Candidates Mimic Animals on Campaign Trail

During a campaign visit in Nevada earlier this week, Hillary Clinton told a story about her husband, Bill. Bill, or William J. Clinton, was the U.S. president for eight years, starting in 1993. Before he was president. Clinton was a politician in his home state of Arkansas. One of his opponents produced an ad using the sound of a barking dog to mock Clinton and question his truthfulness. Hillary Clinton, who is running for U.S. president now, said the funny ad had people barking for days in Arkansas. And then she made her point by barking. She said she wished she could send that dog to the Republican candidates and have it bark every time they made a false statement. Alex Lee is a video producer from CNN. He used the social media app called Vine to put together a series of clips showing all the times presidential candidates have made animal sounds during the campaign. It shows Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Jeb Bush and Donald Trump making animal noises. And the video is called “The Sound of Politics in 2016.” Take a look. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think about the noises these candidates are making? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   ad – 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 bark – v. to make a short, loud sound like a dog mock – v. to laugh at or make fun of by copying an action or way of behaving or speaking

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New US Poll Throws Doubt on Trump Lead

One American election poll shows a shift in the Republican Party race for U.S. president. Texas Senator Ted Cruz has become more popular than early Republican front-runner Donald Trump, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. The poll shows Cruz with 28 percent of the vote from Republican voters if there were an election today. Trump received 26 percent. In third place was Florida Senator Marco Rubio, at 17 percent. Ohio Governor John Kasich got 11 percent, Ben Carson was at 10 percent and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush received 4 percent. The latest poll was taken after Trump’s primary victory in New Hampshire on February 9. In the primary, Trump received more than 35 percent of the vote. However, other national polls still show Trump as the leading candidate. According to a Reuters poll, Trump is 20 points ahead of Cruz. In the Democrat Party race for president, Hillary Clinton holds a 44 to 42 lead over Bernie Sanders, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll. “Senator Bernie Sanders and Secretary Hillary Clinton are neck and neck,” said polling official Tim Malloy. “But while Bernie has the trust [of the voters], Hillary has the experience.” Clinton is slightly in front of Sanders in the state of Nevada. Clinton holds 48 percent to Sanders’ 47 percent in the western state. Clinton once held a large lead in Nevada. According to CNN, an October 2015 poll showed Clinton ahead by 16 points over Sanders in that state. Democrats polled said they believe Clinton has a better chance at winning the November general election. More than 83 percent of Democrats think she has a good chance of winning in November. The next state primary election is February 27 in South Carolina. According to the CNN poll, Clinton has a large lead over Sanders there. Clinton has 56 percent of the poll vote in South Carolina to Sanders' 38 percent. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Ken Bredemeier reported on this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted his report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Who do you think will win the American presidential election? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   poll – n. an activity in which several or many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to get information about what most people think about something Republican – n. a member of the Republican party of the U.S. Democrat – n. a member of the Democrat Party of the U.S. primary election – n. an election in which members of the same political party run against each other for the chance to be in a larger and more important election

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Apple Rejects Order About Attacker's iPhone

Apple says it will fight the U.S. government about sharing information from the iPhone used by a shooter in a deadly attack in California. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, wants Apple to help agents get information from a phone that is locked. Apple head Tim Cook says the company will not assist the FBI. He says to do so could damage encryption for millions of other users. Cook's statement was posted early Wednesday on the company's website. It could start a legal dispute between the federal government and the U.S. information technology industry. A U.S. judge ordered Apple to help the FBI break into an iPhone belonging to Syed Farook. Farook was one of the shooters in the December 2 attack that killed 14 people. Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, died in a gun battle with police. The judge’s ruling requires Apple to help the FBI break into Farook's work iPhone. The iPhone has a self-destruct feature. The feature destroys iPhone data after several unsuccessful attempts at a password. The FBI wants to be able to try unlimited combinations of passwords until it finds the right one. President Barack Obama has called for stronger encryption to keep the Internet safe for users. Cook described the ruling as an example of government overreach. He called for public discussion. He said Apple wants “people around the country to understand what is at stake." He argued that the order could lead to a key “capable of opening hundreds of millions of (iPhone) locks." Federal prosecutors told the judge that they cannot access Farook's work phone because they don't know his password. Under U.S. law, a work phone is generally the property of a person's employer. The judge told Apple on Tuesday to estimate how much it would cost to break into the phone. Apple has provided encryption on its iPhones since 2014. Only the user can access the data through a password. The judge’s order requires that the software Apple provides be programmed to work only on Farook's phone. The order gives Apple five days to notify the court if it believes the ruling is unreasonable. Kevin Bankston is director of the digital rights group Open Technology Institute at New America. He said the ruling could make people suspicious that the government might secretly place malware on their devices or software. Investigators think Farook’s phone may tell who communicated with Farook and his wife, and where they traveled. The police are interested in an 18-minute period after the attack when they did not know the location of the suspects. Farook was not carrying his work iPhone during the attack. It was discovered in a search. The phone was programmed to destroy data after 10 straight unsuccessful unlocking attempts. I’m Caty Weaver. The Associated Press reported on this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   encryption – n. the act of to change (information) from one form to another especially to hide its meaning data – n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something overreach – v. to try to do something that is beyond your ability, or right, to do at stake – expression in a position to be lost or gained Should Apple obey the court order? Let us know what you think. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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Pope Endorses Birth Control for Some Women

When he returned to Rome yesterday after a trip to Mexico, Pope Francis said women who live near the Zika virus should be able to use birth control. This breaks from traditional Roman Catholic policy that bans Catholic women from using contraception. Francis talked about the Catholic Church and called birth control a “lesser evil” for women in regions affected by Zika. He said that abortion of those fetuses was not an option for Catholics. The Zika virus is carried by mosquitoes. In South America, the virus has been linked to microencephalitis. Babies with that condition are born with smaller brains and skulls than normal. No cure or treatment is known. The pope also commented about the U.S. race for president. He was asked about Republican candidate Donald Trump, who has called for a wall to be built between the U.S. and Mexico. "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," the Pope told journalists at a press conference. Trump also has called for deporting undocumented immigrants and not allowing Muslims into the U.S., even if they hold U.S. passports. The pope’s comments came after his sermon on immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. He pleaded for governments to open their hearts to the “human tragedy” of forced migration. Francis told worshippers migrants “are our brothers and sisters, who are being expelled by poverty and violence, drug trafficking and organized crime.” Pope Francis stopped short of demanding that the United States open all its borders. The pope is concerned about Mexican citizens wishing to escape drug cartel killings and corruption. Before Mass, the pope paused at the U.S.-Mexican border for a prayer in memory of migrants who died trying to reach the United States. He also blessed some migrants on the American side of the fence. I’m Kathleen Struck. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think about the Pope's message? Post your thoughts in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   pope – n. the head of the Roman Catholic Church migrants – n. a person who goes from one place to another especially to find work plead – v. to ask for something in a serious and emotional way cartel – n. a group of businesses that agree to fix prices so they all will make more money ​

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Obama to Visit Cuba in March

President Barack Obama will visit Cuba on March 21 and 22, the White House announced Thursday. It will be the first time in nearly 90 years that a U.S. president visits Havana, the capital of the island nation. Diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States have improved in the past 14 months. The countries have re-opened embassies, and commercial airlines will fly between the two countries soon. Plus, the U.S. removed Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro have talked via telephone and have met in person twice. Obama will meet with Castro during the March visit. He will also meet with Cuban activists who work for social causes. While normalizing relations, Obama said his administration promises to monitor Cuba’s communist government on human rights issues. “We still have differences with the Cuban government that I will raise directly,” Obama wrote on Twitter. “America will always stand for human rights around the world.” The American presidency and Cuba had a sketchy relationship during the first half of the 20th century. President Calvin Coolidge visited Havana in 1928. President Harry Truman stopped by U.S.-controlled Guantanamo Bay and its naval base in 1948. First Lady Michelle Obama will accompany the president on the Latin American trip. The Obamas will travel to Argentina after Cuba. I’m Jim Dresbach.   William Gallo reported on this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think about President Obama’s visit to Cuba? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   sponsor – n. someone who takes the responsibility for someone or something communist – n. a person who believes in communism or is a member of a political party that supports communism normalizing – v. to bring someone or something back to a usual or expected state or condition sketchy – adj. likely to be bad or dangerous Latin America – n. South America and North America south of the U.S.

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Conspiracies Swirl After Court Justice Dies

People who believe in conspiracies -- or crimes committed by secret groups – are talking about the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Scalia died at a remote ranch in west Texas on Saturday. The lack of an autopsy and how Scalia was found led to questions of foul play. In Texas, a presiding judge does not have to see the body to determine the cause of death and decide if an autopsy is needed. After Scalia was discovered, the county sheriff and U.S. Marshals Service arrived at Cibolo Creek Ranch. They saw no signs of foul play, AP reported. The presiding judge ruled against an autopsy after speaking to Scalia’s doctor Saturday. Scalia had a history of heart trouble and high blood pressure. Multiple media reports state that the Scalia family did not ask or order an autopsy. It was announced the day he died that Scalia passed away from natural causes. Some Americans believe in conspiracies even when facts prove the conspiracies wrong. Some conservative members of the media called for a murder investigation. They asked for toxicology tests and an autopsy to determine the cause of Scalia’s death. Media outlets including CNN, The Washington Post, National Public Radio and Time magazine have published stories about a possible conspiracy. Scalia will lie in repose in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court of the United States on Friday. The funeral Mass for the Supreme Court judge will be held Saturday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. I'm Christopher Cruise.    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   conspiracy theory – n. a theory that explains an event or situation as the result of a secret plan by usually powerful people or groups remote – adj. far away ranch – n. a large farm especially in the U.S. where animals are raised  autopsy – n. an examination of a dead body to find out the cause of death foul play – n. criminal violence or murder toxicology – n. the study of poisonous chemicals, drugs and how a person or other living thing reacts to them repose – n. a state of resting or not being active basilica – n. a large church that has a long central part that ends in a curved wall

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'Largest Ever' US-South Korea Military Drills

South Korean defense officials say the yearly military exercises with the United States next month will be the largest ever. The military drills take place as tensions with North Korea increase over its recent nuclear and long-range missile tests. Defense Minister Han Min-koo said Thursday that about 15,000 U.S. troops will take part in the yearly Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises. That is twice the number from last year. Yonhap news agency said Wednesday the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis will take part in the drills.   North Korea opposes the exercises on the peninsula. It says they are a preparation for an attack. Officials say they are talking with the U.S. about deploying an advanced U.S. missile defense system. China strongly opposes the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, called THAAD.  South Korea's Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said: “The official announcement of the possibility of THAAD deployment is a defensive measure to counter increasing nuclear and missile threats by North Korea.” Opposition lawmakers say they are concerned about the possible missile deployment. They also say they worry about the closing of the Kaesong jointly operated industrial center by South Korea. In related news, South Korean intelligence officials have told South Korean lawmakers that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered preparations for possible terror attacks on the South. A member of South Korea's ruling Saenuri party told reporters Thursday the National Intelligence Service believes the attacks could target many groups. These include anti-North Korean activists, defectors and South Korean government officials.  Subways, shopping centers and power stations were also called potential targets. President Park Geun-hye has promised a more hardline approach toward North Korea. Her government has taken measures aimed at causing the North to give up its nuclear weapons program or face, in her words, “regime collapse.” On Wednesday, the U.S. military made an additional show of strength by flying four advanced fighter jets from Japan’s Okinawa island. I'm Mario Ritter. Richard Green reported on this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. How do these military exercises help South Korea? Please leave us your thoughts in the Comments section and on our Facebook page.  _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   drills –n. exercises or training, especially in the military peninsula –n. an extension of land with water on three sides advanced –adj. at a higher level, operating with more abilities potential –adj. possible, related to the possibility that something might happen hardline –adj. firm, unwilling to make changes or concessions

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Prince’s Passport Photo Is Sheer Perfection

This is What’s Trending Today…. Everyone needs them. But no one likes them. I’m talking about photos on government documents like drivers’ licenses and passports. Many people dislike those photos and complain about how bad they look. The photos measure 51 millimeters by 51 millimeters (or 2 inches by 2 inches). They have specific requirements like “a plain white background” and a “neutral facial expression.” People say it is impossible to take nice-looking passport photos. Just look at what people write on Twitter when they get a new photo: Earlier this month, Tash wrote: “Why are passport photos always the worst photo you’ve ever had of yourself?”  Another person, Alex Crumb, posted this comment to Instagram about his passport photo: “Pleased that my passport photo makes me look like a jewel thief trying desperately to get out of Belgium unnoticed.”  So when people found out the rock star Prince posted his newest passport photo on Twitter, the reactions rolled in. Prince is famous for his glamorous photos on his album covers. His passport photo was just as good. CNN said: “Prince’s passport photo is pretty spectacular.” Jim Roberts of Mashable wrote: “You’ll never have a passport photo like this, so give up.”  Prince’s photo includes his full name, which in case you did not know, is Prince Rogers Nelson. His make-up: eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara and more, is flawless. The lighting is perfect, too. Combined with his Afro hairstyle, it gives him an angelic, halo effect. The overall look recalls a line from his song: “Take Me With U” from his 1984 album “Purple Rain.” To be around you is so right You're sheer perfection… Prince’s passport photo is definitely “sheer perfection.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What does your passport photo look like? Post it on our Facebook page with this story! ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   sheer – adj. complete and total halo – n. a circle of light that is shown in a religious painting, drawing, etc., around the head of a holy figure (such as an angel, saint, or god) — often used figuratively angelic – adj. looking like an angel: good, kind, beautiful flawless – adj. without any faults or blemishes glamorous – adj. attractive tiny – adj. very small license – n. an official document, card, etc., that gives you permission to do, use, or have something

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Understanding Noncount Nouns

  Today we are going to talk about the difference between count and noncount nouns. Most nouns in English can be counted. Think of the noun shirt, as in, “I bought a shirt.” If you have more than one shirt, you just add “s” to make it plural.  "I bought 10 shirts." But a shirt is part of a larger category: clothing. You can say “I bought three shirts” but you cannot say, “I bought three clothings.” Clothing is a noncount noun. You cannot use a, an, or a number before a noncount noun. Grammatically, a noncount noun is always singular, even if it refers to multiple items like furniture, luggage, or equipment. A count noun in your native language might be a noncount noun in English. For example, the Spanish translation for homework is a count noun. But homework is a noncount noun in English. It would sound strange to say, “I had three homeworks.” You could say, “I had a lot of homework.” You can also could say, “I had three homework assignments.” In this example, homework is used as an adjective. It describes assignment. You can count assignments, but you cannot count homework. There is no perfect rule to determine if a noun is count or noncount. Fortunately, most noncount nouns fall into a few categories. Groups of similar things Noncount nouns often refer to groups of similar objects. Furniture, for example, is a noncount noun. Furniture is a collection of similar countable items like chairs, sofas, tables, shelves, beds and so on. Luggage is also a noncount noun. You can count bags, packages, and backpacks, but you cannot count luggage. Other noncount nouns that refer to groups of similar things include equipment, food, garbage, mail, money and vocabulary. Abstractions Abstract words are noncount. These are words that refer to ideas or qualities instead of physical objects or events. Abstractions are usually things that you cannot see: They only exist in the mind. For example: love, hate, information, news, peace, music and art. There are tens of thousands of abstract words. Other types of noncount nouns It is logical that particles -- things that come in very small pieces -- are noncount nouns. It would be difficult to count rice, corn, salt, sugar and dust. The names of academic fields of study are noncount. Even though physics, economics, and mathematics all end with an s, they are singular noncount nouns. For example, “Physics is difficult.” Words related to nature and weather are often noncount, such as rain, wind, snow, lightning, fire and air. Words with count and noncount meaning A few words can be used as count and noncount nouns. But the meaning changes a little bit. Let’s look at the word glass. As a noncount noun, glass refers to the clear material used to make windows. For example, “The lamp was made of glass.” As a count noun, glass refers to a drinking container made of glass, as in “Could you bring me a glass of water?” The plural glasses has two meanings. It could refer to more than one drinking container. “Please wash the glasses.” Glasses could also refer to spectacles, a pair of lenses used to correct vision. “I have been wearing glasses since I was a teenager.” Coffee, along with other drinks, has a count and noncount meaning. “Coffee is grown in Colombia” refers to coffee as an agricultural product. “I’ll have a coffee” refers to a single cup of coffee. Making Noncount Nouns into Count Nouns There are a few very important words that make it possible to count noncount nouns. Many food words are noncount nouns. But if you are cooking, you need to measure specific amounts of food. A recipe for cookies might call for “2 cups of sugar, a half-pound of butter, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla." Pound, cup and teaspoon are examples of measure words that you can use to make noncount nouns countable. One of the most useful of these measure words is piece. You cannot count information but you can count a piece of information. Piece is a very useful word because it can be used with both count and noncount nouns. For example, you can have two pieces of pie or three pieces of information. Listen to this song by Paul Young. Every time you go away You take a piece of me with you. Here is a video of Paul Young singing Everytime You Go Away.   ​Some of these measure words have poetic qualities to them, such as: a grain of sand, a speck of dust, a bolt of lightning, a flake of snow, and a breath of air. Common mistakes Let’s look at some common mistakes with noncount nouns. Traffic might seem like a count noun. After all, it refers to a lot of cars. But traffic is a noncount noun in English. Vocabulary, hardware, information, music, and advice are noncount nouns that English learners often confuse for count nouns. And let us not forget the most important noncount noun of all: grammar. You cannot count grammar. But you can count grammar rules. I'm Jill Robbins. I'm Rick Hindman. Come on come on come on come on and Take it! Take another little piece of heart now baby Break it? Break another little piece of my heart I know you will Have a Have another little piece of my heart now baby Adam Brock wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Parts of the report were based on "Understanding and Using English Grammar," by Betty Azar. Jill Robbins and Kathleen Struck were the editors. Now it’s your turn. If you send us your mailing address in the comments, we will send you a 2016 VOA Calendar. We will not publish your address in the comments, of course. Feel free to add a comment, we will publish that without the address. Here is Janis Joplin singing Piece of My Heart. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   noncount nouns - n.  a noun (such as “sand” or “butter”) that refers to something that cannot be counted luggage - n. the bags and suitcases that a person carries when traveling garbage - n. things that are no longer useful or wanted and that have been thrown out abstract - adj. relating to or involving general ideas or qualities rather than specific people, objects, or actions spectacle - n. (old-fashioned) eyeglasses bolt - n. a bright line of light that appears in the sky during a storm as in a flash of lightning flake  - n. a small, thin piece of something speck - n. a very small piece or spot

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Ukraine Political Fight Threatens Economy

The president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, has asked Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk to resign. Demonstrators and politicians say that Yatsenyuk's government is corrupt. Yatsenyuk's critics called for a motion, or vote of no-confidence in the Parliament on Tuesday. The motion must have 226 votes to pass in parliament, but only 194 out of 339 members supported it. The vote cannot be repeated in the current session, which lasts until July. Even though the vote failed, it showed that “this government already has no parliament support. It will not be able to carry out laws,” said Yuriy Lutsenko, the parliamentary head of Poroshenko’s party. Ukrainians are not the only ones worried about the problems in its government. Christine Lagarde, director of the International Monetary Fund, says foreign aid may stop coming into the country. It has slowed over the past few months. Other creditors will not lend money to an unstable government, says economist Dmitry Polevoy. The economy of Ukraine is weak after a recession that lasted 18 months. Ukraine’s currency, the hryvnia, has lost 10 percent this year. Earlier this month, Poroshenko and Yatsenyuk tried to stand together after Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius and Deputy Prosecutor General Vitaliy Kasko quit. The officials who resigned said the government was corrupt, and that ruling-party officials were blocking reforms. Without the reforms, foreign banks are not willing to lend money to support an economic recovery. I'm Dmitriy Savchuk. Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English based on articles from BBC and Bloomberg News Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think about the events in Ukraine?. Write to us in the Comments section and on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   motion – n. a formal suggestion or proposal that is made at a meeting for something to be done vote of no confidence – n. a formal vote by which people (such as the members of a legislature) indicate that they do not support a leader, government, etc.

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decade

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