New US Education Law Gives States More Control

States and local communities in the United States gained more control over education standards and testing last week. U.S. President Barack Obama signed the education reforms into law last week. "After more than 10 years, members of Congress from both parties have come together to revise our national education law," Obama said. "This law focuses on a national goal of ensuring that all of our students graduate prepared for college and future careers." The new education reform law urges the 50 state governments to limit how many and how often students take tests. The law limits the high-stakes nature of the testing for underperforming schools. And the national government will not be able to tell states and communities how to evaluate schools and teacher performance. But states and schools must still give reading and math exams in grades three through eight, and in high school. The states will have more authority in setting standards for the tests. Congress passed the measure easily. Republicans and Democrats supported it.  No Child Left Behind The new law replaces the No Child Left Behind measure approved in 2002. It called for extensive testing and standards set by the national government. Parents, teachers and lawmakers found that policy unworkable. They said it gave Washington bureaucrats too much control over the country's 100,000 public schools. "This bill makes long overdue fixes to the last education law. It replaces a one-size-fits-all approach to reform," Obama said. Republican Senator Lamar Alexander is one of the measure's chief authors. He said, "This new law will result in fewer and better tests because states and classroom teachers will be deciding what to do about the results of the tests.” The law's other key sponsor is Democratic Senator Patty Murray. She said the new focus will be on early childhood education. She added that minority and poor children will benefit, and get a better start in their earliest years of school. I’m Jonathan Evans. _____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   bureaucrat – n. a person who is one of the people who run a government or big company and who does everything according to the rules of that government or company; a person who is part of a bureaucracy high-stakes adj. - used to describe a ​situation that has a lot of ​risk and in which someone is likely to either get or ​lose an ​advantage, a lot of ​money, etc.: one-size-fits-all – adj. suitable for everyone or every purpose

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Japan's Abe Leaves India with Key Agreements

  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narandra Modi met and signed important agreements in New Delhi. The leaders strengthened Japanese-Indian bonds by signing transportation, defense and energy agreements. Abe’s three-day Indian trip ended Sunday. The transportation deal permits Japan to create India’s first high-speed train network. The defense agreement lets Japan sell weapons to India. The two countries also signed a civil nuclear agreement. The transportation deal calls for Japan to provide $12 billion to build and equip a bullet train route to run in the western part of India. Two military defense pacts were signed. One agreement makes it possible for Japan to sell aircraft to India. The pacts also state the two countries will share military technology, equipment and information. During the meeting, India invited Japan to participate along with the United States in naval exercises in the Indian Ocean. The memo of understanding on civil nuclear energy is not completely finalized. But that agreement deals with Japan exporting nuclear technology to India. Modi described India’s relationship with Japan by saying, “I cannot think of a strategic partnership that can exercise a more profound influence on shaping the course of Asia and our interlinked ocean regions more than ours.” Asian analysts see the Japanese-Indian friendship as an attempt to contain China. Both India and Japan have territory disputes with China. Abe wrote in a Times of India editorial “it becomes important more and more for there to be collaboration between Japan and India…” I’m Mario Ritter. Anjana Pasricha and Fern Robinson wrote this story for VOAnews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think of the relationship between Japan and India? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   defense – n. the act of defending someone or something from attack pact – n. a formal agreement between two countries

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'High Tech' Devices to Enjoy Holiday Music

Technology makes listening to holiday music easier than ever. There are endless sources to help you find your favorite Christmas tunes and many other songs. Today we explore ways to listen to holiday music with “high tech” devices. Apple Music This is the first year you can use Apple Music to find and listen to holiday songs. Apple Music has more than 30 million songs and is available in over 100 countries. Search for “holiday music” to find playlists, such as Trimming the Tree and Country Holiday. You can also listen to holiday music stations such as Swingin’ Holiday and Latin Holiday. Tell voice assistant Siri to “play holiday music” to open the music program on your iPhone, iPad or Apple TV. The Music app will provide holiday playlists and stations. Have an Android phone? Apple Music app is available in the Google Play store, but not with voice commands. You can also listen to Apple Music on your computer through the iTunes store or on Apple TV. Apple Music is free for the first three months. After that, users must pay a subscription fee. Google Play Music Google Play Music is also in the holiday spirit. Go to the Google Play Music Holiday page or app and search for "holiday music." Google Play Music is available for free if you don’t mind the advertisements. If you do, buy a paid subscription to avoid them. Google Play Music offers more than 30 million songs in 58 countries. The service is available on your computer, and through apps on your Android phone and iPhone. Live365 Live365 is an Internet radio service. Listen to its music on your computer or mobile device. The service has 158 Christmas music stations, such as Contemporary Christmas, Christmas Breezes and Classical Christmas. You can also listen to Cornucopia of Chrismukkah if you want to combine music from Christmas and Hanukkah. Live365 is free and available around the world. A paid membership is available. It lets you listen to more stations and listen without advertisements. Spotify Spotify, another online service, is filled with holiday music. Listen to playlists on Spotify by searching for "Holiday Music." The playlists include Merry Christmas: The Best Holiday Music, Pure Christmas Music and Pure Holiday Music. TuneIn Radio Listen to radio stations from around the world with TuneIn Radio. This online service offers stations from all seven continents, including Antarctica.  TuneIn Radio is available on your computer and by using their app. TuneIn Radio is free to online users. In the United States, Britain and Canada, a paid subscription gives you additional stations without advertisements. YouTube YouTube can be an endless source of holiday music. Search for (you guessed it) “Holiday Music” to find videos that pair holiday music with scenes of snow, sentiment and Santa.​ A popular American tradition for people without a real fireplace is to watch the Yule log on TV or another device. YouTube offers not only the roaring Yule log fire, but music to match.​ Happy holidays! From VOA Learning English, I’m Kathleen Struck.   Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Do you enjoy listening to holiday music? What are some of your favorite holiday songs? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page! ​ ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tech - n. a machine, piece of equipment, method, etc., that is created by technology merry - adj. very happy and cheerful : feeling or showing joy and happiness​ source - n. someone or something that provides what is wanted or needed carol - n. a song sung during the Christmas season decorate - v. to make (something) more attractive usually by putting something on it playlist - n. a list of songs to be played especially by a radio station assistant - n. a person who helps someone application – n. a computer program that performs a particular task such as word processing subscription - n. an agreement that you make with a company to get a publication or service regularly and that you usually pay for in advance mood - n. the way someone feels : a person's emotional state virtual - adj. existing or occurring on computers or on the Internet

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Republican Presidential Candidates Discuss Terrorism, National Security

Nine top Republican presidential candidates focused on terrorism and national security Tuesday in a televised debate. The frontrunner, businessman Donald Trump, defended his plan to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., even American Muslims. He said it would secure the U.S., and is not an attack on Islam. “People like what I say. People respect what I say. And we’ve opened up a very big discussion that needed to be opened up,” Trump said. Many Republican leaders have criticized Trump’s plan. But during the debate, most candidates held back from attacking it. Candidate Jeb Bush is the brother and son of former U.S. presidents. Once considered the frontrunner, he has not done well in opinion polls. Bush criticized Trump’s approach to politics. Trump is “a chaos candidate, and he’d be a chaos president,” Bush said. Bush and Trump argued many times during the debate. “You’re never going to be president of the United States by insulting your way to the presidency,” Bush told Trump. But Trump noted a public opinion study showing 42 percent of those asked supported him. He said Bush had just 3 percent support. The two traded verbal barbs. Bush criticized Trump for admitting he learns about the military from watching television shows. He asked if Trump was getting information from Sunday morning news shows or Saturday morning cartoon programs. Some experts say Trump has not performed well in the five Republican presidential debates. But he has much more public support than any other Republican candidate. Republican Party leaders say they are worried about Trump and public support. They say they worry that he will win the party’s nomination or run as an independent. If he runs as an independent, that would split votes among Republican voters. That would give strength to the Democratic Party. Trump promised he would not run as an independent. In September, Trump told reporters he would not be an independent candidate. But in the months after that press conference, he seemed to change his mind. He said he might run a third-party campaign if he does not believe he is treated fairly by other Republicans. In recent weeks, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has increased his levels of support. Cruz is a U.S. senator from Texas. Cruz has refused to publicly criticize Trump. During the debate, he strongly criticized President Barack Obama’s military campaign against the Islamic State group. And he repeated his threat to heavily bomb extremists in Iraq and Syria. He said if he is elected president, he will order the military to “hunt down and kill the terrorists. We will utterly destroy ISIS. We will stop the terrorist attacks” before they happen, he said. Throughout the debate, Cruz spoke to Marco Rubio about the Islamic State group, domestic spying programs and immigration. Rubio is a U.S. Senator from Florida. Both men are Cuban-Americans in their 40s. They have both recently gained support in national public opinion studies. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll showed Trump had 27 percent support. Cruz had 22 percent and Rubio, 15 percent. The other candidates in the debate were Carly Fiorina, the former head of the Hewlett-Packard computer company; John Kasich, the governor of Ohio; Ben Carson, a retired brain surgeon; Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey; and Rand Paul, a U.S. senator from Kentucky. The debate was shown on CNN television. It happened less than two months before the Iowa caucuses. The caucuses are the first place voters can say which candidate they support. On Monday, the three Democratic presidential candidates discussed immigration and refugee policies. The three are Hillary Clinton, a former secretary of state; Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont; and Martin O’Malley, a former governor of Maryland. The three strongly criticized Donald Trump. Protesters at the hotel in Las Vegas, ,where the debate took place, said the candidates should pay attention to immigration reform, increasing wages, providing jobs and ending police abuses. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA's William Gallo, Mike O’Sullivan in Las Vegas and Ramon Taylor in New York reported on the debate. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted their stories for Learning English. Kathleen Struck 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   approach – n. a way of dealing with something; a way of doing or thinking about something chaos – n. complete confusion and disorder; a state in which behavior and events are not controlled by anything cartoon – n. a film or television show made by photographing a series of drawings; an animated film or television show caucus – n. a meeting of members of a political party for the purpose of choosing candidates for an election focused – v. to direct one’s attention on something frontrunner – n. leader; the person who is most likely to win a race or competition held back from – expression to show restraint; to keep from moving forward done well in – expression to show success or skill in something verbal barbs – n. critical comments

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Anti-Immigrant Party Loses Elections in France

  In France, an anti-immigrant political party has lost regional elections. The National Front had led in at least six of the country’s 13 regions in the first part of elections last week. But early results of the second round of elections show the Republican party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy and his center-right allies leading in seven regions. The governing Socialist and other leftist parties have won in at least five. The National Front has gained support in recent years, namely in local elections in March and in European Union elections last year. The terrorist attack in Paris last month was another factor.  ​The party wants France to leave the European Union and strengthen security. It also wants immigrants and those seeking asylum to be removed from the country. I’m Anna Matteo.    Correspondent Lisa Bryant reported this story from Paris. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it into VOA Learning English. (Name) was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   region – n. a part of a country or the world that is different or separate from other parts in some way leftist – adj. belonging to or supporting the political left round – n. one of a series of similar events asylum – n. protection given by a government to someone who has left another country in order to escape being harmed

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Instagram Husbands, A Harry Potter Prequel, Los Angeles Schools Closed

This is What’s Trending Today Are you an “Instagram Husband?” “I’m basically a human selfie-stick.” One of the actors has that to say in a parody video about men who take pictures of their wives for use on Instagram. The three-minute video is actually a skit, or short, funny story, from a TV show called “The Mystery Hour” produced in Missouri. The skit makes fun of how men and women relate to each other in the social media era. In the week since it first appeared on YouTube, “Instagram Husband” has been played over four million times.   “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” trailer Did you think you were finished with the world of Harry Potter and students at Hogwarts? Think again. J.K. Rowling wrote a book in 2001 in the style of a textbook featured in the Harry Potter series. It was called “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” In the Harry Potter series, the book was written by “Newt Scamander.” That is the make-believe name Rowling used when she published the book. The book details the study of 85 magical beasts around the world. Some of the “beasts” included in the book are dragons and flobberworms. The movie’s trailer came out on Tuesday. In just a few hours, it was seen over one million times. The movie follows Scamander and others during an episode in New York City in the 1920s. It features actors Eddie Redmayne and Colin Farrell. The movie will come out in November of 2016. Los Angeles schools closed People who live near Los Angeles are understandably still worried about terrorism threats. The December shooting that killed 14 people happened in San Bernardino, only 96 kilometers away. Today, the Los Angeles Unified School District closed all of its campuses after a terrorist threat was delivered via e-mail to some school board members. The threat was not real. But as a precaution, the school district asked that 700,000 students not come to school. The Twitter hashtag #LAUSD was used 50,000 times on Tuesday. Similar threats were sent to school administrators in New York City, but schools were not closed there. The closing proved to be a disruption for parents. They had to care for their children on an unscheduled day off. But most parents seemed to be supportive of the decision. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Do you think you might be an Instagram husband? What did you think of the video? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________   Words in This Story disruption – n. the act of to interrupting the normal progress or activity of (something) fantastic – adj. strange, unusual or unlikely precaution – n. something that is done to prevent possible harm or trouble from happening in the future beast – n. an animal make-believe – adj. not real trailer – n. a selected group of scenes that are shown to advertise a movie

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VOA English Newscast: 2100 UTC December 15, 2015

From Washington, this is VOA news… I'm Dave DeForest reporting Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that the United States and Russia have the ability to make a (what he called) "significant differences" in Syria's crisis. He commented Tuesday at the start of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Mr. Putin said the United States and Russia are looking for ways out of the Syrian crisis. The two officials are also expected to discuss the unrest in Ukraine “Nothing would please us more than to resolve the differences of Ukraine and to move forward in the economic front and on other areas of important cooperation.” Kerry traveled to Moscow from Paris, where he took part in a French-led ministerial meeting on Syria and the Islamic State. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said President Barack Obama has told the military of the need to accelerate the campaign against the Islamic State.  He said the United States is seeking more help from coalition partners. Carter spoke to reporters Tuesday before arriving in Turkey. New U.S. political surveys show billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump has gained strength in his race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.  The polls show an upsurge in support for Trump after he called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. Meanwhile, Trump and eight other Republican presidential contenders are set to face one another Tuesday in Las Vegas, Nevada in their final debate of the year. The United Nations Human Rights Council says it will hold a special session on violence in Burundi later this week. The session, set for Thursday, was called at the request of the United States.  It is supported by 17 members of the Human Rights Council and 25 observer states. This will be the first such special session for the group since April. This is VOA news. _____________________________________________________________ Words in the Newscast significant –adj. enough to be noticed or to have an effect accelerate –v. to move faster, to gain speed surveys –n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or series of questions to find out what they think about an issue or issues upsurge –n. a quick increase or rise contenders –n. people trying to win something session –n. a formal meeting or series of meetings

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UN: Widespread Torture Continues in China

A United Nations committee says torture and poor treatment are still widespread in China. The U.N. Committee Against Torture says torture is a big problem in China. The committee added China has not been helpful when asked how many cases of torture were reported and who has died in police custody. China’s Supreme Court banned torture in 2013. Still, many human rights groups say torture is widely used in China. The common methods of torture in China include physical beatings, hangings, electrical shocks, burning and scalding, and being tied or restrained during questionings. The International Society of Human Rights compiled the methods in a torture list. A U.N. official said torture has been linked to relate to the reported crackdown on the country’s lawyers and human rights defenders. The U.N. committee is concerned about the detention and silencing of more than 200 lawyers and activists since July. I'm Mario Ritter.   Lisa Schlein wrote this story for VOAnews.com from Geneva. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck 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   custody – n. the state of being kept in a prison or jail scalding – v. to burn someone or something with hot liquid or steam crackdown – n. a serious attempt to punish people for doing something that is not allowed detention – n. the act of keeping someone in a prison or a similar place

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Study: Humans Sleep Less, Better Than Other Animals

Humans need less sleep than other mammals, yet their slumber is more efficient, said researchers at Duke University in North Carolina. In their study, the scientists researched sleep patterns of hundreds of animals. They discovered humans sleep for shorter periods of time compared to other animals. The study also concluded that a human’s sleep is higher quality. A deeper stage of sleep, called rapid eye movement sleep, or REM, makes up 25 percent of a human’s sleep. In primates like lemurs or monkeys, REM sleep does not reach the five percent mark. “Humans are unique in having shorter, higher quality sleep,” said David Samson, a study co-author. Samson’s research team found that humans can prosper with an average of seven hours of sleep a day. Other primates need as many as 14 to 17 hours of sleep. Samson said human sleep habits evolved during prehistoric times. Human ancestors moved from sleeping in trees to sleeping on the ground. Better sleeping habits resulted in better sleep in a shorter amount of time. I’m Mario Ritter.   Jim Dresbach adapted this story from VOA News for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you have trouble sleeping? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   slumber – v. sleep primate– n. any member of the group of animals that includes human beings, apes and monkeys lemur– n. an animal that is related to monkeys and that lives in trees mostly in Madagascar prehistoric– adj. of, relating to, or existing in the time before people could write

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US, Russia Hold Talks on Syria, IS, Ukraine

The United States and Russia tried to find common ground Tuesday about Syria, the Islamic State terrorist group and Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Moscow. It was Kerry’s second trip to Russia this year. He was also to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kerry acknowledged that “there have been differences between us.” But, he said, “we have been able to work effectively on specific issues.” He noted that Russia helped broker the Iran nuclear agreement. Lavrov said he wanted to continue talks begun by Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama over the “Ukrainian settlement.” Also on Kerry’s agenda in Russia were talks about how to end the fighting in Eastern Ukraine, said a senior State Department official. The so-called Minsk agreement calls for the Ukrainian government and Russian-supported separatists to withdraw their heavy weapons. Kerry also planned to set an agenda for the next International Syria Support Group meeting, the official said. That group has offered a political solution to end the crisis in Syria. The United States and Russia disagree about whether Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad should be removed. The International Syria Support Group is scheduled to meet Friday in New York. A U.S.-led coalition and Russia, separately launched airstrikes against militant targets in Syria. The United States criticized the Russian airstrikes. It said the strikes target anti-Assad Syrians instead of Islamic State terrorists. The meeting between Kerry and Lavrov happened as Russia seeks to end U.S. and European economic punishments. Sanctions were put in place after Russia illegally annexed, or seized control of, Crimea, which was part of Ukraine. Some reports say Russia will try to use its relationship with Assad to gain favor with the West to end sanctions. But the State Department official said the American position is “absolutely clear.” The U.S.  would not end the sanctions in exchange for Russia pressuring Assad to leave office, the official said: The issues are separate. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   This story was reported from Moscow by VOA State Department Correspondent Pamela Dockins. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck 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   common ground – expression something that people agree about even if they disagree about other things acknowledge – v. to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of (something) specific – adj. relating to a particular person, situation, etc. broker – v. to help people, countries, etc., make a deal or to reach an agreement agenda – n. a list of things to be considered or done schedule – v. to plan (something) at a certain time sanction – n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc. (usually plural) annex – v. to add (an area or region) to a country, state, etc.; to take control of (a territory or place) in exchange for – expression in return for something

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Saudi Arabia Announces New Islamic Military Alliance

Saudi Arabia has announced the creation of an Islamic military alliance to fight terrorism. The Saudis will lead the 34-nation alliance, said the state-run Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday. The center will be located in the capital Riyadh and will coordinate military operations. The countries that have joined the alliance include Jordan, Bahrain, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The four are also part of the U.S.-led coalition that has been launching airstrikes in Syria against the Islamic State terrorist group. Other alliance members are Tunisia, Lebanon, Libya and Egypt. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia are also part of the alliance. Some African countries -- including Sudan, Somalia, Mali and Nigeria -- also have joined. Iraq, Iran and Syria are not in the new group, nor is Saudi Arabia’s neighbor Oman. The Saudi statement called terrorism a “serious violation of human dignity and rights, especially the right to life and the right to security.” It said “acts of corruption and terrorism cannot be justified in any way.” It said the alliance supports the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which “calls for member states to cooperate to combat terrorism in all its forms … and rejects all justifications and excuses for terrorism.” Members of the alliance are also part of the Islamic cooperation group. Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman called terrorism a “disease.” He said the alliance will fight it wherever it is in the world. “Today there are a number of countries that suffer from terrorism,” he said, “for example Daesh (Islamic State) in Syria and Iraq; terrorism in Sinai, terrorism in Yemen, terrorism in Libya, terrorism in Mali, terrorism in Nigeria, terrorism in Pakistan, terrorism in Afghanistan -- and this requires a very strong effort to fight.” He said “the alliance includes a group of Islamic states that make up the majority of the Islamic world.” And he noted that terrorism “affected the Islamic world first, before the international community” was attacked. The alliance was created because “today, every Islamic country is fighting terrorism individually,” he said. It is important that countries work together to fight “terrorism all over the Islamic world.” Turkey is the only country in the new group that is also a member of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. News reports say Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called the alliance the “best response to those who are trying to associate terror and Islam. We believe that this effort by Muslim countries is a step in the right direction.” Other countries that make up the 34-member group are: Benin, Chad, Togo, Djibouti, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Guinea, Palestine, Comoros, Qatar, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger and Yemen. Saudi Arabia said more than 10 other countries have expressed support but have not joined the alliance. They include Indonesia -- home of the world’s largest Muslim population. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   This story was reported by VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it into VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck 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   coordinate – v. to make arrangements so that two or more people or groups of people can work together properly and well dignity – n. the quality of being worthy of honor or respect justify – v. to provide or be a good reason for (something); to prove or show (something) to be just, right or reasonable associate – v. to think of one person or thing when you think of another person or thing (usually + with)

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