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

I'm Brian Lynn.

And I'm Katie Weaver.

This program is aimed at English learners.

So we speak slowly, and we use words and phrases, especially written for people learning English.

Today on the show, Andrew Smith brings us Ask a Teacher.

Anna Mateo has words and their stories.

We close with an American story.

Today we hear the Learning English original, the boy on Graves and Road.

But first...

The hug between the two women lasted a long time.

An 85-year-old woman put her arms around a younger woman she had not seen for months. She asked her a series of

questions in a song-like way. How are you? How is your husband? How are the kids? How are your cows?

Are you on good terms with your neighbors? Prudencienne Namukopla

stopped the song to permit the younger woman to answer.

The pattern is familiar to her

because she has been doing it for many years.

Ego.

Emeline Inzeamana answered over and over in the local Kirundi language.

Yes.

The two women were performing a greeting of their ancestors.

A group of neighbors watched with surprise.

...