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

I'm Anna Mateo.

And I'm Brian Lynn.

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.

And we close with an American story.

But first...

A baby hippopotamus in Thailand became famous earlier this year when zoo workers published images and videos of her online.

Now the pygmy hippo named Mou Deng has an official song and video released in several languages for her fans worldwide.

Moodang lives at Kao Kyo Open Zoo, southeast of the Thai capital, Bangkok.

Zoo worker Atopon Nundi has been posting sweet moments of the animal's life for the past few months.

During that time, the hippo has received widespread attention on social media.

Fans of the animal have expressed how they enjoy watching the pink-cheeked baby

actively interact with her mother and other zoo workers.

Mudang, which means bouncy pork in Thai, is a kind of meatball.

The name chosen by fans on social media is similar to those of her two siblings,

Mu Tune, stewed pork, and Mu Wan, sweet pork.

In addition, the zoo has a common hippo named Ka-mu stewed porkleg. Moudang's popularity has spread internationally,

and she has gained the attention of some professional sports teams. Fans say her name fits her

...