One of the issues of the series "Real American". "REAL American" - a series of training programs for the American conversational English. "REAL American" is aimed at developing speaking, improved understanding of the language listening and learning interpretation. In this issue "Real American / Frankly Speaking" presents topics related to many different aspects of life in the United States: family, friends, identity, nature, pets, sports, traditions, holidays and weekdays, music, hobbies, etc.

Scientific American Magazine , the oldest continuously published magazine in the U.S., has been bringing its readers unique insights about developments in science and technology for more than 150 years.

From the end of the eighteenth century into the early years of the nineteenth, Americans crossed the Appalachian Mountains and Northwest Territory, spreading west. They traveled to find new homes, new lands, and they brought with them the plain magics of plain people. It is from these roots of the American dream that award-winning writer Orson Scott Card has crafted a uniquely American fantasy. Using the lore and the folk magic of the men and women who settled a continent, and the beliefs of the tribes who were here before them, Card has created an alternate frontier America; a world where certain magic really works and has colored the entire history of the colonies. Charms, beseechings, hexes, and potions all have a place in the lives of the people of this world. 'Knacks' abound: dowsers find water, sparks set fires, blacksmiths speak to iron, the second sight warns of dan ger, and a torch can read the heart-fire of anyone within reach. Alvin Miller is the seventh son of a seventh son, born while all of his brothers still lived. Such a birth is a powerful magic; such a boy is destined to perhaps become a Maker, even though no Maker has been born for many a century. But Alvin is something special; and even before his birth, dark forces reached out to destroy him. Rejoin the tale of Alvin and his wife Peggy as they work to create the Crystal City of Alvin's vision, where all people can live together in peace. ORSON SCOTT CARD lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.

World Wars and the Modern Age David C. King
Book Description
Experience explosive changes in American history with the people who witnessed them!

From 1870 to 1950, America experienced an unprecedented era of rapid change and growth. A host of remarkable inventions led the way in transforming this nation into a major world power, and yet the forces of change often caused tremendous upheaval in people's lives. Now, World Wars and the Modern Age provides a rare glimpse into the day-to-day experiences of Americans who lived through Prohibition, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and two world wars. You'll be there as the New York Times offices are filled with electric light for the first time. You'll watch as immigrants flock to America's colorful, fast-growing cities, hoping to start anew. You'll read a young soldier's account of going "over the top" during the grim trench warfare of World War I—and, barely twenty years later, an eyewitness account of the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that plunged America into World War II.

From the personal writings of Henry Ford on his Model T automobile to songs of the Depression, from FDR's Inaugural Address to a G.I.'s description of D-Day, World Wars and the Modern Age presents a wealth of period documents, including diaries, letters, articles, advertisements, speeches, and more, from both famous figures and ordinary citizens. Find out how all of these American voices together helped make this country what it is today.

The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer
Book Description
"Bite the bullet", " get on the stick", "make no bones about it", " take the cake". The American Heritage(R) Dictionary of Idioms covers almost 10,000 expressions. Its main fare is, of course, idioms - groups of two or more words that together mean something different from the literal meaning of the individual words. In addition, this book discusses verb phrases such as " act up", "freeze out", and " get down", figures of speech such as "dark horse" and "blind as a bat", interjections and formulas like "says who" and " tough beans", common proverbs like a "bird in the hand", and slang terms such as "buy the farm" and "push up daisies". Each entry is defined and has an example sentence showing the expression in context. Most entries offer an explanation of the expression's literal meaning or origin and include information about its first appearance in English.