VOA Learning English: 2014

Welcome to American Mosaic from VOA Learning English.

I’m Caty Weaver. Today we are talking about the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards.

It was a big week for the entertainment industry in the United States. On Monday night the Emmy Awards honored the top stars and projects in television. But the fun really began Sunday when the cable network, MTV, presented its yearly Video Music Awards.

That event took place in Inglewood, California. And the stars came out for the ceremony. But who stole the show? In other words, which artists got the most praise or attention for his or her attendance or performance?

Singer Beyonce was among the best received artists of the night. She closed the show with several hit songs. She got the crowd up on its feet to dance. But, the crowd really loved the appearance of Beyonce’s family. Her husband, rapper and producer Jay-Z, and their two-year-old daughter Blue Ivy came to the stage to present the singer with the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award.

Miley Cyrus also had a good night at the VMAs. Her video for the song “Wrecking Ball” won the top honor, Video of the Year. And industry critics praised her later for the way she accepted the award.

Cyrus brought a young, homeless man to the show as her date. She also asked him to go up on stage to receive her award. Jesse Helt took the moment to appeal for help for homeless children in America.

olice are reportedly seeking Mr. Helt for a violating a court order linked to a sentence he received for trespassing.

And, last but not least, Katy Perry has been the subject of much press this week. Everyone was talking about what she wore and whom she brought to the VMAs Sunday. Perry wore a long dress made completely of denim material. And her date, the rapper Riff Raff, wore a denim suit. The couple copied the style of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake at the American Music Awards in 2001.

Perry tweeted to Spears about her look for the show. Spears tweeted back with praise. “You looked amazing tonight,” she wrote.

Britney Spears was not the only one pleased with Katy Perry Sunday night. Perry’s “Dark Horse” won Best Female Video.

So, did you see the clothing Katy Perry and Riff Raff wore to the VMAs? What did you think? Would you wear denim to an important event? Let us know, and practice your English writing skills, in the comment section below! We will let you know how you did.

August 28, 2014

Ukraine and NATO: Russian Troops Crossed Into Ukraine

Ukrainian and NATO officials on Thursday said Russian forces had crossed the border into Ukraine to support pro-Russia separatists.

At a special Organization for Security and Cooperation meeting in Vienna, the Ukrainian Ambassador told reporters "what we registered is a direct invasion of the Russian military into the eastern regions of Ukraine."

Russia's Ambassador denied the accusation at the OSC meeting. He said, "No Russian forces are crossing in any point the border of Ukraine.’

A top NATO official said that well over 1,000 Russian troops are now operating inside Ukraine. He said “they are supporting separatists [and] fighting with them.”

NATO also released satellite images that it said show Russian fighting forces carrying out in military operations in Ukraine. The alliance said the images show Russian artillery groups near the southeastern town of Krasnodon.

On Tuesday in Belarus, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko met with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to discuss a peace process.

WHO: Ebola outbreak could infect 20,000 people

The World Health Organization says that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa could infect more than 20,000 people over the next six months.

Dr. Bruce Ayleward is the Assistant Director-General for the World Health Organization. He said medical experts, in his words, “are seeing today, in contrast to previous Ebola outbreaks: multiple hotspots within these countries — not a single, remote forested area, the kind of environments that have been tackled in the past. And then not multiple hotspots within one country, but international disease.”

The WHO is launching a plan designed to control the spread. The effort could take up to nine months and almost 500 million dollars. The organization also warned the disease would kill thousands more people before it is contained.

An experimental Ebola vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline is being tested on volunteers. The drug company hopes to produce 10,000 doses for emergency deployment, if the results are good.

A bank account for everyone in India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a new program to open a bank account for every family in the country. Hours before the launch in New Delhi, banks enrolled 15 million new accounts across India.

The program aims to bring poor people into a modern economy and reduce their dependence on money lenders.

Pitt and Jolie marry

Actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt married over the weekend in southern France. The two have been a couple since 2005. They have six children together.

This is Jolie’s third marriage and Pitt’s second.

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Words in the News

accuse - v. to say a person is responsible for an act or crime; to make a statement against someone

assist – v. to help

volunteer – n. a person who chooses to do something without being asked, usually without being paid

bank account - n. an account with a bank created by the deposit of money or its equivalent and subject to withdrawal of money

marry – v. to join a man and woman together as husbandand wife; to become husband and wife (usually in a religious or civil ceremony

Lincoln Wins 1860 Election, Loses Southern States

From VOA Learning English, this is The Making of a Nation.

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

And I’m Christopher Cruise.

The presidential election of 1860 brought feelings of both hope and fear.

Americans had hope for the future because they would have a new leader. But they feared that even a new president could not hold the nation together. The states of the South were very close to leaving the Union over the issue of slavery.

The election campaign opened in the summer of 1860. Abraham Lincoln was the candidate for the Republican Party -- a new party that opposed slavery. Almost all Republicans were from the northern United States.

Most people did not know very much about Abraham Lincoln, so the Republican Party published many books and pamphlets about him. They told the story of a poor farm boy who educated himself. Through hard work and honesty, they said, he had become a candidate for president.

Lincoln’s supporters organized a loud and colorful campaign. It included marching bands and signs. But Lincoln was silent. He said, “It has been my decision since becoming a candidate to make no speeches. I am here only to see you and to let you see me.”

The Democratic Party candidate was very different. Stephen Douglas spoke in nearly every state. He campaigned hard. But his health was poor. And he had trouble getting money.

Within a few weeks, Douglas recognized he had no real hope of winning. Northerners believed he supported slavery too much. And Southerners believed he did not support slavery enough.

Douglas expected Lincoln to win the election. But he knew a Lincoln victory would create problems. If Lincoln became president, some people who strongly supported slavery threatened to take the Southern states out of the union.

So Douglas turned his efforts to a campaign for the union itself. He said, “The election of a man to the presidency by the American people, under the Constitution, is no reason for any attempt to dissolve this glorious nation.”

Two other major candidates also campaigned for president. Southern Democrats nominated John Breckinridge of Kentucky. And a group called the Constitutional Union Party nominated John Bell.

Election Day was November 6. The popular vote was close; the vote in the Electoral College was not. Lincoln received 180 electoral votes. Breckinridge received 72. Bell received 39. And Douglas received just 12.

Abraham Lincoln would be the new president of the United States. But his victory was bittersweet. Even before Lincoln was inaugurated, the Southern states acted on their threats. They began to leave the Union.

I’m Christopher Cruise.

And I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

This is The Making of a Nation from VOA Learning English.

Editor's Note: Thank you for the questions about our colleague Steve Ember. He has retired from Voice of America.

Steve gave his voice and talents to a number of programs at VOA. Many listeners learned about world news and US history from Steve. We miss him, too, and we wish him well.

Knowledge Does Not Lead to Action on Environment

Investors Return to Vietnam After Anti-China Protests

In May, anti-China protestors in Vietnam caused damage to at least 460 factories owned by foreigners. Thousands of foreign investors fled Vietnam. They feared there would be more riots. But foreign investment has now returned to levels that existed before the protests. The flow of money returned for three main reasons. The government has promised to protect foreign investors. Also, the economy continues to grow. Finally, the cost of manufacturing remains low.

Clothing, furniture and electronics factories have begun operating again in Vietnam. Twenty people died in the protests and hundreds were injured. The protestors were angry about China’s placement of an oil industry structure in waters that Vietnam claims as its territory. Long-term tensions between the two countries worsened. China and Vietnam fought a border war in 1979.

Foreign investment is 17 percent of Vietnam’s economy and 66 percent of its exports. It provides half of Vietnam’s tax income.

Ralf Matthaes is the owner of a market advising company in Ho Chi Minh City. He says foreign investment has returned because of the government’s strong actions.

Foreign investors from Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan have entered Vietnam since the government ended investment restrictions in 1987. Their projects have helped support Vietnam’s $155 billion economy and have lowered poverty by adding jobs.

In July, China moved the platform following talks with Vietnam. Before the riots, China was the seventh-largest investor in Vietnam. Last year, it invested $2.3 billion in the country. That was six times more than in 2012. Much of that investment was materials used to make clothing, machines and other goods.

In the future, Vietnam is expected to make it easier for foreign investors to do business in the country. It will increase the rights of foreign investors to use land. And it will build new transportation systems linking Ho Chi Minh City to manufacturing areas.

And that’s the Economics Report from VOA Learning English. (For more Learning English programs, go to our website LearningEnglish.voanews.com. And follow us on Facebook and Twitter.) I’m Mario Ritter.

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Words in the News

foreign – adj. of, about or from another nation; not from one’s own place or country

investors – n. people who give money to a business or organization with the hope of making more money

border – n. a dividing line between nations

poverty – n. the condition of being poor

rights – n. what a person legally and morally should be able to do or have (“It is their right to vote.”)

Earthquake Strikes Near Icelandic Volcano

Iceland’s Meteorological Office announced on Tuesday that the strongest earthquake in 10 days has struck the Bardarbunga volcano. The earthquake measured 5.7.

On Sunday, Iceland had reduced its warning about the threatening volcano from the highest possible point. It changed the warning level from red to orange. Red means an eruption – an explosion – will happen soon or is in progress.

A small volcanic explosion last week had caused fears that ash could interfere with air travel. Two earthquakes measuring 5.3 and 5.1 took place before that small explosion. People living near Bardarbunga have been removed from the area. Officials have set up a no-fly zone around the volcano. But Icelandic air space is still open.

In 2010, a cloud of ash from an erupting volcano delayed or canceled flights for days. Many travelers had to stay in Europe because overseas flights were not available. Hotels filled up fast when word of the cancellations became known. For some travelers, there was no place to stay. And some hotels, motels and other places for overnight stays raised their rates.

This story was based on a VOA News Report and written for Learning English by Jeri Watson. Our editor was George Grow. I’m Bob Doughty.

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Words in the News

volcano, n., a mountain with a hole in the top or side that sometimes sends out rocks, ash, lava and the like, in a sudden explosion called an eruption

eruption, n. a sudden explosion

cancellations, n. a decision to stop doing or planning to do something: the act of canceling something such as a game or performance

stranded, adj., trapped somewhere, unable to leave a place

available, adj., easy or possible to get to or use

August 27, 2014

American Jihadist Killed in Syria

Details are being gathered about the first American known to be killed fighting for Islamic State militants in Syria. Douglas McCain was 33 years old when he died Sunday. He was raised in Minnesota and had worked as a caregiver in California.

On Tuesday, the U.S. National Security Council confirmed Douglas McCain's death. The State Department said U.S. officials had communicated with his family.

Mr. McCain reportedly left the U.S. for Turkey and later traveled into territory controlled by the Islamic State militants. Over the weekend, he took part in an attack near Aleppo against another opposition group, called the Free Syrian Army, NBC News reported.

The Free Syrian Army killed McCain. It also executed six others Islamic State militants posted their photos on Facebook.

U.S. officials have recently expressed concern about American citizens who join extremists groups like Islamic State. They fear one or more might return home to carry out terrorist acts on American territory.

Pro-Russian Separatists Capture Key Southeast Town

Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian continued to battle for control of Ukraine’s coast Wednesday. The separatists captured an important town in the southeast.

The separatists entered Novoazovsk after three days of shelling. About 40,000 people live in the town, a popular vacation place along the Sea of Azov. The town is on a road that links Russia to the Ukrainian port of Mariupol and Crimea on the Black Sea.

The fighting happened as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a possible peace plan.

First Patient to Receive Spine Part Made from 3-D Printer

A Chinese boy with bone cancer has become the first patient with a spinal part from a three-dimensional printer.

Twelve-year-old Qin has Ewing’s sarcoma. The sometimes deadly bone cancer usually attacks children and young adults, causing severe pain.

Doctors at Beijing University removed a small part of Qin’s backbone and replaced it with a 3-D printer copy. The part is made of titanium.

Doctors say Qin will soon regain normal movement of his body.

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Words in the News

communicate – v. to tell; to give or exchange information

execute – v. to kill

popular – ad. liked by many people; generally approved by the public

possible – ad. able to be done; can happen or is expected to happen

bone – n. the hard material in the body

Tunnel Warfare: From Gaza to North Korea

The Palestinian militant group Hamas has received much attention for its use of tunnels in its war with Israel. But the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip is not the only place where tunnels are used in a conflict.

Some South Korean and American security experts say North Korea has dug as many as 20 tunnels under the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ. The South Korean officials say they received information about the underground passageways from people who have escaped North Korea. The officials say some of these defectors claim to have helped build the tunnels.

South Korean forces and their American allies have found only four tunnels between North and South Korea. They discovered three tunnels in the 1970s and one in 1990. But the South Korean Defense Ministry says it continues to investigate the possibility that there are more.

Using Tunnels for Surprise Attacks

Both Hamas and North Korea have built tunnels for the same reason: to give their fighters a way to surprise their enemy.

Recently, Israel destroyed 32 tunnels. Fourteen of them entered Israel. Militants used the tunnels to surprise and kill 11 Israeli soldiers in Israeli territory.

Hamas says the tunnels are an important weapon in its fight against Israel. Gaza shares a 59-kilometer-long border with Israel. Israel says Hamas planned to use the tunnels to kill civilians in small Israeli communities near the border.

North and South Korea have a border that is four kilometers wide and 240 kilometers long. North Korea built tunnels to permit the communist state to send thousands of its soldiers to places several kilometers south of the DMZ.

David Maxwell is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel who served in South Korea. He is now an expert at Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies.

He said if North Koreans were dressed in South Korean uniforms, and also attacked U.S. forces near the DMZ, that would have a disastrous effect on the trust between the U.S. troops and their South Korean allies.

Mr. Maxwell said such moves have for many years been part of North Korea’s military plans.

Tunnels to Protect Weapons from Airstrikes

The U.S. and Israeli militaries also believe North Korea and Hamas have built many more tunnels for a different reason: to protect their weapons from air bombings.

In 2012, U.S. Army Brigadier General Neil H. Tolley was the commander of all U.S. special operations forces in South Korea. At a conference of special operations experts, he said North Korea had placed much of its military forces in an underground network.

David Maxwell says reports from North Korean defectors and pictures from satellites show North Korea has built thousands of tunnels into mountains and hillsides. He says North Korea has placed artillery, ammunition and medical supplies in the tunnels.

In July, the Israel Defense Force said Hamas had created what the IDF called an “underground city of terror,” with many entry places throughout Gaza. The IDF said Hamas uses the tunnels as places to store weapons, control troops and, in its words, transport “terrorists and weapons."

Did North Korea and Iran Help Hamas with Tunnels?

North Korea has not said whether it helped Hamas build tunnels. But both countries are allied with Iran, which has built underground sites to protect its nuclear program from possible air attacks.

Itamar Yaar was the deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council. He retired in 2008. He said the Iranian and North Korean militaries have worked closely with one another in recent years. He says the two countries have sent military officials to Gaza to help Hamas.

Eado Hecht is an Israeli defense expert. He teaches military history at several Israeli universities. He says there are major differences between the North Korean and Hamas tunnels. The offensive tunnels in Gaza, he said, are narrow. The North Korean tunnels are big enough for three to five people to walk through.

Mr. Hecht said Hamas usually waits until it will use an attack tunnel before it digs a place to release its troops into Israeli territory. But the four Korean tunnels already had openings on the South Korean side of the border.

Gaza Tunnels Were First Built for Smuggling Goods

Mr. Hecht says Palestinians started building tunnels in Gaza long before they got help from others.

He says Gaza groups began digging smuggling tunnels into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula almost 20 years ago. He says they learned through trial and error and made huge profits from smuggled goods.

Mr. Hecht says Gaza smugglers built about 1,800 tunnels. He says Egyptian security forces destroyed more than 1,600 mostly in the past year. Other smuggling tunnels have collapsed or have been damaged by Israeli air strikes.

I’m Bob Doughty.
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Words in the News

surprise – v. to cause a feeling of wonder because something is not expected;

permit – v. to let; to make possible

disastrous – adj. causing widespread destruction or loss of life, such as an earthquake or plane crash

smuggle – v. to import or export secretly or illegally without paying duties or taxes required by law

destroy – v. to break into pieces; to end the existence of

Raw Chocolate Is Better For Your Health

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report.

Chocolate. Is it good for our health? Or is it just good? Many experts warn that the sugar in chocolate is not good for us. But doctors point to the healthful qualities of chocolate’s antioxidants.

VOA's George Putic reports that uncooked, organic chocolate may contain the right balance.

The biggest value in eating cocoa and dark chocolate, besides the taste, may be its ability to lower blood pressure. This comes from the rich, comforting, almost decadent, feeling of cocoa butter melting in your mouth.

That happy feeling may also add to chocolate's anti-depressant qualities, says Kim Hoffman. Ms. Hoffman is a dietician, a person who advises people about what to eat to be healthy. She tells how dark chocolate makes us feel better and raises our mood.

“It contains phenethylamines, which is a neurotransmitter that is found in the brain and actually acts as a mood elevator. It also enhances the blood endorphins, which are the happy opiates, and they are basically around when you are on a high.”

Not all chocolate is equal when it comes to those helpful chemicals. The way commercial chocolate makers produce chocolate affects its health benefits.

First, there is the issue of temperature. The heat required to process commercial chocolate can be as high as 130 degrees centigrade. Some researchers say temperatures that high can actually lower the effectiveness of those beneficial chemicals.

Anthony Grid makes fine chocolates at a store called Honest Chocolate, in Cape Town, South Africa. He keeps the temperature of his raw chocolate below 42 degrees.

The Raw Food Movement

Mr. Grid says that there is a movement in the food world to limit heat when cooking food. Followers of this movement say that high temperatures lower the health benefits of our food.

“There's a movement for minimal cooking or minimal heating of food, just to retain the natural antioxidants or whatever, the minerals or whatever it may be. So cocoa is part of that - you can do it raw, with a very good quality bean.”

Another way chocolate makers decrease its health benefits is by adding sugar. The taste of cocoa is naturally sharp, or bitter. This bitterness comes from an antioxidant in cocoa, a chemical called polyphenol. To reduce cocoa’s bitter taste, makers of chocolate products remove the polyphenol and add sugar.

Food science writer Leonie Joubert notes that sugar is connected to weight-related illnesses. Ms. Joubert warns that eating too much sugar leads to many health problems.

“The problem is that overexposure to sugar over a long period of time - it causes this repeated inflammatory response in the body, which now is linked to heart disease. Obviously it's linked to obesity and weight problems and the associated diseases.”

Quality Over Quantity

The chocolates at Honest Chocolate are made with agave nectar, not cane sugar. And they have a very high percentage of cacao. This is something buyer (customer) Jessica Bonin enjoys.

“What I find quite remarkable about their chocolate is that you are not overwhelmed by the sugar so you actually get to taste the chocolate itself, which is really so luxurious and quite decadent.”

Like many other people who know good chocolate when they taste it -- chocolate connoisseurs -- Ms. Bonin satisfies her craving with just one small piece of really good chocolate. In other words, she chooses “quality over quantity.” And this choice is most likely better for her health.

And that’s the Health Report. I’m Anna Matteo.

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Words in the News

dietician – n. a person whose job is to give people advice about what to eat in order to be healthy

luxurious – adj. something that is expensive and not necessary (“Luxury,” a noun, is the root word.)

decadent – adj. characterized by or appealing to self-indulgence

connoisseur – n. a person who knows a lot about something (such as art, wine, food, etc.): an expert in a particular subject

crave – v. to have a very strong desire for (something). A craving, a noun, means a strong desire for something

August 26, 2014

Israel and the Palestinians Agree to Truce

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators announced Tuesday that they have agreed to an extended ceasefire after seven weeks of deadly fighting in Gaza.

The ceasefire took effect at 7 p.m. local time (1600 GMT). Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced the truce from his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Egypt organized the truce. It calls for Israel to ease its blockade of Gaza. The agreement will permit shipments of humanitarian aid and building materials for repair and reconstruction in Gaza. The two sides will continue talks about Israel’s demand that Hamas militants surrender their weapons.

The United States said it strongly supports the truce.

Over 2,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and more than 60 Israelis were killed in the almost two month long conflict.

Ukraine and Russia Agree to Talk

Ukraine and Russia have agreed to begin talks that could lead to a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached the agreement during a meeting Tuesday in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.

Mr. Putin said they discussed the need for a quick end to the violence. Mr. Poroshenko said a plan for the cease-fire would be prepared as soon as possible.

Cambodian Opposition Gets Parliamentary Commissions

This week lawmakers from Cambodia’s opposition party are being voted onto 10 parliament committees. The vote is one term of a political deal to end the country’s political crisis.

The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party boycotted the parliament after winning 55 seats in the 132-seat National Assembly. The opposition accused Prime Minister Hun Sen of cheating to keep a small majority.

Son Chhay, a leader of the opposition expressed hope for the future. He said the agreement was a very good beginning.

Old Favorites ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Modern Family’ Win Emmys

“Breaking Bad” was honored at the Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday as the top drama series on U.S. television. The show received the Emmy for a second straight year. It also won three acting awards.

In comedy, “Modern Family” won the Emmy for best series. It has won the award the last four years as well.

The award program also honored actor Robin Williams whose recent suicide shocked people around the world. Williams was found dead in his California home on August eleventh.

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Words in the News

truce – n. a temporary halt in fighting agreed to by all sides involved

possible - adj. able to be done; can happen or is expected to happen

term – n. a limited period of time during which someone does a job or carries out a responsibility (“He served two terms in Congress.”); the conditions of an agreement that have been accepted by those involved in it

series – n. a number of similar things or events that follow one after another in time, position or order

suicide – n. the act of killing oneself

Drug-Resistant Malaria Spreads in Southeast Asia

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report.

On Thailand’s border with Myanmar, also known as Burma, a malaria research and treatment center is increasing efforts to kill, or eliminate, a drug-resistant form of the parasite before it spreads abroad. VOA correspondent Steve Sandford reports from Thailand.

A health center near a busy border crossing in Thailand has had great success over the last 20 years in reducing the effect of malaria.

Cases of the disease have greatly decreased. But doctors like Cindy Chu remain worried.

“We used to see a lot of malaria at the Wangpha clinic but now with efforts of elimination and active surveillance and even the setting up of malaria posts on the other side of the border, the malaria rates have really gone down. So we don’t see as much malaria as we used to. On the other hand, the malaria that we do see is more complicated. And because of artemisinin resistance, the cases we see here require additional therapy.”

Medicines called Artemisinin have been highly effective against malaria when used in combination with other drugs. Using a combination of drugs is called a “cocktail.”

But in five countries in Southeast Asia -- Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos -- the malaria organism, or parasite, has developed a resistance to the treatment. Drug-resistant means that the drug no longer treats the disease.

Doctors can still treat infected patients with stronger drug cocktails. But they worry that it is just a matter of time before those medicines also become ineffective.

Dr. Francois Nosten has been leading research on the Thai - Myanmar border for the past 30 years. He says that the clock is ticking, meaning time is running out.

“This is a global public health emergency because we could see in our studies that the progression of resistance is quite fast. For example in 2007 none of the patients were infected with a resistant parasite. In 2012, 80% of the patients are infected with the resistant parasite, so in just a few years the majority of the infections are caused by the resistant parasite.”

Dr. Nosten wants a stronger method of dealing with resistant malaria to control its spread. He wants to give medicine to whole villages where the parasite can lie inactive and unseen in many people.

“What we predict is in order to stop the progression of artemisinin resistance, we need to eliminate malaria. It’s not good to just reduce the number of cases, reduce the transmission of the disease, we need to eliminate the parasite.”

Medical teams are making plans to give anti-malarial drugs in villages where many cases of malaria have been reported. Many are hoping that this effort will stop the spread of an increasingly dangerous parasite.

I’m Anna Matteo.

VOA Thailand correspondent Steve Sandford wrote this report. Anna Matteo adapted it for Learning English.

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Words in the News

drug-resistant – adj. resistance in the ability of microbes, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi, to grow in the presence of a chemical (drug) that would normally kill it or limit its growth.

malaria – n. a serious disease that causes chills and fever and that is passed from one person to another by the bite of a mosquito

parasite – n. an organism living in, with, or on another organism

eliminate – v. to remove (something that is not wanted or needed) : to get rid of (something)

cocktail - n. (medical) a mixture of agents usually in solution that is taken or used together especially for medical treatment or diagnosis

Is North Korea Preparing to Strike US Electric Grid?

A longtime national security advisor to the United States Congress has said the country’s electric system -- called a “grid” -- is mostly unprotected.

Peter Vincent Pry believes North Korea is ready to attack the U.S. electric grid using electromagnetic pulse, or EMP. He said North Korea tested the plan last year when it put a satellite into orbit. The satellite was in a position where it could carry out such an attack against the United States.

Mr. Pry was a member of the former Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack. He is the executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security. It advises Congress on how to protect the United States from electromagnetic pulse attacks and other threats.

An electromagnetic pulse is a short “burst” of electromagnetic energy. It can be natural or created by humans. EMP bursts from lightning can damage electronic equipment. At very high levels, an EMP can damage trees, buildings and aircraft.

Mr. Pry said North Korea tested EMP in February of 2013 over the South Pole. The test was done after the country’s third illegal nuclear test.

Later in 2013, a North Korean cargo ship was stopped as it carried missiles through the Panama Canal. The missiles were hidden under thousands of bags of sugar.

Mr. Pry said this was not a mistake by North Korea. He believes North Korea was testing to see if it could send nuclear weapons through the Gulf of Mexico and the Panama Canal without being caught.

He said “we inspected the freighter not because anyone thought there were nuclear-capable missiles on board, but because this freighter is notorious for doing trade with drug cartels and terrorists, and so we were looking for illicit drugs that the freighter might be smuggling, and they found the nuclear-capable missiles.”

Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York is the senior Democrat on the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, Science and Technology.

She said she did not know North Korea purposely acted, in her words, “to test out or test run the capabilities of approaching” the United States with nuclear-capable missiles. But, she said she is, again in her words, “sure it is not for the sake of friendly trade, but to do our nation harm.”

Mr. Pry said a group of Russian generals and two of Russia’s top EMP experts met with the EMP commission in 2004. The Russians talked about the development of a technology for a high-energy EMP attack near the end of the Cold War. It was a kind of nuclear weapon that would produce a very powerful electromagnetic pulse.

The Russian generals told the commission, “We have bad news. We developed this super EMP weapon, and during the post-Cold War brain drain, some of our scientists went to North Korea.”

At the time, Mr. Pry said, the Russian generals told them that North Korea could develop a super EMP weapon within a few years.

I’m Caty Weaver.

This story is based on reporting by VOA reporter Kells Hetherington in Washington. It was adapted for Learning English by Christopher Cruise and edited by Hai Do.
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Words in the News

system – n. a method of organizing or doing something by following rules or a plan; a group of connected things or parts working together for a common purpose or goal

position – n. a place; the way of holding the body; the way a thing is set or placed; a job (or level of a job) in an organization

damage – v. to cause injury or destruction; n. harm, hurt or injury usually to things

mistake – n. a wrong action or decision; an action done without the knowledge it was wrong

powerful – adj. having the ability to control or influence people or things; having a strong effect on someone or something; having or producing a lot of physical strength or force

Syria Asks for Help to Fight Islamic State

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem says his nation is willing to work with the international community in the fight against Islamic State militants. He also appealed to others to end their support for the militants. The official spoke Monday; the day after Syria lost a major airbase in the northern Raqqa province.

Mr. Moallem said, “My government is ready to cooperate and coordinate both regionally and internationally to fight terrorism.”

He said that the Islamic State militants and Jabhat al-Nusrat, another jihadist group, are more dangerous than the Taliban or al-Qaida. The two groups have fought against the U.S. and its NATO allies since 2001

But, Mr. Moallem warned against U.S. airstrikes in Syria. He said any action in Syria must be approved by Syria. He warned that Syria could attempt to shoot down U.S. warplanes that take action without approval. The Syrian foreign minister also accused both Qatar and Turkey of supporting the militabs.

Ukraine Says Russian Military Has Crossed Its Border

A top Ukrainian official said Monday Russian tanks and other military vehicles had crossed into southeastern Ukraine.

A spokesman for Ukraine's National Security Council, Andriy Lysenko, said the group of 10 tanks, two armored vehicles and two trucks crossed the border near Shcherbak. He said the Russian military vehicles were flying flags of separatist Donetsk rebels.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters he had not heard about the border crossing. He said "there is plenty of misinformation" about invasions.

Thousands Attend Teenager’s Funeral in Ferguson

Mourners sang, clapped and danced on Monday at funeral services for Michael Brown. A white police officer shot and killed the unarmed teen August ninth. His death led to several days of protests in Ferguson, Missouri. Some were violent.

Brown’s father appealed for calm before the funeral. He said, "All I want is peace while my son is laid to rest. Please, please. I'd like a day of silence so we can lay our son to rest. Please. That's all I ask. And, thank you."

New Prime Minister in Thailand

The army general who led the May 22nd overthrow in Thailand has officially taken office as prime minister.

General Prayuth Chan-ocha bowed before a large photograph of King Bhumibol Adulyadej after an order from the King was read. The order inaugurated the general as Thailand’s 29th prime minister.

Fighting Continues in Gaza

Israeli airstrikes killed eight more people in Gaza on Monday. It was the 49th day of the conflict in Gaza. The Israeli army said Hamas militants fired 80 rockets across the border into Israel. No one was hurt in those attacks.

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Words in the News

community – n. a group of people living together in one place or area

tank – n. a large container for holding liquids; a heavy military vehicle with guns

calm – adj. quiet; peaceful; opposite of tense

overthrow – v. to remove from power; to defeat or end by force

hurt – v. to cause pain, injury or damage

August 25, 2014

Scientists Developing Blood Test for PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is caused by a frightening event, either witnessed or experienced. Signs of the disorder may include depression, bad dreams and severe nervousness. Thoughts about the event may be uncontrollable.

Soldiers who have seen a lot of death and destruction in armed conflict, survivors of natural disasters and rape victims often suffer from PTSD.

Even with treatment, the brain disorder is difficult to cure. But someday, a blood test may show if a person is threatened by PTSD or already suffers from it. Researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York have identified a blood marker that appears linked to PTSD.

The researchers used rats and cat waste in their work. They saw a pattern of gene activity involved in the operation of the stress hormone corticosterone in the brain tissue of the rats. The activity took place after the rats smelled the urine of cats for 10 minutes. The liquid waste was in cat litter, a material that lines a waste box for indoor cats.

Loud noises caused the rats to show anxiety - fear - when they were tested. And they were easily startled. Then, the stressed rats were given corticosterone an hour after they smelled the cat litter. The researchers found that one week after seeing the litter, the treated rats showed little interest and nervousness compared to untreated rats.

Icahn scientist Nikolaos Daskalakis said Swiss doctors noted that the hormone corticosterone calmed people who received it after a car accident. He said the finding may lead to the development of a test for PTSD risk. The test would measure what is called glucocorticoid receptor activity in the blood. The receptors are genes that become "turned on" in the presence of stress.

Corticosterone is produced naturally by the body. The hormone connects to the receptor and has a calming effect. But in some rats and in some people, the pathway appears to be ineffective. This puts them at higher risk for PTSD.

Scientist Daskalakis says PTSD does not just affect the brain. He says it involves the whole body. He says this is why identifying common regulators is extremely important. He also says more detailed studies in humans and in animals are needed in order to one day have a treatment.

I'm Caty Weaver.

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Words in the News

post - traumatic stress disorder - n. a mental condition that can affect a person who has had very shocking or difficult experience (such as fighting in a war) and that is usually characterized by depression or anxiety

The abbreviation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is PTSD

depression - n. a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless and unimportant and often is unable to live in a normal way

suffer - v. to experience pain, illness or injury

treatment - n. the way that you think of and act towards someone or something

disorder - n. a mental or physical condition that is not normal or healthy

Use of Mass Transit Is Highest in Nearly 60 Years

A record number of Americans are moving into cities. When they move into urban areas, they drive less. New York City is one of the top cities for new people and for users of mass transit.

There are about 3.4 billion rides on New York City subways and buses every year. That is about one-third of all mass transit trips in the United States.

New York’s mass transit system operates 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week. The public transport system costs $1.5 billion a year to maintain. It is one of the world’s oldest mass transit systems. The city’s first subway line opened in 1904.

Use of public transportation is the highest it has been in almost 60 years in almost every American city. Researchers say Americans took 10.7 billion trips on public transportation in 2012.

Gene Russianoff is a spokesman for the Straphangers Campaign. The group supports people who take public transportation. He says younger Americans are causing the rise in mass transit use.

“Millenials -- those people born around the turn of the past century --are much less car-oriented. They are urban. They like not owning cars, they like less responsibility and there are a lot of them.”

Many people, not just millenials, believe public transit is less costly than car use and is good for the environment. Richard Rudolph is the chairman of the Rail Users Network.

“Of course, when we talk about insurance rates going up, the price of automobiles going up, then people are finally waking up and realizing: wait a minute, here’s this huge asset that's been underutilized. Why not take advantage of this particular opportunity? It certainly makes more sense to get people out of automobiles into subways and into commuter and passenger railroads.”

New York City is planning several major expansions of its public transportation system. One project is a new $4.7 billion subway line. The first part of the project is set to be completed in 2016.

People who work in New York’s financial area will soon be using a new subway center. Almost all of New York City’s subways meet in the lower part of Manhattan. The new center will give riders an easier way to travel to the neighboring state of New Jersey.

The most costly planned project is a $7 billion tunnel connection from Long Island into Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal.

Andrew Albert is a member of the board of the Metropolitan Transit Authority. He says there are many other reasons for the increase in the use of mass transit.

“The system has gotten a lot more dependable. We have new cars. We have countdown clocks to tell you when the next train is coming. We have expanded facilities in places.”

I’m Jonathan Evans.

This story is based on a report by VOA reporter Bernard Shusman in New York. It was adapted for Learning English by Jonathan Evans. It was edited by Christopher Cruise.

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Words in the News

environment – n. all surrounding things, conditions and influences that affect life; the natural world of land, sea, air, plants and animals

expansion – n. the act of becoming bigger or of making something bigger

millennial - n. a person born in the 1980s or 1990s

subway - n. a system of underground trains in a city

transit – n. vehicles that move persons or things from one place to another

August 24, 2014

This Story Is 'The Cat's Meow!'

Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.

Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising that there are many expressions about cats.

Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries. If someone looks very proud or satisfied with himself, we say he “looks like the cat that ate the canary.”

Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches. So if you “play cat and mouse” with someone, you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example, a child might offer something sweet to her little brother and then take it away when he reaches for it.

A cat will often catch a small animal and present it to its owner. The saying that “looks like something the cat dragged in” describes something in bad condition.

Two old and funny expressions describe something that is the best or finest. Americans might say that something is “the cat’s meow” and “the cat’s pajamas.”

Children might call a child who is easily frightened a “fraidy-cat” or a “scaredy-cat.”

A “copycat” is someone who acts just like someone else or copies another person's work.

A “fat cat” is a person with a lot of money.

You may have known that cats spend most of their time sleeping. Sometimes people sleep for a short time during the day. This is called a “cat nap.”

If you tell about something that was supposed to be a secret, we say you “let the cat out of the bag.” If you are not able to speak or answer a question someone might ask if “the cat has got your tongue.”

Have you ever watched children in a classroom when their teacher leaves for a few minutes? “When the cat’s away, the mice will play” means people sometimes misbehave when there is no supervision.

You may have heard this expression: “curiosity killed the cat.” This means being too concerned about things that are not your business might cause problems.

If your home is very small, you might say “there is not enough room to swing a cat.” But you probably should not try this at home!

If you ever had cats as pets, you know it is difficult to train them or to get them to do something. Cats are not like sheep or cows that can be moved in a group. So we say a difficult or impossible job “is like herding cats.”

We leave you with a song from the musical play "Cats."

This VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories was written by Shelley Gollust. I’m Faith Lapidus.

Tiny Robots Learn to Work Together

Scientists at Harvard University have created an army of small robots that can move as a group to form shapes. The robots are called Kilobots. Scientists at the university have created 1,024 of the tiny robots. The Kilobots group together in a swarm to make different shapes. Currently, the Kilobots can only make simple shapes like a sea star or the letter K that are first drawn on a computer. The command to form the shape is then sent to each robot by infrared light, which cannot be seen by the human eye.

When the robots receive the command, they begin to organize themselves into the shape. Each Kilobot follows the edge of the group until it reaches the place where it is supposed to be. The robots can correct themselves if they are not in the right position.

Harvard University researcher Mike Rubenstein says it takes the robots hours to create a shape because they move one at a time at a slow speed. The robots in the swarm are just a few centimeters across. Each has three legs that quickly move from side to side. Mr. Rubenstein says each Kilobot was built by hand and costs about $14.

The Kilobot design is simple. But it represents a big development in robot technology. Researchers at Harvard say the Kilobot is, in their words, “a significant milestone in the development of collective artificial intelligence.”

A Harvard news statement says the robots can sense problems when organizing into shapes and work together to fix them. Robot swarms usually have had no more than 100 individual robots. But the Harvard researchers say they are able to use over 1,000 robots because the Kilobots do not require any assistance other than their programming.

Robot swarms are already in use. The online store Amazon uses robots to move items in its huge storage buildings. And groups of robots search the oceans collecting different kinds of information.

Radhika Nagpal is a computer science professor at Harvard. The robots were built in her laboratory. She says that we will continue to see large numbers of robots working together. Ms. Nagpal notes that this cooperation could take the form of hundreds of robots working to clean the environment or aiding disaster recovery. She says robot cooperation could play a part in putting millions of self-driving cars on our highways. In her words, “understanding how to design good systems at that scale will be critical.”

Mike Rubenstein said the next step is to create robots that can attach to one another to create a solid structure.

I’m Jonathan Evans.
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Words in the News

infrared - adj. producing or using rays of light that cannot be seen

laboratory – n. a room or place where experiments in
science are done

robot – n. a machine that moves and performs work

swarm - n. a large number of things massed together and usually in motion

vibrate - v. to move back and forth from side to side with very quick, short movements

People Use Too Much Salt

There is good reason for the popularity of salt: It can add to the taste of food. And it protects against loss of needed body fluids during extreme heat.

But a new study finds more than 99 percent of the adult population of the world eats too much salt. The World Health Organization says people in many places use twice as much salt as they need. The World Health Organization warns especially about too much use of soy sauce, spicy meat dishes and processed food. And it says pouring a lot of salt on food over long periods can lead to death.

Researchers from Tufts University in Massachusetts studied people from 181 countries where information was available. They found that they used an average of 3.95 grams of sodium each day in 2010. The WHO suggests that people use no more than two grams of sodium.

An estimated 1.65 million people die every year from overuse of sodium. The study noted that 40 percent of those deaths happen in people younger than age 70. The great majority of early deaths happened among people from non-wealthy countries.

But there is some good news from the study.

People in Kenya, Cameroon and Gabon used the least salt. And Kenya had the lowest death rate from heart disease and stroke.

The country of Georgia reported the highest rate of death from cardiovascular problems. Almost 2,000 of every million of the country’s people died from heart and arterial diseases.

Dr. Dariush Mozzafarian led the Tufts study. He notes the rates of stroke are huge throughout China, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The study of salt usage around the world was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Words in the News

processed food - n. food that has gone through a series of changes leading to a desired result, such as better taste or easy to package

sodium - n. a soft silver white element found in salt

cardiovascular - n. medical term: of or relating to the heart and blood vessels

arterial - adj. of or realating to an artery (tube that carry blood from the heart to parts of the body)

August 23, 2014

Ferguson Shooting Sparks Interest in Body Cameras

The disputed shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri has led to an increased interest in body cameras. A small number of American police officers wear such cameras.

The U.S. Department of Justice reported on body cameras earlier this year. The report said the use of force by police in one city dropped by 60 percent after police began wearing the cameras. The city was Rialto, California. Complaints against police officers also dropped by 88 percent.

Michael White wrote the report. He is a professor at Arizona State University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He says “given what has been going on in Ferguson, it has become clear that police departments would benefit tremendously by having that equipment because of the evidence.”

He says we are “hearing two very different stories about what happened,” in the shooting in Missouri. He says “we simply don’t know which version is accurate, and as a result, everyone is left to speculate.”

Professor White says a body camera could have shown what happened in the shooting.

Taser Experiments with Body Camera

Taser is a top maker of body cameras. Steve Tuttle is a spokesman for the company. He says Taser began experimenting with body cameras in 2006.

He says “what we found was they were tremendous at taking the ‘he said, she said’ element out of incidents.”

In addition to the body camera, Taser makes a camera that can be placed on a police officer’s glasses.

The Taser cameras are always recording. But the video is often replaced by new video because there is a low limit on the amount that the camera can store. If the police officer wants the camera to record and save video, she or he must press a button on the camera. The camera then saves video and sound beginning 30 seconds before the button was pressed.

Mr. Tuttle said all of the video is marked so it cannot be secretly edited or changed. Experts could identify if any part of the video had been changed.

Professor White says less than 25 percent of American police departments use body cameras.

He says extremely few people were talking about this technology even as recently as three years ago.

He says there are 18,000 state and local police departments. But he says the two top body camera makers say only about 4,000 agencies are using them.

Professor White says police in Britain have been using body cameras since 2005.

He believes a large number of American police departments will start using body cameras as a result of the shooting in Missouri. He says he believes the devices will become common, even though not everyone likes them. He says that it has happened with cameras on police cars and electric shock weapons called Tasers. He says both technologies faced opposition when they were first created, but are now used in most American police departments.

The pressure to use body cameras was increasing before the shooting in Missouri.

More Police Department Using Body Cameras

A year ago, a state judge said the New York City Police Department’s program to freely stop and search people was unconstitutional. She ordered the department to begin placing body cameras on its police officers. She said she believed the move would reduce, in her words, “some of the mistrust that has developed between the police and the black and Hispanic communities.” She also said she believed it would be helpful to members of the department who are wrongly accused of criminal acts.

William A. Farrar is the chief of police in Rialto, California. In Professor White’s report, he said “when you put a camera on a police officer, they tend to behave a little better, follow the rules a little better. And if a citizen knows the officer is wearing a camera, chances are the citizen will behave a little better.”

Still, Professor White says there are issues to consider before putting body cameras on police. And he says research has not confirmed that police and citizens act better when body cameras are recording.

The report says there are concerns about the privacy of both citizens and police officers. And there is a concern about cost. The price of the cameras has dropped sharply in the past several years -- to as little as $350. But police departments must still pay for training and for developing policies about use of the cameras and the video and sound they record.

But the cameras may help lower costs in other areas. Accused people may admit guilt more quickly if there is a video showing them violating the law. And police departments would save money if they do not have to investigate wrongful accusations of crimes by police. Now, departments are required to investigate all accusations. Video evidence may persuade people not to make false accusations.

Worries about privacy may be lessening. The American Civil Liberties Union works to protect individual rights. It says the cameras can help citizens and police.

Police departments are considering Professor White’s advice to start the process of using body cameras slowly. A spokesman for the Las Vegas, Nevada police department says “there are many benefits for the community and for the department in the use of” body cameras. The department is studying the use of the cameras. However, it says, as with any new technology, careful thought must be given to its use.

I’m Bob Doughty.

This story was reported by VOA reporter Matthew Hilburn in Washington. The story was adapted for Learning English by Christopher Cruise and edited by Caty Weaver. It was narrated by Bob Doughty.

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Words in the News

complaint - n. a formal allegation against a party; a statement that you are unhappy

professor - n. a teacher at a college or university

experiment - v. to test

benefit - n. a good or helpful resutlt and effect

pressure - n. the force produced when something is pushed gainst something else

Iraq's Prime Minister Pressed to Seek Sunni Support in Fight Against Militants

From VOA Learning English, this is In The News.

Sunni Muslim leaders in Iraq say Iraqi security forces must change before they can fight Sunni militants in the country. The leaders are considering whether to support the new government of Haider al-Abadi, the designated -- chosen -- prime minister. They are concerned because Shi’ite Muslims control the security forces.

Tribal leader Ali Hatem Suleiman says Mr. Abadi cannot ask Sunnis to fight the Islamic State militants until changes are made to security and intelligence forces.

United States airstrikes against Islamic State militants helped Iraqi troops recapture the important Mosul dam in Iraq’s northern Kurdish area. But some observers say pushing the militants back across the border with Syria is likely to require greater efforts by the government in Baghdad.

Steve Heydemann is with the U.S. Institute of Peace. He says the Iraqi government must take the lead in fighting the militants.

"The U.S. has made very clear that it views this problem, the problem of ISIS, as centrally a problem of the central government in Iraq and not as a problem that the U.S. can solve."

And experts say Iran will have to help solve the problem. They note that Iran helped the former government of Nouri al-Maliki create the current situation. Steve Heydeman says Iran continues to have influence in Iraq.

"It doesn't much matter to them which Shi’ite is the prime minister in Iraq. (That) Iran will continue to wield influence in Iraq."

Iran supports Syrian government forces and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. The U.S. and its allies have denounced Iran for those activities. But some experts say the U.S. and Iran should cooperate in increasing security in Iraq.

American University professor Guy Ziv says greater cooperation between the U.S. and Iran may change Iran’s support of the Syrian government and Hezbollah.

U.S. officials say the threat presented by Islamic State militants goes beyond Iraq. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the threat to world security is, in his words, “beyond anything we have seen.”

Efforts To Save Reporter Fail

Secretary Hagel spoke one day after the militant group killed American reporter James Foley. On Wednesday, the Defense Department said that an attempt to rescue the reporter had failed. Mr. Foley had been held for about two years in Syria by the Islamic State.

But having the Islamic State as a common enemy will not solve basic differences between the U.S. and Iran. Former U.S. Ambassador Adam Ereli says Iran continues to support groups in Iraq and the Middle East that put it in opposition to the U.S. and its allies.

"If you look at any issue -- Hamas, Syria, Iraq, the nuclear file, human rights inside Iran -- there is a consistency of behavior and a consistency of policy that doesn't change. And it is a policy that is innately hostile to our interests and the interest of our allies."

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi probably will need both Iran and the U.S. to effectively fight the Islamic State. He will also have to persuade Iraqi Sunnis and Kurds to support his new government in Baghdad.

And that’s In The News from VOA Learning English. I’m Mario Ritter.

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Words in the News

Efforts – n. an attempt; the work necessary to do something

Wield – v. to have and be able to use, to hold

Allies – n. a nation or person joined with another for a special purpose

Threat – n. a person, group or thing that is likely to cause damage or danger

Rescue – n. to free from danger or evil

Lawyers Give Free Legal Help to Needy

Legal advice can cost a lot. A person with little money does not have the same ability to get legal help as a richer person.

But in recent years, a growing number of law firms do pro bono work. They work for free. Lawyers who offer free legal help for their clients, the people they represent, are usually called pro bono lawyers.

VOA Los Angeles correspondent Elizabeth Lee wrote the following report .

Linda's Story

Identified only as Linda, a 65-year-old woman has been fighting for a year to gain guardianship of a child relative, her grandnephew Michael. But all her efforts failed. They were to no avail. Nothing worked.

”Because of the abuse that was occurring and the neglect, and I tried many times to get guardianship through the courts and to no avail.”

Then, Linda found an organization called Bet Tzedek. Bet Tzedek provides free legal help to those who cannot pay a lawyer. The staff connected Linda with pro bono lawyers from a large legal group who accepted her case.

After a year of fighting, Linda finally won guardianship of Michael. She says the shock of finally having Michael legally in her home left her numb -- feeling almost senseless.

“I was kind of numb for a while and until I said, my goodness it happened. It finally happened. Now he’s with me. Now I can go home and say to Michael, we have a home, Michael.”

Pro Bono Program Is Worldwide

David Lash is a lawyer with the law firm O’Melveny & Myers. He says a growing number of lawyers offer free help for needy clients. And he adds that many of them are from prestigious -- highly respected -- law firms.

“The last 10 years has seen a substantial growth in pro bono participation among lawyers.”

The firm O’Melveny & Myers handles anything from corporate law – company and business law - to intellectual property law. It also operates a strong pro bono program worldwide.

“The notion is burgeoning and growing. We’re doing a lot of pro bono work through our office in London and Brussels and lawyers in our Hong Kong and Singapore and Beijing offices are getting more and more involved in pro bono pursuits.”

Mr. Lash spends his work day talking to the community and organizations that offer free legal help to the needy. He also reviews and considers pro bono cases for his firm.

On this day, he starts by meeting with Bet Tzedek’s pro bono director, Diego Cartagena. The subject: how to offer free legal help to the children coming to the United States from Central America.

“We anticipate there will be hundreds of cases involving these children coming through the next few months.”

After this meeting, Mr. Lash gets on a group call, a conference call, with lawyers and activists in another state to advise about legal issues with immigrants. Then, he is off to speak to a new student lawyer about pro bono work.

Free Lawyers? What's The Catch?

But why work for free? Mr. Lash says there are many reasons law firms offer free legal help. And some of those reasons come from self-interest.

“In order to really maintain a competitive edge, major law firms really need to have vibrant pro bono programs. They’re invaluable ways to train young lawyers; they are great recruiting tools when we’re all interviewing at the top law schools.”

But Mr. Lash also says making justice available to people is what democracy is all about.

“It’s a magnificent feeling to use your skills and your profession to touch somebody’s life in a really profound way.”

Linda says that the law firm treated her and her family with respect. She says that even though she was not a paying client, the lawyers did not treat her as if she were a handout or a charity case.

“They made us feel special. They didn’t make us feel like we were basically a handout.”

Instead, Linda feels thanks and gratitude that goes beyond words.

I’m Anna Matteo.

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Words in the News

pro bono – (adj.) being, involving, or doing professional and especially legal work donated especially for the public good

prestigious – (adj.) inspiring respect and admiration; having high status

gratitude – (n.) the state of being grateful or thankful

handout – (n.) something (such as food, clothing, or money) that is given to someone who is poor

charity – (n.) the act of giving money, food, or other kinds of help to people who are poor, sick or needy; also : something (such as money or food) that is given to people who are poor, sick or needy

August 22, 2014

Taylor Swift Releases New Single

Welcome to American Mosaic from VOA Learning English.

I’m Marsha James.

Taylor Swift is one of the most successful musical artists ever. She writes her own songs, plays guitar and sings. She has won seven Grammy Awards. She has sold tens of millions of albums. The music star also has already earned more than $60 million in 2014 alone.

Swift is skilled in adopting new images and musical styles. She began in country music. Over time, she moved to country-pop. There was a rock and roll sound to some songs on her last album, “Red.”

This week, the 24-year-old star released a new single and video. She also announced a new album. She said “1989” would be her first all-pop music record.

The single is called “Shake It Off.”

The beat is clean and very danceable. The message is simple: be yourself. The song suggests ignoring people who insult you or cheat you and live your life the way you want to. Swift sings about the “haters” and “players.”

“Hater” is a popular term among American young people. It basically means someone who is always disapproving and judgmental. It is often directed at people who are angry or dismissive about someone else’s success or happiness.

American young people also use the term “player” a lot. A player can be a person who performs in a sport. You could say, “Michael Jordan was a great basketball player.” But “player” is also used without a connection to sports. It is used to mean a person, usually a man, who easily gains the love interests of many women at a time. A “player” usually dates more than one person at a time just for sex or just for fun.

That is Taylor Swift performing “State of Grace,” from her last album, “Red.” It has rock and roll elements including heavy drums and electric guitar. But what does the name of the song mean? A state of grace means the condition of being free from sin, or spiritual wrongdoing. In “State of Grace” Swift sings about a love that is pure and true although the lovers themselves may not be perfect. She sings, so you were never a saint / and I’ve loved in shades of wrong. But the song says the love can be “good and right” and worth fighting for.

“1989” is to be released toward the end of October. We’ll make sure to play some of the songs, and talk about what they mean, at that time. We leave you now with Taylor Swift performing one of her major hits. This is “Mine” from the 2010 album “Speak Now.”

I’m Marsha James.

China Targets Corrupt Officials

China is continuing an anti-corruption efforts by targeting officials who have family members and property outside the country. People in China are asking how many officials have moved money out of the country, and how likely it is that they will be caught.

A local official in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen resigned her position after reports said her husband had moved to the United States. It caused people to start talking about what are called "naked officials" in China. That is the name people give to government officials who stay in China, but send their spouses or children to live in another country. Some people believe this gives the officials a place to send money they have stolen from the government without being discovered by anti-corruption investigators.

The Shenzhen official is named Liu Tan. She admitted her husband had moved to the United States in the 1980s. Chinese media says this alone is proof that she is a "naked official." But she says she is, in her words, "just a normal wife and mother."

Zhu Jiangnan is an assistant professor of politics at the University of Hong Kong. She says many Chinese officials send their family members to other countries. She says it would be very difficult for the Chinese government to tell its workers not to do that. But she says people wonder how the family members are able to support themselves outside of China.

"The problem is how do their family members support their lives overseas? Do they have their own regular job and are financially independent from officials working in China? But if a lot of their financial support comes from the official who still remains in China, this will naturally put a lot of doubt on where they get this large amount of money."

Recently, the Ministry of Public Security announced that more than 150 former Chinese officials live in the United States alone. Many of them are suspected of stealing government money in China.

Professor Zhu believes the number of officials caught or suspected of being "naked" is a small percentage of the number who are guilty. And she says even the government does not know how many of its officials are naked.

"The government requires all officials to report the residential status of their family members to tell if their family members are staying in China, or actually migrated to other countries. However a lot of officials have not reported this information honestly, and it is really hard to verify if the information is true."

The Communist Party has put in place new rules urging officials with family members living in other countries to either bring them back to China or resign. And in recent months, anti-corruption investigators have been looking at local officials. Chinese media reported that by the end of last month, all local governments had completed an investigation of where officials and their families live.

Some local governments said they had no "naked officials." But most did not release the findings of their investigation.

Only Guangdong province reported problems. It said it had 2,190 "naked officials." And it said it had already removed 866 of them.

Because most local governments did not release the results of their investigation, many people are asking questions about how severe the problem is. The debate has also shown how little people in China know about the wealth of their local and national leaders. For many years, officials have been discussing a plan that would force government leaders to tell about their wealth. But the country still does not have a law that would require that information to be made public.

In fact, the country's leaders have shown they are not willing to discuss the problem with the public by detaining activists who had called for officials to tell about their wealth.

Experts say if President Xi Jinping is serious about catching "naked officials," it will be necessary for the public to have information about the wealth of their leaders.

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Words in the News

target - n. any person or object aimed at or fired at; target - v. aim or direct at someone or something, to make a target of

corruption - n. actions taken to gain money or power that are legally or morally wrong

investigate - v. to study or examine all information about an event, situation or charge; to search for the truth

overseas - adv. beyond or across the sea, in or to a foreign country; overseas - adj. of or related to movement, transport, or communication over the sea

wealth - n. a large amount of possessions, money or other things of value

US, Japan to Connect with Fiber-Optic Cable

Work will begin immediately on a new fiber-optic cable between the United States and Japan. The $300 million project, called “FASTER,” is to be finished before the middle of 2016. The cable will run 9,000 kilometers. It will be the longest data cable in the world.

Five Asian technology companies -- including China Mobile International and the Japanese NEC Corporation -- have agreed to invest in the project. The Internet search services company Google says it will also support the new project.

There are already several hundred underwater cables that connect cities in the United States to Asia. But the new cable will permit information to travel much faster.

The new cable will connect the Californian cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington to two places in Japan -- Chikura and Shima. It will then connect with other cables already in the two countries.

The companies say cable data flow will begin with a speed of 60 terabits per second.

I’m Christopher Cruise.

This story was reported by VOA reporter George Putic in Washington and adapted for Learning English by Christopher Cruise. Caty Weaver was the editor.

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Words in the News

cable - n. a group of wires or fiber optics covered in plastic or rubber and used to carry signals; a wire rope or metal chain

data - n. facts or information used to calculate, analyze or plan something; information that is produced or stored by a computer

terabit - n. a multiple of the unit bit for digital information

1 terabit = 1,000,000,000,000 bits = 1,000 gigabits

August 21, 2014

US Ebola Patients Released, Cleared of Virus

Two Americans who became sick with the deadly Ebola virus have been released from the hospital in Atlanta. Tests showed they were free of the disease.

Dr. Kent Brantly said “today is a miraculous day” as he was released from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta after nearly three weeks of treatment.

Dr. Brantly and aid worker Nancy Writebol were treated with the experimental drug zMapp. They were infected with the disease in Liberia. The serum was developed from proteins inside tobacco plants.

Dr. Bruce Ribner is the medical director of Emory’s Infectious Disease Unit. He said, “to the extent that we’ve tested. There is no evidence of Ebola virus in their bodies.”

Their recovery is the first bit of good news in the fight against the deadly virus.

The World Health Organization says 1,350 people have died in West Africa, with 576 of the deaths coming from Liberia.

Islamic State group demanded $132 million for ransom

Global Post reports that the Islamic State militants had demanded $132 million for the release of American journalist James Foley before executing him.

Foley was a freelance journalist for the news outlet Global Post when he was taken. The news outlet gave the information to U.S. officials. The United States has a policy of not paying ransom to kidnappers.

The U.S. Defense Department said on Wednesday that a rescue mission for Foley and other hostages earlier this summer had failed.

It’s official, Widodo won

After more than a month, Indonesia’s Constitutional Court has upheld the official election result. The ruling allows Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo to become Indonesia’s next president.

Prabowo Subianto, a former army general, had challenged the presidential election result in July after Widodo received about 53 percent of the vote.

A new prime minister for Thailand

The army chief who forced out Thailand’s civilian government three months ago has been selected as the kingdom’s prime minister. General Prayuth Chan-ocha was the only candidate nominated for the job.

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Words in the News

serum – n. the watery fluid from a plant or blood of animal

miraculous – adj. very wonderful or amazing; miracle – n.

treatment – n. the use of medicine to try to cure or make better

ransom – n. money that is paid in order to free someone

kidnap – v. to seize and take away by force

Girl Making History in Little League World Series

To many people, it may look like just another child’s baseball game in the United States. But the Little League World Series is more than that. It is the largest competition, for the best, the most dedicated and the most disciplined of the world’s young baseball players.

This year, there is a player getting special attention for throwing the ball very fast. But this player is getting even more attention because, in a game mainly played by boys, she is a girl.

"You Throw Like A Girl"

A common insult to a boy is to tell them they throw like a girl. But, those days may be over -- especially when you see Mo’ne Davis throw a baseball.

The 13-year old baseball player is making history at this year’s Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. This is not only because she is one of the few girls to have made it this far, but because she is such a good player.

Mo’ne Davis is currently one of the most talked about athletes in the U.S.

She has been on the front page of her hometown paper, The Philadelphia Inquirer. TV ratings of her games are the highest ever on the sports network ESPN for Little League baseball. And she will be the first Little League player ever to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in late August.

Why all the attention?

Mo’ne Davis is not the first girl to play Little League baseball. Kathryn Johnston Massar was.

Back in 1950, Kathryn Johnston Massar cut her hair, called herself “Tubby”, and joined a Little League baseball team in the city of Corning, New York. When it was discovered that she was a girl, the league created a rule banning girls from playing. The “Tubby rule,” as it was known, would stand for 24 years.

Baseball is mainly a boys sport, but Mo’ne Davis is outstanding at it. She plays on the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Regional team called the Taney Dragons. They are a group of kids from the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The city is known for its working-class culture and for its love of sports. Philadelphia is where the legend of the boxer “Rocky” was born.

The Taney Dragons made it to the World Series after Mo’ne Davis pitched a shutout game in a regional championship game.

In baseball, a “shutout” is a game in which the pitcher does not let the other team score. Without scoring, you cannot win a baseball game. And that is how her team made it to the World Series – no one could hit Mo’ne’s pitches.

It is reported that she can throw the ball over 100 kilometers an hour. She is the first girl to have pitched a shutout in the Little League World Series tournament.

Dawn Staley is also a Philadelphia native and a basketball player who won three gold medals in the Olympics. Staley says Mo’ne represents an important sports message.

“It’s just a baseball,” Ms. Staley says. “We need to really look at it like that. It’s just a baseball. Anybody who picks up a ball is just playing.”

Ms. Staley says that the Little League World Series gave Mo’ne a huge opportunity to show her baseball abilities. She reminds us that there are many girls playing just as well but who have not had this much attention. She calls them “diamonds in the rough,” or unpolished diamonds.

“It’s Not Just About Me.”

Mo’ne Davis is not just a good player. She is a good teammate. She is quick to point out that it takes a team to win a baseball game.

One reporter from The Inquirer asked Davis, “What would you like the public to know about your teammates?”

Mo'ne smiled and said, "These guys should be interviewed more. It's not just about me. It's about the whole team. And without them, we wouldn't be here right now."

I’m Anna Matteo.

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Words in the News

(These words may have other meanings, but this is how they used in the game of baseball.)

pitcher – n. the player who throws the ball in a game of baseball

shutout - n. a game or contest in which one side does not score

mound - n. the slightly raised area of ground, in baseball it's where the pitcher stands

curveball – n. a pitch that is thrown with spin so that the ball curves in the air

slider – n. a fast pitch that curves slightly in the air

Pages

November 3, 2014

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September 2, 2014

September 1, 2014

August 31, 2014

August 30, 2014

August 29, 2014

August 28, 2014

WHO: Ebola outbreak could infect 20,000 people

A bank account for everyone in India

Pitt and Jolie marry

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August 27, 2014

Pro-Russian Separatists Capture Key Southeast Town

First Patient to Receive Spine Part Made from 3-D Printer

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Using Tunnels for Surprise Attacks

Tunnels to Protect Weapons from Airstrikes

Did North Korea and Iran Help Hamas with Tunnels?

Gaza Tunnels Were First Built for Smuggling Goods

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The Raw Food Movement

Quality Over Quantity

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August 26, 2014

Ukraine and Russia Agree to Talk

Cambodian Opposition Gets Parliamentary Commissions

Old Favorites ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Modern Family’ Win Emmys

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Words in the News

Ukraine Says Russian Military Has Crossed Its Border

Thousands Attend Teenager’s Funeral in Ferguson

New Prime Minister in Thailand

Words in the News

August 25, 2014

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August 24, 2014

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August 23, 2014

Taser Experiments with Body Camera

More Police Department Using Body Cameras

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Efforts To Save Reporter Fail

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Linda's Story

Pro Bono Program Is Worldwide

Free Lawyers? What's The Catch?

Words in the News

August 22, 2014

Words in the News

Words in the News

August 21, 2014

Islamic State group demanded $132 million for ransom

It’s official, Widodo won

A new prime minister for Thailand

Words in the News

Words in the News