenfels/ABC/Photofest

POP CULTURE

Grey’s Anatomy

The popular television drama Grey’s Anatomy takes 

place at the fictitious Seattle Grace Hospital in the 

real city of Seattle in the state of Washington. This state 

in the U.S. Pacific Northwest is also the setting for the 

famous Twilight books and films. Doctors and medical 

interns are the main characters in the fast-paced Grey’s 

Anatomy series, which has been on TV since 2005. The 

doctors treat very difficult medical conditions, performing at least one miracle cure in each TV episode. The 

show is often as concerned with the tangled romantic 

relationships of the doctors as with healing the sick. 

The doctors spend much of their time taking care of 

each other. One doctor, Alex Karev, falls in love with a 

woman who came to the hospital after a ferryboat accident. A young intern named Izzie becomes engaged 

to a handsome patient named Denny Duquette. Relationships among the staff are the usual focus. The background stories of the main characters complicate their 

relationships with each other. Some of the puzzling 

medical situations seem far-fetched. With all these personal and professional challenges, there's never a routine day for the physicians on Grey's Anatomy.

Above: Members of the Grey’s 

Anatomy cast portray doctors with 

intense personal lives. 

Pacific Northwest: North 

American region between 

the Pacific Ocean and the 

Rocky Mountains, including 

the U.S. states of Oregon 

and Washington. 

Tangle: a mix-up or complication, like yarn that gets 

snarled or knotted.

1
Seth Harrison

REAL AMERICA

A Passion to Serve

M.Natalie Achong, M.D., grew up in a workingclass New York City family. Most of her 

neighbors were other African-American families. Her 

parents were not rich, but they were caring and 

encouraged her to succeed. Her parents and the closeknit community of the neighborhood instilled ethnic

pride and civic responsibility in her. Everyone at her 

elementary school was African American. Achong 

learned about African-American history and struggles. 

She learned how African Americans contributed to 

the United States, and these stories inspired her to 

contribute, too. Achong became a woman with a 

strong African-American identity. Because she liked 

helping people, Achong grew up and became a 

physician. Today, she helps people both inside and 

outside of the hospital where she works.

Achong’s parents wanted her to be successful. Her father was 

from the Caribbean island of Trinidad. He worked hard and 

told his children to do the same. Achong did very well in the 

New York City public schools she attended because her 

parents supported and encouraged her. She graduated from 

high school. She was accepted to all the Ivy League

universities where she applied for admission. Instead, she 

decided to do a special program at the City University of New 

Above: Dr. M. Natalie Achong is

committed to helping the needy both 

on the job and in her community.

M.D.: short for "doctor of

medicine." In America, both 

"doctor" and "physician" 

are used. "Physician" is more

formal. "Doctor" is used in 

everyday language. Example: "I have to call my doctor

for medicine." / "Please contact your physician for questions about medication."

Working class: people who 

earn money usually by doing physical work. They are

not rich or powerful.

African American: an

American who has African

ancestors.

Ethnic: sharing a common 

culture, language or

ancestry, for example,

African Americans or

Chinese Americans.

Civic: refers to citizenship

or activities in a city. Civics

is the study of how to be a 

good citizen.

Ivy League: eight colleges 

and universities in the

eastern United States that

are known for academic

excellence: Harvard, Yale, 

Princeton, Columbia, Brown 

and Cornell universities, the

University of Pennsylvania 

and Dartmouth College. 

They are among the oldest

U.S. institutions of higher 

learning.

2
York. This accelerated program would enable her to become 

a doctor by age 22. This was very young for an American 

student. Most American doctors go to medical school for 

four years after they graduate from university.

Achong went to the Deep South while she was studying. She 

worked with poor teenage mothers in Mississippi. These 

mothers didn’t have access to good medical care, but Achong 

helped them access medical care. This was her first time away 

from home. The experience made her feel that she could 

make a difference in the lives of young women. She decided 

to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology.

Achong saw that poor people had terrible health problems. 

Although she could earn more money at private medical practices, she decided to work in hospitals in New York that treated needy patients. Achong says she likes helping people who 

can’t afford expensive doctors. She also volunteers her time 

in community programs. “It’s not just about making money as 

a physician,” she says. “It’s also about doing my best to support 

my family and also give back to the community.”

As a mother of two and busy professional, Achong needs to be 

organized and have a lot of energy. She is dedicated to her 

work. She gets up every morning at 5:00 for prayer and meditation before her busy day begins. During the week, she gets her 

two children ready for school. She takes them to school, helps 

them with their homework and participates in their extracurricular activities. “I have the work that I do at the hospital and 

the work that I do at home,” she says. “Doctors lead lives that 

are complicated and pressured. And as a mother raising kids, 

it really is a juggling act.”

She also teaches at the Yale School of Medicine and the St. 

Vincent’s Medical Center. She spends more than half her 

time doing things other than seeing patients. She is active in 

the National Medical Association and writes articles on her 

research for scientific journals. She volunteers in free medical 

clinics in other countries, such as the Dominican Republic 

and Ghana.

She says that with such a busy schedule, it is hard to stay fit 

and balanced. “It’s hard to do that when you are being pulled 

in so many directions.” She jokes that real doctors do not 

look cool and glamorous at all hours of the day or night like 

they do in TV dramas.

Achong regularly speaks to doctors, nurses and health care workers about how to help low-income people get better medical care. 

She believes that women’s health is especially important. “More 

often than not, women are the ones who decide health care issues,” she says. “They’re the ones who take the kids to the doctor. 

They’re the ones who take care of the sick children.”

It’s true for physicians who are mothers, too. “They’re still the 

ones that tend to the sick and the home.”

Accelerate: to move faster, 

or make something move 

faster.

Deep South: the states in 

the southeastern United

States, especially Georgia, 

Alabama, South Carolina, 

Louisiana and Mississippi.

East Texas and Florida are 

sometimes included as part 

of the Deep South.

Obstetrics: a branch of

medicine that deals with 

the birth of children and 

the care of women before, 

during and after childbirth.

Gynecology: the study of 

the female reproductive 

system and related diseases.

3
FOR DISCUSSION

A. Look for the answers to the following questions after 

you read the text about Dr. Natalie Achong and discuss the answers with a partner.

1. What are Dr. Achong’s various responsibilities?

2. Why did she become a physician?

B. Find the following details in the text. Then write short 

answers to the questions.

1. About how old do you think Dr. Achong is? Explain.

2. What were the influences on her when she was a child?

3. What was unusual about her medical education?

4. What types of patients does she serve in the hospitals where 

she works?

5. What interests does she have outside of her career?

6. Why does she travel overseas to places like the Dominican 

Republic and Ghana?

7. What is the role of women in family health care?

C. Write short answers to the questions below using your 

understanding of the text. Circle the part of the text 

that helped you understand the answer.

1. Do you think Dr. Achong’s working-class background 

influenced her career as a physician? Why or why not?

2. How did her background, experiences and training help her 

care for patients?

3. What do you think of her decision to help needy patients 

instead of joining a private practice to earn a lot of money?

4. Why does she have a busy schedule outside of her medical 

responsibilities?

5. What is her opinion of television medical dramas?

D. Discuss with a partner the following questions about 

doctors:

1. Do you know any doctors? What are some reasons people 

become doctors?

2. What do people study to become doctors?

3. How many different types of doctors do you know about? 

Describe what each does.

4. How is being a doctor different from other jobs?

5. What does a doctor’s daily schedule look like?

Seth Harrison

Above: Achong helps a mother with 

her new baby. Interacting with people is 

an important part of being a doctor.

4
Teenager

Andrew Eccles/The CW/Landov

POP CULTURE

Gossip Girl "Gossip Girl here — your one and only source into 

the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. And 

who am I? That's the secret I'll never tell,

" says the voice 

on the credits.

Just who is the Gossip Girl? She's a blogger whose avid 

readers are students at the fictitious Constance Billard 

School, an exclusive girls' academy on New York City's 

wealthy Upper East Side. Nobody knows the blogger's 

identity, but the girls all read her posts and text messages. Gossip Girl is a television program that follows the 

lives of wealthy, privileged girls in their teenage years.

The plot follows Serena, who is back at school after a mysterious, 

yearlong disappearance. Serena left even without telling Blair, 

her best friend and social rival. Blair became jealous because 

Serena lured her boyfriend Nate away from her. Serena and 

Blair squabbled at parties, designer fashion shows and elsewhere 

before eventually rebuilding their friendship. Complicated 

relationships and competition among the girls, their boyfriends 

and their parents keep the story going. The girls continually vie 

for social status and the affections of boys. Some of the boys 

have problems at home; others love to flirt with the girls and 

party. Often, adults in the show behave as immaturely as their 

children. That leads Nate at one point to ask his friend Chuck: 

“Do you ever feel that our whole lives have been planned out for 

us? That we're gonna end up just like our parents?”

“That’s a dark thought,” Chuck replies.

Above: These wealthy, spoiled teens 

in New York City create the drama on 

the Gossip Girl TV show.

Manhattan: the name of 

the island on which New 

York City is built.

Credits: on a TV show or 

movie, the list of actors and 

other crew members that 

appears on the screen before and after the show 

begins.

Fictitious: not real, an invented story.

Squabble: an argument. 5
David Paul Morris

REAL AMERICA

Helping Her Family, 

Friends, and Community

On this summer afternoon in August, Katheryn 

Conde's California home is socked in with fog. 

Conde is 18 years old and lives with her parents in a 

working-class neighborhood in San Francisco. Her 

family's modest green house is well-kept but has no 

luxuries. Other houses on her street need a new 

coat of paint.

Conde, who likes to be called Kathy, graduated in 2009 from 

an all-girls Catholic school. She enjoys spending time with 

friends and playing with her big dog, a Great Dane named 

Tobby. She was a cheerleader during her second year of high 

school. For fun, Conde and her friends watch DVDs at each 

other’s houses. They did not do a lot of clothes shopping in 

high school because their school requires uniforms. No one 

in her group has a car.

Conde describes her friends as supportive of one another. 

They are not mean or competitive. They often tell each other 

about their problems and rely on each other for advice, especially about boys. She doesn’t have a boyfriend right now, but 

she attended her high school prom with a friend from another 

school. At prom, a lot of Conde’s classmates danced. Some 

listened to the music. Others checked out the tuxedos and 

gowns because a lot of the students were really dressed up.

Students at Conde’s school like to have fun and throw parties,

but they also study and work hard. Conde says American TV 

Above: Kathy Conde (second from 

left) is devoted to her family.

Socked in: a slang term 

taken from airport traffic 

control used when clouds

and fog prevent seeing far.

Luxury: an extra comfort

that is not necessary and may 

be expensive, as in "A home

swimming pool is a luxury."

Cheerleader: a person who 

leads songs or chants to 

encourage a sports team. It 

can also mean someone

who is a vocal supporter of 

a person or group.

Supportive: giving help or 

encouragement to someone.

Prom: a formal dance for 

high school students held at

the end of the school year.

Throw a party: organize and

host a party. "Let's throw a 

party to celebrate

graduation!"

6
shows like Gossip Girl do not give an accurate picture of American teenagers’ lives. “In those shows, it seems like all the girls 

are focused on the social part of their lives,” says Conde. “But 

in reality, I have to balance my academics and my social life. 

You don’t have to be a superstar or a nerd.”

Conde is committed to community service. It is a passion for 

her. During high school she tutored classmates, volunteered 

as a counselor at a summer camp and started a college scholarship research team. She also found time to organize a toy

drive for poor children. She was even elected to the student 

council and served as a poll worker in four city elections.

Colleges are expensive today. Sports, leadership, volunteer 

work and community service all count. They can help a college applicant receive a scholarship or other financial aid.

Her home life is normal for a first-generation American teenager whose parents are immigrants. Conde was born in the 

United States, but her parents are from El Salvador. Her 

mother cleans houses, and her father works in the kitchen at 

a hotel. They do not have enough money to send their two 

daughters to college. Conde knows that she needs to find 

scholarships to help pay for college. That inspired her to start 

a club to help students learn about scholarships and other 

ways to pay for education.

Conde wants to succeed and give back to the people who 

helped her, including her parents, her teachers and her 

school. “All these people really want me to do well. And I 

can’t let them down. I want to go to college,” she says. Her dad 

once held two jobs to pay for her school. “I want to show them 

that I appreciate what they’ve done for me.”

Conde had excellent grades, even in several honors classes, 

and had many extracurricular activities. She is bilingual in 

Spanish and English, knows some French and loves math. Because of her academic achievements, Conde is a member of 

the California Scholarship Federation and the National Honor Society. She also received a school award for her academic 

excellence and community service. “Doing community service felt rewarding,” says Conde. “Just to know that it’s actually going to make a difference in someone’s life.”

The summer after graduation, Conde worked at two jobs to 

save money for college in the fall. One job was at the San 

Francisco Superior Court and the other at a local real estate 

office. Conde won several college scholarships, enough to pay 

tuition at the University of San Francisco, her school of choice. 

She lives at home with her parents to save money.

Because of her parents’ experience, Conde believes that most 

people can succeed in the United States if they have basic 

opportunities. “My parents came [here] during the war in El 

Salvador,” says Conde. “They had to start again.” She thinks 

her life in the United States is easy compared to theirs. “I want 

to get a good job and a house, and then help out my parents 

because I feel like they’ve done so much for me,” she says.

Balance: to have things evenly weighted, not lopsided or

overdone, as in "He balanced sports with studies."

Superstar: a famous and 

successful performer,

athlete, etc.

Nerd: a person who is very

interested in technical subjects such as science or computers and who often behaves awkwardly.

Tutor: to teach a single 

student.

Counselor: a person who is 

in charge of young people

at a summer camp.

Drive: a charity effort or

fundraiser, as in "The school

sold chocolate in a drive to 

raise funds for the band."

Student council: a group of 

students who are elected to

help plan and organize 

student activities.

Poll worker: in U.S. elections, a person who assists 

voters at the voting booth,

giving ballots or directions.

Honors: advanced courses

of study for students who

want to take classes at a 

high level.

Extracurricular: an afterschool or "outside-ofschool" activity, such as 

sports or community service.

Bilingual: able to speak and 

understand two languages.

Real estate: the business of 

selling land and buildings.

Below: More than a pretty face:

Conde is an honor student committed

to community service and helping

the needy.

David Paul Morris

7
FOR DISCUSSION

A. After reading the text, discuss the answers with a 

partner.

1. What are some of Conde’s extracurricular activities?

2. How is Conde preparing for college?

B. Discuss the following questions about teenagers with 

a partner.

1. In your country, what do teenagers do in their free time?

2. What are some activities you think American teenagers do 

after school? Why do American teenagers spend so much time 

doing these activities?

3. What are some reasons that people volunteer?

C. Find the following details in the text. Then write 

short answers to the questions.

1. What type of school does Conde attend?

2. Who went with her to the prom?

3. What is Conde’s passion?

4. What are her parents’ jobs?

5. Does Conde belong to any academic societies? Which ones?

6. Why did Conde’s parents come to the United States?

D. Write short answers to the questions below using your 

understanding of the text. Circle the part of the text 

that helped you understand the answer.

1. What is Conde’s family like?

2. Describe her relationship with her friends.

3. Describe Conde’s personality.

4. What extracurricular activities did Conde do during high school?

5. How does Conde’s family history affect her attitude toward life?

David Paul Morris

8
Family

9

© Danny Feld/ABC/Everett Collection

POP CULTURE

Desperate Housewives

Wisteria Lane is the name of the street in the 

fictional suburb of Fairview, in the television 

series Desperate Housewives. In the show, the main 

women characters look for romance with their neighbors. Their houses are large and comfortable, with 

lush lawns. The neighbors seem friendly with each 

other, but they have many secrets and complications 

in their relationships. Serious, dramatic situations are 

common in the show. In the first episode, a woman 

mysteriously kills herself. In another episode, a 

pharmacist murders a man by changing his heart 

medicine because he is in love with the man's wife. 

One of the housewives first marries her neighbor, 

later divorces him, but then remarries him. Yet during this time, the audience sees his romantic history 

with the other housewives on Wisteria Lane. Similar 

entanglements are repeated with other characters in 

the series, week after week. Several of the men in 

the show have been in prison. Although it is supposed to be a "typical" American suburban neighborhood, it's not quite that.

Above: Being neighborly is

complicated in the fictional suburb

where Desperate Housewives is set.

Suburb: a smaller town

outside a much larger city;

"suburban" is an adjective

that describes such a town.

Desperate: feeling hopeless 

or helpless.

Episode: one part of an ongoing story.
Joshua Handell

REAL AMERICA

Their Own 

Support Network

Nineteen-year-old Katarina "Kate" Podlesnaya 

comes from a blended family. Like many other 

children in the United States, she lives with one biological parent and one stepparent. Her mother, Marina, was born in Russia. Her stepfather, Yuri Nakshin, 

and her stepsister, Natalya, were both born in 

Ukraine. They are also immigrants. Today, all of them 

live together in the United States.

Marina came to the United States in 1993 and settled on the 

East Coast. She first lived in Baltimore, Maryland. Then she 

moved to Potomac, Maryland, which is close to Washington. 

This is where she met Yuri and his daughter Natalya, who had 

also recently emigrated from Ukraine. After receiving her visa 

in 2001, Kate joined her mother, stepfather and stepsister.

The family enjoys talking about their new life in the United 

States. They say many Americans believe stereotypes about Russians and Ukrainians. Americans seem to think that “Siberia is 

the worst place on earth, we drink lots of vodka, all of us are in 

the KGB or the Mafia,“ Marina says. Marina and Yuri left many 

people behind in Russia and Ukraine to come to the United 

States, and they miss them. “I have this nostalgic urge to return 

to Kyiv,” Yuri says. “All of my best friends still live there. But with 

Above: Katarina “Kate” Podlesnaya 

hugs her grandmother. Her blended family emigrated from Ukraine and Russia.

Blended family: a family 

that includes children from 

a previous marriage of the 

wife or husband.

Stepfather: the husband of 

a person's mother who is 

not that person's biological 

father. A stepsister is the 

daughter of a stepparent.

Immigrant: a person who 

comes to a country from 

his or her home country to 

settle.

Emigrate: to leave a country 

and settle in another. "Kate 

is an immigrant to the 

United States. She 

emigrated from Russia."

Nostalgic: an adjective that 

describes feeling sadness 

combined with happiness at 

remembering a past place 

and time.

10
Marina’s business, it’s hard for us to get away for long periods.”

Kate’s family has lived the American dream. They have built 

a business from nothing. Marina owns and operates her own 

hair salon near Washington. With the support of her family 

and friends, she has many customers. Marina says: “I’ve heard 

people talk about Russia under the Soviets and Russia today 

as entirely different countries. It’s true.” She adds, “But there 

is still not the same opportunity that’s everywhere here.” She 

feels she could not have achieved the same success and comfortable life in Russia.

They have friends from Russia, and they get together on 

Saturday nights to have a few drinks and talk about American 

politics. They also reminisce about Russia.

Leaving your home country is always difficult. Leaving as an 

adult is harder. But both Yuri and Marina saw advantages in 

the United States that justified the costs of starting over in a 

new country.

“Life in the United States is simply easier compared to life 

in the post-Soviet bloc,” Yuri explains. Yuri and Marina grew 

up during Soviet times. It was difficult then to find things 

like school supplies and even bread. Marina jokes that vodka 

was the only thing that was easy to find. Only people who 

were members of the Communist Party could have good jobs, 

says Yuri. Marina’s father was a skilled pilot. She said her father could not get a promotion because he refused to join the 

Communist Party.

They both immigrated to the United States to have a stable 

income and good education for their children.

Television often depicts American families with spoiled 

teenagers and “desperate housewives.” The Podlesnayas say 

in reality American families have strong ties with each other, 

to their cultural roots, a good work ethic and a desire for 

good education.

Kate Podlesnaya is glad to have opportunities in America. 

Her mother “placed great emphasis on education,” she says. 

“Parents come to the United States to give their children a 

better future.”

Kate studies hard. She now studies business at the University of Michigan, a top 

university. She plans to work in public 

relations and marketing. She calls the 

United States “the land of the free.”

“The United States was very open to us, 

and we are thankful for that,” says Natalya. There are many families like the 

Podlesnayas, who blend the traditions 

and values of their home countries with 

those of the United States. These are 

families who come from all over the world 

and enrich American society and culture.

American dream: a comfortable way of living in 

the United States that 

people work to achieve.

Soviet: related to the former Soviet Union or its people. Soviet bloc" is the 

group of countries that 

were part of the Soviet 

Union.

Reminisce: to remember 

the past.

Advantage: a positive 

situation that makes 

success easier.

Communist Party: Communism is a system of government where property is 

held in common, by the 

people or the state. The 

Communist Party is a political party that supports 

communism.

Public relations: providing 

information that improves 

the reputation of a person 

or organization.

Marketing: the business of 

making people aware of a 

company's products.

Below: The extended Podlesnaya 

family reconnects over a meal. 

These Ukrainian and Russian 

immigrants integrate traditions and 

values from their old country into 

their new lives in the United States.

Joshua Handell

11
FOR DISCUSSION

A. Find the following details in the text. Then write short 

answers to the questions.

1. What is a blended family? Draw a picture or a family tree to 

help you.

2. Why does Yuri want to return to Kyiv?

3. What keeps him in Maryland?

4. What is Marina’s job?

5. What do Yuri and Marina do on Saturday nights?

6. What is Kate studying at the University of Michigan?

B. Write short answers to the questions below using your 

understanding of the text. Circle the part of the text 

that helped you understand the answer.

1. What are some stereotypes of Russians and Ukrainians?

2. How has Kate’s family achieved the American dream?

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of life in the 

United States for this family?

4. What do Yuri and Marina think about the Communist Party in 

the former Soviet Union?

5. How do Yuri and Marina feel about their life in the United 

States?

C. Look for the answers to the following questions after 

you read the text. Discuss the answers with a partner.

1. Where are the various family members from?

2. How is their life in the United States different from their life 

in their home countries?

D. Discuss with a partner the following questions about 

immigrants:

1. What makes people leave their home country?

2. What attracts people to a new country?

3. If you left your country, how would you remember your home 

country?

12
Lifeguards

© NBC/Photofest

POP CULTURE

Baywatch Former President Ronald Reagan was a lifeguard

in the small Midwestern town of Dixon, Illinois, 

when he was young. He saved 77 people from drowning. But his efforts did not make him as famous a lifeguard as make-believe lifeguards Mitch Buchannon 

and C.J. Parker. They are characters in Baywatch, one 

of the most popular shows in the history of television. During the 1990s, Baywatch was seen by more 

than 1 billion people in 140 countries each week. Millions of people still watch those old Baywatch shows 

today. Why has this show about lifeguards remained 

so popular? For one thing, the lifeguards are very 

brave. Mitch, C.J. and other fictional lifeguards on 

the Baywatch crew risk their lives saving people from 

Southern California rip tides, sharks and criminals. 

They also show their strength and speed as they 

rescue people from drowning on California beaches. 

The lifeguards run, swim and use helicopters and 

speedboats. The Baywatch lifeguards put effort into 

physical fitness and are very good-looking in their 

swimsuits. That may be another reason why Baywatch is so popular.

13

Above: They brave the waves and 

look glamorous. Real lifeguards rarely 

look like those on Baywatch.

Lifeguard: a person whose 

job is to prevent swimmers 

from drowning. 

Rip tide: a strong ocean 

current, also called a rip 

current.

Rescue: to save someone or 

something. "She rescued 

the mouse from the cat."
Robert Benson

REAL AMERICA

14

Saving Lives

Takes More than a Nice Tan

A boy is in trouble in the water off Pacific Beach in San Diego, 

California. A female lifeguard helps him, bringing him back 

to safety and returning him to his parents.

Lifeguard Sergeant Casey Owens patrols the beach in his 

white lifeguard truck. He watches crowds of swimmers and 

surfers. He never takes his eyes off the water.

When Owens returns children to their parents, he sometimes 

sees that the parents had no idea their children were in danger. “People look away for a few seconds,” Owens says. The 

rescued boy is lucky that lifeguards were watching.

Beach lifeguards became popular in American movies in the 

1960s. They became popular internationally when the TV 

series Baywatch was seen around the world in the 1990s. The 

glamorous Baywatch lifeguards, with their tans, blond hair, 

muscular bodies and attractive beachwear, seem to live carefree lives. However, real-life lifeguards work hard to keep people safe. They must watch people in the water and educate the 

public about safety. People’s lives depend on them every day.

When a bad situation happens at the beach, 

lifeguards run to help, usually with a red 

plastic rescue buoy in hand. Some California lifeguards recently described a typical day on the job:

Above: Lifeguard Sergeant Katherine 

Jackson, who oversees the Mission 

Beach lifeguard team, educates 

beachgoers on how to stay safe in 

the surf.

Buoy: an object that 

stays afloat.

Tan: browned by the 

sun's rays.
More than 20 million people visit San Diego’s beaches 

annually. While lifeguards rescue about 6,000 people every 

year, they also prevent 250,000 accidents from happening 

each year. Lifeguards protect children by stopping them from 

playing too close to the water. Fast-moving rip tides can pull 

people out to deep water. Eighty percent of all rescues are a 

result of these currents.

Lifeguard Sergeant Katherine Jackson says she wants to prevent accidents. She manages a team of lifeguards at San Diego’s Mission Beach. The beach is five kilometers long with a 

boardwalk. Jackson’s shirt looks like a blue American police 

officer’s shirt. But instead of trousers she wears shorts. She 

watches the beach for 10 hours each day. The building she 

works in has three floors. A garage is on the first floor. A firstaid room and offices are on the second floor. Lifeguards use 

the observation deck on the third floor to watch people along 

two kilometers of the beach.

At the beginning of the day, Jackson gets ready. She opens 

the lifeguard tower, marks off safe driving lanes on the beach 

for emergency vehicles, and checks rescue equipment.

“There’s a lot of training,” Owens says. “You have medical training and first aid, then you start working at the bay first, while 

you continue more training to get ready for the ocean.” Most 

training is conducted at the lifeguard training academy.

After a lifeguard becomes an ocean lifeguard, there are 

special kinds of training for more complex missions. 

Lifeguards learn how to climb rocks, do underwater search 

and rescue and fight fires. They learn tricky flood rescue. 

Some San Diego lifeguards helped in New Orleans in 2005 

after Hurricane Katrina did damage that flooded the city.

New lifeguards are seasonal employees. They only work during the summer. They have other jobs the rest of the year. 

Prevent: to stop something 

from happening.

Boardwalk: a wooden path 

along a beach.

First aid: emergency medical treatment given to a sick 

or injured person.

Hurricane: an extremely

large, powerful and destructive storm with very 

strong winds, also called a 

cyclone or typhoon.

Below: Sergeant Casey Owens scans 

the surf for signs of trouble. He manages a team of 37 people.

Robert Benson

15
Many are teachers, college students or emergency medical 

technicians. San Diego has 70 lifeguards who work 12 months 

a year. It takes many years to earn a permanent position. “My 

friends don’t understand what I do all day,” laughs Jackson.

Jackson explains how the bay is different from the ocean. It is 

harder to tell when people are in danger in the bay, because 

they can suddenly drop off into deep water. She remembers 

one time she saved a child’s life. There were more than 100 

people in the water. Everything looked okay, “but I had a 

creepy feeling,” so she ran down to the water. She could see 

little fingers reaching above the water. She quickly pulled out 

a coughing, gasping little boy. “He was fine, but no one saw 

him. No one,” she says.

In addition to rescues and accident prevention, lifeguards help 

lost children, give medical aid to swimmers and make sure no 

one smokes or drinks alcohol on the beach. San Diego lifeguards can arrest people who break laws on the beach.

Lifeguards also must do paperwork. Owens manages 37 people. “More people means more paperwork,” he says. But he 

adds, “This is a great job.” He likes his job because of the location, good pay, the chance to help others and the excitement 

of an emergency rescue. “Every day, we help people. We interact with people from around the world every single day, and 

it’s fun,” he says.

Technician: a person whose 

job relates to the use of 

special techniques or skills.

Arrest: the act of legally 

stopping and keeping a 

person committing a 

crime. "The police arrested 

the criminal."

Paperwork: routine work 

that involves writing letters, 

reports, etc.

Manage: to take care of and 

make decisions about someone's time, money, etc. "She 

manages her time."

Below: Besides preventing accidents on the beach, managers like 

Owens must do a lot of office work.

16

© Image credit to come

Robert Benson
FOR DISCUSSION 

A. Look for the answers to the following questions in 

the text about lifeguarding in San Diego and discuss 

the answers with a partner. 

1.	 What are some of the challenges of being a beach lifeguard? 

2.	 What are the steps to become a lifeguard in San Diego? 

B. Find the following details in the text. Then write 

short answers to the questions. 

1.	 Why are parents sometimes surprised when Casey Owens 

rescues their child? 

2.	 What are two ways that lifeguards help people stay safe at the 

beach? 

3.	 What is the biggest danger to swimmers? 

4.	 What other jobs do lifeguards do in the nonsummer months? 

5.	 In addition to rescuing people and preventing accidents, what 

other things do lifeguards do in their work? 

C. Write short answers to the questions below using 

your understanding of the text. Circle the part of 

the text that helped you understand the answer. 

1.	 What kind of a person makes a good lifeguard? 

2.	 How often do San Diego lifeguards rescue people? 

3.	 Why do Owens and Jackson like their jobs? 

4.	 What is the public perception of lifeguards’ work, based on the 

comments of Katherine Jackson's friends? 

D. Discuss with a partner the following questions about 

lifeguards: 

1.	 Do you know any lifeguards? What kind of people are they? 

2.	 What do they have to know to do their job? 

3.	 Would you like to be a lifeguard? Why or why not? 

Robert Benson 

Right: Lifeguards maintain their 

equipment carefully. They must be 

ready to respond to an emergency 

at any moment. Opposite: Above, 

Sergeant Jackson confers with one of 

her lifeguards. Below, Jackson scans 

the beach from her vehicle. 
Robert Benson Robert Benson

18
Police Chief

© CBS/Landov

POP CULTURE

CSI: Crime Scene 

Investigation CSI stands for Crime Scene Investigation, and it's 

the name of a very popular show about investigators in the Las Vegas, Nevada, police department. 

The CSI team cracks difficult criminal cases using the 

latest scientific tools. They examine evidence with 

microscopes and other high-tech gadgets. Since its 

premiere in 2000, CSI has been such a hit that two 

more TV programs have been created, CSI: Miami

and CSI: New York.

Every shred of evidence is tested. Hair, blood, dirt stains and 

carpet fibers can help solve a crime. In one episode, toenail 

clippings proved that someone who claimed he killed a man 

in self-defense was actually guilty of murder. The show makes 

it seem that crime solving depends most on analysis of DNA 

samples and evidence. So the audience may believe that testimony of witnesses and good police work are less important. 

On CSI the main characters seem to arrest suspects based on 

what the analysis shows rather than their own good detective 

work. But in real life the best scientific tests and the smartest 

forensic computer analysts also need the help of police officers to add up the clues and capture the culprit.

19

Above: The actors who play 

investigators in the CSI TV Show.

Crime: an illegal act for 

which someone can be 

punished by the government.

Las Vegas, Nevada: a large 

city in the south of the state 

of Nevada. It is famous for 

casinos, businesses that host 

different kinds of gambling.

Crack: a slang word for solve, 

as in "He cracked the puzzle."

Gadget: a small, interesting 

device.

Hit: in this usage, a popular 

item, as in "The song was a 

hit on the radio."

Fiber: a tiny piece of natural 

or artificial material for 

making carpet or cloth.

DNA samples: an acid in the 

cells of living things. DNA 

(deoxyribonucleic acid) carries 

information that can be used 

to identify individuals. A 

sample is a small bit of 

material that has DNA in it.

Forensic: a legal term that 

here means crime-related 

investigation.

Culprit: someone guilty of a 

crime.
Seth Harrison

REAL AMERICA

All’s Quiet on the 

Small-Town Front

The summer sun is shining brightly on the red brick 

police station in Middlebury, a small town in western Connecticut. It's about 1 o'clock in the afternoon. 

Police Chief Richard Guisti sits at a computer, typing 

an email. He is wearing his blue police uniform. He 

has photos on his desk of his wife and their two sons, 

who are now in their 20s. His diplomas, training certificates and awards hang on the walls of his office. 

There are also photos. One photo shows his son playing football in high school. Another photo shows his 

other son competing in a swim meet. There are photos of former baseball stars who played for the New 

York Yankees, Guisti's favorite team. There is a Yankees baseball cap on his desk.

The police chief is a friendly 48-year-old man. He coaches boys’ 

football and high school basketball in a nearby town, Waterbury. Guisti has lived in Middlebury for 25 years. There are 

7,000 people in Middlebury and not a lot of violent crime.

Many people think police work always involves car chases and 

gunfights because that is what they see on television and in 

movies. But this is not true in Middlebury. In fact, it is not true 

for most small towns in the United States.

Above: Police Chief Richard Guisti 

in his patrol car. In the quiet town of 

Middlebury he mostly gives speeding 

tickets and assists in emergencies.

Diploma: a document that 

shows that a person has 

finished a course of study or 

has graduated from a school.

Certificate: a document 

given after training that 

shows a person is actually 

able to do the work.

Compete: to try to win 

something, such as a prize 

or reward, that someone 

else is also trying to win.

Meet: as used here, a race 

between two swimming 

teams.

20
“On TV, I know you see the chases, you see the bank robberies, you see the shootouts,” Guisti says. “We do a lot of motor 

vehicle accidents” and traffic law enforcement. “We are first 

responders for medical calls.” He adds that it is “still smalltime community policing.” Guisti became police chief in 

2005. He began working as a policeman in Middlebury in 

1985. He has been in two or three car chases during that time. 

And does he use the gun in the holster on his right hip? 

“We draw our weapons at robbery scenes,” Guisti says, “but I 

have never had to actually fire my service weapon.” 

The chief has a staff of 14 officers and eight dispatchers. 

Because the police department is small, the chief has to do 

many things. He works on budgets, training, schedules and 

discipline. “I’m also in charge of communications,” he says, 

adding that the police department dispatches fire and public 

works crews. Public works takes care of water lines and fallen 

trees. He says that because his staff is so small, he fills in 

wherever necessary when his people are busy. 

Technology has changed police work since he started in 

1985, the chief says. “You didn’t used to have emails. You 

didn’t used to have cellphones. Maybe you had a computer.” 

Today, police officers can send an email about a crime from 

their car to almost every police department in the state. “You 

would be surprised by how much information comes back 

saying, ‘We had something similar,’ or the exact same 

description of the car, the suspects.” The officers also 

interview people and go on stakeouts. “Technology has gone 

a long way to help police work, but you still pound the beat,” 

he says, meaning that police officers must meet and get to 

know people. 

21

Seth Harrison

First responder: trained 

person who is first at the 

scene of an accident or 

emergency. 

Holster: a case worn on a 

person's body to hold a 

weapon. 

Draw: in this context, to 

take something out of a 

container. "The officer had 

to draw his weapon." 

Staff: a group of people 

who work for an 

organization or business. 

Officer: 1) a member of a 

police force; 2) a person 

who has an important 

position in a company, 

organization or 

government; 3) a person 

who has a position of 

command in the military. 

Dispatcher: a person whose 

job is to send workers out 

to jobs, often by radio. 

Dispatch is the verb that 

means to send quickly. 

Budget: an amount of 

money available for 

spending that is based on a 

plan for how it will be 

spent; also the plan for 

spending money. 

Schedule: a plan of things 

that will be done and the 

times when they will be 

done. 

Discipline: making sure that 

rules and orders are obeyed 

and giving penalties when 

they are not. 

Crew: a group of people 

working together as a 

team, for example, a 

firefighting crew. 

Beat: as used here, the area 

where a police officer 

patrols. 

Right: Chief Guisti supervises 

14 officers. Because it’s a small 

department, he does many jobs, 

including training and scheduling. 
Seth Harrison 

Unlike TV police shows, it usually takes a long time for real 

police to solve a crime. “In CSI they solve everything in eight 

hours; that’s not realistic,” says Sergeant John Desmarais. He 

has worked for the Middlebury police department for 15 years. 

He also coaches football with Guisti. 

“We solve 60 percent or 70 percent of the crimes. That is very 

high. ... We know our community. We know who to talk to. For 

example, on the midnight shift, the paperboy sees everything,” 

Desmarais says. 

When Guisti was a boy, he did not want to become a policeman. His father was a toolmaker. His mother had a real estate 

business, helping people buy and sell houses. Little Richard 

Guisti loved sports and wanted to become a professional baseball player. Then, one day when he was 14 years old, he was 

playing baseball in Waterbury. A policeman came up to him 

and said, “If you don’t become a baseball player, why don’t you 

become a policeman? You’ll like police work because you like 

working with people.” 

Guisti got his first job in law enforcement in Waterbury in 

1982. He is proud that he has helped solve many crimes. For 

example, he helped recover stolen things that had sentimental 

value to an old person. That made him feel good, he says, adding that the case was solved “just through legwork” and shared 

information. Guisti likes to help people outside of his police 

work, an aspect of a cop’s life not usually on TV police shows. 

He taught young people about the danger of drugs in the local 

school system for eight years. The school program was called 

DARE: Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Kids he taught are 

now grown up with children of their own. Some of those children have become doctors, dentists, police officers and teachers. Guisti says, “I tell my officers, ‘If you can influence one 

person, you did your job.’” 

Above: Consulting with officers 

and report writing are part of a 

police officer’s job. 

Paperboy: a person who 

sells newspapers, usually 

very early in the morning. 

Law enforcement: police 

work, or making sure laws 

are obeyed. 

Recover: to get something 

back after it is lost or stolen. 

"The police recovered the 

stolen car." 

Legwork: a slang term for 

doing active work, going 

around and meeting people 

rather than sitting at a desk. 

"Solving crimes takes a lot of 

legwork." 

Influence: the power to 

cause changes without 

directly forcing them to 

happen. 

22
Seth Harrison

Seth Harrison

23
FOR DISCUSSION

A. Find the following details in the text. Then write short 

answers to the questions.

1. Can you describe three decorations Guisti has in his office?

2. What is Guisti’s favorite sport?

3. What types of calls does Guisti usually handle?

4. How often does Guisti use his gun?

5. What percentage of crimes does Guisti’s police department solve?

6. Why is he so successful at solving crimes?

7. What did Guisti do in the local schools?

B. Write short answers to the questions below using your 

understanding of the text. Circle the part of the text 

that helped you understand the answer.

1. What type of people live in Middlebury?

2. Why is violent crime low in Middlebury?

3. How is Guisti’s work as a police officer different from the work 

of police on TV?

4. How has technology changed the way police work?

5. How does Guisti feel about his career?

C. Look for the answers to the following questions in the 

text about the police chief of Middlebury, Connecticut, 

and discuss the answers with a partner.

1. How long has Richard Guisti worked as a police officer?

2. What are the main types of crime in his town?

D. Discuss with a partner the following questions:

1. What image do you have of police in the United States? Why?

2. Describe the family life and personal life of a police officer in 

your country.

3. Now that you know more about Police Chief Richard Guisti, 

what do you think makes a good police officer? Think of five 

personality traits. He or she should be ...

Opposite: The police chief is 

responsible for his own paperwork 

and reviewing his officers’ reports.

24
REAL AMERICA LOCATIONS

DUANE WOOD

Wyoming 

KATHERYN CONDE

San Francisco, 

California

KATHERINE JACKSON

San Diego, California

25
STEVE RIGONI

Pavilion, New York

M. NATALIE ACHONG

New York, New York

RICHARD GUISTI

Middlebury, 

Connecticut

FARMERS MARKET 

New York, New York

KATARINA

PODLESNAYA

Potomac, Maryland

PERETTE ARRINGTON

Washington, D.C.

edit to come © Image cr

26
Psychologist

© Paramount Television/CBS/Photofest

POP CULTURE

Dr. Phil Dr. Phil makes millions of house calls each day 

through his television talk show. He counsels 

people on relationships, parenting, weight loss and 

other issues. Phillip McGraw earned a Ph.D. in psychology in 1979. His father was also a psychologist. 

For a while, he joined his father's clinic — or practice, 

as it's often called in America. He published a book 

called Life Strategies in 1999 that became a best-seller. He became a media star in 2002 with the launch 

of his popular television program, Dr. Phil. This show 

features people with difficult personal problems and 

troubled families. He often confronts people with 

their faults. The program is criticized by some mental health professionals. They say McGraw makes complicated issues seem 

overly simple and dramatic. On one show, McGraw brought a 

mother to tears by playing a video over and over of her screaming at her son. On another, he dealt with two parents accusing 

each other of mistreating their 3-year-old daughter. “Does 

anybody have this child’s interest at heart?” McGraw asked. 

Normally, situations like this are resolved discreetly by mental 

health professionals or law enforcement agencies, not on television. McGraw no longer has a license to practice therapy. 

The Dr. Phil program is filmed in California. The state government of California says that he does not need a license to 

practice therapy on television, concluding that the Dr. Phil

program is about entertainment, not psychology.

27

Right: Dr. Phil is TV psychologist Phil 

McGraw. He hosts a talk show where 

people discuss serious personal problems.

Psychology: the science or 

study of the mind and 

behavior.

Psychologist: a therapist who 

specializes in the study and 

treatment of the mind and 

behavior.

License: legal permission 

required to offer specialized 

services in the United States. 

Medical doctors, lawyers, 

electricians and building 

contractors are among those 

who need licenses.
Ken White/State Department

REAL AMERICA

Helping Youth

One Conversation at a Time

Dr. Perette Arrington knows what it's like to listen 

to emotional outbursts of anger and confusion. 

She is a psychologist and spends a lot of time listening 

to young people who are under stress. She accepts 

the emotions of her patients.

She meets with people in a private office where her visitors can 

feel safe to express their feelings. They know what they say will 

be confidential. No cameras. No television. No public drama.

During her career, Arrington has worked with patients who 

are very sick. The sessions can be difficult. “Sometimes people ask me how I do it. It is sad to think what some people go 

through with mental illness,” she says. She separates her work 

from her personal life. When she goes home, she doesn’t tell 

anyone about any of the people she has seen. “It’s part of what 

makes my job special,” she says.

Arrington has a doctor of psychology degree from The 

George Washington University and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Howard University. Both universities 

are in Washington. She stayed in Washington to work at the 

John Philip Sousa Middle School. This is a publicly funded 

school for children who are 11 to 13 years old.

In her group sessions, she talks with young people about conflict and anger. Her goal is to prevent problems before they 

happen. She sees children by themselves to help them with 

personal problems with friends or family.

Above: Dr. Perette Arrington is a 

psychologist who specializes in 

counseling young people.

Confusion: the state of 

being unable to understand 

or think clearly.

Patient: as used here, a 

person who receives 

medical care or treatment.

Drama: a situation or series 

of events that is exciting and 

affects people's emotions.

Conflict: strong disagreement between people, 

groups, etc., that results in 

often angry argument.

28
She teaches students in classrooms and advises teachers and 

parents on managing behavior. Recently, she taught a class 

about suicide. “Sometimes kids just don’t know how to respond 

or get help,” Arrington says. So she taught a class to help 

students recognize the signs when someone is thinking of 

suicide. Arrington led a weekly anger management discussion 

to help a group of eight girls to be calm and deal with their 

angry feelings. “You can tell Dr. Arrington your special 

feelings,” says Lajuan, an eighth-grade student. “You can 

come to her if you are feeling down or have a problem.” When 

two students have an argument, Arrington does not discuss 

the problem in front of other students, but takes the arguing 

students aside and helps them solve the problem in private.

Dwan Jordan is the John Philip Sousa Middle School principal. 

He describes Arrington as a person who is able to work well 

with adults and students. He says the school is lucky to have 

Arrington there full time. Most schools do not have a fulltime psychologist. He says the students “all trust her. She’s 

very ethical, and she always has a plan.”

Arrington didn’t always want to be a psychologist. When she 

entered Seton Hall University in New Jersey, she wanted to 

become a medical doctor. But she found it too difficult to 

balance being a top volleyball player and medical school 

studies. “I was losing sleep. I had to make a decision,” she says.

She put her medical school plans on hold. “I switched to 

psychology and loved it. It made sense to me,” she says. She 

learned the theories of psychology and saw how they explain 

different types of behavior. She discovered she had a natural 

Recognize: to accept or be 

aware that something is 

true or exists.

Suicide: the act of killing 

oneself.

Feel down: to be sad or 

unhappy. "He was feeling 

down after his best friend 

moved away."

Ethical: following accepted 

rules of behavior; morally 

right and good.

Theory: an idea or set of 

ideas that is intended to 

explain facts or events.

Below: Dr. Arrington gains the trust 

of the middle school students she 

works with because she listens to 

them and respects their privacy.

Ken White/State Department

29
ability to apply her knowledge in real situations. From that 

point on, Arrington knew that she wanted to help people deal 

with personal problems.

As a student, Arrington worked on research projects and 

internships. One internship was with a program for children 

living in temporary homes. Another was at a school for children 

with emotional disabilities, where she was available to the 

children 24 hours a day. She helped them go to the hospital if 

they had emergencies. The work was tiring, but she enjoyed it 

because she helped children.

In addition to her full-time job at the middle school, Arrington 

has her own part-time private practice, where she sees children 

and adults for individual counseling sessions.

And she still plays volleyball. She has coached the girls’ volleyball 

team at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington for 10 

seasons. Her teams have won the championship every year. She 

plans tournaments, and gets parents involved. “I do it because 

I enjoy it. I do it for the girls,” she says.

Her counseling and coaching have helped her to understand 

the way teenagers think. She teaches them to be competitive

in a healthy way. “I understand the pressures they are under 

and I can connect with them. If you enjoy what you do, it is easy 

for people to feel comfortable around you,” she says.

Ken White/State Department

Research: careful study that 

is done to find and report 

new knowledge about 

something.

Internship: the position that 

a student holds for a time in 

order to get experience.

Coach: to train or teach 

athletes or performers.

Tournament: a sports 

competition or series of 

contests that involves many 

players or teams and usually 

continues for at least 

several days.

Competitive: having a 

strong desire to win or be 

the best at something.

Left: Arrington and Sousa school 

principal Dwan Jordan. He says the 

school is lucky to have a full-time 

psychologist.

30
Ken White/State Department Ken White/State Department

edit to come © Image cr

31
FOR DISCUSSION

A. Find the following details in the text. Then write short 

answers to the questions.

1. At what school does Arrington work?

2. What did she originally want to study?

3. What sport does she coach?

4. Why does she enjoy coaching?

B. Write short answers to the questions below using your 

understanding of the text. Circle the part of the text 

that helped you understand the answer.

1. What is difficult about Arrington’s job?

2. What does she do when she listens to patients?

3. Why did Arrington attend three different universities?

4. What does she try to teach in her classes?

5. What was difficult about being an athlete while studying for 

medical school?

C. Look for the answers to the following questions after 

you read the text about Perette Arrington and discuss 

the answers with a partner.

1. What does Arrington do at the middle school?

2. How or why did she decide to study psychology?

D. Discuss with a partner the following questions 

about school:

1. Who works at your school besides teachers? What do they do?

2. What does a psychologist do?

3. What are some emotional problems that teenagers have?

Opposite: Arrington discovered a 

natural ability to help people work 

through problems. She advises 

teachers and parents on managing 

behavior problems and students who 

have difficulties at school or at home. 

32
Food

20th Century Fox Television/Photofest

POP CULTURE

Krusty Burger 

and The Simpsons

There's no place like Krusty Burger! Krusty Burger 

is the fast-food restaurant on the television cartoon series The Simpsons. This popular cartoon spoofs 

many aspects of American culture. At Krusty Burger, 

the menu is full of unhealthy choices like deep-fried 

burgers. Two of the main characters, Bart and Lisa 

Simpson, enjoy eating at Krusty Burger. They are fans 

of the owner, Krusty the Clown, who is also the star 

of a children's TV show. Krusty has electric blue hair 

and a huge smile on camera. Off camera Krusty is not a 

nice person. He owes people a lot of money. He uses deceptive 

business practices. Krusty says that his restaurants recycle, but 

this is not true. Krusty takes leftover burgers from old customers and “recycles” them as new burgers for new customers. 

In one episode of The Simpsons, a study declared Krusty Burgers as “the unhealthiest fast-food item in the world.” So Krusty 

created the Mother Earth Burger, packed in a green wrapper 

made from spoiled barley. Bart and Lisa’s father, Homer Simpson, bit into a Mother Earth Burger. Homer proudly stated, 

“I'm saving the earth.” Then he got sick. Krusty blamed the 

farmers and suppliers for the bad barley. The farmers went 

out of business, but not Krusty!

33

Above: Homer Simpson from the TV 

cartoon show The Simpsons looks at a 

pile of Krusty burgers.
Seth Harrison

REAL AMERICA

Farm to Table

Fresh for the Picking

Ahundred years ago, outdoor markets were common in the United States. Farmers brought fresh 

fruits and vegetables into the city. There were no supermarkets, so everyone shopped at outdoor markets.

Union Square is in New York City. Shoppers can find large 

stores like a Barnes & Noble bookstore and a Best Buy electronics store nearby. In Union Square, shoppers can also find 

the main farmers market in New York City. Farmers sell fresh 

food there four days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and 

Saturday. There are ripe fruits, vegetables, milk products, 

meats and bread. Farmers come to the market rain or shine. 

Many Americans now reject fast food. They are choosing 

fresh, healthy items sold at farmers markets. Many items are 

“organic,” or free of chemicals.

The New York City farmers markets are run by a nonprofit organization called Greenmarket. Greenmarket is funded by private companies and the city government. Greenmarket has 49 

farmers markets in the city. Some are open every week; others 

are open only in the summer. For example, Rockefeller Center 

has a lively farmers market. This busy place is where a giant 

Christmas tree is displayed in the winter. This farmers market 

Above: Shoppers at this New York 

City farmers market enjoy fresh air 

while they buy farm-fresh food.

Nonprofit organization: an 

organization with a goal 

other than making money, 

such as supporting art, 

education or social justice.

Fund: as used here, to pay 

for something. "This money

funds my education."

34
is open only in the summer. Tourists are surprised to see farmers selling fresh fruits, vegetables, honey and bread there.

One of the regular shoppers at the Union Square farmers 

market is Heather Lindsey. She is a writer from Oregon, a 

Western state where many fruits and vegetables are grown. 

Heather moved to New York 12 years ago and has always 

shopped at the farmers markets. She buys fresh bread, eggs, 

goat cheese and vegetables. She buys from different farmers 

each time. “I love farmers markets,” she says.

Heather tries to eat more fruits and vegetables and less meat. 

She has been cooking at home a lot more now to save money. 

She takes a cooking class at the Institute of Culinary Education. She learned how to make delicious vegetable tarts, eggs, 

waffles, pasta with clam sauce and Mexican dishes.

Michael Mandel is Heather’s husband. He says they enjoy eating Italian and Mexican food. He likes the farmers market. 

He ate fast food all the time when he was a child. In the 1980s 

he became a vegetarian and stopped eating meat. Michael believes cattle ranching harms the environment. It was not common to be a vegetarian in the United States in the 1980s, and 

many people thought he was strange. Things have changed. 

Today, many restaurants have veggie burgers — burgers made 

of vegetables.

Shoshana Berkovic is another customer at the Union Square 

market. She teaches biology and earth science, and lives with 

her teenage daughter. Shoshana says she likes the freshness of 

the potatoes, cucumbers, carrots and tomatoes at the market. 

She carries an insulated bag with her to keep food fresh. “The 

food here lasts much longer,” she says about the fresh farmers’ 

produce. It helps her make sure her daughter “eats healthy” 

and gets all her vitamins.

Shoshana says junk food isn’t sold anymore in the school where she works. 

Now the school has healthier items for 

students to buy. She has seen a lot of 

improvement, although she says many 

students still eat french fries.

The Union Square farmers market is 

full of children. There they learn 

about food and the farmers who grow 

the fruits and vegetables. The children see what garlic and onions look 

like when they are pulled fresh from 

the ground. Some of the summer 

peaches still have leaves on them.

35

Culinary: related to cooking.

Tart: a pie that has a filling, like fruit, vegetables 

or meat.

Waffle: a crisp breakfast 

cake made in a "waffle iron" 

that stamps a pattern of 

deep squares on both sides 

of the cake.

Clam: a type of shellfish 

that lives underwater in 

sand. It has a light-colored 

shell in two parts.

Cattle ranching: raising 

cows, steers and bulls on a 

large scale.

Vegetarian: a person who 

does not eat meat.

Insulate: to add material 

to something that stops 

heat, electricity or sound 

from going in or out. "My 

dad insulated our house 

for winter."

Produce: fresh fruit and vegetables. "Apples and carrots 

are in the produce section of 

the grocery store."

Vitamins: natural substances usually found in 

foods that help the body 

to be healthy.

Below: There is a wide selection of 

locally-grown produce at farmers 

markets.

Seth Harrison
FOR DISCUSSION

A. Look for the answers to the following questions 

about farmers markets in the article. Afterwards, 

discuss the answers with a partner.

1. Where are farmers markets located?

2. Talk about three people in the text. Why do they prefer 

buying food at farmers markets?

B. Find the following details in the text. Then write short 

answers to the questions.

1. Where is the main New York City farmers market?

2. What are organic foods?

3. How many farmers markets are there in New York City?

4. What is Heather Lindsey’s job?

5. How long has Heather Lindsey lived in New York City?

6. What are two reasons Heather Lindsey likes shopping at 

farmers markets?

7. Why does Heather Lindsey cook at home more now?

8. According to Michael Mandel, what did most people think

about vegetarians in the 1980s?

9. What steps has the New York City public school system taken 

to make children healthier?

10. What are children learning about at the farmers markets in 

New York City?

C. Write short answers to the questions below using your 

understanding of the text. Circle the part of the text 

that helped you understand the answer.

1. Why do farmers outside New York come into the city to sell 

their food?

2. What does Michael Mandel think of cattle ranching? 

3. What does Shoshana Berkovic do for a living?

D. Class Discussion: Discuss with your classmates and 

teacher the following:

1. Think of three examples of how farmers markets are similar to 

the markets in your own city or town. How are they different?

2. If your class could set up a farmers market where you live, 

what would you sell? When would it be open? What would you 

name your market?

Below: People shop and farmers sell 

in a typical American farmers market.

Seth Harrison

36
Cowboy

© Warner Bros./Photofest

POP CULTURE

Unforgiven

Unforgiven is a movie about the American "Old 

West." Hollywood actor Clint Eastwood directed 

the film and also plays the role of a gunfighter. In the 

Old West, gunfighters were sharpshooters who often 

killed for hire or to earn a reward, or bounty. The 

gunfighter played by Eastwood had given up 

violence, but is later convinced by a young gunfighter 

to try to collect a bounty. A former outlaw friend 

joins them. They go to Big Whiskey, Wyoming, where 

there was a horrible crime. Two cowboys cut the face 

of a woman with a knife. Her women friends offered 

to pay $1,000 to anyone who kills the cowboys, who 

are protected by the Big Whiskey sheriff. The two 

old gunfighters, accompanied by the young 

gunfighter, arrive in Big Whiskey. The three of them 

find and kill the guilty cowboys who attacked the 

woman. They collect the reward and leave. The 

sheriff catches one of the old gunfighters, kills him 

and displays his body in the street. The other old 

gunfighter goes back to Big Whiskey and kills the 

men who killed his friend. After the bloody events, 

the young gunfighter sees that murder for money is 

not glamorous or satisfying, and the old gunfighter 

permanently gives up violence. Unforgiven won the 

Oscar for best picture in 1992.

37

Above: Actors Clint Eastwood and 

Morgan Freeman play outlaws in the 

movie Unforgiven.
Candy Moulton

REAL AMERICA

Modern-Day 

Cowboy

Wyoming is a cold state during the long winter months. Snow sometimes begins to fall 

in September. Duane Wood is a cowboy. Wood, a 

quiet man with a thick mustache, fixes fences and 

cuts wood to heat his family's home during the 

cold months.

September is when he moves cattle. He brings them closer to 

the ranch house so he can find them and feed them easily 

once winter comes. As the days become shorter, the work 

slows down. He and his helpers move the cattle into corrals.

Then, he separates calves from their mothers.

Cowboys today are different from those you see in movies. 

They don’t ride horses all the time. Often they use trucks or 

all-terrain vehicles. In the 19th century, most cowboys were 

young men who helped move thousands of cattle north from 

Texas. They herded the cattle to towns like Dodge City, 

Abilene and Ogallala, where the cattle were shipped on railroad trains. After selling the cattle, the cowboys often spent 

their money in saloons.

Over time, more people moved into the range areas. They 

built fences. Many large ranches became small farms. Cowboys continued to work only on large ranches. Duane Wood’s 

ranch does scientific research to improve cattle breeds. For 

this, Wood keeps records on the cattle in his herd, like how 

much they weigh.

Left: Cowboy Duane Wood cares for 

horses and cattle on the ranch. He also 

must keep records on the animals.

Wyoming: a mountainous 

state in the western 

United States.

Cowboy: a man whose job 

is to take care of cattle or 

horses, especially in the 

western United States. He 

usually rides a horse.

Cattle: cows (female) or 

bulls (male) that are kept 

on a farm or ranch for meat 

or milk.

Ranch: a large farm where 

animals, such as cattle, 

horses and sheep, are raised.

Corral: a fenced area that 

holds cattle or other animals.

Calf (singular), calves

(plural): a young cow or bull.

All-terrain vehicle: a small 

vehicle with three or four 

large wheels that is used to 

drive over rough ground.

Saloon: in the Old West, usually a barroom for meeting, 

playing cards and socializing.

Range: open land that 

farm animals such as cows 

and sheep use for grazing 

and roaming.

Breed: in this context, 

animals that are similar to 

each other. It is used later 

as a verb that means to 

raise animals. "The cowboy 

raises two breeds of cattle."

Herd: a group of animals 

that live or are kept together. 

"The ranch has a herd of 

sheep and a herd of cattle."

38
Today’s modern cowboys use computers. They still use horses 

and dogs during the long workday. Wood rides his horse to find 

cattle in places where walking is too strenuous. His relationship 

with his horse is similar to his relationship with his wife. “We 

depend on each other. He takes care of me; I take care of him,” 

Wood says. His dog, Rosie, helps him move the cattle and keeps 

him company when he works alone.

A cowboy’s work changes with the seasons. In the fall, Wood 

gathers the cows and calves together. He sells the calves to 

other ranches. The ranches keep the calves for another year 

before selling and slaughtering them. Most ranches keep 

some of the female calves for breeding, but Wood’s ranch 

keeps bull calves. In the spring, he sells them to other ranches 

that need them for breeding with cows.

Feeding cattle is the main work on the ranch during winter 

because animals must eat every day. Wood wears many layers 

of clothes when he works outside in winter. His warm gloves 

are waterproof, so he can put his hands in icy water and his 

fingers won’t get wet. He goes out to check his cattle even 

when it’s snowing hard. “We just do it,” he says.

When the time comes for the cows to give birth, Wood moves 

them to a pasture close to the main ranch where there are 

trees to protect them. Night and day, Wood stays with the 

herd. He checks on the calves, making sure they are with their 

mothers. He doesn’t sleep much during this time.

A cowboy is always aware of his herd. “The cattle depend on 

us, and we’ve got to be there to help them,” he says. He 

moves the animals near grass and water. Sometimes he helps 

a cow give birth.

When spring comes, so much needs to be done. Wood fixes 

fences and prepares to move the cattle to the summer range. 

The summer range is far from the ranch home. There the 

cattle have more grass to eat. Wood spends the summer 

months storing food for the cattle to eat in winter.

Candy Moulton

39

Slaughter: to kill animals for 

their meat.

Pasture: open, grassy land 

where animals can graze, or 

eat the grass and plants.

Aware: knowing that 

something such as a 

situation, condition or 

problem exists.

Below: Wood’s days are as varied: 

sometimes he mows hay using a 

tractor, other days he rides his horse 

around the ranch. 
No matter the weather, Wood is usually outside. So what does 

he wear? Most of the time, Wood wears a baseball cap and 

jeans. In winter, he often wears a wool hat that covers his ears 

to keep them warm. Traditionally, cowboys wore large “cowboy” hats, boots and other clothing. Wood dresses like this 

sometimes, too.

Both men and women work as cowboys today, and Wood’s 

family is one of many examples. His wife, Laurie, and their 

8-year-old daughter, Cora, help out sometimes. Cora began 

riding a pony named Chester when she was 3. Today she rides 

a horse, like her dad. Chester the pony now belongs to her 

younger brother, Bonner. Wood wants his kids to learn the 

cowboy traditions.

“What keeps me in this life is the outdoors and the cattle,” 

Wood says. He enjoys riding his horses over green pastures or 

near clear creeks that provide water for the animals.

Candy Moulton

Cap: a small, soft hat. A 

baseball cap is one common example.

Creek: a small stream.

Below: Two of Wood’s most important tools on the ranch are his horse 

and his dog. They keep him company 

on rides in rough country when he is 

gathering cattle.

40
© Shutterstock

FOR DISCUSSION

A. Find the following details in the text. Then write 

short answers to the questions.

1. Why does Wood move the cattle closer to his ranch house in 

September?

2. How does Wood prepare for winter?

3. What type of research does Wood do?

4. Describe Wood’s relationship with his horse. How important is 

the horse to Wood’s life and job?

5. How often does Wood feed the cattle in winter?

6. Does Wood wear the same clothing in both summer and in 

winter? Why or why not? Give one example.

7. Why does Wood like his job?

B. Write short answers to the questions below using 

your understanding of the text. Circle the part of the 

text that helped you understand the answer.

1. How are today’s cowboys different from those of the past?

2. How does Wood spend most of his time?

3. Which is more important, Wood’s dog or his horse? Are they 

equally important?

4. What is Wood’s attitude toward his work?

5. How does Wood involve his family in his job? Do you think his 

children will become ranchers?

C. Discuss the story with a partner. 

1. What are Wood’s main responsibilities?

2. What do you think about life on a ranch after reading this story?

D. Discuss with a partner the following questions about 

cowboys:

1. Look at the picture above. What kind of hat is it? Who wears 

it? Is there a hat or other special piece of clothing that people 

in your country wear?

2. How do cowboys spend their time? What is their main job?

3. Why are they an important part of American culture?

41

Opposite: Ranch hands come in all 

sizes. Wood’s 8-year-old daughter, 

Cora, regularly helps her dad.
Candy Moulton

42
Farmers

Wind 

20th Century Fox Television/Photofest

POP CULTURE

Montgomery Burns

After watching a movie with scary characters, 

Homer Simpson tried to reassure his son Bart 

by telling him, "There's nobody that evil in real life." 

Perhaps not, but in the fictional Springfield, where 

the cartoon characters of The Simpsons TV show 

live, there is Montgomery Burns. Evil deeds are his 

specialty. Montgomery Burns is the richest, oldest 

and meanest man in town, a billionaire who owns 

the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. He will do anything for more money and power. He steals oil from 

the Springfield elementary school. He uses a device 

to block the sun, so people will use more electricity 

from his nuclear power plant. 

Homer, the main character, works at Burns’ nuclear plant. 

In one episode, Burns decides to stop dental insurance for 

his employees. Homer becomes the labor union president 

and leads the workers out on strike. The strike forces Burns to 

give the workers back their dental insurance, causing the 

workers to sing “They have the plant, but we have the power.” 

Burns lives in a mansion with many luxuries. He has an enormous television set and priceless treasures. But he is not happy. He has everything but his teddy bear named Bobo that he 

lost as a child. Maggie is Homer’s young daughter. It turns out 

that Maggie now has Bobo. Burns offers little Maggie $1 million and three islands in Hawaii for Bobo. But Maggie refuses 

to give up her teddy bear. Later she changes her mind when 

she sees how sad Burns is without Bobo. She relents and gives 

him the bear for nothing. “Something amazing has happened,” Burns says. “I’m actually happy.”

43

Above: Montgomery Burns is the 

greedy, unfeeling billionaire in The 

Simpsons TV cartoon show.

Reassure: to make someone feel more confident or 

happy, or less afraid. "I had 

to reassure my little brother 

after the loud thunderstorm."

Dental insurance: in the 

United States, a system in 

which employers help pay for 

dental care for employees.

Labor union: an organization that helps workers 

obtain fair wages, benefits 

and working conditions.

Mansion: a large, luxurious 

house with many rooms.

Relent: to soften one's 

attitude. "The father at first 

said 'no,' but he relented 

and let the children go to 

the movies after all."
Gail Kalinoski

REAL AMERICA

Cutting Costs

While Saving the Earth

Steve Rigoni has been interested in wind power 

since the 1970s. In the 1970s, the United States 

was in an energy crisis. Oil prices were high. Rigoni 

was a dairy farmer. He thought he would make his 

own electricity for his dairy farm in upstate New York 

by building his own wind turbine. It worked, but it 

wasn't very reliable, so he took it down.

Rigoni’s father and grandfather had been dairy farmers, also, 

but by 2006 he was ready for a change. “It was my grandfather’s dream. I did it for 35 to 38 years. It was time for something else.” Married with three adult children, he sold his 

dairy cows and turned to crop farming. “We grow corn, soybeans and hay for the local horse people,” he says.

Technology had improved since the 1970s, so Rigoni decided 

to try wind power again. He set up a 10-kilowatt wind turbine 

on a 42.5-meter-high tower in the backyard of his house, 

which sits on 240 hectares of land in Pavilion, New York. It’s 

located about a 90-minute drive from the Canadian border.

He is part of a growing trend in the United States. More and 

more homeowners, farmers and small business owners are 

making their own electricity through wind power. The small 

wind power market is doing well.

Ron Stimmel, from the American Wind Energy Association, 

confirms that. He says the production of wind power rose 78 

percent between 2008 and 2009. But wind power setup costs 

can be high. Government encouragement through income tax 

credits helps people like Rigoni afford it. People like Rigoni 

want to produce energy independently. They want the energy 

Above: Small-business owner Steve 

Rigoni gets his hands dirty helping 

with every aspect of his wind farm.

Wind power: using the energy of the wind to produce 

electricity.

Dairy: the type of farming 

that deals with the production of milk and foods 

made from milk.

Turbine: a machine with 

spinning blades that converts the flow of air, water 

or gas into electricity.

Crop: plants that are grown 

by farmers for food and 

other purposes.

Hay: grass that has been cut 

and dried to be used as 

food for animals. Horses 

like to eat hay.

Income tax credits: giving a 

refund of money paid for 

annual government taxes 

on the money one earns.

Afford: be able to pay for 

something. "After working 

all summer, I can afford 

tuition for school."

44
to be less harmful to the environment. Wind power reduces the 

carbon footprint. This means that it releases less carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. These greenhouse gases are 

created by burning oil, coal and some other fuels that scientists 

have found contribute to global warming and climate change.

Rigoni was one of the first people in his area to put up a wind 

turbine on his property for personal use. Now, many of his 

neighbors are doing the same thing. Even the local schools 

are using wind power.

Rigoni bought his turbine from a company called Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. (SED). SED sells many types 

of turbines, both large and small.

Ernie Pritchard helped start SED. He says people like Rigoni are trying to help the environment. “They believe in 

renewable energy,” he says. Pritchard put up Rigoni’s windmill and advises him on its maintenance. “He loves his turbine,” says Pritchard.

Rigoni’s wind turbine system cost $55,000. However, government financial incentives for Americans who want to use 

energy-efficient and renewable energy technology helped 

Rigoni afford the switch to wind power.

Rigoni’s turbine produces about 800 kilowatts of electricity 

each month. This is enough for all the electricity needs in his 

house and office. He and his wife, Susan, used to pay $120–

$140 per month for electricity. Now, he pays $16 to the electricity company. The rest of the energy is free. They changed 

from a natural gas-powered water heater to an electric model 

to take advantage of wind power.

Rigoni sees his turbine as an investment. “I used a lot of money to buy the windmill. But when I retire, my electric bill will 

be paid,” he says. The system will pay for itself in 15 years.

Rigoni likes showing people how the system works. It is about 

200 meters from his house and it runs quietly. His wind turbine 

has become a town landmark and people interested in installing 

their own turbines stop by to see his. Several larger, commercial 

wind farms have been set up in upstate New York to supply 

clean energy to utility companies for entire communities.

Small wind systems like Rigoni’s need an average wind speed of 

16 kilometers per hour. Rigoni’s land is very windy, thanks to a 

large lake nearby. Five to seven windy days are necessary each 

month to produce enough electricity for the farm, he says.

Rigoni believes it is important for Americans to use less oil 

and coal for power and develop more clean sources of energy 

like wind, solar and biofuels. Rigoni needs heat in order to 

dry corn on his farm. To produce this heat, he burns a plant 

called switchgrass, which grows in his area. Rigoni says using 

switchgrass as a fuel saves about 3,800 liters of propane gas a 

day. This means that Rigoni saves a lot of money and helps the 

environment by using a sustainable fuel.

Rigoni’s successful energy projects help convince others to 

spend time and money to create cleaner energy sources. “I 

believe we all have to do something about the energy crisis,” 

he says.

45

Carbon footprint: a footprint is a mark made by a 

foot; a carbon "footprint" 

refers to the impact made 

by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. 

"Let's reduce our carbon 

footprint by using our 

bikes instead of our car." 

Renewable energy: energy 

sources that cannot be 

used up like limited supplies of coal and oil. Examples are wind, the sun, 

certain plants and waste 

that may be turned into 

electricity and fuel.

Incentive: a useful thing or 

reward that makes people 

want to do something; for 

example, a store offers 

free ice cream so people 

will come. The ice cream is 

the incentive.

Landmark: a natural or manmade thing that stands out 

and marks a place.

Clean energy: energy from 

renewable sources such as 

the sun (solar), wind, fuel 

cells, biofuels, steam (geothermal) and water.

Biofuel: a fuel, such as 

ethanol or biogas, produced from renewable biological raw materials, like 

corn or farm waste.

Switchgrass: a grass native 

to North America used as 

an alternative power 

source, by burning as a 

fuel or to make biofuels.

Propane: a colorless gas used 

for cooking and heating.

Convince: to cause someone 

to agree to do something. 

"My teacher convinced me to 

study more."

Below: Wind turbines tower above 

Rigoni's dairy cows.

Gail Kalinoski
FOR DISCUSSION

A. Find the following details in the text. Then write short 

answers to the questions.

1. What happened to Steve Rigoni’s first wind turbine?

2. Where does Rigoni live?

3. What are the benefits of a wind turbine system?

4. What can Rigoni do with the energy from his turbine?

5. What has happened to Rigoni’s electricity bill since he began 

using the wind turbine?

6. What is the average wind speed required for a wind turbine 

system?

B. Write short answers to the questions below using your 

understanding of the text. Circle the part of the text 

that helped you understand the answer.

1. Why did Rigoni try wind power again?

2. What does the U.S. government do to encourage wind power?

3. Why is clean energy important?

4. Are many Americans converting to wind power?

5. Is wind power a good option for your country?

C. Look for the answers to the following questions after 

reading the text. Discuss the answers with a partner.

1. What is Steve Rigoni’s professional background?

2. What is the role of the government in his energy project?

D. Discuss with a partner the following questions about 

energy and the environment:

1. Where does the electricity in your home come from? What 

generates your electricity?

2. Name some examples of clean energy in your area. How do 

they work?

3. What are different ways to generate electricity?

4. What impact does generating electricity have on the environment? 

Below: Steve Rigoni is one of a growing number of Americans looking for 

ways to reduce their carbon footprint 

and their fuel costs.

Gail Kalinoski

46
Glossary

A

Accelerate: to move faster, or make 

something move faster. 3

Advantage: a positive situation 

that makes success easier. 11

Afford: be able to pay for something. "After working all summer, I 

can afford tuition for school." 44

African American: an American 

who has African ancestors. 2

All-terrain vehicle: a small vehicle 

with three or four large wheels 

that is used to drive over rough 

ground. 38

American dream: a comfortable 

way of living in the United States 

that people work to achieve. 11

Arrest: the act of legally stopping 

and keeping a person committing 

a crime. "The police arrested the 

criminal." 16

Aware: knowing that something 

such as a situation, condition or 

problem exists. 39 B

Balance: to have things evenly 

weighted, not lopsided or overdone, as in "He balanced sports 

with studies." 7

Beat: as used here, the area where 

a police officer patrols. 21

Bilingual: able to speak and 

understand two languages. 7

Biofuel: a fuel, such as ethanol or 

biogas, produced from renewable 

biological raw materials, like corn 

or farm waste. 45

Blended family: a family that 

includes children from a previous 

marriage of the wife or husband. 

10

Boardwalk: a wooden path along a 

beach. 15

Breed: in this context, animals that 

are similar to each other. It is used 

later as a verb that means to raise 

animals. "The cowboy raises two 

breeds of cattle." 38

Budget: an amount of money 

available for spending that is 

based on a plan for how it will be 

spent; also the plan for spending 

money. 21

Buoy: an object that stays afloat. 

14C

Calf (singular), calves (plural): a 

young cow or bull. 38

Cap: a small, soft hat. A baseball 

cap is one common example. 40

Carbon footprint: a footprint is a 

mark made by a foot; a carbon 

"footprint" refers to the impact 

made by carbon dioxide and other 

greenhouse gases. "Let's reduce 

our carbon footprint by using our 

bikes instead of our car." 45

Cattle: cows (female) or bulls 

(male) that are kept on a farm or 

ranch for meat or milk. 38

Cattle ranching: raising cows, 

steers and bulls on a large scale. 35

Certificate: a document given after 

training that shows a person is actually able to do the work. 20

Charity: an organization that helps 

people in need. vii

Cheerleader: a person who leads 

songs or chants to encourage a 

sports team. It can also mean 

someone who is a vocal supporter 

of a person or group. 6

Civic: refers to citizenship or activities in a city. Civics is the study of 

how to be a good citizen. 2

Clam: a type of shellfish that lives 

underwater in sand. It has a lightcolored shell in two parts. 35

Clean energy: energy from renewable sources such as the sun (solar), 

wind, fuel cells, biofuels, steam 

(geothermal) and water. 45

Coach: to train or teach athletes or 

performers. 30

Communist Party: Communism is a 

system of government where 

property is held in common, by the 

people or the state. The 

Communist Party is a political party 

that supports Communism. 11

Compete: to try to win something, 

such as a prize or reward, that someone else is also trying to win. 20

Competitive: having a strong desire to win or be the best at something. 30

Conflict: strong disagreement 

between people, groups, etc., that 

results in often angry argument. 28

Confusion: the state of being 

unable to understand or think 

clearly. 28

Convince: to cause someone to 

agree to do something. My teacher 

convinced me to study more." 45

Corral: a fenced area that holds 

cattle or other animals. 38

Counselor: a person who is in 

charge of young people at a summer camp. 7

Cowboy: a man whose job is to 

take care of cattle or horses, espe47
cially in the western United States. 

Glossary

He usually rides a horse. iii, 38

Crack: a slang word for solve, as in 

"He cracked the puzzle." 19

Credits: on a TV show or movie, 

the list of actors and other crew 

members that appears on the 

screen before and after the show 

begins. 5

Creek: a small stream. 40

Crew: a group of people working 

together as a team, as a firefighting crew. 21

Crime: an illegal act for which 

someone can be punished by the 

government. iii, 19

Crop: plants that are grown by 

farmers for food and other purposes. 44

Culinary: related to cooking. 35

Culprit: someone guilty of a crime. 

19D

Dairy: the type of farming that 

deals with the production of milk 

and foods made from milk. 44

Deep South: the states in the 

southeastern United States, 

especially Georgia, Alabama, South 

Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi. 

East Texas and Florida are 

sometimes included as part of the 

Deep South. 3

Dental insurance: in the United 

States, a system in which employers 

help pay for dental care for 

employees. 43

Desperate: feeling hopeless or 

helpless. 9

Diploma: a document that shows 

that a person has finished a course 

of study or has graduated from a 

school. 20

Discipline: making sure that rules 

and orders are obeyed and giving 

penalties when they are not. 21

Dispatcher: a person whose job is 

to send workers out to jobs, often 

by radio. Dispatch is the verb that 

means to send quickly. 21

DNA samples: an acid in the cells of 

living things. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) carries information that can 

be used to identify individuals. A 

sample is a small bit of material 

that has DNA in it. 19

Drama: a situation or series of 

events that is exciting and affects 

people's emotions. 28

Draw: in this context, to take 

something out of a container. 

"The officer had to draw his 

weapon." 21

Drive: a charity effort or fundraiser, 

as in "The school sold chocolate in a 

drive to raise funds for the band." 7

E

Emigrate: to leave a country and 

settle in another. "Kate is an immigrant to the United States. She emigrated from Russia." 10

Episode: one part of an ongoing 

story. 9

Ethical: following accepted rules 

of behavior; morally right and 

good. 29

Ethnic: sharing a common culture, 

language or ancestry, for example, 

African Americans or Chinese 

Americans. 2

Extracurricular: an after-school or 

"outside-of-school" activity, such 

as sports or community service. 7

F

Feel down: to be sad or unhappy. 

"He was feeling down after his 

best friend moved away." 29

Fiber: a tiny piece of natural or 

artificial material for making carpet 

or cloth. 19

Fictional: not real, made up. vi

Fictitious: not real, an invented 

story. 5

First aid: emergency medical 

treatment given to a sick or injured 

person. 15

First responder: trained person 

who is first at the scene of an 

accident or emergency. 21

Forensic: a legal term that here 

means crime-related investigation. 

19

Fund: as used here, to pay for 

something. "This money funds my 

education." 34 G

Gadget: a small, interesting device. 

19

Gynecology: the study of the 

female reproductive system and 

related diseases. 3

H

Hay: grass that has been cut and 

dried to be used as food for animals. Horses like to eat hay. 44 

Herd: a group of animals that live 

or are kept together. "The ranch 

has a herd of sheep and a herd of 

cattle." 38

48
Glossary

Hit: in this usage, a popular item, 

as in "The song was a hit on the 

radio." 19

Holster: a case worn on a person's 

body to hold a weapon. 21

Honors: advanced courses of study 

for students who want to take 

classes at a high level. 7

Hurricane: an extremely large, 

powerful and destructive storm 

with very strong winds, also called 

a cyclone or typhoon. 15 I

Icon: a person who is very successful and admired. vi

Immigrant: a person who comes to 

a country from their home country 

to settle. 10

Incentive: a useful thing or reward 

that makes people want to do 

something, for example, a store 

offers free ice cream so people will 

come. The ice cream is the 

incentive. 45

Income tax credits: giving a refund 

of money paid for annual government taxes on the money one 

earns. 44

Influence: the power to cause 

changes without directly forcing 

them to happen. 22

Insulate: to add material to something that stops heat, electricity or 

sound from going in or out. "My 

dad insulated our house for winter." 

35

Internship: the position that a student holds for a time in order to 

get experience. 30

Ivy League: eight colleges and 

universities in the eastern United 

States that are known for academic 

excellence: Harvard, Yale, 

Princeton, Columbia, Brown and 

Cornell universities, the University 

of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth 

College. They are among the 

oldest U.S. institutions of higher 

learning. 2

L

Labor union: an organization that 

helps workers obtain fair wages, 

benefits and working conditions. 

43

Landmark: a natural or manmade thing that stands out and 

marks a place. 45

Las Vegas, Nevada: a large city in 

the south of the state of Nevada. It 

is famous for casinos, businesses 

that host different kinds of 

gambling. 19

Law enforcement: police work, or 

making sure laws are obeyed. 22

Legwork: a slang term for doing 

active work, going around and 

meeting people rather than sitting 

at a desk. "Solving crimes takes a 

lot of legwork." 22

License: legal permission required 

to offer specialized services in the 

United States. Medical doctors, 

lawyers, electricians and building 

contractors are among those who 

need licenses. 27

Lifeguard: a person whose job is to 

prevent swimmers from drowning. 

13

Luxury: an extra comfort that is 

not necessary and may be expensive, as in "A home swimming pool 

is a luxury." 6 M

M.D.: short for "doctor of 

medicine." In America, both 

"doctor" and "physician" are used. 

"Physician" is more formal. 

"Doctor" is used in everyday 

language. Example: "I have to call 

my doctor for medicine." / "Please 

contact your physician for 

questions about medication." 2

Manage: to take care of and make 

decisions about someone's time, 

money, etc. "She manages her 

time." 16

Manhattan: the name of the island 

on which New York City is built. 5

Mansion: a large, luxurious house 

with many rooms. 43

Marketing: the business of making 

people aware of a company's 

products. 11

Meet: as used here, a race between 

two swimming teams. 20 N

Nerd: a person who is very 

interested in technical subjects 

such as science or computers and 

who often behaves awkwardly. 7

Nonprofit organization: an 

organization with a goal other 

than making money, such as 

supporting art, education or social 

justice. 34

Nostalgic: an adjective that describes feeling sadness combined 

with happiness at remembering a 

past place and time. 10 O

Obstetrics: a branch of medicine 

that deals with the birth of children 

and the care of women before, 

49
during and after childbirth. 3

Glossary

Officer: 1) a member of a police 

force; 2) a person who has an 

important position in a company, 

organization or government; 3) a 

person who has a position of 

command in the military. 21 P

Pacific Northwest: North American 

region between the Pacific Ocean 

and the Rocky Mountains, including the U.S. states of Oregon and 

Washington. 1

Paperboy: a person who sells 

newspapers, usually very early in 

the morning. 22

Paperwork: routine work that 

involves writing letters, reports, 

etc. 16

Pasture: open, grassy land where 

animals can graze, or eat the grass 

and plants. 39 

Patient: as used here, a person 

who receives medical care or treatment. 28

Petty: being concerned about trivial things, in a small-minded or 

spiteful way. vii

Poll worker: in U.S. elections, a 

person who assists voters at the 

voting booth, giving ballots or 

directions. 7

Pop culture: (short for "popular 

culture") what is popular now in 

art and entertainment. vi

Prevent: to stop something from 

happening. 15

Produce: fresh fruit and vegetables. 

"Apples and carrots are in the 

produce section of the grocery 

store." 35

Prom: a formal dance for high 

school students held at the end of 

the school year. 6

Propane: a colorless gas used for 

cooking and heating. 45

Psychologist: a therapist who specializes in the study and treatment 

of the mind and behavior. 27

Psychology: the science or study of 

the mind and behavior. 27

Public relations: providing information that improves the reputation 

of a person or organization. 11 R

Ranch: a large farm where animals, such as cattle, horses and 

sheep, are raised. 38 

Range: open land that farm animals such as cows and sheep use 

for grazing and roaming. 38

Real estate: the business of selling 

land and buildings. 7

Reassure: to make someone feel 

more confident, happy or less 

afraid. "I had to reassure my little 

brother after the loud thunderstorm." 43

Recognize: to accept or be aware 

that something is true or exists. 29

Recover: to get something back 

after it is lost or stolen. "The police 

recovered the stolen car." 22

Relent: to soften one's attitude. 

"The father at first said 'no,' but he 

relented and let the children go to 

the movies after all." 43

Reminisce: to remember the past. 

11

Renewable energy: energy sources 

that cannot be used up like limited 

supplies of coal and oil. Examples 

are wind, the sun, certain plants 

and waste that may be turned into 

electricity and fuel. 45 

Rescue: to save someone or something. "She rescued the mouse 

from the cat." 13

Research: careful study that is done 

to find and report new knowledge 

about something. 30

Rip tide: a strong ocean current, 

also called a rip current. 13 S

Saloon: in the Old West, usually a 

barroom for meeting, playing cards 

and socializing. 38

Schedule: a plan of things that will 

be done and the times when they 

will be done. 21 

Shallow: not caring about serious 

or important things. vii

Slaughter: to kill animals for their 

meat. 39

Socked in: a slang term taken from 

airport traffic control used when 

clouds and fog prevent seeing far. 6

Soviet: related to the former Soviet 

Union or its people. "Soviet bloc" is 

the group of countries that were 

part of the Soviet Union. 11

Spoof: a humorous show that copies something in a silly and exaggerated way. vi

Squabble: an argument. 5

Staff: a group of people who work 

for an organization or business. 21

Stepfather: the husband of a 

person's mother who is not that 

person's biological father. A 

stepsister is the daughter of a 

stepparent. 10

50
Glossary

Stereotype: an often unfair and 

untrue belief that many people 

have about all people or things in a 

group that is different from their 

own. vi

Student council: a group of students who are elected to help plan 

and organize student activities. 7

Suburb: a smaller town outside a 

much larger city; "suburban" is an 

adjective that describes such a 

town. 9

Suicide: the act of killing oneself. 

29

Superstar: a famous and successful 

performer, athlete, etc. 7

Supportive: giving help or 

encouragement to someone. 6

Switchgrass: a grass native to 

North America used as an 

alternative power source, by 

burning as a fuel or to make 

biofuels. 45 T

Tan: browned by the sun's rays. 14

Tangle: a mix-up or complication, 

like yarn that gets snarled or 

knotted. 1

Tart: a pie that has a filling, like 

fruit, vegetables or meat. 35

Technician: a person whose job 

relates to the use of special 

techniques or skills. 16

Theory: an idea or set of ideas that 

is intended to explain facts or 

events. 29

Throw a party: organize and host a 

party. "Let's throw a party to 

celebrate graduation!" 6

Tournament: a sports competition 

or series of contests that involves 

many players or teams and usually 

continues for at least several days. 

30 

Turbine: a machine with spinning 

blades that converts the flow of air, 

water or gas into electricity. 44 

Tutor: to teach a single student. 7

V

Vegetarian: a person who does not 

eat meat. 35

Vitamins: natural substances usually found in foods that help the 

body to be healthy. 35 W

Waffle: a crisp breakfast cake 

made in a waffle iron" that stamps 

a pattern of deep squares on both 

sides of the cake. 35

Wind power: using the energy of 

the wind to produce electricity. 44

Working class: people who earn 

money usually by doing physical 

work. They are not rich or 

powerful. 2

Wyoming: a mountainous state in 

the western United States. 38

51

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS