Pronunciation ChallengeThe Food So Bad That It's Banned In Prison

Intro:
Hi, VoiceTubers! This is Jeff Chiao. When it comes to one’s favorite food, everyone has their own answers. For most of us, having some great food is one of the most satisfying things in the world that not only fills our stomach physically, but also fulfills our soul mentally. I think we could all agree that no matter where you are from or what your food preference is, food is way more than just nutrients, and should not be deliberately wasted or treated improperly.

However, in the United States’ prison system, a creative yet arguably cruel punishment was invented in a way that transfers food from something one could enjoy, to something one would suffer from. The dish they created is so bad in fact, some even argued it violates Americans’ constitutional rights. To learn more about this food and its interesting story, aside from getting into trouble and being thrown into a jail in the US, you could watch today’s featured video. But before that, let’s get done with our featured sentence first.

Featured Sentence:
“These mixed results from state to state all stem from the simple fact that it's pretty hard to define what exactly is "cruel and unusual."”

Okay, let me repeat it one more time, just a little bit slower.

“These mixed results from state to state all stem from the simple fact that it's pretty hard to define what exactly is "cruel and unusual."”

With that out of the way, let’s head to the pronunciation tips.

Pronunciation tips:
As usual, our first tip of the day is about the connection between two successive words. Our first example is “state to state”. We could combine the /t/ sound in “state” with to, and pronounced as “stat-to”. State-to.
The next example is “what exactly.” We could combine the /t/ sound in “what” with exactly,and pronounce them as “what-exactly.” “What exactly.”
The last one is “and unusual”. We could combine the /d/ sound with unusual, and pronounce them as “and-unusual.” “And-unsusual.”

There are also a couple of words that need extra attention.
The first is “define.” The “e” should be pronounced as an /ɪ/ sound, and the “i”, followed by “ne”, should be pronounced as a longer /aɪn/ sound. With the stress put on the second syllable, it sounds like: “define”. “Define.”
The other one is “cruel”. The “u” sounds like a long /u/ sounds, and the “el” combined sounds like /əl/. The stress should be put on the first syllable, so it’s “cruel.” “Cruel.”

All right, with the tips sorted, let’s get to the vocabulary.

Vocabulary:

stem from (phrasal v.) KK [stɛm frɑm] IPA /stem frɑːm/
to start or develop as the result of something

The rivalry between the two companies arguably stems from the fact that one of them actually copied the whole business model of the other.

define (v.) KK [dɪˋfaɪn] IPA /dɪˈfaɪn/
to say what the meaning of something, especially a word

It’s really difficult to define the two’s relationship; Janice always regards Kim as her best friend, while Kim has apparently fallen in love.

cruel (adj.) KK [ˋkruəl] IPA /ˈkruː.əl/
extremely unkind and unpleasant and causing pain to people or animals intentionally

The cruel yet clear reality is, we are running out of time when it comes to dealing with climate change.

Outro:

So that wraps up today’s episode!

We all have some kind of food that we just couldn’t put into our mouths. Either it is due to the taste, the smell, the texture, or maybe a certain memory that has traumatized you, it is totally normal to be picky with food, even if you are a grown-up adult. Well, at least that’s what I say to myself whenever I see those little yellow grains on my plate. Yes, I hate corn—more specifically, corn kernels per se. I know this is quite unusual for most people, as commonly people hate vegetables with a unique or bitter taste such as green pepper, carrot or onion. “But corn? It is so sweet and flavorful! How come could anyone hate it?” You might say so, but there is actually a story behind it.

When I was a child, I did quite enjoy the sweet taste and refreshing texture of corn kernels. I mean, what’s not to love? It’s crispy and tasty, it’s easy to prepare and to eat, and it tastes the same even after numerous reheats. However, one day, something happened leaving an unforgettable memory in my brain, which then changed my perspective to the vegetable forever.

At the time, my parents would prepare some snacks for me after I went home from elementary school. And that day, it was a bowl of corn kernels with some seasonings. A simple and healthy treat. I quickly swallow down nearly half of the bowl, while seeing my brother holding a slipper walking by, looking for something on the floor. And before I even asked what he was looking for, “Slap!”, the slipper hit the floor, and underneath it, there was a dead cockroach, and… a complete kernel of corn squeezing out of its body.

Since then, whenever I see corn kernels, the memory of that day just comes back ruthlessly, reminding me that I have shared some corn with a filthy insect. The lessons are, it’s better to check whether your food is contaminated before having a bite, and… it may be a good idea to cover it with plastic wraps if you are preparing it for later.

This is Jeff Chiao from VoiceTube. Hope y’all have a good one! Until next time, goodbye.

These mixed results from state to state all stem from the simple fact that it's pretty hard to define what exactly is "cruel and unusual."

These mixed results from state to state all stem from the simple fact that it’s pretty hard to define what exactly is “cruel and unusual.”

These mixed results from state to state all stem from the simple fact that it's pretty hard to define what exactly is "cruel and unusual."