It Really Is a 'Small World'
2020-08-02
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2The Earth is a big place.
3The U.S. space agency NASA says the Earth has a diameter of about 12,800 kilometers.
4And the organization Population Reference Bureau estimates that about 7.5 billion people live on our planet.
5That is a lot of people!
6So, it can really come as a surprise when you see someone in a place where you do not expect to see them.
7This can make the world feel very small.
8For example, let's say I travel all the way to Brazil for a vacation.
9Then, at my hotel, who do I see? My co-worker from back home -- Caty!
10I have traveled very far from home only to see someone I know from home!
11That would be a great time to say: "Caty! Fancy seeing you here! What a small world!"
12It is always surprising to run into someone we know in a place as big as ... the world! We can say some form of "small world" to show this surprise.
13Now, sometimes events and people are connected in a surprising way.
14In these situations, we can also say "small world."
15For example, let's say you make a new friend.
16You two met while playing on the same sports team.
17You start talking about where your live and what you do.
18And as the two of you talk more, you both find out that you have the same English teacher!
19You can say, "He's your teacher, too? There are hundreds of English teachers. What are the odds! It is such a small world!"
20These are all examples of coincidences.
21You were not expecting to find these connections between people, places, or events.
22And sometimes it is not always a pleasant surprise.
23Let's say I go to an art show in New York City.
24Now, on any given day there are probably many art shows taking place in the Big Apple.
25But the one I go to just happens to be showing the artwork of my former boyfriend. Really? He's the artist? Small world.
26In a larger explanation, this expression means that although the world seems really big, we can still meet people we know in the most unexpected places.
27Usually, we say "it's a small world" to show surprise at a connection that seems unlikely, improbable, and against the odds.
28Generally speaking, "It's a small world" means that sometimes the world can feel a lot smaller than it is. And that can be a good feeling.
29"It's a Small World" is also the name of a water-based boat ride at Walt Disney Company theme parks.
30And it is the name of the song you hear throughout the boat ride.
31The ride shows children from around the world in traditional costumes.
32They are dancing, playing, and singing.
33On the Disney Parks website, Richard Sherman -- the man who wrote the words to "It's a Small World" -- talked about the song and what it means.
34Sherman said Walt Disney wanted a simple song - one that could be performed in English and many other languages.
35He added that people everywhere share the same feelings.
36So, everyone should respect each other and love each other ... after all!
37And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories.
38Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2The Earth is a big place. The U.S. space agency NASA says the Earth has a diameter of about 12,800 kilometers. And the organization Population Reference Bureau estimates that about 7.5 billion people live on our planet. That is a lot of people! 3So, it can really come as a surprise when you see someone in a place where you do not expect to see them. This can make the world feel very small. 4For example, let's say I travel all the way to Brazil for a vacation. Then, at my hotel, who do I see? My co-worker from back home -- Caty! I have traveled very far from home only to see someone I know from home! That would be a great time to say: "Caty! Fancy seeing you here! What a small world!" 5It is always surprising to run into someone we know in a place as big as ... the world! We can say some form of "small world" to show this surprise. 6Now, sometimes events and people are connected in a surprising way. In these situations, we can also say "small world." 7For example, let's say you make a new friend. You two met while playing on the same sports team. You start talking about where your live and what you do. And as the two of you talk more, you both find out that you have the same English teacher! 8You can say, "He's your teacher, too? There are hundreds of English teachers. What are the odds! It is such a small world!" 9These are all examples of coincidences. You were not expecting to find these connections between people, places, or events. 10And sometimes it is not always a pleasant surprise. 11Let's say I go to an art show in New York City. Now, on any given day there are probably many art shows taking place in the Big Apple. But the one I go to just happens to be showing the artwork of my former boyfriend. Really? He's the artist? Small world. 12In a larger explanation, this expression means that although the world seems really big, we can still meet people we know in the most unexpected places. 13Usually, we say "it's a small world" to show surprise at a connection that seems unlikely, improbable, and against the odds. 14Generally speaking, "It's a small world" means that sometimes the world can feel a lot smaller than it is. And that can be a good feeling. 15"It's a Small World" is also the name of a water-based boat ride at Walt Disney Company theme parks. And it is the name of the song you hear throughout the boat ride. 16The ride shows children from around the world in traditional costumes. They are dancing, playing, and singing. 17On the Disney Parks website, Richard Sherman -- the man who wrote the words to "It's a Small World" -- talked about the song and what it means. 18Sherman said Walt Disney wanted a simple song - one that could be performed in English and many other languages. He added that people everywhere share the same feelings. So, everyone should respect each other and love each other ... after all! 19And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories. 20Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 21Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. The song at the end is "It's a Small World." 22_______________________________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24diameter - n. the distance through the center of something from one side to the other 25reference - adj. used to tell people where information can be found 26bureau - n. an office or organization that provides services or information to the public 27fancy - v. to imagine something; usually used with "that" Fancy that! 28odds - n. the probability that one thing is so or will happen rather than another 29coincidence - n. a situation in which events happen at the same time in a way that is not planned or expected 30improbable - adj. unlikely to be true or to occur 31theme park - n. an amusement park in which the structures and settings are based on a central theme