Church Crackdown Continues in China

The Chinese government has ordered a church closed. This week, Chinese police raided Huoshi Church. The church is the largest unregistered church in Guiyang, Guizhou province. After the raid, the church officially closed Thursday, lead pastor Su Tianfu Su said. Su said the congregation is “very upset.” The pastor added that the church assists in charitable work and helps orphans, the sick and the elderly. The latest crackdown started Wednesday when police raided morning services. Church members said that police searched the church and took audio and video equipment. One pastor was arrested after he refused to let police walk away with video camera recordings. Recent crackdowns on religion have made “house churches” popular in China. It is estimated millions of Chinese are members of underground churches. Estimates of the size of China’s Christian population place their numbers at nearly 88 million people. Many of them are house church members. That is why China’s critics say religious crackdowns continue. Members of the Huoshi church think popularity doomed their parish.  Six years ago, just a few people worshipped there. The membership increased to more than 700. The latest church closure comes after thousands of Christian crosses were demolished at 400 churches in Zhejiang province. Freedom of religion is part of China’s constitution. But human rights activists say the Chinese Communist Party has a poor record of preserving religious freedom. I'm Mario Ritter.   Joyce Huang wrote this story for VOAnews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   crackdown – n. a serious attempt to punish people for doing something that is not allowed pastor – n. a minister or priest in charge of a church or parish orphan – n. a child whose parents are dead underground – adj. referring to a place that is hidden or secret doom– v. to make something certain to fail

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Why Are Americans so Angry?

Americans are angry and growing more frustrated, but the reasons are mixed. At shopping day sales, they fight over who gets the biggest television. At their children’s soccer games, they attack the coach if their team is not winning. Political candidates use language that insults America’s friends and neighbors. And in the extreme, some become so angry over issues of religion, politics and power that they commit mass murder on strangers. Or threaten people with religions they do not like. “I just received a death threat in my own office,” Representative Andrew Carson, a Democrat from Indiana told CNN Tuesday. “And it is largely (due) to the environment, this toxic environment.” Carson is one of two Muslim-Americans in Congress. He says the death threat came one day after Republican Donald Trump declared he would ban Muslims from traveling to the U.S., if he is elected president. But Americans are also angry and divided about continued economic struggles. Also fueling the anger are divisions over such issues as immigration, same-sex marriage, abortion, gun control, police treatment of African-Americans and climate change. Just in the last week: Angry demonstrators blocked traffic in Chicago, Illinois to protest the delayed release of a video showing a white police officer shooting down a 17-year-old African-American. At a town council meeting in a small Indiana town, a fight broke out after a vote to replace the town’s marshal. The debate over gun control grew even angrier. Supporters of gun control asked why opponents are not even willing to stop terrorists from getting guns. Gun rights supporters responded that some want to take away their rights to own guns.     Robert Thompson is director of Syracuse University’s Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture. He says no one can argue that Americans have a lot to be angry about. But it does not mean the anger has reached historic levels, Thompson says. It used to be that angry Americans had fewer options to express their anger. You could write a letter to your local newspaper, but by the time it was published, you had time to cool off. Those were times before cable television news and the Internet. Says Thompson: “Now, we all get to show how angry we are. We can go on the Internet and proclaim our anger to the entire world. It is not like we have not been angry before. Settlers to America were angry enough at the British to begin a revolution.” The reasons people say they are unhappy include: a shrinking middle class, young people worried about debt and job prospects, a growing concern about terrorism and a belief the political system favors the wealthy, according to polls by the Wall Street Journal/NBC and the Pew Research Center. Despite 62 straight months of job growth, many Americans worry about their ability to meet future costs. Twenty seven percent of baby boomers expect to run out of savings before they die, according to a June survey by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Baby boomers are people born between 1946 and 1964. And Generation Xers – people born between 1965 and 1980 – are also nervous. Thirty seven percent do not “at all feel financially secure,” and 20 percent expect to outlive their savings, the Northwestern Mutual survey found. Russell Jones is director of the Stress and Coping Lab and a psychology professor at Virginia Tech University. He said recent terror attacks and mass shootings raise stress levels. “The increase in trauma we are hearing, watching and reading about and, in some cases, experiencing, is making the anger and stress more prevalent,” Jones says. He is referring not only to the San Bernardino shootings, but also recent attacks: the Paris terror attacks, which killed 130 people and the shootings at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado, which killed three. On Monday, ceremonies will mark the third anniversary of the attack that killed 20 first graders and six educators at a Newtown, Connecticut elementary school. Mary Niall Mitchell, a history professor at the University of New Orleans, says this is an important time for the United States. There are rapid changes in social norms, for example, legalization of same-sex marriage, a growing immigrant population and continuing protests to pressure police departments and colleges to treat African-Americans fairly. Some are uncomfortable with those changes, but others do not think change is happening fast enough, she says. Says Mitchell: “From the historian’s perspective, angry societies are double-edged: anger can result in bigotry, oppression and violence, but can also be a means of liberation and over time, produce more equitable societies.” For some, the current climate is becoming too much. Kat Goldman, a singer-songwriter who lives in Boston, posted on her Facebook page that recent events in America are prompting a return to her native Canada. “The U.S. truly is the land where dreams are made, and I made some of my own dreams come true while I was here,” Goldman says. But she cites some reasons to leave: “out-of-control gun violence,” Donald Trump’s call to ban Muslim visitors and “this group of people (terrorists) who want to blow us up.”    Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   frustrated – adj. very angry, discouraged, or upset because of being unable to do or complete something assault – v. the crime of trying or threatening to hurt someone physically coach – n. a person who teaches and trains an athlete or performer commit – v. to do something that is illegal or harmful stranger – n. someone who you have not met before or do not know toxic – adj. very unpleasant prevalent – adj. happening often or over a large area proclaim – v. to declare or announce something shrinking – adj. to become smaller in amount, size, or value prospects – n. the possibility that something will happen in the future psychology – n. the science or study of the mind and behavior stressed – v. a state of mental tension trauma – n. a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes someone to have mental or emotional problems usually for a long time uncomfortable -- adj. causing a feeling of physical discomfort perspective – n. a way of thinking about and understanding something bigotry – n. bigoted acts or beliefs oppression -- n. bigoted acts or beliefs equitable – adj. dealing fairly and equally with everyone   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page.  

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Arizona: The Spirit of Route 66

Arizona’s stretch of Route 66 contains some of America’s most impressive - and famous - landscapes. Parts of Arizona’s Mother Road wind through the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert National Parks. Red, yellow, orange and grey earth greets you in the Painted Desert. Eerie fossilized pieces of wood dot the moon-like landscape of the Petrified Forest.     The road leading up to the Grand Canyon National Park is just off Route 66. You travel through the Kalibab National Forest, where the air smells of fresh pine. Deer and elk sightings along the way are common. But beyond the scenery, Arizona’s Route 66 offers Old West experiences, ghost towns, and legendary ghost stories. Arizona’s nickname may be the Grand Canyon State. But with so many ghost stories along Route 66, it could also be called the Haunted State. One of those ghost stories takes place at the historic Weatherford Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Weatherford Hotel has been around since 1897. A Texan named John Weatherford built the hotel after falling in love with the town and surrounding mountains. It was a grand hotel. The city’s local newspaper at the time declared, “There is no finer hotel in the whole southwest.” An elegant balcony wraps around the hotel’s second floor, offering views of the city and nearby San Francisco peaks. Many famous Americans have stayed at the Weatherford, including former President Theodore Roosevelt and newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. And, as the story goes, some visitors never left. Weatherford legend includes the ghost of a broken-hearted bride. She is reportedly seen most often in the hotel’s ballroom on the second floor. Over the years, many guests and hotel workers have claimed to hear or see her -- and other ghosts -- in the night. Manny Martinez is the manager at the Weatherford. He says he has heard all about ghostly sightings from his guests and employees. “There’s been all kinds of different stories about it. Mainly weird things with the lights, with the noises. You know, it's an old building, as well. But there are some stories that I kinda' do believe. You do get an eerie feeling, especially working upstairs at that bar. You know, it’s two in the morning, you're by yourself closing it down, so you kind of get the feeling like somebody's watching you.” The broken-hearted bride reportedly stayed in hotel room 54. These days, the room is used as a closet. Martinez explains that several workers have reported mysterious events. “This is Room 54. We turned it into a maid’s closet now. As you can tell, the door kinda' sounds a little creepy as it opens up. An employee of mine came up here once, he came up here, opened the door, and he saw a picture of something, a silhouette of somebody -- turned on the light, turned back around to where he was looking, there was nothing there.  “But this is where my maids, as well, said that they found a lot of weird things, you know, sheets kinda looking like they were burned. The room itself is kinda scary, kinda creepy…” Another of Flagstaff’s spooky stories took place at an old honky-tonk called the Museum Club. Its former owners are said to haunt the place to this day. Their lives ended tragically inside the club. In 1973, Don Scott and his wife Thora owned the business. They lived on the second floor. One late night, Thora Scott fell down the stairs and broke her neck. She died a few weeks later. Her husband never recovered, and his business suffered as well. Don Scott shot and killed himself at the club two years later. Rhylee Helsper works at the Museum Club. She says there are reports of sightings of Don and Thora’s ghosts. “She (Thora) is often seen at the back bar,” Helsper said. “They (the ghosts) both hang out. Don’s not exactly a friendly character. But, Thora’s a sweetheart.” West of Flagstaff, Route 66 leaves behind the pine trees and cool air for much warmer climates. It winds through Crozier Canyon, with its beautiful reddish-brown hills piled with boulders. Some rocks seem in position to roll down the hills at the lightest gust of wind. The town of Seligman marks the beginning of the longest remaining uninterrupted stretch of Route 66. The road extends unbroken for over 250 kilometers, until the Colorado River divides Arizona and California. Along the way is the desert city of Kingman. In the 1940s, the town became a popular spot to film Old West gunfighter movies.  As a result, many movie stars spent time in the area, including Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. From Kingman, Route 66 runs through narrow roads in the mountainous desert until it reaches the Old West outpost of Oatman. Oatman, Arizona was once a ghost town – a town abandoned by its residents, often because economic activity that supported it has failed or ended. But tourism has revived Oatman’s economy.  Arriving in Oatman is like returning to the American West of 150 years ago. The storefronts and other businesses look just as they did decades ago. Wild burros roam the streets among the tourists. These days, burros far outnumber Oatman residents. Tourists here come to see the donkeys -- and the Old West outlaws. Actors put on a fake gunfight show two times every day. The show takes place in front of the Oatman Hotel.The actors who play the gunfighters live in Oatman.  "My name's Yosemite. They call me John George when I'm in trouble. But, Yosemite." "And, what about you?" "They call me Dusty." "What about when you're in trouble, Dusty, what do they call you?" "Gone."   People line both sides of the street to watch them perform. They “rob” the Oatman Hotel and then argue about who should hold on to the big bag of money. They decide to settle the dispute the old-fashioned way, with their guns. Of course, they shoot blanks, not bullets. Yosemite describes the shows more colorfully. "We do gunfights two times a day, 12 o'clock, high noon, and 2:15, if there's any targets left. So, if you show up bring a carload of 'em and (we'll) more than likely give you a free ticket. That's the driver (who) gets out free." The show is free and the two men are volunteers. But they do pass their hats asking for donations. All the money the crowd donates goes to a medical center that treats child burn victims. Oatman is just a few kilometers from Arizona’s border with California, the final state on the Mother Road journey. Leaving behind the beauty of Arizona is not easy. But, its spirit – and spirits – will stay with visitors long after they leave.  I'm Caty Weaver.  And I'm Ashley Thompson. Join us next week as we cross the state of California and reach the Pacific Ocean.  _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story    landscape - n. an area of land that has a particular quality or appearance eerie - adj. strange and mysterious scenery - n. a view of natural features legendary - adj. very famous or well-known ghost - n. the soul of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as appearing to living people balcony - n. a raised platform that is connected to the side of a building and surrounded by a low wall or railing peak - n. the pointed top of a mountain spooky - adj. strange and frightening creepy - adj. strange or scary : causing people to feel nervous and afraid honky-tonk - n. a cheap nightclub or dance hall that often features country music haunt - v. of a ghost : to visit or live in (a place) pine - n. a tree that has long, thin needles instead of leaves and that stays green throughout the year uninterrupted - adj. not interrupted, stopped, or blocked outpost- n. a small town in a place that is far away from other towns or cit ghost town - n. a town that no longer has any people living in it : an abandoned town burro - n. (animal) a small donkey

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Google Looks to Black Universities for Diversity

The tech industry is driving the U.S. economy into the future, but not everyone is sharing in the prosperity. Only six percent of Facebook employees are Hispanic, Black or African-American. Just four percent of Twitter employees are Hispanic, Black or African-American. Those numbers are small compared to the entire US workforce. Twelve percent of the entire U.S. workforce is Black or African-American. Sixteen percent of the U.S. workforce is Latino. Now Google is teaming up with some historically black colleges to provide more opportunities for African-Americans to work in the tech industry. Historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, were established in the 1800s to help black Americans get a higher education. Until the 1950s, many universities excluded blacks. Today, all races can attend HBCUs. Google began a program in 2013 called "Google In Residence" at Howard University, an HBCU in Washington, D.C. As part of the program, Google sent a software engineer to teach computer science classes at Howard. Legand Burge III is the head of the Computer Science Department at Howard University. Burge graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1998. When he graduated, he was the first African-American in the university's history to complete a master's degree. Burge said a big part of the diversity problem starts earlier than university. "Today, if you look at where many African-Americans come from, those high school institutions, they're not properly teaching computer science." Burge started a program at Howard called "Pre-Freshmen in Computer Science" in 2012. The program's goal is to help students reach the level of ability they would need before starting university classes. The program is similar to Google's own Computer Science Summer Institute. Howard then partnered with Google to bring an engineer to teach a beginner computer science class. Any student who wanted could take the class. Google then decided to share this program with other HBCUs in 2014. Amos Johnson is an associate professor of computer science at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He said that having a Google engineer at the school helps students see the choices they have. "The most important thing that Google is doing is actually just being present on campus… Students may have never, ever been exposed to any Google employees… So by having a Google employee (directly) on campus… That opens up the possibility in their mind that they could actually… be there." Johnson said the people hiring at tech companies usually only think about one type of person. "So if the pattern is you only see white males from Stanford and MIT and Berkeley, and they look a certain way, that creates a pattern in an interviewer's mind that these are the types of people that are coders." Andrea Lawrence is the head of the Computer and Information Sciences department at Spelman College. Spelman opened in Atlanta, Georgia in 1881. Lawrence said diversity is important because it lets people see different sides of a problem. "Different people bring… different backgrounds to a problem… If all the people in the room has the same background and the same ideas, they are likely not to find a good solution or they may not find the best solution." Burge says many minority students say they feel they do not belong in the tech industry. Sajid Hussain is the head of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Hussain said that the small size of HBCUs causes problems for the students. "Because HBCUs are small… we can give them more personal attention… But then, because of small size, we don't get so much attention from the major companies." Marc Fisher is the Google engineer teaching at Fisk. He said he knew nothing about Fisk before applying to teach in the Google program. An important part of getting a job at a large tech company is first getting an internship with that company. Before the Google In Residence program, Fisk had only one student ever complete an internship at Google. The Google In Residence program is also working with students out of the classroom. The engineers help students write résumés, prepare for interviews and understand the culture at big tech companies. Over the past three years, the program has had success. After the first year of the program, two Fisk students completed internships. Next summer as many as six Fisk students will have Google internships. Since the program started, Google has hired two Howard students directly after they graduated. Before the program, there were never any directly hired graduates of any HBCUs. But, Burge said, many minority students say they feel they do not belong in the tech industry. Many feel that if they fail, they are representing every other person of their ethnic group. Some feel they are only getting hired because the company is trying to increase its diversity. That is why Burge said it is important that minority students see more people who look like them in the industry. Lawrence added that because the tech industry will only get bigger, including all people is important. "I just really think that it's so important that we reach out and get everyone we can in this… for the future of our country and also for the future of the young people involved." I'm Pete Musto.   Pete musto reported and wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Now it's your turn. How do companies in your country try to increase diversity? Is diversity important in every industry? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   prosperity – n. the state of being successful usually by making a lot of money workforce – n. the number of people in a country or area who are available for work software – n. the programs that run on a computer and perform certain functions graduate(d) – v. to earn a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university master’s degree – n. a degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after one or two years of additional study following a bachelor's degree diversity – n. the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization institution(s) – n. an established organization campus – n. the area and buildings around a university, college or school exposed – adj. caused to experience something or to be influenced or affected by something hiring – v. giving work or a job to someone in exchange for wages pattern – n. the regular and repeated way in which something happens or is done certain – adj. used to refer to something or someone that is not named specifically interviewer – n. the person who talks with and asks questions of someone who is being considered for a job or other position coder(s) – n. a computer programmer background(s) – n. the experiences, knowledge and education in a person's past internship – n. a period of time when a student or recent graduate works for a job in order to get experience, usually without pay résumé(s) – n. a short document describing your education and work history that you give an employer when you are applying for a job

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Yahoo's Mayer Has Huge Compensation Package

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has a huge pay package, although her company’s share price has slumped, reports Bloomberg News. She is the 23rd-highest paid executive of 200 on the Bloomberg Pay Index. Top executives often receive a pay, or compensation package that includes cash, with options to buy stock in their company, known as “stock options.” The shares of her company, Yahoo! Inc., are down more than nine percent since February 2014. But her stock options are still worth $14 million after the stock slide, according to Bloomberg. This is because the options given to her in 2014 are valued at the company’s share price 15 months earlier. Stock and options are given to executives to motivate them. If the company does well, the stock and options are more valuable. Both Mayer and the other shareholders earn more. Stock options are often tied to performance goals. But Mayer’s stock option arrangement is unusual. Only one other CEO in the Bloomberg Pay Index “benefits from such a structure,” wrote Bloomberg. Alan Johnson is managing director of compensation consulting firm Johnson Associates. He told Bloomberg that Mayer’s compensation has “been a windfall for her.” Yahoo hired Mayer to revamp the struggling website company. The stock climbed 123 percent under her leadership. That was partly because Yahoo has a stake, or part, in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., reports Bloomberg. Mayer has “struggled to show headway turning around Yahoo’s own business,” reports Bloomberg.  In 2014, Mayer’s total pay, including cash and stock, increased 69 percent to $42 million, according to Yahoo. She received stock valued at about $11.8 million and options valued at $28.2 million.  Yahoo’s board praised her performance in 2014. “Ms. Mayer provided strong leadership overall to the company,” the board said in a statement. “She significantly improved the company’s reputation and revitalized the company’s employee base.” Last week, Yahoo’s board decided not to move forward with a spin-off of its $32 billion stake in Alibaba, according to the New York Times. The stake in Alibaba is Yahoo’s most valuable asset. Instead, the board announced that Yahoo would pursue a spinoff of its core Internet business.  Mayer’s leadership of Yahoo has come into question at a time when the company seems to be in a slump.  “Yahoo’s core Internet operations are struggling, even though Ms. Mayer has made dozens of acquisitions, added original video and magazine-style content, and released new apps,” reports the New York Times.  I’m Mary Gotschall.   Mary Gotschall adapted this story from various sources for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you have an opinion about this topic? Let us know what you think in the Comments section below, or on our Facebook page.  _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   compensation – n. payment given for doing a job slump – v. to decrease suddenly and by a large amount motivate – v.  to give (someone) a reason for doing something windfall – n. an unexpected amount of money that you get as a gift, prize, etc. revamp – v. to make (something) better or like new again headway – n. to move forward or make progress reputation – n.  the common opinion that people have about someone or something : the way in which people think of someone or something revitalize – v. to make (someone or something) active, healthy, or energetic again  

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English in a Minute: Burning Bridges

Does this expression really mean that a bridge is on fire? Find out how to use this "fiery" expression in this week's English in a Minute!

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Burning Bridges Is a Bold Move: in War and in Life

Hello and welcome to the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories. Every language has common words that are used in uncommon ways. Today we focus on the word “bridge.” A bridge is a structure that provides passage over something -- such as a river, train tracks, a highway or a deep, wide opening in the ground. The word “bridge” can also be used to join things you can’t touch, such as cultures or activities. For example, you could say music and art can bridge cultures. And language can be a bridge between two people.  But let’s get back to the bridges you can actually cross – or drive a tank over. Bridges often play an important role in warfare. An army that attacks across a river may decide to burn the bridge after crossing it. By burning the bridge, the army prevents its enemy from using it. However, the army also destroys its own chance to go back across the river. Burning a bridge leaves the army open to attack. The expression “burning your bridges” means to act in a way that destroys any chance of returning to the way things were. When you burn your bridges, there is no going back. Let’s put this expression in the workplace. You decide to take a new job. Now, you must tell your boss you are leaving your current job. During that conversation you tell him how much you hated your job, how much you hated working for him and how glad you are to finally leave. You have just burned your bridge. You have destroyed your relationship with that boss. If things do not work out with your new job, there is no way on earth your old boss will take you back. Ever. And you can also forget about any good recommendation. Burning your professional bridges can be foolish or it can be a bold career move. It is even bolder if you do it in a public manner. For example, in 2014 a woman named Charlo Greene was a reporter on a news television show in Anchorage, Alaska. One night she reported on a business called the Alaska Cannabis Club. “Cannabis” is another word for marijuana. Marijuana is currently illegal in most U.S. states. At the end of her report, Greene announced that she owned the Alaska Cannabis Club. She told the audience that she wanted to spend her time fighting for “freedom and fairness, which begins with legalizing marijuana here in Alaska.” Then she cursed, said she quit her job as a reporter and walked off camera.                                 Charlo Greene completely burned her bridges with that news station and probably every news station. No traditional media organization would ever take her back or give her a good job recommendation.                                         But Greene is okay with that. She said later in an interview that if she quit by politely giving two weeks’ notice, nobody would know about the issue she really cares about. This brings us to another common expression using bridge: “I will cross that bridge when I come to it.” This expression means to not worry about a future problem, but rather deal with it when it happens. When it came to dealing with the problem of quitting her job, Charlo Greene certainly crossed that bridge when she came to it. And then she burnt it to the ground. In fact, people now mix these two expressions in a joking way. They say, “I’ll burn that bridge when I come to it.” And that’s Words and Their Stories. I’m Anna Matteo.   “Everyone I left behind each time I closed the door; Burning bridges lost forever more...”   Anna Matteo wrote this Words and Their Stories for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. The song used at the end of this song is “Burning Bridges” by The Mike Curb Congregation. It was the theme song to the 1970 war movie, “Kelly’s Heroes.”

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S. Korean Police Threatened to Storm Buddhist Temple

  Nearly 1,000 Korean police threatened to storm a Buddhist Temple in Seoul Thursday where a fugitive claimed sanctuary.   Han Sang-gyun, the leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, took refuge in the Jogye Temple in downtown Seoul. He was accused of inciting violence during a labor rally on November 14. Han also was wanted for organizing illegal labor demonstrations in the past. Han denied inciting any violence at any rally. “I am not a murderer, a heinous criminal. … I am a fired laborer,” Han said Thursday. Preparations for Han’s appearance took place a day before the temple drama. The Buddhist leaders met with police Wednesday to allow more time to negotiate. The leaders also received a promise from police that the temple would not be stormed. On Thursday, Han agreed to surrender to police despite a noon deadline. There is no South Korean law preventing police from entering religious sites to carry out arrests. But authorities usually do not raid temples for arrests. I'm Jim Tedder.    Brian Padden wrote this story for VOAnews.com in Seoul. Youmi Kim contributed to this report from Seoul. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fugitive – n.  a person who is running away to avoid being captured sanctuary – n.  a place where someone or something is protected or given shelter rally – n.  a public meeting to support or oppose someone or something

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#WelcometoCanada, X-Men, and a Laughing Orangutan

This is What’s Trending Today. Syrian Refugees in Canada Justin Trudeau became the Canadian Prime Minister in November, and on Thursday night he may have made his biggest social media impression of his young term. Trudeau was one of the first to welcome 163 Syrian refugees arriving in Canada. The refugees are among 25,000 Canada promised to accept by March. As news spread of the refugees’ arrival, Canadians began celebrating their country’s openness with the hashtag #WelcomeToCanada. Canadians like Twitter user @BriannaErnest wrote messages of support, saying, “my home is now your home, my country is now your country, and this safety is now your safety.” Trudeau said, “You are home, you’re safe at home now,” to the first group of refugees to leave the plane. A Syrian refugee said to the Toronto Star, “We feel as if we got out of hell and we came to paradise.” Two Viral Videos There are already seven films based on the X-Men comic books. Get ready for another one. The trailer for “X-Men: Apocalypse” launched on YouTube on Friday morning and received almost 300,000 views in its first four hours. The series follows characters like Wolverine, Professor Xavier and Magneto. They battle each other and various human enemies of mutants. The films are guaranteed blockbusters. Since the first one came out 15 years ago, the Hollywood Reporter says the series sold $3 billion of tickets around the world. The movie comes out in May. Some might consider the powers of various X-Men characters “magical.” After all, no one in real life can use mind control or see into the future like the X-Men characters can. But one everyday magician posted a funny video to Facebook and YouTube, and in just a few days, it was seen over six million times. Dan Zaleski of Connecticut went on a trip to Spain and visited a zoo. He showed an orangutan a little magic trick where he made a seed “disappear” using a paper cup. The orangutan loved the trick and fell to the floor with laughter. If you watched the video, we bet you’re laughing, too. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. How did Canada’s reception of the refugees make you feel? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   apocalypse – n. a great disaster : a sudden and very bad event that causes much fear, loss, or destruction blockbuster – n. something that is very large, expensive, or successful comic book – n. a magazine that is made up of a series of comic strips — often used as comic-book before another noun paradise – n. a very beautiful, pleasant, or peaceful place that seems to be perfect trailer – n. a selected group of scenes that are shown to advertise a movie

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before (preposition)

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Climate Change Talks Move Beyond Deadline

Leaders in Paris negotiating a  climate change agreement missed their deadline Friday. Representatives from 195 countries have spent two weeks in Paris trying to reach agreement at the United Nations climate talks, known as COP21. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius extended the deadline until Saturday when the deadline could not be met. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said a lot of progress has been made, but he said, some “very difficult” issues must be resolved. He met with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius Friday after what sources said was a hard night of negotiations. The biggest sticking points are financial aid and the long-term goal. First, how much financial aid will the rich nations give the poorer nations to help them cut gas emissions? Second, what will the final long-term goal say in the agreement? This conference was working toward capping a rise in global temperatures this century. They wanted to limit the rise to two degrees Celsius above temperatures of the mid-1700s. That is the time that the industrial revolution began. But there is discussion of making that a rise in 1.5 degrees instead. The latest draft of the agreement calls for “the widest possible cooperation by all countries” to cut emission of greenhouse gases. Scientists say those gases are warming the planet and changing the climate to an extreme. A major point of disagreement has been who will pay for reducing these emissions. Representatives of 134 developing countries objected to conditions suggested by richer industrialized nations. Richer countries – like the U.S. and China - have produced most of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Those gases are blamed for rising temperatures on the planet. Poorer nations want developed ones to pay for measures that arrest pollution. Scientists warn that rising temperatures will make Earth more difficult for human life. They say there will be rising sea levels, damaging storms and severe droughts. Some island nations at the conference said they will disappear underwater when higher global temperatures raise sea levels. The World Health Organization (WHO) called for a strong agreement to cut global emissions at the conference.  It warns that climate change is already blamed for tens of thousands of deaths each year. These deaths are caused by changing borders of disease, extreme weather events and worsening air and water quality and sanitation. Nations have met since 1992 to discuss ways to stop global warming. And while the COP21 labored to agree over how to deal with climate change, these stories were happening: Aviation emissions deal An agreement on limiting carbon dioxide emissions from aviation will likely be reached next year. That is what a senior official from the International Air Transport Association said Thursday. The aviation industry is not covered by the climate talks in Paris because it is under a separate U.N. body, the International Civil Aviation Organization. It is working on ways for airlines to reduce emissions.  Company to mass produce eco-friendly plane A company in Slovenia is hoping to revolutionize the airplane industry with electric planes. The electric two-seater airplane Taurus Electro is made by the Slovenian company Pipistrel. It is powered by battery. Its 15-meter wingspan allows it to be carried by the wind, once it reaches the altitude of 2,000 meters. Pipistrel plans to produce the plane and sell it for about $120,000. But for now, only a few countries will allow electric aircraft. French farmer sues wind farm over stressed cows In the northern Picardy area of France, a dairy farmer is suing the energy company that owns a wind farm next to his property.  The farmer says the wind turbine creates a low frequency sound that humans cannot hear, but it troubles animals. He says his cows will not lie down to eat and rest near the wind farm, and so they have stopped producing milk. The case goes to court next month. Cambodia “deadliest” country for environmental reporting A new report says at least four Cambodians were killed in trying to uncover environmental crimes. This makes Cambodia the “deadliest” place in the world for such reporting. The Paris-based organization Reporters without Borders says that both Cambodia and India were deadly countries for environmental journalists. It says 10 environment reporters have died worldwide since 2010. In Cambodia, journalists killed in rural parts of the country have also been suspected of criminal activity. For example, demanding money from illegal loggers to cut back their reporting on forestry crimes.   I’m Anne Ball.   Anne Ball wrote this story from material by VOA reporters and wire services. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   sticking point – n. something that people disagree about and keeps them from making progress in discussions drought – n. a time with very little rain global – adj. involving the whole world. sanitation  - n. promotion of hygiene and preventing disease by removing sewage and trash aviation –n. the business or practice of flying airplanes and helicopters carbon off-sets – n.  a credit that an organization can buy to negate a carbon footprint battery – n. a device placed inside a machine to supply it with electricity turbine – n. an engine that has a part with blades that spin by pressure from air frequency – n. the number of times that something, like a sound wave, is repeated in a period of time

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