What's Trending: #Blizzard2016

This is What’s Trending Today. The eastern part of the United States, from Tennessee all the way to Boston, is expected to receive some bad winter weather this weekend. The morning program Today Show says 88 million people could be affected by the storm. It will deliver snow and high winds through Sunday. But people in Washington, D.C. are especially concerned. The region is expected to receive over 60 centimeters of snow this weekend. Only 3 centimeters of snow fell earlier in the week, but it was enough to cause major problems for drivers going home from work.   In Philadelphia, residents traditionally use everything, from lawn chairs to orange cones, to “save” parking spaces after the streets are cleared of snow. The city police department used Twitter to send them a message that it is illegal to “save” parking spaces. Many people rush to grocery stores to buy supplies before a storm. The Atlantic wrote about the crowd psychology that inspires people to stock up on bread, milk and eggs. Even the BBC asked its audience to tell people who live in the eastern United States how to handle a big snow storm. And the broadcaster wrote a story saying it wants to hear from people in the U.S. as the snow is falling. As public transportation is closed for the weekend, drivers are also advised to stay off the roads. Yes, there are lots of problems during a massive snowstorm. But people also like to have fun in the snow. Here are some great examples of how snow can inspire creativity. One artist uses the snow as his canvas, using his feet to stomp out amazing designs that can only be appreciated from above. ​ Another creative person used the snow that blew up against mailboxes to make some “ghostly” images. But it would not be a snow storm on social media if some regions known for sunny weather did not poke fun at the suffering Americans are about to endure. An Italian travel agency posted a photo of woman sunbathing in the town of Vernazza, along with the message “stay warm.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. What would you do in a big snow storm? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story amazing – adj. causing great surprise or wonder : causing amazement cone – n. a shape that has a pointed top and sides that form a circle at the bottom endure – v. to deal with or accept (something unpleasant) ghost – n. the soul of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as appearing to living people inspire – v. to make (someone) want to do something : to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create sunbathe – v. to sit or lie in the light of the sun especially in order to make your skin darker stomp – v. to put (your foot) down forcefully and noisily psychology – n. the study of human behavior region - n. area canvas - n. a specially prepared piece of cloth on which a picture can be painted  

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Major Snowstorm Bears Down on Eastern US

The U.S. East Coast is preparing for a major snow storm that weather experts are calling “historic” even before any snow falls. The storm could produce blizzard conditions in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and New York City. At least 15 states expect heavy snow until Sunday. Weather officials expect between 30 and 90 centimeters of snow. Officials expect strong winds, ice and coastal flooding during the storm. Some cities and states, including Washington and Maryland, have declared states of emergency. Government leaders are asking the millions in the storm's path to be “better safe than sorry.” “Be [careful], stay home on Saturday unless you have to travel somewhere,” said Anthony Santino, a city official for Hempstead, N.Y. Residents of the nation's capital experienced winter weather earlier this week. Washington had barely 5 centimeters of snow Wednesday. But many drivers were stranded because of a thin layer of ice on the roads. Some people abandoned their vehicles in the middle and on the side of the road. Leading up to the weekend storm, supplies are difficult to find at hardware stores and grocery stores. Supplies of bottled water, wood for fires and snow shovels are limited. “The fastest moving thing has been snow shovels. We are down to the last few of them,” said Derek Staton, who works at a hardware store in Virginia. Schools in the Washington area closed Friday in preparation for the storm. The federal government only required its employees to work for half the day on Friday. The capitol's public transportation system will close Friday evening and plans to stay closed through Monday morning. I'm Pete Musto. Zlatica Hoke reported on this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck 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   blizzard – n. a severe snowstorm that goes on for a long time stranded – adj. abandoned or unable to go somewhere abandoned – adj. left by the owner shovel – n.  a tool with a long handle that is used for lifting and throwing dirt, sand or snow ​

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often (adverb)

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Taliban Attack on Afghan Media Widely Condemned

The Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing against Afghanistan’s top private media group Wednesday. The bombing took place in a western part of Kabul at Tolo TV. The bomber crashed a vehicle full of explosives into a bus transporting employees of the television station to their homes. The blast killed at least seven people and wounded 24 others. VOA news reported that women and children were among the victims. Tolo TV is the biggest television station in Afghanistan. Dozens of journalists are employed by the news group. The Taliban said the violence was meant to punish Tolo TV for broadcasting anti-Afghan and anti-Taliban programs. A Taliban spokesperson called Tolo TV a “spy agency.” The attack against the Afghan media created outrage throughout the world as an attack on freedom of speech. The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based group, said the “attacks aimed at crushing independent media organizations in Afghanistan are a direct assault on the very foundation of Afghan democracy [and] a free and open press.” I’m Mario Ritter.   Ayaz Gul reported on this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted this 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   blast – n. a powerful explosion journalist – n. a person who collects, writes and edits news stories for newspapers, magazines, television or radio outrage – n. extreme anger assault – n. being attacked or criticized  

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SAT Testing in Asia Cancelled in Cheating Scandal

Test centers in China and Macau are canceling the SAT planned for Saturday because of claims of cheating. The SAT is a standardized test that measures academic ability. Many colleges and universities in the U.S. require students to take the SAT before applying. The College Board is a private company that develops and administers the SAT. The College Board announced the cancellation of the test in China and Macau on Thursday. The College Board sent a message explaining the cancellation to several schools that partner with the company. The message said the company chose to cancel the test because of evidence of cheating. The company said some students had gained access to Saturday’s test materials. Zachary Goldberg is the senior director of Media Relations for the College Board. Goldberg told VOA, “We act on all information.…We work…to [fight] cheating and to protect the integrity of the SAT.” Almost 400,000 foreign students registered to take the SAT in 2014. SAT cheating scandals have happened several times before. The College Board cancelled the SAT across South Korea in 2013 after finding evidence of cheating. Several Chinese citizens admitted in 2015 to being part of an organized SAT cheating group in the United States. International students in the Pittsburgh area would pay group members to use fake passports and take the SAT test for them. The new evidence of cheating comes as the College Board prepared to release a new version of the SAT later this month. The last time the company released a new version of the test was in 2012. Saturday would have been the last time the older version of the test was offered. Bob Schaeffer is the Public Education Director for the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, or NCFOT. The NCFOT is an organization that works to show the problems with standardized testing. The organization has gathered evidence of SAT cheating in several cases. Schaeffer said the desire to cheat increases whenever standardized test-makers create a new version of a test. "There is always tremendous fear of the unknown. Whenever a test is changed, there is a huge surge of students enrolling in test prep courses because…they want to find out what’s on the test.” He also said people all over the world believe getting a U.S university education is the best path to success. “Middle class and upper class families overseas believe that a degree from a U.S. institution of higher learning is a passport to future success for their children. And they will do anything for it.” The College Board said the cancellation is only temporary. The company is planning to let students know when they will be able to take the test next week. Goldberg said that the company will do more to increase its security. He said, “We [understand] that organizations and individuals will [keep trying] to [beat] the system and find a new way to cheat.” Goldberg did not say how the company discovered the evidence of cheating. 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. What are your thoughts about cheating on tests? How should cheating be handled? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   standardized test – n. any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from common bank of questions, in the same way, and that is scored in a consistent manner academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education apply(ing) – v. to ask formally for something such as a job, getting into a school or a loan, usually in writing administer(s) – v. to manage the operation of something integrity – n. the quality of being honest and fair scandal(s) – n. an event in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong surge – n. a sudden, large increase enroll(ing) – v. to enter someone as a member of or participant in something prep course(s) – n. a class the prepares someone for something institution – n. an established organization

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Putin 'Probably' Approved Killing of Dissident Spy

Russian President Vladimir Putin “probably” approved the killing of a Russian spy turned dissident, says a top British government investigator. Alexander Litvinenko was the Russian spy turned dissident, or critic of the government. He was exiled in Britain after criticizing Putin and describing him – among other things – as a pedophile, or someone who sexually abuses children. Robert Owen, a retired judge, served as the chairman of the yearlong inquiry. On Thursday, he announced that two Russian agents were responsible for the November 2006 poisoning of Livinenko. It occurred at the Millennium hotel in central London just a few meters from the U.S. Embassy. For nearly nine years since her husband's death, Marina Litvinenko has been demanding answers. Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse in London, she said she was "of course, very pleased" by the outcome. She added, "The words my husband spoke on his death bed when he accused Mr. Putin of his murder have been proved true in an English court with a high standard of independence and fairness.” In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zhakarova said, "We regret that a purely criminal case has been politicized and has darkened the general atmosphere of bilateral relations.''   Back story  Litvinenko was an agent of the Russian Federal Security Service, the Russian spy agency that came after the KGB. In 1998, he became an outspoken critic of Putin and sought asylum in Britain. He criticized Putin in an article and described the Russian leader as a pedophile. Russia rejected the accusation. In early November 2006, Litvinenko agreed to meet with Russian agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun. British officials said they added radioactive polonium to his tea. Polonium is a highly toxic substance and just one microgram -- about the size of a speck of dust -- is enough to kill a person. Litvinenko quickly became ill and died 23 days later.   Reactions from London   Prime Minister David Cameron's spokeswoman said the British government was considering what actions to take. "It is not the way for any state, let alone a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, to behave," the spokeswoman said. "Regrettably, these findings confirm what we and previous governments believed." London financier Bill Browder is a human-rights advocate and a critic of Putin. He said Britain will not take any action. He said “it comes down to money. There’s a lot of Russian money sloshing around London, and I believe that there’s a concern among certain members of the government that that money would be less available if Britain took a moral stand on some of these issues.” I'm Jim Tedder.   VOA Moscow Correspondent Daniel Schearf and Chris Hannas reported this story. Hai Do adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think about this intrigue? Write to us in the Comments section and on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   pedophile – n. a person who has sexual interst in children outspoken – adj. talking in a free and honest way about your opinion

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VOA English Newscast: 1900 UTC January 21, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA News.    I’m  Ira Mellman reporting. A British murder investigation points a finger of accusation toward  Vladimir Putin... A top British government investigator says Russian President Vladimir Putin probably personally approved the assassination of (Alexander) Litvinenko, a Russian spy-turned-dissident who was exiled in Britain after criticizing Putin. Robert Owen, a retired judge serving as the inquiry's chairman Thursday announced his year-long inquiry had confirmed the Russian state was responsible for the November 2006 poisoning of Litvinenko, carried out by two Russian agents at the Millennium Hotel in central London just a few meters from the U.S. Embassy. VOA's London correspondent Louis Ramirez has more. “The report says that president Vladimir Putin probably approved the assassination of Litvinenko, which happened in 2006 when he met with two Russian agents at a hotel in central London. The allegation which is now conclusive, pretty much proven, by British investigators was that they laced his tea with a highly toxic radioactive substance known as radioactive polonium. This resulted in contamination of the hotel and the contamination pretty much spread across the streets of London wherever Mr. Litvinenko was after that moment. He fell ill very quickly, died 23 days later.” In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zhakarova said "we regret that a purely criminal case has been politicized and has darkened the general atmosphere of bilateral relations.'' More on our website at voanews.com. This is VOA News. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story Assassination –n. the killing of a well-known person usually for political reasons Allegation –n. a statement saying someone has done something wrong or illegal Lace –v. to add a small amount of a powerful substance to something Contamination –n. a substance that makes something or a place dirty, impure or toxic Bilateral –adj. relating to two sides

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The Perfect Progressive Tenses

  Editor's note: See An Introduction to Verb Tenses for the first story in this series. For VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. This is the last in our four-part series on verb tenses. Make sure you see our episodes on progressive and perfect tenses before trying to learn the perfect progressive tenses. For English learners, the perfect progressive tenses can be scary. But they are more straightforward than you might think. When you talk about grammar, perfect means “complete,” and progressive means “unfinished.” Perfect progressive sentences focus on the completion of an action that is, was or will be in progress. Think about this sentence in the past perfect progressive: “I had been waiting for three years by the time my application was approved.” In this example, the emphasis is on duration of the first verb waiting. Perfect progressive tenses often answer the question how long? There are three perfect progressive tenses: the present perfect progressive, the past perfect progressive, and the future perfect progressive.   Present Perfect Progressive Past Perfect Progressive Future Perfect Progressive PERFECT PROGRESSIVE TENSES It had been snowing for two days before it stopped. Had been + -ing verb + for/since It has been snowing all month long. Has/have + -ing verb + for/since It will have been snowing for three days by the time it stops. Will have been + -ing verb + for/since   Present Perfect Progressive Let’s start with the present perfect progressive. You form the present perfect progressive by using have been (or has been) followed by an –ing verb. For instance, “She has been sitting in class since early this morning.” The action, sitting, is continuing. But the emphasis is on the completed part of the action. Here are some more examples: I have been waiting for 20 minutes. I have been studying since I was a child. It has been snowing all day long. In all of these sentences, the emphasis is on how the finished activity relates to the present. A time reference is not required to use the present perfect progressive. Sometimes we use it to refer to recently completed actions. Imagine your friend comes to your house with red, puffy eyes. You might say, “Your eyes are red. Have you been crying?” Or you notice that a co-worker is looking tanned. You might ask, “You look tanned. Have you have been sunbathing?” Remember that stative verbs cannot be used in any progressive tense. A stative verb describes unchanging situations, often mental states such as realize, appear and seem. You should not say, “I’ve been knowing you for a long time.” If you have a stative verb, use the present perfect: “I have known you for a long time.” Almost all native speakers will contract, or shorten the pronoun that comes before have or has. “I have been” will sound like, “I’ve been.” Expert grammarian and teacher Betty Azar tells English learners: “Don’t expect slow, careful pronunciation of helping verbs in normal conversation.” Past Perfect Progressive Let us move on to the past perfect progressive. The past perfect progressive emphasizes the duration of a past action before another action happened. For example, “I had been smoking for 10 years before I quit.” You form the past perfect progressive by using had been followed by an –ing verb. Notice how the past perfect progressive often includes the adverbs for and since to express duration. You will also see the adverbs before, when or by the time used to introduce a second action. The second action uses the simple past tense. Here are some more examples: I had been studying for 12 years by the time I graduated from high school. She had been living there since she was a child. He had been teaching for 12 years before he was certified. The past perfect progressive can also describe a recently completed action. For instance: My clothes were wet because it had been raining. He was talking loudly because he had been drinking. Future Perfect Progressive We will end with the future perfect progressive. The future perfect progressive describes the duration of an action as it relates to a future event. There are two ways to form the future perfect progressive. Both require two actions. One is by using “will have been” plus a present participle, followed by “when” or “by the time” and the second action. For example, “I will have been working for 35 years by the time I retire.” Notice that the second planned action, retire, is in the simple present. The simple future is never used with the second action. The other way to form the future perfect progressive is using “be going to have been” plus a present participle followed by “when” or “by the time” and the second action. The order of the actions can be reversed with either form. For example, “By the time the plane arrives, I am going to have been waiting for five hours.” With the future perfect progressive, it is not always clear if the ­­–ing verb started in the past or will start in the future. For example, “The doctor will have been working for 24 hours by the time his shift is finished.” The future perfect progressive is rare because it is difficult to know the duration of an activity relative to another future event. And those are the three perfect progressive tenses in English. We have been talking about verb tenses for several weeks now. It is time to move on to other topics. We leave you with a present perfect progressive song by the music band "Foreigner." "I’ve been waiting for a girl like you To come into my life" I’m John Russell. And I’m Jill Robbins.   Adam Brock wrote this story for Learning English. Jill Robbins and Kathleen Struck were the editors. What do you think is the hardest verb tense of the ones you’ve studied? Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   straightforward – adj. direct, not complicated puffy – adj. larger than normal contract - v. to make (something) smaller or shorter certified – adj. having met the official requirements that are needed to do a particular type of work episode - n. part of a longer program, such as a film or television series tanned - adj. becoming more brown in color graduated - v. successfully completed a study program duration - n. the time during which something continues participle - n. a form of a verb that is used to change a noun or verb

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Monkeys Can Be as Spiteful as Humans

Monkeys do not like it when others get more food than they do, according to a new study. Researchers from Yale and Harvard universities found Capuchin monkeys punish monkeys that get more food. “This sort of, ‘If I can’t have it, no one can’ response is consistent with psychological spite, and it was previously thought unique to humans,” said Kristin Leimgruber of Harvard University. She is a co-author of the research study. The researchers watched as some Capuchin monkeys were given more food than others. They found that monkeys getting the smaller share pulled a rope to collapse a table holding the other monkey’s bigger share. Another lead researcher, Yale University psychologist Laurie Santos, explained over email. "I think that we can conclude about humans is that some of our more embarrassing tendencies (e.g., not liking it when others get more than us in some situations) have relatively deep roots.” Santos said the spiteful response was not present with another member of the ape species – chimpanzees. An earlier study, she said, showed chimpanzees would collapse the table of other chimpanzees who took or stole food from them. But they would not collapse the table of chimpanzees who just happened to have more food, Santos said. In other words, it was fine if another chimpanzee had more food -- as long as they did not steal it. I'm Caty Weaver.   Bruce Alpert reported and researched this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or share your views on our Facebook Page -- whether you like monkeys or not. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   spite – n. a desire to harm another person because you feel that you have been treated wrongly or unfairly previously – adv. happening at an earlier time unique – adj. used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else embarrassing – adj. to make (someone) feel confused and foolish in front of other people tendency – n. a quality that makes something likely to happen or that makes someone likely to think or behave in a particular way relatively – adv. when compared to other ​

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Simon and Garfunkel and Bernie Sanders

This is What’s Trending Today… In less than two weeks, the state of Iowa will vote on its choices for the 2016 Democratic and Republican presidential nominees. The Iowa Caucus begins a months-long process of selecting presidential candidates. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is one of the Democratic presidential candidates. On Thursday, he released a new ad targeting Iowa voters. The 60-second ad is set to a famous song from the 1960s: the folk rock band Simon and Garfunkel’s “America.” The video shows images of Iowa farms, coffee shops, families at kitchen tables, and thousands of Sanders' supporters. The ad is designed to show Sanders’ growing crowd of supporters made up of “everyday Americans.” “Simon and Garfunkel” trended worldwide on Twitter and on Facebook. “Simon Garfunkel and Bernie Sanders” was also a Top-10 Google search on Thursday. On social media, people praised Sanders for his choice of avoiding attacking other candidates and instead “focusing on voters,” as one New York Times headline said. As Simon and Garfunkel’s famous line, “They’ve all come to look for America,” plays, so, too, does video footage of Sanders' supporters. Twitter user @Hilary_Crisan tweeted: “This is what political ads should look like. No intimidating. No trash-talking. Just Simon and Garfunkel.” ​ And @dsfriends tweeted: “Not in any way an endorsement - but this is a well done political ad #emotionwins.” ​ Twitter user @STrimel said: Best political ad of the season! Brings a tear to my eye. Maybe yours, too.” Bernie Sanders himself tweeted: “ This campaign is not about Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, or Donald Trump. This campaign is about you.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Ashley Thompson. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   trash talk - n (informal). insulting speech intended to intimidate or humiliate someone, especially an opponent​ endorsement - n. a public or official statement of support or approval

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Missing Booksellers Raise Fear of Lost Freedom in Hong Kong

Chinese security forces confirmed they are holding Lee Bo, one of five book publishers who recently disappeared. Lee is a small publisher of books about China and its leaders. He was last seen December 30 on his way to his warehouse. Lee publishes books that are critical of the Chinese government and detail the personal lives of government officials. These officials do not want the public knowing about their personal affairs. Until the confirmation, no one had heard from Lee for weeks. His wife received a message in early January that he was alright, according to a report by the Reuters news service. The confirmation that Lee is in China came because of an inquiry from the Hong Kong police. Gui Minhai is another missing bookseller. He was last seen in October in Thailand. But he resurfaced during a state media broadcast on Sunday. Gui says he returned to China to answer for his role in killing a student during a traffic accident over 10 years ago. In an interview with Reuters, Gui’s daughter says the allegation that her father was involved in an accident is “ridiculous.” She says she thinks her father was abducted because of his work. Two of five missing publishers have now been heard from, but questions remain about freedoms in Hong Kong. The case of the missing booksellers is important for Hong Kong because the island’s residents are supposed to have different rights and protections than people who live in China. Those rights are part of Hong Kong’s “Basic Law” which provides freedom from arbitrary arrests and the right to elect a chief executive for the island. Albert Ho is a member of the Hong Kong Democratic Party. He says the disappearances of Lee and other publishers is a problem. “It is very threatening to the Hong Kong people, because it is related to the basic personal safety and the security of the city. It is much more than a question of political development or democratization. It concerns whether any Hong Kong citizen is vulnerable to being taken away or kidnapped.” The disappearances prompted protest marches earlier in January. They also resulted in some Hong Kong bookstores removing the contested books from their shelves. William Nee works with the human rights organization Amnesty International. He says the government in Hong Kong needs to do more to be sure the territory’s rights are protected. “You know, the government needs to continue over the long run to be very vigilant in ensuring that the rights guaranteed in the Basic Law are actually implemented.” I’m Dan Friedell.   Shannon Van Sant wrote this story for VOANews.com Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you think the missing booksellers in Hong Kong are being silenced? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   abduct – v. to take (someone) away from a place by force allegation – n. a statement saying that someone has done something wrong or illegal executive – n. a person who manages or directs other people in a company or organization contest – v. to make (something) the subject of an argument or a legal case : to say that you do not agree with or accept vigilant – adj. carefully noticing problems or signs of danger vulnerable – adj. open to attack, harm, or damage      

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