Welcome to Learning English, a daily 30-minute program from the Voice of America.

I'm Katie Weaver.

And I'm Mario Ritter Jr.

This program is designed for English learners.

So we speak a little slower, and we use words and phrases, especially written, for people

learning English.

Today, people around the world observe Christmas Eve.

On our program, Andrew Smith has a special report on a popular holiday treat.

Katie serves up a report on healthy winter foods.

Anna Mateo brings us the health report on new U.S. dietary guidelines.

Then Jill Robbins and Andrew present a lesson of the day highlighting fire safety.

But first, here is Andrew.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

Jack Frost nipping at your nose. This classic song written by Bob Wells and Mel Tormay in 1944 has long brought to mind the image of Christmas for generations of americans at one time the american chestnut was among the most common and largest trees in the eastern united states

the wood was used to cover the walls of homes and schools. The leaves helped add

nutrients to the soil, and men on street corners sold chestnuts cooked on open fire. However, in the late 19th century, some East Asian varieties of

chestnut trees brought to the U.S. carried a fungus that killed almost all American chestnuts.

The American Chestnut Foundation, or TACF, is a nonprofit organization based in the eastern state of North

Carolina.

It has been working with researchers for over 30 years to bring the trees back to eastern U.S. forests.

American chestnuts now exist mostly as huge root systems that grow into small trees. The fungus harms them when the

small trees start to develop fully. East Asian varieties, like those that brought the fungus in the first place, are resistant

...