This is Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, in the United States. It is a federal holiday. That means most federal offices are closed. The holiday honors the first visit to America by the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. Columbus thought he could reach the Far East by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe. He was right. But he was also wrong. He thought the world was much smaller than it is. He did not imagine that another continent and another huge ocean lay between Europe and East Asia. Columbus and his crew arrived in October 1492 on an island they called San Salvador, in today’s Bahamas. They explored that island and nearby islands now known as Cuba and Hispaniola. Columbus believed these were the coastal islands of East Asia, then called the Indies. That is why he called the people who lived on the islands Indians. He refused to accept he was wrong about the geography.
Title: Columbus Day
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/columbus_day.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Columbus Day' data-article-id='2667'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='6229'>This is Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, in the United States.</span> <span data-start-time='6229' data-end-time='8583'>It is a federal holiday.</span> <span data-start-time='8583' data-end-time='13188'>That means most federal offices are closed.</span> <span data-start-time='13188' data-end-time='21979'>The holiday honors the first visit to America by the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.</span> <span data-start-time='21979' data-end-time='30625'>Columbus thought he could reach the Far East by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe.</span> <span data-start-time='30625' data-end-time='32063'>He was right.</span> <span data-start-time='32063' data-end-time='35688'>But he was also wrong.</span> <span data-start-time='35688' data-end-time='40063'>He thought the world was much smaller than it is.</span> <span data-start-time='40063' data-end-time='49292'>He did not imagine that another continent and another huge ocean lay between Europe and East Asia.</span> <span data-start-time='49292' data-end-time='60708'>Columbus and his crew arrived in October 1492 on an island they called San Salvador, in today’s Bahamas.</span> <span data-start-time='60708' data-end-time='68083'>They explored that island and nearby islands now known as Cuba and Hispaniola.</span> <span data-start-time='68083' data-end-time='75875'>Columbus believed these were the coastal islands of East Asia, then called the Indies.</span> <span data-start-time='75875' data-end-time='81271'>That is why he called the people who lived on the islands Indians.</span> <span data-start-time='81271' data-end-time='86229'>He refused to accept he was wrong about the geography.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/columbus_day.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=9504 data-hint-location='8583' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/what_does_federal_mean.m4a'>What does federal mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='central government'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/lost_at_sea.m4a'><span>lost at sea</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/central_government.m4a'><span>central government</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/national_holiday.m4a'><span>national holiday</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/local_offices.m4a'><span>local offices</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=9505 data-hint-location='35688' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/what_did_he_think_the_world_was.m4a'>What did he think the world was?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='small'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/small.m4a'><span>small</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/huge.m4a'><span>huge</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/connected.m4a'><span>connected</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/flat.m4a'><span>flat</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=9506 data-hint-location='81271' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/he_refused_to_accept_he_was_wrong_about__blank_.m4a'>He refused to accept he was wrong about <span class='blank'>geography</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='geography'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/geography.m4a'><span>geography</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/native_people.m4a'><span>native people</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/shipping_routes.m4a'><span>shipping routes</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/weather.m4a'><span>weather</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
Sound Name: https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2149/columbus_day.m4a
Preview
