What America’s Top Schools Have in Common

Four public high schools named as the best in the United States have much in common. All four high schools have high academic requirements for students interested in admission. The four also offer a mix of challenging courses. And they all have a large percentage of Asian-American students. The top schools were chosen by the Niche.com website. Niche.com says it examined nearly 24,000 U.S. public high schools. It rated the schools based on quality of their education programs and teachers, as well as student and parent comments. The top four schools are: Stuyvesant High School in New York City; High Technology High School in New Jersey; Staten Island Technical High School in New York City; and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia. The fifth best high school is Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Illinois, according to Niche.com. Stevenson is the only school among the top five that does not limit admissions. The school is open to all students in its community, near Chicago. Enrollment of Asian-Americans at the top high schools continues to grow. At Stuyvesant, 73 percent of students are Asian-Americans. The rate is 63 percent at Thomas Jefferson, 52 percent at High Technology, 41 percent at Staten Island Technical and 21 percent at Stevenson. At the top four schools, officials say there is only one reason for so many students being Asian-American. They say the Asian-American students are getting much better test scores. At Stuyvesant, Staten Island Technical and High Technology, students are chosen based on how they do in mathematics and verbal admission tests. At Jefferson, students are asked to take a test and write a paper. Only a small percentage of the boys and girls get accepted. At Stuyvesant, 28,000 students apply for 935 openings. Eliza Noh teaches at California State University in Fullerton. She talked about the success of Asian-American students with VOA. “If Asian-American parents emphasize education, it has more to do with their perception that education can help them overcome existing barriers in the labor market,” she said. The children who get into these top schools have many advantages. For example, classes at Stuyvesant are similar to “those of a small college,” according to InsideSchools.org. The website reports on New York City’s public schools. InsideSchools says Stuyvesant offers sights of New York Harbor and has a large swimming pool. “Stuyvesant has long been known as a math-science school, but its English and social studies classes are among the school’s strongest,” it says. Going to school with so many gifted students can push teenagers to do their best. But it can also put students under a lot of pressure to keep up. “Stuyvesant is a hard place for a “B’’ student, wrote InsideSchools. “A” is the top grade at many schools. “F” is the lowest. Harvey Blumm is a guidance counselor at Stuyvesant. He says the school works directly with students to help them deal with pressure. Sometimes, he says, school officials “have to ask” parents not to put too much pressure on their children. “I tell them that if their child gets a 92 (out of 100) in a test, that it is very good and they should not criticize,” Blumm said. “They should offer praise. Ninety-two is a very good grade.” Elise Hauptman has three children at Stevenson High School in Illinois – the number five rated public high school, according to Niche.com. What she likes about Stevenson is that the school’s counselors and teachers “work hard” to serve all students, “not just those with the best grades.” “It is not just the top students or those facing the most challenges,” Hauptman tells VOA. “They don’t want students in the middle to get lost.” The quality education offered at Stevenson makes Hauptman question why some parents choose to spend a lot of money to send children to private schools. I'm Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page. For students, we’d like to know how much pressure you feel to do well at your school. __________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   challenging – adj. difficult in a way that is usually interesting or enjoyable academic – adj. relating to schools and education admissions – n. the act of admitting someone into a school or program apply – v. to seek admission to a school or a job emphasize – v. to give special attention to something perception – n. the way you think about or understand someone or something advantage – n. something that helps to make someone or something better or more likely to succeed than others guidance counselor – n. a school official who offers advice to students on a range of academic and emotional issues

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Pope’s Message on Family in Line with US Catholics

Pope Francis’ call for a more welcoming Catholic Church is similar with the views of many American Catholics. Last year, the Pew Research Center questioned Catholics and found support for changes offered in the Pope’s letter “The Joy of Love.”  Many Catholic Americans wanted him to take more steps, according to the report. In his message to the Catholic Church’s 1.2 billion members, Francis called on clergy to accept people who were divorced and remarried as well as unmarried people living together in a romantic relationship. He said people who already have children may use their own consciences “to limit the number of their children.” That was seen as a change – at least in tone – from the church’s ban on artificial birth control. But he continued the church’s opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. Thomas Groome is a professor of theology at Boston College in Massachusetts. He said the pope did not change basic church positions on marriage and family, but rather called for more understanding of people who have different views. “Pope Francis says we have been called to form consciences, not to replace them,” Groome said. “In other words, the church can’t take over people’s consciences. They have their own conscience and that has to be respected.” Deborah Rose-Milavec is executive director of FutureChurch. The organization has been calling for “a more welcoming” Catholic Church. Rose-Milavec sees the pope’s message as critical of Catholic bishops who are “building walls” to keep out “sinners.” Still, she said the pope’s message needs more “development.” Marianne Duddy-Burke is executive director of DignityUSA, a Catholic group that supports gay and lesbian rights. She is disappointed the pope said same-sex marriage is not part of “God’s plan for marriage and family.” She said, “We had hoped for much more,” Details of the Pew study The Pew Research Study studied the views of U.S. Catholics last year. It found three out of four Catholics believe the church should allow couples to use birth control. Pew said 84 percent of American Catholics believe it is acceptable for unmarried parents who live together to bring up children. Six-in-ten say the church should allow divorced and remarried Catholics without an annulment to attend religious service, known as a mass. An annulment is a ruling by a Catholic court that a marriage was never really valid. The pope said in his message that Catholic clergy should not stop people who are divorced or in other “irregular situations” from attending mass. If they show love for each other, and take care of their children, divorced couples should be allowed to marry in the church, Pope Francis said. Pew said nearly half of American Catholics believe the church should recognize the marriages of same-sex couples. The pope rejected that view, though he repeated his call to treat gays with respect and without discrimination. Six in 10 say they agree with Catholic Church policy – repeated by Francis – that abortion is a sin, according to the Pew survey. But only three in 10 consider opposition to abortion an important part of being a Catholic. That view differs from the three U.S. Republican presidential candidates. They all promise new efforts to ban, or at least limit abortion.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English.  Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page. __________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   divorced – adj.  someone who has ended a marriage through a legal process romantic – adj. relating to love between two people conscience – n. the part of the mind that makes you aware of your actions as being either morally right or wrong artificial birth control – n. pills or other devices that keep a woman from getting pregnant abortion – n. a procedure to end a pregnancy sin – n. act of wrongdoing according to religious or moral law disappoint – v. to make someone unhappy irregular – adj. not normal, or usual survey – n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something

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Microsoft Sues US Government

  Computer technology company Microsoft has brought a legal case against the U.S. government. Microsoft says a law that permits agencies to demand to read emails or online files without their owners’ knowledge violates the Constitution. The Reuters news agency reports that the company believes the government’s actions violate the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. That amendment bans “unreasonable searches and seizures.” Reuters also reports that Microsoft says the law violates the company’s First Amendment right to free speech. The law in question is the Electronics Communications Privacy Act of 1986. It permits government investigators to examine emails and other electronic files without telling the owners of the documents. In most cases, a judge must give the investigators permission to do so. Microsoft says the law was written before distant computer data storage centers, known as the cloud, were developed. Microsoft is a major operator of cloud storage for computers. It says the government is using the new technology to increase its power. The Justice Department says it is studying the lawsuit. Daniel Rosenthal is a former U.S. attorney. He told the Associated Press news agency that forcing the government to tell the owners of files that they are being examined could hurt law enforcement efforts. He says doing so would let “child molesters, domestic abusers, violent criminals and terrorists” know that their emails and files are being read. Microsoft Vice President and General Counsel Brad Smith said he understands that there are times when it is important not to tell people their files are being read. But he said “people should not lose their right(s) just because they are storing their information in the cloud.” Microsoft says it received more than 5,600 federal demands for access to files between September 2014 and March 2015. It says more than half of the requests did not permit the company to tell the owners of the files that their information was being read. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA's Kenneth Schwartz reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for VOA Learning English. He also used information from the Reuters news service. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page: http://ift.tt/1MS0jbF ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   online - adj. connected to a computer, a computer network or the Internet; done over the Internet seizure – n. the act of taking something by legal authority file - n. collection of records, documents or publications data - n. information that is produced or stored by a computer

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Does This Story Have Legs?

From VOA Learning English, it’s time again for Words and Their Stories. Legs. They are the base of the body. They provide support and balance. And, of course, we use them to walk. Besides being a part of the body, leg also means a part of a journey or trip. For example, on the first leg of a trip, you might feel fresh and ready-to-go. But by the last leg, you might be tired and ready for sleep. Legs have walked themselves right into many English expressions. A useful expression using the word “legs” is to simply have them. If something has legs, it means people have interest in it. This expression often describes a story, issue or scandal. If you are involved in a scandal that has legs, you will hear about it for a long time, which is unfortunate. On the other hand, you can also say that something does not have legs, meaning no one is interested. This expression is commonly heard in newsrooms and politics. Now, I will demonstrate the power of a preposition. If I add “up” to the expression “has legs,” you have a whole new expression with a whole new meaning. To have a leg up means that you are ahead of others in some competition. For example, if you are studying rocket science in college and your mother is a rocket scientist, you have a leg up on other students. Your mother can help you understand difficult concepts. You would have another a leg up if your father owned the local rocket factory. “Having a leg up” is much better than not having a leg to stand on. This expression means that a person has no proof or evidence to support their actions or opinions. Enjoy this English in a Minute video. It shows how to use the idiom "not have a leg to stand on." This expression is not new. Someone used it for the time over 500 years ago! “To not have a leg to stand on” is often used in discussions about legal actions or court trials. If someone threatens legal action against you but they do not have evidence to prove guilt, you could say, “Go ahead -- take me to court. You don’t have a leg to stand on!” Keep in mind when using this idiom that it is only used in the negative form. So, don’t drop the “not!” Now, let’s move our legs to the sea. Imagine you are on a boat that is rocking back and forth in rough ocean waters. You are unable to walk steadily and you feel a little sick. This is because you haven’t found your sea legs. Sea legs are the ability to move about and not feel sick while traveling on a boat or ship. If you are a pirate and you don’t have a good pair of sea legs, your career may not progress as you would hope. "Arrrr, matey...!" Now, the meaning of leg work is just as it sounds, the physical part of any task. For example, a political campaign involves planning and organization, but it also requires a lot of leg work. A candidate needs to talk to as many voters as possible. This means knocking on doors, standing at metro stations and going to community meetings. So, if someone tells you that running a political campaign is easy office work, they are pulling your leg. To pull someone’s leg is to tell a lie but in a friendly way. You can tell someone to not pull your leg. Or you can ask them if they are, as in this example: A: I just won two free tickets to the big rock concert tonight and a free dinner on a night-time boat cruise! Do you want to join me? B: Are you pulling my leg?! That sounds too good to be true. A: It’s true! I’ll pick you up at 6 o’clock. Some language experts say this expression may have come from a group in England many years ago call the “trippers-up.” They were criminals who robbed people by pulling their legs out from under them. Besides pulling a leg, you can also tell someone to shake a leg. This means to hurry. You often hear parents telling children to “shake a leg” when they are getting ready for school in the morning -- or perhaps not getting ready. Saying break a leg to someone performing on stage is the same as saying “good luck.” In the theater, saying “good luck” is actually considered to be bad luck. Saying “break a leg” is a tradition for actors and musicians, but not for dancers. Telling a dancer to break a leg would just be mean. Lastly, we come to last legs. If you find yourself on your last legs, you had better sit down for a while and rest. Being on your last legs can mean that you are so tired you cannot continue. And the personal pronoun here can change. She can be on her last legs. And he can be on his last legs. However, this expression does not have to be used just for a person. If something you own is old and not working, you can say it is on its last legs. For example, I have owned my car for 15 years, and it is on its last legs. Everything is breaking. A company that is losing money and soon to be out-of-business can be said to be on its last legs. But Words and Their Stories is not on its last legs! This show has been going strong for several decades! So, please listen, Like, Share and Comment to make sure this show has legs to stand on in the years to come! I’m Anna Matteo.   Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ZZ Top is the rock band singing about legs at the end of the show. The song is simply called, “Legs.”   Do you have any expressions using "legs" in your language? Do you tell actors to "break a leg" before heading on stage? Let us know in the Comments Section.

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English in a Minute: Bucket List

What is on your "bucket list?" Find out what this term means in this week's English in a Minute!

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German Comedian May Face Prison for Insulting Turkish President

A German comedian may face up to three years in prison for insulting the president of Turkey. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday that her government will accept a request for legal action against comedian Jan Bohmermann. Bohmermann, 35, is the host of the popular German television show "Neo Magazin Royale." During part of the March 31 episode of the show, he stood in front of a Turkish flag and a picture of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Bohmermann then read a poem full of profanity and criticism of Erdogan. The poem included sexual comments and suggestions that Erdogan mistreated Christian and Kurdish minorities. The comedian also called the Turkish president a "professional idiot." Bohmermann said he was trying to be offensive. ZDF is a government-owned public television broadcaster based in Mainz, Germany. ZDF broadcasts the show "New Magazin Royale." A day after Bohmermann read the poem, the broadcaster took the episode offline. ZDF then brought the episode back without the poem 24 hours later. But this did not stop the Turkish president from taking action. The Turkish embassy filed a complaint against Bohmermann a week after the original broadcast. This complaint is based on a German law that prevents its citizens from insulting foreign leaders. The law first appeared in the Prussian legal code of 1794. German lawyer Holger Heinin studied the law in law school. He told Radio Free Europe that the law does not fit today’s society. "Between 1997 and 2000, there were no more than two convictions annually," he said. The United States tried to make a complaint against a shop owner in the city of Marburg in 2003. The shop owner called then-President George W. Bush, a "state terrorist." But the German government decided this did not go against the law. Michael-Hubertus von Sprenger is the lawyer in Germany representing the Turkish president. He said he is prepared to take this complaint to the highest court. The conflict over the insulting poem puts Merkel in a difficult position. Millions of migrants have fled from conflict in Syria, Iraq and other Middle Eastern and North African countries. Merkel and Erdogan agreed in March that Turkey would stop the flow of migrants across the Aegean Sea and into Europe. The agreement also states any migrants who cross the sea and enter Greece after April 4 will be sent back. Erdogan has a history of reacting strongly to criticism. Since April 2014, when he became president, 1,845 court cases have been made against individuals insulting him. Two of the top journalists at the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet are on trial for espionage. Police arrested the two after they published a video in May 2015. The newspaper claimed the video was evidence of the government bringing weapons to Syrian rebels in 2014. Also, the government took control of Turkey’s biggest newspaper, Today’s Zaman, in March. The government claims the newspaper might have provided money illegally to Fethullah Gulen. Based in the United States, Gulen is an Islamic religious leader and a major critic of Erdogan. Erdogan claims Gulen is trying to bring down his government. Bohmermann has not yet gone to trial. But von Sprenger told ZDF he does not think Bohmermann will receive a very strong punishment. "It will be a punishment that is necessary to get him back on the right path - to produce satire, and not gross insults," he said. I’m Pete Musto.   Pete Musto wrote this story for Learning English. His report was based on reports from VOA, Radio Free Europe, Reuters and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Now it’s your turn. How does the government handle criticism in your country? What is the difference between comedy and an insult? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   comedian – n. a person who performs in front of a crowd and makes people laugh by telling jokes or funny stories or by acting in a way that is funny host – n. a person who talks to guests on a television or radio show episode – n. a television show or radio show that is one part of a series idiot – n. a very stupid or foolish person offline – adj. not connected to a computer, computer network, a television network or the Internet conviction(s) – n. the act of proving that a person is guilty of a crime in a court of law migrant(s) – n. a person who goes from one place to another especially to find work espionage – n. the things that are done to find out secrets from enemies or competitors satire – n. humor that shows the weaknesses or bad qualities of a person, government or society gross – adj. offensive complaint - n. an official protest

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VOA English Newscast: 2100 UTC, April 15 2016

From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m David Byrd reporting. For the second day in a row a strong earthquake has rattled Japan. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred near Kumamoto city at 1:25 a.m. local time Saturday.  Yuichrio Yoshikado has family in the town of Mashiki. "It's as if all control was lost. I thought I was going to die and I couldn't' bear it any longer, so I grabbed onto the sides of the bathtub, but the water in the tub was about 70 percent filled and was waving…all the water splashed out of the tub." The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the western coast of Kyushu after Friday's quake but canceled it a short time later. On Thursday, a 6.5-magnitude quake struck near the city on the island of Kyushu, about 1,300 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter visited a U.S. warship sailing in the South China Sea Friday to emphasize the Obama administration’s commitment to security in that area. Speaking to reporters on board of the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier, Carter said that the United States "intends to continue to play a role in keeping peace and stability in this region." "What's new is not an American carrier in this region. What's new is the context of tension which exists, which we want to reduce." China claims almost the entire South China Sea, and has aggressively carried out island-building and patrols in waters that are claimed by other countries. For more on these stories visit our website. This is VOA News _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story rattle –v. to shake tsunami –n. a very large ocean wave usually caused by an undersea earthquake emphasize –v. to place importance on something, to bring attention to something stability –n. the quality of not being easily changed entire –adj. whole, all of something

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Second Quake Hits Japan

A second powerful earthquake struck southern Japan early Saturday. The quake caused the Japan Meteorological Agency to give and then cancel a tsunami warning for the area. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near the city of Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu. Magnitude is a measure of the energy released during an earthquake. Rescue workers have been searching wreckage from an earlier 6.5 magnitude earthquake that hit the same area Thursday. More than 100 aftershocks have been felt since then. An eight-month-old baby girl was trapped in a house damaged by the earlier quake. Nearly 50 rescuers were involved in the effort to pull the child from the rubble early Friday. About 1,600 soldiers have joined nearly 2,000 police officers and 1,300 firefighters in the recovery effort. Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Friday that the quake killed at least nine people and injured more than 800 others. The quakes have destroyed houses and damaged roads. Damage was severe in the town of Mashiki. Eight of the dead lived in the town, which is about 1,300 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. Japanese officials said no damage was reported at nearby nuclear power centers. Television reports of the first earthquake showed fires and interviews with Mashiki residents. “The whole house shook violently sideways,” Takahiko Morita, a Mashiki resident, said to one broadcaster. “Furniture and bookshelves fell down. Books were all over the floor.” Aftershocks have slowed the recovery efforts. Water service was stopped in some areas, forcing some people to bring water from offices to their homes. I’m Mario Ritter.   VOANews.com reported this story. Jim Dresbach adapted the report 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   aftershock – n. a smaller earthquake that occurs after a larger one interview – n. a meeting between a reporter and another person in order to get information for a news story

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World Bank Official: Panama Papers Hurting Public Trust

Information from the newly-released “Panama Papers” is hurting public trust, according to a top World Bank official. Sri Mulyani Indrawati is the bank’s Managing Director. She warns the information may make everyday citizens less willing to pay taxes. She says this could reduce public money to pay for roads, schools or other government services. Mulyani is calling on policymakers to cooperate by developing stronger laws. The information came from documents stolen from a law firm in Panama. They show how wealthy people and government leaders around the world hide money and avoid paying taxes. Sri Mulyani says the idea of unfairness damages public trust. She says it could also lower the amount of money governments collect and could hurt the economies of countries that need to grow. She says that when everyday citizens learn that their leaders and the very rich have money in foreign banks, they ask why. And they ask if there is a good reason for people to move their money overseas or whether they are hiding something. Tom Cardamone works at the research and advisory group Global Financial Integrity. He says the money sheltered in Panama represents a large part of the economy of some countries. He says that more than a “trillion dollars in illicit money is siphoned out of developing countries every year. This is far more than all the foreign aid and all the foreign investment that goes into these countries every year.” Sri Mulyani says that for real changes, countries will have to work closely together. “Without international cooperation, it is going to be very hard to actually chase this tax avoidance,” she said. Mulyani notes that slower growth around the world is worsening economic pressures in many nations, especially in the 40 weakest. She says work has begun to improve conditions so that businesses create more jobs, and governments can provide basic public services and rebuild social services in countries affected by conflict. She says many of these efforts involve programs to help young people learn job-related skills. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA’s Jim Randle reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report 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:  http://ift.tt/1MS0jbF _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   evade – v. to avoid doing (something required) illicit – adj. not allowed by law; unlawful or illegal siphon out of – expression to take and use (something, such as money) for your own purpose according to – preposition as stated, reported or recorded by (someone or something) law firm – n. a group of lawyers operating in the same office or offices; a business organization operated by lawyers basic – adj. forming or relating to the most important part of something

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April 15, 2016

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

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English @ the Movies: 'Sounds Screwy'

The movie "Hail Caesar!" is funny one about Hollywood in the 1950s. Trouble stars when a movie star disappears. Our English @ the Movies phrase we are talking about is "sounds screwy." Want to know what that means? Listen and find out.

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