Black Canyon National Park

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Marijuana Growers Turn to Hemp to Fight Oversupply

  Some countries ban possession and use of the drug marijuana, but it is legal in parts of the United States. Nine states and Washington, D.C. have measures legalizing recreational uses of marijuana. The drug is approved for medical purposes in a total of 29 states. But in Oregon, an oversupply of marijuana has driven down prices of the drug. This has led some worried growers to start moving towards to another product – the hemp plant -- to keep their businesses profitable. Marijuana comes from the dried leaves and flowers of the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plant. Hemp is another kind of cannabis. It does not have the same intoxicating effects as the widely known drug. Hemp contains less than 0.3 percent of THC, the substance that gives marijuana its powerful effect. Growing industrial hemp is legal under federal law, and the plant can be sold for use in things like cloth, food, seed and building materials. In Oregon, the number of requests for permission to grow hemp is 20 time what is was in 2015. That makes Oregon second only to Colorado among the 19 states with active hemp farming. The changing market comes at the same time as demand is rising for a chemical that comes from hemp. That chemical is cannabidiol, or CBD, which some people see as good for human health. In its purer form, CBD oil can sell for thousands of dollars per kilogram. Farmers can make more than $100,000 on less than half a hectare of land by growing hemp to produce it. That purified substance can also be made into crystallized particles. Jerrad McCord grows marijuana in southern Oregon. He just added 5 hectares of hemp to his land. He told the Associated Press that many people see it as a new way to get rich quickly. “This is a business,” he said. “You’ve got to adapt, and you’ve got to be a problem-solver.” But there is a problem few people predicted when Oregon voters approved a measure to legalize marijuana four years ago. The state’s climate is perfect for growing marijuana, and growers produce unusually large crops. And under state law, none of it can leave Oregon. That, combined with a decision to not limit the number of permits for growers, has created an oversupply. The total amount of marijuana stored in Oregon is shocking for a state its size. Many people smoke the flower of the plant, and there are nearly 450,000 kilograms of usable flower in the state. There is an additional 159,000 kilograms of other forms of marijuana, including products one can eat or drink. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission supervises the state’s marijuana industry. The commission says some of the flower is used in specialty products, like oils, which have increased in popularity. But the agency cannot say how much. A detailed study of the market is currently taking place.   Falling marijuana prices The price for a single gram of marijuana has fallen about 50 percent since 2015, from around $14 to around $7. That information comes from the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. Growers and sellers alike have felt the effect. Trey Willison changed his farming business from marijuana to hemp this season. Now, he says, he is considering destroying some of his crops instead of selling them at low prices. “Whoever would have thought we’d get to the point of destroying pounds of marijuana?” Willison said. This difficult choice is driving more of Oregon’s marijuana growers towards hemp. The crop is already popular in states like Colorado and Kentucky, and gets a lot of attention in the cannabis industry. In Oregon, the number of government permits to grow hemp rose from 12 in 2015 to 353 by early May 2018. And the state is now second nationwide in terms of approved, licensed hectares. Colorado is the U.S. leader in hemp production. It and Washington were the first states to widely legalize marijuana. Both have seen prices drop for marijuana, but not as much as in Oregon.   Growing interest in CBD In Oregon, people are increasingly interested in the gold-colored oil CBD. Its popularity has risen sharply among self-described cannabis experts and is quickly being seen as normal by the general public. At least 50 percent of hemp nationwide is being grown for CBD extraction. And Oregon is riding the top of that wave, said Eric Steenstra. He is the president of Vote Hemp, an independent organization that fights for pro-hemp laws. “There are a lot of growers who already have experience growing cannabis, and when you’re growing for CBD, there are a lot of the same techniques that you use for growing marijuana,” he said. CBD is appearing in everything, from beauty products to bottled water to animal food. Supporters say CBD offers a number of healing effects, from easing pain to calming nerves. However, scientists warn that there have been few wide-reaching studies of how CBD affects humans. That is mostly because the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration still considers cannabidiol a Schedule 1 drug -- meaning it is illegal to buy or sell. And the government requires special approval to study it. Ziva Cooper is an associate professor of clinical neurobiology at Columbia University in New York. She is investigating the possible medical effects of cannabis and cannabinoids. Cooper says small studies involving animals have shown CBD could be helpful in treating pain, drug dependency and other conditions. Next month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could approve the first medicine made from CBD. It is used to treat people with epilepsy. I’m Lucija Milonig. And I’m Pete Musto.   Gillian Flaccus reported on this story for the Associated Press. Pete Musto adapted her report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Is marijuana use permitted in your country? How should your country react to the marijuana industry? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ QUIZ ​______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   recreational – adj. used for pleasure instead of for medical purposes intoxicating – adj. causing someone to be unable to think and behave normally crystallized – adj. change into a solid form that is made up of small pieces of a substance that has many sides and are formed when the substance turns into a solid adapt – v. to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation licensed – adj. having official permission to have or do something extraction – n. the act or process of getting a substance from something by the use of a machine or chemicals techniques – n. ways of doing something by using special knowledge or skill clinical – adj. relating to or based on work done with real patients

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News Literacy Introduction: News Through Time

Today we are at the Newseum in Washington D.C. – where the history of free expression is explained and defended. The first printing presses arrived in the United States in the mid-1600s, marking an important step in the history of America’s free press. A free press is important in democratic society. It allows citizens to speak freely and criticize the country's leaders without fear. Some journalists have even lost their lives for that right. But, it can also lead to news that is false. Last year, a fake news story about a Washington pizza restaurant went viral, causing a gunman to open fire at the business. One of the most common terms we hear today is “fake news.” The public and politicians use it to talk about the news reports they do not think are accurate. While people have paid much attention to the term in recent years, the problem is not new. False news reports have been around since modern journalism started. Today, information moves around us in many forms, every hour of every day. Even if we do not seek out news on our own, we often receive it anyway, instantly, on our phones. So how can we manage this mountain of information so that fake news does not mislead us? We believe this requires news literacy. News literacy is the ability to use critical thinking skills to judge news reports. Are they credible? Can you rely on the reports to be true? We use real media examples to teach useful skills and methods to recognize journalism over other kinds of information. We examine the differences between facts and what people report in the media as truth. The course provides tools to identify real and reliable news sources. And, it demonstrates ways to separate news from opinion. Professors at Stony Brook University in New York created the News Literacy education program. We will share it with you in simple English on VOA Learning English. The need for news literacy is possibly greater now than ever before. Learning this important skill can give us the power to take full control of our own search for the truth. Because as we’ve seen many times before, some news presented as truth can actually turn out to be completely false.   This lesson is based on the News Literacy course at the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University. For more information on how to become a news literate citizen, go to https://ift.tt/2IxTmfC _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fake - adj. not true or real accurate - adj. free from mistakes or errors mislead - v. to cause someone to believe something that is not true consumers - n. people who buy things media - n. television, newspapers and other sources of information reliable - adj. able to be trusted to do what is necessary  

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Australia Increases Efforts to Protect Koalas

  Koalas are officially listed as at risk of disappearing in New South Wales, Australia. Now, the state’s government has $34-million plan to protect the beloved animals. Koalas have large, hairy ears. They have especially sharp claws, which help them climb trees. They are marsupials, meaning they carry their babies in an opening of skin on the mother’s stomach. The animals are native to Australia, and are described in many Aboriginal stories of creation. Over the last 20 years, the koala population in New South Wales has fallen by 25 percent. About 36,000 koalas remain. The animals’ numbers have fallen in other parts of Australia, too. As part of its plan, the government of New South Wales is setting aside nearly 25,000 hectares of forest where koalas will be able to breed freely. It will also add more signs to help car drivers avoid koalas that walk into roadways. And, the state will build specially made bridges so that koalas and other wildlife can cross roads while avoiding cars and trucks. Koalas face several threats, including loss of habitat due to land-clearing, dog attacks and heatwaves. A sexually transmitted disease – chlamydia – is also harming koalas’ health. Gabrielle Upton is the environment minister of New South Wales.  She told VOA about her state’s plan to set up a group of wildlife hospitals to treat injured and sick koalas. She also said researchers are testing a vaccine that would protect the koalas against chlamydia. A new koala hospital will open in Port Stephens, north of Sydney. It will join an already existing hospital in the New South Wales town of Port Macquarie, which began treating injured marsupials in the 1970s. Conservationists have welcomed the idea of opening a second hospital. However, they argue that the government's multi-million dollar plan does not deal with the number-one threat to koalas: land-clearing. Koala live in trees. They are herbivores, and need forest environments to survive. I’m Susan Shand.    This story was reported by Phil Mercer for VOA News. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   claw – n. a sharp curved part on the toe of an animal Aboriginal – n. native people of Australia habitat – n. the place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or grows breed – v. to produce young animals, birds, etc. : to produce offspring by sexual reproduction transmit – v. to cause (a virus, disease, etc.) to be given to others herbivore - n. an animal that only eats plants  

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Lack of Guest Workers Worries Maryland Crab Businesses

  Olivia Rubio is a seasonal worker on Hooper’s Island in the eastern state of Maryland. She does the difficult work of processing crabs, picking the meat from the sharp shells by hand and putting it into containers. The valuable seafood is sold across the United States East Coast and beyond. Hooper’s Island is among a group of thinly populated islands in the Chesapeake Bay. The bay is one of the world’s largest estuaries and a busy center for seafood production. Seafood harvesting and processing is what Hooper’s Island is known for. Maryland crab meat producers have used temporary workers there since the 1980s. These “guest” workers live and are employed in the U.S. for only part of the year. Many American industries depend on these foreign workers. Rubio has been coming to the island for 15 years from Mexico on an H2-B visa. “We have the opportunity to come here to work and support our family, help our children move forward, and support our parents. It’s good,” Rubio said. Rubio can live and work in the U.S. during the warmer months, when there is work, and return to her home country in the winter. She is happy to have received a visa for this year, but wonders about next year. In 2018, the Trump administration gave out some H-2B visas using a lottery system. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration services, the agency that supervises the visa program, said there was a higher demand this year. “I hope there are visas to be able to come back and do the work again,” said Rubio. Rubio works for G.W. Hall & Son Seafood. The company needed 40 visas, but only got 30 for guest workers. Robin Hall is co-owner of the company. “I don’t know what we would do or the whole area would do without them. I mean from the stores to…I don’t know how to describe it because of the impact that they have. They keep it all moving.” There are about 20 licensed crab processing businesses in Maryland. They employ 500 foreign workers. Representative Andy Harris represents Hooper’s Island in Congress. He has asked the Departments of Homeland Security and Labor for extra guest worker visas. He said the limit for H-2B visas was reached in January. That has left many businesses unable to get seasonal workers. Harris said these workers support “thousands of related jobs held by American citizens.” From October 2017 to September of 2018, there were 66,000 H-2B visas available for non-agricultural industries. However, Congress could raise that number. Businesses worry over lack of workers Russell Hall Seafood also is on Hooper’s Island. But its crab containers are empty. The kitchen is unused and there are no workers to be found. Harry Phillips is with Russell Hall Seafood. He said the company needed 50 visas, but received none. He said, “It never was this way before. We’ve done this for 25 years and no doubt some year it’s been slow getting workers, but we’ve always got them.” Phillips says he advertised for jobs in local newspapers. “We have to actually advertise in newspapers before we’re allowed to even apply for the H-2B program workers.” Phillips said no local people have applied. He does not like the lottery system. “That’s a big gamble. I mean, we can’t run our business at a gamble, whether we’re going to get our workers or not,” he said. AE Phillips and Son also is not operating. The company, established in 1914, is part of the Phillips Seafood restaurant chain. Morgan Tolley is the company’s general manager. He said he is worried about 2019. Tolley says the H-2B visa should not be linked to other immigration issues. “Speaking for the H-2B program, which is a non-immigrant work visa, to me personally, that has nothing to do with immigration. It’s a non-immigrant work visa. These people take tremendous pride in the fact that they can come here to the United States and work and go home, and they’re proud of that right that they have earned.” Robin Hall has about 75 percent of the workers he needs. But he said he wishes all the local companies had workers. He told VOA that people living on the island are mostly retired and there are almost no local workers. The concern whether there will be enough workers to process the good-sized catch of crabs expected for Maryland this year. I’m Mario Ritter.   Aline Barros reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   estuaries –n. areas were fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the sea lottery –n. a system of deciding something by chance opportunity –n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done impact –n. an important influence allow –v. to let happen, to permit apply –v. to formally ask for something, usually by filling out a form gamble –n. a situation that is uncertain, a chance manager –n.  someone who is in charge of a business, department, etc. tremendous –adj. very much, to a great extent We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Kite-Flying Gives a Lift to People of All Ages

  When Americans Kay and Larry Day found a store selling kites nearly 20 years ago, they decided to buy a few kites for their family. For fun, Larry bought one for himself. “He went out and flew it and decided he needed to go back and get a better one,” Kay remembered. Since then, she and her husband have loved kite flying. They own many kites and plan trips around flying them. They also organize a kite-flying event each winter in their hometown in Iowa. “I’m at peace when I’m flying,” said Larry. Kite-flying has a long history as an activity for adults and children. The custom of flying a piece of cloth high in the sky began more than 2,000 years ago in China. Since then, kites have been used to do scientific experiments, power boats, take pictures from the air and much more. “There is a kind of a kite for everybody out there,” said Nic O’Neill, president of the American Kitefliers Association. O’Neill told the Associated Press that kite flying can be done alone or with friends and family. Kites appeal to people who like to create works of art to fly in the sky; to engineers who try to improve on the kite’s design; and to those who like to combine kite-flying with music, she explained. “The best thing about it is you can come at it from different points in your life and have it be a completely different experience,” she said. Grant Lovett began flying simple kites as a child, but moved on to more costly and complex kites as an adult. Among the latter is a nearly 13-meter long inflatable kite. Today, Lovett likes making his own kites. He builds them from strong, lightweight materials and products designed for sailboats. “I’ve always been interested in stuff that flies,” he said. Lovett likes taking his creations to public events and sharing them with others. He attends kite-making classes and looks for new models on the internet. “I don’t make tons and tons of the same thing,” he said. “I like making new kites, finding new designs.” Lovett makes kites of different shapes and sizes because flying conditions can differ greatly. Flying kites requires skill, but also a little artistry, he noted. Experience makes a difference, as does the weather. “Part of the reason I love kiting is that you have to risk trying and not succeeding. The best way to learn is to go out, undo the string and let your kite fly,” O’Neill said. Ideally, you want a nice steady wind and a place away from trees and buildings, O’Neill said. Sometimes the best flying conditions happen in winter — on a frozen lake, said Kay Day, who with her husband organizes the Color the Wind Kite Festival. It takes place every February on Clear Lake in Iowa. The festival adds color to the winter sky and gives people a reason to go outside, she added. The Days invite expert fliers to come share their love for kites with locals and visitors. This year, more than 100 children attended a kite-making class. “Kiters are a really good group of people. It’s a family,” said Larry Day. The kiting community makes everyone feel welcome, said PV Nguyen of Portland, Oregon. She says her two children started flying kites about three years ago after attending a kite festival. “The kite fliers we know want to teach the kids everything they can,” she said. “They like that there’s a new generation coming up.” Her sons, Dylan, and Cardin, fly with kiters of all ages. “I do enjoy seeing different people,” Dylan said. The 13-year-old also likes the happy feelings that he experiences when his kite moves through the sky. “It’s really calming,” he said. I'm Susan Shand.   The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted the report for VOA Learning English. The editor was George Grow. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   kite – n. something light that is designed to be flown in the air; a plaything association – n. an organization or group inflatable – adj. able to be filled with gas or air festival – n. a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something steady – adj. firmly fixed; not changing stuff – n. things string - n. a long, thin piece of material that one uses to hang things or connect things together

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Everyday Grammar: I.e. & E.g.

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Lesson 28: For the Birds

Summary Anna looks for birds but finds ice cream trucks. And then she finds...a spy? But, what is he hiding?   Conversation   KELLY: Oh, Anna, there you are! I am so glad we joined the Great City Bird Count! Aren't you? ANNA: No. Today has been a bust … a flop … a bummer! KELLY: I’m sensing a little disappointment. ANNA: A little? KELLY: My official bird-watching form is almost full! ANNA: I've only seen pigeons ... lots and lots of pigeons! But I did write down some other valuable information. KELLY: Did you find a bird's nest?!  ANNA: No. (She shows Kelly a map of ice cream trucks.) ANNA: I found 10 ice cream trucks in this five-block area.​ Their music seems to follow me everywhere. KELLY: We're supposed to be counting birds, not ice cream trucks. This is important scientific work! ANNA: Well, when you want ice cream, my data will be pretty important. KELLY: Anna, birds are everywhere! I’m sure you’ll find something. Use your imagination! But, make sure that you put it on the official form. (Anna walks away with her ice cream truck map.) PROF. BOT: Anna was supposed to find birds, but she didn’t. PROF. BOT: Kelly says, “We're supposed to be counting birds, not ice cream trucks.” To be supposed to means you are expected to do something. PROF. BOT: It’s different from have to and ought to. Have to means you must do something. And ought to means you should do it but you don’t have to. PROF. BOT: Keep watching for have to and ought to! (Anna looks through binoculars but doesn't see birds. She talks to herself.)  ANNA: No birds. Oh wait, there’s another ice cream truck! Anna, focus on birds. Aw, but that truck has my favorite flavor ... banana!  ANNA: That man is in the way. I can’t see the price. I wonder what flavor he's getting. ANNA: Strawberry? He doesn't seem like a strawberry kind of guy. ANNA: In fact, he doesn't seem like an ice cream truck kind of guy. That suit looks expensive. ANNA: Maybe he's a spy! You know what that means: The ice cream truck driver is a spy, too! ANNA: Genius! It’s a perfect disguise. ANNA: What?! The man in the suit left his briefcase at the ice cream truck! ANNA: I was right! He is a spy! And, he just dropped off top-secret information! I ought to do something. Something needs to be done! I need to do something. (Anna runs to the ice cream truck and takes the briefcase.) ANNA: I did it! I took the spy’s briefcase! ANNA: What’s that?! The ice cream truck -- it’s following me! It wants the case back! I have to hide.   (She runs and hides behind a tree.) ANNA: This is my life now -- running, scared, alone. (She runs to another tree.) ANNA: That awful music -- it’s following me everywhere! (The man sees her at the tree.) MAN: Hey! You found my briefcase. ANNA: You caught me! I mean, I caught you! MAN: Well, I just want my briefcase. All my poems are in there. ANNA: Poems? You’re a poet? MAN: Well, I'm a lawyer. But I write poems, too. (Anna gives the man his briefcase.) ANNA: So, you’re not a spy? MAN: You look disappointed. ANNA: No, that’s okay. It’s not your fault. Poems are nice, too. I guess. MAN: Well, would you like me to read my latest one? ANNA: Why not? MAN: On sunny day walks, my hand reaches for ice cream from fragaria. ANNA: I love your poem! MAN: I love ice cream. ANNA: Me too. MAN: What's your favorite flavor? ANNA: Banana. MAN: Well, my favorite flavor is ... ANNA: Strawberry! MAN: How did you know that? ANNA: A little bird told me.   ​ ​New Words binoculars – n. a device that you hold up to your eyes and look through to see things that are far away bird – n. an animal that has wings and is covered with feathers block – n. an area of land surrounded by four streets in a city briefcase – n. a flat case that is used for carrying papers or books data – n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something disguise – n. made to look like something else drop off – phrasal verb. to take someone or something to a place and then leave​ fragaria – n. a flowering plant that bears strawberries genius – adj. in a way that uses remarkable talent or intelligence guy – n. a man (informal) imagination – n. the ability to form a picture in your mind of something that you have not seen or experienced in the way – expression. making it more difficult for a person to do something lawyer – n. a person whose job is to guide and assist people in matters relating to the law A little bird told me – expression. a way of saying that you do not want to reveal who told you something. nest – n. the place where a bird lays its eggs and takes care of its young official – adj. permitted, accepted, or approved by a person or organization that has authority pigeon – n. a gray bird that is common in cities and that has a fat body and short legs price – n. the amount of money that you pay for something or that something costs​ reach – v. to be able to touch, pick up, or grab something by moving or stretching​ sense – v. to understand or be aware of (something) without being told about it or having evidence that it is true strawberry – n. a soft, juicy red fruit that grows on a low plant with white flowers top-secret – adj. kept completely secret by high government officials valuable – adj. very useful or helpful Why not? – expression. used to make a suggestion, or agree to a suggestion    Grammar In past Let's Learn English lessons, you learned about the modal verbs have to and ought to. Today, you learned be supposed to. English learners sometimes confuse them: Be supposed to means to be expected to do something. But, sometimes we use it to say what someone is allowed to do. Examples: “We're supposed to be counting birds, not ice cream trucks.” -Kelly I am supposed to meet someone for lunch at noon. They were not supposed to stay in the store after it closed. Have to has the same meaning as must. In American English, have to is much more common than must. Examples: “I have to hide!” -Anna We have to leave by 9am to catch the tour. What time do you have to be at work? Ought to has the same meaning as should. But, it is less common and more formal. Sometimes, it is used for saying what is probable. Examples: “I ought to hide!” -Anna You ought to visit us for the holiday. The show ought to be done in an hour.    Modal  Form  be supposed to  am/is/are/was/were + supposed to   + simple verb  have to  have to + simple verb  ought to  ought to + simple verb   Expressing Disappointment In friendly situations, we sometimes use informal language to show disappointment.  For example, Anna says, "Today has been a bust...a flop...a bummer!" Bust, flop, and bummer are three informal words that show disappointment. Bust and flop mean a complete failure. A bummer is something unpleasant or disappointing. Examples: I lost my phone. What a bummer! Last night's event was a real bust. The film was so boring. It was a flop. Sometimes, we can tell a person nicely that they did not cause the disappointment.  For example, Anna learns that the man with the briefcase is not a spy. She is disappointed, but says: "No, that’s okay. It’s not your fault."   Writing Practice Now, you try it! 1. Write about something that should or must happen soon in your life or in your city or town. Use be supposed to, have to  and/or ought to.   2. What is something that you or someone else has felt disappointed about? Write a few sentences about it. Use language from today's lesson to show disappointment.  Or, just tell us what you think of the lesson. We'd love to hear from you! Write to us in the comments section below.   Review In today's lesson, you saw examples of grammar from past lessons. Look for sentences in Lesson 28 with:  passive voice present perfect adverb clauses the verb tell Write your findings in the comments section.   Listening Quiz See how well you understand this lesson by taking a listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer.​ ​ ​Free Materials ​ Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. For Teachers Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: be supposed to, have to and ought to Topics: expressing disappointment   Comments Let us know what you think about this lesson. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page.  

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Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Wed

Millions around the world watch the union of British royalty and Hollywood glamour at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, near London, England.

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Crowds Gather for Royal Wedding

Throngs of people are descending on the historic town as well-wishers try to catch a glimpse of the royal couple. Thousands of police officers are mounting one of the biggest security operations in recent years.

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Trump Joins ‘Laurel’ vs. ‘Yanny’ Debate

This is What’s Trending today … The great internet debate over “Laurel” versus “Yanny” continues. Now United States government officials are commenting on the audio recording that is dividing people on social media. Late Thursday, a White House-produced video appeared on the social media service Twitter. In it, President Donald Trump and members of his administration are asked whether they heard the name Laurel or Yanny. “So clearly Laurel” said Ivanka Trump, both an advisor to the president and his daughter. But Mercedes Schlapp, a communication director, disagreed. “Yanny’s the winner; Laurel’s the loser,” she said. White House advisor Kellyanne Conway first used the term “alternative facts” to explain differing opinions about crowd size at Trump’s swearing in ceremony. When asked about what she heard in the audio, Conway said “It’s Laurel. But I could deflect and divert to Yanny if you need me to.” When asked about the social media debate, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckerbee Sanders joked about the news media. Sanders called report of her saying “Laurel” was “fake news”. “All I hear is ‘Yanny,’” she added. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence did not seem to be following the debate. “Who’s Yanny?” he asked. But President Trump had the last word. The video ends with him saying, “I hear covfefe.” Last May, Trump sent out a tweet about “constant negative press covfefe.” His statement was retweeted and liked hundreds of thousands of times before it was removed without explanation.   Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   versus - prep. used to indicate two people, teams, groups, etc. that are fighting or competing against each other alternative - adj. offering or expressing a choice deflect - v. to cause something to change direction divert - v. to change direction fake - adj. not tru or real constant - adj. happening all the time negative - adj. expressing dislike or disapproval

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Lesson 30: Rolling on the River

Summary Anna plans to have a dinner party. She needs to buy seafood, so she goes to the waterfront. She gets a surprise at the fish market. Speaking In this video, learn to say the new words for this lesson. You can also learn about how to use count and noncount nouns. Pronunciation Use this video to learn about the abbreviations for dozen and pounds. Conversation Anna: Hello! Washington, D.C. sits on the Potomac River. This river is important to the history and culture of the city. Today, I am at an outdoor seafood market near the Potomac River. Some say it is the oldest outdoor seafood market in the United States! I am here to buy seafood. Let’s see what they have! Anna: Excuse me. Can you help me? Pete: Sure! What do you need? Anna: Pete!  Pete: Anna! Anna: What are you doing here? Pete: I work here. You know, it’s not easy to be a writer. Anna: Yeah, I heard that. Sorry. Pete: But this job is great. I work outside by the river. And I can eat all the free seafood I want! Anna: That is great, Pete. In fact, I am here to buy some seafood for my dinner party. Pete: You came to the right place. They have the freshest seafood in town. How much money can you spend? Anna: I can only spend $50. Pete: Okay. What do you want? Anna: First, I want to buy some shrimp. Pete: Sure thing. Follow me. How much shrimp do you want? Anna: How much do I need for five people? Pete: (yells to co-worker) Give her a pound of shrimp! Anna: Ok, now I want to buy some crabs. Pete: The crabs here are delicious! They are the best because they come from the nearby Chesapeake Bay! Walk this way. Pete: How many crabs do you want? Anna: I want a dozen crabs. Pete: You should get the larger crabs. They have the most meat. Anna: Then I want a dozen large crabs, please! Pete: Is that everything you need? Anna: Let’s see … I have shrimp and crabs. And a friend is bringing a salad and many ears of corn-on-the-cob. Pete: Is that all the seafood that you need? Anna: Yes. Pete: That’ll be $49.95. Cash or credit? Anna: Credit, please. Pete: Anna, you love to eat seafood. Did you grow up on the water? Anna: No, I didn’t. But I love the water. And I love being on the water. Pete: You know how to sail? Anna: Well … this afternoon I am going on a boat. Pete: You are full of surprises. What kind of boat? Is it a motorboat or a sailboat? Anna: It’s a special boat, Pete. Well, thanks for your help. See you later! Pete: See you, Anna! Wow, Anna’s a sailor! Who knew? Anna: Yes, rivers are important to the history and culture of Washington, D.C. And now I am part of this city’s interesting waterfront culture. Until next time! Writing Where do you buy fresh food? Is there a seafood or vegetable market near where you live? Tell us about it! Try to use some of the words from this lesson, like best, freshest, oldest, spend, money, and larger. Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice using comparative and superlative adjectives with a friend. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Make Inferences . Making inferences means using some information to make a guess. When learning a new language, we often need to guess at the meanings of words or sentences. In this week's video, Pete guesses that Anna grew up on the water.  He says, "Anna, you love to eat seafood. Did you grow on near the water?"  Anna answers, "No, I didn’t. But I love the water. And I love being on the water."  Pete hears that and uses the information to make an inference about Anna. He asks her, "You know how to sail?" Can you find another place in the conversation when Pete makes an inference?  Do you ever make inferences when listening to or reading English? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan  for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ​______________________________________________________________ New Words best - adj. better than all others in quality or value Chesapeake Bay- n. an inlet of the Atlantic, in Maryland and Virginia. It is 200 miles (or 320 km) long; and from 4–40 miles (or 6–64 km) wide. corn-on-the-cob - n. corn when cooked and eaten straight from the cob - the part of corn that the kernels grow on; an ear of corn . crab - n. a sea animal that has a hard shell, eight legs, and two large claws credit - n. money that a bank or business will allow a person to use and then pay back in the future dozen - n. a group of 12 people or things ear - n.  the part of a corn plant on which the seeds grow freshest - adj. the most fresh many - adj. used to refer to a large number of things or people much - adj. large in amount or extent larger - adj. greater in size or amount market - n. a place where products are bought and sold money - n. something (such as coins or bills) used as a way to pay for goods and services and to pay people for their work most - adj. almost all or the majority of motorboat - n. a boat with a motor oldest - adj. having the highest age of a group Potomac River - proper noun. a river flowing from West Virginia to the Chesapeake Bay. It flows between Maryland and Virginia. pound - n. a unit of weight that is equal to 16 ounces or about a half of a kilogram river - n.  a large natural flow of water that crosses an area of land and goes into an ocean or a lake sail - v. to travel on water in a ship or boat sail - n. large piece of strong cloth that is connected to a ship or boat and that is used to catch the wind that moves the ship or boat through the water sailboat - n.  a boat that has a sail sailor - n. a person who works on a boat or ship as part of the crew salad - n.  a mixture of raw green vegetables, such as different types of lettuce, usually combined with other raw vegetables seafood - n. fish and shellfish that live in the ocean and are used for food some - adj.  refers to an unspecified amount or number spend - v. to use money to pay for something water - n. an area of water such as a lake, river, or ocean waterfront - n. the land or the part of a town next to the water of an ocean, river or lake. ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials   Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice using comparative and superlative adjectives. For Teachers ​ See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus:  Comparative and superlative adjectives; Quantitatives (much/many); Count/non-count nouns Topics:  Asking for and making food recommendations; Units of measure & their abbreviations; dollar amounts expressed in numerals; credit/debit payment Learning Strategy: Make Inferences Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Using count and noncount nouns;  Abbreviations for amounts ______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.

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May 14, 2018

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

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Deadly Protests as US Opens Israeli Embassy in Jerusalem

The United States officially moved its Israeli embassy from the city of Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on Monday. The move came as Israeli forces and Palestinians clashed along Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip. More than 50 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more wounded. Within 100 kilometers of the violence, American and Israeli officials gathered in Jerusalem for the opening of the new embassy. Late last year, American President Donald Trump rejected long-standing U.S. policy that placed the embassy in Tel Aviv.  The United States has become the only country with its Israeli diplomatic headquarters in Jerusalem. Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, both advisers to the president, attended the opening ceremonies. Kushner said, “While presidents before him have backed down from their pledge to move the American Embassy once they were in office, this president delivered. Because when President Trump makes a promise, he keeps it.” He added that the Palestinians protesting in Gaza were “part of the problem, and not part of the solution.” Official reaction to the move In a video, the president called moving the U.S. embassy out of Tel Aviv “a long time coming. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel,” he said. Earlier, Trump celebrated the move in a message on Twitter. He wrote, "A great day for Israel!" Israel considers all of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The United Nations, the European Union and Arab leaders rejected the U.S. decision last December to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Now, several Arab leaders have condemned the American government for moving the embassy. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri called the move to Jerusalem an incitement to action. Iran’s foreign minister described it “a day of great shame.” European leaders also objected to the move. British Prime Minister Teresa May said it was “unhelpful” to the goal of peace for the area. French President Emmanuel Macron called the decision “regrettable.” Pope Francis said he could not “silence his concern over the situation. And UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the move “would jeopardize” the chance for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Violence at Gaza border In Gaza, thousands of people protested the new embassy. Some protesters threw rocks and other things across the border. Israel fired on the protesters. They said the shooting was necessary for security. Many businesses and schools in Gaza were closed. Palestinians were not protesting the embassy move alone. Many were also demonstrating to mark the anniversary of what they call the "nakba" or "catastrophe." It was the expulsion or fleeing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation. New Embassy temporarily in existing office The new U.S. embassy is currently housed inside an existing U.S. diplomatic building, while a search begins for new, larger offices. The building sits partly on a piece of land that the U.S. government does not officially recognize as Israeli territory. A U.S. State Department official has said the land is “partly in West Jerusalem,” the part of the city recognized by the United Nations as Israeli territory. The official said the rest is “partly in No Man’s Land,” between the lines established by Israel and Jordan. The two sides established those lines as part of a truce signed on April 23, 1949. A U.N. official describes that land as “occupied territory,” under two agreements: the Fourth Geneva Convention signed in 1949 and 1907’s Hague Convention. The U.N. official agreed to speak with VOA on condition that the official not be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject. The Trump administration has said it takes no position on the exact borders of Jerusalem, but does recognize the city as Israel’s capital. I’m Caty Weaver.   George Grow wrote this story for VOA Learning English. His story was based on reports from VOA’s Ken Bredemeier, Chris Hannas, Heather Murdock and Michael Lipin. Caty Weaver was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   pledge – n. a promise or agreement deliver – v. to provide to someone or something else shame – n. dishonor; a feeling of guilty or sadness for something you have done wrong jeopardize – v. to put at risk catastrophe – n. a terrible event; a complete failure   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Biscayne Islands National Park

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Storms, Nature Uncover Bones on New York’s Island of the Dead

  Storms and tides are uncovering long-hidden human remains on New York’s Hart Island. The island is a place where New Yorkers who have little money when they die have been buried for 150 years. Now, skulls and other bones mark the ground of small piece of land. Pictures of the remains have appeared in news reports for years. So in late April, forensic anthropologists from the city medical examiner’s office visited the island. They collected 174 human bones, which they carefully examined and recorded. Their finds included six skulls, 31 leg bones and many other bones from the head and body. Small red flags marked places along the rocky waterline where remains were found. Carol DiMedio’s grandfather, Luigi Roma, was buried on the island. He died of tuberculosis in 1933. DiMedio told the Associated Press, “When I hear about the erosion, I always think, ‘Are the bones his? Could any of them be his?’” Activists say the bones are a sign that the island has needed improvements for a long time. The United States federal government started a $13.2 million project to repair the erosion that Superstorm Sandy and other storms caused in 2012. But activists want the government to increase the efforts of that project. They also want Hart Island to be turned into a park and historic location, even as it continues to be used as a burial ground. New York City Council member Mark Levine argues that the people buried there should be respected. “These are New Yorkers,” he said. “These are human beings who were largely marginalized and forgotten in life, they were people who died homeless or destitute…And we’re victimizing them again in their final resting place.” About 1 million people are buried on Hart Island. New York City bought the island in 1868. It went on to use the land for a workhouse for troubled young men and a burial place for the poor. Over the years, Hart Island has housed a Civil War prison, an asylum, a tuberculosis hospital, a jail and a missile base. All the while, New York continued shipping bodies there that went unclaimed at the city morgue. The Department of Corrections, the city’s prison system, has run the island for more than 100 years. But the land has never been kept in as good condition as a traditional burial ground. Prisoners dig long holes. Adults go in the ground in wooden boxes, placed on top of one another. Babies are placed in small containers. ​Around 1,000 people are buried there each year. The burials take place in private. Admittance to the island is limited to monthly boat trips that must be requested ahead of time. Only people with loved ones buried on the island are permitted to visit the graves. Others are restricted to a visitors’ area close to where boats arrive. In 2012, Superstorm Sandy’s floodwaters washed away an embankment, which revealed a water storage system dating back to the American Civil War. More recent storms have also eroded the island. Federal work to repair the erosion is set to begin in 2020. Until then, city officials say, an archaeologist will visit at least once a month to remove and bury remains that have been uncovered. Revealed remains have been a problem before. A March 1985 report by the city’s sanitation department found bones spread across the island, including a skull on the beach. Melinda Hunt is an activist and the creator of the Hart Island Project. She has been recording conditions on the island since 1991. On a recent boat trip around the island, she noted the places along its northern side where bones could be seen. “They came to clean this up, but it isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last,” said Hunt. Carol DiMedio said she wishes the uncovered bones would be tested for DNA evidence in order to help other families find loved ones. She had done research since she was young to try to find out where her grandfather was buried. When she finally found the answer, she did not want to tell her sick, aging mother where her father had been laid to rest. “When I found him...I lied and I said he was buried in a beautiful place, with blue water and blue skies and lots of trees and green grass,” DiMedio said. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her there’s this grim place called Hart Island.” I’m Lucia Milonig. And I’m Pete Musto.   Collen Long reported this story for the Associated Press. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. What efforts do think we as a society should take to respect and protect the memories of everyone who dies, no matter how much money they had? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ QUIZ ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tide – n. the regular upward and downward movement of the level of the ocean that is caused by the pull of the Sun and the Moon on the Earth forensic anthropologist – n. a researcher whose job is the examination of human skeletal remains for law enforcement agencies to determine the identity of unidentified bones erosion – n. the gradual destruction of something by natural forces such as water, wind, or ice marginalized – adj. someone who is put or kept in a powerless or unimportant position within a society or group destitute – adj. extremely poor morgue – n. a place where the bodies of dead people are kept until they are buried or cremated embankment – n. a raised bank or wall that is built to carry a roadway or hold back water sanitation – n. the process of keeping places free from dirt, infection, and disease by removing waste, trash and garbage, by cleaning streets grim – adj. unpleasant or shocking to see or think about

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Brown v. Board of Education Helps Launch Civil Rights Movement

Editor's Note: Many ideas that are associated with the United States -- such as free speech, or the separation of church and state -- are clarified by Supreme Court decisions. The Supreme Court also affirms one of the biggest ideas about the United States: that the U.S. is a country of laws, not of men. In other words, the legal system determines the rules everyone plays by. That means if you want to change something in the U.S., you have to change a law or fight for a law. In all the stories we tell in the following cases, someone did just that. A person thought something was not fair and took the argument to court. Over time, the case made its way to the Supreme Court. The justices made a decision about that particular situation -- and at the same time, defined the rules everyone in America lives by.     Brown versus Board of Education is one of the country’s most important cases. It overturned an earlier Supreme Court decision, and it helped launch the civil rights movement.  At the center of the case was a little girl. In the early 1950s, Linda Brown was eight years old. Every day, she had to travel for more than an hour to go to a local public school for black children. At the time, public school systems could legally separate black and white students. The reason related to a Supreme Court decision from 1896. It said that separating people by race was legal, as long as the buildings and equipment were equal.  But the father of young Linda Brown did not think racial segregation was right or fair. He wanted his children to go to the school close to their house, even if the school was for white children. When he tried to register Linda there, school officials said no. So Brown and other activists took action in court against the law. They said schools separated by race could never be equal.  All nine Supreme Court justices agreed. Brown versus Board of Education demanded equal opportunity in public education, and in time led to desegregation in other public places. Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ QUIZ   ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   segregation - n.  the practice or policy of keeping people of different races, religions, etc., separate from each other

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Possible US Citizenship Question Raising Concerns

  Mas Yamashita does not remember when he and his family left their small home in Oakland, California. But he does remember where they went: the Tanforan Assembly Center in San Bruno, California. During World War II, thousands of Japanese-Americans were held there while a more permanent center was built. Yamashita, an American born in California, was one of 120,000 people detained in such camps during the war. "Really, my childhood memories began in the camp," Yamashita says. He was six-years-old at the time and is now 82. Using official population records The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, led to United States involvement in World War II. After the attack, President Franklin Roosevelt approved Executive Order 9066. The order resulted in government action against Japanese descendants living on the U.S. West Coast. They were required to leave their homes and move to 10 recently built camps. These camps were in California and six other states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. To find the descendants, the federal government secretly used information collected in the 1940 U.S. census. The census is an official count of the population. It is completed every 10 years. The next census will be in 2020. It is illegal to release or use any census information to target a specific population or group. But two researchers found evidence that census officials cooperated with the federal government to find Japanese Americans. The two are Margo Anderson, a historian at the University of Wisconsin, and William Seltzer, a statistician at Fordham University in New York. Their papers showed that census officials released information, such as names and street addresses, to the government. David Inoue is head of the Japanese American Citizens League. He told VOA that, “Because of what happened to us, it is now safer to participate in the census without the fear of such action happening again." But Inoue admitted that many people still fear that census records could be used against them. ​A new citizenship question The Japanese experience has become important to new immigrants after the U.S. Census Bureau proposed adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census form.  Asking if someone is a citizen has not been done by the Census Bureau since the 1950s. In addition to collecting information about the population, the census also helps decide the number of representatives each state gets in Congress and how federal money is spent. Critics of a citizenship question say that immigrants will be less likely to answer census questions if they are asked about citizenship. They say this could change how much federal aid their communities get. The Census Bureau agrees. In documents from a 1980 case, Census officials said that adding a citizenship question would threaten the "…accuracy of the population count” because immigrant communities would be concerned about how the government will use the information. The Trump administration rejects this belief. U.S. officials say that asking about citizenship will help enforce the Voting Rights Act by confirming who has the right to vote. “Why do they want that information?” To Mas Yamashita, a citizenship question would be "pretty tragic." "You wonder,” he asked, “why do they want to have that information?” More than 70 years later, it is still painful for Yamashita to talk about his experience in detention camps. "I lost touch [with the children in the camp] after we left. I had photographs of friends that I used to play with." His father wanted him to attend a Japanese school, but instead he tried to stay away from his Japanese culture. "[There] were a couple of [Japanese schools] in the city, but I lied because I didn't want to have anything to do with the Japanese," Yamashita said. "So I didn't go. To this day, I don't speak Japanese. I can't read or write [in Japanese.] Most of the people I know, my age, don't speak or write Japanese. I think we all felt the same way in the sense that we didn't want anything to do with the Japanese culture when we got out," he said. Yamashita remembers having fights in school with students who made fun of him for being different. He also ignored the only other Asian student in his class.  "I didn't talk to her until we reached high school,” he said. Mas Yamashita spent many years working in the advertising industry. Now, he volunteers at the Japanese American National Museum to help "make up" for all the time he avoided the Japanese community. "We have to make sure that we record all these stories. We have to keep telling them to future generations. All of my older sisters and brothers are gone and they never got around to do that," he said. "After we got out, nobody ever talked about it. Nobody," he said. I'm Dorothy Gundy   And I’m Phil Dierking.   Aline Barros reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted her story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Do you think a citizenship question should be included on a country’s Census? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   accuracy - n. freedom from mistake or error​ address - n.  the words and numbers that are used to describe the location of a building and that are written on letters, envelopes, and packages so that they can be mailed to that location​ assembly - n. a group of people who have gathered together​ couple - adj.  two or a few of something​ descendant - n. someone who is related to a person or group of people who lived in the past​ participate - v. to be involved with others in doing something ​ photograph - n. a picture made by a camera​ specific - adj. special or particular

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US Wants One Million People to Share Their DNA

  The U.S. government is now accepting volunteers for a huge new nationwide health project.  The government hopes to find one million people who will share their DNA and 10 years of health patterns. Researchers hope that by studying such a large group of people, they can learn why some people escape illness and others do not.  They also hope to find better ways to prevent and treat diseases. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is organizing the project. It is called the All of Us Research Program.  Dr. Francis Collins is director of the NIH. He describes the program as “a national adventure that is going to transform medical care.” Congress has approved $1.45 billion for the project over the next 10 years. But the money depends on whether enough people around the country will sign up online or through participating health centers. More than 25,000 people have already received early entry to the project over the past year. The volunteers entered the program by invitation through participating universities and health providers. Most of today’s medical care is based on short studies of a few hundred or a few thousand patients with specific health conditions. But the All of Us project involves what is called “precision medicine.” With precision medicine, researchers identify the qualities that make each person different to predict and treat disease. Learning enough to individualize care requires the study of a large number of volunteers. This includes the healthy and not-so-healthy, the young and old, those living in cities and the country, and people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Currently, volunteers must be at least 18 years old. The study will be open to children next year. The All of Us project aims to be the largest and most diverse of its kind. Collins said at least half of the participants must be from groups that are traditionally under-represented in medical research. A person’s genes can increase their risk of getting various diseases. But other factors can increase or reduce genetic risks. First, volunteers must share electronic health records and blood samples. They must also answer questions about their diet, sleep, environmental exposures and other lifestyle factors. They may also wear devices to monitor their daily health. Collins said blood samples from volunteers will undergo genetic testing later this year. The tests will look for parts of DNA that affect a person’s risk of disease. Fully mapping the genetic code is too costly for one million people. But that approach will one day be used with some participants. Collins says one thing he wants to learn from the study is why some people stay healthy despite smoking or pollution or poor nutrition. “We have no idea how those people escape those odds,” he said. The All of Us project is not like most medical studies. Participants can choose to see their own test results. They can then share those results with their own doctor before the study reaches any final conclusions. Collins said some information from genetic tests could be useful to doctors in choosing which medicine to give their patients. The NIH said it has taken as many steps as possible to protect against hackers. The NIH also removes identifying information from volunteers’ medical data and replaces it with a code. Only scientists who meet special security requirements will be permitted to study the data. The NIH also said federal confidentiality rules do not permit information to be shared with law enforcement. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Lauran Neergaard reported this story for the Associated Press. Jonathan Evans adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   participate/participating – v. to be involved with others in doing something; to take part in an activity or event with others transform – v. to change something completely and usually in a good way specific – adj. special or particular odds – n. the possibility that something will happen; the chance that one thing will happen instead of a different thing sample – n. a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from monitor – v. to watch, observe, listen to, or check something for a special purpose over a period of time code – n. a set of letters, numbers, symbols, etc., that identifies or gives information about something or someone hacker – n. a person who secretly gets access to a computer system in order to get information, cause damage, etc.; a person who hacks into a computer system confidentiality – n. the quality or state of being private or confidential

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Iraqi Broadcasters Who Helped Beat Islamic State

  The battle to free the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) group lasted nine months. The military operation involved hundreds of airstrikes and a difficult Iraqi-led ground offensive. Victory was finally declared last July as IS fighters were forced from the city. A new report suggests that one reason for the operation's success was a campaign of information warfare by resistance forces. It says the campaign took on IS propagandists and destroyed the group’s image of invincibility. Mike Stevens wrote the report, which was published by Britain’s Royal United Services Institute. Stevens is a former British army officer. He says the occupation by IS forces had a major effect on the citizens of Mosul. He noted that many people felt like they were being held hostage. Stevens says one of the greatest tools for ending that fear was a radio station set up by two refugees, who had fled to the city of Irbil, some 80 kilometers east of Mosul. Using a single radio transmitter, they set up Radio al-Ghad and began  broadcasts for their home city. To break Islamic State’s oppressive presence, the station combined telephone call-in programs and debate with music and talent competitions. Such events were barred during the IS occupation. The radio station differed from other stations because it had talent shows, which “come out of pain,” noted Mourad Khan in 2017. He served as a radio host. Radio al-Ghad also offered ground intelligence to coalition forces, and even debated with IS commanders in its programs. “What they did was give people space to speak. And give people space to debate, like a community radio station,” the report said. The station fought with IS for control of the airwaves, which led to “them actually being in a dominant position,” Stevens said. Resistance groups throughout Mosul united under a common sign: the Arabic letter "M" for "Muqawama," or resistance, which began to appear on streets across the city. After listening to the radio station, many people were moved to personal acts of civil disobedience, such as a graffiti campaign. Iraqis began marking up and writing messages on the walls of the city. Stevens says acts like these offered hope to the people of Mosul. The battle on the radio for Mosul’s population offers examples for other conflict areas. “We’re at risk of becoming not very good at doing this at all because we’re losing a connection with local people,” Stevens noted. He also said that fighting war from a distance, with the help of computers, has added to the problem. The report says that repeating the success of Mosul’s non-violent resistance would only be possible with long-term deployment of ground troops and the freedom to talk directly with local people. I'm Susan Shand.   Henry Ridgewell reported this story for VOA News. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   invincibility – n. impossible to defeat or overcome transmitter – n. a device that sends out radio or television signals graffiti – n. images or words painted on a wall or building dominant – adj. commanding or leading airwave – n. the radio waves used for radio broadcasts host – n. the star of a radio or television program talent – n. someone or a group of people with a special ability

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Everyday Grammar: Ever Words

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US Supreme Court Decision: Brown v. Board of Education

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Should SAT and ACT Test Results Be Optional in College Admissions?

  Standardized testing is a major part of applying for admission to colleges and universities in the United States. SAT or ACT results, for example, are just one measure admissions officials use to decide whether to accept an applicant. But many students and parents spend a great deal of time, effort and resources trying to ensure a high score. For some students, testing can be the most difficult part of the application process. And new research has raised debate about the fairness of standardized tests. Last month, researchers with the National Association for College Admission Counseling published findings from a series of studies on these tests. They looked at the academic records of over 950,000 students at 28 public and private colleges and universities in the U.S. Unlike most schools, those chosen for the studies do not require applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. The decision to submit scores is left to the students. The research found one major finding: The similarity in study program completion rates between those who submitted test results and those who did not. Students who chose not to submit test scores performed a little better. They were found to be one to two percent more likely to complete their study programs in four years than those who did submit test scores. William Hiss is a writer of the report, and a former admissions officer at Bates College. The private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine made college entrance examinations optional 30 years ago. Hiss says his team’s research is proof that standardized tests are not a good measure of how successful a student might be at a given school. Hiss argues that this is the case because the tests do not measure all the skills students will need in a college environment. They simply measure how a student operates under time pressure which is not the usual situation for college students. “If students need to stay up until two o’clock in the morning writing their papers, they do it,” he told VOA. “If they are working in a team on an experiment and it takes extra time…they take extra time. If they need help with their writing or math, almost all colleges have writing and math support...So the ways in which standardized testing works are not the ways in which college educations work.” Hiss adds that many students lack the skills to succeed in high-speed testing environments. Some may be very strong candidates for college, yet avoid applying because they fear the entrance exams. Such candidates may include people with disabilities and non-native English speakers. Hiss notes that first generation students, minority students, as well as those with little money, are especially affected. His research showed that about 42 percent of students who chose not to submit test scores were members of these groups. Some schools saw their minority population increase as much as 11 percent after they ended the entrance exam requirement. Hiss says many students from these groups do not have the same chance to prepare for the tests as wealthier white students. Oscar Schak agrees. He is a top researcher with the Education Trust, a non-profit organization that works to expand education for disadvantaged populations. He says public schools systems that serve poor and minority communities often lack resources that students in richer areas enjoy. And those students can also often pay for even more assistance, such as private tutoring. Because of this, Schack says, colleges should give more weight to other predictors of academic success, such as high school performance. “Given that it does raise some barriers... just having to take the exams and pay for the exams, I would argue that institutions should err on the side of de-emphasizing the exams,” Schak said. However, Jack Buckley finds several major problems with the claims the recent research is making. Buckley is a top official with the American Institutes for Research. He says the studies have not shown evidence of widespread problems with entrance exams or their use in the admissions process. And, he argues, no thoughtful admissions official would consider only standardized test results of applicants. Buckley notes that the companies that administer the SAT and ACT have made many changes to their tests over the years. Buckley worked with the College Board on it most recent changes to the SAT. They took effect in 2016. He says the changes ensured that the tests are designed in a way that is fair to all students. Many schools actively accept students with weak test results in order to offer more chances for higher education to disadvantaged populations, Buckley says. Tests also can provide good information about a student’s strengths and weaknesses. That way, colleges and universities can better know what support services they need to offer. “Blaming a test…for inequality is like blaming a thermometer because a room is hot,” Buckley said. “They do not cause those inequalities. It’s a piece of information that, were I an admissions officer, I would want to know.” ​ Derek Briggs adds that is it not clear that standardized tests create better admissions conditions for wealthier students. He is a professor of education at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Briggs’s own research has shown that for-profit services that claim to be able improve test results have little real effect. In fact, his research shows that private lessons led to less than a 20 percent increase on either part of the SAT. “The conventional wisdom is that the effects of the test preparation are much, much higher,” he said. “But there’s not a lot evidence to support that.” However, Briggs admits his research is about 10 years old. I’m ­Pete Musto. And I’m Caty Weaver. Pete Musto adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. How should colleges and universities weigh standardized test results in the admissions process? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ QUIZ ​______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story standardized testing – n. any form of testing that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from common bank of questions, in the same way, and that is scored in a consistent manner apply(ing) - to ask formally for something, such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan, usually in writing academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education submit – v. to give a document, proposal, or piece of writing to someone so that it can be considered or approved optional - adj. available as a choice but not required disabilities – n. conditions such as an illness or an injury that damage or limit a person's physical or mental abilities disadvantaged – adj.  lacking the things such as money and education that are considered necessary for an equal position in society tutoring – n. special lessons involving just one student and one teacher institution(s) – n. an established organization de-emphasizing – v. taking away attention from something thermometer – n. an instrument used for measuring temperature conventional wisdom - n. opinions or beliefs that are held or accepted by most people

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Expressions to Bring Out the Kid in You!

  Now, it’s time for Words and Their Stories, a program from VOA Learning English. On this program we explore common expressions in American English. Every year in the United States, we celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May. So, in honor of mothers and mothering, today we are talking about expressions that use the words “baby,” “child” or “kid.” Ah, babies! Babies need lots of love, care and attention. Most new parents spend every waking moment caring for, worrying over and thinking about their baby. This applies to other things too! In American English, anything that you have focused and worked on for long periods of time can become your “baby.” Let's say your friend Sam is opening a new coffee shop. He has invested his own money into it. For months he spends all day every day getting the shop ready for customers. In the evenings, he works on hiring, advertising and menu options. And at night, as he tries to sleep, he worries about it. He really wants it to be a success. So when Sam’s friend asks about the progress of the business, she could say, "So, how’s your baby coming along?” Yes, using “baby” in this way is slightly informal. But it is very common and okay to use in just about any situation. The opposite of caring for a baby would be throwing it out with its bathwater. What?! “That is terrible!” you might be saying. Yes, it is terrible except -- when we do it in conversation. Then it is a useful expression. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater means to get rid of all of something, (like the baby and the water it was bathing in) even though some parts of it were valuable and definitely worth keeping (like the baby)! We often use this expression when we advise people to not act rashly or go to extremes. For example, let's say a married couple has been working with a designer for months on redecorating their home. They choose furniture, carpeting and wall color. But then suddenly, the designer pulls out of the project. The husband and wife are upset. The husband does not want to start from the beginning. He didn’t enjoy doing it the first time! But the wife says, "Look, there's no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Let's keep all things we have already chosen. We can hire a new designer just to help us put them in the house." Problem solved! Now, not all expressions related to children are actually about children. Some of them are about adults. If a grown-up is a babe in the woods, he is defenseless and naive. He is easily fooled, and nobody expects much from him. The opposite of a babe in the woods is a veteran, someone who is seasoned or experienced. For example, the law office had mostly seasoned, professional lawyers. But one young man was just out of school. He did not even know the most basic rules for the courtroom. As a result, he lost his first case. The judge called him a “babe in the woods.” Such a person is different than a new kid on the block. A new kid on the block is simply a newcomer to a group of people who know each other well. Here, “block” means part of a neighborhood. When you are the new kid on the block, you do not know yet how things operate in a new environment. Your ignorance can be good or bad. Maybe you bring new energy, skills, or talent to the group. Or maybe you spend a lot of time wandering around looking for the bathroom. Whether you are a teenager in a new high school or a grown-up starting a new job, being the new kid on the block is often uncomfortable. Do you know what is not uncomfortable? Playing. Children do it naturally and effortlessly. So when we say a job is child's play, we mean it is very easy to do. Note that this expression can be a little bit mean, because it suggests that the work is so simple even a child could do it (which is actually its own expression.) Let’s say in a meeting one of your co-workers says that she finds creating a spreadsheet really difficult. You say loudly to everyone, “Really? I finished mine in a few minutes. It was child’s play! You just input the information.” This makes your co-worker angry. She is so angry with you that she looks for a way to get you back. In other words, she might do something mean in return. At lunchtime she finds her chance! When you step outside for something to eat, you leave all your notes about an important, top-secret meeting on your desk. When you return, your co-worker is telling everyone else about the details of the meeting – details that no one was supposed to know. You say to her, “Where did you get that information?” She looks at you coldly. “On your desk,” she says. “It was like taking candy from a baby.” Of course, babies should not be eating candy. But if a baby were eating candy, and an adult took it away, the baby could not fight back. He might cry and be upset, but he is helpless compared to the adult. And that is the situation with your co-worker. She just walked in and picked up your notes. She is the adult. The notes are the candy. And, unfortunately, you are the baby. Now, if someone takes candy away from a baby, the parents might demand that the person replace it. This isn’t so bad. Going to a candy store is fun! For many kids, being in a candy store is pure joy. Wide-eyed and smiling from ear to ear, they run from sweet to sweet, imagining how everything will taste and trying to decide what to choose. So, if someone is very excited about all the possibilities in front of her, we say she is like a kid in a candy store. For example, whenever I go into a library, I feel like a kid in a candy store. There are so many books I haven’t read and I don’t know where to start first! And that’s the end of this Words and Their Stories. I’m Anna Matteo. And I'm Bryan Lynn. Have you ever felt like a babe in the woods, a new kid on the block or a kid in a candy store? Tell us about it. Or simply practice with the language you heard here. You can do both…in the Comments Section! "It’s just like taking candy from a baby ‘cause I couldn’t resist you from the very start. You had me around your little finger. No trouble at all for you to tiptoe in my heart. It was the first time I lost my head completely. Oh, you swept me off my feet ..” Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. The song at the end is Fred Astaire singing “Taking Candy From a Baby.” ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story nurture – v. to help (something or someone) to grow, develop, or succeed informal – adj. having a friendly and relaxed quality negative– adj. harmful or bad : not wanted naive – adj. having or showing a lack of experience or knowledge : innocent or simple opposite – adj. completely different veteran – n. someone who has a lot of experience in a particular activity, job, etc. seasoned – adj. always used before a noun : having a lot of experience doing something newcomer – n. a person who has recently arrived somewhere or who has recently started a new activity : often + to talent – n. a special ability that allows someone to do something well wander – v. to move around or go to different places usually without having a particular purpose or direction spreadsheet – n. a computer program that calculates numbers and organizes information in columns and rows joy – n. a feeling of great happiness

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Russians Claiming to Represent IS Threatened US Military Wives

  Angela Ricketts’ husband is in the United States Army. On February 10, 2015, she received a text message: “Dear Angela!” it read. “Bloody Valentine’s Day!” “We know everything about you, your husband and your children,” the Facebook message continued. The writer claimed to represent the Islamic State, or IS militant group. The message said the militants had gained control of her computer and telephone. Ricketts was one of five military wives who received death threats from the self-declared CyberCaliphate. However, they were not from IS. The Associated Press says it has found evidence that the women were targeted by a Russian group known for attacking computers. It reportedly is the same group that was active during the U.S. presidential election campaign two years ago. The Russian hackers released emails from John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential election campaign. The operation is similar to the online campaign by Russian hackers to spread false information in the months before the 2016 elections. Links between CyberCaliphate and the Russian hackers, often called “Fancy Bear” or “APT28,” have been documented earlier in both the U.S. and Europe. But this information had not been shared with the women involved. Many of the women believed they had been targeted by Islamic State supporters. “Never in a million years did I think that it was the Russians,” said Ricketts, a writer and activist for military families and veterans. Completely new ground At the same time that Ricketts received her message, four other women across the country received similar messages. Liz Snell, wife of a U.S. Marine, was at her husband’s retirement ceremony in California when she found that the Twitter account of her group, Military Spouses of Strength, had been attacked. It was broadcasting public threats to herself, the other women and their families. The threats also reached Michelle Obama, when her husband Barack Obama was U.S. president. The women later found they had all received the same threats. However, they refused to be frightened. “Fear is exactly what — at the time — we perceived ISIS [IS] wanted from military families,” said Lori Volkman, one of the victims. Volkman and the other wives decided to share their stories through different media organizations. “Military families are prepared to deal with violence that’s directed toward our soldiers,” Ricketts told Fox News. “But having it directed towards us is just completely new ground.” ‘We might be surprised’ On April 9, 2015, almost two months after the wives were threatened, the television signal of French broadcaster TV5 Monde went dead. The station’s communications equipment had been damaged, and its internal messaging system disabled. On the station’s website and Facebook page was the sign of CyberCaliphate. The cyberattack shocked France. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said evidence suggested the broadcaster was the victim of an attack of terror. But Guillaume Poupard, the chief of France’s cybersecurity agency, was not ready to support the minister’s claim. “We should be very prudent about the origin of the attack,” he told French radio. “We might be surprised.” Government experts later found evidence the attack did not come from the Middle East, but Moscow. Speaking to the AP last year, Poupard said the attack “resembles a lot what we call collectively APT28.” The Russian government has repeatedly denied plotting attacks against Western targets. Similar goals A cybersecurity company called Secureworks provided evidence to the AP that the military wives were targeted by Russian hackers. Recent AP research found that a group called Fancy Bear, which Secureworks calls “Iron Twilight,” was trying to break into the military wives’ email at same time that CyberCaliphate sent its messages. Lee Foster, with cybersecurity company FireEye, said the fact that the Russian hacking and CyberCaliphate activities happened at the same time makes it clear the groups were linked. The CyberCaliphate’s attacks are similar to the activities of a group called the St. Petersburg troll farm. It paid Russian employees to put false information into social media. They tried to raise fears of the IS militants’ threat to the United States by producing false stories of IS attacks. The AP said it has found no link between CyberCaliphate and the St. Petersburg trolls. However, their goals appeared to be the same: keep tensions high and extremist Islam in the news. I’m Phil Dierking.   Raphael Satter reported this story for the Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted his story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Have you ever been the victim of a cyber-attack? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   Valentine - n. a card or gift that you give usually to someone you love on Valentine's Day​ online - adj. connected to a computer, a computer network, or the Internet​ veteran - n. : someone who fought in a war as a soldier, sailor, etc.​ spouse - n. a husband or wife​ perceive - v. to notice or become aware of something internal - adj. existing or located on the inside of something​ cybersecurity - n. he state of being protected against the criminal or unauthorized use of electronic data, or the measures taken to achieve this.​ prudent - adj. having or showing careful good judgment​ resemble - v. to look or be like (someone or something)​ troll farm - n. an organization whose workers try to create conflict in an online community

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Fire Shines Light on Sao Paulo Housing Shortage

  On May 1, an electrical problem started a fire in a large, former police building in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Officials say at least two people died as a result. The building was home to a group of people who had jobs but could not afford to live in the city’s expensive apartments. Marta Maria Maia da Fonseca and her husband were among them. They escaped the burning building with their 14-year-old daughter. They spent that night in an open area in front of a church with several other families affected by the fire. The next day, they moved in with a sister and six other relatives in a neighboring city. Da Fonseca and her family had lived in three different abandoned buildings, called squats, in the past 10 years. “We have to start all over again,” said da Fonseca. The fire has brought a renewed attention to the movement of housing groups that have taken over about 70 abandoned buildings in downtown Sao Paulo. But the fire has also raised concerns that the buildings could be dangerous. Squatters often create their own connections to electrical power and make any repairs themselves. Jose de Anchieta Rocha, Jr. is with the Housing Movement in the Fight for Justice. He said, “You can’t say this, that we’re criminals, that we’re vagrants, that we’re invaders. We occupy because there are no housing policies. We occupy because (the buildings were) abandoned, abandoned for decades.” City officials say they will help the now-homeless squatters. They promise to pay about $340 immediately, then $115 a month for one year. Da Fonseca told the AP she does not think she will get anything. She says her name is not on the city’s list of people living in the building. Others say the amount is not enough to pay for rent or for the cost to replace lost belongings. Sao Paulo is known as the financial capital of Latin America. And it is home to much of Brazil’s economic wealth. But the city’s center is full of places in poor condition. Museums and theaters remain, but they share the area with old buildings that have no windows. The downtown area is home to most of the city’s homeless population and many illegal drug users. Dozens, if not hundreds, of buildings sit empty. Businesses have long since moved to more modern buildings in new neighborhoods. So, since the 1990s, groups have been breaking into the empty buildings at night and setting up squats. In many, residents each pay a little money to hire a doorman or a cleaner. Some squats have rules: residents are asked to be quiet, neighborly and observe a curfew. Some have fire-preparation measures, check that wiring is safe and make sure fire alarms are working. Over the years, the city government has struggled to renew the downtown area. Officials often say they want to bring the area back to life, but some observers fear they want an area without poor and working class people. Rocha of the housing movement said, “We are a very unequal country, where the wealth of 100 million people is in the hands of six.” Fernando Chucre is a city housing official. He says that adding low-income housing is an important part of efforts to solve Sao Paulo’s housing shortage. The city hopes to build new homes by working with the state and federal governments, as well as with private investors. Following the fire, the mayor’s office ordered city agencies to visit the 70 buildings now occupied by squatters. Chucre said the city government will work with squatters’ leaders to fix any problems. He added that if a building is declared unsafe, officials will help find other housing. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Sarah DiLorenzo reported this story for the Associated Press. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   vagrant – n. a person who has no place to live and no job and who asks people for money curfew – n. an order or law that requires people to be indoors after a certain time at night squat – n. an empty building that squatters live in

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Dogs Trained to Smell Low Blood Sugar Levels May Save Lives

  Dogs can be trained to use their sense of smell to recognize illegal drugs and explosives. So Mark Ruefenacht wondered if the animals also could recognize changes in the blood sugar level of people with diabetes. Ruenfenacht has had the disease for much of his life. In 1999, he almost died while training a young dog to be a guide dog for the blind. Without any warning, his blood sugar suddenly dropped to a dangerously low level. Ruefenacht said the dog stayed with him, and tried to keep him awake. "More than likely, I had a seizure, from the low blood sugar. The dog liked me, and he stuck with me and I was able to get my blood sugar up." When talking about a drop in blood sugar, doctors use the term hypoglycemia. Ruefenacht said his near death experience made him wonder if dogs could be trained to identify the chemical changes that happen during an attack, and then inform their owners.    Dogs4Diabetics begins Ruefenacht worked with scientists and financed research which found that the "smell" of hypoglycemia appears in both breath and sweat. He also worked with and studied animal trainers who teach dogs to recognize everything from explosives to cancer. In addition, Ruefenacht started training a yellow Labrador retriever named Armstrong to tell him when he had a dangerously low blood sugar level. The training was successful. Armstrong is now listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s first diabetes-detection dog.  Armstrong died in 2012. Ruefenacht noted that after his early training successes, several organizations offered him a lot of money for the rights to his discoveries. He told VOA he refused those offers. Instead, in 2004, he created a group called Dogs4Diabetics, where he trains dogs to help people with diabetes. Ruefenacht says training for a diabetes detection dog and its owner can cost up to $50,000. His organization raises money to cover the costs, so they can provide dogs for free to those in need. The smell of hypoglycemia To train the animals, Ruefenacht uses bottles containing swabs of sweat from a diabetic with low blood sugar, and containers of other smells, such as peanut butter, dog food, or plants. The dogs are given a treat when they choose the correct jar. This "sweat jar" method for training diabetes detection dogs has been approved scientifically. The next step is to teach the dog to alert the owner. The dogs are trained to use subtle signs at first. However, if those signals are ignored, the animals then put their paws on the owner’s legs or shoulders. They learn to lick and put their nose in the owner’s face, and make noises. If none of these methods work, the dogs are then trained to find someone else to help. Ruefenacht says the dogs can often detect blood sugar dropping long before electronic systems send a warning sound. Dogs4Diabetics has placed more than 100 dogs with diabetics. The group hopes to expand the program -- training people’s “most loyal friend” to save lives and help diabetics around the world.   I’m Phil Dierking.   ShelleySchlender reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted her story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What are other interesting things you have seen dogs trained to detect? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   detect - v. to discover or notice the presence of​ something hidden paw - n.  the foot of an animal that has claws​ swab - n. a small amount of material taken with a swab as a sample from a person's body​ sweat - n.  to produce a clear liquid from your skin when you are hot or nervous​ subtle - adj. hard to notice or see​

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English in a Minute: Muddy the Waters

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Ties with US, North Korea Make Singapore a Good Meeting Place

  American President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have agreed to meet in Singapore on June 12. Singapore’s position in Asia, and diplomatic ties with the U.S. and North Korea, make it a natural choice for the historic meeting. Trump announced the meeting in a tweet Thursday. Singapore is one of the few countries that have diplomatic relations with both North Korea and the United States. It is also considered a neutral place. About Singapore The city-state of less than 6 million people is between Malaysia and Indonesia. The country has 700 square kilometers of land. That is about three and one half times the size of Washington, DC. Britain founded Singapore as a trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963, but became independent two years later. The country maintains strong international trading ties. It is a port city, between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, on one of the busiest waterways in the world. Singapore is also a wealthy country, with incomes similar to those of leading European nations. The country has been ruled by one party since gaining independence in 1965. Protests cannot take place without permission. Movement is limited and there are controls on media. Why Singapore? Tom Plant is an expert on nuclear issues at London’s Royal United Services Institute. He said Singapore is “a great location” for the meeting. Plant told the Associated Press that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “will be on friendly territory, not hostile territory. But he wouldn’t be on home turf.” North Korea’s state companies have, in the past, traded with Singaporean companies. Under pressure from the United States, Singapore officially stopped trade relations with North Korea in 2017. U.S. ties to Singapore are strong. The port city has long provided services to visiting U.S. Navy ships in the Asia-Pacific area. It is also the regional headquarters of large American companies including Google, Facebook and Airbnb. Former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore David Adelman said Singapore is the perfect location for the meeting. He said, “Singapore has been a great friend to the U.S. But also Singapore has carefully worked to be a friend to all, which has earned it trust in capitals around the world.” Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, “We hope this meeting will advance prospects for peace in the Korean Peninsula.” In 2015, Singapore was the site of another historic meeting, between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan’s then-President Ma Ying-jeou. It was the first such meeting since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. I’m Caty Weaver. Hai Do adapted this AP story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   neutral –adj. not supporting either side location –n. place turf –n. an area or place that feels like your home advance –v. to move forward prospects –n. possibilities or opportunities  

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