Turks Questioning Migrant Deal with EU

A small group of Turkish activists welcomed the first deported migrants as they arrived at the Turkish port of Dikili. However, many Turks are questioning whether their country can or should absorb them. The deportees from Pakistan and other countries arrived in Turkey from Greece this week. They have been taken from the docks where, they disembarked, and were brought to a center 500 kilometers away. Turkey is expecting to receive another group of 200 migrants from Greece on Friday. The move is part of a deal reached in March between the EU and Turkey to ease Europe’s migrant crisis. The deal with the EU offers a list of incentives for Turkey. It includes billions of dollars in aid and the possibility of travel to Europe without a visa for Turkish citizens. Also, efforts for Turkey to join the EU are to restart. However, some Turks are condemning the deal. They say it does little to increase their long-sought access to Europe. The agreement is seen as a good opportunity for Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He is facing criticism for his government’s offensive against Kurdish separatists in Turkey’s southeast and its crackdown on the media. Questions about the deal continue Under the deal reached in March, Turkey will receive more than $3 billion in aid to take care of the migrants. For every migrant returned, Turkey sends one Syrian refugee to the EU. Greece and the EU were to deport all migrants who arrived on Greek soil after March 20. Greece reports that between 300 and 500 people continue to reach its shores each day. But that number is less than before the agreement went into effect.  Officials say more than 400 people have died over the past year while trying to make the short, but dangerous, crossing between Turkey and some Greek islands. In Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city, many migrants found acceptance. Today, parks and areas once filled with migrants are now empty. Some in the city miss their business. “They do no harm to us, no harm at all. On the contrary, the business I did last year was double than this year,” Aydogan Kirisci, a spice vendor told VOA. Not all Turks are as ready to accept the migrants. Concern about hosting them in large numbers has grown. That is especially the case after a series of deadly terrorist attacks in the country recently.  Even supporters of the deal for Turkey to take in migrants share the concern. In Izmir’s city center, Turkish travelers form a long line in front of a private business that processes visas for Turks who want to visit EU countries. One of them, who identified himself only as Emre, said the possibility of having visa-free travel to the EU is, for him, not enough to justify the agreement. Some wonder how long the migrants will stay. “This is the main thing, that we don’t know what (is) going to happen because we don’t know those people and where they will live and if they (are given) a place anywhere in Turkey if it is a secured place,” he told VOA.  Turkey’s government is ensuring that the deported migrants remain out of sight. Experts say this is meant to limit tensions. The government says Syrians will be placed in refugee camps and others will be sent to their home countries. I'm Mario Ritter.   Luiz Ramirez reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   absorb – v. to take in, to bring in disembarked - v. to leave or get off of something, like a ship or airplane incentives – n. something meant to encourage a person or group to take some action or agree to some plan crackdown – n. a forceful attempt to stop people from doing something that is not permitted by authorities on the contrary – phrase, shows that the following sentence describes something that is the opposite of the one that came before

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Raising a Glass for National Beer Day

This is What’s Trending Today. April 7 was National Beer Day in the United States. National Beer Day is not a real holiday. But a lot of Americans are celebrating on social media. One Twitter user, RadarX, wrote, “I hear it’s #NationalBeerDay and I feel fortunate to live where they make so much of it.” Other Twitter users joined in by posting photographs of glasses of cold beer. The magazine Men’s Journal published a list of what it called the “100 Best Beers in America.” The beers are not in any special order. They are listed alphabetically by the state where they are produced. Some of the beers have unusual names, such as Sloth, Fuzzy Baby Ducks and Lizard King. April 7 is an important day in beer history. On that day in 1933, Americans could legally buy beer again after 13 years. Sales of beer had been barred under the U.S. Constitution. The 18th Amendment to the constitution took effect in 1920. It prohibited “the manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors.”   In December 1933, the 21st Amendment to the constitution officially ended prohibition. But a few months before that, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an act to permit the sale of low-alcohol wine and beer. That was on April 7. Roosevelt reportedly said, “I think this would be a good time for a beer.” And the people who agree with Roosevelt's words helped make the hashtag #NationalBeerDay, What’s Trending Today. I’m Ashley Thompson.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Is beer prohibited in your country? If it is not, what is your favorite beer? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fortunate – adj. having good luck alphabetical – adj. of or related to organizing something in the order of the letters of the alphabet intoxicate – v. to make (someone) unable to think and behave normally prohibit – v. to bar or ban something

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Identify With Relative Pronouns

  In this week’s episode of Everyday Grammar, we are going to discuss the relative pronouns who, that and which. A relative pronoun relates to the noun it is describing. Relative pronouns introduce a relative clause. Think of relative clauses as long adjectives. Adjectives are words that describe nouns. Let’s start with an example sentence: The woman who called me yesterday was my mother. In this sentence who is the relative pronoun, and who called me yesterday is the relative clause. The clause is describing the noun woman. In general, the relative pronouns who, that, and which do one of two things: 1. They help identify the noun or 2. They help give more information about the noun. In the example sentence, the clause “who called me yesterday” identifies the noun, in this case woman. When a relative clause adds more information about the noun, the clause is surrounded by commas. Here is an example sentence: My mother, who called me yesterday, says she is coming to visit me this summer. Who is just one example of a relative pronoun that you can use when talking about a person. Let’s listen to a scene from the comedy film Bridesmaids for another example. In this scene, the main character Annie is telling her best friend that she has changed. Listen for the relative pronoun: “Lillian, this is not the you that I know! The you that I know would have walked in here and rolled your eyes and thought that this was completely over the top, ridiculous, and stupid!” The relative pronoun Annie used in the scene is that -- when she says “the you that I know.” In this sentence, that I know describes the noun you. Both who and that can be used in relative clauses that describe a person. That can also be used to describe a thing. For example: “The bike that I bought last week was stolen.” The relative clause "that I bought yesterday” describes the noun bike. The relative pronoun which is also used to describe a thing. Here is an example sentence using which. “My bike, which I bought last week, was stolen.” In this example, the relative clause “which I bought last week” adds more information about the noun bike. The clause is surrounded by commas. Here are some general rules about commas and relative clauses: --If the clause begins with the relative pronoun that, you do not need commas. --If the clause begins with the relative pronoun which, you generally need commas. --If the clause begins with the relative pronoun who, you need commas if the clause is adding additional information about the noun. Here is an example sentence using the relative pronoun who, with and without commas. 1. My sister who lives in New York bought an apartment 2. My sister, who lives in New York, bought an apartment. In the first sentence, the relative clause who lives in New York is identifying the noun sister. The speaker might have more than one sister. The clause “who lives in New York” is identifying which sister he or she is talking about. In the second sentence, the same relative clause is adding additional information about the noun sister. Sometimes, English speakers remove the relative pronoun altogether. Listen for the relative clauses in Shania Twain’s song You’re Still the One. You're still the one You're still the one that I love The only one I dream of You're still the one I kiss good night In one line, she keeps the relative pronoun that. In the rest, she omits -- or removes -- the relative pronoun. If the relative pronouns that and who are followed by a noun or pronoun, they can be omitted. That makes the sentences “You’re still the one that I love” and “You’re still the one I love” both correct. We can talk about other relative pronouns in another episode of Everyday Grammar. But for now, listen for the relative pronouns as we end this episode with the David Bowie song “The Man Who Sold the World.” You're face to face With the man who sold the world. I’m Jonathan Evans. And I'm Ashley Thompson. Ashley Thompson wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Adam Brock edited and produced it. Now it's your turn. Practice using relative pronouns by describing your best friend. Start with this: "My best friend is someone who ______" ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   relate - v. to show or make a connection between (two or more things) identify - v. to show who someone is or what something is surround - v. to be on every side of something

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IS Suffers More Setbacks in Syria

Islamic State (IS) militants have been defeated in northern Syria by rebel fighters and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, according to sources close to the fighting. Military airplanes bombed IS targets to help ground forces in Syria defeat IS fighters. The United States led air support in the area near Aleppo. Reports say Russian warplanes killed 40 IS militants in eastern Syria. Forces loyal to Assad and supported by Russia recently took back the town of Palmyra from militants in late March. Palmyra and neighboring Tadmur are important because they are along IS supply lines that go from Iraq’s Anbar province to Homs province in Syria. IS has not had a successful ground offensive in Syria since May 2015, when it captured Palmyra. Recently, troops fighting against Assad stopped a jihadist attack in the Aleppo countryside in Syria. IS also has lost ground near the Syrian-Turkish border. A rebel spokesman said “more than 15 militants were killed” in those clashes. IS fighters withdrew from eastern areas in Homs province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.  IS forces still hold the city of Raqqa in Syria. But lawlessness – including executions and robberies – may show that IS is losing control, says an anti-IS network group. Activists say IS members are forcing local children into joining the group. IS militants executed eight young men west of Raqqa, according to VOA News and local ARA News. Reports also say former IS members are trying to flee. Others have been accused of stealing or corruption.   Jamie Dettmer reported this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck and Mario Ritter were the editors. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story according - prep. as stated by source - n. someone or something that provides what is wanted or needed jihadist – n. related to those fighting a religious war to defend or spread their beliefs  

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News Words: Emissions

Emissions was a buzz word at the United Nations Climate Conference in Paris last year. Find out what it means in this week's News Words.

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April 6, 2016

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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Cruz's Victory Slows Trump's Path

With a victory in the state of Wisconsin, Texas Senator Ted Cruz slowed Donald Trump’s push to capture the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. Cruz called his victory in the Wisconsin Republican primary on Tuesday a “turning point.” He asked Republicans to rally around his candidacy to stop Trump. Edison Research questioned people who voted in the primary for the Associated Press and U.S. television networks. The researchers found that some Wisconsin voters were concerned and frightened about a possible Trump presidency. The businessman did not make a public appearance Tuesday night but his campaign released a statement attacking Cruz. It read, "Ted Cruz is worse than a puppet -- he is a Trojan horse being used by the party bosses attempting to steal the nomination from Mr. Trump.” Setbacks for Trump's campaign The Wisconsin defeat is one of several setbacks for the Trump campaign in the past few days. Last week, Trump had to explain his position on abortion after saying that “there has to be some form of punishment” for women who had the operation. Doctors use an abortion to end a pregnancy, resulting in the death of the fetus. Earlier, police in Florida brought charges against Trump’s campaign manager after an incident involving a female reporter. The manager was accused of hurting the woman when she tried to question the candidate at a campaign event. In other well publicized comments, Trump said that European countries are “ripping off the United States” and want to break up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. As world leaders met recently to discuss ways to limit the spread of nuclear arms, Trump said that South Korea and Japan should develop nuclear arms to deal with the threat from North Korea. When reporters raised questions about the presidential race on Tuesday, President Barack Obama said, “We've got big issues around the world. People expect the President of the United States and the elected officials in this country to treat these problems seriously.” This month, the race for the Republican presidential nomination moves to the northeastern states of New York and Pennsylvania. A recent poll found that Ted Cruz is now tied with Trump in the national survey. A month ago, the businessman was leading the Texas senator by nearly 20 percentage points. With the victory in Wisconsin, Cruz added the support of 30 more delegates to the Republican convention this summer. But Trump has 743 delegates compared to 517 for Cruz. A candidate will need 1,237 delegates to win the nomination. I'm Jonathan Evans.   Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English based on VOA and Associated Press reports. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   rally – v. join together to do something puppet - n. a person that is controlled by another Trojan horse - idiom. something that is used to hide what is true or real to trick an enemy setback - n. a problem that makes progress more difficult rip off - phrasal verb. give something that is not worth its value

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Do You Speak English Better than US Candidates?

This is What’s Trending Today. A new study suggests you might be a better English speaker than the candidates running for president of the United States.  Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania studied the candidates’ grammar and vocabulary. The researchers at the school’s Language Technologies Institute say Donald Trump has the lowest score out of five candidates. He used 5th grade level grammar and vocabulary at the level of an average seventh grader. The researchers also studied Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. The candidates were compared to Abraham Lincoln, who was president over 150 years ago. President Barack Obama and former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan were also studied. They found that Lincoln used the best grammar. Reagan’s speeches had the most developed vocabulary. The study says Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address was at the 8th grade level. He spoke in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 1863. Lincoln told the gathering to be resolved “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Among the current candidates, the study finds Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has the best vocabulary. The researchers placed his usage at an 11th grade level. The study used the speeches each candidate made to start their campaigns. The study says the candidates change their vocabulary and grammar based on who is listening. They also have been making their words and ideas easier to understand as the campaign continues. The researchers say it is not a perfect analysis. That is because the study is based on speeches. People usually speak in a simpler, less formal style than they write. So saying that Trump is campaigning at the level of an 11-year-old is not completely fair. But people had fun with the news on social media, anyway. New York Magazine made a video about the study last week. So far it has over 1 million views and almost 15,000 shares on Facebook. One person made fun of all the candidates, saying: “the moral is that none of our leaders don't talk none too good.” Another person wrote: “Most America has the grammar of an 11-year old.” The president with the worst grammar, but a pretty good vocabulary? George W. Bush. But maybe you already thought that. And That’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Bruce Alpert.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. What do you think of the language being used in this current campaign? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   grammar – n. the set of rules that explain how words are used in a language vocabulary – adj. the words that make up a language perish – v. to disappear or be destroyed analysis – n. a careful study of something to learn about its parts, what they do, and how they are related to each other formal – adj. suitable for serious or official speech and writing

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US Uses Fake University to Stop Visa Fraud

  United States officials say 21 people were arrested for their reported involvement in a plot to help foreign nationals stay in the country illegally. The program enabled over 1,000 foreigners to remain in the US by claiming to work at or attend a university that does not exist. Officials say those arrested knew that the University of Northern New Jersey had no teachers, classes or programs. But the defendants did not know it was created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help fight visa fraud. Paul Fishman is the federal government’s top attorney for New Jersey. He told reporters that individuals and companies that help foreigners request visas began contacting the fake university soon after its creation in 2013. The Associated Press news agency reported that some defendants paid the federal agents operating the university thousands of dollars. In return, they received documents that showed students were attending classes or working for the school. This enabled the foreigners to keep their visas without attending classes. The students paid the visa brokers thousands of dollars for their help. The plot affected foreign nationals from more than 20 countries. But most of them were from India and China. They had entered the United States legally using non-immigrant, student visas. But they wanted to stay in the U.S. longer, either by having their student visas extended or by being given work visas. U.S. Attorney Fishman said the government knows who these people are. He said they will be investigated by federal immigration officers, but not charged in the case. Most of them will be forced to leave the country. One law enforcement official told The New York Times newspaper that some of the students used the illegally-given work visas to get jobs at Facebook and Apple. ABC News reported that another student with an illegal visa entered the Army. Government officials told The New York Times that most of the 1.2 million foreigners who entered the U.S. using student visas are attending legitimate universities. But there have been reports of student visa fraud across the country. This has caused immigration officials to worry about the country’s security. They have been pressured to fully investigate those who seek visas to see if they have links to terrorism. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA’s Esha Grover reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fraud - n. the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable from another person fake - adj. meant to look real or genuine but not real or genuine broker - n. a person who helps other people to reach agreements or to make deals legitimate - adj. real, accepted or official

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Nine-Year-Old Defends Reporting Murder Story

A 9-year-old reporter is defending her work after people in her small Pennsylvania town criticized her for covering a murder. They said Hilde Kate Lysiak should be “playing with dolls,” or having “tea parties,” instead of covering a serious crime. Hilde runs the Orange Street News in her hometown of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, 240 kilometers northwest of Philadelphia. The young reporter got a “tip” that something happened in her town on April 2. At the scene, she got details of the crime, and later that day,  posted a story and a video clip on her website, OrangeStreetNews.com. In the video, she said a man was suspected of murdering his wife with a hammer. Standing near a police vehicle, Hilde said, “I’m working hard on this investigation.” She beat the regular news media to the story. But soon after she posted her story, the negative comments started on her Facebook page and YouTube channel. People said she should “play with dolls” instead. And they questioned her parents’ judgment in letting her report the story. Hilde’s reaction? "It kind of gets me angry because just because I'm 9 doesn't mean I can't do a great story," she said to the Associated Press. "It doesn't mean I can't be a reporter." On her YouTube channel, Hilde reads some of the angry comments aimed at her.  She wears a red bow in her hair, and a button that says, “I (love) free speech.” She smiles after she reads aloud this one, “I am disgusted that this cute little girl thinks she is a journalist. What happened to tea parties?”   Another critic wrote “nine-year-old girls should be playing with dolls, not trying to be reporters.” In another video response, Hilde defends her work: “I know this makes some of you uncomfortable, and I know some of you just want me to sit down and be quiet because I’m nine," she says. But if you want me to stop covering news, then you get off your computer and do something about the news. There, is that cute enough for you?,” she asks. She has run the Orange Street News since 2014. She gets some help from her father, Matthew Lysiak, a former reporter for the New York Daily News.  Her 12-year-old sister Isabel handles videos and photos. At first, it was a newspaper for her family, written in crayon. But now it has become a community news provider, with short stories posted on a website and a Facebook page. Some of the other stories she has reported on have been, drug use by middle school-aged children in a park, and several acts of property damage. Hilde has also written about the many empty storefronts in downtown Selinsgrove. Matthew Lysiak said the comments on his daughter's stories are usually positive. Lysiak said when he worked for the Daily News, sometimes he would take her along on the job. "She found journalism really interesting, and my older daughter, too," he said. "They would ask lots of questions." He told the AP that she usually is not bothered by comments, and usually does not read them. But the tea party comment, he said,  "really lit a fuse under her." I’m Anne Ball.   Anne Ball adapted this story based on an Associated Press report. Hai Do 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   tip –n. information about a breaking story negative –adj. harmful or bad disgusted – n. (past) strong feeling of dislike, annoyed or angered journalist –n. reporter crayon –n. a stick of colored wax for drawing embraced –v. to accept someone readily and gladly lit a fuse – phrase. get someone to react strongly  

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VOA English Newscast: 1900 UTC April 6, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA news… I'm Dave DeForest reporting EU officials move to make the migrant return process fair and humane: European Union officials are pledging that there will be "no automatic return" for the migrants before the migrants are given a chance to apply for asylum. The announcement follows angry protests by international human rights activists who have been accusing the EU of denying migrants the basic rights of refugees to seek asylum.   NATO is preparing to step up its response to threats from the Islamic State group and from Russia. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said He says that NATO is not seeking confrontation with Russia nor a cold war.  He told VOA NATO is implementing the biggest reinforcement to its collective defense since the end of the Cold War in response to the new security environment. Dutch voters are going to the polls to vote on whether to back a European Union free trade agreement with Ukraine. The referendum is nonbinding, but it will be an important measure of EU support.  It comes just three months before British voters cast ballots on whether to remain in the European Union. Dutch opponents of the EU agreement say its ultimate goal is to bring Ukraine into the bloc.  Supporters say the agreement would aid economic development on both sides and improve human rights in Ukraine. A Panamanian law firm says the 11.5 million documents leaked from its offices this week about offshore bank accounts were stolen by hackers, not divulged by an insider. Ramon Fonseca is one of the founders of the Mossack Fonseca firm. He says he has ruled out an inside job.  This is VOA news. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story automatic –adj. do as though by a machine, without thought or consideration deport –v. to force a person to leave a country confrontation –n. a serious, angry disagreement or fight between groups implement –v. to begin to do something, to put a plan into motion referendum –n. a popular vote on a single question nonbinding –adj. an agreement that does not have the force of law bloc –n. a group of people or countries connected by a treaty or agreement divulge –v. to tell, to reveal

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