US Warns Against Fines on Poor People

The U.S. Justice Department says that issuing large fines and putting poor people in prison for not paying them is illegal. The law enforcement agency said putting people in jail or prison for not paying fines is unconstitutional. It damages trust in communities and local governments, it said. The Justice Department warning came after a conference in Washington in December. It revealed that some communities relied on fines as a source of revenue. The government found that fines and jailing happened frequently in Ferguson, Missouri. The small community near St. Louis was the center of attention in 2014. That year, street protests occurred after a policeman shot a black teenager to death.   It was reported by multiple media sources that Ferguson’s court fines account for 20 percent of the city’s revenue. Fines were enforced for minor crimes like littering and speeding. Fines would reach over $500. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the U.S.’s top law enforcement official, said local courts should not fine the poor to pay for the government, and then arrest people who cannot pay the fines. “The consequences of poverty are not only harmful, they are far-reaching,” Lynch said. She continued to say the poor deserve the ability to support their families. I’m George Grow.   Ken Bredemeier wrote this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted his report 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   relied - v. to depend on someone or something revenue- n. money that is collected for public use by a government account - v. to think of as consequence - n. something that happens as a result of something else teenager – n. someone who is between 13 and 19 years old littering – v. to throw or leave wastes on the ground in a public place warrants – n. court-approved documents that give police the power to do something

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Pakistanis Bury Children Killed in Terror Attack

Parents Monday began burying the children who were killed in a suicide bombing Sunday at a crowded park in Lahore, Pakistan. Officials put the death toll at 72, including 29 children. The number of injured reached at least 300, Pakistan officials said. Pakistan’s government said it would start a military crackdown on the Taliban group that claimed responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported. The bombing targeted Christians gathered for Easter at a Lahore park popular with families. Pope Francis denounced the attack. So did Malala Yousafzai, the young Nobel Peace Prize-winner who survived a Taliban shooting in Pakistan. “My heart goes out to the victims and their families and friends,” she said. “Every life is precious and must be respected and protected.” A military spokesman said Monday that security forces have arrested some suspects and those who may have helped. The group that claimed responsibility was once part of the Pakistani Taliban. The group is considered to be independent now. The group said the attacker targeted Christians. Mohammad Arshad saw the attack. He criticized security officials for not limiting who could enter or leave the park. The attack has been criticized by national and international leaders. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif went to Lahore Monday morning. He led a meeting of top civilian and security officials. He said the attack would not slow the country’s efforts to end terrorism in Pakistan. Officials have increased the number of security forces in parks and other public areas throughout Pakistan in answer to the attack. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Correspondent Ayaz Gul reported this story from Islamabad. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it into 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   crackdown – n. a serious attempt to punish people for doing something that is not allowed heart – n. the organ in your chest that pumps blood through your veins and arteries

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Mummies Contain Clues to Colon Cancer

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health and Lifestyle report. Colon cancer is linked with obesity, lack of exercise, and a poor diet high in processed foods. However, scientists also have identified genetic mutations connected to the disease. Researchers at Tel Aviv University are studying the evolutionary history of colon cancer. Microbiologist Rina Arbesfeld is with the university. She wanted to answer this genetic question: Where do these mutations come from? Our lifestyle? The environment? Our diet? Or did these mutations also exist a long time ago? In other words, is the increase in the number of cancer cases today the result of natural evolution alone? To answer this question, Arbesfeld turned to an unusual source: Hungarian mummies that were discovered in 1994 in a church. These preserved bodies rested in a cool, dry climate for more than two and half centuries. They give a rare opportunities to research biologists. An embalmer is a person who prepares a body for burial.  Hungarian embalmers used different techniques than Egyptian embalmers. In ancient Egypt, embalmers removed fluids and internal organs. This made mummification of the bodies happen quickly, over a period of two or three months. Hungarians embalmers mummified more slowly. They left the fluids and organs intact. This means the mummies have retained tissue that could be better analyzed for evidence of disease.   Arbesfeld and her team isolated DNA samples from 22 mummies. They then sequenced the genetic material in the hunt for mutations. This was not easy. Arbesfeld says that after many tries, her team found one specific mutation in a gene called APC. This gene is important. The APC gene is known to be involved in the development of cancer. Arbesfeld explains that the APC gene is what she calls the “gatekeeper” for the development of cancer. This information lead Arbesfeld to this hypothesis: If our ancestors with the genetic mutation for colon cancer lived long enough, they would have developed the disease, just like us. Arbesfeld says her next step is to sequence samples from other sources for a larger follow-up study. She says understanding our genetic past can better explain the present. And understanding a disease’s genetic past can help to handle the disease’s future. Cancer of the color kills about 700,000 people a year worldwide. However, it is highly treatable when found early. This study was published in the journal PloS ONE. I’m Anna Matteo.   Let us know what you think of this story or practice using the words “mummy” and “embalm” in the Comments Section. Rosanne Skirble wrote this story for VOA News in Washington. Anna Matteo adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   mummy – n. a body treated for burial with chemical preservatives, as was done in ancient Egypt mummified – v. to help protect (a dead body) by treating it with oils and covering it in strips of cloth evolution – n. a theory that the differences in living things resulted from natural changes over a very long time embalm – v. to treat (a dead body) with special chemicals to keep it from breaking down; embalmer – n. one who embalms genetic mutations – n. A gene mutation is a permanent change in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene genome sequencing – n. Genome sequencing is figuring out the order of DNA nucleotides, or bases, in a genome—the order of As, Cs, Gs, and Ts that make up an organism's DNA. The human genome is made up of over 3 billion of these genetic letters hypothesis – n. an idea or theory that is not proven but that leads to further study or discussion

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Parents Crack Up Connecticut Easter Egg Hunt

This is What's Trending Today: In America, one big Easter tradition sends children hunting for hidden Easter eggs. Children carry baskets and collect eggs made of chocolate or candy. They search in the house, their yards or a park.   But one egg hunt on Saturday went wrong in the northeastern state of Connecticut. A candy company hosted an egg hunt for children. The company is called PEZ, and it hid more than 9,000 eggs on its property in Connecticut. But way more people showed up than the candy maker expected. The egg hunt was set up on three separate fields, and children would be assigned to hunt for eggs based on their ages. But Monday morning, stories reported parents going out of control at the hunt and made PEZ one of the top trending topics on Facebook. It turns out the parents rushed on to the fields where the eggs were hidden. They said they were trying to get eggs for their children. But instead, they left behind a lot of hurt feelings. One 4-year-old boy told a local television station someone pushed him over and took his eggs. The boy’s bucket for collecting eggs also broke. One employee said the display of parents rushing onto the fields reminded him of locusts. “We did our best,” he said. “Unfortunately, it fell a little short.” Two PEZ pages on Facebook had comments from people saying the event was not organized well, while others said the parents overwhelmed an event designed for kids. The company tried to make up for the chaos by giving people more candy as they were leaving the event, and passing out coupons for future purchases. But in Washington, D.C., at the White House, the picture was very different. On Monday afternoon, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hosted their Easter egg roll. It was the last before Obama leaves office after eight years.   The event featured thousands of people outside the White House who came to see the President and first lady read books to children, enjoy the grounds, play games and also roll eggs with long spoons. It is a tradition going back to the late 1800s. And That’s What’s trending Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What are some Easter traditions in your country? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   locusts –n. a type of grasshopper that travels in very large groups and that can cause great destruction by eating crops chaos –n. confusion and disorder

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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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