A Larger Than Life Hero: 'Pecos Bill'

Today we tell a traditional American story called a "tall tale." A tall tale is a story about a person who is larger than life. The descriptions in the story are exaggerated – much greater than in real life. Long ago, the people who settled in undeveloped areas in America first told tall tales. After a hard day's work, people gathered to tell each other funny stories.   Pecos Bill was a larger than life hero of the American West. No one knows who first told stories about Pecos Bill. Cowboys may have invented the stories. Others say Edward O'Reilly invented the character in stories he wrote for the Century Magazine in the early 1900s. The stories were collected in a book called "The Saga of Pecos Bill," published in 1923.    Another writer, James Cloyd Bowman, wrote an award-winning children's book called "Pecos Bill: The Greatest Cowboy of All Time." The book won the Newbery Honor in 1938.   Pecos Bill was not a historical person. But he does represent the spirit of early settlers in the American West. His unusual childhood and extraordinary actions tell about people who believed there were no limits to what they could do. Now, here is Barbara Klein with our story.   Pecos Bill had one of the strangest childhoods a boy ever had. It all started after his father decided that there was no longer enough room in east Texas for his family.   "Pack up, Ma!" he cried. "Neighbors movin' in 50 miles away! It's getting too crowded!"    So they loaded up a wagon with all their things. Now some say they had 15 children while others say 18. However many there were, the children were louder than thunder. And as they set off across the wild country of west Texas, their mother and father could hardly hear a thing. Now, as they came to the Pecos River, the wagon hit a big rock. The force threw little Bill out of the wagon and he landed on the sandy ground. Mother did not know Bill was gone until she gathered the children for the midday meal. Mother set off with some of the children to look for Bill, but they could find no sign of him.    Well, some people say Bill was just a baby when his family lost him. Others say he was four years old. But all agree that a group of animals called coyotes found Bill and raised him. Bill did all the things those animals did, like chase lizards and howl at the moon. He became as good a coyote as any.   Now, Bill spent 17 years living like a coyote until one day a cowboy rode by on his horse. Some say the cowboy was one of Bill's brothers. Whoever he was, he took one look at Bill and asked, "What are you?"   Bill was not used to human language. At first, he could not say anything. The cowboy repeated his question. This time, Bill said, "varmint."    That is a word used for any kind of wild animal.   "No you aren't," said the cowboy.    "Yes, I am," said Bill. "I have fleas."    "Lots of people have fleas," said the cowboy. "You don't have a tail."   "Yes, I do," said Bill.   "Show it to me then," the cowboy said.   Bill looked at his backside and realized that he did not have a tail like the other coyotes. "Well, what am I then?" asked Bill.    "You're a cowboy! So start acting like one!" the cowboy cried out. Well that was all Bill needed to hear. He said goodbye to his coyote friends and left to join the world of humans.   Now, Pecos Bill was a good cowboy. Still, he hungered for adventure. One day he heard about a rough group of men. There is some debate over what the group was called. But one storyteller calls it the "Hell's Gate Gang."   So Bill set out across the rough country to find this gang of men. Well, Bill's horse soon was injured so Bill had to carry it for a hundred miles. Then Bill met a rattlesnake 50 feet long. The snake made a hissing noise and was not about to let Bill pass. But after a tense minute, Bill beat the snake until it surrendered. He felt sorry for the varmint, though, and wrapped it around his arm.   After Bill walked another hundred miles, he came across an angry mountain lion. There was a huge battle, but Bill took control of the big cat and put his saddle on it. He rode that mountain lion all the way to the camp of the Hell's Gate Gang.   Now, when Bill saw the gang he shouted out, "Who's the boss around here?"   A huge cowboy, 9 feet tall, took one look at Bill and said in a shaky voice, "I was the boss. But you are the boss from here on in."    With his gang, Pecos Bill was able to create the biggest ranch in the Southwest. Bill and his men had so many cattle that they needed all of New Mexico to hold them. Arizona was the pasture where the cattle ate grass.   Pecos Bill invented the art of being a cowboy. He invented the skill of throwing a special rope called a lasso over a cow's head to catch wandering cattle. Some say he used a rattlesnake for a lasso. Others say he made a lasso so big that it circled the whole Earth.    Bill invented the method of using a hot branding iron to permanently put the mark of a ranch on a cow's skin. That helped stop people from stealing cattle. Some say he invented cowboy songs to help calm the cattle and make the cowboy's life easier. But he is also said to have invented tarantulas and scorpions as jokes. Cowboys have had trouble with those poisonous creatures ever since.   Now, Pecos Bill could ride anything that ever was. So, as some tell the story, there came a storm bigger than any other. It all happened during the worst drought the West had ever seen. It was so dry that horses and cows started to dry up and blow away in the wind. So when Bill saw the windstorm, he got an idea. The huge tornado kicked across the land like a wild bronco. But Bill jumped on it without a thought.   He rode that tornado across Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, all the time squeezing the rain out of it to save the land from drought. When the storm was over, Bill fell off the tornado. He landed in California. He left a hole so deep that to this day it is known as Death Valley.   Now, Bill had a horse named Widow Maker. He got that name because any man who rode that horse would be thrown off and killed, and his wife would become a widow. No one could ride that horse but Bill.   And Widow Maker, in the end, caused the biggest problem for Pecos Bill. You see, one day Bill saw a woman. Not just any woman, but a wild, red-haired woman, riding a giant catfish down the Rio Grande River.    Her name was Slue-foot Sue. And Bill fell in love with her at first sight. Well, Bill would not rest until he had asked for her hand in marriage. And Slue-foot Sue accepted.   On their wedding day, Pecos Bill dressed in his best buckskin suit. And Sue wore a beautiful white dress with a huge steel-spring bustle in the back. It was the kind of big dress that many women wore in those days — the bigger the better.   Now, after the marriage ceremony Slue-foot Sue got a really bad idea. She decided that she wanted to ride Widow Maker. Bill begged her not to try. But she had her mind made up.    Well, the second she jumped on the horse's back he began to kick and buck like nothing anyone had ever seen. He sent Sue flying so high that she sailed clear over the new moon.   She fell back to Earth, but the steel-spring bustle just bounced her back up as high as before.   Now, there are many different stories about what happened next. One story says Bill saw that Sue was in trouble. She would keep bouncing forever if nothing was done. So he took his rope out -- though some say it was a huge rattlesnake -- and lassoed Sue to catch her and bring her down to Earth. Only, she just bounced him back up with her.  Somehow the two came to rest on the moon. And that's where they stayed. Some people say they raised a family up there. Their children were as loud and wild as Bill and Sue were in their younger days. People say the sound of thunder that sometimes carries over the dry land around the Pecos River is nothing more than Pecos Bill's family laughing up a storm.   This tall tale of Pecos Bill was adapted for Learning English and produced by Mario Ritter. Your storyteller was Barbara Klein. The video was produced by Adam Brock. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   debate - n. a discussion between people in which they express different opinions about something​  varmint - n. (chiefly US, old-fashioned + humorous) an animal that is considered a problem lasso - n. a rope with a loop that is used for catching animals (such as cattle or horses) tarantula - n. a large, hairy spider that lives in warm regions scorpion - n. a small animal related to spiders that has two front claws and a curved tail with a poisonous stinger at the end make up one’s mind - idiom. to decide on something​  

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National Grammar Day Is Here!

What will you be doing on Friday? How will you have spent your day? Do you have trouble understanding these questions? Then you should mark your calendar! Language teachers, learners and other professionals across the United States are celebrating National Grammar Day on March 4. The holiday celebrates the rules and best practices for the English language. Martha Brockenbrough created National Grammar Day in 2008. Brockenbrough is the founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, or SPOGG. SPOGG operates a website where Brockenbrough writes about different language issues. Brockenbrough also wrote a book of advice about grammar and language called “Things That Make Us [Sic.]” Mignon Fogarty is organizing National Grammar Day celebrations this year. She wrote the book “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.” Fogarty appeared on the NBC television program “Today” on Wednesday. She discussed new additions to the English language. “People think that dictionaries choose [new] words because they’re proper,” she said. “But mostly they choose words because people use them.” The American Dialect Society chooses a word every year that is new or used in a new way. The choice for 2015 Word of the Year was “they,” used as a gender-neutral singular pronoun. The Oxford English Dictionary adds new words after finding evidence people are using the words often. Researchers for the dictionary also look for evidence the words will be used well into the future. Grammarly is a software application, or app, that can study writing and find grammar mistakes. In preparation for National Grammar Day, Grammarly studied the writing on the Twitter accounts of the 50 people with the most followers in the world. Grammarly counted the average number of mistakes in the writing on all 50 twitter accounts. The app then listed the top 10 accounts with the fewest mistakes. Comedian Conan O’Brien had the best grammar. He averaged 0.21 mistakes for every 100 words he wrote. Businessman Bill Gates had the second best grammar, with an average of 0.22 mistakes. President Barack Obama came third with an average of 0.26 mistakes. The National Grammar Day website has many resources for language learners. You can celebrate National Grammar Day by reading our weekly series “Everyday Grammar.” I’m Pete Musto. Pete Musto reported and wrote this story for VOA news. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Now it’s your turn. What is the most difficult part of English grammar for you? Does your country have a holiday for your native language? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   calendar – n. a document or chart that shows the days, weeks, and months of a year practice(s) – n. something that is done often or regularly gender-neutral – adj. not referring to either sex but only to people in general software application – n. a computer program that performs one or more tasks follower(s) – n. a person who likes and admires someone or something very much comedian – n. a person who performs in front of an audience and makes people laugh by telling jokes or funny stories or by acting in a way that is funny  

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English @ the Movies: 'Gear Up'

The movie "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" is a cartoon about turtles who are action heroes. Our English @ the Movies phrase we are talking about is "gear up." What does that mean? Listen and find out.

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Google Self-Driving Car Crashes Into Bus

Google’s self-driving car hit a small bump in the road. The driverless car had an accident February 14 in California. The accident was reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles in California February 23.  According to WIRED, a technology publication, the car changed traffic lanes and moved into the path of a bus. The driverless car was a Lexus SUV. When it hit the bus, the Google car was moving at around 3 kilometers per hour.  The speed of the bus was 24 kilometers per hour at the time of the collision. No injuries were reported. The left front wheel and fender of the Google car were damaged. In a May 2015 monthly report Google said: “We’ll inevitably be involved in accidents; sometimes it’s impossible to overcome the realities of speed and distance… In the six years of our project, we’ve been involved in 12 minor accidents during more than 1.8 million miles of autonomous and manual driving combined.”   Google has predicted the cars will be ready for the road by 2020. I’m Mario Ritter.   This report was based on a story from VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted the story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   traffic lane – n. a lane of a main road that is defined by painted lines collision – n. a crash in which two or more things or people hit each other fender – n. a part of a vehicle that covers a wheel autonomous – adj. existing or acting separately from other things or people

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Al-Shabab Attacks Continue in Somalia

The Al-Shabab terror group continued its latest offensive in Somalia on Tuesday. Witnesses and officials say 16 people died and at least 10 others were wounded in attacks. Four government soldiers died when a land mine exploded outside Mogadishu. They were part of a convoy of three vehicles going from Mogadishu to Afgoye. The explosion hurt two other soldiers. At least five others were killed in fights between Al-Shabab militants and local security forces in Somalia’s central Galmudug region. The Galmudug forces attacked an Al-Shabab base in El-Abdi village, 60 kilometers north of Harardhere. The regional security minister said his troops attacked the Al-Shabab fighters because they were threatening villagers and asking for money. Al-Shabab blocked the villagers’ access to water wells. A spokesman for the southeastern part of Somalia said seven Al-Shabab militants were killed during a battle 40 kilometers west of Kismayo. The security forces in Kismayo said they launched the attack after learning there were Al-Shabab forces in the area. The battles are only the most recent in a string of clashes between Somali security forces and Al-Shabab. Over the weekend and into Monday, Al-Shabab killed at least 30 people by car bombs and suicide attacks. The attacks came in the city of Baidoa as people watched an English soccer game on television. Al-Shabab took responsibility for two explosions in Mogadishu last week. The blasts combined to kill 25 people and wound 60 others. I’m Dan Friedell.   VOA's Somali language service reported on this story. Dan Friedell adapted the report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you think the Somali security forces will be able to prevent more attacks from Al-Shabab? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   convoy – n. a group of vehicles or ships that are traveling together usually for protection

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IOC Approves Refugee Olympic Team

This is What’s Trending Today… For the first time, a team of refugees will compete at the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee approved a plan this week for a team of up to 10 Refugee Olympic Athletes (ROA). The news of the Refugee Olympic Athletes became a trending topic on social media Thursday. Facebook users called the plan a “wonderful gesture” and “the greatest news I’ve heard in awhile.” More than 40 high-performance athletes, who happen to be refugees, have been identified as possible Olympic athletes. CNN reported Thursday that one of them is a 17-year-old swimmer named Yusra Mardini. She fled Syria on a boat headed for Greece from Turkey. The boat started filling with water. Mardini and her sister got in the water and helped pull the boat and its 20 people on board to safety. Mardini now lives in Germany. She has received funding from the International Olympic Committee for her training.   The Refugee Olympic team will participate in the Olympic opening ceremony in Rio on August 5. The team will march out just before athletes from Brazil. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said at an IOC meeting that, "By welcoming this team of refugee athletes to Rio, we want to send a message of hope for all refugees of the world.” The United Nations says that more than 60 million people around the world are refugees. And that’s What’s Trending Today.   I’m Ashley Thompson. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   athlete - n. a person who is trained in or good at sports, games, or exercises that require physical skill and strength wonderful - adj. extremely good gesture - n. something said or done to show a particular feeling or attitude  

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Republicans Attack Trump as 'Unfit' Candidate

A prominent Republican has criticized presidential candidate and billionaire Donald Trump as unworthy of the office of president of the United States. Former U.S. presidential nominee Mitt Romney gave a highly critical speech Thursday about front-runner Trump. In his speech, he urged Republicans to vote for other Republican candidates, and not Trump. “Here’s what I know. Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud,” Romney said. A Trump presidency “would be bad for American workers ... and families,” he said. Trump’s success has worried Republican Party leaders. The party is worried about many of Trump’s positions. That includes trade and immigration. Trump has called for building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, deporting 11 million illegal immigrants, and barring Muslims from entering the country. “If Donald Trump’s plans were ever implemented, the country would sink into depression,” Romney said Thursday. He also said that the only “serious policy proposals that deal with the broad range of national challenges” in America come from other remaining candidates: Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich. Joshua Stockley, a political scientist at the University of Louisiana Monroe, said he can’t think of another time when a presidential candidate was slammed by top leaders in the same party. “The reason we can’t think of a case like this is because in the modern age of the nomination process we never had a candidate like Donald Trump. Never have we had a case of someone so disliked by the establishment, doing so well in an establishment-created entity,” Stockley said of the Republican nominating process. Stockley isn’t sure Romney’s speech will hurt Trump. “The potential falls short because he doesn’t tell voters where the anti-Trump votes should go,” Stockley said. Not a ‘business genius’ Romney listed Trump’s failed enterprises – a university, steaks, vodka, casino and more – and said that “a business genius, he is not.” Trump's "promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University," Romney said. Trump University is under investigation for fraud in New York. Romney also mentioned that the billionaire refuses to release his tax returns. He also discussed Trump’s reluctance to refuse political support from a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan white supremacist group. On Wednesday, a group of American foreign policy experts signed a letter opposing Trump. The final paragraph of the 454-word letter said Trump would make America less safe and hurt the U.S.’s standing in the world. They said they could not support a party ticket with Trump as the candidate for president. The people who signed include former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and former top Pentagon official Dov Zakheim. Romney’s attacks on Trump differ greatly from remarks he made in 2012. Trump supported Romney’s presidential candidacy then. Romney praised Trump’s business expertise. "Donald Trump has shown an extraordinary ability to understand how our economy works, to create jobs for the American people,” Romney said then. But on Thursday, Romney joined an increasing number of Republican Party leaders and financial supporters who strongly oppose Trump's candidacy. The opposition to Trump is gaining momentum. Groups are planning to spend millions of dollars on advertising against Trump. Conservative Solutions is a political action committee supporting Florida Senator Marco Rubio for president. Conservative Solutions opposes Trump and has bought $6 million of advertising in states with upcoming primaries. I’m Bruce Alpert.   Cindy Saine reported this story for VOANews.com. Ashley Thompson adapted her report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   prominent – adj. important and well-known phony – adj. not true, real, or genuine fraud – n. a person who pretends to be what he or she is not in order to trick people implement – v. to make (something) active or effective challenge – n. a difficult task or problem : something that is hard to do slam – v. to criticize harshly establishment – n. the people in business, government, etc., who have power over the other people in a society entity – n. a process set up by a group of people potential – n. the ability to get something done genius – n.  a very smart, or talented person reluctance – adj. feeling or showing doubt about doing something extraordinary – adj. very unusual  

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North Korea Flies Missiles After UN Sanctions

North Korea launched several short-range missiles from its eastern coast Thursday. The action took place one day after the United Nations Security Council approved new sanctions against North Korea. U.N. members are seeking to punish North Korea for its nuclear and long-range missile tests earlier this year. The South Korean Defense Ministry said it is investigating the incident. It is not clear how many missiles were fired. U.S. officials say they are watching the situation closely. The U.N. resolution had more than 50 co-sponsors. One measure put in place is the required inspection of all cargo going in and out of a community nation. There is also a total arms embargo including both conventional and other weapons. The resolution calls for restrictions on the sale of coal from North Korea, as well as other minerals, including gold, iron, iron ore and titanium. An earlier ban on the sale or supply of aviation fuel to North Korea was revised. Aviation fuel can be used as rocket fuel. Russia urged that the measure be changed to permit fuel for passenger aircraft. Banking sanctions also have been increased in addition to bans on the sale of luxury goods to North Korea. Travel bans and asset freezes also have been placed on 16 new individuals. The vote on Wednesday came as the Security Council released a report on how North Korea has avoided international sanctions over ten years. The report says the four rounds of increasingly strong U.N. measures imposed on North Korea since 2006 have not worked. It says sanctions have not persuaded the government of Kim Jong Un to stop its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The U.N. report documents a number of cases where North Korea has avoided sanctions. The report shows how the North continues to use the international financial system, airlines and container shipping routes to trade banned items. Report discusses problems with current sanctions A 2006 U.N. resolution requires member states to report all inspections of North Korean cargo if it is suspected of carrying arms, whether a violation is found or not. However, in the past 10 years only one member has filed a report. Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East, the report notes, continue to sell banned North Korean military equipment. These include parts for unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, and radar systems. The U.N. contacted the government of Myanmar about the possible involvement of a Myanmar-based group in attempts to ship aluminum alloy parts to North Korea. The aluminum rods can be used to make nuclear centrifuges. These were seized in Japan while being transported in 2012. A number of companies identified The Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID) was identified in April 2009 as a main exporter of North Korean banned goods. These include equipment relating to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons. But KOMID has been able to get around sanctions by using a different name and working though the Hong Kong shipping company Leader International. The report says China-based Dalian Union International Trading took part in trade banned under U.N. sanctions. It says the company used a bank held by the Sunny International Development Company, registered in Hong Kong. In 2015, Britain informed the panel about an attempt by North Korea to buy optical equipment for drones through companies based in China and registered in Hong Kong. In 2014, the U.N. panel examined a North Korean drone that crashed on a South Korean border island. It said the drone was likely made by one of two Chinese companies.  Manufacturers in the Czech Republic and Canada also made parts used in the Chinese-made unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. An examination of the wreckage of a North Korean Unha-3 rocket launched in 2012 showed the involvement of a Taipei-based company, the Royal Team Corporation (RTC). The report explained complicated payments used to get around sanctions. The U.N. panel found that North Korea tried to hide its banned dealings with RTC by sending payments through a third company that it paid to host a trade show. The report reveals North Korean military ties with Uganda, Eritrea and Vietnam. However, the past evasions show the difficulty in placing sanctions on North Korea in many countries, including China, where enforcement has not been strong. I’m Mario Ritter. Brian Padden and Margaret Besheer reported this story from Seoul and Geneva. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   sponsors – n. a person or group who takes responsibility for something and supports it conventional – adj. not nuclear aviation – adj. having to do with aircraft luxury – adj. expensive, having to do with comfort, ease or wealth ballistic missile – n. a missile able to travel long distances across the earth alloy – n. a mixture of metals centrifuge – n. a machine used to separate substances optical – adj. having to do with optics and vision, having to do with devices that use lenses or mirrors to produce images evasion – n. to evade or avoid something

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Wish You Knew Better Grammar?

For VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. In English, wish is a powerful word for expressing your dreams, hopes and desires. Here are some examples:        We wish you the best.        Her mother wishes they would get married.        I wish I had brought my camera.        I wish to speak to the president. You will often hear wish in music, movie dialog, poetry and inspirational speeches. Let’s take a look at some of the tricky grammar issues with wish. A wish is a desire for a different reality. In general, wishes express desires that are unlikely to happen. If you say, “I wish I could fly,” it means you probably will not grow wings and learn to fly. A Unique Verb Wish follows a unique -- and rather confusing -- set of grammar rules. Wish uses the same verb back shifting rule as reported speech. A wish about the present uses a simple past main verb.           He wishes he understood the lesson. In this example, understood is a simple past verb. Wish is often followed by that. That introduces a noun clause. It is optional. For example: I wish that I looked like a movie star. I wish I looked like a movie star. Both of these sentences have the same meaning. In hypothetical situations, such as wishes and conditionals, use were for all pronouns.        I wish you were here.        I wish she were here.        I wish I were there. In everyday conversation, you might hear was after wish. For example, “I wish I was the president.” Was is acceptable in informal situations, but you should use were in formal situations. This confusing rule comes to English through Latin. Future wishes Wish followed by would usually implies a request. For example: I wish you would finish college before you get married. Wish can be used after be going to or will to predict a future regret. Maybe you have heard your parents say something like this: Someday, you are going to wish you had taken my advice. When you are older, you will wish that you had studied engineering. Past wishes Let’s take a closer look at past wishes. Generally, a past wish is a wish that did not come true. To refer to a past wish, use a past perfect verb after the object. To form the past perfect, use had followed by a past participle verb.           She wishes she had written down the phone number.           I wish I had known that you were in town last week. Listen to country singer Gene Autry make a past wish in an old song called “I Wish I Had Never Met Sunshine.” In this song, Sunshine is the name of a lost lover. I wish I had never met Sunshine, and Sunshine had never met me For 21 years I'll regret it 'Cause I'm in the jailhouse, you see Most of the time, a wish about the past suggests regret. The speaker would have acted differently if he or she could turn back time. A past wish has a similar grammatical function to a past unreal conditional. Listen to this song by Taylor Swift. You will hear three different uses of wish. She starts with a future wish, then shifts to the past, then to the present. I wish you would come back (future) (I) wish I (had) never hung up the phone like I did (past) I wish you knew that I'll never forget you as long as I live. (present) I wish you were right here, right now it’s all good (present) Wish + infinitive Wish followed by an infinitive makes a strong demand. For example:             I wish to speak to the manager.              I wish to learn the truth about what happened. Wish can be followed by an infinitive, but never by a gerund. For example, it would sound strange to say, “I wish going skiing.” The correct form is, “I wish to go skiing.” Hope vs. Wish What’s the difference between hope and wish? In some contexts they can be interchangeable. Hope usually expresses desire that is possible. Wish, on the other hand, refers to an outcome that is not likely to happen. Pay attention to the different contexts of hope and wish in these examples.            I hope you pass the test. (possible)            I wish I could fly. (impossible)           I hope I get to work on time. (possible)           I wish I were a millionaire. (not likely) If wish is “reaching for the stars,” then hope is “reaching for the sky.” And that’s Everyday Grammar. We hope you will write to us in the Comments and on our Facebook page. I’m John Russell. And I’m Ashley Thompson.             [Pink Floyd] How I wish, how I wish you were here We’re just two lost souls… Adam Brock wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Dr. Jill Robbins and Kathleen Struck were the editors.     example structure past I wish I had known you were here. I wish you would had called. Past perfect (had + past participle) present I wish I were a bird. Simple past (were for all pronouns) future I wish she would call me.   You are going to wish that you had studied harder. Would + simple present (no third person -s) Will/be going to + past perfect   infinitive I wish to know the truth to + simple present (no third person -s) Past wish (no longer active) When I was a child, I wished I could be a fireman. Wished + simple past/past part (not common) Words in This Story   verb back shifting rule – grammatical term. The concept of going back one verb tense. present simple → past simple present progressive → past progressive past simple → past perfect present perfect inspirational – adj. causing people to want to do or create something hypothetical – adj. not real : imagined as an example imply – v. to express (something) in an indirect way : to suggest (something) without saying or showing it plainly regret – n. to feel sad or sorry about (something that you did or did not do) : to have regrets about (something) jailhouse – n. a place where people are kept when they have been arrested and are being punished for a crime context – n. the words that are used with a certain word or phrase and that help to explain its meaning interchangeably – adv.  capable of being used in place of each other  

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China Blocks South China Sea

China has stationed up to five ships around a disputed island in the South China Sea, blocking Philippine fishermen. The report comes from The Philippine Star newspaper in its Wednesday edition. China recently sent ships to the Quirino Atoll, also known as Jackson Atoll, the paper reported. Eugenio Bito-onon Jr. is a mayor on the Spratly Islands. He told the Star that Chinese ships docked at the atoll more than a month ago. Chinese boats chased Philippine fishermen from the atoll’s shores, the paper said. The paper quoted an unnamed fisherman, saying, “These gray and white Chinese ships, around four of them inside the lagoon, prevented us from entering our traditional fishing ground.” The Philippine military said it has tracked Chinese ships, too. China claims most of the South China Sea. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim parts of the sea. About $5 trillion in trade is shipped through the sea every year. The Philippines is awaiting a ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague on the South China Sea territorial dispute. I’m Mario Ritter.   The Reuters news service reported on this story. Jim Dresbach adapted the report 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   stationed – v. to assign someone to a position atoll – n. an island that is made of coral and shaped like a ring arbitration – n. a process of settling an argument or disagreement in which the people or groups on both sides present their opinions and ideas to a third person or group 

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Assad: Syrian Ceasefire a 'Glimmer of Hope'

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Tuesday the suspension of fighting in his country after five years of war is, in his words, a “glimmer of hope.” The Syrian leader spoke on German television. He said his government will work to make the ceasefire permanent. Pro-government fighters and opposition forces in Syria have agreed to stop fighting. But the ceasefire does not include Islamic State militants or supporters of Jabhat al-Nusra, a group linked to al-Qaida. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the next few days are very important to strengthening the truce and ending the conflict. He spoke to reporters Monday in Washington. Kerry said he and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agree there have been some violations of the truce since it began on Saturday. But he said they do not want to talk about them publicly. He said a group led by the United States and Russia will investigate every reported violation and urge all sides to honor the truce agreement. Kerry said it is a difficult process, “but the fact is that we need to stop the cycle of fighting and of bloodshed that is destroying Syria. It is that simple.” On Monday, Syrian rebels reported that government forces attacked opposition-controlled villages and towns 26 times. Riad Hijab is the top negotiator for the rebels. In a letter to the United Nations, he said the Syrian government “has continued to target populated areas using helicopter raids using explosive barrels, resulting in a large number of fatalities and causing significant injuries, most of whom were innocent women and children.” On Sunday, Hijab said Russian fighter jets launched 26 air strikes on territory held by opposition groups, which have agreed to stop fighting. Rebels say a map released at the beginning of the truce by the Russian Ministry of Defense is filled with mistakes. The map is said to show the positions of moderate opposition groups in Syria. The rebels have asked the UN to make a new map. On Sunday, Russian ceasefire monitors said they have recorded nine violations of the truce. They blamed rebels for most of them. Separately on Monday, the U.N. and aid groups began transporting supplies to areas that need them. They hope to reach more than 150,000 Syrians in areas that have been affected by the fighting. Yacoub El Hillo is the UN humanitarian chief for Syria. He said “the (ceasefire) is the best opportunity that the Syrian people have had over the last five years for lasting peace and stability.” Staffan de Mistura is the special UN diplomat for Syria. He has said that if the truce remains in effect and aid groups continue to be able to bring supplies to areas that need them he will restart Syrian peace talks on March 9. That is two days later than the date he set earlier. A UN spokesman said the delay was needed to let officials deal with “logistical and practical matters.” I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOANews.com reported on this story, with additional information from Jamie Dettmer in Gaziantep, Turkey and Correspondent Margaret Besheer at the United Nations. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted their reports for Learning English. George Grow 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   glimmer – n. a small amount or sign of something bloodshed - n. violence fatalities - n. deaths resulting from an accident or violence opportunity - n. chance; likelihood stability - n. the quality of something that is not easily changed  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1Y6FpXu
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