Muslims, Christians Unite Against Boko Haram

Christians and Muslims in Cameroon offered protection to each other following five attacks on mosques by suspected Boko Haram fighters. Christians guarded mosques and Muslims protected churches after a fifth mosque was attacked by a male suicide bomber on Monday. The attack took place near Cameroon’s border with Nigeria. The development marked a change in Boko Haram operations. In the past, the terror group attacked churches, schools and markets. Now, Boko Haram is attacking mosques. Christians now stand guard during Muslim call to prayer. Most groups assist government troops against the increasing attacks by Boko Haram. The Nigerian terrorist group has been active in Cameroon for three years. Christians told VOA News they help Muslims for the well-being of the country and as a duty of faith. Cameroon officials said militants have attacked mosques after being attacked by Cameroon and Nigerians soldiers. Nearly 24 million people live in Cameroon: 40 percent are Christian, and 20 percent are Muslims. In Mozambique in Africa’s southeast, citizens are fleeing clashes between rebels and government forces. They seek asylum in neighboring Malawi, a U.N. refugee agency reported. The agency says its staff registered about 1,300 new arrivals near the Malawi-Mozambique border. More than 900 refugees are waiting to be processed. A United Nations spokesman said most of the refugees are women and children. The fighting in Mozambique started last year. A previous civil war between 1977 and 1992 forced 1 million people from Mozambique to flee to Malawi. I'm Anne Ball.   Moki Edwin Kindzeka and Lisa Schlein reported on this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach 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   mosque – n. a building that is used for Muslim religious services church – n. a Christian religious center

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Taiwan’s Premier Offers to Resign

Relations with China are causing political waves in Taiwan after the party opposed to closer ties easily won Saturday’s elections. Taiwan’s candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party, Tsai Ing-wen, won Saturday’s presidential election with 56 percent of the vote. Tsai is the first woman to win the island’s presidency. The opposition Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, also gained more seats in the island’s legislature than the ruling Nationalist Party. Tsai’s victory raises question about whether eight years of increased ties with mainland China will end. The DPP has opposed closer links with China and expressed support for independence. President Ma Ying-Jeou has worked to improve relations with China for years. His efforts resulted in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Singapore last November. It was the first meeting between leaders of mainland China and Taiwan since they split after China’s civil war in 1949. China considers Taiwan part of its territory. Taiwan also has signed a number of trade deals with China. However, those efforts are thrown into doubt, and ruling party leaders are admitting a change in the public’s will. Taiwan’s premier has taken leave of his job and says he may not return. Mao Chi-Kuo expressed concern about his ability to govern after voters elected a DPP president and gave it a majority in the legislature. The premier also asked his cabinet to resign. President Ma is considering whether to give his approval to such a move. Premier Mao defended his government’s efforts to improve relations with China and economic growth in a speech to the cabinet Monday. He said public opinion has changed. He said he had approached the president to request his resignation to safeguard the work of the future government. Without his resignation, he said, important decisions would not be possible, affecting development and the people’s happiness. President Ma, however, is holding off approval of the cabinet’s resignation. He is talking with supporters of the president-elect. They are seeking government ministers that both sides agree could remain after Tsai takes office. By law, Ma can keep his current cabinet, but Taiwanese presidents often make changes after election losses. The premier’s temporary replacement has said that talks on a possible free trade deal with China would stop if the cabinet resigns. It is not clear how Tsai’s government would negotiate with China. After the election, China reasserted its consideration that the self-ruled island is part of China’s territory. It said the democratic vote would not change that “basic fact.” China has changed a great deal since the last time a DPP candidate won the presidency. China is more powerfully economically and militarily than it was in 2000. Experts say this means Tsai needs to use restraint in developing the island’s relations with its larger neighbor. But, they point out that the world is watching how China deals with difficult issues at home and near its borders. These include how it deals with dissent within China, as well as concerns in Hong Kong and conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea. The president-elect’s campaign has said she will avoid angering China. Most experts do not expect the dispute between the mainland and Taiwan to intensify, at least before May 20. That is when President-elect Tsai takes office. I’m Mario Ritter. This story was adapted from reports by VOA's Bill Ide and reporter Ralph Jennings. Mario Ritter adapted their stories for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Worlds in This Story take leave – v. to say goodbye; to take time off restraint – n. to limit; to keep under control reasserted – v. to state or declare something more strongly; to restate

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Bulgarians Biking From Alaska to Argentina

Vyacheslav Stoyanov had dreamed of visiting America since he was a young child. Yana Melamed grew up visiting family in the United States. But she long dreamed of exploring South America. Together, they are making both of their dreams come true. On bicycles. Yana is from Bulgaria. Vyacheslav, who goes by Slav, is originally from Ukraine. He moved to Bulgaria almost 20 years ago. Last June, Slav and Yana flew on an airplane – with their bicycles -- from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Deadhorse, Alaska. The town of 25 people is one of the northernmost communities in North America. From Deadhorse, they began a 60,000-kilometer bike trip, from Alaska to Argentina. They are biking to the southernmost point in South America. “The life on two wheels, it’s something very, very exciting, and very fun actually,” Yana said. “Most of the people think it’s very hard, very tough, cycling all day with the luggage. Yes, we have the tough times. But it’s a lot of fun because we are very independent." Cycling for Recycling But their journey is not only about having fun and fulfilling their dreams. Yana and Slav call their mission Cycle4Recycle. They say the goal of Cycle4Recycle is to make people more aware of how to protect the environment and preserve natural resources. “We are not usual tourists, who are looking for landmarks." Slav and Yana call themselves researchers and explorers. Along their trip, Slav and Yana give presentations at community centers and museums. Their presentation centers on their research into recycling and consumerism in the Americas. Even the world-famous Field Museum in Chicago invited them to give a presentation on their research. “We want to share with the kids. We want to make presentations for schools. We want to make the presentations with other bikers. We don’t expect some big change from this journey. We just try to change. We begin to change ourselves to do that. And after that, we just share with other people our experience.” Life on the road On most nights, Slav and Yana camp in parks. Yana says camping gives them “the most beautiful backyard.” They always clear away trash in the park before they set up their tent and cook a meal. Sometimes, they find use for the trash they find. The Bulgarian flag that waves on the back of Yana’s bike, for example, was sewn together from pieces of fabric they found along the road. And Slav still uses a water bottle he found in Canada. “Recycling is the most important point. Because everything (is) building from oil at this moment. We want to involve people to reuse the packages, like the bottles." Even their bicycles are recycled. Yana’s bike is over 35 years old. “So, this is my bike, Villiger Trulix. And Villiger is more than 30 years old. And he's a Swiss bicycle. He's made in a time when everything was meant to last forever. That's why I'm very happy that he decided to join me in my trip." Slav calls his bicycle “Konya,” which means “horse” in Bulgarian. They bought both used bicycles for less than $200. Exchanging bread for a bed In December, Slav and Yana arrived in Washington, D.C. They had been biking for more than 10,000 kilometers. If the weather is too cold or wet for camping -- or if they just wish to sleep in a real bed -- Slav and Yana log on to WarmShowers.org. The website connects local hosts with cyclists who are on long journeys. Warm Showers is similar to Couchsurfing, but it is especially for bicyclists. The website has more than 27,000 hosts around the world. In Washington, D.C., Slav and Yana spent three days staying with Scott Macdonell, a Warm Showers host. Macdonell says he was happy to help the two bikers out.   In exchange for a free place to stay, Yana and Slav like to share homemade meals of pasta, dumplings and bread with their hosts. Yana says she and Slav learned how to make bread and pasta while biking in Alaska and Canada. “When we were up in the north, the distances between supermarkets was like 2,000 miles. We cannot carry bread or stuff. We can only carry dry food, and we have to cook it. We were forced to learn how to make bread. And now we just can’t stop doing it." Back on the road From Washington, Slav and Yana will continue their journey south toward Florida. They will travel along the East Coast Greenway. The greenway is a trail system that connects major cities in the eastern United States, from Maine to Florida. After Florida, they will head west, through the southern states of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Then, they will cross Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, following the historic U.S. Route 66. They plan to cross into Mexico from California. After that, they plan on biking through almost every country in Central and South America, on their way to Argentina. “A cycling journey ... it's very nice to explore the cities and explore the nationalities and the countries because you go slow. You can see much more. You can stop everywhere. If you look at a beautiful place, you just stop. And you can enjoy. And it's like a luggage. You can even bring your bike in the plane." ​ I’m Ashley Thompson. And I'm Caty Weaver.   Ashley Thompson wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story        originally – adv. n the beginning: when something first happened or began journey – n. an act of traveling from one place to another; trip aware – adj. knowing that something (such as a situation, condition, or problem) exists preserve – v. to keep (something) in its original state or in good condition consumerism – n. the actions of people who spend a lot of money on goods and services approach – n. a way of dealing with something: a way of doing or thinking about something conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people: the act of talking in an informal way trash – n. things that are no longer useful or wanted and that have been thrown away log on – phrasal verb to start the connection of a computer to a network or system host – n. a person who is entertaining guests socially or as a job

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New US Food Advice Not to Everyone's Taste

Americans can eat eggs without feeling guilty, according to new nutritional guidelines issued by the U.S. government. A person can eat as many eggs as they like each day, the updated guidelines say. One large chicken egg has about 186 milligrams of cholesterol, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Most of that is in the yellow center, or the yolk. Older guidelines restricted cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams a day. Two eggs would be more than the daily limit. The guidelines were issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. The government guidelines are issued every five years. It is designed to help set nutritional standards for school lunch programs and federal food aid. The new guidelines cautioned that “individuals should eat as little dietary cholesterol as possible.” In the past, guidelines have led to reduced sales and hurt agricultural markets. In 1977, the guidelines recommended avoiding cholesterol. That recommendation led to a decline in egg sales. Other tips to stay healthy included advice to limit intake of sugars to 10 percent. Saturated fat calories found in red meat, butter, cheese, whole milk and ice cream should be limited each day to 10 percent. The guidelines also suggested Americans move away from a diet full of animal protein and sodium. The guidelines promoted eating more fruits, vegetables and nuts. The government has long recommended eating breakfast each day as a way to stay fit. The latest guidelines do not recommend that breakfast is necessary. Some are critical of the new guidelines. Mayo Clinic's Dr. Donald Hensrud told Time magazine that the new recommendations do not address weight management. Hensrud also mentioned that the recommendations failed to note the positive reports of how coffee decreases the risks of diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Harvard professor and physician Walter Willett was candid in his observations. “This is a loss for the American public, and a win for big beef and big soda,” Willett said. “The problem isn’t just that the public gets misleading, censored information, but that these guidelines get translated into national food programs. ... This then gets directly translated into unnecessary premature deaths, diabetes, and suffering … of course this goes on to mean greater health care costs for all. It is all connected.” I’m Anna Matteo.   The staff at VOA news reported this story. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What changes have you made in your diet? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   cholesterol – n. a substance that is found in the bodies of people and animals yolk – n. the yellow part in the center of an egg nutrition – n. the process of eating the right kind of food so you can grow properly and be healthy sodium – n. a soft silver-white element that is found in salt, baking soda and other compounds candid – adj. expressing opinions and feelings in an honest and sincere way censor – v. to examine books, movies or letters in order to remove things that are considered to be offensive, immoral or harmful to society diabetes – n. a serious disease in which the body cannot properly control the amount of sugar in your blood because it does not have enough insulin

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Zimbabwe Denies Reports of Mugabe Heart Attack

The government of Zimbabwe is denying a report that President Robert Mugabe has suffered a heart attack. Presidential spokesman George Charamba told reporters on Thursday that the report by the website ZimEye.net was false. He said the report was published to increase the number of users, or people who visit the website, so its owners could increase their earnings. Reports that Mugabe’s health is poor are common. He will be 92 next month. He leaves the country for a long vacation every January. The president’s spokesman does not usually react to reports about the president’s health. But this time, Charamba complained about frequent reports that Mugabe has died. He said “you cannot doubt that there will be a story on the president’s alleged death every January.” Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980, when the country gained independence from Britain. He is the world’s oldest head of state. He has said he does not suffer from poor health. But last year he fell down stairs at Harare airport. And in September, he read the same speech to parliament that he had given a month earlier. His long rule and his age have created concerns about what will happen to the presidency after his death. Some experts believe Senior Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa will become president. But the president’s wife, Grace Mugabe, has been making political moves. She is the head of the women’s membership group of the ruling ZANU-PF party. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOANews.com reported on this story . Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted for the story 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   vacation - n. a period when someone spends time away from home, school or business, usually for traveling complained - v. saying or writing about something you do not like frequent - adj. many times; often doubt - n. a feeling of being unsure about something alleged - adj. accused or suspected of doing something stairs - n. a series of steps that go from one level of a building to the next ​

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Join VOA LE for a Chat With Men in Space!

Where will you be Wednesday, January 20, at 14:20 UTC? Here with VOA Learning English! We'll be talking live with the astronauts now flying above us in the International Space Station! Our Science Correspondent Anne Ball will speak live with NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko. The team is conducting year-long experiments as practice for a future mission to Mars. Please tune into our live broadcast on http://ift.tt/KdYcJL to hear what these brave scientists have to say about life in space. See you then! @VOALearningEnglish @VOANews​ @StationCDRKelly @NAS

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Sierra Leone Investigates Foreign Waste Agreement

The government of Sierra Leone is investigating an agreement to import waste from Lebanon. The agreement permits the import of non-hazardous waste into Sierra Leone. It does not permit the import of toxic or dangerous materials. The agreement was negotiated by Ibrahim Ben Kargbo. He is a former minister and senior presidential aide. He was recently elected to parliament. In a statement released Monday, the government said it did not give permission to Kargbo to negotiate the deal. It said President Ernest Bai Koroma had ordered an investigation of the deal. It said it understands the health and environmental risks of toxic wastes and would not expose its citizens to such wastes. Kargbo told VOA that the agreement was part of a deal to build a fertilizer factory. He said he wrote a letter of agreement to a representative of a Dutch farm in Lebanon “who said he wanted to come here and set up a plant to manufacture fertilizer. I did inform him in that letter that if he wanted to go through the process of investing in this country, he should be very certain that, even if it is utilizing domestic waste, it should be toxic-free.” Kargbo also said he told the representative that none of the imported waste can be toxic and that the agreement had to be approved by the government. On Monday, investigators questioned Kargbo. He says he told them the letter of agreement came from his office. But he says the investigators released him because there was nothing illegal about the agreement. He says he protected his country from the import of toxic waste. He said he was only working with the Dutch company to build a fertilizer factory in his country, which does not have such a factory. Kargbo said President Koroma was not told about the agreement because it was still being negotiated. But he says the president would have been told about it. He says investors were to first meet with lower-level government officials. Then, when it was clear what the investors wanted to do, the president would be told. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA's James Butty reported on this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you believe your country should permit the import of non-hazardous waste? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   hazardous – adj. dangerous or harmful toxic – adj. containing poisonous substances expose – v. to cause (someone) to experience something or to be influenced or affected by something, sometimes negatively (often + to) plant – n. a building or factory where something is made utilize – v. to use (something) for a particular purpose

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Maine Lobster Becoming Popular in China

The American seafood staple of Maine lobster, or "lobsta" as they say in Maine, is becoming very popular on Asian dining tables. Maine lobsters were a featured course at last year’s state dinner when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the White House. Now, the creatures with claws are becoming a big export to Asia. The lobster’s home is in the Atlantic Ocean, anywhere from Newfoundland in Canada to North Carolina in the United States. But nearly 90 percent of the fishery activity happens in the state of Maine.  And the prices for fresh lobster have risen to a higher level. “Three years ago, the price was mediocre. We averaged around $2.50 to $3 per pound (or nearly half a kilogram) for the year,” said Chris Welch, a lobster boat captain. “This year, the price has been excellent. It’s better than I can remember in a lot of years.” During one morning, a lobster order was being prepared for shipment to Hong Kong. The biggest challenge in shipping was logistics. Shippers have only 36 hours from the time lobsters are packed until arrival in China. Any lobster arriving after that time loses quality. American shellfish exports have grown rapidly in recent years. More than 23,000 kilograms of that type of seafood is exported to Asia every week via air. “We primarily export lobsters to Asia; probably about 80 percent to China and the other 20 percent to some other Asian countries,” said lobster dealer Stephanie Nadeau. Nadeau said the countries of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea and Japan are big lobster fans. I’m Kathleen Struck.   Liu Enming and Yiyi Yang wrote this story for VOAnews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What is your favorite type of seafood? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   lobster – n. an ocean animal that has a long body, a hard shell and a pair of large claws and that is caught for food claw – n. a body part of an animal, such as a lobster or crab, that is used for gripping and holding things fishery – n. a part of the ocean where fish and other sea creatures are caught mediocre – adj. not very good shellfish – n. an animal, such as a crab or an oyster, that has a hard outer shell and that lives in water

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Sean Penn: Journalist or Propagandist?

There has been praise and condemnation for Hollywood star Sean Penn this week. Sean Penn has had controversial moments throughout his public life. But this week, the public learned that Penn met with the leader of a brutal Mexican crime group. The Sinaloa group is known for especially vicious killings, torture and drug dealing. The actor interviewed Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in October 2015. Guzman had escaped from a Mexican federal prison in July. It was his second escape. He was on the lam from 2001 to 2014 after the first prison break. He was serving a 20-year sentence for murder and drug trafficking. Rolling Stone magazine published Penn’s interview online January 11. Mexican federal police recaptured El Chapo a day earlier. In his article, Penn explained why he wanted to meet the crime leader. The actor wrote that he wanted to “explore what may be inconsistent” with the American government and media’s descriptions. Penn is a longtime political activist. He has involved himself in international affairs at high levels. In 2007, he met and befriended Hugo Chavez, who was then the socialist president of Venezuela. The U.S. government was not a fan of Chavez, who allied himself with Cuban leaders Fidel and Raul Castro. When Chavez died in 2013, Penn said the U.S. “lost a friend that it never knew it had.” Penn also has met with Raul Castro. And he got involved in the Falklands dispute between Britain and Argentina. The actor met with Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in 2012, after Britain made military moves toward Argentina. Penn sided with Argentina in that dispute. He said the world would not accept “archaic colonialist ideology.” Penn has written about his experiences for the news media before. He visited Iraq in 2004, and Iran the following year. He wrote about those experiences for the San Francisco Chronicle. Penn had been to Iraq earlier to protest international military strikes against the country. The star also helped in times of natural disaster. He started a foundation to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti. He also went to New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina and reportedly rescued some survivors. And in 2012, Sean Penn went to Bolivia to visit a U.S. businessman jailed there. Jacob Ostreicher had been jailed for months and never charged with a crime. Penn promised to work for his release. A year later, Ostreicher was out of jail in the care of Penn. He has publicly thanked Penn for his efforts. Penn’s interaction with Joaquin Guzman, the drug kingpin, was set up by another actor. Kate del Castillo has expressed support for the crime group leader for several years. She said she believes the Mexican government is the more corrupt of the two. Guzman and Castillo exchanged a series of texts. She suggested that the criminal meet with Sean Penn. Reports now suggest that Guzman had never heard of Penn. His interest in meeting del Castillo was apparently stronger. Penn said in his Rolling Stone report that he wanted to see the other side of the drug war. He has said that professional journalists are too focused on talking to different sides in an issue. Perhaps this is why Sean Penn did not ask Guzman about the hundreds of reporters killed in Mexico to protect organized crime. Among the many media professionals angered by Penn, Mexican reporters are especially upset. Journalist Leon Krause wrote about the actor’s article in El Universal newspaper. He described it as “perfect act of propaganda” for Guzman. He wrote that Penn’s version of Guzman "is almost likeable if it wasn't for (his cartel's) 10,000 murders." Other reporters criticized Penn and Rolling Stone for sending the piece to Guzman for approval before publication. Sean Penn dismisses the journalistic objections to his story. He says the press is simply jealous that he was able to get to Guzman. But Penn also says his interview and article were a failure. He told television host Charlie Rose that he had hoped the story would start an honest and critical conversation about the drug war. But he said, "I have a regret that the entire discussion about this article ignores (that) purpose…” Officials in Mexico have said that Sean Penn’s interview helped them find and capture Guzman. Penn denies this and says he does not fear the Sinaloa crime group. I’m Caty Weaver.   Caty Weaver wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you consider Sean Penn a journalist? Do you respect his work in the field? Write to us in the comments section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   controversial - adj. relating to or causing much discussion, disagreement, or argument brutal - adj. extremely cruel or harsh​ interview - v.  to question or talk with (someone) in order to get information or learn about that person​ on the lam - expression  trying to avoid being caught by the police​ inconsistent - adj. not in agreement with something​ archaic - adj. old and no longer used​ ideology - n. the set of ideas and beliefs of a group or political party​ kingpin - n. a person who controls an organization or activity​ conversation - n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people: the act of talking in an informal way​ ​

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Why Are Gangsters Always 'On the Lam'?

  Drug gang leader Joaquin Guzman was recaptured Friday by Mexican marines after six months on the lam. Many in America know that “on the lam” means on the run or hiding from police -- especially after escaping from jail or prison. That perfectly describes what Guzman was doing. Last July, he escaped from a maximum security prison and had been hiding from police, moving from place to place.  “On the lam” is an informal phrase, used almost exclusively in the United States. LearnersDictionary.com says the “expression is now used mainly to suggest or imitate the language of old movies about gangsters.” Movies about gangsters, or criminals, are popular around the world. But where did such an odd phrase come from? In other words, what are its origins? The Online Etymology Dictionary says the word “lam” means “flight” or “to run off.” It may come from the expression “on the lam,” which appeared in the late 1890s in the United States. William Safire wrote many columns about language before he died in 2009. In 1998, he wrote about “on the lam” in the New York Times newspaper. He noted that “the origin of the expression is in heated dispute among slang etymologists” -- or people who study words. Safire notes that the famous American writer Mark Twain used the word “lam” or “lamming” twice in his books, in 1855 and 1865. When anyone who has been “on the lam” has been recaptured, news writers often say the person will now have to “face the music.” We will tell you about this expression soon. I’m Jim Tedder.   Christopher Jones-Cruise reported this story and wrote it in VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you, especially if you are on the lam! Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   on the lam – expression to be running from the police, especially after escaping from prison exclusively – adv. only gangster – n. a member of a group of violent criminals odd – adj. strange or unusual origin – n. the point or place where something begins or is created; the source or cause of something slang – n. words that are not considered part of the standard vocabulary of a language and that are used very informally in speech especially by a particular group of people traced to – v. to follow (something) back to its cause, beginning, or origin; to find out where something came from  

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New Device Shows Human Body As Never Seen Before

Scientists are developing a medical device that could tell them more about the human body, and help them develop more-effective treatments for cancer, heart disease and brain disorders. It would be the world’s first full-body PET scanner. PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography. PET scanners create 3-D images of what is happening in the body. Researchers are calling the large scanner that they are developing Explorer. It will give medical workers images of what is happening in the entire human body that have never been seen before. PET scanners now give doctors images of only parts of the body. The U.S. National Institutes of Health gave a research team at the University of California at Davis $15.5 million to build the scanner. Ramsey Badawi is a professor of radiology at UC Davis. He says the scanner will give researchers new information about how human organs work together. “We’re a system of organs and all the organs interact with each other. And we’ve never really been able to interrogate that with imaging before, and now we’re going to be able to look at that.” X-rays and MRIs give images of bones and organs. PET scans show doctors how organs and tissues are working on a molecular level. These images help them identify and follow diseases. The new scanner will help them do that even better. Simon Cherry is a professor of biomedical engineering at UC Davis. He says the PET scans can show the progress of both disease and medical treatments. “With PET scans we’re looking at function. We’re actually able to say something about what the cells in the body are doing -- how actively they’re metabolizing, for example, or how quickly they’re dividing. Taking a cancer example, that could be tremendously powerful to see if, when you give a drug, whether that shuts down the metabolism of the tumor.” PET scans use a radioactive substance to find tumors. Professor Cherry says the Explorer uses a much lower amount of radiation than current PET tests, and creates images more quickly. “So we can do scans in maybe 30 seconds that currently take 20 minutes. Or we can drop the radiation dose significantly, and do scans at a fraction of the radiation dose that we currently do them at.” A complete view could help researchers develop new medicines that target diseases and parts of the body. It could help doctors reduce harmful side effects by following the movement of medicines through the body.  The researchers hope to test the Explorer with humans in three years. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   Deborah Block reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. Jill Robbins 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   device – n. an object, machine or piece of equipment that has been made for some special purpose scanner – n. a medical device that is used to see inside something entire – adj. complete or full; not lacking or leaving out any part interact – v. to act together; to come together and have an effect on each other (often + with) interrogate – v. to ask questions or research X-ray – n. an image that is created by using X-rays and that is usually used for medical purposes MRI – n. magnetic resonance imaging organs – n. a part of the body (such as the heart or liver) that has a particular function tissue – n. the material that forms the parts in a plant or animal function – v. to work or operate molecular – adj. relating to the smallest possible amount of a particular substance that has all the characteristics of that substance metabolize – v. to change (food) into a form that can be used by the body; to process and use (substances brought into the body) by metabolism shut down – expression to stop the operation of something, especially when a special process is required radioactive – adj. having or producing a powerful and dangerous form of energy (called radiation) substance – n. a material of a particular kind tumor – n. a mass of tissue found in or on the body that is made up of abnormal cells dose – n. the amount of a medicine, drug or vitamin that is taken at one time fraction – n. a (usually small) part or amount of something side effect – n. an often harmful and unwanted effect of a drug or chemical that occurs along with the desired effect

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