 Welcome to Learning English, a daily 30-minute program from the voice of America. I'm Ashley Thompson. And I'm Dan Novak. This program is designed for English learners, so we speak a little slower, and we use words and phrases, especially written for people learning English. Coming up on the program, Hamas and Israel have agreed to extend their ceasefire. Brian Lin reports. Faith Perlow has a story on Christmas decorations at the White House. Gregory Stockle has this week's health and lifestyle reports on Alzheimer's vaccines. Later, Jill Robbins and Andrew Smith present the lesson of the day. But first... Negotiators have reached a deal to extend a ceasefire between Israeli and Hamas forces in Gaza. A Qatari official announced Monday on the social media service X the agreement would continue an existing truce for another two days. Qatar and Egypt have led the negotiations surrounding the ongoing conflict. The new deal came on the final day of a four-day ceasefire. Negotiators said they were also preparing for new exchanges of hostages and prisoners. Israel had no immediate comment on the new truce. But Israeli officials had said the country would be open to extending the ceasefire by one day for every ten additional hostages released. Hamas confirmed it had agreed to a two-day ceasefire extension. Hamas freed 17 more hostages on Sunday, 14 Israelis, and three ties in a third exchange under the earlier four-day truce. Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners in the latest exchange. About 240 hostages were captured by Hamas in its October 7th attack in southern Israel that started the war. So far 62 hostages have been released. One was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza. At least 117 Palestinians were freed under the latest truce. An Israeli government spokesperson said the total number of hostages still held in Gaza as of Monday was 184. This included 14 foreigners and 80 Israelis with dual nationality. Last week's ceasefire agreement, which was set to end Monday night, brought the first halt in fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza says more than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war. Many of them women and children. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and military force deaths. Israeli officials have said about 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the first attacks by Hamas. At least 77 soldiers have been killed in Israel's ground offensive in Gaza. An Egyptian official told Reuters news agency the new truce would permit the release of about 20 Israeli hostages in exchange for 60 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Yosef Borel, told reporters he hopes a truce extension will permit the international community to work on a lasting political solution. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the country planned to push ahead with the war at the end of the ceasefires. Wide areas of Hamas-ruled Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes and bombings. The war also led to a humanitarian crisis because of shortages of food, fuel, water, and medicine. The latest truce did lead to some increased shipments of fuel and supplies into Gaza. But aid groups say much more is needed to help the immediate needs of the 2.3 million Palestinians there. I'm Brian Lin. U.S. First Lady Jill Biden wants everyone who visits the White House around Christmas to feel like a kid again. On Monday, Biden held a gathering to show the White House Christmas decorations. Magic, wonder, and joy is the theme this year. It will be the Biden's third Christmas holiday in the White House. Each room on display is designed to capture the delight and imagination of our childhoods, the First Lady said. She also thanked some 300 people who volunteered to decorate the White House. There are oversized holiday candies and other sweets in the hallway. There is a Santa Claus with a reindeer suspended near the entrance. Throughout two floors of the public area of the White House are reminders from the poem, popularly known as Twas the Night Before Christmas. The U.S. Library of Congress helped with copies of the poem from the past 200 years. The traditional gingerbread White House includes a large sugar cookie copy of the book, opened to a page that says Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. The book contains 40 sheets of sugar cookie dough. Another 40 sheets of gingerbread dough are used for the house with 14 kilograms of chocolate and 23 kilograms of royal icing. The oversized decorations are meant to bring feelings of joy to children at this time of year, White House aides said. Children of military families were among the first members of the public to see the decorations. And they were also treated to an afternoon performance of the Disney musical performance Frozen. One of the first Christmas trees visitors will see upon entering the White House is decorated with golden wooden stars. The ornaments include the names of fallen service members. The official White House Christmas tree is a 5.6 meter tall tree that stands in its usual place in the blue room. The tree is decorated with cheerful pictures from across the country. A toy train runs around its base. The state dining room has been turned into Santa's workshop. There are work benches for Santa's helpers, the elves, stools and ladders circle Christmas trees, and gifts and progress round out the display. In the library, the moons and the stars are ready to honor the tradition of bedtime stories. The china room has been turned into a shop of baked goods. The vermal room celebrates music with a display of a toy marine band. In her prepared remarks, the first lady said she knows that magic, wonder and joy can be hard to find, especially as the days grow shorter, the weather turns colder. She said our hearts grow heavy in the face of a tumultuous world. But it's in these times when we are searching for hope and healing that we need those points of light the most. That we need each other the most, she said. It's in these times that I hope you remember, even if just for a moment or a season, how you saw the world as a child. Overall, the White House uses 98 Christmas trees, nearly 34,000 ornaments, over 22,000 bells and more than 350 candles for the display. And they are lit with 142,500 lights. I'm Faith Perlow. Researchers are renewing efforts to find Alzheimer's disease treatments that remove harmful proteins from the brain. Such vaccines could possibly offer an easier and lower cost choice for millions of people, several scientists and industry leaders say. The brain-wasting disease causes thinking and memory problems. The US government website, clinicaltrials.gov, shows that at least seven possible Alzheimer's vaccines are in human testing or have completed such trials. The experimental treatments are designed to use the body's natural defense system to destroy Alzheimer's-linked proteins in the brain. The proteins are beta amyloid and tau. The renewed interest in Alzheimer's vaccines follows a promising first attempt more than 20 years ago. That vaccine work halted after 6% of study volunteers developed a life-threatening brain condition called meningioencephalitis. Researchers then found a safer method using closely targeted synthetic antibodies in patients. These antibodies avoid extreme immune system reaction. Healthcare companies Isi and Biogen launched a new medication called LeCambi and healthcare company Eli Lilly launched DenanaMab. American government drug experts are reviewing the treatments. The reported success of the drugs has strengthened the theories that amyloid removal is critical to fighting Alzheimer's. Scientists believe they now understand what went wrong with the first vaccine. They are testing shots they hope will cause an immune reaction without causing too much inflammation. Dr. Reza Sperling is an Alzheimer's researcher at Mass General Brigham in Boston. She said she believes vaccines will play an important part as researchers look to prevent Alzheimer's. She said, I'm very keen that that's where we need to go. Sperling is leading a trial in people with Alzheimer's proteins in their brains but showing no signs of related problems. She is considering vaccines for her next study in people who have Alzheimer's proteins in their blood but not enough to show on imaging of the brain. Alzheimer's vaccines are still in the early stages and will require large years long trials to show they work. But a vaccine given two or four times a year could offer a lower cost solution than LeCambi. LeCambi is given twice a month. That could expand available treatment among the estimated 39 million people around the world with Alzheimer's. Dr. Walter Koroshitz is director of the part of US National Institutes of Health that deals with disorders involving the brain. He said of the vaccines, they could be worldwide and not that expensive. I'm Gregory Stockle. Gregory Stockle joins me now to talk more about his health report. Thanks for being here, Greg. Sure, Dan. Happy to be here. This week you introduced us to some new vaccines that could potentially help millions of people around the world with Alzheimer's. Could you tell us more about this disease? Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that begins with mild memory loss. It can lead to a loss in the ability to have a conversation and respond to the environment. It involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. And we learned that the experimental treatments use the body's natural defense system. Can you tell us more about that process? Yes, so the vaccines target the proteins beta amyloid and tau. These are suspected to cause Alzheimer's. So the aim is to use the body's natural defense system, called the immune system, to destroy the proteins. You said in your story that the synthetic antibodies avoid an extreme immune system reaction. Why could that be dangerous? Well, an extreme immune system reaction can cause a life-threatening brain condition called meningoencephalitis. Sometimes the immune system attacks healthy cells in the body and can cause very severe health problems. Great. Thanks for explaining that, Greg. And thanks again for joining us today. You're welcome. Have a great week. My name is Anna Matteo. My name is Jill Robbins. And I'm Andrew Smith. You're listening to The Lesson of the Day on the Learning English podcast. Welcome to the part of the show where we help you do more with our series, Let's Learn English. The series shows Anna Matteo in her work in life in Washington, D.C. In Lesson 40, Anna is trying something new, acting on the stage. She tells us why she is making this change in her career. Let's listen. Some people at the start of a new year make a resolution, a promise to yourself to be better. I thought about my resolution carefully. I want to be an actor on the stage. Today, I will audition for a show called The Woods Are Alive. Wish me luck. What is your name? My name is Anna Matteo. Are you ready to audition? Ah, no. Let's begin on page one. Here is the story. You are lost in the woods. You are searching desperately for a way out. Suddenly, you hear something. Now say your line. What was that? Hello? Is someone there? Anna is at an audition. This word is like another word our listeners may know, audio. Coming from the Latin root meaning to hear. An audition is when someone does a kind of interview for a part in a play or as a singer or dancer. Anna says she is doing this because of her new year's resolution or a decision to make a change in her life. The new year is coming up soon on the western calendar. Andrew, do you usually make new year's resolutions or promises to yourself? Well, I have learned not to make big resolutions at new years because those can be very difficult to follow. Instead, I've learned to make small ones. Those are easier to keep, like folding all my clothes and putting them away. I don't make resolutions, but I do think it's a good idea to stop now and then to take stock of your life, to think of what you'd like to change about it and make a plan to help yourself make those changes. That's an interesting expression you used, Jill, to take stock of. That means to think carefully about something so you can make a decision about what to do next. Anna said she wants to be an actor. Let's listen and find out what happens when she tries to get an acting job. Hello, Anna. You are speaking too softly. Can you speak more loudly and a little more, um, seriously? What was that? Hello! Is someone... Is that loud enough? Yes. Yes. That is loud enough. This lesson gives us some good advice on speaking in front of a group, like an actor does, or anyone giving a speech or a presentation needs to do. In the pronunciation practice video for lesson 40, you can find that advice. The keywords you need for understanding this section are lungs, that's the organs that fill with air when you breathe, and diaphragm, the muscle below your lungs that helps pull air into the lungs and pushes the air out when you speak. Often, English teachers ask students to give a class presentation. As adults, we may need to give a formal speech. To speak well to a group, you must learn to talk at a louder level and send your voice farther. One way to improve is to learn how to use a part of your body called the diaphragm. Many English learners are afraid to speak loudly. That's because they are not sure that what they are saying is correct. When you speak in front of a group, you should practice many times so you are more confident about what you are saying. Then, you can learn to speak from the diaphragm, the muscle that pushes the air out of your lungs. You can learn to speak from your diaphragm. This will help you to send your voice out clearly and loudly so that your audience can hear you better. As an exercise, stand up straight and put your hand on your abdomen. Feel it go in and out when you breathe. Breathe in and count to five. One, two, three, four, five. Breathe out and say, ah. One, two, three, four, five. Do you feel relaxed? You want to be breathing and speaking from that relaxed state. That is good advice to tell students to breathe deeply before they begin a presentation. It helps them relax and speak louder, too. Say, Jill, as a teacher, did you have to learn this technique? I sure did, and it wasn't easy for me. I spoke so softly, people always used to tell me to speak up. Let's find out if Anna learns this lesson. Yes, yes, that is loud enough. Okay, let's turn to page 25. In this scene, you are moving slowly and quietly through the woods. Quickly and loudly walk slowly. I am walking slowly. Quietly. I am walking on a slope. You don't need to say slowly and quietly. All right, let's try the last scene. Turn to page 48. I say my line first, then you say your line. You, you said that line really late. You need to say it earlier. Sorry, sorry, let me try again. Now we've come to another problem, timing. When you're acting, you have to pay attention to the other actors in the play and say your lines at the right time. I used to have that same problem with students. They didn't listen when other students in the class spoke, so they asked the same questions that had just been asked. I think the director in our lesson has learned to give every new actor a chance, though. Let's find out what she tells Anna after her audition. You, the woods, alive. I was too early, wasn't I? Yes, yes, you were. Director, how am I doing? I have the perfect part for you. The costume is in the back. Please go try it on. Awesome! Oh, Anna, that fits you perfectly. I'm a tree. I'm a tree. And the woods are alive! Yes! My new year is starting awesomely. Excuse me, director. I have a great idea for my tree. Oh, wait. Until next time. Once again, let me tell our listeners, Anna comes out on stage in a cardboard tree costume. You may have seen this in other videos since Anna loves to wear it. Yes, it's in lesson 17 of Let's Learn English with Anna as a family tree. And Let's Learn English with Anna is our program for younger learners on the Learning English website. Well, I'm afraid we're almost out of time now. How about writing to us to tell us when you tried something new as we saw Anna do in this lesson? Send us an email at learningenglishatvoanews.com or comment on our YouTube video. Remember, you can find us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, or our website, learningenglish.voanews.com. We hope you have enjoyed the lesson of the day on the Learning English podcast. I'm Dr. Jill. Thanks for listening. I'm Andrew Smith. And that's our program for today. Join us again tomorrow to keep Learning English through stories from around the world. I'm Ashley Thompson. And I'm Dan Novak.