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News Words: Photobomb

When people photobomb, they sneak or jump into a camera shot, usually as a joke.

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Pope Francis in South Asia

Arriving in Bangladesh from Myanmar, Pope Francis said it was important for world governments to help the Bangladeshi government with Asia's worst refugee crisis in decades.

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Short Sentences in Books, Movies, and Speech

  Ernest Hemingway was a famous American writer. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. One of his most famous books, The Sun Also Rises, ends with the following words:                  "Yes," I said. "Isn't it pretty to think so?" Today, we are going to consider the grammar behind the sentence: "Isn't it pretty to think so." In this program, we will study how English speakers use shortened sentences. We will hear examples of other short sentences from films, books, and fictional conversations. But first, we will start with some definitions. Shortened clauses         Clauses are groups of words that have a subject and a predicate. A predicate is a group of words that tells something about the subject. When a clause has a period at the end of it, it is a sentence. For example, in the sentence, "I love English grammar," the word "I" is the subject, and "love English grammar" is the predicate. Sometimes, sentences have many clauses. These clauses can begin with the word "that" or a word beginning with the letters “wh-”, such as why, what, where, or when.* For example, in the sentence "We hope that you enjoy learning English grammar," the words "that you enjoy learning English grammar" are a clause. The clause begins with the word "that" – it is an example of a that-clause. When speaking, Americans often shorten clauses that repeat what they have said earlier. In addition, they often shorten clauses that repeat what someone else has said. These short expressions usually occur after certain verbs. We will now explore these verbs and a few shortened clauses they often go with. #1 Know, remember, wonder Speakers often shorten “wh-” clauses, usually after they use the verbs wonder, know, or remember. When speakers shorten the “wh-” clauses, they usually only use the “wh-” word itself. They leave out the rest of the clause. Here is an example. Imagine two friends talking about a third person who apparently went missing the night before. Tom didn't come to the show last night! I wonder why? In the example, the second speaker used a shortened clause. Instead of saying "I wonder why Tom didn't come to the show last night?", the speaker said, "I wonder why?" This is an example of a shortened “wh-” clause after the verb "wonder." The speaker did not want to repeat all of the information discussed earlier. Such lengthy speech would create very long and slow conversations! Now, let’s consider a second example. In the 2004 film Crash, actor Sandra Bullock says the following line: I'm angry all the time, and I don't know why… Carol, I don't know why! Here, Bullock says "I don't know why" instead of "I don't know why I am angry all the time." She uses a shortened “wh-” clause after the verb "know." The two examples we gave you both had the word "why" in them: "I wonder why?" and "I don't know why?" These are two very common uses of a shortened “wh-” clause. Please remember that English speakers will also use other “wh-”  words in shortened clauses. You might hear a person say "…he doesn't remember where," for example. #2 Guess, say, think, hope Now let's turn to a second group of clauses. They are called “that-clauses”. Speakers often shorten “that-clauses”, usually after they use verbs such as guess, say, think, and hope. The word "so" often takes the place of the “that-clause”. This sounds difficult, but we will give you examples to clarify the point! Here is one from the 1991 film The Man in the Moon. - "Maureen? Is it always gonna hurt this bad? Mama says it won't. I hope she's right." - "I hope so." Here, the second speaker says "I hope so" instead of the full sentence, "I hope that she is right." ​In other words, "so" takes the place of an entire that-clause. Now, let’s consider a second example. Remember the lines you heard at the beginning of this report? "Yes," I said. "Isn't it pretty to think so?" Just before those lines come in Ernest Hemingway's book, two characters, Jake and Brett, are talking about their unfulfilled love for each other. Brett says that she and Jake could have had such a good time together. Jake responds with the famous line: "Isn't it pretty to think so?" Jake could have said "Isn't it pretty to think that we could have had such a good time together?" Such a line would have been much less elegant than Hemingway's ending! What can you do? The next time you are reading a book in English or talking with an English speaker, try listening for examples of shortened clauses. Does the writer or speaker use one of the shortened clauses we talked about today? What verbs does the speaker use with the shortened clause? Try using examples of shortened clauses that you hear. Or try to use some of the examples we told you about. If you practice using shortened clauses, we think that you will make progress. No, we know so. I'm Ashley Thompson. And I'm John Russell.   John Russell wrote this report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. *Other words that do not begin with wh-, such as "how," are also in this group. _____________________________________________________________ Words in the Story   grammar – n. the study of groups of words and their uses in sentences conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people; the act of talking in an informal way occur – v.  to appear or exist; to be found gonna – short for "going to" respond – v. to say something as an answer to a request character – n. a person in a theatrical production, book or movie       elegant – adj. simple and clever practice – v. to do something again and again in order to become better at it  

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Albino Student Receives Top Honors in Kenya's National Exam

  Almost one million primary school children took the 2017 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam, known as the KCPE. Goldalyn Kakuya, a student from Saint Anne's Junior School in Lubao, Kakamega, in West Kenya, received top honors. She received a total of 455 marks out of a possible 500. "I was really happy about it. I am excited a lot because it has passed a message to so many people. So, what thrills me most is that it has opened the eyes of many people.” Goldalyn's success surprised many Kenyans because she has albinism, a genetic condition that causes a pink coloring in the eyes and a lack of color in the skin or hair. People with albinism often face discrimination in Africa, and children struggle to find educational opportunities. Isaac Mwaura is a Kenyan lawmaker and chairman of the Albinism Society of Kenya. "People have talent, and given the opportunity, they can do so. So, I would want to really say that young children with albinism across Africa and, indeed, the world, because there is a lot of persecution and discrimination that is geared toward people with albinism, that they feel encouraged, that they too can reach the top.” He added that families and society should accept and support people with albinism. Matilda Cherono Tanga is the girl’s mother. She agrees that discrimination against people with albinism is common. "People will not even imagine that these children have a perfect brain. They think they cannot learn, they cannot compete. But the performance and the achievement of Goldalyn has proved to the society that albinism is just a condition of the skin.” Goldalyn told VOA she worked hard for her success. She examined her school work, asked teachers questions, rarely missed her classes, and studied hard. She offers this advice to other students. "Pray hard, do your best, believe in your yourself, because if you are praying, and you are working toward your goal, what can deter you from that?  So, it is just a matter of being confident,” she said. All students who received 400 marks or more will be admitted to Kenya’s national secondary schools. This year, about 10,000 boys and girls reached that level. I’m Susan Shand.   Jill Craig reported this story for VOANews.com. Susan Shand adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   primary – adj. first in order of time or development opportunity – n. a good or likely chance for progress albino – n. person or animal born with a medical condition that results in very pale skin, white hair, and pink eyes persecution – n. treatment of someone in a bad or harmful way gear – v. to make ready for operation deter - v. to cause (someone) to decide not to do something confident – adj. having a belief in one’s own abilities; being sure that something is true  

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Should the US Help Fight Terrorism in Africa’s Sahel?

What, if anything, should the United States be doing in the fight against violent extremism in a part of Africa where few people live? Experts on Africa are asking that question after the deaths of four U.S. Special Forces soldiers in Niger last month. At least four Nigerien soldiers also died in the attack. Before the violence, some members of Congress knew about U.S. operations in Niger. But other lawmakers say they did not know American troops were on the ground in the African nation. They include Senator Lindsey Graham, of the Republican Party, and Chuck Schumer, the leader of Democrats in the Senate. The U.S. Department of Defense says more than 800 American troops are in Niger. It also confirms the existence of two bases for drone aircraft there. Niger and Burkina Faso want the United States to do more to support African governments in their fight against extremism. They want financial support for a new task force made up of troops from five African countries. It is estimated that about $500 million will be needed for the first year of operations of the force. The United States is considering giving $60 million. Ten years of involvement The United States military began increasing its presence in the Sahel area in 2007 by creating the U.S. Africa Command, known as AFRICOM. It is based in Stuttgart, Germany. AFRICOM works with African countries to strengthen security on the continent. Since at least 2013, U.S. forces have carried out operations to train, advise, and assist Niger’s military. The two sides work with local officials to fight armed extremists. Niger has been an important partner. During the presidency of Barack Obama, the U.S. military built drone bases in the capital, Niamey, and in the northern city of Agadez. Lisa Mueller is an assistant professor of political science at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. She says because “Niger has been a strong ally to the counterterrorism efforts, it has been natural for the United States to station its counterterrorism forces in that country.”   But the death of the American troops has caused an examination of U.S. partnerships in the Sahel. It is not clear if, or how, President Donald Trump or his administration will change its policy in the area. Some activists and U.S. lawmakers do not like the fact that some of the African partners have authoritarian governments. Brandon Kendhammer is an associate professor and director of the International Development Studies Program at Ohio University. He says even the government of Niger is, in his words, “problematically democratic.” But he says the U.S. involvement is helpful. “It’s pretty clear that these investments do make a real difference in the ability of the region to provide its own security,” he said. Kendhammer says an important part of that success has come from asking partners for their opinion about what should be done and how. He notes that some observers believe the U.S. African command makes its own decisions without asking the opinions of African leaders. But he says AFRICOM has a history of working with local officials and asking for their advice. Soldiers’ deaths U.S. military officials expect to complete their investigation into the Niger attack in January. Kendhammer says it appears that the American soldiers were involved in the kind of work that troops based in the Sahel must do: training local forces in everything from basic operations to advanced tactics, including reacting quickly to terrorist attacks. Kendhammer says the U.S. military wants to have a long-term effect on the area, so it follows the “train the trainer” model: American soldiers train local forces, who then share their knowledge and skills with other troops. No one has claimed responsibility for the October attack, but the U.S. military suspects militants linked to the Islamic State group were involved. The group is one of several extremist organizations operating in the Sahel. The extremists are usually local militants who promise to support an international organization like Islamic State or al-Qaida. This “affiliation” might be nothing more than being mentioned in an IS publication or could involve repeated contacts with the larger organization. Whether the involvement is limited or ongoing, partnering with an established terrorist organization can be more practical than ideological, says Kendhammer. He notes the group that may have carried out the attack in Niger was at one time allied with al-Qaeda, but changed in 2015 or 2016 to find a better partner. Local militants use methods designed to weaken American efforts for fighting terrorists. As VOA reported earlier, it is likely that villagers in Tongo Tongo, where the October attack took place, helped trap the American and Nigerien forces. The villagers’ apparent willingness to help militants may be the result of their efforts to build trust with local populations while denouncing America. Philip Obaji, Junior reported on the Daily Beast website earlier this month. His report said that people living in Tongo Tongo blamed the United States for a grenade attack in 2016 that killed six children. No evidence has linked the U.S. to the incident. But Obaji wrote that local militant groups have blamed it on America as a way to gain the support of the local population. I'm Jonathan Evans.   VOA News Writer Salem Solomon reported on this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for 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   drone – n. an unmanned aircraft or ship guided by a computer or someone at a distance counterterrorism – n. measures designed to fight or prevent terrorism authoritarian – adj. expecting or requiring people to obey rules tactic – n. a method or device affiliation – n. a close connection to someone or something mention – n. the act of calling attention to someone or something practical – adj. relating to what is real; likely to be successful

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Abuse Accusations in Chinese Preschools Shock Parents

  Reports of child abuse at a preschool in Beijing, China, have shocked parents across the country. The reports also caused officials to order a nationwide inspection of early learning centers.   The case in Beijing is one of a number of reports of abuse in China’s growing early education industry.   At last month’s 19th Party Congress, the Chinese Communist Party listed preschool education as an important link in its efforts to develop the country’s education system. Officials aim to increase enrollment to 85 percent by 2020. That would make early education a $50-million industry. But since the Party Congress ended, there have been preschool scandals in two of the country’s major cities – Shanghai and Beijing. In early November, a video appeared online that showed teachers at a nursery school in Shanghai violently pushing students. The video also appeared to show them forcing children to eat a spicy hot food called wasabi. The school is for children of employees for the online travel company Ctrip. More recently, Chinese officials detained a woman suspected of abusing children at a Beijing kindergarten. The school is run by RYB Education. RYB operates about 1,300 day care centers in about 300 cities across China. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in September. Police in Beijing’s Chaoyang area said Saturday that they had detained a 22-year-old female teacher. The statement was posted on the district police account of the Sina Weibo microblog site.  It identified the woman only by her family name, Liu. RYB Education said it was “extremely shocked and distressed” about the reported abuse. RYB said it had dismissed Liu and is cooperating with investigators. Parents of students at the RYB Beijing school say that the children were given sleeping medicine. Some say they also found needle marks on their children. Some say their children reported receiving medical examinations, while naked, by men. One of the men was also reported to be naked at the time. Police in Beijing said Tuesday night that some of the accusations are untrue. RYB has created a special team to carry out “self-inspection across all teaching facilities.” State media reported that officials in Beijing have requested inspectors at every kindergarten. They also have requested additional cameras in classrooms, including some to be linked directly to police stations. Some observers are hopeful that the attention to the reports from Beijing will lead to change. They say the problem has existed for years. Lenora Chu is an American writer and reporter. She wrote a book about China’s education system called “Little Soldiers, An American Boy, a Chinese School and the Global Race to Achieve.” She said the RYB Education case is different from past abuse cases in Chinese schools. “I think that what is different about this is that it is Beijing," Chu said. "Because it is a private school, because these are middle-class parents with money, I hope that change will begin to happen." Xue Xinya is head of the sociology and social work department at Xi’An Northwestern University.  She said problems have grown in China’s early childhood education since the country eased its economic policies. Before then, she said, “it was the company in charge, and it was your own people, taking care of your kids; everybody knew each other, and in general things were managed strictly. Under the planned economy, people were simpler, they just wouldn’t dare to abuse anyone.” After that, state-owned companies stopped providing some social services. There were fewer and fewer schools to care for children under the age of three. China’s leaders want more private investment to go into preschool education. But observers say some people are concerned by the lack of clear guidelines. No single government agency controls early education policy. Several ministries, including the Ministry of Education, the National Health and Family Planning Commission and Ministry of Civil Affairs, oversee China’s preschool division. Some have called for creating a Preschool Education Law to make clear the responsibilities that belong to the government. These would include management, teacher training, supervision and assessment. RYB has faced accusations in the past. In 2015, four RYB school teachers in the northern province of Jilin were found guilty of abuse, including sticking needles into 17 children. Two of the teachers were sentenced to two years and six months in prison. The others served for two years and 10 months. Three years is the most permitted for the crime of “maltreatment or neglect by a parent or caretaker.” I’m Ashley Thompson. And I’m ­­­­­­­Caty Weaver.    Bill Ide reported this story for VOA News from Beijing. Joyce Huang and Brian Kopczynski contributed to the report. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English, with additional materials from the Associated Press and Reuters. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   preschool - n. a school for very young children​ enrollment - n.​ the number of people going to a school scandal  - n.​ an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong​ account - n.​ an arrangement in which a person uses the Internet or e-mail services of a particular company distressed - adj. suffering from pain or sadness naked - adj. not wearing any clothes : not covered by clothing facility - n.​ something (such as a building or large piece of equipment) that is built for a specific purpose middle-class - adj. the social class that is between the upper class and the lower class and that includes mainly business and professional people, government officials, and skilled workers neglect - n.​ lack of attention or care that someone or something needs assessment  - n.​ the act of making a judgment about something : the act of assessing something

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New Study Suggests Dogs May Be Smarter than Cats

  This is What’s Trending Today.  Are you a cat person or a dog person? People around the world are bitterly divided about which animal is the better pet. But a new study may have found a clear winner when it comes to which animal is more intelligent: dogs. Researchers at Vanderbilt University in the U.S. state of Tennessee recently studied the brains of several meat-eating mammals, including dogs, cats, lions, raccoons and bears. They found that dogs have many more neurons in the cerebral cortex than cats do. That area of the brain is connected to “thinking planning and complex behavior.” These are considered key to understanding an animal’s intelligence. Dogs have about 530 million cortical neurons; cats have about 250 million, the researchers found. Humans, for comparison, have 16 billion. Suzana Herculano-Houzel is a neuroscientist and a professor at Vanderbilt. She developed a way to measure the number of neurons in the cerebral cortex. She says the higher the number of neurons an animal has, the greater their ability to, in her words, “predict what is about to happen in their environment based on past experience.” The study’s findings mean that dogs may be able to do more complex things in their lives than cats can. Herculano-Houzel worked with graduate students and professors from across the United States as well as Brazil, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Their research is to appear in the journal “Frontiers of Neuroanatomy.” The results of the study became a trending topic on social media Thursday.  The researchers studied the brains of other animals, too. They found that bears had about as many neurons as cats -- despite having much bigger brains. And raccoons, despite their smaller brain size, had almost as many neurons in their cerebral cortex as dogs.   And as for Herculano-Houzel herself, she is “100 percent” a dog person. And that’s what’s trending today. I'm Alice Bryant.  _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   bitterly - adv. to an extreme or forceful degree. pet - n.  an animal (such as a dog, cat, bird, or fish) that people keep mainly for pleasure mammal - n. a type of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin behavior - n. the way a person or animal acts or behaves neuroscientist - n. a person who studies the functions of the nervous system and brain

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US Official: We Have the Tools to End AIDS Now

  Friday, December 1st marks the 30th World AIDS Day. One aim of the event is to show support for people living with HIV, the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. Another aim is to remember the people who have died from conditions related to AIDS. Since 1984, about 35 million people have died from HIV and AIDS-related diseases. This number makes "it one of the most destructive pandemics in history," according to the World AIDS Day website. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS, released a report before the World Day observances on Friday. The report noted progress in containing HIV. It said 21 million people who have the virus are getting treatment. That number is more than half of all people living with HIV. The UN's goal is to end the AIDS pandemic by 2030. American Anthony Fauci has been working in the fight against AIDS since the 1980's. At that time, an HIV infection was considered a death sentence. Now people with the virus can expect to have a normal life if they get treatment. Fauci heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the United States government’s National Institutes of Health. He says that we have "the ability to end the pandemic as we know it." "What I mean is that we have extraordinarily effective drugs. But recently those drugs have been shown – over the past few years – not only to save lives of the people who take the drugs, but also to bring the level of virus in an infected person so low, below detectable level, that it makes it virtually impossible for that person to transmit the virus to someone else." However, people taking medications face the same problems as anyone else who takes medicines on a daily basis. Not everyone remembers to take their medications, and doctors’ prescriptions often need to be renewed. Sixteen million people infected with HIV are not getting treatment. Many in this group do not know they have the disease, so they continue to spread the virus. Some of them are lacking in healthcare, so they don't get tested. UNAIDS reports that some 1.8 million people became infected with HIV in 2016. That estimate is 39 percent lower than the number of newly-infected people in the late 1990s. In African countries south of the Sahara Desert, new HIV infections have fallen by 48 percent since 2000. However, the report notes that new HIV infections in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have risen by 60 percent since 2010. In addition, AIDS-related deaths have increased by 27 percent. Even with the tools we have, Fauci does not see an end to the AIDS pandemic without an HIV vaccine. Several years ago, researchers tested an experimental AIDS vaccine in Thailand. That vaccine was 31 percent effective. By comparison, the measles vaccine protects up to 99 percent of those who get vaccinated. Fauci told VOA he is not sure if scientists can develop an AIDS vaccine that would be as effective. But he adds that even a vaccine with 50 or 60 percent effectiveness combined with other measures "could turn around the trajectory of the epidemic and essentially end it as we know it." Another vaccine trial is taking place in South Africa. The results will not be available until 2019 at the earliest, and there is no way of telling if that vaccine will be good enough to help end AIDS. For now, testing, anti-AIDS drugs, and changes in behavior are three tools to limit the spread of AIDS, according to UNAIDS. Behavioral change includes limiting the number of sexual partners, using clean needles and syringes, and using condoms during sexual activity. Both Fauci and UNAIDS say ending AIDS is up to the world community – and how much effort and money it is willing to use toward the goal. I'm John Russell. Carol Pearson reported on this story for VOANews.com. John Russell adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   pandemic – n. a situation in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area according – adv. as stated by or in detectable – adj. capable of being discovered or noticed transmit – v. to cause (a virus or disease) to be given to others medication – n. a substance used in treating disease or easing pain prescription – n. written directions for use of a medicine trajectory – n. the curved path along which something (such as a rocket) moves through the air or through space -- often used figuratively to describe a process of change or development that leads toward a particular result needle – n. a very thin, pointed steel tube that is pushed through the skin so that something (such as a drug) can be put into your body or so that blood or other fluids can be taken from it condom – n. a thin rubber covering that a man wears during sex to prevent a woman from becoming pregnant or to prevent the spread of diseases

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From Monkeys to Potatoes: Common But Strange Expressions

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November 30, 2017

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

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A Traditional Holiday Look for This White House

Thursday night, President Donald Trump and his wife Melania will light America’s national Christmas tree in a park near the White House. A crowd will gather around the tree for the lighting ceremony. Many Americans also are planning to visit the White House in the coming weeks to see its decorations for the holiday season. “The decorations are up!” Melania Trump tweeted Monday morning. “@WhiteHouse is ready to celebrate! Wishing you a Merry Christmas & joyous holiday season!” The theme for the White House decorations this year is “Time-Honored Traditions.” Traditional Christmas wreaths are hanging outside every window of the White House, the official home of presidents, in Washington, D.C. On top of each wreath is a bright red bow. Inside the building, visitors find a hallway lined with long, snow-white tree branches and shining lights. That hall leads to a tree with the Trump family’s official Christmas ornament. The gold-colored metal decoration shows the presidential coat of arms surrounded by a wreath of holly.   ​On Monday, first lady Melania Trump welcomed students from a military base in Maryland to see the White House. They also got to make a few holiday decorations with her. “Are you the first lady?” asked one little boy, who then moved in for a hug. Classmates quickly followed for hugs of their own. Ballet dancers performed at the White House as part of the official start of the holiday season. The first lady wore a white dress and gold-toned shoes for the event. The dancers looked similar to those at the first themed Christmas at the White House in 1961. At that time, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy had dancers performing to Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s famous “Nutcracker Suite.” ​“Surprise,” Melania Trump said on Tuesday, as she later entered the Red Room, where children were working on Christmas decorations. “So you want to show me how to do it?” she asked after sitting at a table with four students. A boy showed her how to make them. Nearby was the Trump family Christmas card, along with cards from past presidents. “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” says the Trumps' card, signed by the president, the first lady and Barron Trump, their 11-year-old son. That greeting is a change from the years when Barack Obama and his family were living in the White House. During his presidency, the cards offered more inclusive messages, such as “Season’s Greetings” or wishes for happy holidays. Donald Trump has promised to put “Christmas” back at the center of the winter holidays. During his presidential campaign, he argued that saying “Happy Holidays” was a way of “chipping away at Christianity.” Among the Christmas decorations this year is a 5.5-by-1.8-meter Balsam fir from Wisconsin. The tree occupies the center of the White House’s Blue Room. Decorations representing every state and U.S. territory hang from its branches. A separate tree near the East Wing entrance honors military families who lost loved ones. In the State Dining Room, a 160-kilogram gingerbread house offers a view of the White House from its South Lawn. Candy-covered wreaths hang from every window and a U.S. flag flies from its sugary housetop. Jennifer Pickens, an expert on White House traditions, predicted that this year's window wreaths will become a tradition for future first ladies. More than 150 volunteers from 29 states spent 1,600 hours over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend getting the White House ready for the holidays. The White House said Melania Trump chose every detail of the design. The holiday celebrations began Monday with a party for the volunteer decorators. Receptions and parties — sometimes two a day — will continue for the next several weeks. More than 25,000 people are expected to visit the White House over the next few weeks. Plenty of food is ready and waiting for them. Workers have baked 31,000 cookies, including 15,000 sugar cookies. Many of those are expected to go home with visitors. I'm Pete Musto. The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   decoration - n.something that is added to something else to make it more attractive​ wreath - n. an arrangement of leaves or flowers in the shape of a circle that is worn or placed as a sign of honor or victory​ ornament - n. a small, fancy object that is put on something else to make it more attractive​ bow - n.  a knot that is made by tying a ribbon or string into two or more loops and that is used for tying shoelaces or for decoration​ hug - n. the act of putting your arms around someone or something as a way of showing love or friendship​ chipping away - expression to slowly make something weaker, smaller, or less effective. ​ gingerbread - n. a cake or cookie made with molasses and ginger — often used before another noun​

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Facebook Uses Artificial Intelligence to Fight Suicide

  Facebook says it has successfully tested a computer program that can help keep users from taking their own lives. The social media network now says it will expand the use of the pattern recognition software to other countries. Facebook began testing the software in the United States in March. The software is considered an example of artificial intelligence. In February, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a statement that artificial intelligence could be used to help keep people safe. The software scans messages on Facebook for comments that could be signs that a person intends to harm themselves. Facebook has not released any of the technical details about the program. But, the company did say that it looks for phrases such as “Are you ok?” and “Can I help?”   If the software finds the signs it is looking for, it alerts a team of Facebook workers who specialize in dealing with such reports. The system suggests resources to the user or to friends of the person such as a telephone help line. Facebook workers sometimes call local officials to take action. Facebook said it tries to have specialists available at any hour to call officials in local languages. Guy Rosen is Facebook’s vice president for product management. He posted a description of the program on the Facebook website on Monday. He said the company was expanding use of the software because the tests were successful. He said first responders checked on people more than 100 times after Facebook’s software raised alarms. Reuters reported that Rosen said, “Speed really matters. We have to get help in real time.” An answer to live video incidents Facebook started to use the new software after the launch of live video broadcasting in 2016. A number of incidents took place in which people were live broadcasting violent acts including suicides and murders. In May, the company said it would hire 3,000 people to monitor video and other content. Rosen did not say where Facebook would use the software outside the U.S. He said, in time, it would be used around the world except in the European Union where privacy laws would likely place limits on its use. Google is another technology company that tries to prevent suicides by monitoring users. The Google search engine will show a hot line telephone number if certain searches are made. Facebook uses information from its users to target advertising. The company has not announced in the past that it scans messages for harmful behavior. However, the company says it does look for suspicious comments between children and adult sex criminals. Facebook says sometimes it contacts officials when it finds targeted discussions. Ryan Calo is a law professor at the University of Washington. He says scanning people’s discussions is harder to justify in other situations. Calo said, “Once you open the door, you might wonder what other kinds of things we would be looking for.” Rosen declined to comment about whether Facebook is considering pattern recognition software to fight non-sex related crimes. The company announced that it was using technology and other resources to help save lives on September 7, World Suicide Prevention day. I’m Mario Ritter.   Mario Ritter wrote this story for VOA Learning English with information from Reuters and Facebook. Hai Do was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   pattern –n. something that takes place in a repeated and identifiable way software –n. a computer program, digital instructions that tell a computer or machine to do something artificial intelligence –n. the ability of computers to copy human behavior such as making recommendations or decisions scan –v. processing digital information such as messages or pictures to look for something check on –v. to make sure nothing is wrong with something or someone monitor –v. watch for signs of some activity We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Young Students Plant, Harvest, Learn about Farm Life

  For students at The Farm School in Hamilton, Virginia, the classroom is outside – every day. Jaclyn Jenkins is a founder of the school. "The number one question immediately we get from parents is 'What happens if it rains?' And we say, 'Bring an extra pair of clothes!'” Jenkins adds that “We still educate them. They also get energy. Their brains are working, when they're moving. So, our goal is to always be outside." The Farm School is a preschool -- a place for three- and four-year-olds to learn and play. Teacher Alison Huff has taught at other schools. She says The Farm School gives its students more of a hands-on learning experience. For example, children use pumpkins to learn about colors and counting. They learn about measurements by planting seeds 30 centimeters apart. Huff says “We can use everything a regular preschool uses, but out in the garden.” In addition to planting vegetables and fruits, youngsters help prepare food and clean up afterward. The school teaches the children to cook using the food they have grown. “They can see the benefits of what they have in the garden and taste it then instead of going to the grocery store and buying it," Huff says. The preschoolers also learn words in languages other than English. Huff speaks in both English and Spanish. Her assistant speaks French and Arabic. She adds that a 3-year-old in her class speaks four different languages. Farm animals are also an important part of the education program. Jaclyn Jenkins says the youngsters learn about a different animal every month. Two months ago, she says, that animal was a cow. "We do actually have a cow that we bring to the school. They get to see what the cow is like, and we learn what cows eat. We use little gloves and they pretend to actually milk a cow. They make butter. We make yogurt.” The children spent another month with a large bird -- a turkey. The idea for a school like this started after Jenkins and her husband Kenny bought a farm in Hamilton, with a late 18th-century house on the property. They called it "One Day Farm," because years earlier they had hoped that ‘one day’ they would have a farm. Kenny Jenkins explains. "Jac and I have been together since we were seniors in high school. And we always said one day we'll have an old house and a small farm. This was a goal, that once we reached retirement that we would find this farm. And we weren’t looking to move, and were not looking to purchase a farm. It just popped up on the internet. We came and looked at this place and we didn’t want to leave…” Family and friends started to visit to learn about farming and to see the animals. "That's when it started, the spark of a farm school," Jaclyn said. The Jenkins believe children need a school like The Farm School instead of learning from electronic devices. Courtney Williams liked the idea, so she asked the school to admit her 3-year-old son Ken as a student. "For me, it’s the best of all worlds. He is learning to count, his colors, all the things to keep him competitive in this education competition, but he gets to be a kid. He gets to jump in puddles. And he gets to try to climb trees and run and roll down hills. And he is able to get experience some things that because I work and because my husband works, that we're not able to give it at home...” The children come home with new experiences, new knowledge and sometimes a few vegetables. The Farm School wants to teach the entire family and bring the natural world great back into the classroom. I'm Susan Shand   Faiza Elmasry reported this story for VOANews.com. Susan Shand adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   pumpkin – n. a large, round, orange vegetable used as food and sometimes as a decoration — often used before another noun garden – n. a piece of ground where fruits, flowers or vegetables are grown benefit – n. something that produces good effects of results spark – v. to set off or incite activity puddle – n. a small amount of water or mud on the ground

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Scientists Watch Robotic Fish, Plants Acting 'Naturally'

  Scientists are using robotic devices to study the health of waters in and around Venice, Italy. The robots are designed to act like fish, other underwater creatures and plants. The scientists are working with several universities and research centers as part of a group called subCULTron. The European Union gives money to the project as part of its Horizon 2020 program. The aim of Horizon 2020 is to "take great ideas from the lab to the market" and support world-class science and innovation in Europe. Francesco Barbariol is with the Institute for Marine Sciences in Venice. He says the goal is to use the artificial intelligence of the robots to help humans understand what is happening under the water of the Venice lagoon. "SubCULTron is a collective artificial intelligence project whose aim is to create the biggest shoal of robot fish in the world. The aim of the project is to improve knowledge of the seabed, and, from a technological point of view, to try to transfer human abilities to hi-tech items." The robot swarm As part of the project, the scientists created three kinds of robots: the aMussel, the aFish and the aPad. An aMussel sits on the bottom of the sea and gathers information about the plants, bacteria, and animals around it. It also collects information from the other robots and helps them communicate with each other. An aPad floats on top of the water like a lily pad. It communicates with people about the ships on the water and gets information from satellites orbiting the Earth. The aFish moves around between the aPads and aMussels. It explores the water and shares information with the aMussels and aPads. Together, the robots form a swarm, like a group of bees going about their jobs, or birds moving together as one in the sky. As the robots work together, they appear to be learning to organize themselves in the same way living things do. Alexandre Campo is a computer scientist at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. He says the scientists looked at the way animals learn to work in groups to understand how robots can learn to work together. The subCULTron project wants its robots to learn to work together so they can watch for changes and new problems in the water. Overcoming problems underwater One problem the researchers had in the beginning was how the robots would communicate with each other. Wi-Fi and GPS equipment do not work underwater. Instead, the robots can use sonar and an electric field. Thomas Schmickl is a biologist at the University of Graz in Austria. He says the robots cannot see in the water because it is not clear. So, they act like some fish in South America and Africa. The electric field the robots send out lets them sense what is near them and react to it. Another problem was charging batteries. The robots come up to the water's surface and can charge by staying near a boat or a power station to charge without any electrical cables. The water is not clear, but it is getting better. Fabrizio Bernardi Aubry is with the Institute for Marine Sciences. He says, "The health status of the lagoon is pretty good. There are no industrial polluters, and the city now has a modern sewer system. It's not like before when all the sewers flushed directly in the water." Other projects in Europe use robots to watch water quality. The robots in Venice will continue their work until 2019. The subCULTron project hopes they develop into "an artificial society underneath the water-surface" that serves "a human society above the water." I'm Jill Robbins.   Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Her story was based on reports from VOANews.com, CBS News and other sources. George Grow was the editor. What do you think of these robot fish? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   lagoon - n. an area of sea water that is separated from the ocean by a reef or sandbar shoal - n. a large group or number of fish lily pad - n. a large, floating leaf of a plant (called a water lily) that grows in the water of a pond or pool swarm - n. a very large number of things moving together society - n. the people of a particular country, area, time, etc., thought of especially as an organized community innovation – n. an intention; a new method or device artificial intelligence – n. the power of a machine to copy intelligent human behavior sonar – n. a communications and position-finding device used in underwater operations battery – n. a device able to provide electrical current sewer – n. a pipe or underground system used to carry away waste products and liquids  

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Turkey, Iran Sign Trade Deal with Qatar

Turkish and Iranian ministers have signed an agreement with Qatar aimed at increasing the flow of goods to the Gulf state. Qatar faces trade restrictions from its Middle Eastern neighbors, including Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government has said it wants to punish Qatar for its ties with Iran and suspected links to terrorist groups. Turkey, however, has increased cooperation with Iran on some issues, especially those connected to the conflict in Syria. For example, both Turkey and Iran oppose the formation of an independent Kurdish state. AFP reports that the agreement signed Sunday is meant to increase commercial ties and the movement of goods between Turkey, Iran and Qatar. Turkey increasing ties with Iran Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Russian and Iranian leaders increasingly would meet to discuss Syria. Some experts say that Turkey’s growing ties with Iran show there is disagreement with the Saudis. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has strengthened Saudi Arabia’s efforts to influence its neighbors in the Middle East. Huseyin Bagci is an international relations professor at the Middle Eastern Technical University in Ankara. He said, “Prince Salman has more aspiration(s) in the region, even to cooperate with Israel and Egypt.” He said that Saudi diplomatic efforts have acted to reduce Turkey’s influence. Some experts say that Saudi Arabia’s increased foreign relations efforts have been especially hard for President Erdogan. For more than 15 years, he has sought to build ties with the Saudis in an effort to expand his country’s influence in the Middle East. But the overthrow of Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi in July of 2013 weakened those efforts. Morsi had been a close ally of Erdogan. Many in Turkey blame the Saudi government for supporting the Egyptian military’s move to seize power. Morsi is currently in jail serving a life sentence for supporting violence against protesters opposed to his presidency. Turkey and Saudi Arabia now compete in some cases for influence in Middle East issues. But, Turkey also has strong economic ties to Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are big investors in Turkey and are the top foreign buyer of homes in the country. Saudi economic links also reduce Turkey’s dependence on Europe for foreign investment. I’m Mario Ritter.   Dorian Jones reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English with materials from AFP. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   commercial –adj. related to business activities, activities done for money aspiration –n. something that a person wants to do very much region –n. a separate area of a country or the world We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Trump Threatens ‘Major Sanctions’ after N. Korea Missile Launch

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened “major sanctions” against North Korea after it tested a missile capable of reaching much of the United States. Trump wrote on Twitter that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about North Korea’s latest missile launch. He said that “additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today.” U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States has “a long list of additional potential sanctions, some of which involve potential financial institutions.” North Korean state media reported that the intercontinental ballistic missile is capable of striking the “whole mainland” of the U.S. The missile could be armed with a “super-large heavy nuclear warhead.” The missile was launched at 3:17 a.m. on Wednesday from North Korea – or early Tuesday afternoon in Washington, D.C. It reached a height of 4,475 kilometers and traveled 950 kilometers before landing in the Sea of Japan. State media reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared that his country has achieved its goal of becoming a “rocket power.” After the launch, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the missile test “went higher, frankly, than any previous shot they have taken.” He added North Korea is continuing to build missiles that can “threaten everywhere in the world.” American scientist David Wright has been following North Korea’s missile and nuclear program. He wrote a blog post about the missile test for the Union for Concerned Scientists. “Such a missile would have more than enough range to reach Washington, D.C., and in fact any part of the continental United States,” Wright said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said he is concerned that North Korea’s missile threat could force the U.S. to attack the North. Moon said at an emergency meeting in Seoul, “We must stop a situation where North Korea miscalculates and threatens us with nuclear weapons or where the United States considers a preemptive strike.” Moon has repeatedly said the U.S. cannot attack the North without Seoul’s approval. But the U.S. may act without South Korean input. The North Korean missile test came a week after the U.S. added the country back to a list of countries supporting terrorism. The White House said Wednesday that in his call with President Xi Jinping, Trump spoke about the need for China to urge North Korea to “end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization.” China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said Xi told Trump that China remained determined to clear the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons and to keep peace and stability in Northeast Asia.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on AP news reports. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   impose - v. to force someone to accept potential - adj. possible preemptive - adj. done to stop an unwanted act by another group, country, etc., from happening

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Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad, India

More than 1,000 entrepreneurs or business owners and operators are in Hyderabad, India this week for the 8th annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit. The central idea this year is women and business.

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NBC Dismisses Matt Lauer Over Reports of Sexual Abuse

This is What’s Trending Today… The American television network NBC has dismissed Matt Lauer, a star of its morning news program, after someone accused him of sexual abuse. Lauer is the latest well-known American man to be brought down by abuse accusations in recent weeks. Lauer, who is 59, worked on NBC’s “Today" show for 20 years. He became the second morning show host in recent days to lose his job over reports of sexual wrongdoing. Last week, CBS News dismissed morning host Charlie Rose after several women who worked for him complained about his behavior. NBC News chairman Andy Lack said in a statement that the network received on Monday a “detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer.” Lack added that the company had reason to believe that more accusations against Lauer may follow. “Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie was joined by colleague Hoda Kotb as she reported on Lauer’s dismissal Wednesday morning. Guthrie read Lack’s statement. She also told television viewers she was “heartbroken” for Lauer and for, in her words, “the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story.” The allegations involve an NBC employee who says Lauer abused her while both were working at the Sochi Olympics in 2014. The woman said the abuse continued after Sochi. Lauer is the latest famous man to face allegations of sexual abuse. The list includes President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, entertainer Bill Cosby, and more recently, film producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey and news media leaders. More than 15 women have accused Trump of sexual harassment or worse. The president has called the accusations “fake news” both on Twitter and in other statements. On Wednesday, Trump wrote about Lauer's dismissal on Twitter. He wrote, "Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for 'inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.' But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack’s past!" NBC News did not answer questions connected to Trump's tweet. And that’s What’s Trending Today.   The Associated Press and VOA News reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver and George Grow were the editors.  _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   host - n. a person who talks to guests on a television or radio show complaint - n. a formal charge saying that someone has done something wrong colleague- n. a person who works with you: a fellow worker inappropriate- adj.  not right or suited for some purpose or situation allegations- n. a statement saying that someone has done something wrong or illegal entertainer- n. a person (such as a singer, an actor, or a comedian) who entertains other people accuse- v. to blame (someone) for something wrong or illegal: to say that someone is guilty of a fault or crime harassment - n. repeatedly unwanted interactions 

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November 29, 2017

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

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North Korea Fires Another ICBM

  North Korea launched a missile Tuesday that went down in the Sea of Japan about 370 nautical kilometers from the Japanese coast. American officials say it was an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM. They say it traveled higher, farther and longer than any earlier North Korean test missile. President Donald Trump spoke about the launch during a meeting with congressional leaders at the White House. He said the United States, in his words, “will take care of it.” He told reporters, “It’s a situation that we will handle.” He did not offer any details. U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis also spoke at the meeting. He said North Korea is continuing to build missiles that can “threaten everywhere in the world.” U.S. Defense Department spokesman Rob Manning said the ICBM launched from Sain Ni in North Korea. It traveled about 1,000 kilometers, he said. South Korean military officials said the missile reached the height of around 4,500 kilometers. South Korea’s military answered the launch minutes later with its own missile test. Japan’s defense minister estimated that the missile flew for about 50 minutes. The launch is North Korea’s first since it fired an intermediate range missile over Japan on September 15. David Wright is a physicist at the Union for Concerned Scientists. He told the Associated Press that the missile appeared to be North Korea’s longest-range test yet. He said the missile could go as far as 13,000 kilometers if it had not flown at a lofted angle. The ICBM launch came a week after the United States added North Korea back to the list of countries supporting terrorism. North Korea called that move a “serious provocation” that gives good reason for its development of nuclear weapons. I’m Caty Weaver.   Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English with additional AP news reports. Caty Weaver was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   intermediate range - n. ballistic missile with a range of 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers lofted angle - n. the degree of launch angle to set a missile's path provocation - n. an action that causes someone to be come angry or to do something

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November 28, 2017

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

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Grow Your Vocabulary by Learning Root Words

  English has been called one the most difficult languages for non-native speakers to learn. One reason is that English has so many rules – and almost as many exceptions of those rules! Sometimes, this leaves learners confused. For example, the order of words in a sentence can be tricky. Another reason English is hard to learn is that the pronunciation of its words cannot always be predicted by their spelling. For example, there are at least six ways to pronounce the group of letters spelled o-u-g-h. And, maybe the worst thing of all is that there are many idioms, or expressions, in English. You could say we use idioms like they're going out of style. So, it is comforting to know that learning root words can help a non-native speaker use English. A root word is the most basic form of a word. Root words can help you to break down large, new words into smaller units to discover their meanings. Learning just one root word can help you understand several words in English. So, by learning just 20 or 30 root words, you can expand your English vocabulary to include hundreds of new words. A root can be any part of a word that carries meaning: the beginning, middle or end. Prefixes, bases, and suffixes are types of roots. The prefix appears at the beginning of a word, the base in the middle and the suffix at the end. Most English root words came from the Greek and Latin languages. Building vocabulary through root words One useful method for building vocabulary through root words is to first look at a base word and then look for familiar prefixes and suffixes that go with that base. Let's try an example: the base word “struct-.” It comes from the Latin word meaning “build.” Any English word you hear containing “struct-”*  will relate to building, developing or creating something. By itself, “struct” is not a word, but it is the basis for more than 30 words in English. For example, the word “construct” is a verb that means “to build.” The prefix “con” means “together” or “with.” So, "construct" means to put things together to build or create something. Adding suffixes to “struct-” creates additional words. For example, adding “-ion” in English makes verbs into nouns. When we add "-ion" to “construct," we get "construction," which means the process, or act, of building something. Adding the suffix “-ing” to “construct” makes “constructing.” That is the gerund form and has a similar meaning as the noun "construction." Adding the suffix “-ive” to make “constructive” gives us the adjective form, and means helpful in developing or improving something. Now, let's build onto “constructive." Adding the suffix “ly” to "constructive" gives us the word “constructively” and produces an adverb. It means doing something in a way that is helpful. There are many other words that the base word “struct” produces. For instance, “destruction” is the opposite of “construction.” "Destruction" is the act of taking apart or damaging something that was built. "Instruction" means the act of building knowledge and has a similar meaning to the gerund "teaching." And, just like with "construct," you can add many suffixes to "destruct" or "instruct" to get several more words. The suffixes may include -ion, -ing, -ive, ing+ly or -ive+ly. So, you see, by knowing just one root word – “struct-” – you can get a better idea of the meaning of at least 15 words in English. A few other common root words include “bio" meaning life, “auto” meaning self, “pro” meaning before or in favor of, and “tele” meaning distance. Surely, you recognize some of these roots. So, choose one or two and write in the comments section all of the words you can think of that come from them. Join us again soon when we will discuss suffixes and prefixes. Learning common roots, prefixes and suffixes will help you become an expert in deconstructing the meanings of English words and constructing a strong vocabulary. I'm Jill Robbins And I’m Alice Bryant.   Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   confuse – v. to make someone uncertain or unable to understand something spell – v. to say, write or print the letters of a word or name idiom – n. an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but that has a meaning of its own like it's going out of style – idiom. done in a way that is much more than people normally do comforting – adj. a state or situation in which you are relaxed and do not have any physically unpleasant feelings unit – n. a single thing, person, or group that is a part of something larger vocabulary – n. the words that make up a language   10 Common Root Words Root Meaning bio- life auto- self phon- sound tele- distance, far geo- earth photo- light vac- empty scrib-, script- write vis-, vid- see port- carry sens-, sent- feel   *The root words "struct-" and "stru-" mean "build."

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'Complicit' Is Dictionary.com's Word of the Year

  Every year, language researchers and dictionary publishers choose a "Word of the Year." The word often reflects the news or social media trends during the year. The American Dialect Society started the practice in 1991. This year, Dictionary.com selected the word "complicit" as its word of the year. The online dictionary site chooses its Word of the Year based on the number of people who look up the word's meaning. Overall, there were 300 percent more people looking up the word “complicit” in 2017 than there were in 2016. Before you run to look up the word, too, we will let you know that Dictionary.com says complicit means "choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others." Staying silent about crimes is being complicit Jane Solomon is an editor at Dictionary.com. She told The Associated Press that there were many discussions in 2017 about people in power and the people around them who stayed silent about crimes they may have seen. “This year a conversation that keeps on surfacing is what exactly it means to be complicit,” she said. “Complicit has sprung up in conversations about those who speak out against powerful figures in institutions, and those who stay silent.” Interest in "complicit" began with a satire video on Saturday Night Live, a weekly television comedy. The video shows a fake commercial for a perfume designed by Ivanka Trump, a daughter of the United States President Donald Trump. The name of the perfume is "Complicit." A voice in the video explains, “She’s beautiful, she’s powerful, she’s complicit.” The satire tries to connect Ms. Trump with accusations that people in her father's election campaign broke laws. About a month later, Ivanka Trump appeared on a morning news television program and said, “I don’t know what it means to be complicit.” Since she did not explain, more people looked up the word. Senator says he will not be complicit On October 24, Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake announced from the Senate floor that he would not try to win another term in the Senate. He criticized President Trump and asked other members of his party not to silently support the president.   “I have children and grandchildren to answer to, and so, Mr. President, I will not be complicit,” Flake said. Solomon says that another reason for the increase in look-ups for "complicit" is the accusations of sexual harassment against movie producer Harvey Weinstein. Some of Weinstein's associates say that they knew about the accusations years earlier, but were afraid to say anything about it publicly. More words of the year to come Keep your eyes open for more "Word of the Year" awards coming up in December and January. We will help you to add those words to your vocabulary in English, too. I'm Jill Robbins. Here is the Saturday Night Live Video: Ivanka Trump's Complicit Cologne Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English based on an AP report. Hai Do was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   scandal - n. an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong complicit - adj. helping to commit a crime or do wrong in some way institution - n. an established organization satire – n. humor that shows the weaknesses or bad qualities of a person, government, or society fake - adj. meant to look real or genuine but not real or genuine harass - v. to annoy or bother (someone) in a constant or repeated way

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Bangladesh to House Rohingya in Flood-Prone Island

Bangladesh has approved a plan to temporarily house 100,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in neighboring Myanmar. The plan would put the refugees on Bhashan Char, an island in the Bay of Bengal that floods frequently. Bangladesh’s government approved the plan on Tuesday to develop the island, despite criticism from humanitarian workers. They have said the island is nearly uninhabitable. The decision came days after Bangladesh completed talks to start returning the Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. Planning Minister Mustafa Kamal said it would take time to return the refugees. In the meantime, Bangladesh needs a place to house them. The project to house refugees on the island would be complete by 2019, he said. “Many people are living in dire conditions,” he said. He described the rising number of refugees as “a threat to both security and the environment.” A plan to develop the island and use it to house refugees was first proposed in 2015. The island regularly floods between the months of June and September. That is monsoon season for the area. It is two hours by boat from the nearest settlement. When the sea is calm, pirates sail around nearby waters and kidnap fishermen for ransom. More than 620,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since the military in mostly Buddhist Myanmar launched a severe counter-insurgency operation against them. The operation across Rakhine state followed attacks by Rohingya militants on an army base and police posts. Meanwhile, Pope Francis said the future of Myanmar depends on respecting the rights of each ethnic group. But he did not use the word “Rohingya” in his speech to civilian leaders of the country. Myanmar’s Catholic Church has asked the Pope to avoid saying “Rohingya,” because doing so could lead to strong reaction against the small Catholic community in the Buddhist-majority country. Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingya as citizens. The Pope plans to visit Bangladesh on Thursday. His visit does not include a visit to a refugee camp. But he is expected to meet with a small group of Rohingya in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. I'm Ashley Thompson.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on Reuters news report. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   uninhabitable - adj. not safe or suitable to live in dire - adj. very bad ransom - n. money that is paid in order to free someone who has been captured or kidnapped counter-insurgency - n. action by an army against people who fight the government

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Television Star Leads Honduras Presidential Vote

Early results in the Honduran presidential election show that a television host has a surprise lead over the country’s current leader. But both candidates are claiming victory after Sunday’s voting. With 58 percent of the votes counted, Salvador Nasralla had 45.17 percent of the vote and President Juan Orlando Hernandez had 40.21 percent. “I am the new president-elect of Honduras,” Nasralla wrote on Twitter after the results were announced. Hernandez said in a brief statement that he had won. He asked supporters to wait for vote counts to come in from rural areas, where he has greater support. The country’s election court said it will wait until all the votes are counted to release the results later in the week. A close result could lead to further tensions in Honduras, which has suffered years of severe gang crime and drug wars. Hernandez has been credited with lowering a high murder rate, increasing economic growth and cutting the deficit since he took office in 2014. But he has also been accused of connections to illegal financing. His opponents also claim that he is plotting a power grab. Hernandez’s attempt to win a second presidential term was divisive in Honduras. The country is still dealing with the effects from a 2009 coup. Former President Jose Manuel Zelaya was ousted after proposing a vote on lifting term limits. Zelaya was at Nasralla’s side on Monday morning. Many people believe that the former president may be a major beneficiary if Nasralla wins. A U.S. official said he did not think Hernandez would now be able to catch Nasralla in the vote count. He called this “a real stress test for Honduras’ democratic institutions and the leadership and character of its political figures.” The United States views Hernandez as a reliable ally in handling drug trafficking, gangs and migration. The U.S. has longstanding military ties to Honduras and few among current Central American leaders. Nasralla has not suggested he would reduce security cooperation with the United States. But U.S. officials do not trust his links to Zelaya. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Gabriel Stargardter and Gustavo Palencia wrote this story for Reuters. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   beneficiary – n. a person, organization, etc., that is helped by something; someone or something that benefits from something  

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Asian Countries Improve Economic Ties While Ignoring Other Issues

  Asian nations are ignoring human rights issues to focus on trade and investment, some experts say. They say this is causing problems for Western countries that want to increase trade but also protect human rights. The fastest-growing economies are in Asia. About 4.5 billion people live on the continent. Asian leaders rarely criticize other Asian governments for situations within their own borders. Such situations include the campaign against illegal drugs in the Philippines and the conflict between Myanmar’s leaders and ethnic Rohingya. Recently in Manila, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met with representatives of eight governments, including the United States and China. The delegates did not talk about domestic problems in any of the countries. Human rights groups had urged the delegates for such discussion. Daniel Chua is the deputy head of graduate studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He says he thinks Asian countries do not mix economic projects with domestic issues or human rights. Such non-interference permits governments to focus on trade alone. But, citizens of Western countries often pressure their leaders to link human rights, labor problems or environmental issues with trade. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and President Donald Trump met at the ASEAN meeting. A Duterte spokesman says Trump did not talk about reports that Philippine police have killed thousands of people in the campaign against illegal drugs. Duterte has criticized world leaders who have talked about the campaign, including former President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Jayant Menon is chief economist at the Asian Development Bank. He says Asian countries do not need “deep” free-trade agreements, or FTAs, that would deal with labor and pollution issues. He says a World Trade Organization study shows that, in his words, “Asian FTAs in general are a bit more shallow than other FTAs...because they (Asian countries) are not as big as Europe or North America. To sustain themselves, they need to look outside their borders for most of their trade and investment.” When Asian leaders make trade deals with one another, such as investment in infrastructure projects, they do not include pro-labor or environmental agreements. Western governments often require such agreements as part of trade deals. At the ASEAN meetings, a joint statement was released on a planned ASEAN-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to be signed next year. The trade agreement would involve 16 countries including China and India and half of the world’s population. The statement discusses trade and economic issues but not labor, the environment or human rights. ASEAN represents 630 million people and four countries whose economies are predicted to grow more than 6 percent this year. It has trade agreements with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. In Manila, ASEAN and the United States said they would increase cooperation. I’m Caty Weaver.   Correspondent Ralph Jennings reported this story from Taipei. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver 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 focus - v. to direct your attention or effort at something shallow - adj. smaller sustain - v. to provide what is needed    

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UN: Yemen Is 'Worst Place on Earth to Be a Child'

Ships carrying food aid arrived in Yemen last weekend. The Reuters news agency reported that a ship carrying about 6,000 tons of flour was given permission to stop at the Yemeni port of Hodeida. The United Nations’ World Food Program said about 27,000 tons of wheat arrived on Sunday at the Red Sea port of Saleef. The port is under the control of forces opposed to Yemen’s government. The aid shipments arrived after Saudi Arabia and its allies eased a nearly three-week long blockade. Yet aid agencies say millions of people, including many children, are at risk of death from starvation in Yemen. Many at risk of death Geert Cappelaere is with the UN Children's Fund,or UNICEF. He says Yemen is one of the worst places on Earth to be a child. He is urging all sides involved in the conflict to not block the shipment of humanitarian aid. Cappelaere is UNICEF’s Middle East director. He said that more than 11 million Yemeni children are in need of humanitarian assistance. He said that number includes almost every single boy and girl in the country. He estimated that every 10 minutes, a Yemeni child is dying from a preventable disease.   "I reiterate my plea to everyone with a heart for children, indeed not to prevent us from delivering what is urgently needed and massively needed." Cappelaere noted that aircraft carrying 1.9 million doses of vaccines landed Saturday at Sana’a International Airport. Those vaccines are designed to protect from the diseases diphtheria, tuberculosis and meningitis. The UNICEF official told reporters on Sunday that far more supplies are needed. "Yesterday was just a very small step. It is a very tiny step, it may sound huge - 1.9 million doses of vaccine, but there are many more millions of vaccines needed, if we want to prevent that there will be a break in the routine immunization in the country, there are many more supplies needed." Aid prevented by the blockade About seven million people are at risk of starvation in Yemen. Their survival depends on international assistance. But a Saudi-led coalition blocked off land, sea and air travel to Yemen on November 6 after a missile attack on Riyadh. The Saudis stopped the missile attack. The government blames Iran for the attack and for arming the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Iran’s government denies the accusations.  Last week, the Saudi-led coalition promised to ease the blockade on the Sana’a airport and Hodeida. A U.N. official said close to 5,000 children have been killed or injured since the start of a Saudi-led campaign in support of the Yemeni government in 2015. Two and a half million people have fled the violence. Mohammed Khadeesh is one of about 120 people living in a camp in Yemen’s south.  "The Houthis were firing from the north of our place and the resistance from the south, shooting towards us and flying over us.  We fled and arrived here with our children two months ago. And for the past two months, we haven't received anything: no mattresses, no aid, nothing." The displacement and the blockade have worsened the crisis. Urgent humanitarian need includes water pumps to help control the spread of cholera and fuel needed to transport supplies. Zlatica Hoke and Kenneth Schwartz reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted theirs for Learning English. ­­­George Grow was the editor. How do you think aid should be delivered to countries in conflict? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   dose - n. the amount of a medicine, drug, or vitamin that is taken at one time immunization - n. a vaccine to prevent infection by a disease  

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The Autistic Child: 'Different, Not Less'

  From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. One in every 160 children worldwide has some form for autism spectrum disorder, also called ASD. This estimate comes from the United Nations’ World Health Organization. The National Institutes of Health in the United States says the term ASD is the name “for a group of developmental disorders.” It includes a wide mix of symptoms, skills and levels of disability. People with ASD often have: social problems that include difficulty communicating and interacting with other people; repetitive behaviors, as well as limited interests or activities; symptoms that are often recognized in the first two years of life; symptoms that hurt the individual’s ability to deal with others socially, at school or work, or in other areas of life. Experts at the National Institutes of Health also explain that ASD begins in childhood and usually continues into adulthood. In order to make the best decisions for an autistic child, parents must sort through a large amount of clinical research. Even with all that information, there are many unanswered questions about the causes of ASD and how to treat it. Betsy Fields is a mother of two sons with autism. She plans each day with them down to the minute. Even a short walk is a rare chance to think and gather strength to continue raising two boys considered "special" or "different" by society.  Fields says her boys may be different from other people, but they are no less important. This is the idea behind a book called “Different, Not Less.” The writer is a woman who has autism. "Different, Not Less" is a saying from a really famous autistic woman, Temple Grandin. She became famous because of autism and that’s one of her sayings in her book – "different, not less.” In both of her sons, Fields discovered they had autism when they were two years old. For her first child, Hunter, doctors gave her hope. They thought a delay in his ability to speak resulted from the fact that Hunter was learning two languages -- English and Spanish -- at the same time. "He had some signs of autism but not all of them. Like, he didn’t line up things; his eye contact was good; he was happy. It didn’t seem like it was autism. It seemed like more of a delay. And then with my other son, I kind of knew what to look for. Even though you know it’s there, you are like, ‘Oh my gosh, how are you going to deal with it?’" In the United States, millions of parents face the same question. Researchers estimate that in the U.S. one in 68 children has autism. Boys are more likely than girls to have ASD. Many states employ therapeutic and inclusion experts in public school systems. They work with children with ASD, and help them to become part of the school community. Kryss Lacovaro is one such expert. She says that the symptoms of autism can differ greatly from person to person. Lacovaro notes that many people with autism have difficulty communicating with others.   “The communication is difficult. Socialization is difficult. So, those are the most typical things about individuals with autism, but again the characteristics can really range. You and I right now are hearing each other. An individual with autism might hear this light that’s on. They might hear the rotating of that camera and the fan that’s on, and me shaking my foot sometimes and someone walking out there -- all at the same noise level. That’s got to be very overwhelming." Betsy Fields says she does not want her children to attend too many after school therapy programs. She told VOA they get all the development classes they need within the school.   "Just because they're autistic, I do not think that we should stop living. We go swimming. I try to get them involved with that...do typical things of what other kids do." Today in the United States, most children with autism study in schools with other children. Depending on their abilities, an autistic child attends special needs classes or traditional classes with other children.   Betsy Fields says she is happy with the quality of education. Her sons study with other neighborhood children at the local public school. John Donvan wrote the book, “In a Different Key: The Story of Autism.” He says there is no simple solution for treating autism and the causes of the disorder remain unclear. He adds that for many parents, the most important thing is to not try to change a child. It is important to accept the child as he or she is. “Parents I know who have had children with autism for a long time have usually reached a point where they have accepted who their child is as that child is. When the children are younger a lot of them -- it's not that they don't recognize it, although some don't want to go for a diagnosis, they're scared to. It’s more that they say 'I'm going to save my child from this.' It really does change a parents' life. Not every parent wants their life to be changed right away. But in time, I've seen many come to accept it." Fields calls these years the most difficult in her life. But her rule as a parent of autistic sons is to never compare them to others. She says she accepts them as they are. And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo.   Anush Avetisyan reported this story for VOANews.com. Anna Matteo adapted it for Learning English. George Grow edited it.  ______________________________________________________________ Quiz Now, test your understanding by taking this short quiz. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   symptom – n. a change in the body or mind which indicates that a disease is present interact – v. to act upon one another repetitive – adj. happening again and again : repeated many times therapeutic – adj. of or relating to the treatment of illness typical – adj. normal for a person, thing, or group : average or usual range – n. a sequence, series, or scale between limits diagnosis – n. the act of identifying a disease from its signs and symptoms

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Pope Meets Myanmar’s Military Chief

Pope Francis met Monday with Myanmar’s military chief before the official start of his visit to the Southeast Asian country. The Vatican did not provide many details of the Pope’s 15-minute “courtesy visit” with General Min Aung Hlaing. The general oversees security in Rakhine state, where the military has conducted so-called “clearance operations” against Rohingya Muslims. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said the Pope and the general “spoke of the great responsibility of the authorities of the country in this moment of transition.” The meeting took place in the residence of Cardinal Charles Bo, the archbishop of Yangon. He has resisted international pressure to condemn Myanmar’s military operations against the Rohingya as “ethnic cleansing.” After the meeting, the general's office said in a statement on Facebook “Myanmar has no religious discrimination at all.” It also said the military “performs for the peace and stability of the country.” The meeting was originally planned for Wednesday, after the Pope’s scheduled meeting with the country’s civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The Vatican did not say why the meeting took place earlier than planned. Myanmar’s Catholic Church has publicly urged the Pope to avoid using the term “Rohingya” because the group is not a recognized minority in the country. The Pope’s spokesman did not say if the Pope used the term in his meeting with the general. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church, however, has previously prayed for the Rohingya Muslims, calling them his "brothers and sisters.” He has also spoken out against violence in Rakhine state. Pope Francis’s visit was planned before the latest wave of violence in August, in which a group of Rohingya militants attacked security positions in Rakhine. Myanmar’s military responded with brutal attacks that resulted in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh. More than 620,000 Rohingya have since fled to Bangladesh, the next stop on the Pope’s Asian trip. The Pope’s schedule does not include a visit to a refugee camp. But he is expected to meet with a small group of Rohingya in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. I'm Jonathan Evans.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on VOA and AP news reports. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   courtesy - adj. done to be polite clearance - n. the act or process of removing (people)  

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South Korea Looks to Compete with China in the Philippines

  Development projects in the Philippines may increase competition between South Korea and China. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is seeking partners to develop his country which is in need of improved roads, ports and railways to attract investment. South Korean President Moon Jae-in appealed to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this month at its meeting in Manila. He told members, including The Philippines, that his country was “the best partner to share the experience” of economic growth. South Korea is offering to help with technology projects, railways, clean energy development and water management. The Philippines wants to attract development assistance. Since Duterte took office last year, the country has increasingly turned to China. China promised $24 billion in aid in October of 2016. Earlier this month, China and the Philippines signed 14 economic cooperation agreements including one on railways. In October, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced $8.8 billion in economic support. South Korea does not want to lose ground in the Southeast Asian nation of more than 100 million people. Herman Kraft is with the University of the Philippines Diliman. He says that the United States, Japan and South Korea traditionally have worked together in the region. “I think one of the things that Korea might actually be concerned about right now is of course, in a similar groove with Japan, they’d like to make sure that the Philippines doesn’t just turn around in terms of its relationship with the United States.” Duterte improved relations with China last year. He eased tensions with China after about four years of disputes related to territory in the South China Sea. China claims almost all of the South China Sea as its territory. The Philippines claims many land formations and islands in the eastern part of the sea. At the same time, Duterte appeared to seek less American support of his country’s armed forces. Korea extends aid to The Philippines This month, local media reported that South Korea offered $1.7 billion in credit and financial aid to help the Philippines. The money, the report said, was aimed at developing transportation and energy projects.   Duterte is seeking $167 billion to build public infrastructure, such as roads, rail lines, ports and power centers. But The Philippines needs foreign investment. Manila’s seaport, for example, is crowded. Electricity costs in the country are high for the region. Also, the Philippines has few railways to link cities on its larger islands. The Philippine National Economic and Development Authority keeps records of development aid in the country. The agency says that South Korea provided more than $600 million dollars in aid to the Philippines in 2013. Song Seng Wun is an economist specializing in Southeast Asia with the internet banking group CIMB in Singapore. He said South Korea wants its aid efforts to lift its national “brand.” Chinese brands could become competitors in the Philippine market where South Korean electronic household machines and other products are popular. Consumer spending is an increasingly important part of the Philippine economy which grew 6.9 percent in 2016. The total value of trade between South Korea and the Philippines increased from $10 billion in 2011 to $13.4 billion in 2014. South Korean leaders hope to increase ties with Southeast Asian countries to avoid investing too much in China. Problems with over-investing in China became clear earlier this year. South Korean companies faced boycotts and other problems in China and the number of Chinese travelers dropped sharply. The trade difficulties took place as South Korea permitted the U.S. to deploy the missile defense system known as THAAD. South Korea and the U.S. have said the system is to guard against missile attacks from North Korea. But China, strongly opposes deployment of the system on the Korean Peninsula. Jonathan Ravelas is a market expert with Banco de Oro UniBank in Manila. He says The Philippines probably welcomes the help from South Korea as a way to diversify economic support without angering anyone. I’m Mario Ritter.   Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   region –n. a large, separate area of the world or a country groove –n. a ways of doing things or a way of thought brand –n. something, like a product, that is easily recognizable and causes people to seek it out diversify –v. to make something more diverse, to increase the number of possibilities available We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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November 27, 2017

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

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Prince Harry to Marry American Actress Meghan Markle

  This is What’s Trending Today… Britain's Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle are getting married. Harry's father, Prince Charles, made the announcement in a statement Monday. It read: "His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle." The statement said the wedding will take place next spring. It added that Harry, who is 33, and Markle, who is 36, became engaged in London earlier this month. Markle is best-known for her work in the television show Suits. She is also a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada, which campaigns for better education, food and health care for children around the world. Along with her humanitarian work, she is known for campaigning for gender equality. Markle was married to film producer Trevor Engleson from 2011 to 2013. Markle's parents released a statement, saying "We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry. Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents." Harry’s brother, Prince William, and his wife Kate welcomed Markle to the royal family. They said in a statement, “We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together.” Prince Harry will become the first member of the British royal family to marry an American actor. The prince and Markle briefly appeared before photographers Monday at Kensington Palace. Harry said he was “thrilled” and said details about how he asked Markle to marry him will come out later. When asked if the proposal was romantic, he answered, “of course it was!” Markle said she was “so happy” and wore her new engagement ring for the first time in public. ​ The ring includes two diamonds that belonged to Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, who died in 1997. Royal officials say Prince Harry designed the ring himself. The diamonds from his late mother’s collection sit on either side of a diamond from Botswana. The prince has visited the African country many times, and has spent time there with Markle. And that's What's Trending Today.  VOA News and the Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   wedding - n. a ceremony at which two people are married to each other engaged - adj. promised to be married incredibly- adv. extremely good, great, or large joy  - n.  a feeling of great happiness royal - adj.  of or relating to a king or queen thrilled- adj.  very excited and happy romantic - adj.  making someone think of love  

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Prince Harry to Marry American Actress Meghan Markle

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Jimmy Carter: Outsider

  VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. Today we are talking about Jimmy Carter. His given name was James, but he liked to be called Jimmy. Carter was elected president in 1976. Until he campaigned for the office, few Americans knew who he was. But Carter said his lack of experience with the federal government made him the best candidate. After witnessing years of problems in the White House, many voters appeared to agree with him. However, Carter’s inexperience also became a problem. Some of the issues he faced were complex and, at times, they seemed overwhelming. After only one term, Carter failed to get re-elected. But in time, his public image improved. His years after leaving the White House are generally considered more successful than his time in office. Early life Jimmy Carter was born in the southern state of Georgia. He was the oldest of four children. His father was a businessman. His mother was a nurse. The family owned a store, as well as a peanut farm and warehouse. Although the businesses did well, Jimmy Carter grew up very modestly. His family’s house did not have electricity or running water. But he was hardworking and wanted to be successful. As a boy, he saved enough money to buy four houses. He earned more money by renting them to other people. He also decided to attend college at the United States Naval Academy. And in time, he did so. Carter was an excellent student. And he became a fine Naval officer. As a midshipman, Carter worked on one of the country’s first nuclear submarines. He later taught nuclear engineering to other crewmembers.  But Carter’s promising career in the Navy ended after only seven years. His father was dying. And the family farm was in trouble. Carter, his wife, Rosalynn, and their three sons, decided to return to Georgia and try to save it. The first years back on the farm were difficult. But in time, the business became successful again. Carter began to turn his attention to other issues. He became involved in his church, local school, hospitals and libraries. When he had a chance to compete for a position in the state senate, he took it. As a politician, Carter developed an image as an independent thinker who tried to save the government money. He also acted and spoke strongly against racial discrimination. In Georgia at the time, many voters did not agree with Carter’s support of racial equality. In 1966, even his own Democratic Party did not choose him to be its candidate to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate. So Carter began campaigning for the office of state governor instead. In 1970, he was elected. As Georgia's governor, Carter was known as a social and political reformer. However, historian Robert Strong notes that Carter did not always work well with others in his party. Strong teaches at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He writes that some Georgia lawmakers believed Carter was “arrogant.” He could appear to think he was morally right, and they were morally wrong.  Carter’s difficulty in getting along with other officials proved to be one of the problems he would later face. But in the presidential election of 1976, many Americans seemed to like this quality. The little-known governor from Georgia defeated the sitting president, Gerald Ford. Carter won, in part, by saying that he was different than other politicians. He was, he said, a Washington outsider. Then suddenly, Carter was the biggest insider of all: the American president. Presidency One of the things Carter wanted to do was change the image of the president. Earlier leaders, such as Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson, had increased the power of the presidency. Nixon had also been shown to be dishonest, and resigned from office. Carter promised never to lie to the American people. And on the day of his swearing-in as president, he purposefully tried to keep things simple. He walked to the White House from the U.S. Capitol building instead of riding in the back of an automobile. His wife, Rosalynn, wore clothes that she had worn in public before. The National First Ladies’ Library notes that her choice of clothing sent a message of "an old American value of thrift – or respecting money, and not spending it needlessly.” What she wore was meaningful because the country was going through difficult economic times. The Carters wanted to show that the new government would work to cut costs. They also wanted to show that they were there to help the American people, not enjoy the powers of the White House. But in the end, the Carter administration received poor ratings in surveys of public opinion. President Carter had trouble dealing with U.S. lawmakers, even when his party was in control of Congress. One result was that Carter could not advance many of his ideas for legislation. He appeared ineffective. Many historians point out that, in fact, Carter had a number of successes. He helped reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil. He took steps to make the federal government more efficient, and to improve the environment. He appointed a number of women and racial minorities to top government jobs -- an important move at a time when many were pressing for women’s rights and civil rights. And, in many cases, Carter supported human rights causes, both in the United States and around the world.   But the public generally did not see Carter for his successes. Instead, many Americans blamed him for the country’s economic problems. Some also disliked the way he spoke to them. In one speech, Carter blamed the country’s troubles on what he called a crisis of confidence. Some listeners were offended. He also decided that the U.S. would not attend the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. The move was meant to punish the Soviet Union for its involvement in Afghanistan. But many Americans believed the move mostly hurt young American Olympians.  The administration also faced other problems. The president was never accused of wrongdoing. But other high-level officials were. So was the president’s brother, Billy. As a result, Jimmy Carter’s public image for honesty suffered.  Then came the Iran hostage crisis. Iran hostage crisis The conflict between the United States and Iran had a long history. One part involved the Shah of Iran. The U.S. government had supported his rise to power, partly because American interests wanted to control Iran’s oil. But the Shah severely abused his power. Many Iranians resisted. Some wanted a leader who would more closely obey Islamic teachings. In 1979, under pressure from those Iranians and others, the Shah fled the country. By now, he was suffering from cancer. So, as a humanitarian act, President Carter permitted the Shah to come to the United States for medical treatment. The move made many Iranians angry. In protest, a group of students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran, the capital of Iran. They took 90 people, including 66 Americans, hostage. Carter worked hard to get the hostages released. He tried diplomatic negotiations and economic restrictions. But his efforts did not work. Finally, he tried a secret military operation. He sent eight helicopters and a team of special forces to enter the embassy and rescue the hostages. But that operation failed, too. The weather was bad. Three of the helicopters crashed. Eight Americans were killed. And the public’s approval of Jimmy Carter dropped even more. After 444 days, the remaining hostages were released. In exchange, the U.S. government agreed to end some of its economic sanctions against Iran and promised not to interfere in the country’s affairs. None of the hostages had been seriously hurt. But the crisis was the final blow to Carter’s presidency. A few months before they were released, his effort to seek re-election failed. Legacy As president, Carter did not meet the high expectations he had set for himself. And he faced some unusually difficult situations. His presidency also suffered from his problems communicating effectively with Congress, the media, and the American people. But his four years as president did leave several marks on the office. For one, he showed that the U.S. president could help other nations and sides resolve their disputes. Carter’s best-known success as president was his help negotiating the Camp David Accords. The accords were a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. Carter led the talks at Camp David in Maryland. Carter’s efforts to protect human rights overseas also influenced the foreign policy of later presidents. In time, his work as a defender of human rights has become his most important legacy. Several years after leaving the presidency, he founded the Carter Presidential Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The center “seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.”  In addition to his work there, Carter has helped build houses for people who need them, written books, and negotiated with world leaders to take steps toward peace. In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.   Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Listening Quiz See how well you understand the story by taking this listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer. ​ ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story overwhelming - adj. something that is so confusing or difficult that you feel unable to do it nurse - n. a person who is trained to care for sick or injured people rent - v. to allow someone to use (something) in return for payment advance - v.  to move forward confidence - n. a feeling or belief that someone or something is good or has the ability to succeed at something

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