英語播客 A Cup of English Indian Corn

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A few days ago, we had a yard sale. I actually held it over two mornings, out of my garage. Yard sales are very common in this area, and very popular too. Do you know what they are? I suppose the name explains the meaning; a sale of household items which takes place outside on your driveway, or inside your garage. With it being so hot, I arranged everything inside my garage so prospective buyers wouldn't leave quickly because of the blast of the sun. The shade in the garage would keep them looking at the items a little longer. Amongst all the 'stuff' was a box of craft items and bits and pieces of little importance. I had marked the box with "$1 each or best offer". When the sale was finally over, I took most of the left over things to a charity organization, leaving just one box in the garage. I happened to look in the box today, and found something that I had long forgotten about: two ears of Indian corn. I had bought these a few years ago as a decoration for the house at pumpkin time, or late autumn. It is a reminder of the harvest, of the change of season, and of the richness of creation. But Indian corn has a unique look, and a unique history. All corn, I suppose, could be called Indian corn, but, in general, we give that name to the multicolored variety of corn that is used mainly for decoration rather than food.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: houshold items, to arrange, a prospective buyer, 'bits and pieces'.

Exs:

The shop sells household items, no farming equipment.

She is very good at arranging flowers in a vase.

If the entryway of the house is attractive, we will attract prospective buyers.

"What's in your bag?" "Oh, just bits and pieces."

Advanced.

Corn, or maize, was originally an american plant, grown by the Native American indians throughout Mesoamerica. It was a staple food for many of the tribes, and still is for many people. In Mexico, for example, corn is ground up into a crumbly flour, and made into 'masa' which is rolled out and cooked into tortillas, a round, flat grain wrap eaten with meat and vegetables. About three hundred and thirty two million metric tonnes of corn are grown in the U.S every year, more than in any other country. A lot of it is exported, but much of it is made into corn syrup which is added to many processed and premade foods. In hot climates it is quite easy to grow, and there are many varieties. A couple of years ago I grew corn, and was quite impressed at its performance. It got to about seven feet tall and produced a lot of ears. Mind you, the corn kernels were not consistently shaped. Some were swollen, and others were non existent. Some ears had a lot of flavor, others had very little. It'll take a bit of research for me to get it right, I think. However, when the Europeans first came over to the Americas, the Native Indians gave them some very good advice as to how to survive by growing successful corn. They taught them to put salmon in the earth where the corn was to be grown. This increased the nutrients of the earth greatly and gave good yields. Corn is a fascinating and delicious vegetable, and though used world wide, it is distinctly american. I'm glad I didn't manage to sell the two ears of corn. I think I'll keep them as a decoration and a reminder for a few more years.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: staple, a grain, processed, research.

Exs:

Corn is a staple in Central and South America. Wheat is more of a staple in North America.

The farmer grows lots of grains: wheat, corn, and barley amongst others.

The hot dog is a very tasty but highly processed food.

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