Website Helps Students Hoping to Attend College

Website Helps Students Hoping to Attend College

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Syrian Children in Lebanon Work to Feed Their Families

  Child labor was a problem in Lebanon before the arrival of Syrian refugees Now, it's worse. As money for humanitarian aid begins to run out, some observers fear child labor could become even more widespread in Lebanon. Refugee families often depend on the money their children earn. So there are no easy answers. Non-governmental organizations are working to bring children into the Lebanese education system. And the United Nations has developed guidance that it hopes will help young people reclaim their childhood. Children are often paid just three or four dollars for a day of work. Yasmine Deeb is a refugee from Syria. "Why should mama work on her own? I’d get upset. I wanted to help my mother, also sometime when she’s ill, she also can’t work.” The 12-year-old girl and her family are preparing garlic for restaurants because they need the money. Before that, they did very physical work: gathering potatoes from the ground. Kalima Deeb, Yasmine’s mother, says that before the war in Syria, her family worked in farming. Back then, she remembers, she and her husband earned enough money to send their children to school. “You know every child has their own dreams and ambitions. I didn’t imagine that they would come out of school and be subjected to such work and fatigue.” Thousands of Lebanese and Syrian children are working in the agriculture and on the streets. Many people fear the problem will worsen. Syrian refugees are receiving less humanitarian aid now compared to one or two years ago. They are being forced to pay fees for living in Lebanon, and the government restricts what jobs they can take. Two UN organizations -- the International Labor Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization -- have launched campaigns to help tell about the danger of some jobs for children. Dr. Rana al-Barati Tabbana is a public health specialist. “Child labor affects all those facets in growth and development of children, and has very serious detrimental effects on their quality of life, health and well-being -- both in the short term and in the long term.” A local non-governmental organization called Beyond Association is helping Yasmine and her three sisters. They are among 450 children in the area who are being educated in the morning before they go to work. The organization hopes the children will one day attend school and not be part of the workforce. Layla Assi works at Beyond Association. “We’re trying to work with those children step-by-step to let them go out from work, and when they come here, their dream is to have education. Now they dream to be a lawyer, to be a doctor..." Because some children work to provide food for their families, ending child labor is not easy. The young people in the Beyond Association program are just a small percentage of those who are working. But as they return to their home, Yasmine and her sisters are given the chance to see a better future. I’m Caty Weaver.   John Owens reported this story from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story upset – adj. angry or unhappy ill – adj. not well or healthy; sick or unhealthy ambition – n. a particular goal or aim; something that a person hopes to do or achieve fatigue – n. the state of being very tired; extreme weariness facet – n. a part or element of something detrimental – adj. causing damage or injury impact – n. a powerful or major influence or effect

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UN Study: Government Action a Main Cause of Extremism in Africa

  Several African leaders recently spoke to the United Nations General Assembly about the growing threat of violent extremism in Africa. The leaders called on the international community to help better support anti-terror forces across Africa. They noted the importance of strengthening such forces at a time when the Islamic State, or IS, group has been losing strength and territory in the Middle East. They predicted that many defeated IS fighters will return to their home countries in Africa. “We want an Africa in peace and security,” said Macky Sall, president of Senegal. Sall told the General Assembly last week that the goal is “an Africa that does not serve as a sanctuary for terrorist groups fought and defeated elsewhere.” But a new study has found that measures taken by African governments to prevent terrorism may actually make more people join violent groups. The United Nations’ Development Program, or UNDP, organized the two-year long study. It is called Journey to Extremism. More than 700 people were questioned for the study. Nearly 600 of them were voluntary or forced recruits of extremist groups in six African countries. The countries are Kenya, Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan, Cameroon and Niger. The study noted a lack of a strong family structure, lack of education and poverty as reasons why people turn to violence and extremism. State violence and abuse of power provide, what the study called, a “final tipping point” for the people to join extremist groups. The report noted that many African countries have used anti-terror measures to limit political opposition and to suppress civil society and the media. The study suggests that good governance by African governments will be a more effective tool for stopping terrorism and extremism. Religion not a reason The U.N. study found that religion was less important than other reasons for joining an extremist group. It said that more than average religious schooling appeared to create opposition to extremism. The report said, “These findings challenge rising Islamophobic rhetoric that has intensified in response to violent extremism globally.”  The report went on to say that creating “greater understanding of religion, through methods that enable students to question and engage critically with teachings, is a key resource for [preventing violent extremism].” The 2016 Global Terrorism Index suggests that the areas most affected by terrorist groups are the Middle East, North Africa and countries south of the Sahara Desert. The report identified the most active extremist groups in Africa as Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); the Movement for the Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO); Boko Haram, in Nigeria; Al-Shabab, in East Africa; and the Lord’s Resistance Army, in Central Africa. Those groups are reportedly spreading their activities across national borders. They are also urging more groups and people to support their ideology and carry out violent attacks. The U.N. estimates that violent extremism has killed more than 33,000 people in Africa over the past six years In northeast Nigeria, an estimated 20,000 people have been killed since 2009, the year when Boko Haram became active. More than 2.6 million people have been displaced during this period. Threat to development The U.N. has said the terror threat could overturn development gains made in sub-Saharan Africa and harm development for years to come. It said insecurity caused by terror groups has affected tourism and trade in countries such as Nigeria and Kenya. The threat has persuaded some countries to strengthen their anti-terrorism efforts at home and cooperate on stopping cross-border violence. Earlier this year, five African countries established an international force of about 5,000 troops with the help of France and the United Nations. The five are Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. Yet, human rights organizations have criticized some governments for using severe measures to fight terrorism. Amnesty International has accused the Nigerian military of torture, harsh military detention and forcibly expelling people from their homes in its fight against Boko Haram. And Human Right Watch noted the killing, disappearances, torture and beating of individuals suspected of links with Al-Shabab has worsened in Kenya.   Rikar Hussein and Nisan Ahmado reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted their report for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   sanctuary – n. a place of refuge or protection recruit – n. a newcomer to an activity challenge – n. a difficult test or problem Islamophobic – adj. relating to a fear or discrimination against Islam or followers of Islam rhetoric – n. the art of speaking or writing effectively resource – n. a supply of something; an object or place that proves useful   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Cambodian-Americans Compete in Local Elections

  This November, Lowell, Massachusetts will hold city council elections. Lowell is home to the second-largest Cambodian population in the United States. Four Cambodian-Americans are competing for positions on the city council. Since 1999, only four candidates from Asian or Hispanic communities have been elected to the City Council. And voters have never chosen a minority candidate for the Lowell School Committee. Last May, a group of residents of Lowell brought legal action against the city. The group accused the city of discrimination against minorities in its electoral system. Elections for all council seats are city wide. The group says the system favors white candidates. A major issue currently before the city council is whether to move Lowell High School or remodel it in place. Residents have strong feelings for and against moving the school. Sokhary Chau is one of four Cambodian-American candidates. He called the election “crucial.” “The good thing is a lot of people are going to get involved in this election. The bad is the city is dividing,” he said. Vesna Noun is another of the Cambodian-American candidates. He won a council seat in 2010 but lost two reelection efforts.   Noun agrees that the high school is an issue of serious debate. But, he said there is also still serious public division over the issue of minority representation and the legal action brought in May. He said the council needs to settle that privately. “It will affect the reputation of the city, if this matter is handled at the federal court,” he said. Candidate Sokhary Chau agrees. “It is better to change from the inside,” he said. Chau, and others, are calling for a change in the government leadership. There is "a lot of dissatisfaction and disconnection to the local government,” Chau said. “I hope to bring diversity and new ideas, pretty much new faces to the city.” Mathew LeLacheur, a white candidate for City Council, said he wants to see minority involvement at all levels of government. LeLacheur said he would like to see more Cambodian-Americans on the local boards and commissions. I'm John Russell.   Sosreinith Ten reported on this story for VOA News. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   resident – n. someone who lives in a particular place crucial – adj. extremely important reputation – n.  the way in which people think of someone or something board – n. a group of people who manage or direct a company or organization diversity – n. the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization commission – n. a group of people who have been given the official job of finding information about something or controlling something

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Don't Get 'Boxed in a Corner!'

  Now, it’s time for the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories. On this show we explore the origins, meanings and usage of common expressions in everyday English. Today we talk about a very common place – a corner. This word has many uses and we use it in many expressions. The most common definition of a corner is where two lines, edges, or sides of something meet. For example, squares have four corners. And unless they are round, rooms have corners. Home decorators have advice related to corners: If you are painting a floor, start with the inside corners and work your way to the door. Otherwise, you will paint yourself in a corner. You will be stuck there, with no way to walk out without stepping on your newly painted floor! As an expression, “painting yourself in a corner” means you have trapped yourself in a bad situation. You have not given yourself a good way out. Okay, most rooms have corners and so do neighborhoods. A corner is where two streets meet. So, it’s a word we often use when giving directions. For example, I can tell my friend to meet me at the corner of Main Street and Pine Avenue. If your friends are looking for the corner store near your house, you can tell them, “You can’t miss it. Just go down the street and turn left. It’s right around the corner.” However, you should know that when we are not giving directions, right around the corner has a meaning that is not related to space. It’s related to time. “Right around the corner” can mean that something will be happening soon. So, if your birthday is right around the corner, you will be celebrating it soon. In conversation, to turn the corner also means much more than telling someone how to get somewhere. When we “turn the corner,” we have passed a difficult part of some process. Let’s say your boss gives you big project at work. But she doesn’t give you enough resources. So, the start is very rough. You struggle through many weeks of not knowing if the project will be successful. But then finally, you achieve the project’s first major goal. You can say you finally turned the corner. You have gotten through the tough part, and now, everything will be fine. We also call the sides of our eyes and mouths the corners. So, if you’re on a date eating messy pizza, make sure to wipe the corners of your mouth. That’s usually where the sauce collects. Now, when we talk about the eye, corners get a little more interesting. Seeing something out of the corner of the eye means you see something quickly and unclearly. So, if the police question you after a traffic accident, you could say, “Sorry, officer. I didn’t see much. I simply caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye.” We also use this expression to describe something we see in a secretive, suspenseful or romantic way. For example, “Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her -- the woman of his dreams! His heart began to pound in his chest.” Some other definitions of corner are also secretive and romantic. A corner can be a place that few people know about or visit or a place that is very far away. For example, if you know a man who lives very far away from you in a very private place, you can say he lives in a remote corner of the world. Your other friend is quite the opposite. She loves to travel and has visited every corner of the world!   Now, a corner doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you can cut. But you can – at least in conversation. When you cut corners you do something in a cheaper or easier way. For example, when my friends got married, they didn’t have much money. So, they cut corners on the music and photography. Instead of hiring a band, the bride asked her brother to play the guitar. And instead of paying a lot of money for a professional photographer, the couple gave all the guests inexpensive cameras and asked them to shoot candid photos. Cutting corners on music and a photographer allowed my friends to spend more money on food and drinks. So, it was a good idea. However, cutting corners on expenses like childcare and healthcare is, most likely, not a good idea. Some word experts suspect the phrase “cut corners” comes from taking a shorter route by taking a diagonal path. Moving diagonally allows you to literally cut out the corners. Now, let’s talk about a type of corner found in sports. In boxing, boxers fight in a four-cornered square called a ring. The corners of a boxing ring give us several expressions. During a boxing match, the most dangerous place to be is in a corner. If a boxer gets trapped in a corner, he or she is unable to move right or left. This leaves them open to an attack. So, if you are boxed in a corner, or in a tight corner, or backed into a corner you are trapped and do not have a good way to get out. Here are some examples. “My girlfriend has me backed into a corner. She says I don’t take her out to dinner enough. But when I take her out to dinner, she says I spend too much money!” “Look, I know you don’t agree with Neil’s ideas. But don’t box him into a corner. If he feels trapped, he will take his investment money elsewhere.” “Stephanie is one of my oldest and dearest friends. But she’s really put me in a tight corner. She won’t come to my birthday party if Daniel comes. But Daniel is my close friend too!” So, if someone boxes you into a corner, that person has control over you. In fact, the verb “corner” means to control something. It is used a couple of ways. If you force someone to talk to you, you have cornered them. Here are two examples: “The fan cornered the famous actress and demanded her autograph.” “The reporter cornered the politician outside his office with a series of difficult questions.” “To corner” can also mean you have physically blocked someone’s path. If the police chase a criminal into a dark alley and there is no escape, they have trapped the criminal! The police may yell, “Give up! It’s no use trying to escape! We’ve got you cornered!” We also use the verb "corner" this way in business. If you control the buying and selling of a product or service, you have cornered it. We often use “corner” this way in the phrase to corner the market. For example, when it comes to freshly baked bread in the city, one business has cornered the market. No other bakery can compete. With this phrase, you can also add what type of market is being cornered. The owners of the bakery have cornered the city’s homemade bread market. Now, we use many of these corner expressions in bad situations, such as when we are trapped, stuck by someone or surrounded by police. Let’s end on a happy note. When we say someone is in your corner, it means they are on your side. They are fighting for you. This expression also comes from the boxing world. The trainer is the person who comes to the boxer’s corner between rounds to give water, advice and medical help, if needed. So, if my friend says to me that she is in my corner, I know she is there to help me. In other words, she has my back. And that’s the end of this Words and Their Stories. When it comes to improving your English, you can rest easy knowing that everyone here at Learning English is in your corner! I’m Anna Matteo. And I'm Bryan Lynn. Anna Matteo wrote this for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. The song at the end of the program is Creedence Clearwater Rival singing "Down on the Corner." ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   glimpse – n. a brief or quick view or look : also – v. to look at or see (something or someone) for a very short time suspenseful – adj. a feeling or state of nervousness or excitement caused by wondering what will happen romantic – adj. of, relating to, or involving love between two people candid – adj. photography : showing people acting in a natural way because they do not know that they are being photographed route – n. a way to get from one place to another place diagonal – adj. joining two opposite corners of a shape (such as a square or rectangle) especially by crossing the center point of the shape literally – adv. with the meaning of each individual word given exactly: in a completely accurate way digress – v. to speak or write about something that is different from the main subject being discussed

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English in a Minute: Taste of One's Own Medicine

Are Jonathan and Anna trying to give each other medicine? The answer is no. But find out how to use this expression in this week's EIM!

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Western Schools Lead Reuters List of World's Top 100 Universities

  Western countries again top Reuters’ yearly list of the World’s Most Innovative Universities. The media group ranks educational centers based on scientific gains, invention of new technologies and success in new markets and industries. Reuters says Asian countries will definitely be a powerful force in the future world economy. But, it says Western countries still produce the most influential research leading to the most useful technologies. This year’s top 100 Stanford University is number one on Reuters’ list for the third straight year. The private school is found in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, and not by chance. The university played a big part in creating the area. Stanford is known for leading technology development, especially related to the internet.  It was a Stanford professor who designed the internet’s basic communication system. In addition, former Stanford students have founded some of the biggest tech companies in the world, including Google, Intel, Hewlett-Packard and Netflix. Other results from this year’s list The top ten on the list is much the same as last year. Nine universities return to the highest positions. Most are large, well-established universities located in the United States. The second and third highest-ranked schools are MIT and Harvard. Like Stanford, they have also held the same ranking for the past three years. In fourth place is the University of Pennsylvania, which climbed four spots from number eight last year. Two of the top ten are outside the U.S. Belgium’s KU Leuven comes at number five. The almost 600-year-old university is one of the largest independent research and development organizations on the planet. A South Korean university, KAIST, comes next. The South Korean government established the school in 1971. Officials modeled KAIST after engineering schools in the United States. Most classes are taught in English. And, the United States Agency for International Development provided a multimillion-dollar loan to help get KAIST started. The top 100 positions on the list are filled by 51 universities in North America, 26 in Europe, 20 in Asia and three in the Middle East. The fall and rise of Asian institutions Why are there so few Asian universities on the list? One reason is because Japanese universities, traditionally the strongest research schools in Asia, depend heavily on government support. Japan’s economic growth has slowed over the last 20 years, providing less money for research as a result. The index service Web of Science found a recent drop in publication of Japanese research. The organization says Japanese researchers were responsible for 8.4% of all scientific papers published in 2005. In 2015, the percentage had dropped to 5.2%. Reuters’ 2017 rankings reflect that decline in research and development. The University of Tokyo, for example, fell five places to number 21 on the list. Osaka University is now number 24. Last year it was 11th. And, Keio University went from 53rd in 2016 to 78th this year. Kyushu University, at 68th place, was Japan’s only school to rise on the list. Last year, it ranked 79th. China’s representation on the list has grown. In 2015, only one Chinese university was ranked. Last year, two made it. Now there are three. The two Chinese universities returning to the list also saw their positions rise. Tsinghua University climbed 15 spots to number 51 and Peking University went from 70th to 60th.  Zhejiang University appears on the list for the first time at number 100. Creating the list The 100 schools were chosen after examining each candidate on different metrics, including academic papers and patent filings. They were ranked based on their performance. The ranking system groups all departments in a university together. This means extremely innovative individual departments or programs could be overlooked. And, remember, even the lowest ranked university on Reuters is a member of a highly exclusive group. I’m Phil Dierking.   David Ewalt wrote this story for Reuters. Phil Dierking adapted this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. Are any universities from your country on this list?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   academia - n.  the life, community, or world of teachers, schools, and education​ data - n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something​ innovate - v.  to do something in a new way ​ metrics - n. a method of measuring something or the results from the method patent - n. an official document that gives a person or company the right to be the only one that makes or sells a product for a certain period of time​  

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Indian Holiday Diwali Lights Up America, Too

  More and more people in America are celebrating the Indian holiday Diwali. Diwali is Hindi for “row of lights.” It is the most important holiday in India. Although it began as a Hindu observance, almost everyone in the country celebrates the Festival of Lights. Many people around the world are beginning to as well. The United States is one of the places where the festival is becoming more common. Diwali celebrations can now be found at American landmarks like Disneyland in California and New York City’s Times Square. They are also held in many parks and museums. Neeta Bhasin established the Times Square event. She said Indian immigrants have found great success in America. But, she said, many Americans still do not know much about India. So, she decided to act. “I felt it’s about time that we should take India to mainstream America and showcase India’s rich culture, heritage, arts and diversity to the world,” she said. “And I couldn’t find a better place than the center of the universe: Times Square.” Bhasin came to the United States from India 40 years ago. She is president of ASB Communications, the marketing firm behind Diwali at Times Square. Tens of thousands of people attend the event, now in its fourth year. The 2017 celebration takes place October 7. There will be dance performances, Bollywood singers, a marketplace for Indian food and goods, and, of course, a lighting ceremony. More Diwali celebrations in the U.S. In India, Diwali is a five-day harvest festival held just before the Hindu New Year. The exact dates change from year to year but Diwali is always in the fall. Celebrations include lighting oil lamps or candles called diyas. The lights represent, in Bhasin’s words, “a victory of knowledge over ignorance, light over darkness, good over evil.” A Diwali celebration will light up Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim this year. Visitors can watch performances of traditional Indian dances and take part in a Bollywood dance party. The event is part of a Festival of Holidays program at the theme park to show cultural traditions from around the world. The program takes place November 10th through January 7th. San Antonio, Texas, also holds a Diwali celebration. And it is one of the nation’s largest, with more than 15,000 people in attendance each year. The 2017 festival takes place November 4 at La Villita, a historic arts village. It will be the city’s ninth Diwali celebration. Visitors can enjoy Indian dance, food, and fireworks. Organizers also plan to float hundreds of lighted candles in the San Antonio River, along the city’s famous River Walk. I’m Caty Weaver.   Caty Weaver wrote this story for Learning English with information from the Associated Press. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   row - n​. a straight line of people or things that are next to each other festival - n. a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something landmark - n. an object or structure on land that is easy to see and recognize​ mainstream - n.​ the thoughts, beliefs, and choices that are accepted by the largest number of people​ Bollywood - n. the Indian movie industry​ lamp - n.  a device that produces light​ ignorance - n​.​ a lack of knowledge, understanding, or education​

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'The Murders in the Rue Morgue,' by Edgar Allen Poe, Part Three

We present the third of five parts of the short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," by Edgar Allen Poe. The story was originally adapted and recorded by VOA Learning English. My housemate in Paris, August Dupin, was an interesting young man with a busy, forceful mind. This mind could, it seemed, look right through a man’s body into his deepest soul. After reading in the newspaper about the terrible murder of a woman and her daughter, Dupin was consumed with the mystery. He questioned the ability of the Paris police to solve the crime. I told Dupin that it seemed to me that it was not possible to explain the strange details surrounding the killings. “No, no. I think you are wrong. A mystery it is, yes. But there must be an answer. There must! Let us go to the house where it happened and see what we can see. I know the head of the police, and he will permit our visit. It will be interesting and give us some pleasure.” I thought it strange that Dupin thought the activity would give us pleasure. But I said nothing. It was late in the afternoon when we reached the house on the Rue Morgue. It was easily found, for there were still many persons — in fact, a crowd, standing there looking at it. Before going in, we walked all around it, and Dupin carefully looked at the neighboring houses as well. I could not understand the reason for such great care. Finally, we entered the house. We went up the stairs to the room where the daughter’s body was found. Both bodies were in the room now. The police had left the room as they had found it in every other way. I saw nothing beyond what the newspaper had told us. Dupin looked with great care at everything, at the bodies, the walls, the fireplace, the windows. Then we went home. Dupin said nothing. I could see the cold look in his eyes, which told me that his mind was working, working busily, quickly. Dupin said nothing about our exploration until the next morning when he suddenly asked me a question. “Did you not notice something especially strange about what we saw at the house on the Rue Morgue?” “Nothing more than what we both read in the newspaper, which was unusual indeed. How shall we explain the horrible force, the unusual strength used in these murders? And whose were the voices that were heard? No one was found except the dead women; yet there was no way for anyone to escape. And the wild condition of the room; the body which was found head-down in the chimney; the terrible broken appearance of the body of the old lady, with its head cut off-- these are all so far from what might be expected that the police are standing still; they don’t know where to begin.” “These things are unusual, indeed, but they are not deep mysteries. We should not ask, ‘What has happened?’ but ‘What has happened that has never happened before?’ In fact, the very things that the police think cannot possibly be explained are the things which will lead me to the answer. Indeed, I believe they have already led me to the answer.” I was so surprised that I could not say a word. Dupin looked quickly at the door. “I am now waiting for a person who will know something about these murders, these wild killings. I do not think he did them himself. But I think he will know the killer. I hope I am right about this. If I am, then I expect to find the whole answer, today. I expect the man here — in this room — at any moment. It is true that he may not come, but he probably will.” “But who is this person? How did you find him?” “I’ll tell you. While we wait for this man we do not know — for I have never met him — while we wait, I will tell you how my thoughts went.” Dupin began to talk. But it did not seem that he was trying to explain to me what he had thought. It seemed that he was talking to himself. He looked not at me, but at the wall. “It has been fully proved that the voices heard by the neighbors were not the voices of the women who were killed. Someone else was in the room. It is therefore certain that the old woman did not first kill her daughter and then kill herself. She would not have been strong enough to put her daughter’s body where it was found. And the manner of the old lady’s death shows that she could not have caused it herself. A person can kill himself with a knife, yes. But he surely cannot cut his own head almost off, then drop the knife on the floor and jump out the window. It was murder, then, done by some third person — or persons. And the voices heard were the voices of these persons. Let us now think carefully about the things people said about those voices. Did you notice anything especially strange in what was told about them?”  “Well, yes. Everybody agreed that the low voice was the voice of a Frenchman, but they could not agree about the high voice.” “Ah! That was what they said, yes, but that was not what was so strange about what they said. You say you have noticed nothing that makes their stories very different from what might have been expected. Yet there was something. All these persons, as you say, agreed about the low voice, but not about the high hard voice. The strange thing here is that when an Italian, an Englishman, a Spaniard, and a Frenchman tried to tell what the voice was like, each one said it sounded like the voice of a foreigner. How strangely unusual that voice really must have been! Here are four men from four big countries, and not one of them could understand what the voice said; each one gave it a different name. “Now, I know that there are other countries in the world. You will say that perhaps it was the voice of someone from one of those other lands — Russia, perhaps. But remember, not one of these people heard anything that sounded like a separate word. Here, Dupin turned and looked into my eyes. “This is what we have learned from the newspaper. I don’t know what I have led you to think. But I believe that in this much of the story there are enough facts to lead us in the one and only direction to the right answer. What this answer is, I will not say…not yet. But I want you to keep in mind that this much was enough to tell me what I must look for when we were in that house on the Rue Morgue. And I found it! “What did I first look for? The path of escape, of course. I mean, we agree the killers were not ghosts; they could not move through walls. So, how did they escape? “At first I saw no way out. It had been necessary for the neighbors to break down the door in order to enter the room. There was no other door. The opening above the fireplace is too narrow for even a child to go through. That leaves only the windows. We must make that exit somehow possible. “Remember, there are two windows in the room. Both of them, you will remember, are made of two parts; to open the window one must lift up the bottom half. One of these windows is easily seen; the lower part of the other is out of sight behind the big bed. I looked carefully at the first of these windows. It was firmly closed, fastened, like the door, on the inside. To keep the window closed, to fasten it, someone had put a strong iron nail into the wood at the side of the window in such a way that the window could not be raised. At least it seemed that the nail held the window closed. The nail was easy to see. There it was. And the people who discovered the killings used their greatest strength and could not raise the window. I, too, tried to raise the window and could not. “I went to the second window and looked behind the bed at the lower half of the window. There was a nail here, too, which held the window closed. Without moving the bed, I tried to open this window also, and again I could not do so. But I did not stop looking for an answer there.”   Download activities to help you understand this story here. Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. What kinds of skills do you possess that might help the police solve crimes? Should private citizens help the police, or should the police alone work to solve crimes? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   housemate – n. a person who lives in the same house with another person but is not a part of that person's family consume(d) – v. to take all of a person's attention, energy or time neighboring – adj. near or next to something or someone moment – n. a very short period of time certain – adj. used with it to say that something is known to be true or correct notice – v. to become aware of something or someone by seeing or hearing it perhaps – adv. possibly but not certainly ghost(s) – n. the soul of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as appearing to living people fasten(ed) – v. to attach something or join two things or two parts of something especially by using a pin, nail or something else nail – n. a long, thin piece of metal that is sharp at one end and flat at the other end and that is used chiefly to attach things to wood

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Iraq's Government Moves to Punish Iraqi Kurdistan for Vote

  The Iraqi government has placed a ban on international flights to airports in the country’s Kurdish area. The flight ban is the clearest evidence of increased tensions between Iraq’s central government and the Kurdish area. On Monday, Iraqi Kurds approved a referendum on independence which the central government strongly opposes. The Kurds have ruled an autonomous area within Iraq since a United States-led coalition ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003. In the referendum on Monday, 92.7 percent of voters supported a measure proposing creation of an independent Kurdish state. The results are not binding, but they are the first step in a process that leads to independence. Two days later, Iraq’s parliament called the referendum vote ‘unconstitutional.’ The lawmakers asked Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to send troops to Kurdish-held Kirkuk to take control of its oil fields. They also urged him to enforce a decision to dismiss Kirkuk’s governor for holding the vote. The Iraqi parliament told the 34 countries with diplomatic offices in Kurdistan to close them down. It also called for the deployment of forces to areas that had been under Iraqi government control before Islamic State (IS) forces captured Mosul in June 2014. “We will enforce federal authority in the Kurdistan region, and we already have started doing that,” the prime minister said. The Iraqi government had given the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) until 1800 hours, local time, to surrender control of its international airports at Irbil and Sulaimaniya. But KRG officials said they would not obey the order. The Reuters news agency reports that at least two European carriers, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines, will be cancelling flights to Irbil this weekend. But the Associated Press reports that the director of Irbil airport said military, humanitarian and diplomatic flights from the airport will continue. Humanitarian workers say the flight cancellations could harm the area’s 1.6 million refugees and displaced people. In a statement, Abadi said central government control of air and land ports in the area is not meant to starve and prevent the delivery of supplies to the Kurds. In recent days, the prime minister has said he received calls from leaders from Britain, France, Iran and Turkey. His Twitter account said they all expressed support for Iraqi unity. Turkey faces armed opposition from Kurdish separatists at home. The Turkish government has threatened to restrict oil sales to the Kurdish area, a move that could hurt its economy. The United States has said the Kurdish movement in Iraq could destabilize the area and hurt the war effort against IS forces. I’m Susan Shand.   This story first appeared on VOANews.com. Susan Shand and George Grow adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow and Mario Ritter were the editors. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   authority – n. having the power to control something or someone destabilize – v. to cause something to be unable to continue to work or to exist autonomous – adj. having the power or right to govern itself. referendum – n. an election in which the people in an area vote for or against an issue of public concern delivery – n. the act of taking something to a person or place binding – adj. requiring someone to do something  

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What It Takes: B.B. King

00:00:02    OPRAH WINFREY: "Hattie Mae, this child is gifted," and I heard that enough that I started to believe it. 00:00:08    ROGER BANNISTER: If you have the opportunity, not a perfect opportunity, and you don't take it, you may never have another chance. 00:00:14    LAURYN HILL: It all was so clear. It was just, like, the picture started to form itself. 00:00:19    DESMOND TUTU: There was no way in which a lie could prevail over the truth, darkness over light, death over life. 00:00:27    CAROL BURNETT (quoting CARRIE HAMILTON): “Every day I wake up and decide, today I'm going to love my life. Decide.” 00:00:34    JOHNNY CASH: My advice is, if they're going to break your leg once when you go in that place, stay out of there. 00:00:39    JAMES MICHENER: And then along come these differential experiences that you don't look for, you don't plan for, but boy, you’d better not miss them. 00:00:52    ALICE WINKLER: This is What It Takes, a podcast about passion, vision, and perseverance. I'm Alice Winkler. 00:01:00    ALICE WINKLER: On each episode of What It Takes, we dig into the Academy of Achievement's vault and pull out one recorded interview to share. Now, these are conversations with the most accomplished people from every field, people with stories about struggle and doubt, as well as grit and determination. Does the name Riley B. King ring any bells? A humble cotton picker from Kilmichael, Mississippi, born to a family of sharecroppers? If not, you surely know him by his stage name, B.B. King. 00:01:31    MUSIC: THE THRILL IS GONE 00:01:31    The thrill is gone The thrill is gone away The thrill is gone baby The thrill is gone away You know you done me wrong baby And you'll be sorry someday 00:02:03    ALICE WINKLER: B.B. King, who died in 2015, just shy of his 90th birthday, was one of the most influential guitarists and singers of the past century, Ambassador of the Blues, and national treasure. But his idea of making it, back when he was a farmer, was pretty humble. He wanted to wear something other than overalls. 00:02:28    B.B. KING: You wore them every day. Every day you had overalls on. Overalls are jeans with a bib to me. Well, I'd wear them all the week, on a Friday night wash them and dry them, and iron them on Saturday morning, and wear them to church on Sunday. But I swore, if God let me live, there are two or three things I would never do again — wear overalls. I would always have enough to eat if I needed it, and food that I like to eat. 00:03:04    Those three things, I swore to myself, if God let me get to be grown, these three things I'm going to have. And I didn’t get to be this big for nothing, so you can tell I've had food I like to eat. 00:03:16    ALICE WINKLER: Yeah, B.B. King was big, every which way — big voice, big laugh, big presence, big womanizer, big talent. But as big as he eventually made it, celebrated by musicians, fans, presidents, kings and queens, he remained largely that modest country farmer, as you can hear in this 2004 interview with journalist Irv Drasnin for the Academy of Achievement. 00:03:44    B.B. King was 78 at the time, still touring almost nonstop, but he seemed almost as proud of his prowess on the farm. 00:03:53    B.B. KING: I used to chop cotton. I did all these things when I was seven. I was considered a regular hand when I was seven years old. I used to bale hay. I guess I did everything that, you know, farmers usually do, and they expected me — the men expected me to do what they did, and I did. And I started to do more of it after I had dropped out of school because I made a little more money. 00:04:22    Then finally I learned — I don't know. I was kind of into — today I guess you would say technology, because I learned to drive tractors, and I was pretty good. I had never heard the word “superstar”, but when I think about it today, I was a superstar tractor driver. I loved it. I loved it for several reasons. Well, hey, the girls look at you. I made a lot of money. 00:04:49    I've been feeling crazy about girls all my life. That was my downfall, I guess. Still is. But I made a lot of money. My salary, compared to everybody else, was great. I made $22-and-a-half a week! Then I'd go to town on Saturday, after I got through with my tractor, sit on the street corners with my little guitar. I had a little red Stella guitar, and I'd play. 00:05:19    And I'd sing, starting with gospel all the time. Sing a gospel song, and people would — and I guess I was kind of smart, in a way, because I knew where the white people passed and the black people passed, so I’d sit right at that corner. Well, the white folks had to pass me going this way and that way, and the black folks passed me going this way and that way. 00:05:48    So some of all would stop, listen to me, because I guess I made enough noise, and I had my big hat sitting down there, or a bucket or something for them to put tips in. And people that would ask me to play or request a song, when I finished playing, if it was a gospel song, they would pat me on the head and the shoulders, and they would applaud me. 00:06:18    "Boy, that was nice! Keep it up! You're going to be good one day," but they didn’t put anything in the hat. But people who would ask me to play a blues would always put something in the hat. Now you know why I'm a blues singer. 00:06:32    MUSIC: WHY I SING THE BLUES 00:06:32    Everybody wants to know Why I sing the blues Yes, I say everybody wanna know Why I sing the blues Well, I've been around a long time I really have paid my dues   When I first got the blues They brought me over on a ship Men were standing over me And a lot more with a whip And everybody wanna know Why I sing the blues Well, I've been around a long time Mm, I've really paid my dues 00:07:23    ALICE WINKLER: To listen to B.B. King talk about his childhood with that mesmerizing voice and sense of humor, it can all sound, well, a little idyllic. He said he passed the time, as all boys did then, fishing, hunting, playing marbles, but of course, it was the segregated South, the Deep South. When interviewer Irv Drasnin asked King what the hardest thing was growing up, it took a little digging to get him to talk about that, and you'll hear that part of the conversation in a moment, but the first thing that came to B.B. King's mind was more mundane. 00:07:58    B.B. KING: Getting up in the morning, going to the fields. I never did like that. I am a farmer at heart. I loved farming, producing food, and seeing the trees grow, the grass and everything else. It's great after you once get out there, but getting up that morning to get up to go out and do it was hard. It'd be cold in the morning, and I never have liked a lot of cold. 00:08:27    And I see why I'm not white, because I could not stand the cold. I walk around now, I see people — especially white people, in their shirtsleeves, and I have on something heavy and I’ll still be cold. You know, the reptiles have nothing on me when — or the air conditioning. I don't want to, you know, bust anybody’s balloon, but they could have kept the air conditioning, as far as I'm concerned. 00:08:27    ALICE WINKLER: But, back to that childhood in Kilmichael, Mississippi, interviewer Irv Drasnin insisted, “How was it growing up black in that time and place?” 00:09:09    B.B. KING: I had never experienced the North. I didn't know anything about the North. I didn’t know anything about any other society other than what we lived in. I didn’t think I was any different from anyone else, other than I was a black kid instead of, you know, a white kid, and it was a segregated society. We walked to school. The white kids had a school bus. And I was crazy about Roy Rogers. 00:09:40    I liked William Edward. We called him Wild Bill. Never did think of him as being white. Those cowboys, my heroes. So to answer your question truthfully, it was all right with me. Just that some people had and some had not, and I wished I could have been one of those that had. Now that’s the truth. 00:10:06    I knew that if I went to town on a Saturday, which I did, and there were two fountains, one said “Black,” one said “White.” I didn’t think other than, that if you want to stay out of trouble, leave the white one alone. I also noticed that when I went to the restrooms, there was one that said “White Men,” “White Ladies” and “Colored.” 00:10:37    That's all I knew. I grew up with it. My family would always say — and because there were people being lynched around me, I've seen — I haven't seen people be lynched, but I've seen them after they were. And I was told by some of the elders that, "Hey, don't bother the white ladies. You don't do this. You don't do that." And I learned that at an early age, and to me, it was just part of my training. 00:11:05    I think this is why black people never did resist for such a long, long time, because if there's any such thing as being brainwashed, I was brainwashed, but it didn’t bother me. I didn't know the difference until people started to tell me, and I started to hear about the North, and I started to hear, past the — what they call the Mason-Dixon line. 00:11:30    Well, after I got, say, in my teens, I started to realize that. I started to notice that some of the people lived — Chicago seemed to be the place you could go and get a nice car. You could live anywhere you want, and you can marry anybody you want. You could date anybody. I started to think about it a little. 00:11:52    ALICE WINKLER: But as a younger child, B.B. King was far too steeped in his own trying circumstances to dream about going north. It is remarkable, absolutely remarkable, that he achieved what he did. 00:12:04    B.B. KING: I could have done better, but my mom died when I was nine. I lived alone from the time I was nine until I was fourteen, because my mom and my dad were divorced from the time I was five, and my mother had taken me from the Delta, back up in the hills, up to Kilmichael, where we were talking about. 00:12:24    I lived there after my mother died, as I said, when I was nine; she was twenty-seven. They didn’t know what was wrong. My mother went blind. I could see the big blood clots in her eyes, and she couldn't see, but she would talk to me. I was the only child, and I liked working for the people that my mother worked for, the Cottledge family. 00:12:50    I liked them. So while working for Mr. Flake Cottledge, I was what they call in the country a houseboy. Houseboy was a guy that did whatever was around to be done. And my wages — I made fifteen dollars a month, which I thought was a lot of money. Fifteen dollars a month. That’s how I got my first guitar. People talk about people gave it to me and this and that. I didn't. Mr. Flake Cartledge bought it for me. Took half of my salary one month, and took the other half the next month, so it cost me fifteen dollars, a whole month's salary to get it. 00:13:32    When I would finish my chores — I used to milk twenty cows a day, ten in the morning, ten at night — and when I would finish, they'd let me go to school. And that's how I got my schooling, and I would walk five miles to school, and I managed to make it through the tenth grade, and that was it. But if I had tightened up, I could have done better. Of course I could have done better, but without any supervision — they didn’t make me go to school. 00:14:02    There were no agencies around there that would take me away from where I was, but, now, there were people in the area, in the community — it was almost like a village — that would tighten you up if you got out of line. Any of them could and would. 00:14:19    ALICE WINKLER: The number-one person to tighten up B.B. King, and the first person to open his eyes to the injustice around him, was the teacher at his school. 00:14:28    B.B. KING: We had one room where we sat at and one teacher, and I guess it was about forty or fifty of us, and that was the most of my schooling. And my professor was a guy called Luther H. Henson, whom I love today. I truly believe that he was one of the few people that was able to get through this very thick skull of mine, because things he told us then, it was long before we ever even heard of a Dr. King, long before we ever heard of integration, anything of that sort. 00:15:08    But he used to tell me then — after they calmed me down first when I would come to school — it was a lady that sat in front of me. Oh, I guess she was about eight or nine, and so was I, but she was fully developed, seemingly, as a woman, heavy breasts and everything. We'd sit on pews. We didn’t have chairs like what we're sitting in. 00:15:37    And about once or twice every month, I'd get that urge — because I sat behind her all the time — to just reach over and grab her. So when I'd get that urge and reach over to hug the girl — I don't know why — yes, I do. We won't talk about that. But I would grab — she was just pretty to me. And the minute I would grab her, she'd bite, like that, and when she'd bite, he'd hit. You know? 00:16:09    Ever hear of an elm tree? An elm tree has limbs that grow very long, and they don't break easily, and the people used to take them — it was just like a whip. You would almost swear it was a whip. And they would sort of put them in the heater, and they'd sort of bind it a little bit. And when they bound it, it seemed to me the bark on the side of it was like leather. 00:16:42    So after I sat up there for a while and got over that terrible pain, he would start to talk with us, and for some reason I understood him very well. He said, "One day, you won't have to walk to school." We had to walk five miles to school. "One day you won't have to walk to school. One day there'll be a central school," he would say sometimes, "and everybody will go to that school." 00:17:10    "Some day nobody will look at you and think of you as — a country boy, or this, if you don't act like that, and they will judge you by your deeds." Those were his words. "Whatever you do, however you do it, will follow you the rest of your life." 00:17:32    ALICE WINKLER: With a good straightening out from his teacher and the righteous example of his mother when she was still alive, B.B. King headed on the path toward becoming a gospel singer. 00:17:44    MUSIC: SAVE A SEAT FOR ME 00:17:44    Tell my mother to save a seat for me Save a seat for me              Because I’m weary              Lord, I'm tired              I've been ‘buked, Lord              I've been scarred              I've been talked about              Though my loved ones are gone              Oh, Jordan! 00:18:16    B.B. KING: My mother would take me to church, and this preacher in the church was named Reverend Archie Fair, we called him. Archie Fair was his name, and he played guitar in the church, so I wanted to be like him. I had sung with this group, the Elkhorn — like an elk's horn — Jubilee Singers. That's where I started in Kilmichael, and I thought we were pretty good, but then when I moved to the Delta, that broke up the group, and I started to sing with another group called the St. John Gospel Singers. 00:18:58    And I would usually sing as a lead singer, and I had started to play the guitar pretty good, so we were one of the few groups, gospel groups, that used a guitar. And I thought we were good because we had sung on programs with, oh, some of the great, great gospel singers. We were like an opening act, opened shows for them, and I thought — I personally thought we were pretty good. 00:19:22    And we would work our crops each year, and come harvest time we talked about leaving and going someplace to record because there were no recording studios in the area. So we would have had to go to Greenwood, Greenville, or to Memphis, and I thought Memphis would be the best because I'd heard so much about Memphis and the things they were doing. 00:19:54    Each year, for about three or four years, the — we would talk about it, the guys and I, and every year one of them would say, "Well, man, I didn't make but two or three bales of cotton. I don't have any money, and I can't leave now." So finally one day I said, "Well, I'm going to leave," and that's how I did it. I left and went to Memphis. But going to Memphis then was like, a few years ago, going to London or Japan or somewhere. Memphis seemed to be far, only a hundred-and-some miles, but so far from where I was. 00:20:27    The buildings and everything — they had big hotels and much going on. And there was a nice recording studio. A fellow named Sam Phillips had a nice studio. I had never been in a recording studio. At that time, we didn't have stereo. Everything was mono. 00:20:49    MUSIC: THREE O'CLOCK BLUES 00:20:49    Now here it is three o'clock in the morning Can't even close my eyes Oh, three o'clock in the morning, baby Can't even close my eyes Well, I can't find my baby Lord, and I can't be satisfied 00:21:29    ALICE WINKLER: B.B. King did work with Sam Phillips, but when he signed with RCM Records, he started recording at a makeshift studio with the YMCA. This tune, recorded there, Three O'Clock Blues, became his first hit single. The recording quality's not great, but you can hear what would become that signature urgency in his voice, and as Rolling Stone magazine called it, the “prickly comet” from his guitar after nearly every phrase he sings. 00:21:58    Also, you hear a more sophisticated arrangement than you'd find in the average country blues song at the time. B.B. King said Memphis changed him and made him up his game. 00:22:09    B.B. KING: I thought before I left home that I was really good. Oh, man, I could — thought I could really sing. Play the guitar. Thought I was really good. When I got to Memphis and went down to Handy Park — at the time I think it was called Beale Street Park — and heard those people out there, it was like a community college on the streets. I found out then that I wasn't so good as a singer. 00:22:38    Oh, I thought I could sing, but nothing compared to what I thought before I got there and heard these other people sing. I saw people dancing, and I couldn’t even hardly walk. I’ve never been able to dance in my life. So I got books from Sears Roebuck. I'd write and order my books. There was a guy called Nick Manoloff. Nick Manoloff had books, guitar instruction books in the Sears Roebuck catalogue, the big one. 00:23:13    I'd order those books, and I studied them really just — and that's how I learned to put my fingers on, learned how to tune the guitar, and learned my first bit of learning how to read music. I'm a blues singer, blues musician, but I can read music. Not fast, but I do, and I learned to even write a little bit. Now with my computer I can write a little better. And I believed in myself. 00:23:43    ALICE WINKLER: Believed in himself and worked incredibly hard. James Brown may have been called the hardest-working man in show business, but it's hard to imagine that B.B. King couldn't share that title. 00:23:54    B.B. KING: I had bought an old bus. We called it Big Red. Bought that in 1955. Big Red — and that year I think we did 342 one-nighters. Well, people laugh at me because we did, but blues has never been a popular music like rock-and-roll or like jazz or anything, so I always used the word — we seemed to be at the bottom of the totem pole all the time. 00:24:25    But my guarantee, I believe, was about $250 a day, or night, and we needed the money. Always felt — still do — that moving about would introduce us to the kind of music that we do. I happen to think that the great spirit, God, put us all here for a reason, and all of us have something to do. 00:24:54    There's a place for playing the guitar. There's a place for singing the blues. I tell stories like other people do, in song, so why shouldn't I? 00:25:02    ANNOUNCER: King of the Blues, B.B. King! 00:25:11    ALICE WINKLER: B.B. King continued during his career to tour constantly, right into his eighties, and every night, he told the Academy of Achievement, he had to overcome his fears. 00:25:21    B.B. KING: You're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you. I have stage fright today. Seventy-eight years now. I had a lot of confidence that I could do it. I hear Professor Luther Henson again, saying, "If you try, try, try hard. If you try — nothing beats a failure but a try," and I believe that. 00:25:50    I believe that today. I believe you — sometimes you may not make that mark that you were trying to get, this time. 00:26:00    MUSIC: WHEN LOVE COMES TO TOWN 00:26:00    I was a sailor who was lost at sea Under the waves before love rescued me I was a fighter who could turn on a thread I stand accused of the things I've said    When love comes to town I'm gonna jump the train When love comes to town I'm gonna catch that flame Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down But I did what I did before love came to town 00:26:26    ALICE WINKLER: It seems unimaginable that B.B. King suffered from stage fright his whole career. He was so good. He just made it look easy. 00:26:35    B.B. KING: No, it doesn’t really come so easy. I think that I know my job pretty well, but I always think this way, and no, it's not false modesty or anything: I'm never any better than my last job. You understand what I'm trying to say? In other words, I don't always think that I've got it made and, "Hey, I'm B.B. King so-and-so." Never that. Never that, because the people put you up there and they can cut you down like that. 00:27:12    I've known people that had a little money, and overnight something happened — insurance no good, and what little money they had was gone — so I never think that I got it made. 00:27:27    ALICE WINKLER: In fact, there was a good, long period, he said, when he lost much of his African American following. Blues had given way to all the other forms of music it influenced, but B.B. King continued to spread the gospel of the blues, and then one day... 00:27:50    B.B. KING: And then one day I was reading a magazine. At this time, The Beatles was the hottest group I ever heard of, and I guess anybody else, and I read where John Lennon was being interviewed, and he — the interviewer asked him what would he like to do. And he said, "Play guitar like B.B. King." I almost fell out of my chair. 00:28:16    Now we started to pick up a different audience. Instead of the black audience that we had, we're now getting young white people. Now I'm traveling about, and I'm going to San Francisco. I'm going to small places all over the United States. Then finally this agency booked me at a place called the Fillmore West. Now I'd play the Fillmore many times before when it was owned by another person. 00:28:49    But this time, when I get there, there are longhaired kids, kind of like Jesus Christ used to have. Long hair. I had never seen people wear hair like that, around me. I saw it in papers, books, and the Bible. When I pulled up there, and we’re still on this bus — this is Big Red, as we called it. Looked out there at the Fillmore, where we used to go, and on the stairway leading to the door, there were people sitting from here all the way across, and there were about three or four stairs that led up to the door. 00:29:33    The stairs were about as long as the average length of a regular car, and they’re body-to-body sitting there. So I told my road manager, I said, "I think they made a mistake this time. I don't think we're supposed to go here." I said, "The band and I are going to sit here. You go in there and find out what the mistake is." So my road manager went out, and he found the promoter, who was Bill Graham, one of the greatest people I think I've met. 00:30:02    And he came out and said, "Oh, no, B. This is the right place." I looked and went to say, "Are you sure?" And he said, "I'm the promoter. Come on in." I'm scared to get off the bus, scared as I could be. I’d never played for anybody like this. Now when we finally get through this — these people on the stairway, we get inside, there's no tables, just a big ballroom, bare. No tables, no chairs, nothing. 00:30:34    People now are sitting body-to-body on the floor. Said, "Oh, my God." So we’ve got to get past them, this way and that way, and finally we got to the old dressing room that I had been used to going to. I looked at Bill, and I said, "Bill, I’ve got to have a drink." He said, "B, we don't sell liquor here." "Don't care. I’ve got to have a drink." 00:31:03    He said, "Okay, I'll send out and get you one." He sent out and got me a half-a-pint of something. I don't know, but he — they brought it to me, and now I had a big belt of it, and I sat there reminding myself of how a cat would be if a dog were in front of him. I'm scared to death. So when time was — when it was time for me to go on stage, he came back and got me, and we had to wade back through these people again. 00:31:32    But when we got to the stage — see, they don't know me by looking at me. They don't know what I look like. They only know me by the music. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen," and everybody got very quiet. "I bring you the chairman of the board, B.B. King." The best intro and the shortest I ever had in my life, and all of a sudden they started to applaud, and they stood up, and they applauded, and I cried. 00:32:02    Because I was starting to think how these people can be so good to me, and what the heck am I going to do for them? I’ve never played to any people like this. Well, I quite often perspire quite a bit. Perspiration is running all on me — but I was crying, too — and I think I had about a 45-minute set. Do you know they stood up two or three times more? 00:32:30    And that's the first time that I ever thought that I was doing pretty well. Not really made it, but I've gotten pretty close to the door. 00:32:40    ALICE WINKLER: B.B. King walked right through that door, even if he wasn't willing to let himself sit back and feel he'd made it. But the endless honors he received testify to the fact that he had. A place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, the Presidential Medal of Arts, honorary doctorates from University of Mississippi and Yale, visits with four sitting U.S. presidents and the Queen of England. 00:33:11    Without B.B. King, there might not have been a Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Fleetwood Mac, Carlos Santana, or Rolling Stones, many of whom he played and recorded with later in life as they recognized the debt they owed him. B.B. King liked all that, sure, but this is the ruler he said he used to measure his true success. 00:33:37    B.B. KING: This is sort of long, but my impression of the — what I get from people when they talk about blues singers, they picture a big black guy, like myself, sitting on a stool looking north, with a cigarette hanging on the east end of his lip, a guitar that's ragged laying across his lap, and a jug of corn liquor on his west side, and his pants split on the south side. 00:34:14    You still with me? A cap with a bib, and the bib is kind of turned up. So it's been my life, always, to show that there's a different blues singer, not just that one. But I've thought many times, if you're black and you're a blues singer, it's like being black twice. Two times. I've always fought against that. The myth is that everybody thinks it's all sad because it started from the slaves. 00:34:53    That is a myth. Some of it is. But tell me what music doesn't have some sadness in it? I have learned that blues singing is just like singing any other kind of song. You still try to tell the story. You have a soul, you have a heart, you have a feeling, and your music is life. 00:35:22    Life as we've lived it in the past, life as we're living it today, and life as, I believe, we'll live tomorrow. 00:35:34    ALICE WINKLER: It's hard to think of anything to add to that, so I'll just end by saying, “B.B. King.” If you want to learn more about him or see videos of him performing for the Academy of Achievement, go to achievement.org, and next time you're jonesing for a dose of inspiration, you'll find it right here at What It Takes. I'm Alice Winkler. 00:35:55    And a special thanks, as always, to the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation for funding What It Takes. 00:36:02    MUSIC: PLAYIN’ WITH MY FRIENDS 00:36:02    I'm gonna call up some of my buddies, And a few of the ladies I know I'm gonna rent a hall and get them all and, Put on a heck of a show   Make sure we got a kitchen, With an oven and a stove We'll all get in there cookin’, Then we'll throw open all the doors   Playin’ with my friends Playin’ with my friends Playin’ with my friends We'll have a good time Playin’ with my friends  

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English @ the Movies: 'A Keeper'

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September 29, 2017

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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Lesson 5: Where Are You?

Summary Anna visits Marsha at a friend's house. Anna and Marsha see many rooms in the house. They talk about what people do in each room.   Speaking Watch the video and practice talking about locations. You can also download the worksheet and practice talking about the rooms in a house with a friend. Pronunciation Learn two different ways to ask questions in this video.  Conversation      Anna: Hello, everyone! Today my friend Marsha is at her friend's house. She says it is beautiful. I want to see this house! Here we are! Anna: Marsha, I am in the kitchen! It is a beautiful kitchen! Marsha: It is beautiful. We cook in the kitchen. Anna: I eat in the kitchen. Marsha:  We relax in the living room. Anna:  I relax in the living room. Marsha, let’s go upstairs! Marsha: Anna? Where are you? Anna: Marsha, I am in the bathroom! I wash in the bathroom. Marsha: I am in the bedroom. We sleep in the bedroom. Anna: I sleep in the bedroom!   Writing What are some of the rooms in your house? Write to us in the Comments section. Tell us what you do in the rooms.  You can also download the worksheet. Practice writing the names of rooms in a house.   Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. Plan to Learn is an important learning strategy because it helps you arrange your best learning conditions. You organize the resources and tools you need to study well. Here is an example of how to use this strategy.  Oluchi knows she needs to have a quiet place to study. She takes her English homework to a quiet corner of her home, and turns off her phone and radio. She brings a cup of coffee to help her stay awake. She makes sure her dictionary is near and that she has pencils and paper to write notes. When she begins studying, everything she needs is in easy reach. Her full attention can focus on what she wants to learn. How about you? What conditions help you to study better? Some people like a little background noise, like in a cafe. Others need a very quiet place. Do you have a favorite chair or place in your home where you study well? Do you work better when you study with a friend or in a small group?  Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email about your best learning conditions. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.   Listening Quiz See how well you understand the lesson by taking this quiz. Each question has a video. Play the video and choose the correct answer. New Words bathroom - n. a room with a sink and toilet and usually a bathtub or shower beautiful - adj. very good or pleasing; having beauty bedroom - n. a room used for sleeping eat - v. to take food into your mouth and swallow it house - n. a building in which a family lives kitchen - n. a room in which food is cooked living room - n. a room in a house for general family use relax - v. to spend time resting or doing something enjoyable sleep - v. to rest your mind and body by closing your eyes upstairs - adv. on or to a higher floor of a building wash - v. to clean (something) with water and usually soap ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice writing the names of rooms in a house. For Teachers   ​See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: BE + location Topics: Asking about location; Naming places and activities Learning Strategy: Plan to Learn Speaking and Pronunciation: BE + location; question intonation _______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.

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The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe, Part Three

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Popular Culture and Academic Writing

  Popular culture can teach you about English grammar. You might be surprised to know that music and films can show you how to use difficult grammatical structures. How so? Consider the song "Capable of Anything" by the American singer Ben Folds. "We’re told we are capable of anything But you don’t seem to think that you are Capable of anything"   In today's report, we will explore one structure that you heard twice in the song – an adjective + preposition combination. The words "capable of" are an example of this type of structure. Last week, we discussed common adjective and preposition combinations in everyday speech. This week, we will explore such combinations in academic writing. Even though these structures are most often used in writing, we will give you fun examples of how speakers use them in songs and films, too. But before we give you more specific examples of these combinations, we need to give you a few definitions. What are adjective and preposition combinations? Adjectives are words that describe nouns. They can come before a noun or after a non-action verb, sometimes called a linking verb. These adjectives sometimes go with specific prepositions. Together, these adjectives and prepositions make combinations that have specific meanings. When adjectives come before a noun, the adjective is almost never followed by a preposition. When adjectives come after a non-action verb, they may be followed by a preposition. Here are two examples: 1: The students are happy. 2: The students are happy with the test results. In the former sentence, the adjective happy describes the noun students. There is no preposition. In the latter sentence, the adjective "happy" comes after the non-action verb BE. After the BE verb and the adjective "happy," there is a preposition: with. "Happy with" is one example of an adjective and preposition combination. Susan Conrad and Douglas Biber are language experts. They note that there are six common adjective and preposition combinations in academic writing. We will not study all of these combinations today. Instead, we will study three of them: adjective + of, adjective + for and adjective + to. Adj. + of One common adjective and preposition combination is adjective + of. Consider these lines from the 1961 film, Judgment at Nuremberg: "My counsel says we were not aware of the extermination of the millions. He would give you the excuse we were only aware of the extermination of the hundreds. Does that make us any the less guilty?"   You will notice that the speaker used "aware of" twice. "Aware of" is a formal way of saying that someone knows about the existence or happening of a certain thing. "Aware of" is one example of an adjective + of combination. Other common examples include "independent of" and "capable of," which you heard at the beginning of our report. You might read these types of expressions in academic books about law, psychology, and so on. Adj. + for A second common adjective and preposition combination is adjective + for. Once again, lines from the film Judgment at Nuremberg show you how speakers might use these structures: "Are we now to find the American industrialists guilty? No, Your Honor. No! Germany alone is not guilty: The whole world is as responsible for Hitler's Germany."   You heard the words "responsible for" in the movie clip. "Responsible for" is one example of an adjective + for structure. Other common examples include "essential for" and "necessary for." You might read these types of expressions in many types of academic books – philosophy, politics, and so on. Adj. + to Our final common adjective and preposition combination is adjective + to. The words from the Beatles' song The End use this structure. "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."   "Equal to" means that something is the same in number, amount, or quality. Other common examples include "identical to" and "similar to." You will often read these types of expressions in mathematics or physics books. What can you do? The next time you are reading a book or watching television in English, try to look for examples of adjective + a preposition. Does the writer or speaker use one of the structures we talked about today? Does the writer or speaker use different structures? Learning these adjective + preposition combinations can be difficult. But if you work hard and practice, you will be capable of anything. We are going to end our report with a homework assignment. Try to use "aware of," "capable of," "responsible for," or "equal to" in sentences. Write your sentences in the comments section of our website. I'm John Russell. And I'm Jill Robbins.   John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   capable – adj. able to do something : having the qualities or abilities that are needed to do something — + of preposition – n. grammar : a word or group of words that is used with a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show direction, location, or time, or to introduce an object academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education specific – adj. special or particular counsel – n. law : a lawyer who represents a person or group in a court of law aware – adj. knowing that something (such as a situation, condition, or problem) exists extermination – n.  the act of destroying or killing (a group of animals, people, etc.) formal – adj.  suitable for serious or official speech and writing essential – adj.  extremely important and necessary  

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Puerto Rico Struggling with Shortages of Basic Supplies

  The storm-damaged U.S. territory of Puerto Rico continues to suffer with shortages of water, food, medicine and other supplies. Puerto Rico suffered major damage a week ago when Hurricane Maria struck with high winds and heavy rain. It was the strongest storm to hit Puerto Rico in decades. Maria destroyed the electricity system, as well as homes, businesses, roads and farms across the island. At least 16 people were killed. There still is no exact cost estimate for total storm damage. But Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rossello says the country’s economy will be mostly halted for at least a month. Getting supplies to the people who greatly need them has been difficult because the storm also damaged major ports.  Officials say power remains out across the Caribbean island and about 90 percent of mobile phone transmitters are not working. Many residents have been driving around the island trying to find limited areas where phone service is still working.  There are severe shortages of fuel and money. Many people cannot work or run businesses because fuel to operate power generators is in short supply. Most food stores and restaurants remain closed. There are long lines at the few banks that are open and most money machines are not operational. Travel for the island’s 3.4 million residents is difficult, with only a few flights departing Puerto Rico each day. The Trump administration announced Thursday it was waiving a federal law that bans foreign-flagged ships from transporting goods between U.S. ports. Puerto Rico’s governor and U.S. lawmakers had urged the move to help get supplies to the island quicker and at less cost. The Trump administration faced criticism earlier this week for not doing enough to improve the rising humanitarian crisis. On Thursday, Trump tweeted that many supplies and power sources had arrived on the island. “The electric power grid in Puerto Rico is totally shot. Large numbers of generators are now on Island. Food and water on site,” he wrote. Puerto Rico already had economic problems before the storm. The island has been in a recession for more than a decade, with a poverty rate of 45 percent and unemployment around 10 percent. The U.S. territory also has more than $73 billion dollars in debt. Before the storm, the government was negotiating with creditors to restructure the debt, which the previous governor declared unpayable. Current Governor Rossello said the storm has made things even worse. He told reporters that Puerto Rico will not be able to bring in any income for at least a month. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from VOA News, the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   transmitter – n. device that sends out radio, television or phone signals generator – n. machine that produces electricity waive – v. not require something that is usually required creditor – n. person or organization someone owes money to income – n. money that is earned from work  

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S. Korea Seeks to Take Over Wartime Control of Military From US

  South Korean President Moon Jae-in says his government is increasing efforts to take back wartime operational control of its military. Wartime operational control, known as OPCON, describes the U.S.-led command of South Korean military forces in time of war. The effort comes at a time when tensions between North Korea and the U.S. are very high. Moon spoke about the issue at an event marking South Korea’s 69th Armed Forces Day [on] Thursday. He said increasing military abilities and reducing dependence on U.S. military power would strengthen the country’s position with the North. “When the South has wartime operational control, the North will fear us more, and our armed forces will be trusted more,” Moon said. Robert Kelly is a professor of political science at Pusan National University in South Korea. He thinks such a move might be a way to show independence from the threats exchanged by the U.S. and North Korea. “I think this might be a way for Moon to separate himself somewhat from the behavior of (U.S. President) Donald Trump in the last month,” Kelly said. Peacetime control moved to South Korea The South Korean government took over peacetime command of its military personnel when the country transitioned to democracy. The South Korean military works closely with the Combined Forces Command and the United Nations Command, led by the U.S. General Vincent Brooks. Brooks also commands more than 28,000 U.S. military forces in Korea.   In wartime, the U.S. commander would take control of South Korean forces. The transfer, however, is not automatic. The South Korean president must first agree to hand over control. Daniel Pinkston is a security expert with Troy University in Seoul. He said, “In a way, President Moon has control and he has a veto over giving control to the U.S. and giving control to the combined forces command.” South Koreans have different views on control Moon and some members of his Democratic Party have supported gaining wartime operational control as an issue of sovereignty. It has also been linked to anti-American feelings in the country. Conservatives have opposed taking over wartime control. They are concerned that such a move might weaken the U.S. commitment to defend South Korea. Hong Jun-pyo is the leader of the Liberty Korea Party. He recently said that “return of OPCON is basically disbanding the Korea-U.S. military alliance.” Some also have concerns that such a move would be seen as a sign of disagreement between South Korea and the U.S. Kelly said that is “what the North Koreans have wanted for a long time.” Wartime operational control was to be handed over to South Korea in 2015. But the government of then-president Park Geun-hye and the U.S. decided in 2014 to postpone the transfer to 2020 or later. The deal now depends on South Korea gaining necessary operational abilities. Some experts consider basing the decision on South Korea’s capabilities good for the U.S.-South Korea alliance. They say it puts more responsibility on South Korea for its own defense. Pinkston said that, without discussions about a transfer of OPCON, South Korea would have no reason to increase its defense capabilities. “South Korea will think we don’t have to worry about it because the U.S. will always have OPCON, they will always take care of us, so why should we spend more on our defense budget?” Pinkston said. Moon’s statements on Thursday appears to be part of that effort. He is promising reforms, including creating a more professional military and increasing national defense spending. Some of that spending could be directed to developing new systems, such as South Korea’s own missile defense system. The country may also seek to launch five military satellites with surveillance and reconnaissance abilities. I’m Mario Ritter.   Brian Padden reported this story for VOA News with contributions from Youmi Kim. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.​ _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   personnel –n. people who work for a company, organization or government automatic –adj. happening without being directed sovereignty –n. the ability of a country or area to rule itself disband –v. to end an organization or group capabilities –n. the ability to do or carry out some kind of activity surveillance –n. to carefully watch a person, group or area reconnaissance –n. efforts by a military to gain information about opposing forces  

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Muslims in Western China Told to Turn In Qurans, Religious Items

  Chinese officials in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region have ordered Muslim families living there to turn in all religious items, Radio Free Asia reported this week. This includes prayer mats and copies of the Quran, the Muslim holy book. An ethnic Kazakh living in Xinjiang’s Altay area told RFA that officials have been confiscating the religious items. “Pretty much every household has a Quran, and prayer mats,” said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Dilxat Raxit, spokesperson for the World Uyghur Congress group, said similar reports have come from Kashgar, Hotan and other areas. He said, “We received a notification saying that every single ethnic Uyghur must hand in any Islam-related items from their own home.” Raxit said police are making the announcements on the social media service WeChat. And people must hand over these items voluntarily or they will face punishment. Raxit said, "The announcements say that people must hand in any prayer mats of their own accord to the authorities, as well as any religious reading matter, including anything with the Islamic moon and star symbol on it." Earlier this year, Xinjiang officials began confiscating all Qurans published more than five years ago because of what they described as “extremist content.” The Qurans were taken as part of a Xinjiang-wide campaign that bans “illegal” publicity materials, religious activities and religious teachings that officials consider to be tools of terrorism. RFA and VOA are both part of the U.S. government-supported Broadcasting Board of Governors.   Radio Free Asia reported and wrote this story. It was adapted for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   mat - n. a small piece of material used to cover the floor or ground confiscate - v. ​to take (something) away from someone especially as punishment or to enforce the law or rules​ on their own accord - phrase. ​ done because you want to, not because someone has asked you or forced you to do it​ anonymity  - n. ​the quality or state of being unknown to most people​

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US Lawmaker Returns to Work after Shooting

  This is What’s Trending Today. Steve Scalise returned to the United States Capitol building on Thursday. Scalise, a Louisiana native, is part of the Republican Party leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives. On the morning of June 14, he and other lawmakers were up early and preparing for a big event: the yearly congressional baseball game. They were working out on a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. The practice was just coming to an end when gunshots rang out. Scalise was shot in the hip. The shooter was identified as James Hodgkinson of Illinois. Scalise was badly injured. Doctors operated on him a number of times to repair bones, blood vessels and internal organs. He missed work for over three months. When he returned on Thursday, Scalise needed crutches to move around. But he was happy to get back to work. Scalise said: “You have no idea how great this feels.” In a year when U.S. politicians have had trouble agreeing on many issues, House members agreed that Scalise should get a hearty welcome. They all rose to their feet and clapped loudly. Some lawmakers walked over to Scalise and gave him a hug. Later, he said: “I’m definitely a living example that miracles do happen.” Scalise thanked the U.S. Capitol police officers who were on duty in Alexandria on the day of the shooting. Crystal Griner and David Bailey were also injured in the attack. They fired back and killed Hodgkinson. Scalise told Bailey: “You are my hero. You saved my life. Thank you so much.” In a video, Scalise was shown walking slowly, holding crutches in both arms. He said he feels “great,” but still has a lot of work to do before he returns to full health.  The congressional baseball game raises money for charitable causes. It has been played most years since 1909, with Republican members of Congress playing congressional Democrats. The game is one way the politicians get to know each other outside of debating issues. The Democrats won the 80th congressional game the day after Scalise was shot.  And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell adapted this story for VOA Learning English. His story was based on reports from the Associated Press and CNN. George Grow was the editor. What do you think of Scalise’s return from his injury? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   crutches – n. a long stick with a padded piece at the top that fits under a person's arm — usually plural hearty – adj. done or expressed in a very open, cheerful, and energetic way clap – v. to hit the palms of your hands together usually more than once - People often clap to show approval or pleasure. miracle – n. a very amazing or unusual event, thing, or achievement charitable – adj. done or designed to help people who are poor or sick

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US Government Cuts Refugee Admissions to Historic Lows

  President Donald Trump plans to sharply reduce the number of refugees permitted in the United States. The move comes at a time when humanitarian groups say more people than ever should be admitted. The Trump administration said in a report to Congress Wednesday that the U.S. plans to admit no more than 45,000 refugees during the coming year. That would be the smallest number in more than 35 years. Former President Barack Obama had proposed that 110,000 refugees should be admitted during the next year. Trump is expected to announce the new plan soon. The limit of 45,000 refugee admissions would be in effect during the government’s new fiscal year, which begins on Sunday, October 1. It is lower than limits set in any year since the U.S. refugee program was established in 1980. Officials estimate about 54,000 refugees will have been admitted to the country during the 2017 fiscal year, which ends on Saturday. In the 2016 fiscal year -- the last full year of Obama’s presidency -- the U.S. welcomed almost 85,000 refugees. ​Immigration experts noted that the 45,000 limit is a “cap” – the highest number of refugees that can be admitted during the next 12 months. They said the number of refugees actually admitted by September 30, 2018, could be much lower. A person must meet several criteria to be considered a refugee in the United States. The government also has certain limits for different areas of the world. For example, 42 percent of all admitted refugees can come from Africa, and 39 percent can come from the Middle East and South Asia, according to the administration’s report to Congress. Those numbers generally have not changed since Obama’s time in office, experts say. Aid groups have sharply criticized Trump’s decision to reduce the number of refugees. They say that, because of worsening refugee crises in places like Syria, Myanmar and South Sudan, the United States must do more. Bill O’Keefe is with Catholic Relief Services. “With historically high numbers of innocent people fleeing violence worldwide, the United States response cannot be to welcome a historically low number of refugees into our country,” he said. Administration officials said the new refugee limit will improve national security and the country’s ability to properly examine and take in refugees. In his speech to the United Nations, Trump said, “for the cost of resettling one refugee in the U.S., we can assist more than 10 in their home region.” Worldwide, there were 22.5 million refugees last year, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. That number does not include the many people who were displaced within their own countries because of war, violence, poverty or natural disasters. I’m Phil Dierking.   VOA News reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.  _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fiscal  - adj. of or relating to money and especially to the money a government, business, or organization earns, spends, and owes cap   - n. a limit on the amount of money that can be spent, given, charged, etc., for something criteria  - n. something that is used as a reason for making a judgment or decision region - n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way

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