December 2019 ¤ 5,00
December 2019 ¤ 5,00 [d] IN FOCUS • Opinion: Dismantling the myth of America • Canada: Pipeline expansion divides tribes Pages 2/3 USA • Society: Young America replaces God with community • Nature: Indiana Dunes National Park Pages 4/19 BRITAIN • Society: British life expectancy is falling • Monty Python: BBC bosses were not amused Pages 6/22 B1–C2 OTHER TOPICS • Australia: Coastal erosion • No 23|24 • 71st Year of Publication • Originalartikel aus The Guardian, The Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post und anderen Sprachtraining • Landeskunde • Vokabelhilfen • Übungsmaterial State governments in the US are considering banning flavoured tobacco products that health experts say are intensifying Scholars believe they have identified John Milton’s copy of the First Folio, the first complete edition of Shakespeare’s an epidemic of nicotine addiction. plays. • No 23|24 • 72nd Year of Publication • December 2020 Read more on Originalartikel page 5 aus The Read Guardian, more on page The Times, 7 The New York Times, The Washington Post und anderen ¤ 5,00 [d] B1–C2 POLLUTION IN FOCUS Public health emergency • Opinion: Johnson’s was declared after air pollution push for no levels deal will go off harm the charts, the UK reports Hannah Ellis-Petersen Page 2 mit Übungen | Sprechen USA • Police: Black police chiefs face criticism on all sides • Climate change: www.phase6.de/wp/2420 Die Nr.1 unter den Vokabeltrainern. ¤5,60 [a] CHF9,00 [ch] clared and has remained in place for the past five days. The streets have emptied, schools remained closed, and many did not go into Sprachtraining • Landeskunde work • Vokabelhilfen on Monday morning as the • Übungsmaterial air quality index remained in the category of “severe”. 5 Monday also saw the temporary introduction of a scheme The United Nations, In the thick, toxic clouds the world’s preeminent international of Venus, our closest planetary where cars with odd and even institution, celebrated threequarters neighbour, scientists have discovered a gas that is associated number plates can only drive on of a century since its founding in alternate days, which authorities subdued fashion. with life • on No Earth. 23 | 24 • 73rd Year of Publication • say will take 1.2m cars off Delhi’s December 2021 Read more on page 3 Original roads Read each day. Pressetexte more However, on page aus most 19 britischen und US-amerikanischen Medien in the city were highly sceptical € 5,00 [d] about the plan, which will only be in place for two weeks. 6 “They did this scheme twice before, and it is pointless,” said Amit, a driver. “I am not supposed to be taking my car out today, but Sprachtraining I am just taking the • Landeskunde back roads • Vokabelhilfen • Übungsmaterial and short cuts to avoid the traffic officers. All the other drivers on Stockton beach Tax dollars to move U.S. PRESIDENCY Joe Biden will rely on institutions I know Emma are doing and Raducanu relationships the same. Yes, Many restaurants claim • Kashmir: The football club communities out of pollution is a terrible problem … Real Kashmir flood zones to govern a fractured nation, write Katie Glueck and galvanized Thomas the Kaplan. British public mit with Übungen to be | Sprechen the birthplace of the hamburger. B2–C2 but this her temporary triumph in scheme the U.S. is not Open. The But it seems chopped meat served Pages 4/5 • Business: Fewer tourists 1 going to change anything. We THIRTY-THREE years ago, 18-year-old tennis star showcases the cal and between social upheaval. or inside But bread if the is nearly as Hindu women had to immerse themselves in the IN polluted FOCUS waters of the Yamuna River. need real action from the government.” coming to America he was the fast-talking junior diversity of a more complex Britain. country, ancient the political as civilization. parties, and | Photo: BRITAIN Picture Alliance/Reuters senator • from Opinion: Delaware The Queen with a Washington have changed since Die Nr.1 unter den Vokabeltrainern. 7 • Mining: Lithium find In a city such as Delhi, where chip on his deserves shoulder, better desperate from her Read more on page 12 Read more on page 18 to Biden, now 77, arrived in the • Language: Trump’s Twitter 1 IT in WAS Cornwall meant to spurs be a hopes in the toxic foam of the bring myself to do it fully, though poverty and homelessness is rife prove his family gravitas during a brief, Senate as a 30-year-old widower war on spelling ceremony of regeneration to bring good Yamuna, so thick and my friends took a full dip even and millions make their living ill-fated • In presidential Focus: Post-Merkel run. The era in 1973, some of his attitudes – • Art: Lee Krasner health and prosperity. But frothy from industrial with the smell. My legs were itching after a while, and I had to go had the option of taking shelter on the sides of the roads, not all • Monarchy: the thousands Royal family next time needs around, radical in new 2008, direction, he about governing and about his and domestic pollution it • Music: The Lakota Music of women ‘are who a bargain’ gathered at £85m was the says seasoned studyforeign policy fellow Americans – have hardly made the water resemble home and take a bath.” in homes or driving cars equipped hand and Project in the Pages waters of 6/7 Delhi’s Yamuna River on the city’s most irony that this was a ritual meant polluted city has taken a toll on 8 At his stall selling chickpeas a putrid Pages veteran bubble 2/3 lawmaker who changed at all. bath. The 4 Living in the world’s most with air purifiers. strained to capture the imagination of Democratic presidential TECHNOLOGY The social network said the change defiantly was champions part of compro- its 6 He still reveres institutions, Pages 8/9/10/13/17/18 polluted OTHER day in TOPICS three years, to to give thanks to the sun god for almost every one of its 20 million citizens, bet especially on a next since digital the gar, frontier north Delhi, called Dinesh the Raj said metaverse. mise, and sees politics more in on the roadside of Kamla Na- primary USA voters. mark the ancient Hindu festival sustaining life earth was not • Gibraltar: 2 As he • weighed Reparations: a third attempt terms of relationships than ideology. He has insisted that with of Chhath Puja, instead had to lost on her. Hindu festival of Diwali, which both his health and his business Europe’s pandemic at the presidency Charleston last seeks year, to many atone By Mike Isaac Get the immerse themselves in the toxic 3 “I stood for an hour in the prompted a severe deterioration was suffering. “I generally earn wedding hot spot Democrats for sins feared of slavery he was too Trump out of office, Republicans waste, while inhaling air so thick water to offer prayers, but it was in air quality. As the air pollution around 400 to 500 rupees per vocabulary trainer! with smog • Business: that it went Trump’s late. Too • Lifestyle: old, too moderate, The too 1 FACEBOOK rose to prominence over the past two decades working with Democrats – a view will have an “epiphany” about off the pollution very oily, dirty, and had a bad levels reached catastrophic levels – almost 10 times above the I have only sold three plates, and day, but after the bad pollution, ‘Buy charts. American’ campaign meandering of beach to excite driving ascendant may be smell,” said Devi. “According to 2 Sunita went Devi nowhere voices in was among those the ritual, we coming his party, are supposed to a too close rooted in with some of the world’s most that elides the fact that Republicans were rarely interested in to healthy limit on the weekend – a the more civil politics of the past recognizable branding: a big Continued on page 20 who offered • Social prayers care: as Robots she stood be bathe in the water Pages but 4/5 I could not public health emergency was de- to nimbly handle Donald Trump. blue-and-white letter F. No longer. istration when Biden was vice working with the Obama admin- used in UK care homes 3 Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. • History: Roanoke’s ‘lost www.phase6.de/wp/2419 0 RESIDENT “"rezId´nt‘ Einwohner — authorities “O…"TÅr´tiz‘ Behörden — inaction “-"--‘ Untätiging father Schaumbad • COVID-19: who connected — irony Britons “"aIr´ni‘ with weigh a — President-elect to give working thanks to giant Zahl Joe took Biden — number an (2nd unmistak- plate from Nummernschild right) and Vice — Presidentelect on alter- 7 Those beliefs, coupled with ran anyway. BRITAIN — putrid He “"pju…trId‘ ran as übel a griev- riechend — bubble 2 On bath Thursday, System the — odd social / even net-number ungerade / gerade president. colony’ was never lost keit — pollution • Philosophy: “p´"lu…S´n‘ Germany Umweltverschmutzung; country Dank their in pain. sagen ‘price As — a of to relative freedom’ sustain centrist who not emphasized be lost on s.o. character, jdm. nicht entgangen sein “"skeptIk´l‘ skeptisch — pointless sinnlos — back “s´"steIn‘ Kamala erhalten able Harris step — to (2nd toward nate from an days left) overhaul, “O…l"t‰…n´t‘ with their deemphasizing of the presidential Facebook’s election. name| Photo: Getty Images and experienced leader, made jeden spouses zweiten after Tag — being sceptical declared his reputation as an empathetic s.w.u. to finds pollute it hard verschmutzen to love Hegel — public health emergency Gesundheitsnotstand — to go off the 3–4 • Monarchy: The queen the winners oily ölig — to bathe “beID‘ baden — to road Nebenstraße — short cut Abkürzung — traffic officer Verkehrspolizist Die Nr.1 unter den Vokabeltrainern. Pages 9/11/12/13/20 stability, and belief in bipartisanship over the particulars of a pol- 4 In many ways, charts (fig) Extremwerte erreichen bring and the o.s. 13 to presidents and rebranding itself as Meta. Biden acceptable to a broad coalition of Americans this year, in- do s. dazu durchringen zu tun — to 1 prosperity “prÅs"per´ti‘ Wohlstand — to take a full dip ganz untertauchen — The to itch change jucken — As to a was ¤ 5,60 [a] CHF 9,00 [ch] 7–8 he ran accompanied as the with Biden and supported him poverty “"pÅv´ti‘ byArmut — homelessness “"---‘ gather s. versammeln — ancient “"eInS´nt‘ uralt; icy agenda. Pages 7/19 take flawed, a toll uneven on s.o. “t´Ul‘ politician jdn. a belasten new he corporate — has Obdachlosigkeit always logo been. designed — this to be year. rife grassieren “They’re — to invested make in cluding independents and some traditionell — to immerse o.s. “I"m‰…s‘ eintauchen campaigner citizen whose “"sItIz´n‘ vulnerabili- were führen OTHER ultimately — severe TOPICS drowned “sI"vI´‘ out ernst tion, — deterioration that enough. shelter “They’re Schutz suchen they — see equipped as being “I"kwIpt‘ a human aus- being.” Biden’s convictions about how Bürger — to prompt And for s.th. like one zuan etw. extraordinary infinity-shaped a living seinen elec- Lebensunterhalt symbol Joe Biden because bestreiten of — him, to take of who moderate Republicans. Now, — toxic waste Giftmüll — to inhale einatmenties 2 to offer prayers Get Gebete the that was slightly askew. Facebook sprechen — foam by his opponent’s “dIÆtI´ri´"reIS´n‘ • Ireland: weaknesses Goats Verschlechterung return and not — so to remain much saying, gestattet ‘I’m investing s. leeren in Joe Biden because stall “stO…l‘ of Stand his — is chickpeas the culmination Kichererbsen of — a on career forward will be tested as never — air purifier 5 Biden’s “"pjU´rIfaI´‘ victory Luftreiniger on Saturday — and its other apps, such as Instagram “ski…m‘ and WhatsApp, the roadside will am remain, Straßenrand — to suffer leiden to unite the country and move Schaum — vocabulary frothy “"frÅTi‘ schaumig trainer! — domestic eclipsed place by the in Kraft issues bleiben at stake, — to as empty h.: der Haushalte — to resemble “rI"zemb´l‘ ähneln 5–6 to County Dublin to protect introduction Einführung — scheme the nation hills confronted from wildfires the ravages philosophy,’” but under said the former Meta umbrella. Senator William S. Cohen who served spanned a half-century of politi- Continued on page 12 that began in the Nixon era and before. of a deadly pandemic. • Business: What can 3 The move punctuates how companies do to retain CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to re- 0 staff? focus his Silicon Valley company 5 With the change, Zuckerberg the next major social platform PRESIDENT-ELECT designierte(r) Präsident(in) • Upcycling: — to shape prägen Will consumers — to rely on s.th. “mi"œnd´rIN‘ gewunden; abschweifend — to excite tion Krönung — to span s.th. s. über etw. erstre- moderate “"mÅd´r´t‘ gemäßigt — meandering 4–5 to invest in s.o. auf jdn. setzen — culmina- on what he sees as the next digital telegraphed that his company and that several tech companies “rI"laI‘ auf etw. setzen — to govern regieren — fractured “"frœktS´d‘ gespalten of disparate im Aufwind digital — rooted worlds verwurzelt into — networking, civil höflich which — ower Facebook “"wId´U´‘ has Witwer years. — fellow On American Monday, amerik. Facebook frontier, begeistern which — is the ascendant unification “´"send´nt‘ was aufsteigend; going beyond cken today’s — upheaval social “øp"hi…v´l‘ will build Umwälzung it over the — next wid- 10-plus find upcycled foods appetizing? 1 junior jünger; Nachwuchs- — to have something a nimblycalled geschickt the metaverse. been built on since Mitbürger(in) was founded had signaled its intent to be a big chip on • one’s Science: shoulder NASA (fig) wants e-n Komplex haben 3 to grieve trauern — centrist Politiker(in) der 6 At the same time, renaming Facebook may help distance the com- the corporate name when the al reality and augmented reality 17 years ago. Having Facebook to revere as “rI"vI´‘ player verehren when it separated — defiantly its virtu- — to be to desperate harvest to water do “"desp´r´t‘ on moon unbedingt tun Mitte — to emphasize “"emf´saIz‘ hervorheben — “dI"faI´ntli‘ trotzig — to champion s.th. für etw. wollen — and gravitas Mars Würde — ill-fated glücklos bipartisanship “ÆbaI"pA…tIzœnSIp‘ Überparteilichkeit eintreten — in terms of in Bezug auf — to insist — presidential run Präsidentschaftskandidatur pany — from particulars the many “p´"tIkj´l´z‘ social networking Fehlern controversies — uneven it “-"--‘ is facing, uneinheitlich and — was vulnera- fundamentally elide “i"laId‘ about auslassen Facebook Reality Labs. Details company — flawed now mit owned beharren many — apps epiphany business “I"pIf´ni‘ into Aha-Erlebnis a division — known to as — seasoned Pages foreign 9/10/17/22 policy hand routinierte(r) Außenpolitiker(in) — veteran lawmaker erfahrene(r) Abgeordnete(r) — to strain s. anstrengen hate speech stelle — and to misinformation. drown out übertönen tenable, — weakness he said. den mit — reputation a metaverse Ruf — empathetic company “Æemp´ will take including bility how “Ævøln´r´"bIl´ti‘ it is used Verwundbarkeit; to spread connecting h.: Schwach- people 7 was beliefs no longer Ansichten 7 But — coupled evolving with Facebook verbun- into — to capture “"kœptS´‘ erobern — presidential primary Vorwahl im Präsidentschaftswahlkampf — to be at stake auf dem Spiel stehen — ravages Mitgefühl empfinden — independent Parteilose(r) 4 “I’ve Schwäche been thinking — to eclipse a lot about in den 6Schatten That was stellen especially "TetIk‘ mitfühlend; the case, s.w.u. time to since empathize the concept “"emp´TaIz‘ is theoretical and may take years to achieve. 2 Get the our identity” with this new chapter, Zuckerberg said, speaking committed to building a compos- Facebook and its sister apps also Zuckerberg said, as Facebook has to weigh abwägen — attempt Versuch — “"rœvIdZIz‘ verheerende Folgen — conviction Überzeugung — to unite einen vocabulary trainer! Thursday at a virtual event to ite universe melding online, vir- remain a giant business, generat- www.phase6.de/wp/2421 Die Nr.1 unter den Vokabeltrainern. €5,60 [a] CHF9,00 [ch] showcase Facebook’s technological bets of the future. “Over time, I hope we’re seen as a metaverse company.” 0–2 TO RENAME umbenennen — bet Wette — frontier “frøn"tI´‘ Grenze; h.: (fig) Dimension — to rise to prominence “"prÅmIn´ns‘ Berühmtheit erlangen — recognizable “"rek´gnaIz´b´l‘ erkennbar — unmistakable “ÆønmI"steIk´b´l‘ eindeutig; untrüglich — overhaul “"--hO…l‘ Generalüberholung — to de-emphasize s.th. h.: den Schwerpunkt von etw. wegnehmen — corporate logo Firmenlogo — infinity-shaped “In"fIn´ti‘ in Form e-s Unendlichkeitssymbols — askew “´"skju…‘ schief 3–5 to punctuate “"pøNktSueIt‘ (fig) unterstreichen — to refocus neu ausrichten — unification tual, and augmented worlds that people can seamlessly traverse. He has said that this concept, known as the metaverse, can be ing more than billion in annual revenue and serving more than 3.5 billion people globally. 8 The timing of the name Vereinigung — disparate “"dIsp´r´t‘ grundverschieden — to distance s.th. from s.th. e-e S. von etw. abgrenzen — to showcase präsentieren — to telegraph signalisieren — fundamentally im Wesentlichen — tenable “"ten´b´l‘ vertretbar 6 to commit to h.: s. konzentrieren auf — composite “"kÅmp´zIt‘ umfassend — to meld kombinieren — augmented “O…g"mentId‘ erweitert — seamlessly nahtlos — to traverse “tr´"v‰…s‘ durchqueren — intent Absicht — player Akteur — division Geschäftsbereich 7–9 to evolve into s.th. zu etw. weiterentwickeln change has a double advantage. Facebook has grappled with some of the most intense scrutiny in its history in recent weeks. Lawmakers and the public have criticized its Instagram photo-sharing app for hurting some teenagers’ selfesteem, and the company has faced questions for its role in amplifying misinformation and stirring unrest with inflammatory content. 9 The outcry reached a fever pitch after Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, leaked internal documents that showed how much the company knew about the harmful effects it was Continued on page 12 — billion Milliarde — annual revenue “"rev´nju…‘ Jahresumsatz — to grapple with s.th. mit etw. zu kämpfen haben — scrutiny “"skru…tIni‘ Untersuchung; Kontrolle — lawmaker Abgeordnete(r) — self-esteem Selbstwertgefühl — to amplify “"œmplIfaI‘ verstärken; hervorheben — to stir unrest zu Unruhen aufstacheln — inflammatory “In"flœm´t´ri‘ hetzerisch — outcry “"--‘ Aufschrei — fever pitch (fig) Siedepunkt; große Aufregung — to leak enthüllen — harmful schädlich 4 USA March 2 2023 | World and Press Why do we still celebrate Texas Independence Day over 185 years later? HISTORY Here are some important dates to remember. By Megan Cardona 1 TEXAS Independence Day is March 2, which marks the day the Republic of Texas was born. While Texas has been part of the United States for over 175 years, Texas Independence Day is still recognized in the Lone Star State. 2 Sam Haynes, history professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, said when Texans recognize Texas Independence Day, they’re celebrating the state’s unique history. “The war for independence against Mexico, the creation of an independent republic – even an unsuccessful one – all draw attention to the fact that Texas can claim a creation story that is unlike any other state in the Union,” Haynes said in an email. Whether you’re new to Texas or need a refresher, here are important dates to remember. 3 Before Texas was part of the United States, it was part of Mexico. Starting in 1821, Mexico hired empresarios – businessmen – to help settle the land of Texas. Once Mexico President Antonio López de Santa Anna came to power, the constitution made between Mexico and the Texas settlers was abandoned. On March 2, 1836, the Texas Declaration of 0 – 3 TO MARKh.: stehen für — to recognize h.: begehen — to claim s.th. etw. für s. beanspruchen — creation story Entstehungsgeschichte — Union USA — to settle besiedeln — constitution Verfassung — to abandon abschaffen 4 – 6 to seize beschlagnahmen — to commence beginnen — siege Belagerung — iconic legendär — to rally Independence marked the start of the Republic of Texas. 4 The Texas Revolution began in October 1835, exactly five months before independence was declared, with the Battle of Gonzales. The Battle of Gonzales is most remembered for Mexico’s attempt to seize a cannon from the town of Gonzales and Texas settlers’ “Come and Take It” response. 5 March 6 marks the Battle of the Alamo, which commenced following a 13-day siege by Santa Anna’s army [in 1836]. Although all defenders of the Alamo died, the iconic battle cry “Remember the Alamo” was used to rally soldiers at the final battle of the Texas Revolution. San Jacinto Day, April 21, marks the end of the Texas Revolution. Santa Anna’s army was defeated at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, officially recognizing Texas as independent from Mexico. 6 The Republic of Texas lasted for nearly ten years before it was annexed into the United States in 1845. Republic leaders originally voted in favor of annexation after gaining independence from Mexico in 1836, but the measure was blocked by a small anti-slavery faction in the U.S. Congress led Members of the group Daughters of the Republic of Texas at a Texas Independence Day parade. | Photo: Deborah Cannon/AP/ Picture Alliance by John Quincy Adams, Haynes said. By the mid-1840s, Republic of Texas President Sam Houston helped revive the annexation issue by making it known to the United States that Texas could form an alliance with Great Britain, Haynes said. 7 June 23 marks the day the Congress of Texas voted in favor of annexation. Texas officially became the 28th state on Dec. 29, 1845, and the formal transfer of government happened on Feb. 19, 1846. 8 While the Civil War established that Texas cannot secede from the United States, the myth is a popular talking point among Texans and its politicians today. Haynes said the myth most likely originates with the terms of the annexation resolution, passed by the U.S. Congress in the spring of 1845. “The resolution allowed Texas to subdivide into four additional states – a proposal that would have given the South considerably more power in Washington. But the resolution never said anything about Texas retaining the right to secede,” he said. © 2023 Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. s.o. jdn. versammeln — to be annexed into annektiert werden von; s.w.u. annexation Annektierung — faction Fraktion 7 – 8 transfer of government Regierungsübergabe — to secede s. abspalten — myth Legende — to originate with s.th. seinen Ursprung in etw. haben — to subdivide into unterteilen in — to retain behalten How much slower is the S.C. Southern drawl than other U.S. accents really? A home on Daufuskie Island in South Carolina, the second-slowest-talking state in the U.S. | Photo: Yohan Marion/Unsplash LANGUAGE By Patrick McCreless 1 SOUTH CAROLINIANS speak slower in general than most other Americans, a linguistic study shows. South Carolina ranked as the second-slowesttalking state in an analysis by Preply, an online language learning platform. Louisiana came in as the top slowest-speaking state. 2 The study shows that the rate of speech in South Carolina is 4.8 syllables per second. Meanwhile, the average rate of speech in the U.S. is 5.09 syllables per second. Minnesota, the fastest-talking state, has an average speech rate of 5.34 syllables per second. 3 To try and identify the states with the slowest and fastest talkers, Preply analyzed data from two nationwide studies that were based on YouTube videos and call recordings. The site then ranked the average speech rates of Americans from 114 cities and all 50 states. The full analysis shows where speech patterns intersect and diverge throughout the U.S. 4 The study notes that the Southeast and the Southwest are the only U.S. regions that aren’t included among states with the fastest talkers, which isn’t that surprising, given the long-lived stereotype about slow Southern accents. Florida came in as the Southern state with the fastest speech rate, ranking 16th overall and averaging 5.19 syllables per second. 5 Besides speed, the study also ranked the most talkative states – meaning people from states who use more words than others to convey the same ideas. In that ranking, South Carolina settled in as the seventh-most talkative state. … © 2023 The State. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 0 – 2 S.C. = SOUTH CAROLINA — drawl breite, gedehnte Sprechweise — to rank (as) abschneiden (als); s.w.u. einstufen — rate of speech Sprechgeschwindigkeit — syllable Silbe 3 – 5 speech pattern Sprachmuster — to intersect s. überschneiden — to diverge voneinander abweichen — talkative gesprächig — to convey s.th. etw. vermitteln Ein guter Jahrgang! Bestellen Sie die Jahrgangsausgaben ab 2019 zum Sonderpreis. | Photo: Getty Images Delhi residents blame authorities for inaction | Image: United Nations A president-elect shaped by tragedy and tradition | Photo: NYT nur ¤ 39,60* | Photo: Getty Images Facebook renames itself Meta | Photo: Getty Images | Photo: Getty Images | Photo: Unsplash nur ¤ 29,–* CD mit Übungsmaterial + Audio-mp3 * Versand im Inland portofrei. Preis pro Jahrgang. www.sprachzeitungen.de
World and Press | March 2 2023 An ailing Arkansas city elected an 18-year-old mayor to turn things around SMALL TOWNS Residents hope that Jaylen Smith’s youthful energy and sense of purpose can improve the fortunes of Earle, Ark. By Rick Rojas mit Übungsmaterial 1 THE SHOE FACTORY closed, and the supermarket pulled out. So did neighbors whose old homes were now falling apart, overtaken by weeds and trees. Likewise, the best students at Earle High School often left for college and decided their hometown did not have enough to lure them back. 2 Jaylen Smith, 18, could have left, too. Instead, when he graduated from high school last spring, he resolved to stay put in Earle, a small city surrounded by farmland in the Arkansas Delta, where his family has lived for generations. Not only that, but he ran for mayor. And won. “Why should I have to go somewhere else to be great when I can be great right here in Earle, Arkansas?” Smith said a few days after his inauguration last week. He was sitting at his new desk in the mayor’s office but never keeping still as he signed papers and alternated between answering a landline and a cellphone that rang constantly. 3 Over the years, Earle has been defined in large measure by all it has lost; its population has dwindled to roughly 1,800, from well over 3,000 in the 1990s. But the city has been infused with a sense of optimism since Smith won the mayor’s race in early December and especially since he took charge on Jan. 1. His victory made him one of the youngest African American mayors ever elected in the country – a point of enormous pride to his family and supporters. And many residents hope that his youthful energy and sense of mission can boost the city’s fortunes – or, at the very least, attract a supermarket back to Earle. Jaylen Smith in downtown Earle, Ark. | Photos: Houston Cofield/The New York Times 4 “It’s an asset because he’s motivated, and he has fresh ideas,” said Tyneshia Bohanon, a city council member who came to know Smith while substitute teaching in Earle’s public schools. “He’s thinking of others, as he always has. He chose to stay and get his city where he knows it can be.” 5 The supermarket plan was a pillar of Smith’s campaign, as was building up the Earle Police Department so it can operate 24 hours a day. He also won over voters by talking about patching up streets, tearing down dilapidated buildings, and lifting up the community’s morale. “I figure he needed a chance,” said Etta Poole, who came to Earle from Chicago in 2008 to care for her sick brother and decided to stay. 6 His platform, as straightforward as it seemed, reflected the steep price that those who remained in Earle have had to pay. Among other things, they have contended with a faulty drainage system that leaves neighborhoods swamped after rain and coffers that have occasionally been so bare that the city has struggled to make payroll. The school district, while outside the mayor’s purview, was taken over by the state in 2017 partly because of mishandled funds. 7 Not everyone was ready to entrust Smith with leading the city. One of his biggest obstacles as a candidate was persuading skeptics who cited his age and lack of experience, especially since his opponent in the December Earle, Ark. A store selling used appliances in Earle, Ark. A home in Earle, Ark. election was the city’s far more seasoned sanitation and street manager. 8 But his supporters argued that they were not asking voters to put their city in the hands of any 18-year-old. This was Jaylen – the teenager who started wearing suits to school in ninth grade and has gospel music blasting from his computer speakers. He had also become a fixture at city council meetings and community events. “Sometimes, when the city council members didn’t show up, Jaylen was there,” said Angela Jones, a council member. “He attends the school board meetings, the water commission meetings,” she added. “He was young, and he was doing this – who does that? At a young age, he had purpose.” USA 5 9 Earle, whose population is largely Black, sits about 28 miles from Memphis, Tennessee, amid sprawling fields where cotton and beans are grown. There are churches, a few used car dealerships, and little restaurants, like the Glory Grill on the main street with its signature “Mercy Burger.” 10 Billy Joe Murray, the retired basketball coach at Earle High School, said the city was in dire need of improvements. For him, the drainage system was the most pressing issue. “Every time it rains, I’m underwater,” he said as he swatted away sweat bees on his front porch. “Everybody leaves Earle,” Murray, 68, said. “People want to move up in life, and Earle is probably at its lowest.” He believed in Smith, though. “I taught his mama; I know his daddy,” Murray said. “He may look young, but he’s got his head on right.” 11 Smith, who has two older brothers and a twin, Jayden, has “been old since he was little,” his mother, Sonya Perkins, said. Murray made him the manager of the basketball team at Earle High, and Smith once had aspirations of becoming a state trooper. But his plans shifted after he became involved in student government. … 12 On New Year’s Day, in a government building in Marion, about 17 miles away from Earle, judges swore in mayors, council members, and incoming law enforcement officers from a number of towns. Each received a certificate attesting to the oath they had just taken. But no other municipality had a crowd like Earle’s, with many people wearing T-shirts emblazoned with Smith’s face. 13 Jones, the council member now carrying her own certificate, acknowledged the tough work ahead but also savored what felt like a victory for more than Smith alone. “He has an opportunity to show the world what our young Black men are capable of,” she said. … © 2023 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times. 0 – 1 AILING marode — to turn things around die Wende bringen — sense of purpose Zielstrebigkeit — to pull out h.: abwandern — to overtake übertreffen; h.: überwuchern — weeds Unkraut — to lure s.o. back zur Rückkehr bewegen (l. locken) 2 to resolve beschließen — to stay put an Ort und Stelle bleiben — to run for (office) für (ein Amt) kandidieren — inauguration Amtseinführung — to alternate between doing s.th. etw. abwechselnd tun — landline phone Festnetztelefon — cellphone (AE) Handy 3 – 5 in large measure im hohen Maße — to dwindle to schrumpfen auf — to be infused with erfüllt sein von — to take charge die Amtsgeschäfte übernehmen — sense of mission Zielbewusstheit — to be an asset ein Gewinn sein — to substitute teach als Vertretungslehrer(in) arbeiten — pillar Stützpfeiler; h.: zentraler Aspekt — campaign Wahlkampf — to patch up ausbessern — dilapidated baufällig 6 to contend with zu kämpfen haben mit — faulty defekt — drainage system Entwässerungssystem — swamped überschwemmt — coffers öffentl. Kassen — bare leer — to make payroll Gehälter zahlen — purview Zuständigkeitsbereich — mishandled funds veruntreute Gelder 7 – 8 to entrust s.o. with doing s.th. jdn. damit betrauen, etw. zu tun — obstacle Hürde — to cite anführen — seasoned erfahren — sanitation and street manager Gemeindebeauftragte(r) für Abwasserentsorgung und Straßenreinigung — to have s.th. blast from ... etw. aus ... ertönen lassen — fixture fester Bestandteil — school board Schulbehörde 9 – 11 amid umgeben von — sprawling fields weite Felder — signature unverkennbar; charakteristisch — to be in dire need dringend benötigen — to swat away wegschlagen — sweat bee Schmalbiene — aspirations Ambitionen — state trooper; s.w.u. law enforcement officer Polizist(in) 12 – 13 to swear in den Amtseid abnehmen — oath Eid — municipality Gemeinde — emblazoned with bedruckt mit — to acknowledge s.th. etw. anerkennen; h.: s. etw. bewusst sein — to savor genießen — to be capable of s.th. zu etw. in der Lage sein
