Last major or important change to the workers

last major or important change to the workers’ compensation laws were in the
1990s, when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed. A “disability”
(disability) is a physical or mental condition that limits the amount of activity a
person can do. The Americans with Disabilities Act created new laws that
allowed people with disabilities to get jobs and protected them from being fired
from their jobs because of their disability.
Some industries have their own special workers’ compensation laws. An
“industry,” I should explain – (industry) – is a type of work or a kind of business.
The “film industry,” for example, refers to all the companies that make movies.
One industry that has special workers’ compensation laws is the mining industry.
“To mine” (mine) is to dig into the ground to get things like coal out of the ground.
The person who mines is called a “miner” (miner). And miners have special
protection under workers’ compensation laws.
So, that’s all you need to know, really, about American workers’ compensation
laws, and I think you found it as exciting and as fascinating as I do.
Now let’s answer a few of your questions.
Our first question is from Timofey (Timofey) in Russia. The question has to do
with three words: “whirl,” “swirl,” and “eddy.”
Let’s start with “whirl” (whirl). “Whirl” describes a fast movement around and
around. You can talk about a ballet dancer or an ice skater who whirls around
quickly. It basically would mean the same as spin. We could talk about the leaves
of a tree whirling around in circles in the wind.

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Cultural English – 460
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“Swirl” (swirl) is very similar in definition. It describes a movement in a twisting or
what we may describe as “spiraling” pattern, moving around and around without
stopping, making bigger or smaller circles. You could talk about swirling some
cream into your coffee – mixing it into your coffee, making it go around and
around.
“Eddy” (eddy) is a movement either in water or in the air in the opposite direction
of the main movement, especially when it is moving in a circle. If the water is all
flowing in one direction, but there is a small section of the river that is moving in
the opposite direction, that would be an eddy.
The word “Eddie” spelled somewhat differently – (Eddie) instead of (eddy) – is a
shortened form, or nickname form, of the name Edward. I had an “Uncle Eddie” –
we called him “Eddie.” You may have heard of the comedian Eddie Murphy back
from the 80s and 90s here in the U.S. But that has nothing to do with the topic of
the question by Timofey about “whirl,” “swirl,” and “eddy.”
Our next question comes from Engin (Engin) in Turkey. The question has to do
with the difference between two very common expressions in English: “I am
curious” and “I wonder.” In common conversation, we often use these two
expressions to mean the same thing. However, they could be used differently.