Lesson 13: Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare!

Summary It's a Sunday afternoon in Washington, D.C. Anna is bored. She finds something interesting to do when she hears music playing.    Speaking In this video, learn to say the new words. Learn to talk about cause and effect. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about your usual - and unusual - activities. Pronunciation ​In this video, you ​learn about what happens when two words with same sound come together.​ Conversation   Anna: Hello! In Washington D.C. there are many things to do on a Sunday afternoon. I like to exercise. I like to shop. I like to garden. But today I feel bored. When I feel bored I always look for something unusual to do! I hear music. Let’s go see! What is going on here? Rebecca: It’s a big birthday party for the writer William Shakespeare. Anna: This is a party for William Shakespeare? Rebecca: Yes! Anna: Awesome! Rebecca: Awesome! Anna: This is a drum band. I never listen to a drum band. But today I am listening to a drum band because it’s Shakespeare’s birthday! Anna: This is a puppet show.  I never watch puppet shows. But today I am watching a puppet show because it’s Shakespeare’s birthday! Anna: My clothes are usual. His clothes are unusual. Anna: In Washington, D.C. seeing a politician or even the President is usual. Seeing the Queen of England is very unusual! Your majesty! Anna: This is sword fighting. I never sword fight. But today I am sword fighting because it’s Shakespeare’s birthday! Anna: There are many things to do on a Sunday in Washington, D.C. -- some usual, some unusual. Anna: Today, I am not bored because … it is William Shakespeare’s birthday! Writing What do you usually do on a Sunday afternoon? (Or on your day off.)​ Send us an email or write about how frequently you do different activities in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice with a friend. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Make an Inference. Learning English is easier when you can make an inference about meaning. Here is an example. Rory is traveling. At the airport, he is looking for his airline when he walks into a woman by mistake. She yells at him, "Hey, don't be so inconsiderate! Watch where you're going!" Rory does not know the word "inconsiderate." But the woman's angry face and loud voice help him to understand that she is angry. He makes the inference that "inconsiderate" means "rude," or "impolite," and he quickly apologizes. "Oh, I'm very sorry! I am looking for the airline desk."  The woman say, "Okay, but be more careful." How do you make inferences in studying English? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.   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   band – n. a usually small group of musicians who play popular music together because – conj. for the reason that birthday - n. the day when someone was born or the anniversary of that day bored – adj. tired and annoyed by too much of the same thing; not interested drum - n. a musical instrument that is made with a thin layer of skin or plastic stretched over the end of a round frame and that is played by hitting the skin or plastic with sticks or with your hands exercise – v. physical activity that is done in order to become stronger and healthier fight - v. to use weapons or physical force to try to hurt someone, to defeat an enemy, etc. or to struggle in battle or physical combat party - n. a social event in which entertainment, food, and drinks are provided politician - n. someone who is active in government usually as an elected official President - n. the head of the government in some countries puppet - n. a doll that is moved by putting your hand inside it or by pulling strings or wires that are attached to it Queen -  n. a woman who rules a country and who usually inherits her position and rules for life shop – v. to visit places where goods are sold in order to look at and buy things show - n. a performance in a theater that usually includes singing and dancing sword - n. a weapon with a long metal blade that has a sharp point and edge unusual - adj. different or strange in a way that attracts attention usual – adj. done, found, or used most of the time or in most cases, or normal or regular watch -  v. to look at (someone or something) for an amount of time and pay attention to what is happening   ______________________________________________________________ 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: Frequency adverbs, cause and effect phrases Topics: Usual and unusual activities Learning Strategy: Make an Inference Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Using frequency adverbs to talk about cause and effect; blended sounds ______________________________________________________________ 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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Ex-Prisoners Ask for Second Chance and a Job

American Douglas Lindsay left prison last November -- after 19 years and 28 days. He had been given a life prison sentence for selling the drug crack cocaine. President Barack Obama reduced his sentence last year. Lindsay is one of 306 people who had sentences for nonviolent crimes reduced by the president, who calls the United States “a nation of second chances.” Lindsay told VOA he knows many former prisoners have a hard time finding work after their release. “I was lucky,” he said. Lindsay’s younger brother helped him get a job at a local pasta producer near his brother’s North Carolina home. He now loads big boxes of pasta for shipment to stores. Douglas Lindsay was 28 when he was sentenced, and 47, when he left prison. At the time of his arrest, he had completed a college study program. He was hoping to marry and have children. “I had all the dreams of a young man - marriage, children, a good job and that house with the white picket fence,” he said. Lindsay said he got his lifetime sentence when others arrested with him claimed he was their leader. That wasn’t true, Lindsay said. He was a “nobody” in terms of drug sales, Lindsay said. But those who said he was a bigger player received short jail terms and got Lindsay the longest possible sentence – life. “No, I’m not bitter,” Lindsay said. What is the biggest change since he went to prison? “Technology,” he said. There were no smart phones in 1997. “Now everyone is spending all their time looking down at their phones,” he said. The criminal justice system, which Lindsay recently left, is now the center of a major reform effort. The U.S. Congress is considering bills to reduce required long prison sentences for non-violent crimes – mostly for selling drugs. The required sentences were set by federal laws passed in the 1980s and 1990s. President Obama stopped the federal government from asking people seeking government jobs if they were ever jailed for a crime. Now that question can only be asked when the government is ready to make a job offer. Last month, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an order giving voting rights to over 200,000 ex-prisoners. That leaves only three U.S. states that block most ex-prisoners from voting. Obama explained the current changes this way: “Now, plenty of people should be behind bars,” he said. "But the reason we have so many more people in prison than any other developed country is not because we have more criminals. It’s because we have criminal justice policies, including unfair sentencing laws, that need to be reformed.” According to the U.S. Justice Department, over 2.2 million people are held in federal, state and local prisons. About 650,000 people are released from prison every year. Most need jobs. In 1988, Marshall Shackelford needed a job. He had been in prison since 1984. When he got out, he took over care of his two children – ages 4 and 7. Shackelford found a warehouse job at Mays Chemical in Indiana. “That job was just so important to me,” he said. “I had to take care of my children.” Over the years, Shackelford worked his way up to warehouse supervisor. And Mays Chemical continues to employ ex-prisoners. Shackelford said Mays asks people with a criminal history to find a person respected in in the community to “speak up for them.” “This does two things,” he said. “It makes them develop a relationship with someone who is respected in the community and to live up to the recommendation that they got for the job.” He said ex-prisoners working at Mays have done as well or better than other employees. Michael Santos was released from prison in 2013, after serving 25 years for selling cocaine. It would be hard enough, he said, for people released from prison to find jobs – even if there was no “discrimination.” People returning after long sentences in prison find their friends and family back home have moved on. And they come home often without any money, and “without the skills needed in today’s job market,” Santos said. Santos now heads a business helping people entering and returning from prison. Molly Gill is with a group called Families Against Mandatory Minimums. She said reducing sentences for non-violent offenders has won support from both conservatives and liberals because it saves money and “it is the fair thing to do.” But she wishes a bill under consideration in the U.S. Senate would do more to “reduce sentences” for non-violent crimes. As she notes, those coming home after long sentences “have the hardest time finding jobs.” The National Center for Victims of Crime said it is important the damage done to victims and their families not be left out of reform efforts. “Victims’ rights must be at the core of all reforms,” the group said in a statement. Devah Pager teaches sociology at Harvard University in Massachusetts. She has looked at the problems facing people after they are released from prison. In one study, she had people apply for jobs, all with the same experience, except some said they had been convicted of a crime. Those that listed past crimes got called back only half as much as those who did not list past crimes. In another study, Pager looked at promotions for people who entered the U.S. military. She found people who had criminal records move quicker to better paying positions than those who did not. In her opinion, the military did a good job making sure those with criminal records could handle military service. And Pager said it is possible people who served time work harder -- grateful someone gave them a chance and not ever wanting to return to prison. 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. ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   crack cocaine – n. a very powerful form of the drug, cocaine pasta – n. a food made from a mixture of flour, water, and sometimes eggs that is formed into different shapes (such as thin strips, tubes, or shells) and usually boiled probation – n. a situation or period of time in which a person who has committed a crime is allowed to stay out of prison if that person behaves well, does not commit another crime recommendation – n. the act of saying that someone or something is good and deserves to be chosen core – n. the central part of something apply – v. to seek a position grateful – adj. feeling or showing thanks

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Fewer US Students Are Ready for College

Fewer high school students in the United States were ready for college in 2015, say recent test results. Only 37 per cent of seniors scored at or above proficiency level in reading. The number of seniors scoring at or above the proficiency level for mathematics fell to 25 per cent. The test is called the National Assessment for Educational Progress, or NAEP. It is also known as the Nation’s Report Card. The U.S. Department of Education has used this test to measure the ability of students in several subjects across the country since 1969. The Education Department collected the scores of 13,200 students for the 2015 mathematics test and 18,700 students for the reading test. The department released the results of those two tests in April. The results showed that average mathematics scores have changed little over the past 10 years. But they also showed the average reading score has decreased 5 points since 1992. The National Assessment Governing Board is the organization that administers the test. Bill Bushaw is the executive director of the organization. He told the Wall Street Journal that he was unhappy with the lack of progress in increasing the skills and knowledge of students. “These numbers aren’t going the way we want,” Bushaw said. “We just have to redouble our efforts to prepare our students to close opportunity gaps.” The test is scored into four different levels: below basic, basic, proficient and advanced. But the level that officials consider to be college ready is not completely clear. Andrew Ho is a measurement expert who works at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He also helps manage the Nation’s Report Card. Ho told National Public Radio that being college-ready means scoring somewhere between proficient and basic. "This is the [major] problem of standards," Ho said. "You can come up with a different and seemingly defensible standard every day over coffee." But, Ho said, the Nation’s Report Card is the best test for examining how the average student in the U.S. performs. Unlike state tests, all students take the same national test and face the same standards. None are trained on how to take the test. This means officials can measure the skills and knowledge of students rather than their test-taking abilities. One major concern is that high schools are not demanding enough from their students. Despite the decrease in test scores, the Education Department reported the high school graduation rate in America was 82 percent in 2015. This is the highest graduation rate ever. “If you get right down to it, the reading and math required by NAEP, the ACT, the SAT, colleges and careers is much greater than what high schools are saying is sufficient," Ho told NPR. Another issue is that the number of students scoring at the “below basic” level is increasing. The number of students scoring below basic in math increased from 35 percent to 38 percent between 2013 and 2015. The number of students who scored below basic in reading also increased 3 percentage points to 28 percent in 2015. Peggy Carr is the acting director for National Center for Educational Statistics, the part of the Education Department in charge of the test. She told the Wall Street Journal that officials think that the lower numbers are not connected to education policies, but to the number of students who are staying in high school. Carr said more students who were at risk of leaving high school without graduating took the test this year. This means more students with histories of poor performance had their abilities measured. Testing more of this type of student may be why the number of students performing at the lower end increased, she suggested. “There is a widening of the gap between higher and lower-ability students,” Carr said. Students are not able to use their scores toward the college admissions process the way they do with SAT and ACT scores. That is why some educators claim that students do not try their best on this test. Carr told the Wall Street Journal that the motivation of students is hard to measure. But things like the number of answers left blank shows the level of student interest is the same as in past years. At the time of the test, 42 percent of test-takers said they had been accepted into a four-year college. I’m Jill Robbins.   Pete Musto reported and wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Now it’s your turn. How prepared for college are high school students in your country? Does your country provide nationwide tests to measure students’abilities? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   senior – n. US a student in the final year of high school or college proficiency – n. ability to do something well report card – n. a written statement of a student's grades that is given to the student's parents (the "Nation's Report Card" is a report to the citizens about how the public schools perform) administer – v. to manage the operation of (something, such as a company or government)  opportunity gap – n. the ways in which race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, English proficiency, community wealth, familial situations, or other factors contribute to or perpetuate lower educational aspirations, achievement, and attainment for certain groups of students basic – adj. forming or relating to the first or easiest part of something advanced – adj. far along in a course of progress or development standard– n. a level of quality, achievement, etc., that is considered acceptable or desirable defensible – adj. able to be thought of as good or acceptable graduation – n.  the act of receiving a diploma or degree from a school, college, or university ACT – abbr. A test used to test high school students for college admissions in the U.S.; originally an abbreviation of the name “American College Testing” SAT – abbr. A test widely used for college admissions in the U.S.; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, then the Scholastic Assessment Test sufficient – adj. having or providing as much as is needed motivation – n. a force or influence that causes someone to do something

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Russian Sentenced to 10 Years in US for Cybercrime

  This week, a court in the United States sentenced a Russian man charged with creating a modern form of cybercrime.  About 10 years ago, Nikita Kuzmin created a malicious software program called Gozi. Gozi came to a user’s computer through a file, such as a PDF, that looked normal. However, when the file was opened, Gozi attacked the person’s computer. The user had no idea the malware was running. As a result, the software could easily collect information, such as a bank username and password, and send the data back to hackers. Gozi eventually infected more than 1 million computers. It caused tens of millions of dollars in damages. The infected computers included hundreds at NASA, America’s space agency. Kuzman said he did not steal bank account information himself. Instead, he made money by providing Gozi to others who did not know how to create malware themselves. Then Kuzman collected part of whatever those hackers stole. Court documents report that he earned at least $250,000. Federal prosecutors charged Kuzmin with conspiracy, bank fraud and computer intrusion. But they say Kuzmin’s crimes are much bigger than stealing. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara noted that the cybercrimes cannot be stopped by arresting one person. "Because Kuzmin sold the Gozi source code to others, Gozi can be used by others, and it is in fact still in wide use by criminals today," Bharara told the court. He called Kuzmin greedy. He noted Kuzmin's computer science education and legal business projects. "Kuzmin used his talent and skills to create malware with the single purpose of stealing other people's money, and when he succeeded in doing that, he spent lavish sums on luxury sports cars, and extravagant travel and entertainment in Europe and Russia." The court said Kuzmin's punishment is the 37 months he has already spent in prison. The court ordered him to pay $6.9 million for banks’ losses.  Kuzmin earned a lighter sentence after helping the government investigate other people accused of cybercrimes: Latvian national Deniss Calovskis and Romanian Mihai Paunescu. I’m Anne Ball.   Kelly Jean Kelly adapted this story for Learning English. VOA’s Chris Hannas contributed to the story. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and post on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   cybercrime – n. a crime done through a computer or other electronic device malicious – adj. having or showing a desire to cause harm to others malware – n. a software program designed to interfere with a computer’s normal operations hacker – n. someone who secretly uses a computer system to get information or cause damage greedy – adj. having or showing a selfish desire to have more of something lavish – adj. giving or using a large amount of something

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The Terms of Buying a House

  Hello! It’s time again for Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English. Many Americans and people who come to America want to own a home. Home ownership is part of the American Dream: the hope that if you work hard and are treated fairly, you can buy a place to call your own. But buying a home can be difficult. Even talking about it can be confusing. The language of real estate – the buying and selling of property – includes its own terms, phrases and expressions. For starters, let’s talk about who has the advantage in the real estate market. Well, that depends. A buyer’s market means a lot of people are trying to sell their homes. People shopping for a home – the buyers – have a lot of choices, and the price of property can be low. But in a seller’s market, more people are trying to buy property than there are homes for sale. As a result, people selling their homes can charge a lot of money. Or they can wait for just the right offer before deciding to accept a bid. In other words, sellers have the upper hand. So, let’s say you finally find a place. You and the seller agree to a price. But most houses cost a lot more than anyone can simply buy outright in cash. So you put some money down. For the rest, you take out a mortgage – a loan from the bank to help you pay for your home. Having a mortgage -- or carrying a mortgage -- is normal. A lot of Americans owe money on their homes. But you never want to be upside down in your mortgage. That means you owe more than your house is worth. Having a home with more debt than value is also called being underwater. You can find yourself underwater if you buy at the peak of a real estate boom but then something happens that causes the value of your home to drop. Maybe a highway is built through your front yard, or a natural disaster strikes, or violent riots terrorize your once peaceful neighborhood. Suddenly, your house is not worth as much as you paid for it. People who find themselves upside down in their mortgage often have no choice but to foreclose. This means the bank becomes the official owner of the house. The buyers have to move out, and they lose the the money they had originally paid for the property. Before foreclosing on a family, banks sometimes offer a grace period. This extra time allows the homeowner to pull together some funds to pay the mortgage. Now, let’s listen to a dialogue using some of these terms.   A: Hey, thanks for coming over. I have big news to tell you! B: You’re getting married. A: No. But it’s almost as life-changing. B: Well, don’t keep me waiting. A: I’m buying a house! B: But I love your apartment. It’s so hard to find a rental with a great outdoor deck like this! A: I know. Believe me, I love this apartment too. But I’m tired of paying rent. It’s time to invest in some property. And right now, it’s a buyer’s market. B: That’s true. There are so many houses available that prices have really hit rock bottom. A: I know! Housing prices have not been this low in decades. Now is the time to look for a great deal. B: My cousin Bernie bought a place 15 years ago in this neighborhood for a song. It was so cheap! And now he owns it free and clear. A: Lucky guy. My friend Rebecca is not so lucky. She bought her place three years ago when the market was peaking.   B: Is she carrying a big mortgage? A: Not only is she mortgaged up to her eyeballs, she’s actually upside down in her mortgage. B: Oh no. She owes the bank more than the house is worth in the current market? Being underwater is the worst situation to be in. A: It gets worse. She just lost her job and can’t make payments. The bank is threatening to foreclose! B: Yikes. That is serious. Maybe she can ask her bank for a grace period. If they give her three or four months to find a job and get back on her feet, maybe they won’t have to foreclose on her house. A: Actually, she found a job in another city. But she can’t move and sell her house right now because she’s underwater and will lose all the money she has invested. B: Well, that’s a catch-22 if ever I heard one. A: Stories like my friend Rebecca’s scare me to death. Maybe I’ll wait a little longer before becoming a homeowner. B: Just keep an eye on the market and do your research. You don’t want a big mortgage hanging over your head, but it also sounds like you don’t want to rent forever. A: Exactly. Especially with my other big news. I got a puppy! Come here, boy! Come and meet Uncle Mario! And that brings us to the end of Words and Their Stories. Whether you own or rent, now you have some expressions for the next time you talk about real estate. I’m Anna Matteo.   Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. John Cougar Mellencamp ends our show with “Little Pink Houses.” ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   bid – n. to offer to pay (a particular amount of money) for something that is being sold upper hand  – n. the position of having power or being in control in a particular situation outright – adv. in one payment of money peak  – n. the highest level or degree of excellence, quantity, activity, etc boom – v. to grow or expand suddenly for a song – informal : to buy something very cheaply. free and clear – informal : without owing any money up to her eyeballs – informal : used to emphasize the extreme degree of an undesirable situation or condition. rock bottom – n. the lowest possible level or point yikes - interjection : used to express a feeling of fear or surprise grace period –​ n.  an amount of extra time that someone is given to pay a bill, finish a project, etc. get back on her feet –​ informal: to recover from something hanging over your head – informal : something makes you unable to relax or enjoy yourself

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School in a Pakistani Public Park Helps Poor Children

  A man in Pakistan who did not go to school as a child because he was too poor is now working to help children get an education. It is estimated that Pakistan has 25 million children who do not go to school. That is the second-highest number in the world. Only Nigeria has more. Many Pakistani children must work to earn money for their families. Mohammad Ayub was once one of those children. He is now a firefighter. He also operates a small school. VOA recently visited the school, in the capital Islamabad. Ayub started with just one student in 1982. He saw a boy cleaning cars for days. He asked him: “Why don’t you go to school?” The boy answered that his parents were dead and he had to work to help support his five brothers and three sisters. That affected Ayub. He was also an orphan and he, too, had five brothers and three sisters he worked to help support. He says “when my father died, everyone who came to the funeral said they were sorry, but no one helped.” He sold newspapers and did other work to earn enough money to pay school fees for his brothers and sisters. Ayub wanted to help the young boy who washed cars, but he did not have enough money to pay the boy’s school fees. So he offered to teach him. Today, Ayub teaches many children at his informal school in a public park. Some of the children attend other schools in the morning, but come to Ayub in the afternoon to get help with their homework. Ayub has helped thousands of poor children since he began teaching. Many of them come from very poor areas near the park called slums. “I used to particularly argue with kids who worked -- I used to ask girls ‘Why are you washing someone’s dishes or their clothes? Why don’t you study?’” One of the children he urged to attend classes was Farhat Abbas. Ayub found him working with his friends about 12 years ago. “He followed us back home. He told our parents he wanted to teach us and asked them to come check out his school.” Today, Abbas is taking classes at a college and is helping Ayub. While many children are out of school, those who do attend classes often get a poor quality education. Information gathered by an aid group shows half of all Pakistani children in the 5th grade do not understand basic mathematics and cannot read a story in their language. A policy group based in Islamabad reports Pakistan spends less on education than any other country in South Asia. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise. VOA Correspondent Ayesha Tanzeem reported this story from Islamabad. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter 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   orphan – n. a child whose parents are dead funeral – n. a ceremony held for a dead person informal – adj. not official park – n. a piece of public land in or near a city that is kept free of houses and other buildings and can be used for pleasure and exercise slum – n. an area of a city where poor people live and the buildings are in bad condition check out – v. to see; observe; inspect basic – adj. forming or relating to the first or easiest part of something  

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New Urine Test Offers Quick, Painless Check for Malaria

  The government in Nigeria is urging citizens to use a new, simple test for malaria. The test is available at Nigerian drugs stores. Each box sells for $12 and comes with five test strips. They offer a quick, painless way to inspect a person’s urine for signs of malaria. Up until now, many Nigerians took medicine every time they developed a high body temperature, thinking that they might have the disease. Malaria is caused by a parasite called plasmodium. Mosquitoes infected with the organism pass the disease to people through mosquito bites. The parasites reproduce in the human liver, and then infect red blood cells. After they enter the blood cells, they reproduce again. As they do this, they destroy the cells.  Signs of the disease appear in victims 10 to 15 days after they are bitten. People with malaria develop chills and experience pain in the head or muscles. If not treated, malaria can even cause death.  The new urine test kit is a product of Fyodor BioTechnology, an American company. This is how the test works: The user collects urine in a small container. The person then puts a test stick in the liquid and leaves it there for 25 minutes. A one line reading on the stick means the person does not have malaria. Two lines is a sign of infection. Ezzine Anyanwu lives in Nigeria. She likes the new test more than painful blood tests. "I personally think that is revolutionary because being here and having a lot of family members that are not necessarily, they don’t necessarily take care of themselves well. So whenever anything is wrong, it's malaria. It doesn’t matter if it is some diet changes. Everything is malaria, and so they take medications.” Malaria is spreading in many countries, including Nigeria. There are an estimated 425 million cases worldwide. The disease kills more than 400,000 people a year. Fast detection of malaria is considered important for successful treatment. "Malaria elimination in Nigeria is overdue,” said Victoria Enwenmadu of Fyodor Biotechnology. “A lot of countries have succeeded in eliminating malaria … and the Federal Ministry of Health is doing a lot of work to encourage proper care.” Fyodor BioTechnology hopes to make the test available throughout Africa and Asia. I’m Kathleen Struck. Jessica Berman wrote this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted her 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   kit – n. a set of tools or supplies that a person uses for a particular purpose or activity urine – n. waste liquid that collects in the bladder before leaving the body mosquito – n. a small flying insect that bites the skin of people and animals and sucks their blood chills – n. a cold feeling; a degree of cold that can be felt and that is usually unpleasant elimination – n. the end of something strip – n. a long, narrow piece of something

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English in a Minute: Break Even

Is it a good thing or a bad thing to "break even?" Should "breaking even" be your goal? Watch this week's episode of English in a Minute to learn how to use this phrase!

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Life in Death Valley National Park

Today, we visit a place of strange and silent beauty. As beautiful as this place is, its name provides evidence of very real danger. We are exploring Death Valley National Park. Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. It has nearly 1.4 million hectares of desert and mountains. There are mountains that reach more than 3,000 meters into the sky. The valley’s Badwater Basin area is the lowest land in the Western Hemisphere. It lies 86 meters below sea level. Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can cause sudden floods on the floor of the valley. But, during summer months, the air temperature has been as high as 57 degrees Celsius. The extreme heat of Death Valley has killed people in the past. Death Valley does not forgive those who are not careful.   Within Death Valley National Park is evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide. In many areas of Death Valley, it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This has created unusual and beautiful rock formations, with colors of red, brown, gray, yellow and black. In other parts of Death Valley, there are lines in the rock. The lines are evidence of the past presence of water. The area was deep under an ocean for many thousands of years. Much of Death Valley is flat and extremely dry. In fact, scientists believe it is the driest place in the United States. In some areas the ground is nothing but salt. Nothing is able to grow in this salty ground. However, it would be wrong to think that nothing lives in Death Valley. The valley is full of life. Wildflowers grow very quickly after even a small amount of rain. Some desert plants can send their roots down more than 18 meters to reach water deep in the ground. Several kinds of birds live in Death Valley, as do mammals and reptiles. Visitors might see the dog-like animal called the coyote, or wild bighorn sheep, or other animals like the desert jackrabbit, the desert tortoise, and a large reptile called a chuckwalla. Many different snakes live there too. Some are dangerous, like the one sidewinder rattlesnake. It is an extremely poisonous snake with long sharp teeth, or fangs. Throughout history, Native Americans found ways to survive in Death Valley. Rock art and other remains show that humans lived in the valley as far back as 9,000 years ago. Death Valley is a huge place. It extends more than 225 kilometers across the southern part of California into the neighboring state of Nevada. The valley is part of the Mojave Desert. The area got its name in 1849. That was the year after gold was discovered in California. Thousands of people from around the country traveled to the gold mining areas of the state. They were in a hurry to get there before other people did. Many people were not careful during their travels. One group trying to reach California decided to take a path called the Old Spanish Trail. By December they had reached Death Valley. They did not have to survive the terrible heat of summer, but there was still an extreme lack of water. There were too few plants for their work animals to eat. The people could not find a pass through the tall mountains to the west of the valley.  Slowly, they began to suffer from a lack of food. To survive, they killed their work animals for food and began to walk out of the valley. As they left, a woman in the group looked back and said, “Goodbye, death valley.” The name has never been changed. Death Valley officially became a national park in 1994. It is the largest national park in the lower 48 states. More than one million people visit the park each year. Titus Canyon is one of the most popular places to visit in the park. It has huge mountains, colorful rocks, ancient rock art and rare plants. There is even a “ghost town,” a town that has abandoned by all its residents. Death Valley is full of ghost towns. Many people visit Death Valley in late winter and early spring, when wildflowers come to life there. The harsh desert floor becomes very colorful. This year, some people called the wildflower display a “super bloom.” The National Park Service called this year’s bloom “the best the park has experienced in a decade.” Many rare storms in October brought a lot more rain to the valley than normal. During one storm, almost 8 centimeters of rain fell in the park in just five hours. Death Valley usually gets only five centimeters of rain per year. Some visitors come to Death Valley for just a day. Tour buses bring travelers from Las Vegas, Nevada. They ride around the park in their bus, visit several places and are back in their Las Vegas hotel by night.   However, many other visitors stay in the park. The most popular area to stay in is Furnace Creek. Furnace Creek is the largest area of human activity within Death Valley National Park. There is a hotel, as well as places to camp. The historic Inn at Furnace Creek is a beautiful hotel that was built of stone nearly 90 years ago. The inn is built on a low hill. The main public room in the hotel has large windows that look far out over Death Valley. Hotel guests gather near these large windows in the evening to watch the sun make long shadows on the floor of the valley and on the far mountains. This beautiful image seems to change each minute. The sun slowly turns the valley a gold color that deepens to a soft brown, then changes to a dark red. As night comes, the mountains turn a dark purple color, then black. Usually, visitors are very quiet as they watch the setting sun. A few try to photograph it. But the valley is too huge to capture in a photo. Most visitors leave only with the memory of the fiery sunset in the extraordinary Death Valley National Park.

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Thousands More Flee Huge Canadian Wildfire

  At sunrise Friday, 1,500 vehicles began driving from camps north of Fort McMurray, Alberta to Canadian cities and towns further south. The drivers and passengers are escaping a raging forest fire that started on May 1 and quickly surrounded Fort McMurray. One driver told the Reuters news service the city looked like “a war zone.” When the wildfire started, many people fled their homes and moved to shelters set up north of the city. That is where workers with jobs in Canada’s oil industry live. But the work camp is not equipped to serve thousands of people for an extended period. In all, over 80,000 people left Fort McMurray because of the fire. Canadian officials say at least 1,600 homes and buildings have been damaged or destroyed. People are also leaving the area north of Fort McMurray by airplane. About 8,000 people flew to the cities of Calgary and Edmonton on Thursday after roads were not safe enough for travel. Officials hope a similar number can leave on Friday. Police are moving cars and trucks along the main road through Fort McMurray in groups of 50. Once vehicles reach a point 20 kilometers south of the city, a new group begins its trip. The wildfire covered an area of about 75 square kilometers on Tuesday. By Thursday, it had grown to 850 square kilometers. The fire can be seen from the International Space Station. Its smoke has reached as far south as New Orleans, just north of the Gulf of Mexico. It is not yet known how the fire started, but it has moved quickly because of winds, warm weather and dry conditions. Over 1,000 firefighters have been deployed to the area. They are working with helicopters, heavy equipment and airplanes that can carry water and drop it on the fire. ​ ​But the Alberta manager of wildfire prevention said only a long period of rain will put out the fires. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story based on reporting from the Associated Press, Canadian Press and Reuters. George Grow was the editor. What would you bring if you had to leave your home without any notice? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   evacuate – v. to remove (someone) from a dangerous place raging – adj. very wild and violent  

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Vietnam Bans Unsafe Seafood in Central Provinces

  Vietnamese officials have banned the processing or selling of dead seafood washed ashore or caught in an area along the country’s central coast. The ban relates to fish and other sea creatures caught within 20 nautical miles of a mysterious fish kill. Vietnam’s agriculture and rural development agency announced the measure earlier this week. The agency also set guidelines for destroying possibly bad seafood. But officials did not expand on measures to deal with violations. The Vietnamese government has been investigating the fish kill. Large numbers of fish began dying nearly a month ago at fish farms and in waters along four central provinces. At first, the government said the cause of the fish kill could be a “red tide.” Red tides happen naturally when algae become so numerous that they discolor the water. The government also said that harmful chemicals from human activities could have been responsible for the deaths. State media have tied the event to what were said to be the release of toxic materials from a steel factory built by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics (TFP). Last month, the company said there is no evidence that wastewater from its steel plant was to blame. Vietnamese officials have said that establishing the exact cause of the toxins will take time. The new ban was announced a day after the environmental and health ministries said seawater and seafood in the four affected provinces met safety rules. Many people are afraid bad fish collected from the coastal waters have entered Vietnam’s food supply. That fueled anger on social media. Rare public demonstrations have taken place across the country and in other Southeast Asian nations. "The government’s responses and acts are inappropriate since the people want to know what caused these mass fish deaths," Hanoi resident La Viet Dung told VOA's Vietnamese Service. "It’s been a month now, but they haven’t provided us with an…answer which makes us doubtful. This is either due to their weak governance, or they are trying to hide something.” This week, nearly 140,000 Vietnamese nationals signed a petition urging the United States to launch an independent investigation of the disaster. The call came just weeks before U.S. President Barack Obama makes his first visit to Vietnam. I’m Marsh James. Tra Mi reported this story for VOANews.com. 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   ashore – adv. on or to the shore of an ocean, sea, lake or river fish kill – n. a mass death among the fish population of a given area caused by pollution or other contaminants red tide – n. a discoloration of seawater caused by a bloom of toxic red organisms   algae – n. simple plants that have no leaves or stems and that grow in or near water petition – n. a written document that people sign to show that they want a person or organization to do or change something  

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