English in a Minute: Fall Through the Cracks

Falling is no fun. You can get hurt. "Falling through the cracks" sounds even worse. But, what does this expression really mean? Find out in this week's English in a Minute!

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Lesson 1 - Welcome!

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Politicians Suggest Ways to Reduce Tuition

U.S. presidential candidates are talking about the problem of high costs in higher education. From 2002 until 2012, tuition increased by around 39 percent, on average, among public or government-funded universities. Among private universities, it rose around 16 percent on average. The presidential candidates agree that the cost of education is a problem, but they disagree about what to do about it. What do the Democrats propose? The two main Democratic contenders are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. They both have plans for addressing the high cost of education. Hillary Clinton's plan is called the New College Compact. The plan calls for giving grants to states. Grants are money given to states from the federal government. They help boost other financial aid to students, and help pay for living costs and tuition. Under Clinton's plan, community colleges would be tuition-free. She also proposes reducing interest rates on student loans, giving support to private colleges, and basing loan repayment on a graduate’s income. Clinton says her plan will be paid for by limiting tax spending on wealthy taxpayers. She estimates the cost of the plan would be around $350 billion over 10 years. Bernie Sander offers a plan with six steps. The first step is to make tuition free at public colleges and universities. The second step is to stop the federal government from profiting on the interest on student loans. Other steps include reducing interest rates students pay to borrow money and allowing students to refinance student loans. Sanders also favors need-based financial aid and work study programs. Sanders proposes paying for this plan by making 'Wall Street speculators' pay a tax. Sanders estimates the cost of the program to be around $75 billion a year. "We have a crisis in higher education today. Too many of our young people cannot afford a college education, and many of those who are leaving school are faced with crushing debt."  What do the Republican candidates propose? There are three front-runners in the Republican Party: Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump.   Rubio is the only one who has officially shown a plan for dealing with high costs. Rubio says he does not think tax money should support the current higher education system. He also says that universities raise fees too often, and too quickly. "The higher ed cartel pushes skyrocketing tuition and degrees that don't lead to jobs. Yesterday's leaders want to raise taxes and dump more money into this broken system."  ​ Rubio's plan proposes that students apply for “Student Investment Plans.” These plans would link students to private investors. In return for funding from investors, students would pay back part of their income to those investors for a set number of years. Unlike loans, students would not have to pay back the full amount that they borrow from private investors. However, they would still have to pay a percentage of their income for the amount of time that they agreed to. Repayment based on income after graduation would become standard for student loans, says Rubio's website. Rubio says higher education in the U.S. needs to fit the economy. He recommends increasing access to career and vocational education, encouraging apprenticeships and on-the-job training, and easing access community and state colleges. Rubio also says he wants to make statistics -- such as graduation rates, average student debt, and the likelihood of employment after graduating -- available to students and families. What about the candidates who don't have official plans? Neither Donald Trump nor Ted Cruz has officially released plans for dealing with high costs in education. However, both men have spoken about dealing with high costs. In an interview with the Hill, Donald Trump criticized the federal government for making a profit on student loans. He suggests that the government should not make money from student loans. In his words: “That’s probably one of the only things the government shouldn’t make money off — I think it’s terrible that one of the only profit centers we have is student loans.” In 2012, Ted Cruz suggested that financial aid be given by states, not the federal government. In Cruz's words:  “We should take the funding, give it to the states and put the states in the position to make the decisions how to have the greatest impact in their communities.” Which plans would have the greatest success? Some experts, such as N. Gregory Mankiw, a professor at Harvard, do not think that the plans of the presidential candidates will work well. The problem with Sanders' plan, writes Mankiw, is that it doesn't make college free. It forces taxpayers to pay for the college education of others. Mankiw says that the government faces long-term budget problems. It must pay for Social Security and other government programs. He says it is not a good idea to add another new, costly government program. Mankiw suggests that Rubio's plan suffers from a different problem: it is not clear that private investors would support students. Even if investors support students, they may only choose to support certain types of students. Beth Akers, an expert at the Brookings Institute, criticized Clinton's plan. Akers suggested that Clinton's plan wastes money. Clinton's plan calls for allowing students to refinance their loans. However, the households with the largest loan debts also tend to be wealthy households. This means, writes Akers, that Clinton's plan is helping wealthy families more than poor families. In other words, Clinton's plan does not give relief to the borrowers who need it the most. Akers also says that the $350 billion dollar cost of the program is probably low. She thinks Clinton's program would cost much more than that. The debate over what to do about the problem of expensive higher education is likely to continue for some time. I'm John Russell. And I'm Jill Robbins John Russell reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck and Jill Robbins were the editors. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tuition – n. money that is paid to a school for the right to study there degree – n. an official document and title that is given to someone who has successfully completed a series of classes at a college or university address – v. to deal with (a matter, issue, problem, etc.) refinance – v. to get a new loan to pay (an older debt) favor – v. to approve of or support (something) speculator – n. a person who invests money in ways that could produce a large profit but that also involve a lot of risk front-runner – n. the person or thing that is most likely to win a race or competition income – n. money that is earned from work vocational – adj. relating to the special skills or training that you need for a particular job or occupation apprenticeships – n. a position as an apprentice (an apprentice is a person who learns a job or skill by working for a fixed period of time for someone who is very good at that job or skill) on-the-job training – n. learned or done while working at a job

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'Athenaise,' by Kate Chopin

Our story today is called "Athenaise." It was written by Kate Chopin. Here is Barbara Klein with the story.   Athenaise went away one morning to visit her parents, ten miles back on the Bon Dieu River in Louisiana. She did not return in the evening, and Cazeau, her husband, was worried. Cazeau expressed his worries to his servant, Félicité, who served him dinner. He ate alone by the light of a coal-oil lamp.  Félicité stood nearby like a restless shadow. “Only married two months and she has her head turned already to leave! It is not right!” she said. Cazeau shrugged his shoulders. Félicité’s opinion of his wife’s behavior after two months of marriage did not matter to him. He was used to being alone and did not mind a night or two of it. Cazeau stood up and walked outside. The night was beginning to deepen and gather black around the groups of trees in the yard. Far away, he could hear the sound of someone playing an accordion. Nearby, a baby was crying. Cazeau’s horse was waiting, saddled. He still had much farm work to do before bed time. He did not have time to think about Athenaise. But he felt her absence like a deep pain. Before he slept that night Cazeau was visited by an image of Athenaise’s pale, young face with its soft lips and sensual eyes. The marriage had been a mistake. He had only to look into her eyes to feel that, to sense her growing dislike of him. But, the marriage could not be undone. And he was ready to make the best of it and expected the same effort from her. These sad thoughts kept Cazeau awake far into the night. The moon was shining and its pale light reached into the room. It was still outside, with no sound except the distant notes of the accordion. Athenaise did not return the next day, although her husband sent a message to do so through her brother, Montéclin. On the third day, Cazeau prepared his horse and went himself in search of her. Athenaise’s parents, the Michés, lived in a large home owned by a trader who lived in town. The house was far too big for their use. Upstairs, the rooms were so large and empty that they were used for parties. A dance at the Miché home and a plate of Madame Miché’s gumbo were pleasures not to be missed. Madame Miché was sitting on the porch outside the house. She stood up to greet Cazeau. She was short and fat with a cheery face. But she was clearly tense as Cazeau arrived. Montéclin was there too. But he was not uneasy. He made no effort to hide his dislike of Cazeau. “Dirty pig!” He said under his breath as Cazeau climbed the stairs to the porch. Montéclin disliked Cazeau for refusing to lend him money long ago.  Now that this man was his sister’s husband, he disliked him even more. Miché and his oldest son were away. They both respected Cazeau and talked highly of him. Cazeau shook hands with Madame Miché who offered him a chair.  Athénaise had shut herself in her room. “You know, nothing would do last night,” Madame Miché said. “Athenaise just had to stay for a little dance. The boys would not let their sister leave!” Cazeau shrugged his shoulders to show he knew nothing about last night. “Didn’t Montéclin tell you we were going to keep Athenaise?” she asked. But Montéclin had told him nothing. “And how about the night before?” asked Cazeau. “And last night? Do you have dances every night?” Madame Miché laughed and told her son to go tell Athenaise her husband had arrived. Montéclin did not move. “You know as well as I do that it is no use to tell Athenaise anything,” said Montéclin. “You and pa have been talking to her since Monday. When Athenaise said she was not returning to Cazeau she meant it.” Two fiery red spots rose to Cazeau’s cheeks. What Montéclin said was true. Upon arriving home, Athenaise had announced she was there to stay. It was difficult for her to understand why she had married. Girls were just expected to get married. And she did like Cazeau. Montéclin had asked Athenaise to explain herself. He had asked her if Cazeau abused her, or if he drank too much. “No!” Athenaise had said. “It is just being married that I hate. I do not like being Missus Cazeau. I want to be Athenaise Miché again. I do not like living with a man, all his clothing everywhere and his ugly bare feet.” At the time, Montéclin had been sorry his sister had no serious evidence to use against Cazeau. And now, there was Cazeau himself looking like he wanted to hit Montéclin. Cazeau stood up and went inside the house to his wife’s room. “Athenaise, get ready,” he said quietly. “It is late and we do not have time to lose.” Athenaise was not prepared for his calm request. She felt a sense of hopelessness about continuing to rebel against the idea of marriage. She gathered her hat and gloves. Then, she walked downstairs past her brother and mother, got on her horse and rode away. Cazeau followed behind her. It was late when they reached home. Cazeau once more ate dinner alone. Athenaise sat in her room crying. Athenaise’s parents had hoped that marriage would bring a sense of responsibility so deeply lacking in her character. No one could understand why she so hated her role as wife. Cazeau had never spoken angrily to her or called her names or failed to give her everything she wanted. His main offense seemed to be that he loved her. And Athenaise was not a woman to be loved against her will. At breakfast, Athenaise complained to her husband. “Why did you have to marry me when there were so many other girls to choose from?” she asked. “And, it is strange that if you hate my brother so much, why you would marry his sister!?" “I do not know what any of them have to do with it,” Cazeau said. “I married you because I loved you. I guess I was a fool to think I could make you happy. I do not know what else to do but make the best of a bad deal and shake hands over it.” It now seemed to Athenaise that her brother was the only friend left to her in the world. Her parents had turned from her and her friends laughed at her. But Montéclin had an idea for securing his sister’s freedom. After some thought, Athenaise agreed to his plan. The next morning, Cazeau woke up to find his wife was gone. She had packed her belongings and left in the night. Cazeau felt a terrible sense of loss. It was not new; he had felt it for weeks. He realized he had missed his chance for happiness. He could not think of loving any other woman, and could not imagine Athenaise ever caring for him. He wrote her a letter stating that he did not want her back unless she returned of her own free will. Athenaise had escaped to the big city of New Orleans. She was staying at a private hotel that Montéclin had chosen and paid to rent for a month. A woman named Sylvie owned the hotel and took good care of Athenaise. Athenaise soon became friends with Mister Gouvernail, who was also staying at the hotel. This friendship helped her feel less lonely about missing her family.  But Mister Gouvernail soon started to fall in love with Athenaise. He knew she was uninformed, unsatisfied and strong-willed. But he also suspected that she loved her husband, although she did not know it. Bitter as this belief was, he accepted it. Athenaise’s last week in the city was coming to an end. She had not found a job and was too homesick to stay any longer. Also, she had not been feeling well. She complained in detail about her sickness to Sylvie. Sylvie was very wise, and Athenaise was very stupid. Sylvie very calmly explained to Athenaise that she was feeling sick because she was pregnant. Athenaise sat very still for a long time thinking about this new information. Her whole being was overcome with a wave of happiness. Then, she stood up, ready to take action. She had to tell her mother! And Cazeau! As she thought of him, a whole new sense of life swept over her. She could not wait to return to him. The next day Athenaise spent travelling home. When she arrived at Cazeau’s, he lifted her out of the horse carriage and they held each other tight. The country night was warm and still except for a baby crying in the distance. “Listen, Cazeau!” said Athenaise. “How Juliette’s baby is crying! Poor darling, I wonder what is the matter with it?” You have heard the story “Athenaise” by Kate Chopin. Your storyteller was Barbara Klein. This story was adapted and produced by Dana Demange.  ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   shrug - v. to raise and lower your shoulders usually to show that you do not know or care about something sensual - adj. relating to, devoted to, or producing physical or sexual pleasure gumbo - n. a thick soup made in the southern U.S. with meat or seafood and usually okra role - n. the character played by an actor secure - v.  to get (something) by using effort homesick - adj. sad because you are away from your family and home overcome - v. to affect (someone) very strongly or severely - usually used as (be) overcome

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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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