Rare Flower Blooms at US Botanic Garden

  A rare plant at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. is now in flower.  The blue-green colored climbing plant is called the Jade vine. In the 20 years that it has been on display, the Jade Vine, also known as the Emerald Creeper, has only bloomed once before. Devin Dotson is the Garden's public affairs and exhibit specialist. He says, “its blooms are going to just grow and grow and grow." "The vines will go all the way down to the ground, so visitors even down below — in another few weeks — are going to be able to see this magnificent color." The rare bloom is housed in the hot and humid "Jungle Room" of the Botanic Garden. The flowers grow high up in the canopy near the top of the room and then bloom lower and lower on the plant. This beautiful plant originally comes from the tropical forests of the Philippines.  It is closely related to legumes, such as kidney beans and runner beans. The blue-green shade of the flower cluster may look false, but it is very real. The flower is pollinated by bats and produces a sweet-tasting nectar.  The flower is officially known as Strongylodon Macrobotrys.  It is only blooming for a short time at the U.S. Botanic Garden.    I’m Marsha James. Julie Taboh reported on this story. Marsha James adapted this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. ________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   rare – adj. not often done display – n. an event at which something is shown to impress or entertain people bloom – n. a flower; a time period a plant has many open flowers canopy – n. something that hangs or spreads out over an area vine – n. a plant that has very long stems and grows along the round or up and around something magnificent – adj. very beautiful or impressive cluster – n. a group of things that are close together pollinate – v. to give (a plant) pollen from another plant of the same kind so that seed will be produced nectar – n. a sweet liquid produced by plants We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Scientists Closer to Solving Plain of Jars Mystery

A new group of human remains has been uncovered on the Plain of Jars in Laos. They are believed to date back to the Iron Age, some 2,500 years ago. The Plain of Jars is in the central Lao province of Xieng Khouang. The area covers hundreds of kilometers in which can be found thousands of ancient stone jars. They are grouped together at about 100 sites. The Plain of Jars has been a puzzle to archaeologists—scientists who study prehistoric people and their culture. A joint research team from Australia and Laos found the remains. Dougald O’Reilly teaches archaeology at Australian National University. He led the field work in Laos. “This is one of the great enigmas of the Jars’ sites,” he said. “These massive stone jars – some of them weighing up to 10 metric tons, that have been dragged eight to 10 kilometers from a quarry site and set up in groups.” Little is known about the people who made the jars. What did the jars hold? How and why did people place them where they did? O’Reilly said a central question that needs to be answered is who created the stone jars. There are no known sites offering answers to the ethnicity and identity of the people who made them. The latest field work uncovered an ancient burial ground in an area known as Site 1, in Xieng Khouang Province. It has more than 300 stone jars, stone discs and markers. The scientists uncovered different burial methods. They include burial of whole bodies, the burying of bones grouped together, and bones placed inside ceramic vessels and then buried. Louise Shewan of Monash University in Australia led one of the teams involved in the field work. Archaeologist Thonglith Luangkhoth, of the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, also led a research team. Thonglith told Lao media the newly uncovered remains were found about eight kilometers from the center of Phonsavanh district. “This discovery marks a significant milestone since archaeological excavations began in the area in the 1930s in collaboration with a French archaeologist,” he said. Dougald O’Reilly said the researchers hope to get really good information from the find. “With our research, because we’ve been able to uncover a fair amount of human bone – we’ve got seven burials and four probable burials with ceramic jars – so a total of 11 mortuary contexts.” He said they are excited to have the opportunity to work at one of South East Asia’s more important—and probably least understood archaeological sites. Scientists will do isotopic and chemical tests on the remains. They may provide information on the ethnicity of the people connected to the sites. O’Reilly said it is possible that the Lao sites may be linked to similar jar sites in India. The Australian Research Council is paying for the project. It will continue over five years with field work in Laos and some in northeastern India as well. The effort may soon provide answers to one of Southeast Asia’s greatest cultural mysteries. I’m Anne Ball.   Ron Corben reported this story for VOA from Bangkok. Anne Ball adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on Facebook. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story jar -n. a vessel to hold something inside mortuary –adj. of or relating to burial or death quarry – n. place where large amounts of stone are dug out of the ground ethnicity –n. a particular race or group of people who have a culture different from the main culture of a country disc –n. a flat, thin, round object burial –n. the act or ceremony of burying a dead person in a grave. significant –adj. very important isotope –n. any one of different forms in which the atoms of a chemical element can occur

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Suspected Bomber May Be Kidnapped Chibok Schoolgirl

A girl who may have been planning a suicide bombing in Cameroon said she is one of the Chibok girls kidnapped in 2014. Cameroon officials received intelligence reports of three suicide bombers, all young women, crossing the Nigerian border into northern Cameroon. They arrested one of the girls before she could blow herself up. A second girl surrendered and the third ran back to Nigeria. The girl who surrendered said she was one of the Chibok girls. The 15-year-old girl looked tired and in need of food. She could not tell them more about her time in captivity or how she and the other girls were treated. In 2014, the terror group Boko Haram kidnapped 270 girls from a Nigerian school in Chibok. Experts believe they were taken to the Sambisa forest, an area the group controls. People around the world protested the kidnapping. An international campaign called “Bring Back Our Girls” was launched. About 50 of the girls later escaped. Nigerian officials still do not know where the remaining Chibok girls are. Midjiyawa Bakari is the governor of the northern part of Cameroon. He asked investigators to find out if what the girls said is true. Bakari said the terrorist group has changed the way it operates. The group has been using teenaged girls to carry out suicide bombings in Cameroon and in Nigeria. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   Correspondent Ayaz Gul reported this story from Islamabad. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it into VOA Learning English. Hai Do 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   captivity – n. the state of being kept in a place (such as a prison or a cage) and not being able to leave or be free; the state or condition of being captive

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Everyday Grammar: For & Since

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At Least 50 Dead in Pakistan Suicide Bombing

Pakistani officials said a suicide bomber attacked a crowded public park in Lahore Sunday night, killing more than 50 people and wounding another 300. A government official of Punjab province said most of the victims were women and children. He said some of those brought to the hospital were seriously wounded. The Reuters news agency reported the bomb exploded in a parking area close to the children’s playground. Witnesses said Christian families celebrating the Easter holiday were in the park when the attack took place. But it is not clear if the bomber targeted the Christians, who are a minority in Pakistan. Protest in Islamabad Separately, in Islamabad, thousands of Pakistanis gathered to protest the execution last month of a man who had been charged with killing a provincial governor. Most of the protestors are activist members of Islamic parties. In 2011, Mumtaz Qadri shot and killed Punjab’s governor Salman Taseer. The governor had called for the country’s Islamic law against blasphemy to be changed. Police fired tear gas to try to end the gathering. But the protest continued. The protesters were reported to be trying to reach the parliament building. Witnesses said police had little tear gas left to use on the protestors. Some of the demonstrators set fires near a public bus service center that links Islamabad with neighboring Rawalpindi. An Army spokesman said the government had told the military to help control the protestors and protect the area of Islamabad where parliament, the supreme court and other important government buildings and embassies are located. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Correspondent Ayaz Gul reported this story from Islamabad. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do 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   blasphemy – n. great disrespect shown to God or to something holy tear gas – n. a gas that makes people unable to see by causing their eyes to be filled with tears and that is used especially by the police or military to separate large groups of people

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Iranians Buying Up Land in War-Torn Syria

  Iran’s government wants its builders to buy up property in Shi-ite majority neighborhoods of Syria’s capital, Damascus. It is also asking construction workers to go to Syria. This information comes from construction industry officials in Tehran and Iranian experts. Iranian analyst Fariborz Saremi said owning real estate gives Iran more control over Syria and other parts of the Middle East. Rich and conservative Iranian business people with ties to the government are buying expensive homes in Damascus, according to news reports. This is influencing price increases in Syria’s real estate markets. “Five million houses have been destroyed in the civil war,” said Syrian economist Khorshid Alika told Voice of America. “The increased Iranian demand to buy land and properties has naturally led to more inflation in the market.” Iran’s interest in Syrian real estate is not new. But it increased after the rebel uprising began in 2011. Government-run media have been reporting recently about how Iran joined Russia to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Assad’s government has been fighting against rebels and the Islamic State terror group. Iran is not only asking people to buy homes and property in Syria. The country is also asking construction workers and contractors to take jobs there. One contractor said a fellow contractor with close ties to the Iranian government told him he had a chance to make money in Damascus. “When we asked about the security, he said that the zone is even more secure than Tehran,” Iranian contractor Amir Maghsoudloo told VOA. Iran is home to about 3 million people from Afghanistan. Many fled the war-torn country. Most earn low wages in Iran. They are being offered better paying construction jobs in Syria. Some Damascus construction projects are run by Afghan nationals from Iran, said Tahi Esmali. He is an Afghan national who works as a bricklayer. He had worked in Iran before moving to Syria in 2015. Iranian interests are not limited to Damascus. Iranian business people and companies are looking to invest in projects in the central Syrian city of Homs. The Syrian military and its Lebanese Hezbollah allies recaptured Homs in late 2015. The Iranian government has supported Syrian President Assad. Recent reports in state-run media say that Iran increased the size of its Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria. I’m Mario Ritter.   Sirwan Kajjo reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter 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   construction – adj. the act or process of building something analyst – n. a person who studies or analyzes something real estate – n. property consisting of buildings and land contractor – n. a person who is hired to perform work or to provide goods at a certain price or within a certain time nationals – n. of or relating to people from a country

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Lesson 8: Are You Busy?

Summary Anna wants to apologize to her co-workers. She learns what they do at the same time every day.   Speaking Practice In this video, learn to say the new words. Learn to talk about three times of the day. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice with a friend. Pronunciation Practice ​In this video, you ​learn how Americans make hesitation noises, like um, to give themselves more time to think of an answer. You can also learn how to use emphasis when you apologize and accept an apology. Conversation Anna: Hello, everyone. Here I am at my new job! Yesterday at my first day of work … Well, let’s not talk about yesterday. Today is a new day! Today I want to apologize to my co-workers. Anna: Hi, Anne. Are you busy? Anne: Hi, Anna. Yes. At 10 a.m. I am writing. Every day I do my morning show. Sorry! Anna: Okay. See you later, maybe. Anne: Maybe I’ll see you later. Anna: Hi, Jonathan. Are you busy? Jonathan: Yes, I’m busy. When the studio light is on, I am recording my evening show. Anna: Right. Sorry about yesterday. Jonathan: No worries. Anna: May I see the studio? Jonathan: Um, maybe another time? Right now I am busy. Anna: Sure. Okay, ’bye. Jonathan: ‘Bye. Anna: Hi, Amelia! Are you busy? Amelia: I’m a little busy. Anna: I want to say I’m sorry for yesterday. Amelia: It’s okay, Anna. Anna: Well, I am sorry. Amelia: It’s okay, Anna. Come by this afternoon. Anna: Okay. Caty: Anna. Anna: Yes, Ms. Weaver. Caty: Are you busy? Anna: Yes, Ms. Weaver. I am busy.  Caty: My office. 5:00 p.m. Anna: 5:00 p.m. Caty: Come in. Co-Workers: Surprise! Anna: A party! Awesome! And I still have my job! Phew!* Until next time! * Phew! is a sound used to show that you are relieved, tired, or hot _____________________________________________________________ Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Use What You Know. We have knowledge about the world we use when learning a new language or a new skill. Here is an example. In this lesson's video, Anna learns that her co-workers do things at the same time each day. She understands this idea because she also has to do work at the same time every day. She uses what she knows and remembers not to bother her co-workers at the times they are busy.  How do you use what you know in studying English? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.   Writing What do you do every morning? You can see some examples in the Activity Sheet. Click on the image to download it. Write to us in the Comments section. Listening Quiz Check your listening skills with a short quiz. Click here to go directly to the Listening Quiz, or see the link to one side of this lesson. New Words afternoon - n. the middle part of the day : the part of the day between noon and evening apologize - v. to express regret for doing or saying something wrong : to give or make an apology evening - n. the last part of the day and early part of the night job - n. the work that a person does regularly in order to earn money later - adj. happening near the end of a process, activity, series, life, etc. light - n. a source of light (such as an electric lamp) maybe - adv. possibly but not certainly morning - n. the early part of the day : the time of day from sunrise until noon now - adv. at the present time studio - n. the building or room where an artist works surprise - n. an unexpected event, piece of information, etc. yesterday - n. the day before today ______________________________________________________________ For Teachers See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: BE - Short answers; simple present tense to describe routine activities Topics: Times of day: morning, evening, afternoon​ Pronunciation Focus: Hesitation Noise "um;" apologizing with stress or intonation Additional materials: Printable Activity Sheet & Lesson Plan ______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. What do you think of this lesson? Please write to us in the Comments section or send us an email.

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Banned for Returning too Many Amazon Products

  Tuan Do of New York says Amazon has banned him from shopping on that website. The reason? He returned too many Amazon purchases, he said on his website, TechWalls.com. Do said he returned six items in the past two months. He said he was not satisfied with the quality of the products. Amazon first sent him a warning about his “unusually high rate of problems,” Do said. Later, when his wife returned a bicycle purchased on her Amazon account, the company cancelled both their accounts, Do said. Mark Cohen is former chairman and chief executive officer of Sears Canada Inc. He is not surprised Amazon and other businesses are trying to stop frequent returns. The costs are very high for a company like Amazon that offers many customers both free delivery and free returns, Cohen told VOA. The website Dyanamic.action.com reported that returns cost merchants $642.6 billion a year worldwide. But banning a customer can create bad feelings. Greg Nelson recently spoke to the Guardian newspaper after Amazon UK banned him from its shopping website. Nelson said he sent back 37 of the 343 items he bought on the website. He said he had a good reason for each return. “I could understand if there were evidence that I had somehow tried to abuse the system, but I haven’t,” Nelson told the Guardian. Amazon said it only closes accounts “in a tiny fraction of cases” when it finds “extreme account abuse.” Cohen, the former head of Sears Canada and now a Columbia University professor, said many returns are valid. It is fine to return clothing that does not fit, is the wrong color, or arrived damaged, he said. But there are many cases of “clear abuse.” Cohen cites the example of people who buy a dress or suit, wear it once to a wedding or other special event, and then return it. Cohen said Sears Canada had a customer who bought items from the Sears Catalog all the time – and returned every single purchase. Cohen said it seemed the customer wanted something to do and enjoyed placing orders, getting them delivered and sending them back. Cohen said he had to convince his staff to ban the customer. Some staffers said a ban did not fulfill the company’s promise to “completely satisfy” customers. He helped write a letter to the customer. It explained she could no longer shop “since we clearly have been unable to satisfy your needs as much as we have tried.” Cohen had won the argument. On his TechWalls website, Do said he bought “almost everything” from Amazon. That included cheap items like groceries and toilet paper, and more expensive items like laptop computers. He said the returned items costs more than the products he kept. But he said he only returns products “when they don’t meet my expectation.” Do had some support from his online readers. “Bob” wrote that he, too, was banned for too many returns. “It was a crazy high percentage in one bad month. But, yes, they were all defective. I wasn’t abusing/trying and returning,” Bob wrote. Cohen said online businesses like Amazon are getting hit with more returns than traditional stores. One reason, he said, is that shopping online does not allow customers to try on clothing or take a close look before buying. Many products, he said, are returned after they have been taken out of their packages, often in bad shape. In the case of clothing, he said, returns often come in after the selling season ended for winter or summer. That makes them hard to sell, or forces big price cuts, Cohen said. I'm Bruce Alpert. Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page. Let us know if you have returned products and what that experience was like. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   shopping – v. the activity of buying things either at a store or online. bicycle – n. a 2-wheeled vehicle that a person rides by pushing on foot pedals account – n. a record that allows people to buy goods from a business frequent – adj. happening a lot customer – n. someone who buys goods from a business fraction – n. a small percentage of the time extreme – adj. very serious or severe catalog – n. a book containing a list of things that you can buy, defective – adj. having a problem or fault that prevents something from working correctly  

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College Students Describe Election in One Word: Crazy

  George Washington University is at the top of the list of U.S. schools with the “Most Politically Active Students” in 2016. But students at the school say they are not so sure about that. VOA asked several students about how politically active they are on a scale from one to 10. None of the students put themselves higher than a six on that scale. VOA also asked the students to describe the presidential election in one word. Several said, "crazy." The Princeton Review created the list of schools they say have high numbers of politically active students. The Princeton Review is an organization and publication that ranks U.S. colleges and universities each year in a book called "The Best 380 Colleges." The Princeton Review surveys more than 136,000 students at 380 schools. But the organization told VOA that the list of politically active schools is based on only one question. Student-run political groups have an active presence on campus: [Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neither Agree or Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree] Regan McAllister, 19, is a first-year student of international affairs and Asian studies at George Washington University, or GW. Originally from Niceville, Florida, McAllister says the reason politics are important at GW is the location: Washington, DC. "Just being right by the White House and the Capitol and everything. Our professors and the students are constantly hearing about the news.  And it kind of hard not to, because it’s right where we live. ... People with interests in politics come to GW to be among it all." McAllister first started following politics when she studied in Turkey in 2015 before coming to GW. "There was a big election that happened in June. Leading up to that election was when I really got into it and it was mostly Turkish politics at the time. I learned a lot about it and so that just kind of carried over when I came to college." The political activity of young people can be hard to predict. For example, college-educated young people vote differently from young people who never attend college. Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg is the director for the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, or CIRCLE. CIRCLE is an organization based at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. CIRCLE studies the political activity of people in the U.S. younger than 30. Kawashima-Ginsberg says college-educated young people are twice as likely to vote in primary elections as those with no college experience. She says the 2008 campaign that elected President Barack Obama broke a 30-year record in numbers of young people involved. The 2012 campaign also had high numbers of young voters. But, she added, young people have trouble feeling connected to politics.  "We were hearing both from young people who are in college and out of college about how they perceive voting. For them, it was starting to become this old, outdated thing that has no relevance or impact. And that showed, truly, in voting statistics, where we recorded the lowest youth turnout ever in 2014." Young people are not alone in their low turnout numbers. FairVote is an organization that studies U.S. democracy and elections. FairVote reported only about 36 percent of the entire voting population voted in the 2014 midterm election. But, Kawashima-Ginsberg states, things are changing for young people once again. Some presidential candidates are gaining back the youth vote. Senator Bernie Sanders has received more than 1.5 million youth votes in the primary race, she says. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and businessman Donald Trump have both received more than 600,000 youth votes. Nancy Thomas is the director of the Institute for Democracy and Education, also at Tufts University. The institute started working on a project called The National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement, or NSLVE, in 2013. NSLVE researchers examine enrollment and voting records from 2012 and 2014. They use the information from these records to study the voting habits of U.S. college students. Thomas says there is no other project like NSLVE. There are more college students now over the age of 30. Studies of young people find different results than studies only of college students. She also says student movements like the Black Lives Matter protests show college campuses are important places for political activity. "People in college… back in the ‘80s and ‘90s were pretty disengaged. And they were disengaged from public or civic life in general. "But I think the combination of enthusiasm for these primaries and the last couple of years of student protests means that some kind of sleeping giant is being awakened." Thomas adds that schools where politics are frequently discussed in class have the most politically active students. If professors use political examples in any subject, including math or history, students will see how important politics are. Hanna Corn, 20, is a second-year student studying international affairs and political science at GW. Originally from Wilmington, New Jersey, Corn is also the membership director of the GW College Democrats. The GW College Democrats are a student group that supports the Democratic political party. Corn says there are many political student groups and events at GW. Also, political discussion is everywhere. "Students would be talking about it in line to get their food at cafeterias. You’d be in the library and you’d look over at people laughing and they’d be watching a political talk show. Even at a social gathering, people are discussing politics. ... Even when you don’t want to hear about it, it will be right outside your door… So you might as well reach out and also engage in it." Corn joined the GW College Democrats in her first year because she wanted to learn more about the Democratic Party. But she says she has also learned a lot about people with different opinions from her own. She frequently talks and debates with members of the GW College Republicans. "We share an office actually , so we are constantly exchanging ideas. … It’s good to learn both sides. ... But I think it’s very difficult to be a strident conservative or Republican at our campus because the Republicans even I know are not so far to the right. "People that are more conservative don’t speak out. … But I think that there are more of them in our campus than you realize." VOA reached out to the GW College Republicans but received no response. Both Thomas and Kawashima-Ginsberg agree there is an increasing number of young Republicans voting in this primary. But Thomas says young Republicans care about different issues than older party members. Older members care more about terrorism, while young members care more about government spending. Both younger and older Democrats seem to care about the same issues, she says. But fewer young people are joining any political party at all. Kawashima-Ginsberg points out that technology plays a major role in how young people choose to be involved. "Social media’s played a bigger role in this age. In a way, young people are able to organize themselves online with their like-minded peers and start some action or cause… without being told what might be helpful for a candidate or what they’re supposed to do for the campaign." Thomas says that students entering the field of education vote more than any other group. Students studying math and science vote the least. Also, African-American students vote more than white, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander and Native American students. But no matter how they vote, Thomas says, college students are a force that politicians will have to recognize. "There are 18.5 million college students in this country. They could really shape the results of an election." I’m Pete Musto. Pete Musto reported and wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.  How politically active are young people in your country? At your  universities? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   scale – n. a range of numbers that is used to show the size, strength, or quality of something rank(s) – v. to place someone or something in a particular position among a group of people or things that are being judged according to quality, ability or size survey(s) – v. to ask many people a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something campus – n. the area and buildings around a university, college or school primary – 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 perceive(d) – v. to think of someone or something as being something stated outdated – adj. no longer useful or acceptable relevance – n. relationship to a subject in an appropriate way turnout – n. the number of people who go to or participate in something midterm election – n. Congressional elections that occur halfway through a President's term of office enrollment – n.  people who are entered as a member of or participant in something disengaged – adj. no longer involved with a person or group enthusiasm – n. a strong feeling of active interest in something that you like or enjoy giant – n. a person or thing that is very large, powerful, or successful class – n. a series of meetings in which students are taught a particular subject or activity political party ­– n. an organization of people who have similar political beliefs and ideas and who work to have their members elected to positions in the government cafeteria(s) – n. a place such as a restaurant or a room in a school where people get food at a counter and carry it to a table for eating strident – adj. expressing opinions or criticism in a very forceful and often annoying or unpleasant way peer(s) – n. a person who belongs to the same age group or social group as someone else

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Foreign Leaders Taking Sides Against Donald Trump

When Cuban President Raúl Castro was asked his view of the U.S. presidential election, he did what foreign leaders usually do. He did not answer the question. Castro responded, “I cannot vote in the United States” at a news conference Tuesday with President Barack Obama in Havana. But other foreign leaders are breaking with tradition of not taking sides in other countries’ elections. Most of those who are speaking out are criticizing the leading Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto compared the language of Trump to Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Trump has called for Mexico to pay for a new wall between the two nations. He also said Mexico is “sending people that have lots of problems... they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." Pena Nieto responded in an interview with Mexico’s Excelsior newspaper. "That's the way Mussolini arrived and the way Hitler arrived," he said. In England, Parliament debated a resolution to ban Trump from entering the country. The debate came after Trump called for a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the United States. Parliament ended up not voting on the Trump resolution. But British leaders still criticized him. "I think his remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong," said British Prime Minister David Cameron. After the March 22 terrorist attacks on Brussels, Trump tweeted a link to remarks he made in January, calling the Belgium city a “hell hole.” “Time & time again I have been right about terrorism. It’s time to get tough,” he tweeted. When the New York Times reached Brussels Mayor Yvan Mayeur for a response, his office wrote, “We don't react to Mr. Trump's comments. Have a nice day.” The day before the terrorist attacks, Trump said he favors reducing the U.S. involvement with NATO. NATO is a 28-nation coalition that works for the security of its member nations. Trump has argued throughout his campaign that other nations besides the U.S. should be paying more to defend Europe and Asia. Ana Palacio is a former Spanish foreign minister. She expressed concerns about Trump’s views in a recent interview with Politico. “The opportunism, unreliability and amorality that we have seen during the [Trump] campaign would be damaging for the world in general and hurt Europe in particular,” she said. James Thurber heads the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University in Washington D.C. He said it is “highly unusual” for foreign leaders to criticize a candidate for the presidency, even before he has won his party’s nomination. Thurber just returned from Turkey, where many already have negative views of the United States “But they are appalled at what Donald Trump is saying about Muslims,” he said. Some foreign leaders praise Trump Trump is getting some support from abroad, particularly in Russia. He called Russia’s President Vladimir Putin a strong leader and said he “would probably get along with him [Putin] very well." Putin, in return, praised Trump as “a bright and talented person.” Victoria Zhuravleva is a Moscow-based expert on U.S.- Russian relations. She said the U.S. has criticized Russia and Putin over the last two years. “So, when you hear something that is not so critical and even friendlier towards your country it’s like, ‘Thank God. There’s one person we can talk to, Donald Trump.’” She told Reuters. Trump is also getting praise from some anti-immigration leaders in Europe. They agree with Trump that immigration from the Middle East should stop. Jean-Marie Le Pen is the former head of the French National Front Party, which wants to limit immigration. He tweeted, “If I were American, I would vote Donald Trump,”   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do 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   respond – v. to say or write something as an answer to a question, a request or criticism remarks – n. something that someone says or writes to express an opinion or idea tweet – v. to make a short comment on the website, Twitter. survey –n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something opportunism – n. someone who tries to get an advantage or something valuable from a situation without thinking about what is fair or right unreliability – n. not able to be trusted particular – adj. used to indicate that one specific person or thing is being referred to and no others appalled – v. to feel disgust  

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The World Needs More Renaissance People

Hello and welcome to Words and Their Stories. Each week we report on words and expressions commonly used in American English. Today, we talk about people who can do many things. Someone with many abilities often is called a “Jack-of-all-trades” or a “Renaissance person.” A “Jack-of-all-trades” is a person who can do many different jobs. “Jack” is an old word for a worker and a “trade” is a kind of job or skill. A Renaissance man or a Renaissance woman is a little different. This expression deals with a person’s education and knowledge, not so much with his or her skills.   The word “Renaissance” comes from Old French and means “rebirth.” The Renaissance is a period of European history that began in the 14th century. It’s a time when Europe began to awaken from the long period known as the Middle Ages. Classical learning from Ancient Greece and Rome was reborn in many parts of Europe. During the Renaissance, people became more interested in learning and educating themselves. The word renaissance can describe anything that is experiencing a rebirth. Arts, crafts and musical styles often undergo a renaissance. For example, you might say that currently in the U.S. playing the ukulele is experiencing a renaissance. Many people are learning to play this small, Hawaiian guitar. Used in this way, “renaissance” is not capitalized. This video features Hawaiian ukulele player and singer Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with footage of his island home. Beloved around the world, his funeral at sea was much celebrated by his family, friend and fans.   In the U.S, the Harlem Renaissance is an African-American cultural movement of the 1920s and 1930s. Named after a neighborhood of New York City, this Renaissance celebrated African-American culture, traditions, and ways of life. However, when talking about people, the term Renaissance man or woman refers to a person who is talented in many areas, especially the arts and sciences. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Benjamin Franklin often are called Renaissance men. Everyone knows about these guys. The names of Renaissance women in history may be less well known. In the past it wasn’t as easy for women to get a formal education, even during the “awakening.” Also, women were often too busy at home to study up on their science. But some women did find time. A German woman named Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) was a Renaissance woman. She spent her life investigating and drawing nature. After her husband died, she and her daughters traveled to Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. For two years, they observed insects, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Her book titled “The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname,” showed Europeans for the first time the great diversity of the South American rain forest. A more recent example of a Renaissance woman is the Austrian Hedy Lamar. During the 1930s and 1940s, Lamar was one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars. She was also an inventor. During the Second World War, she created a way to protect radio communications from enemy troops. Her method switched radio frequencies in a preprogrammed pattern. While the Navy did not use the technology, other inventors built upon her idea. Eventually, the U.S. government did use frequency hopping as do many telecommunications companies today. Lamar once said she hated being known for her beauty and not her mind – a problem Renaissance men like da Vinci and Franklin most likely did not have to face.                         And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories. Do you have a favorite Renaissance woman or man? Do you have a similar word in your language? Let us know in the Comments Section. I'm Anna Matteo. This Google Doodle features the accomplishments of Renaissance woman, Hedy Lamar.   Anna Matteo wrote this piece for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. Playing at the end is Italian Renaissance music.  

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