More Cases of Brain Disease from Football Blows

Imagine reaching the top of your profession as a 27-year-old. Teammates cry tears of joy. Confetti falls from above. A trophy is held high like a new baby. And your hometown holds a parade through the streets to honor you and your team. Then 10 years later, you can barely walk down the steps of your home. Your wife has to remind you of recent conversations. That’s the life of Antwaan Randle-El. He retired four years ago after a nine-year career in the National Football League (NFL) as a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. Randle-El was known for being a great athlete. At the University of Indiana, he was a quarterback. Then he transitioned to wide receiver in the NFL. He threw an important touchdown pass in Pittsburgh’s 2006 Super Bowl victory. Randle-El was 32 when he retired. Now, in a recent story published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Randle-El says he wishes he had never played football. As a former football player showing the effects of physical and head trauma that came from head collisions during the game, Randle-El is not alone. But he is one of few ex-players who say they would not play football if they had a chance to start their lives over again. Randle-El’s story seems like one of the characters in “Concussion,” a movie starring actor Will Smith. A concussion is an injury that happens when the brain slams against the inside of the skull. It can happen when two football players collide or when a soccer player uses his or her head to propel a soccer ball. It can happen to anyone who hits their head on a hard surface or object. The film follows Dr. Bennet Omalu as he researches the brain disease that came to be called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Omalu, from Nigeria, worked as a medical examiner in Pittsburgh. His job was to examine bodies to determine the cause of death. That is what we call an autopsy in English. Omalu became interested in brain trauma and disease while studying in the United States. He discovered CTE while performing an autopsy on Mike Webster. Webster also played with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s and 1980s. Omalu says he did not know Webster was a famous football player when he examined him. “I did not know what football was. I did not know what the NFL was. In fact, I did not even know what a quarterback was. I wondered why it was called football because they did not kick. They used their hands. It should have been called handball.” In one scene in the film, Omalu shows what happens to the brain during a collision. He shakes a raw egg inside a glass jar. That is how most people make scrambled eggs. It is also a good demonstration of how a healthy brain gets damaged. Even with helmets on, football players suffer multiple “scrambling” collisions per game. Over the course of a career, these hits (and scrambles) add up. Webster died of a heart attack in 2002. He suffered from depression and dementia before his death. While most of the story detailed in “Concussion” has been told before, the film’s wide distribution and star power offers insight into the dangers of a football career. Webster’s story was told in a GQ article in 2009, and Omalu was a key figure in the PBS documentary League of Denial in 2013. In a story about the film in Sports Illustrated, Emily Kaplan writes “Will Smith’s familiar charm helps makes a complicated and uncomfortable topic accessible, with head trauma being explained on the order of a ninth-grade biology book.” The film tries to make football fans pay attention to science.  Omalu says he is not a football fan. Omalu’s story shows that an outsider can make a difference in a new society. Researchers and doctors have had experience with football players and other athletes in contact sports who had lingering brain problems. But Omalu was able to look at Webster’s brain trauma with fresh eyes. Omalu gave an interview to Frontline, a respected investigative news program. Omalu said the brains looked similar to those of boxers like Muhammad Ali, who suffered repeated blows to the head. They were also similar to those of people who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease – except for one factor. They were still young and healthy. The contradiction helped Omalu realize he had discovered something new. He had no loyalty to the NFL when he wrote a paper explaining his discovery in the journal Neurosurgery. But the film shows how the league argued that Omalu had made up his research. Omalu says some people told him he was “attacking the American way of life.” Omalu eventually became known as the doctor who could definitively diagnose CTE in football players. And the cases kept coming. He saw samples from the brains of Terry Long, Andre Waters and Justin Strzelczyk – all former players who died young. And they all had CTE. The study turned out not to be wrong. Webster was not unique. And eventually, the NFL, college football and high school football teams had to re-think the way they handled concussions. As the concussion story gained notice, the NFL started to take head injuries more seriously. For example, a doctor who is not paid by the team or league must be on each sideline. The doctor is responsible for stopping the game if a player shows signs of a head injury. There are helmets with devices that can measure the force of a collision. Even with the changes, football is still risky. News came out in late January that Tyler Sash had an advanced case of CTE. Sash was a member of the New York Giants team that won the Super Bowl in 2012. He died of a drug overdose in September 2015 at the age of 27. Many athletes are willing to sacrifice their bodies and their futures for a chance to play in the NFL or the Super Bowl. In 2014, ESPN surveyed more than 300 active NFL players and found out that 85 percent would play in the Super Bowl with a concussion.  But after the work of Omalu, the perception is changing. There are more stories coming from athletes like Randle-El. In 2015, after a strong first season, Chris Borland retired from the NFL at the age of 24. He had to return about $400,000 to his team, the San Francisco 49ers, when he quit. When he announced his retirement, Borland told ESPN “if there were no possibility of brain damage, I'd still be playing." Omalu’s work, and the work of doctors like him, resulted in a small compromise by the NFL. In 2015 a lawsuit was settled after years of negotiations. Almost $1 billion will be made available for more than 4,500 former players who are suffering from brain injuries related to playing football. Individual players could receive up to $5 million. I’m Dan Friedell. And I’m Anna Mateo.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Have you read about the work of Dr. Omalu? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   autopsy – n. an examination of a dead body to find out the cause of death concession – n. the act of giving up something or doing something in order to reach agreement chronic – adj. continuing or occurring again and again for a long time concussion – n. an injury to the brain that is caused by something hitting the head very hard scramble - v. to move or act quickly to do, find, or get something often before someone else does​ contradiction – n. a difference or disagreement between two things which means that both cannot be true encephalopathy – n. disease or damage to the brain linger – v. to continue to exist as time passes pathologist – n. a doctor who examines bodies to find out the cause of death confetti – n. small pieces of colored paper or plastic that are used as a decoration trauma – n. a serious injury to a person's body distribution – n. the act of giving or delivering something to people  

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Zika Virus Detected in Body Fluids

Brazilian scientists have detected the Zika virus in urine and saliva samples of two infected patients. But, they said, more study is needed to find out whether the virus can infect by exchanging body fluids. Myrna Bonaldo, one of the scientists who made the discovery, told Reuters that it “is not proof" that the virus "can contaminate other people through those fluids.” Earlier this week, health officials in Brazil confirmed two cases of Zika virus in blood transfusions. And health officials in the U.S. reported what may be the first case of the virus being transmitted in the United States by sexual contact. The Zika virus gets its name from a forest in Uganda where the virus was first identified in 1947. The virus is known to exist in tropical areas like Africa, the Americas, southern Asia and western Pacific. People can catch the Zika virus after being bitten by an infected Aedes mosquito. This is the same mosquito that can spread dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. In the latest Zika virus outbreak, Brazil reported the first case in May 2015. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the Zika virus could be linked to 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly in Brazil. Microcephaly is when babies are born with small heads. It causes severe brain damage. Since then, the virus has spread by mosquitoes and has caused infections in Brazil, many Latin America countries, Europe and the U.S. On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the Pacific islands of Tonga and American Samoa also reported new cases of virus infections. With the spread of the mosquito-borne virus, the WHO declared a global health emergency Monday. The declaration provided more money and resources to fight the virus. But the health agency ruled out a ban on travel or trade in affected areas. At this time, there is no treatment or vaccine for the Zika virus. But drug companies in India, Japan and France announced that they are working to develop possible vaccines. Dr. Anthony Fauci is director of the U.S. National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). He said it would take "a few years" before a vaccine is readily available to the public. For now, Fauci said the way to fight the disease is "mosquito control." I'm Anne Ball.          Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English with additional materials from VOA News and Reuters. Kathleen Struck was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   contaminate - v. to make something dangerous, dirty, or impure blood transfusion - n. a medical treatment in which someone's blood is put into the body of another person transmitted - v. to give to or pass tropical - adj. of, relating to or used in warmer climates outbreak - n. a sudden increase in the number of reports of a disease global - adj. involving the whole world  

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Are You a Snow Bird or Snow Bunny?

Hello and welcome to Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English! Winters in parts of the United States can be cold and, at times, snowy. Sometimes violent storms with high winds combine with low temperatures to produce heavy snowfall. This creates blizzard conditions. In 2016, a blizzard hit the Northeast U.S. It dropped record amounts of snow in many areas, including New York City and Washington, D.C. A blizzard can be dangerous. But some people like them. Even people who do not like blizzards enjoy watching the falling snow. When a heavy snow blankets an area, it turns everything magical. It turns a dirty city into a winter wonderland overnight. A blanket of snow softens a city’s hard edges. It quiets loud noises. There is little or no traffic and no car horns sounding. Everything is white, quiet and peaceful. Often snow leads to school cancellations. That is the best news to a child’s ears. I remember when I was a young schoolgirl. I would wake up very early and listen to the news to find out if my school was among those canceled. Boys and girls put on their warmest clothes, and go outdoors for winter fun. A popular winter activity for children is sled riding. You find the closest snow-covered hill, grab a sled and head out for a day of ups and downs. Another favorite activity is building a snowman or snow woman, depending on what clothing you have available. Building a snow cave is also fun. If you have many friends in your neighborhood, you can build a snow fort and have a big snowball fight. This brings us to a useful winter expression. A snowball is something that a child makes to throw at a friend in a fight. But as a verb, snowball is very different. When a problem snowballs, it grows very big, very quickly. Close your eyes and imagine a ball of snow that starts off rolling down a hill very slowly. But with every roll, it picks up more and more snow until it becomes a big snowball rolling very fast down the hill. You could say, “What began as a small problem snowballed into a huge problem very quickly.” Here is the verb "snowball" used in a dialogue: "He seemed to be doing well in school but his test grades in mathematics dropped quickly." "I’ll tell you what happened. He missed a week of school and had lots of catching up to do in math. Things just snowballed from there. He is really behind now." Many people love a big snowstorm, such as snow bunnies. Snow bunnies are not cute little animals that hop around on the ground. A snow bunny is a young, attractive female skier. But many people do not like the cold and snow. In fact, some Americans dislike cold weather so much they go to a warmer climate to escape it. These people are called snowbirds. Snowbirds are like some birds in that they move to warmer climates in the winter months. Snowbirds flee northern states in the winter for the South or Southwest. Most snowbirds are older Americans who have retired. They just simply cannot deal with the cold or harsh winters any longer. So now when you hear someone use the words snowbird and snow bunny you will know they are not talking about woodland creatures. Join us again next week for another Words and Their Stories. I’m Anna Matteo. So little snowbird Take me with you when you go To that land of gentle breezes Where the peaceful waters flow Spread your tiny wings and fly away And take the snow back with you Where it came from on that day The one I love forever is untrue And if I could you know that I would Fly away with you …   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. The song at the end of the story is "Snowbird" sung by Anne Murray.      Words in This Story blanket  - v. to cover with or as if with a blanket magical - adj. giving a feeling of enchantment sled - n. a small steerable one used especially by children for coasting down snow-covered hills : v. to ride on a sled or sleigh cave - n. a usually underground chamber for storage   Words in This Video bundle up - v. to dress warmly glistening - adj. to shine with light reflected off a wet surface slick - adj. very smooth and slippery wipeout - n. a fall or crash caused usually by losing control : wipe out - v. to fall or crash usually as a result of losing control      

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Do You Watch for the Game or the Ads?

Out of the eight most-watched programs in U.S. television history, only one was not the Super Bowl football game. Can you guess which television program that was? We’ll give you the answer at the end of this story. Back to the Super Bowl, which will be played Sunday, February 7. The number of people who watched the football game on television was larger than 100 million every year since 2010. In the United States, watching the game with friends has become like a holiday. People gather at the home of someone with a big-screen television. Lots of food is prepared. Lots of beverages are served. People often wear shirts and hats that make them look like they are players on their favorite team. People who watch the game are not only interested in what happens on the field. The commercials and the halftime show are big draws. This year, the halftime performers are the British band Coldplay and singer Beyonce. One poll conducted in 2013 found that only 28 percent of the respondents said they watch to enjoy the game. More people -- 39 percent -- of 500 people surveyed said they watched to see the commercials. The Super Bowl is a major spectacle in the U.S. It is played in a huge sports arena where almost 70,000 fans cheer and make noise. They watch the players on the field move a ball down a grassy field, and smash into each other to stop the advance. Media and advertising companies measure how viewers react to the advertising during the game. Alan Siegel is a writer for USA Today. He said he thinks fans turned their attention to the ads, or commercials, 20 years ago. Some of the games in the 1990s were not very competitive, and the winner seemed to be decided early in the game. As a result, people started paying more attention to the commercials. USA Today measures the most popular commercials every year. Viewers can go to USA Today’s website and vote for their favorites. This year is the 50th Super Bowl game. Siegel put together a “tournament” among the 32 most-popular ads in Super Bowl history to honor the occasion. His goal? To find out the best Super Bowl commercial ever. Of the 32 finalists, one of USA Today’s favorites featured football player “Mean” Joe Greene in 1979. He got the nickname “Mean” Joe because he was a strong player who could tackle players on the opposing teams. But in the commercial, Greene shows his soft side when he trades his football shirt, or jersey, for a bottle of Coca-Cola. "The “Mean” Joe Greene Coke ad is widely considered the first real blockbuster, kind of famous Super Bowl ad. … It really kind of captured the hearts of a lot of people and that sort of was the birth of Super Bowl advertising as we know it.”   Apple Computer created an ad for the Macintosh in 1984 about oppression and mind control. Ridley Scott, who directed the movies “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” made the commercial. "The crazy thing about that ad, is that it only aired nationally once, and people still remember it." Another memorable ad shows a child dressed as the Star Wars character Darth Vader. It is for the car company, Volkswagen. The boy is surprised when he uses “The Force” and his father’s car starts. He does not know that his father used a remote control starter from inside his home. "A: People love Star Wars. And B: It was cute. And C: It was clever. So, I think that ad was one of the most shared YouTube clips or shared ads of all time."   Those commercials, along with 29 others, competed in a vote. And four semifinalists emerged. Three Budweiser commercials and the Coca-Cola commercial with Greene made it into the “Final Four.” The two finalists were Budweiser commercials that featured the brand’s famous Clydesdale horses. One also featured a puppy.   The champion turned out to be the ad featuring the horses and the puppy, called “Puppy Love.” Siegel explains why it won. “A startling amount of memorable ads are Budweiser ads, and they’ve sort of mastered the art of really getting people to pay attention to what they’re doing. One thing to note about those two ads is they both have animals. Especially puppies. And so people love cute animals. That ... that never fails.” Some of this year’s Super Bowl commercials have been released on YouTube. One is for the food company, Heinz. It features a group of dogs called dachshunds. Dachshunds have long bodies but short legs, and are also known as wiener dogs. Wiener is another word for hot dog, which is a popular food item at sporting events. It is a small serving of ground meat stuffed into a tube of skin served with bread. In this year’s ad, the wiener dogs are running towards people dressed in costumes to look like ketchup and mustard. The dogs are wearing hot-dog costumes to complete the joke. Another, more serious advertisement features British actress Helen Mirren. It turns out to be another Budweiser ad. But it is not funny. Mirren is sitting at a restaurant about to eat a cheeseburger with French fries. She has a bottle of Budweiser, too. She looks at the camera and warns people against drunken driving. She calls drunken drivers “selfish cowards.” “I do think people will remember it in a few years,” Siegel says. And now the answer to our trivia question we promised at the beginning of this story. The only television show that had more viewers than the Super Bowl? The last episode of the war comedy "M*A*S*H" in 1983. I’m Dan Friedell. And I’m Marsha James.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Will you watch the Super Bowl for the ads or the game? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   ad, advertisement – n. something (such as a short film or a written notice) that is shown or presented to the public to help sell a product or to make an announcement blockbuster – n. something that is very large, expensive, or successful commercial – n. an advertisement on radio or television condiment – n.  something (such as salt, mustard, or ketchup) that is added to food to give it more flavor crazy – adj.  very strange or unusual cute – adj.  having a pleasing and usually youthful appearance puppy – n.  a baby dog quarterback – n.  the player in a football game who handles the ball and is in charge of the offense running back – n.  one of the players in a football game responsible for moving the ball forward and scoring points startle – v.  to surprise trivia – n.  facts about people or events that are not well-known respondent – n.  a person who gives an answer to a question

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US General Rejects Carpet Bombing in IS Fight

The American commander of the effort to destroy Islamic State says the U.S. military will not use carpet bombing against terrorists in Iraq and Syria. Army Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland told journalists on Monday: “We’re the United States of America, and we have a set of guiding principles. At the end of the day, it doesn’t only matter whether or not you win. It matters how you win.” MacFarland dismissed carpet bombing, saying innocent women, children and men could be killed. “That is inconsistent with our values,” he said about carpet bombing. MacFarland said he plans on taking “the moral high ground,” meaning he would do what is right to protect others. Carpet bombing drops large numbers of bombs in one area to cause the greatest amount of devastation, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary. U.S. military officials said the campaign to bomb Islamic State areas in Syria and Iraq has been very careful. They called it the most precise in the history of warfare. Critics have accused the United States of carpet bombing during 20th Century warfare. American bombing during World War II and Vietnam were carpet bombings, critics said. U.S. military officials defended the bombings as aimed at military and industrial sites. I’m Caty Weaver.   Jeff Seldin reported on this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. How do you think the U.S. military should bomb IS in Iraq and Syria? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story carpet bombing – n. to drop many bombs in order to cause great destruction over an area journalist – n. a person who collects, writes and edits news stories for newspapers, magazines, television or radio principle - n. a moral rule or belief that helps you know what is right and wrong and that influences your actions​ inconsistent - adj. not in agreement with something​ devastation – n. to destroy much or most of something precise - adj. very accurate and exact​

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Dynamite Caused Explosion on Somali Airliner

A military-grade type of dynamite caused an explosion on a Somali airliner over East Africa. The explosion took place aboard a Daallo Airlines plane following takeoff at Mogadishu International Airport. Authorities recovered evidence indicating a bomb was responsible for the explosion, according to a U.S. official. A CNN report said two people were injured and one was killed.       The plane was estimated to have reached 12,000 to 14,000 feet in altitude when the blast took place, according to a Mogadishu International Airport official. A picture taken after landing showed a hole on the side of the airliner.  The hole was located above the wing and was smaller than one of the plane’s doors. U.S. officials told CNN that investigators believe extremist terrorist group Al-Shabaab is responsible for the explosion.         I'm Jim Dresbach.                                                       ​Jim Dresbach adapted 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 visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story dynamite – n. a powerful explosive that is often used in the form of a stick takeoff – n. the moment when an airplane leaves the ground and begins to fly feet - n. a form of measurement (one foot is equal to .3048 meters) altitude – n. the height of something (such as an airplane) above the level of the sea

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Old Age, Debt Threaten Vietnam Economy

Vietnam’s population is growing old at the fastest rate of any nation in recorded history. In about 15 years, Vietnam’s share of people aged 65 years or older will rise from 7 to 14 percent of the population. This information comes from the World Bank. By comparison, the aging process will take longer, about 25 years, in two nearby countries: China and Myanmar. World Bank Vietnam director Victoria Kwakwa says the aging of Vietnam’s population will strain the workforce. She said, “What you’re going to see is a slowing down, beginning to slow down and ultimately shrinking of the labor force, which will make significant demands on labor productivity.” She spoke at a Canadian Chamber of Commerce event last week in Ho Chi Minh City. Low-cost labor has powered businesses in Vietnam. It is the only country in East Asia where economic growth was higher in 2015 than 2014, said Kwakwa. Graying workforce But the aging workforce threatens that growth and adds to a list of issues that Vietnam faces. High debt, low government reserves, and dependence on foreign investment are some of the risks to the economy. Other risks include the increase in U.S. interest rates, the drop in prices for commodities, and questions about how the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal will affect Vietnam. The TPP cuts 18,000 tariffs among the 12 participating countries. For many years, Vietnam has been a country of savers. But now it is experiencing growing levels of household debt. Ralf Matthaes is managing director of Infocus Mekong Research, a market research firm. He said he was very surprised when his business found that 30 percent of Vietnamese consumers took out a loan in 2015. “Vietnam is becoming a debt culture, which is a little bit like China and some other places,” he said. “So this is, I think, the one thing that I would worry about in the future.” Public debt is on the rise, too. The Vietnamese government set a debt limit of 65 percent of Gross Domestic Product. The World Bank estimates borrowing reached 62.5 percent of GDP last year, up from 59.6 percent in 2014. Outlook for Vietnam-China relations    Many countries are worried about how China’s economic problems could hurt them. Vietnam could be spared much of the impact. Its exports to China are only about half of what Vietnam exports to Europe or the United States, according to the General Statistics Office. Fred Burke is managing partner at the law office Baker & McKenzie. He suggested Vietnam consider how it can profit from China. “Chinese companies with good experience as residential real estate developers coming in and building projects here, you know, that’s the kind of investment Vietnam actually needs, because they’ve got appropriate technology,” he said. “The price point is right. There’s a lot actually China and Vietnam can do together.” This advice may not be followed. Vietnamese relations with China have worsened recently over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. But that has not stopped Vietnam from buying more products from China than from any other trading partner. I’m Mary Gotschall.       Lien Hoang reported on this story for VOANews.com. Mary Gotschall adapted this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Do you have an opinion about this topic? Let us know what you think in the Comments section below, or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________ Words in This Story   strain – n. to cause problems or trouble for (something) reserve– n.  a supply of something that is stored so that it can be used at a later time tariff – n. a tax on goods coming into or leaving a country consumer – n. a person who buys goods and services Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – noun phrase the total value of the goods and services produced by the people of a nation during a year not including the value of income earned in foreign countries  impact – n. a powerful or major influence or effect residential – adj. containing mostly homes instead of stores or businesses real estate – n.  property consisting of buildings and land  

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Football Player Criticized for Dancing While Black

American football is a game of great drama and theater. On Sunday, the championship game will decide who is the best, and who is second best. The game will include music, noisemakers, confetti, flashing lights and lots of action. So it may not seem out of place when football players express their enthusiasm after scoring points, called a touchdown. But lots of pre-game talk has been focused on a player named Cam Newton and how he celebrates his big plays. Newton is energetic about scoring a touchdown or throwing the ball successfully to another player who then scores. That happened 45 times this season for the Carolina Panthers, so Newton celebrates a lot. He pumps his fist. He waves to the crowd. He mimics what the comic book character Clark Kent does when he is about to turn into Superman. He puts his hands to his chest and pretends to pull back his football uniform, revealing his “super hero” costume underneath. After a touchdown, he always gets the ball and gives it to a fan of his team, the Panthers. Some people think he really is super. He is big, strong, fast and handsome, after all. His touchdown celebrations often include a dance called “The Dab,” which is popular among young African-Americans. Newton is credited with making the move popular. “The Dab” has caused as much controversy as the swaying hips of rock and roll star Elvis Presley when he started his career. In a game against Tennessee earlier this season, Newton scored a touchdown and broke into his “Dab” dance. The Tennessee players were not happy with him. They ran up to him as if to challenge him to a fight. But Newton kept dancing. That prompted a Tennessee fan to write a letter to Newton that she also sent to a newspaper in North Carolina. She wrote: “We had a close-up view of your conduct in the fourth quarter. The chest puffs. The pelvic thrusts. The arrogant struts and the ‘in your face’ taunting of both the Titans players and fans. We saw it all.” Some sports commentators started talking about the way Newton celebrates. Some say he should act like a touchdown is no big deal. Others say he should be himself and celebrate if he wants to. The debate is a reminder of what happened leading up to the Super Bowl in 1989 when Elbert “Ickey” Woods of the Cincinnati Bengals was doing a dance called “the Ickey shuffle.” Woods was a good player. But injuries shortened his career. He is best known for his dance. He did a version of the dance in a recent commercial for an insurance company. Newton is such a good player that will be remembered for more than just a debate over touchdown celebrations. Commentators think some white people are offended by Newton’s celebrations because he is African-American. After all, white athletes celebrate their touchdowns just as much but people are not criticizing them. In a USA Today column, Nancy Armour writes: “If we’re brutally honest with ourselves, the criticism of Newton comes from somewhere ugly and mean, based more on prejudice than a wish for proper decorum.” Two white players known for celebrating their touchdowns in recent seasons are Aaron Rodgers and Tim Tebow. Rodgers is the star quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. Tebow was a star player in college and played in the NFL for a short time. Rodgers does a move where he thrusts his hips and pretends to put a “championship belt,” like the ones they award in professional boxing, around his waist. When Tebow played, he would drop to one knee and pray to God after scoring a touchdown. Both of the players have a lot of fans. Rodgers even does commercials for an insurance company that uses his celebratory move as a joke. No one really complains about their celebrations. In fact, Tebow’s religious expression makes him even more appealing to some fans. When Tebow played, he wore items that referenced Bible verses. In her article about Newton, Armour talked with a professor who studied the way penalties were called on African-American football players during the 2010 season. He said one reason people are offended by these celebrations is that “(minorities) are expected to do their jobs quietly, without making a fuss.” Newton says he will keep dancing, no matter what people say. In a conversation with reporters earlier this week, Newton proposed a solution for those who are offended by his celebrations: “I guess you're going to have to get used to it, because I don't plan on changing.” I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think of Cam Newton’s touchdown celebration? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   arrogant – adj. having or showing the insulting attitude of people who believe that they are better, smarter, or more important than other people brutally honest – adv. cruel or extreme honesty decorum – n. correct or proper behavior that shows respect and good manners fuss – n.  activity or excitement that is unusual and may be unwanted handsome – adj.  pleasing to look at fist – n.  the hand with its fingers bent down into the palm mimic – v.  to copy someone’s behavior costume – n.  clothes worn by someone who is trying to look like a different person or thing quarterback – n.  the player in a football game who handles the ball and is in charge of the offense touchdown – n.  one way to score in a football game – worth six points prejudice – n.  an unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, sex, religion, etc. taunting – v.  to say or do something in order to make that person angry thrust – v.  to push something with force

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40% of World’s Economy Signs TPP Trade Deal

Representatives of 12 countries have signed a major free trade agreement for East Asia and the Pacific. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was officially signed at a ceremony Thursday in Auckland, New Zealand. News media released pictures of some ministers rubbing noses. For native New Zealanders, rubbing noses is a sign of good will. The nations that make up the TPP are responsible for 40 percent of the world’s economy. They include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan and Malaysia. The other nations are Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States. In a statement, U.S. President Barack Obama called the agreement a forward-looking trade deal that sets new, high ideals for trade and investment. He said the pact suspends thousands of taxes and supports a free and open Internet. Obama said it also prevents unfair laws that restrict the free flow of information. And, he added, that it includes strong words in support of fair labor policies and environmental protection. But the signing ceremony was, in some ways, only the beginning of a new process. The 12 nations have two years to ratify or reject the agreement. The United States Congress passed trade promotion authority for the president in June 2015. It requires Congress to either approve or reject trade agreements without adding to or amending them. However, Congress has yet to consider the huge free trade agreement. It also will take some time to study the thousands of pages in the agreement. Michael Froman is the U.S. Trade Representative. He says his office will work to persuade members of Congress that the deal should be passed. He says the estimated increase to exports for the U.S. will be $350 billion a year. The TPP is designed to cut tariffs, or import taxes, that free trade supporters say are barriers to trade. Without these barriers, supporters say, more goods and services will flow across borders, increasing trade and economic activity. Gary Hufbauer is with the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He told VOA that, while tariffs will eventually be dropped, that will not happen immediately. “..The barriers, the tariffs, in the case of goods, do not go to zero immediately. That takes some year, maybe about 10 years, depending on the product.” Labor groups in the United States, however, oppose the TPP. They are concerned that low-cost imports will flood the U.S. market. This would drive prices down and limit the wages that American employers pay their workers. Labor leaders have voiced opposition. They say trade agreements should protect wages and improve labor conditions for workers. It remains to be seen when the TPP agreement will be voted on in the Senate. Gary Hufbauer says if the deal is not brought to a vote by July, the agreement might be voted on after a new U.S. president takes office next year. I’m Mario Ritter.   Victor Beattie and Mil Arcega reported on this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   pact – n. a formal agreement between countries, people or groups ratify – v. to make an agreement or treaty official by signing it or voting for it authority – n. the power to give orders or make decisions, the power to control something tariffs – n. taxes on imports or exports

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