VOA Special English
People We Lost in 2018

    2018/12/27

    As 2018 comes to a close, many people are thinking about loved ones or friends they lost this year.

    When Americans want to say they are sorry about someone’s loss, they offer their sympathies or condolences. And so, our condolences to you for anyone you are mourning.

    Today we want to note some public figures all of us lost over the past 12 months.

    FILE - Christopher Reeve (L) and Margot Kidder in 1977.
    FILE - Christopher Reeve (L) and Margot Kidder in 1977.

    Actors who died this year include Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane in the 1978 film Superman and three other Superman movies. Verne Troyer was Mini Me in two Austin Powers movies. Burt Reynolds was in movies and television from the 1950s through the 2000s. And Eunice Gayson was James Bond’s girlfriend in Bond’s first two films.

    Arthur Mitchell and Paul Taylor were both dancers.

    Neil Simon and Ntozake Shange wrote plays. Ursula K. Le Guin, V.S. Naipaul, Tom Wolf and Philip Roth wrote books.

    Robert Indiana was an artist who made the LOVE sign. Businesswoman Kate Spade designed clothes. Gary Kurtz produced the first Star Wars movie. Stan Lee invented Spider-Man. And Paul Allen co-founded the technology company Microsoft.

    Diplomat Kofi Annan was the head of the United Nations, and singer Aretha Franklin was the queen of soul.

    Robin Leach, who presented Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, signed off one last time. Chef Anthony Bourdain ate his last meal. The Reverend Billy Graham said his final prayer. Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush joined his wife of 73 years, Barbara Bush. And physicist Stephen Hawking disappeared into the universe.

    I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

    Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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    Words in This Story

    figure - n. a person who has a specified status or who is regarded in a specified way

    queen - n. a girl or woman who is highly respected and very successful or popular

    soul - n. a popular style of music expressing deep emotion that was created by African-Americans