New Study Shows Best, Worst Pay for Women

  American women who work as computer programmers, chefs and dentists earn 28 percent less than men doing the same jobs.   Those are the jobs with the biggest wage differences between men and women, according to a new study by Glassdoor. Glassdoor is an economic research company and employment website in California. Overall, the study found that women earn 5.4 percent less than men for doing the same job, in the same location and for the same employer. The wage differences between women and men were similar in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and France, Glassdoor said. Andrew Chamberlain is the chief researcher at Glassdoor. He said 5.4 percent is a big difference in pay between men and women because it cannot be explained by women and men taking different kinds of jobs. It can only be explained by bias against women, or other causes – such as women not negotiating as well for pay, he said. According to the study, women earned at least 15 percent less than men in these job categories: psychologists, pharmacists, physicians, opticians, pilots and game artists. But in the fields of social work, selling merchandise, research assistants and physician advisors, women earn more than men, Glassdoor said. In social work, women earned 7.8 percent more than men, the report said. That was the job category with the biggest advantage for women. It was still far less than the 28 percent pay advantage for men in some fields. For its study, Glassdoor looked at salaries of 505,000 people. The salaries were entered voluntarily by users of the Glassdoor website. One problem with the research is some of the categories had small samples. For instance, only 138 computer programmer salaries were covered in the report. Catherine Hill is vice president of research at the American Association of University Women. She said the Glassdoor study provides important information. The association found similar results in 2012 when it compared salaries between women and men after one-year of college, working the same job. The study found women earned 7 percent less than men one year out of college. Research suggests that women do not negotiate as well as men when it comes to pay, Hill said. And women are generally more uncomfortable asking fellow employees how much they make – so they can see if they are being paid fairly. “Women are more comfortable talking about their sex lives than their paychecks,” Hill said. The U.S. Census Bureau has reported a bigger wage gap for men and women than the Association of University Women and Glassdoor studies. Comparing salaries for full-time workers, the Census Bureau said women earn only 79 percent as much as men. Both Chamberlain, the author of the Glassdoor study, and Hill said the lower wage gap in their studies does not mean women do not face discrimination. Chamberlain said the 5.4 percent difference was higher than he thought it would be. Over a lifetime, that much of a difference in pay can amount to a “large amount of money,” he said. Hill said the U.S. Census statistics are valid because they provide an important overview of the difference in pay for men and women. It is also the only available data that can be used to measure progress in reducing the gender gap, she said. The U.S. Census Bureau wage gap showed women only earned 57 percent as much as men in 1975. It is now up to 79 percent. That is progress, Hill said, but not enough. 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. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   chef – n. a professional cook who usually is in charge of a kitchen in a restaurant dentist – n. a person whose job is to care for people's teeth location – n. a place or position bias – n. tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly advantage – n. something that helps to make someone better or more likely to succeed than others uncomfortable – adj. causing a feeling of physical discomfort overview – n. a general explanation or description of something

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Is IS Guerrilla Activity Coming to Europe?

Security agencies trying to break up Islamic State (IS) terror cells in Europe fear that IS supporters will use guerrilla tactics to attack major targets. Concerns were raised when images and floor plans of the Belgian prime minister’s office were found on a laptop computer. The computer was found during a search related to the suspects in the Brussels bombings. There is also the evidence that two of the Brussels bombers had video recordings of a scientist at Belgium’s Tihange nuclear center. These developments suggest some terror cells are ready to give up attacks on what have been called “soft targets,” such as train stations or eateries. Islamic State supporters instead might be preparing to attack bigger, more symbolic places. “They’re very invested in the pageantry of it all, so I wouldn’t be surprised,” said one U.S. official who knows about the intelligence on IS. "There is no question that they see Europe as a battlefield.” European officials are worried. And their ability to find and stop possible terror plots differs from one country to the next. “We still have a very high level of concern for new terror attacks,” a Western diplomat told VOA. “The level of engagement and commitment to discover potential attacks is very high.” The official agreed to speak after VOA promised not to release his name. Another concern is Islamic State’s growing use of the Internet to share intelligence between its leadership at home and their terrorist groups around the world. IS has specialized in putting all its combat lessons learned online, said Malcom Nance, a former intelligence and anti-terrorism officer. He now heads the Terror Asymmetrics Project. Nance said that armor-plated vehicles used in Ramadi are now showing up in Somalia and in Benghazi, Libya. “And all of their intelligence sharing is happening at a very rudimentary (or simple) level, and it’s very hard ... (to capture).” At first, intelligence was centered on IS militants using the November 2015 Paris attacks as a model. In other words, they were hitting many “soft targets” at once, and killing or wounding many civilians. But the Brussels attacks suggest the group is growing bolder – unafraid of its enemies. U.S. officials now believe IS is “deeply rooted” in Europe, making the situation more dangerous. There could be hundreds of jihadists who have returned home from Syria and Iraq, working to make thousands more into guerrillas who can still attack after suffering losses. Experts on terrorism like Malcolm Nance say the video of the Belgian nuclear scientist, and the laptop plans of the prime minister’s office, mean it is only a matter of time before IS fighters hit high value targets. “You absolutely should just assume that they are all ready to attack,” Nance warned. In the event of an attack on a nuclear center, Nance said, the goal would be to cause a meltdown inside. It would turn the reactor into a “dirty bomb,” and release radioactive material. But Belgian officials have said there is little to show such attacks are about to take place. However, in France, officials say a terror cell did appear to be on the edge of taking action. On Wednesday, government lawyers announced terror charges against 34-year-old Frenchman Reda Kriket. They said the supply of explosives and arms found in his home was a sign that he planned an act of “extreme violence” very soon. I’m Anne Ball.   VOA’s Jeff Seldin reported on this story. Anne Ball adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tactics - n. methods symbolic – adj. expressing or showing an idea or quality without using words pageantry – n. use of special clothing, traditions and ceremonies are part of a special event potential - adj. possible combat - adj. related to fighting jihadists – n. one engaged in armed opposition to Western influence and culture

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Claim: Turkey Sending Refugees Back to Syria

Amnesty International says Turkey has been forcing about 100 refugees back to Syria every day since January. The rights group recently released a report that said many people in southern Turkey know about the forced removals. The report also strongly criticized the refugee agreement reached last month between Turkey and the European Union. John Dalhuisen is the European and Central Asian director for the group. He said “in their desperation to seal their borders, EU leaders have willfully ignored the simplest of facts: Turkey is not a safe country for Syrian refugees and is getting less safe by the day.” He said the deal to return Syrian refugees and others from Greece to Turkey can only be carried out with the “hardest of hearts” and a “disregard for international law.” Amnesty says children and a woman who was to give birth in a month are among those who have been forced to return to Syria. Turkey has not answered the report. About three million Syrian refugees are in Turkey now. That is more than any other country in the area. Turkey and the EU agreed that war refugees who arrive in Greece would be sent to Turkey after their requests for asylum are considered. Under the deal, for every Syrian sent to Turkey, one refugee would be settled in a European Union country. In exchange, the EU would help pay the cost of caring for the refugees. Also, Turkish citizens would be able to travel to EU countries without visas. The EU also agreed to quickly consider Turkey’s request to join the organization. The agreement was reached to help deal with the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. But human rights groups say the deal is illegal. They criticize the way the agreement deals with people trying to escape war, poverty and terrorism. On Friday, the UN refugee agency said the agreement should not be put into place until a process is created to protect refugees. And it said conditions in Greece and Turkey are worsening. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA News writer Ken Schwartz wrote this story from Washington. 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   seal – v. to prevent someone from going into or through (an area or place) disregard – n. the act of ignoring something or treating something as unimportant asylum – n. protection given by a government to someone who has left another country in order to escape being harmed

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Everyday Grammar: Words That Are Coming And Going

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Lesson 9: Is It Cold?

Summary Anna wants to know about the weather in Washington, DC. She asks her phone. But her phone tells her about the weather in another place!   Speaking In this video, learn to say the new words. Learn to talk about weather and how to make your voice go up or down to show feelings with the word, "oh." You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about weather with a friend. Pronunciation ​In this video, you ​learn how Americans say short answers with no break between the words.  Conversation   Anna: Oh, hi, everyone! Here in Washington, DC, the weather changes often. One day is cold and windy. But the next day is warm and sunny!  So, every day I check the forecast. Hello, Phone? What is today’s temperature? Phone: Today it is 18 degrees ... Anna: Eighteen degrees! That is cold! Phone: … eighteen degrees Celsius. Anna: Oh, Celsius. That is 65 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s warm. Phone: Yes, Anna. It is warm. Anna: Excuse me, Phone. Is it windy today? Phone: No, it is not windy today. Anna: Is it sunny today? Phone: Yes, Anna. It is sunny. Anna: Excuse me, Phone? Phone: Yes, Anna. Anna: Is it snowy today? Phone: No, Anna. It is not snowy. Anna: Thank you, Phone! Anna: Today the weather is warm and sunny -- great for seeing Washington, D.C. Anna: Phone! It is not warm and sunny! It is cold and windy and snowy! Phone: Anna, it is not cold, windy, or snowy. It is warm and sunny … in Mexico City, Mexico. Anna: Oh. I see. Mexico. Anna: Washington weather changes often. Remember to check the forecast -- the right forecast. Phone: Yes, Anna. Next time remember to check the right fore… Anna: Okay, thank you Phone. Goodbye, Phone. Anna: Until next time!   Writing What is the weather where you are? You can see some examples in the Activity Sheet. Click on the image below to download it. Send us an email or write to us about your town's weather in the Comments section. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Look for Ways to Practice. We learn to speak by practicing often. Here is an example. Nina sits on the bus next to a friendly American woman. Looking for a way to practice English, Nina asks, "What is the weather in your city?" The woman tells her about her home town, Tampa, Florida. "It's very warm and sunny." Nina can now practice speaking English with the woman until her bus stop.  How do you find ways to practice 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. Listening Quiz Desktop Computer: Click here to go directly to the Listening Quiz. Click on the button below if you are on a mobile device or our mobile site.  New Words Celsius - adj. relating to or having a scale for measuring temperature on which the boiling point of water is at 100 degrees and the freezing point of water is at 0 degrees change - v. to become different check -v. to get information by looking at something, asking about something, etc. cold - adj. having a very low temperature​ degree - n. a unit for measuring temperature Fahrenheit - adj. relating to or having a scale for measuring temperature on which the boiling point of water is at 212 degrees above zero and the freezing point is at 32 degrees above zero forecast - n. a statement about what you think is going to happen in the future​ phone - n. a device that is connected to a telephone system and that you use to listen or speak to someone who is somewhere else​ snowy - adj. having falling snow or covered with snow​ sunny - adj. having plenty of bright sunlight​ temperature - n. a measurement that indicates how hot or cold something is; a measurement in degrees showing the heat of something (such as air or water)​ warm - adj. somewhat hot; not cool or cold​ weather - n. the temperature and other outside conditions (such as rain, cloudiness, etc.) at a particular time and place windy - adj. having a lot of wind ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice a conversation about activities. 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: Short answers;  Topics: Talk about weather; agree and disagree; use Fahrenheit or Celsius Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Intonation of 'oh;' reduced form of short affirmative answers ______________________________________________________________ New Words   Celsius     - adj. relating to or having a scale for measuring temperature on which     the boiling point of water is at 100 degrees and the freezing point of water is     at 0 degrees change - v. to become different check -v. to get information by looking at     something, asking about something, etc. cold - adj. having a very low temperature degree - n. a unit for measuring temperature Fahrenheit     - adj. relating to or having a scale for measuring temperature on which     the boiling point of water is at 212 degrees above zero and the freezing point  is at 32 degrees above zero forecast - n. a statement about what you     think is going to happen in the future phone - n. a device that is connected to a     telephone system and that you use to listen or speak to someone who is     somewhere else snowy - adj. having falling snow or covered with snow sunny - adj. having plenty of bright sunlight temperature - n. a measurement that indicates     how hot or cold something is : a measurement in degrees showing the heat of     something (such as air or water) warm<- adj. somewhat hot; not cool or cold weather - n. the temperature and other     outside conditions (such as rain, cloudiness, etc.) at a particular time and     place windy - adj. having a lot of wind Celsius - adj. relating to or having a scale for measuring temperature on which the boiling point of water is at 100 degrees and the freezing point of water is at 0 degrees change - v. to become different   check -v. to get information by looking at something, asking about something, etc.   cold - adj. having a very low temperature   degree - n. a unit for measuring temperature   Fahrenheit - adj. relating to or having a scale for measuring temperature on which the boiling point of water is at 212 degrees above zero and the freezing point is at 32 degrees above zero forecast - n. a statement about what you think is going to happen in the future phone - n. a device that is connected to a telephone system and that you use to listen or speak to someone who is somewhere else   snowy - adj. having falling snow or covered with snow   sunny - adj. having plenty of bright sunlight   temperature - n. a measurement that indicates how hot or cold something is; a measurement in degrees showing the heat of something (such as air or water)   warm - adj. somewhat hot; not cool or cold   weather - n. the temperature and other outside conditions (such as rain, cloudiness, etc.) at a particular time and place windy - adj. having a lot of wind Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.

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How Much Do Illegal Immigrants Pay in Taxes?

The American race for president has put immigration to the top of the national conversation. Some candidates argue that immigrants are a drag on U.S. taxpayers. Illegal immigrants cost the U.S. economy about $113 billion every year, said a report released by the Federation for American Immigration Reform in 2010. That conservative group, which supports stronger limits on immigration, said state and local governments pay most of the cost. But how much do illegal immigrants pay in taxes? According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a non-partisan research group, about $11.64 billion a year in state and local taxes. Matt Gardner is the executive director of the Institute. He says it is difficult to know the exact costs of illegal immigration. He says many estimates are guesses. But he says he believes illegal immigrants pay a lot of tax. “If you listened to the policy debates that are happening -- whether it’s from candidates or from people who are already in office -- you would think the answer is ‘zero.’ “It’s a lot bigger than zero ... $11.6 billion a year is a meaningful amount of revenue for state and local governments,” he says. The institute estimates that illegal immigrants would pay about $2.1 billion dollars more if they were permitted to work legally. There are more than 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States. They are about 3.5 percent of the nation’s population. Most of them live in California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Illinois. About half are Mexican. In a 2007 report, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that legal and illegal immigrants pay more tax than the cost of services they are given. The same report found that on the state and local level, illegal immigrants paid less tax than the what they took in services. I’m John Russell.   Dora Mekouar reported on this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her report Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words In This Story   conversation - n. a talk or discussion involving to or more people drag - n. someone or something that makes action or progress slower or more difficult guesses - n. predictions revenue - n. money that is made by or paid to an organization or business  

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Scientists Could be Closer to AIDS Cure

Since the start of the deadly AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, scientists have been working towards a cure. Now, they may be close to finding one. Researchers have developed a method to cut the viral DNA from a person’s infected cells. It is called CRISPR/Cas9 and it means the person could be virus-free. DNA is a substance that carries genetic information in the cells of animals and plants.   This gene-editing took place in a scientific lab, but has not been tested on humans yet. “It’s a big step,” said Kamel Khalili, Ph.D. He is lead researcher and chair at the Department of Neuroscience at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He and his team made the discovery. But more tests have to be done to know if it will be a cure for the millions of patients infected with the HIV virus, which causes AIDS. Antiretroviral drugs have been doing a good job of keeping the AIDS virus from reproducing. Such a good job that levels of HIV are just about undetectable in infected people who take the medicine. But even with the drugs, the virus stays in the body’s “T-cells,” which are T-lymphocytes. AIDS damages the immune system, hurting the body’s ability to fight off disease. So the drugs are kind of a “Band-Aid solution,” Khalili explained. They keep the virus from growing. But they do not eliminate the memory of the virus from the cells. And, the moment antiretroviral drugs are stopped, the HIV comes back to life and begins making more HIV, which is the AIDS virus. Khalili and his team of scientists appear to have found a way to cut this viral DNA from infected people’s cells. In their lab, they took cells from people infected with the HIV virus. They removed the part of the cell that was holding the virus. He said they had “in some cases, near 90 percent of the virus replication or production dropped in the patient samples after treatment in the laboratory.” Khalili and his team have not actually cured any patients yet. However, he believes this gene-editing technology could possibly cure AIDS. “Elimination of the virus can lead to the cure.” He said, "it's an exciting time, and the reason is the technologies are available and the methods are in place and our knowledge has increased.” “And hopefully, there will be funding to take us toward this exciting moment for developing the cure strategy by eliminating viral DNA using editing techniques." He said that he hopes human tests could begin in two to three years. But that depends on funding. The work was published in the journal Scientific Reports. HIV/AIDS has been a devastating disease since it was first discovered in the early 1980s. Since then, the World Health Organization says almost 78 million people have been infected with the HIV virus. About 39 million people have died of HIV/AIDS. At the end of 2013, 35 million people worldwide were living with HIV, according to the WHO. Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected by the virus. Nearly 71 percent of people in the world who live with HIV are in Sub-Saharan Africa. And while the drug therapy can control the virus, not everyone infected can get or afford it. Also, some who take it report side effects. I’m Anne Ball.   Jessica Berman reported on this story for VOANews.com. Anne Ball adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and check out our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   edit – v. to cut out; to change anti-retroviral – adj. acting, used, or effective against retroviruses, especially HIV undectable – adj. cannot be detected, or found immune system – n. the body’s system that fights infection eliminate – v. to end or remove something devastating - adj. causes great damage or destroys

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How Do Americans, Chinese See the Other?

U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping met this week over international security issues. While they report slow progress over major disagreements, what do average citizens in those countries think about each other? A study by the Pew Research Center offers some answers. Only 38 percent of Americans said they have a positive view of China, according to a 2015 Pew survey. And in China, only 44 percent of people surveyed gave the United States a positive rating. Americans expressed concern about the large amount of U.S. debt held by China and the loss of jobs to China. Last year, the U.S. Treasury Department said China held $1.2 trillion in U.S. government debts. People polled in China said they believe the United States is trying to prevent China from becoming as powerful as the U.S. The views reflect some of the tensions between the nations’ leaders. The United States has opposed China’s construction of artificial islands and military facilities along the disputed South China Sea. And there have been disagreements over how to respond to recent North Korean nuclear and missile tests. A joint statement from U.S. and China after Thursday’s Obama-Xi meeting said both countries agreed to work together on nuclear security. The Obama administration said China has agreed to sanctions to protest recent North Korean nuclear tests. But Xi expressed opposition to a new missile defense system for South Korea, according to Chinese media reports. Such a system is being considered by U.S. and South Korean leaders to protect South Korea from a North Korean attack. At the start of his meeting with Xi, Obama said, “Of great importance to both of us is North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, which threatens the security and stability of the region.” Xi said China and the United States “have a responsibility to work together.” As for issues dividing the two nations, Xi said both sides could “seek active solutions through dialogue and consultation.” The two leaders met during a 53-nation conference on nuclear security in Washington, D.C. 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. _______________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   survey – n. an activity in which many people are asked questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something positive – adj. good of useful poll – v. an activity in which several or many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to get information about what most people think about something reflect – v.  to make known your opinion artificial – adj. not natural or real facility – n. a building or large piece of equipment built for a specific purpose pursuit - n. seeking to get or do something stability – n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change

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'Cyrillic Jihadists' Bring Discipline to IS in Syria

Russian-speaking militants are the second-largest group of foreigners fighting for the Islamic State militant group. Nearly 5,000 fighters from the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have joined IS, according to the Soufan Group. The largest number of IS fighters – more than 6,000 – came from Tunisia, Soufan said. Soufan provides intelligence services to governments and businesses. The Russian-speaking fighters are among the Islamic State’s most brutal fighters. Some are part of the IS leadership. They have settled mostly near the Syrian city of Raqqa, where IS has made its capital. Many brought their wives and children. They are raising their children to be future militant fighters, sources told VOA. While their customs, race and ethnic background differ, these fighters have one thing in common -- they can read and write Cyrillic script. Cyrillic is the writing system used in Russia, which controlled the now independent Central Asian nations for decades. In their homes in IS-controlled Syria, residents can hear Friday prayers in Russian. Children study math and the Koran at a Russian- language school. Products from their home countries are sold at a Univermag Russian store. The men are experienced fighters, according to Salem al-Hammoud. He is a civic activist from the IS-controlled Syrian city of Deir Ezzor. He now lives in Turkey. “These fighters are very different from others in terms of discipline and military training compared to their Arab and African counterparts,” Al-Hammoud said. Some fought for Georgia in the 2008 war against Russia. “Given their combat experience, fighters from the North Caucasus are regarded as particularly strong fighters,” said Edward Lemon. He is a researcher at the University of Exeter in Britain. Some were drawn to the Islamic State by lack of jobs in their former Central Asian communities or in Russia. Babajon Karabayev is a former IS fighter who returned to Tajikistan. Karabayev was unhappy when he could not find work in Russia. Karabayev received money from IS. But he said left the group because he was not as committed as other fighters. Many of the Russian-speaking fighters come from migrant worker communities in Russia. Noah Tucker is managing director of registan.net, a website focused on Central Asia. He said Islamic State does a good job convincing Central Asian Muslims that their problems could be solved by joining the militant group. He said IS tells potential recruits: “You are Muslims, and your problems are caused by those who oppress Muslims.” Some experts said Russia encouraged militants to travel to Syria. Tucker said the Russian air force was able to bomb the Russian speaking fighters in Syria “with a level of impunity,” not possible in Central Asia. I'm Christopher Jones-Cruise.   Mehdi Jedinia reported on this story for VOANews.com. Sirwan Kajjo, Fatima Tlisova, Firuz Bartov, Saeid Al-Kanassi and Mumin Ahmadi contributed to this story. Bruce Alpert adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments or share your views on our Facebook Page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   brutal – adj. extremely cruel or harsh de facto - adj. used to describe something that exists but that is not officially accepted or recognized discipline – n. control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed and punishing bad behavior counterpart – n. someone or something that has the same job or purpose as another combat – n. active fighting especially in a war particularly – adv. more than usually convince – v. to cause someone to believe that something is true encourage – v. to tell someone to do something impunity – n. without fear of punishment

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Students React to New SAT College Entrance Exam

  For VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report. The new SAT college entrance exam has arrived. In March, hundreds of thousands of high school students took the redesigned test. The exam is getting some positive reviews from some early test-takers. High school students who took the test said the new SAT is more straightforward. The new exam focuses less on vocabulary words. It focuses more on everyday learning and analysis by students. On the old SAT, students lost points if they guessed the wrong answer. On the new SAT, students are not penalized for guessing. The College Board is the organization that produces the SAT. It says more than 463,000 test-takers signed up to take the new SAT in March. This number is a small increase from a year ago. For now, the College Board is only offering the exam to students applying for scholarships and financial aid. The exam will be open to all students in May. What’s new? The new SAT continues to test reading, writing and math, with an emphasis on analysis. Gone are some of those unusual vocabulary words. Test-takers will see more common words used in the classroom. Students will have to show that they understand meaning in different contexts. In math, students will see more algebra and problem-solving. They will no longer be tested on a wide range of math concepts. But the use of calculators is limited to certain questions. Overall, there are fewer questions — 154 on the new test plus one for the essay. The old test had 171 questions. Students will have a choice about whether to write the essay. A perfect score goes back to 1,600 with a separate score for the essay. Some early reviews Brian Keyes is a third-year student at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C. “There aren’t as many questions where it’s trying to trick you … It was much more straightforward,” he said His classmate Isabel Suarez said, “I liked it better than the old one. I thought that it was way more applicable to what we’ve been learning in school. The English was a lot easier for me than it was with the old one.” Suarez said she enjoyed the reading section. “My AP English class definitely really prepared me for it. I honestly enjoyed the grammar part because I like to pick out problems in writing. It was pretty fun actually.” AP stands for advanced placement. Students might test out of college courses if their grades and test scores from AP are high. Why did they change the test? This was the first change in the SAT since 2005. The head of the College Board says the new test has more familiar reading passages, vocabulary words and math. David Coleman is the president and chief executive officer of the College Board. “The sum of the redesign of the test is to make it much more like the work that kids are already doing in high school,” he said. Coleman added that the test was changed so that more students will feel like they have a chance to succeed. With fewer questions on the new test, Coleman said, there is more time for each of the reading and math questions. Tips from the experts Lee Weiss is Kaplan Test Prep’s vice president of college admissions programs. He has some advice for students taking the new SAT. “If you’ve been preparing and putting in your study time, then you should go in confident. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t perform well,” he said. Weiss says students should not skip the essay. Many of the top universities look at the essay. It is an important part of their admissions process. “Make sure you are writing a good, structured essay that answers the prompt,” said Weiss. “Make sure that you are varying your word choice and your sentence structure.” Ned Johnson is the president of PrepMatters, an SAT preparation company. He said students should not be too creative or artistic in their writing. Students should write in a clear, analytical style. Johnson says the math problems on the new test have a lot more words than before. The College Board has teamed up with online educator Khan Academy to offer SAT practice with the new exam — for free — to all students through quizzes and practice tests. The tests are available online. I’m John Russell Adam Brock adapted this story for Learning English from an Associated Press report. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   straightforward – adj. easy to do or understand : not complicated analysis – n. an explanation of the nature and meaning of something penalize – v. to punish (someone or something) for breaking a rule or a law context – n. the words that are used with a certain word or phrase and that help to explain its meaning trick – v. to deceive (someone) AP – adj. Advanced Placement, a college-level course offered in high school prompt – n. a writing topic on a test varying – adj. to be different or to become different

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Don’t Be Fooled

And that brings us to the end of another Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English. Just kidding! To kid. To tease. To joke and fool around. They all mean about the same thing. If you kid, you make fun in a playful way. Teasing can be playful or mean spirited. It depends. To joke around is to have fun with someone. To fool someone is to try to make them believe something that is not true. And that is the purpose of April Fools’ Day. April 1st is known as the day to fool people with practical jokes, pranks or harmless tricks. But how did this tradition begin? Some say April Fools’ Day began as one big mistake. Many centuries ago, people in the Western world used the Julian calendar. They celebrated the New Year on April 1st. However, when people began using the Gregorian calendar, the New Year was moved to January 1st. Those who forgot the change and tried to celebrate New Year's Day on the wrong date were teased and called "April fools." This is just one of the many theories behind the origin of April Fools’ Day. But the tradition remains the same – trying to fool someone. The fool is a common character in art, music and literature. William Shakespeare is famous for his fools. And fools make for great pop songs. Fools are found in many words, expressions and proverbs. To be foolhardy means to do something that are too dangerous or risky. For example, it is foolhardy to hike up a mountain during a heavy snowstorm. If something is foolproof, it is planned or made so well that nothing could go wrong. Not even a fool could mess it up. "Look, I don’t want to get into trouble. This plan of yours sounds risky." "My plan is foolproof. Nothing will go wrong as long as you do exactly as I say." There are many expressions using the word "fool." If you are on a fool’s errand you are doing something that is pointless. For example, asking a friend who has no money for a loan is a fool’s errand. Fool’s gold is iron pyrite. Iron pyrite is a brassy yellow mineral that is often mistaken for gold. Miners who did not know much about the properties of gold would often mistake iron pyrite for the real stuff. A fool’s paradise is not a vacation spot for fools. It is a state of being happy for foolish or unfounded reasons. Here is an example: “Monica is so happy these days. She thinks she is getting a raise at work.” “But she is always late. She misses her deadlines. And her boss doesn’t really like her.” “I know. She is living in a fool’s paradise.” Even a smart and reasonable person can be a fool at times. You can be a fool for love, a fool for money or a fool for success. Basically, you can be a fool for anything that causes you to lose control or lose touch with reality. In this song, Connie Francis sings that everybody’s somebody’s fool. “And there are no exceptions to the rule. Yes, everybody’s somebody’s fool.” Fools also find themselves in many common proverbs. For example, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” This means that if you are not careful with your money you will soon not have any.   Another proverb is, “There is no fool like an old fool.” This means if an older person behaves foolishly, it seems worse than when a younger person does the same. An older person should know better. Then there is the proverb, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” This means that if you are tricked once by someone, they are to blame for fooling you. But if you let the same person fool you again, the blame is all your own. When George W. Bush was president, he infamously messed up this proverb in a speech. We end this show with yet another “foolish” proverb, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” English poet Alexander Pope wrote this line in his 1709 poem An Essay on Criticism. Songwriter Johnny Mercer turned it into a classic song. "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread ..." Share a “foolish” expression from your language. Or practice using one of these expressions in the Comments Section. I’m Anna Matteo. "So open up your heart and let this fool rush in..."   Anna Matteo wrote this program for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. The song and singer of the music heard in this piece includes, in order: “Chain of Fools,” Aretha Franklin; “A Fool Such As I,” Elvis Presley; “Everybody Plays the Fool,” The Main Ingredient; “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” Elvin Bishop; “What Kind of Fool,” Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb; “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” Connie Francis; “Fools Rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread,” Rosemary Clooney. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   practical joke - n. a joke involving something that is done rather than said : a trick played on someone : a prank intended to trick or embarrass someone or cause physical discomfort prank - n. a trick that is done to someone usually as a joke

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