Batteries That Last Forever Could Be Near

  We all have daily problems with technology, but how many of us can fix them? Mya Le Thai is a scientist studying at the University of California, Irvine. She recently discovered a process that may result in batteries that last forever. VOA Learning English spoke with Thai about her discovery. Thai said she had been frustrated that the batteries for her wireless devices degrade. Over time, they fail to charge fully. Thai did not like to have keep her wireless laptop connected to an electrical outlet. She decided to do something about that problem. At first, she and her team at UC Irvine thought about inventing a new battery. But as they experimented, Thai discovered something that might permit lithium-ion batteries to last forever. Lithium-ion batteries power most wireless devices. Over time, the batteries lose the ability to hold a charge. Most of these batteries have a life span of about 7,000 charging cycles before they die. One of the reasons lithium-ion batteries degrade is their use of nanowires to carry electricity. Nanowires are extremely thin. A human hair is thousands of times thicker, for example. Nanowires are extremely efficient carriers of electricity, which makes them useful in batteries. But Thai said their thinness also makes them weak. "Nanowires break and fracture over time," she said. "That's why they lose capacity." But, Thai had a theory: The nanowires might last longer if covered with a gel. She and the team tested her theory. "It was a long process and a lot of work," Thai said. The team tried many coverings for the wires. PMMA was one of them. The nanowires were coated with PMMA and cycled through charges 200,000 times. The PMMA coated nanowires showed no evidence of damage. The results suggest that batteries could last forever, without losing charging ability. Thai said 200,000 cycles amount to about three months on just one device. Thai hopes to continue her research to understand why this gel works so well and to see if any other gel could create better results. Mya Le Thai told VOA she is enjoying the publicity about her discovery. She said she never expected her research to get media coverage. "It's kind of cool," she said. "I'm really glad people are showing interest in my work and not just in the work itself, but also in technology and energy." I’m Caty Weaver. Carolyn Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Do you look forward to a day when batteries last forever? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   battery - n. a device that is placed inside a machine (such as a clock, toy, or car) to supply it with electricity frustrated - adj. very angry, discouraged, or upset because of being unable to do or complete something​ degrade - v. to make the quality of (something) worse outlet  - n. a device in a wall into which an electric cord can be plugged in order to provide electricity for a lamp, television, etc​ lithium-ion battery- n. a rechargeable battery often used to power electronics gel  - n. a thick substance that is like jelly and that is used in various products​  

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Young Messi Fan Moves to Pakistan

A 5-year-old Afghan boy who became world famous earlier this year has fled his country because of safety concerns. A photograph of Murtaza Ahmadi first appeared on the Internet in January. He was wearing a homemade soccer jersey that looked like the one worn by Lionel Messi, the Argentinian soccer star. The boy’s brother made the shirt from a blue-and-white striped plastic bag. The bag had the name “Messi” and number 10 written on the back. The photograph spread quickly on the Internet. Eventually, Messi himself heard about the boy and sent him a soccer ball and signed jerseys. The story seemed to have a happy ending. But after the news spread, the Ahmadi family started receiving threatening telephone calls and even a letter from the Taliban. The Associated Press says the Taliban have yet to comment on the boy’s case. Murtaza's father said that at first he was not sure who was responsible for all the phone calls. At first, he thought it might have been criminals who falsely thought the family made a lot of money from the boy’s fame. About one month ago, the family of eight quietly fled to Pakistan. They left behind all of their belongings. They are currently living in a one-room house in the city of Quetta. But Murtaza Ahmadi has not given up on soccer. Some days, the boy goes to a nearby field to play a game with his family. His father adds that Murtaza still hopes that one day he will be able to meet his hero, Lionel Messi. I’m Ashley Thompson. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What do you think of Murtaza Ahmadi’s story? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   jersey – n. a loose shirt worn by a member of a sports team as part of a uniform soccer – n. the American name for a game known in many other countries as football signed – adj. being in the writer’s own handwriting

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Trump Is Republican 'Presumptive' Nominee as Cruz Exits

Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee following the suspension of Ted Cruz’s campaign. The Texas senator was Trump’s closest competitor. He announced he was suspending his campaign after losing the Indiana primary Tuesday. Donald Trump defeated Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich by a huge amount in that contest. Cruz thanked his family and his supporters in Indianapolis. But he said that his "path toward victory has been foreclosed," and that “voters have chosen another path.” On Twitter, the chairman of the Republican Party confirmed Trump as the presumptive nominee and called for unity to defeat Hillary Clinton. ​ Donald Trump echoed that idea in his victory speech from New York City. He praised Cruz’ decision to leave the race. “It was a brave thing to do, he said, “because we need unity in the Republican Party.” He also called Cruz a “tough, smart competitor” and said he has an “amazing future.” On the Democratic Party side, Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in Indiana. The competition in that contest was much closer. The U.S. presidential election will be held November 8.   Caty Weaver wrote this story for VOA Learning English. ­­­Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. You can also post a message on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   presumptive - adj. likely, expected echo - v. repeat tough - adj. strong

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May 3, 2016

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

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Another Baby Found Alive in Building Ruins in Kenya

Rescue crews in Nairobi have pulled a live baby from the wreckage of an apartment building that collapsed last Friday. Kenyan officials say the baby girl was found on Tuesday. She has no injuries, but needs food and water. Doctors are treating her for dehydration.  The girl was identified as Dealeryn Saisi Wasike. She is almost six months old. On Monday, a 1-year-old girl was found in the collapsed building. She was also unharmed, but dehydrated. Rescuers are still searching for other survivors. Officials say 23 people died in the apartment building collapse; 93 others were reported missing. The building collapsed in Huruma, a crowded but poor neighborhood in Kenya’s capital. The building fell down after heavy rains caused flooding and landslides in the area. Officials had already declared the building unsafe. It was unclear why apartment residents had not left it. Policed detained the two owners of the building, as well as several government officials, after it collapsed. Last year, eight buildings in Kenya collapsed. The Architectural Society of Kenya estimates that half the buildings in the country do not meet rules for building safety. I’m Jonathan Evans. The Associated Press reported this story. Kelly Jean Kelly adapted the report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Please leave your comment below and post on our Facebook page, thanks! ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   apartment – adj. of or involving a room or several rooms that are part of a building and used as a place to live dehydration – n. the loss or lack of too much water

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Malia Obama's College Decision Brings Attention to 'Gap Year'

Malia Obama’s decision to wait a year before going to college is bringing new attention to “Gap Years.” A gap year is when a student takes a year off after high school to do volunteer service, travel, or work before starting college. The White House announced on Sunday that President Barack Obama’s oldest daughter will wait until the fall of 2017 to start classes at Harvard University in Massachusetts. The announcement led to lots of news stories about “gap years.” Some observers think her decision might lead other high school graduates to wait a year before continuing their studies. “It is going to be the biggest thing ever for gap year programs in the United States,” said Joe O’Shea, director of undergraduate research at Florida State University. Harvard University urges students to consider taking a gap year to get some much-needed rest before entering college. “Many of us are concerned that the pressure on today’s students seems far more intense than those placed on previous generations,” said a message on Harvard’s website. President Obama said that he and his wife Michelle are facing up to the day when their daughter Malia leaves for college. The president said he decided not to speak at Malia’s high school graduation because it would be too emotional. “I’m going to be sitting there with dark glasses, sobbing,” Obama recently told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. Obama has said his family will remain in Washington, D.C., after his presidency ends in January so his youngest daughter, Sasha, 14, can finish high school. Both Obama daughters attend Sidwell Friends, a private school in the city. The White House did not provide details of what Malia, 17, will do during her gap year. Harvard said many students divide up their gap year with work, travel, study and volunteering. Joe O’Shea wrote the book “How Delaying College Changes People in Ways the World Needs.” He said that delaying college is generally a good thing. He said the year off give students a chance to get a better sense of what they want to study when they begin college. But a gap year is not for everyone, noted Sally Rubenstone, a former admissions counselor at Smith College in Massachusetts. For many, she said, it is a way to “explore activities near home or afar that you never had time to experience before.” Her comments appeared on the website collegeconfidential.com But Rubenstone said some have been known to spend their gap year watching television shows or cooking French fries at the local McDonalds restaurant. The American Gap Association estimates that between 30,000 and 40,000 U.S. students a year are taking a gap year. According to O’Shea, gap years started in Britain during the 1960s and spread to other European nations, Australia and New Zealand. There are also “gap year programs’’ in Japan and, recently, wealthy Chinese started signing up for them. But taking a gap year can be costly. A group called “Where There Be Dragons” offers international gap year programs. It lists a price of $14,900, not including airfare, for a three-month gap year program in Nepal, for example. Chris Yager is the group’s founder. He admits families that do not “have the resources” might find some programs out of reach. He says his and other programs offer some financial aid. “We’re finding that students completing high school are looking for a really big adventure, doing something they know that they may never have a chance to do again,” Yager said. 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. Do you think it’s a good idea to wait a year before starting college? ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   graduate – n. a person who has completed a study program at a high school, college or university previous – adj. existing or happening before the present time sob – v. to cry noisily activity – n. things people do for work or pleasure resources – n. a supply of something, such as money, that someone has and can use when it is needed adventure – n. an exciting or dangerous experience

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Climate Change Could Make Parts of Middle East Unlivable

Climate change may make parts of the Middle East too hot for human beings, according to a new study. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Cyprus Institute studied weather conditions in the Middle East since 1970. The researchers say “very hot” days in the area have doubled over that period. Right now, over 500 million people live there. “In [the] future, the climate in large parts of the Middle East and North Africa could change …,” says Jos Lelieveld, director at the Max Planck Institute and a professor at the Cyprus Institute. He added that because temperatures could get so high, those living in the area could be at risk. Researchers say temperatures in summer in the Middle East and North Africa will continue rising. The nights and days will be hotter, too. The researchers believe that by 2050, temperatures will not fall below 30 degrees Celsius at night in the hottest part of summer. During this period, day-time temperatures could rise to 46 degrees Celsius. Extreme heat could continue past the middle of the 21st century. Researchers think temperatures in the middle of the day could reach as high as 50 Celsius. Heat waves could increase, and those hot periods are likely to last longer. "If mankind continues to release carbon dioxide as it does now, people living in the Middle East and North Africa will have to expect about 200 unusually hot days," says Panos Hadjinicolaou, a climate change expert with the Cyprus Institute. The researchers also looked at the amount of “fine particulate air pollution” in the Middle East. They found that the amount of dust in the atmosphere over Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Syria jumped 70 percent since the start of the century. This, they say, could have resulted from an increase in the number of sand storms caused by climate change. The researchers created two models. In one model, rising temperatures are limited because of reductions in greenhouse gases. Studies have linked production of such gases to rising temperatures. The other model is said to be a “business as usual” model where nothing is done to stop climate change. Under both models, the future of the Middle East is not good, the researchers say. They added that climate change can result in a slow worsening of living conditions for people in North Africa and the Middle East. They also said sooner or later, many people may have to leave the region. I’m Anne Ball. This story appeared on VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted the story 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 according – adj. as stated by or in 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 carbon dioxide – n. a gas that is produced when people and animals breathe out or when certain fuels are burned and that is used by plants for energy greenhouse gases – n. gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, which makes the Earth warmer

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2000 UTC Hourly Newscast for May 3, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA news… I'm Dave DeForest reporting Russia's foreign minister announces possible ceasefire in Syria: Sergei Lavrov says a renewed ceasefire could be announced in the near future, possibly within hours. The Russian diplomat met in Moscow with United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura. De Mistura said Syrian peace talks could be resumed if fighting can be stopped in Aleppo, where rebel fighters Tuesday launched deadly rocket attacks on government-held neighborhoods.  A hospital was hit.  A U.S. Navy SEAL has been killed by enemy fire during an Islamic State attack on a Kurdish Peshmerga position in northern Iraq. ”An American service member has been killed in Iraq in the neighborhood of Irbil.” That was U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaking in Germany. A Pentagon Press Secretary said the service member was "advising and assisting Peshmerga forces" north of the city of Mosul when they came under attack.  The rights group Amnesty International says more than a thousand Iraqi's are being held without charge at makeshift counterterrorism centers throughout the country. Amnesty says many of the detainees were taken when Iraqi forces recaptured their towns from Islamic State forces.  Many are suspected of collaborating with the militant group. Counter-terrorism officers told Amnesty they lack personnel to carry out investigations in a timely manner and don't have the resources to treat detainees humanely. The European Commission is due to release details of its plan to overhaul the EU asylum system Wednesday. The plans are expected to touch off a renewed debate on how Europe should handle the recent influx of migrants. An estimated 1 million refugees and migrants arrived in the European Union last year.    This is VOA news. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Newscast Resume –v. to begin again after stopping Makeshift –adj. a temporary replacement for something Overhaul –n. to change completely in order to improve or repair touch off –v. to start, to put in motion influx –n. the arrival of a large number of people

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Piracy, Kidnapping Increase in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea

Pirates have been active in the waters of West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea for many years. West Africa has some of the world’s most dangerous waterways.  Navies in the area have improved their ability to answer robberies on the ocean. However, pirates are changing tactics. They are abducting sailors and holding them for ransom. The International Maritime Bureau reports on crimes at sea. It recently said two of three ship hijackings reported around the world in the first three months of 2015 took place in the Gulf of Guinea.  Pirates have kidnapped 44 sailors in the Gulf of Guinea this year.  Although piracy is decreasing worldwide, the IMB says it is increasing in West Africa. In its yearly security report, anti-piracy group Oceans Beyond Piracy says pirates in the Gulf of Guinea are increasingly taking hostages. Matthew Walje is the lead author of the report. He says hostages are often taken to Nigeria’s Niger Delta area and held there until ransom is paid. That is a change from past years, he says. Pirates used to steal ships’ cargos and fuel.  Walje says one reason for the change is that taking cargo takes too much time. Navies in the area have improved their ability to deal with ship hijackings. “The time that it takes means that it is more likely to be interdicted, which then reduces the possibility of success.” Kidnapping sailors, he says, appears to be faster and less risky for the pirates. “It takes a little bit longer from start to finish, but the actual incident itself is shorter, and the likelihood of success is higher.” Hostage taking, however, involves more violence. Last year, 23 people were killed in incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Walje says that navies are getting better at dealing with piracy.  He gave the example of an incident last February when the navies of Ghana, Togo and Nigeria tracked a hijacked ship off their coasts. The ship was eventually raided, and most of the sailors rescued by the Nigerian navy.  “The response is getting better and this may be a temporary uptick.” Walje said a long-term solution to the issue would be for governments to do more to prosecute arrested pirates.   I’m Mario Ritter. Chris Stein reported this story for VOA Learning English from Lagos. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What do you think about piracy? Please leave us a comment, and post on our Facebook page, thank you! ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   pirate – n. someone who attacks and steals from ships at sea tactics – n. methods leading to a goal abduct – v. to seize or take someone against their will ransom – n. money demanded for the release of a person being held captive or kidnapped interdict – v. to isolate, to cut off from others track – v. to follow as in a hunt uptick – n. an increase

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U.S. Cruise Ship Arrives in Havana

It was the first time a cruise ship arrived in Cuba in nearly 40 years. Travel to Cuba has increased sharply. Now, environmentalists are concerned the island nation will not be able to deal with all the new visitors.

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Soccer Fans Go Crazy When Leicester City Wins After 132 Years

This is What’s Trending Today. The Leicester City soccer players gathered at a teammate’s home Monday evening. They were anticipating the result of another game in the English Premier League. For the first time in 132 seasons, Leicester City, also known as the Foxes, was positioned to finish the season as the champion of England’s top soccer league. But the first half of the match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea did not look good. If Tottenham won, Leicester’s celebration would have to be put on hold for at least one more week. At halftime, Tottenham was ahead, 2-0. Gary Cahill scored to make it 2-1. Then Eden Hazard got the equalizer with just seven minutes to play. When the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the game, the Leicester City players went crazy. Because of the tie score, Tottenham cannot overtake Leicester for first place. The result set off celebrations in England and beyond.   People around the world followed the story of Leicester City this season. Thailand is one place that caught fever for the Foxes. That is because the owner of the team is from Thailand, and his company, King Power, is the sponsor. Most Thai soccer fans like the famous English teams like Manchester United or Chelsea. But not anymore. In fact, a Buddhist monk at a temple in Bangkok blessed the team earlier this season and predicted it would win the championship. Now the monk and his temple are considered magical and holy by Leicester City fans. Sports experts say Leicester is one of the most unlikely teams ever to win a major championship. The Foxes played so well, they won the title with two games to go. Leicester started the season as a 5,000-to-1 underdog. Just seven years ago, the team was in the third division of English soccer. Thanks to the play of top goal-scorer Jamie Vardy and the direction of manager Claudio Ranieri, the Foxes took over first place in the league at the end of December 2015. The Foxes built a 5-point lead in the standings by February and continued to play well late in the season to clinch the title. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Have you been following the progress of Leicester City this year? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   league – n. a group of sports teams that play against each other title – n. the status or position of being the champion in a sport or other competition unlikely – adj. used to say that something probably will not happen clinch – v. to make (something) certain or final anticipate – v. to think of something that might happen in the future equalizer – n. a goal in a sport like soccer or hockey that ties the score comeback – n. a new effort to win or succeed after being close to defeat or failure

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