Snipers Kill 4 Police Officers in Dallas

Four police officers were killed and several others wounded at a march in Dallas protesting police killings of African American men.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/29Flssh
via IFTTT

US Orders New Sanctions on North Korea

The United States ordered new economic restrictions against North Korea this week that directly answer human rights abuse. The restrictions are expected to have limited impact. The United States has almost no direct business connections to North Korea. But supporters say the measures send an important message to North Korean leaders. The restrictions target North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, and other top officials as well as several government agencies. The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Powers, said the restrictions send a message to many in North Korea, not just its top leaders. She said it will be heard by “prison camp managers and guards, secret police, interrogators and persecutors of defectors.” The U.S. Treasury Department said North Korea’s Ministry of State Security and other agencies commonly torture people. Treasury officials said such acts include beatings, forced starvation, forced abortions, sexual attacks and the killing of babies. South Korea said it supports the U.S. decision. The measures include a freeze on U.S. bank accounts belonging to Kim Jong Un and other North Korean officials. Cho June-hyuck is an official with the South Korean Foreign Ministry. He said the restrictions will raise awareness internationally of the broad and systemic human rights violations in North Korea. Among the agencies targeted is the Ministry of People’s Security, which operates police stations and detention centers, including labor camps. Phil Robertson is deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch. He said the restrictions show that the international community is increasingly concerned about the North Korean government abuses. Restrictions against North Korea are nothing new. This year, the United Nations Security Council approved new measures that block North Korean money movement and the trade of minerals. Those restrictions followed North Korea’s fourth nuclear test and a long-distance rocket launch. North Korea reacted to the UN move with a declaration that it would continue its nuclear development program. It also test fired short and medium distance missiles. I’m Caty Weaver.   Brian Padden and Nike Ching reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   impact –​ n. a powerful or major influence or effect​ interrogator – n. a person who questions people in a thorough and often forceful or violent way abortion – n. a medical procedure used to end a pregnancy and cause the death of the fetus persecutor – n. a person who treats (someone) cruelly or unfairly especially because of race or religious or political beliefs​ defector – n. someone who tries to leave a country or movement

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/29DQpND
via IFTTT

Noah’s Ark Theme Park Opens in Kentucky

  A large model of the boat that many people believe saved Noah, his family and animals from the Biblical flood officially opened Thursday. The boat, called an ark, is part of a religious theme park in the American state of Kentucky. The park is called Ark Encounter.    The wooden boat is said to be built to the height and length described in the Bible. It measures 155 meters long and 15 meters tall. The ark is estimated to have cost more than $100 million to build. Thousands of people are expected to visit the Ark Encounter. It is between Lexington, Kentucky’s second largest city, and Cincinnati, Ohio. The new Noah’s ark has restarted the debate between supporters of scientific explanations of life and those supporting divine creation. Four years ago, one study found that 46 percent of Americans can be described as creationists. That means they believe God created humans in their present form at some point within the last 10,000 years. The 2012 Gallup public opinion survey was based on comments of 1,012 adults. Ken Ham is the president of Answers in Genesis, the Christian group that built the ark. He believes the structure is going to be “one of the greatest Christian outreaches.” His group believes that God created the world about 6,000 years ago. It also believes humans and dinosaurs were on Earth at the same time. Scientists say dinosaurs died out 65 million years before human beings appeared on Earth. Displays inside the ark include images of Noah's family and rows of cages containing replicas of animals, including dinosaurs. Critics say the ark will hurt science education. They say the ark should not have received state and local tax breaks. News reports set the value of the tax rebates at $18 million. Another report valued the rebates at $80 million over 20 years. However, Ham disputes this. His group hopes more than two million people will visit the ark each year. Answers in Genesis also built the nearby Creation Museum, which opened nine years ago. According to the park’s website, arkencounter.com, an adult admission ticket costs $40. I’m Pete Musto.   Smita Nordwall wrote this story for VOA News. Jim Dresbach adapted her report for 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   ark – n. the ship in which Noah and his family were saved from a great flood that God sent down on the world in ancient times Bible – n. Christianity's holy book theme park – n. an amusement park where the rides and attractions are based on a particular theme divine creation – n.  a religious belief that God created the universe and all life survey – n. a public opinion study; 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 dinosaurs – n. one of many reptiles that lived on earth millions of years ago display – n. an arrangement of objects intended to decorate, advertise, entertain or inform people about something rebate – n. an amount of money that is paid back to you because you have paid too much

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/29q8CP5
via IFTTT

The Power of Parallelism

Parallelism is the repetition of similar grammatical forms. It is a powerful tool in public speaking and writing. You may have heard this quote attributed to Julius Caesar: I came, I saw, I conquered.  The repetition of I followed by a verb makes this an example of parallel structure. Parallelism helps make an idea or argument clear and easy to remember. It also shows that each repeated structure is of equal importance. And, it is a powerful tool for public speaking. Throughout history, many famous leaders have used parallel structure to communicate with the public. Here is a famous saying by Abraham Lincoln: You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. Lincoln repeats people and time in all three clauses. But he changes the order of the words some and all. The 28-word quotation is easy to memorize because of its rhythm and parallel structure.     Antithesis One common type of parallelism is called antithesis. Antithesis simply means the “opposite” of something. Let’s take a look at the first two lines of the Charles Dickens novel A Tale of Two Cities. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness . . . Notice how Dickens uses pairs of opposite words: best and worst; wisdom and foolishness. Writers and poets have long used antithesis to show the paradoxical – or opposing – nature of life. English poet John Milton contrasted heaven and hell in this passage from Paradise Lost: The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. “I Have a Dream” Some of the most famous speeches in history also have examples of parallelism. Martin Luther King fought for racial equality in the United States in the 1950s and 60s. In 1963, he gave an unforgettable speech on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. King and his supporters were pushing the U.S. Congress to pass a civil rights law. In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, King uses several forms of parallel structure to communicate an uplifting message. Listen for repetitions and opposites.   I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state, sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little  children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. In the speech, King made many contrasts. King contrasts the sons of slaves and the sons of slave owners. Those were the people who made up most of his audience that day. He also contrasts heat with oasis, and injustice and oppression with freedom and justice.     The speech led major to changes in U.S. laws. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act the following year, which outlawed racial discrimination. Parallelism in Academic Writing Parallel structure is a useful tool for student writers. College professors expect a student paper to have a thesis statement. A thesis statement is a one-sentence summary of a paper’s main argument. A first-year student might write something like this: Proposal X is not good. A better thesis, using parallel structure, might look like this: Voters should reject Proposal X because it is unfair to minorities, impossible to enforce, and unnecessary. In this parallel thesis statement, the writer has set up a series of three adjectives: unfair, impossible, and unnecessary. These three adjectives can organize the structure of the entire paper — with one section for each adjective. A strong parallel thesis statement makes it easier for students to organize their thoughts and write their papers. Problems with Parallelism English learners and native speakers alike have difficulty with parallelism. Some writers mix different grammatical structures. For example,  I like running, biking and to swim. The gerunds running and biking are mixed with the infinitive to swim. The mix breaks the rhythm of parallel structure. This is known as false parallelism. A better choice, then, is to use three gerunds in a series. I like running, swimming and biking. Another option is to use three infinitives in a series. I like to run, to swim and to bike. Let’s look at an example of a more complex sentence. My supervisor asked me to write my report quickly, in way that is accurate and he also wants plenty of details. To improve this sentence, try to use a series of adverbs ending in –ly. Do not be too attached to the original words. Here is an improved version of the sentence: My supervisor asked me to write my report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly. The original “with plenty of details” was changed to “thoroughly” with no change in meaning. The change creates a smooth series of three adverbs ending in –ly. Keep in mind that most people do not use long parallel structures in casual conversation. It would sound a bit unnatural and overly formal. But in writing and speeches it is hard to go wrong with parallel structure. It is the best way to make your writing more concise, clear, and memorable. I’m John Russell. I’m Ashley Thompson. And I’m Adam Brock. ["Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Byrds] A time to gain, a time to lose A time to rend, a time to sew A time for love, a time for hate A time for peace, I swear it's not too late Adam Brock wrote this article for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.   ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   parallelism – n. the use of successive verbal constructions in poetry or prose that correspond in grammatical structure, sound, meter, meaning, etc. attribute – v. to say that (something) is because of (someone or something) clause – n. a part of a sentence that has its own subject and verb antithesis – n. the state of two things that are directly opposite to each other contrast – n. to compare (two people or things) to show how they are different paradoxical – adj. a statement that seems to say two opposite things but that may be true sweltering – adj. very hot oasis – n. an area in a desert where there is water and plants thesis statement – n. a statement that someone wants to discuss or prove false parallelism – n. the incorrect use of successive verbal constructions concise – adj. using few words : not including extra or unnecessary information gerund – n. an English noun formed from a verb by adding -ing infinitive – n. the basic form of a verb preceded by to

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/29lZFl2
via IFTTT

After Brexit, What Is Next?

  The fallout from Britain’s vote to leave the European Union is not limited to Britain. There are new efforts to stop EU immigration quotas in Hungary. In addition, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia recently joined Hungary in arguing for less EU control over their nations. In the Netherlands, some people are pushing for a vote to leave the EU, similar to the vote held last month in Britain. Half of Dutch voters support such a referendum, according to public opinion surveys. In Hungary, voters will decide in coming months on whether to reject German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s proposals for accepting refugees. Germany is a leader of the EU and has Europe’s largest economy. Attila Szigeti lives in the Hungarian town of Bicske, about 37 kilometers west of Budapest. He plans to vote against the migrant quotas. At first, Szigeti said, he did not have a problem with immigrants. “They did not do anything serious, just stealing corn from the edge of my cornfield,” he said. But as the number of new arrivals grew so did the problems, he noted. Szigeti recently cut off all the hair from his head, but denied he is a skinhead. “With this look, I do not need to watch my back. I do not have to be afraid because this way, I appear tough,” he said. Refugees and migrants in a Hungarian camp are surprised some Europeans see them as a threat. “Why are we not allowed here in Europe, we are not human beings like you,” asks Mano, a 22-year-old medical student from Afghanistan. He arrived at the camp last week. He left Afghanistan after extremists killed his brother, who worked as a translator for French forces. Mano said he and others should not be seen as threats. “What can we bring with ourselves? Nothing. We also want peace. That’s why we leave our country,” he added. In the Netherlands, some people are pushing for a vote on leaving the European Union – just like Britain did in its vote last month. Laurence Stassen is a former member of the European Parliament. “As a nation state, we should have our own borders, our own courts, and to make our own laws – and not the people in Brussels or the European Union,” she said. Stassen was once a member of the Netherland’s Freedom Party. She left the party after one of its leaders made what she called discriminatory comments about Moroccans. In Rotterdam, there are concerns that leaving the EU would cost jobs. Rotterdam is Europe’s largest port. Four hundred sixty-five million tons of cargo pass through it each year. “With Europe, we are 500 million people, the largest trading zone, the largest market by itself,” said a spokesman for the Rotterdam Port. “And the Netherlands as a country is only 16 million people.” In Britain, there is talk of possible legal action to stop Britain from leaving the EU. Eight lawyers want to take the “Brexit” vote to the courts, hoping for a review by the country’s Supreme Court by September. I’m Bruce Alpert.   Henry Ridgwell, Luis Ramirez and Jamie Dettmer reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fallout – n. The effects or result of some action or decision quota – n. an official limit on the number or amount of people or things that are allowed skinhead – n. a person with a shaved head, especially a young white person who belongs to a gang whose members shave their heads and have racist beliefs translator – n. a person who changes words written in one language into a different language  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/29l1oe3
via IFTTT

Cambodia Can Export Travel Goods to US Duty-Free

Cambodia will now be able to export luggage and other travel goods to the United States without paying some American taxes. The U.S. trade representative, Michael Froman, announced the change this week. The change relates to the new U.S. Generalized System of Preferences, also known as the GSP. Froman said the new trade preferences should be a big help to Cambodia and other countries that produce travel goods. Currently, the import market for travel goods is valued at $10 billion. The U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia said the change could open a new market for Cambodian exporters and create thousands of new jobs for Cambodians. The U.S. government hoped Cambodian manufacturers would use the change to diversify the country’s economy and reduce poverty, said Ambassador William Heidt.   Mey Kalyan, a senior adviser to Cambodia's Supreme National Economic Council, said the move was good for the economy. "When we have the market, I believe that more investors will come to invest in Cambodia," he said. "It will allow our economy to progress, allow the people to have jobs and, more importantly, it will give more added value." Cambodia exports more than $5 billion every year to its two major textile export markets; they are the United States and European Union. I’m Dorothy Gundy. This report was produced in collaboration with VOA’s Khmer Service. Kelly Jean Kelly adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   duty – n. a tax, usually a tax on imports luggage – n. the bags and boxes that a person carries when traveling preference – n. an advantage that is given to some people or things and not to others diversify – v. to produce or sell more kinds of products: to increase the variety of goods or services produced or offered

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/29DHjA7
via IFTTT

New Horizons Space Probe Gets Mission Extension

  The U.S. space agency has announced it is extending the mission of the New Horizons spacecraft. New Horizons is a spacecraft without a human crew. It was the first spacecraft to visit the dwarf planet Pluto. It gathered pictures and information about the dwarf planet. New Horizons flew close to Pluto in July of 2015. The spacecraft will be heading further into what is known as the Kuiper Belt. The Kuiper Belt is an area beyond the planets where there are asteroids and comets. New Horizons will visit an “ancient object” called 2014 MU69.   The spacecraft is expected to reach the object on January 1, 2019. NASA says the 2014 MU69 is more than one and a half billion kilometers beyond the orbit of Pluto. NASA calls 2014 MU69 “one of the early building blocks of the solar system”. Jim Green is NASA’s director of Planetary Science. He said, “The New Horizons mission to Pluto exceeded our expectations.” He added that NASA is looking forward to continuing explorations with the spacecraft. “We’re excited to continue onward into the dark depths of the outer solar system,” he said. Green said scientists did not know about 2014 MU69 when New Horizons was launched.  New Horizons left Earth in January of 2006. NASA also said it was keeping the Dawn spacecraft in orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres. Ceres is much closer to Earth. It orbits the Sun between the planets Mars and Jupiter. Green said Dawn will continue to observe Ceres in an effort to make more discoveries. Dawn was launched in September of 2007. I’m Anne Ball.   The staff at VOA News wrote this story. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. What do you think about America’s latest trip into space? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   mission – n. a flight by an aircraft or spacecraft to perform a specific task spacecraft – n. a vehicle that is used for travel in outer space dwarf planet – n. a body that looks like a small planet but lacks certain requirements allowing it to be called a planet asteroid – n. any one of thousands of small planets that orbit the sun comet – n. an icy object in outer space that can develop a long, bright tail made of dust when it passes near the sun

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/29lZF4w
via IFTTT

Google Honors American Scientist Nettie Stevens

  This is What’s Trending Today… The Internet search engine Google celebrated a woman scientist on Thursday. Her name might not be world-famous. But on July 7, on what would have been her 155th birthday, she was a trending topic on social media. Nettie Stevens studied genetic material. The American geneticist and biologist made an important scientific discovery in 1905. She found that the X and Y chromosomes decide the sex of a living organism. Most human cells have 46 chromosomes. Each one is an extremely small line of chemicals with genes. On Thursday, Stevens’ likeness appeared on Google’s American homepage in the form of a Google Doodle. The picture led to a discussion about Nettie Stevens on social media.​   Throughout history, scientists and many other people had debated how the sex of a human being - and other animals - is decided. In the 1800s, for example, many Europeans believed that the food a mother ate during pregnancy helped determine the sex of her baby. But Stevens’ research proved that X and Y chromosomes are the deciding factor. Her scientific research was groundbreaking. Yet she was not always given credit for the discovery. Another scientist, Edmund Beecher Wilson, found similar results at around the same time. He was most often credited with the discovery. ​ But on Thursday, it was all about Nettie Stevens. Her name was a trending topic on Twitter. ​ One Twitter user wrote, “I've never heard of Nettie Stevens before today. Thank you Google Doodle for giving her appropriate attention and respect.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   chromosome – n. the part of a cell that contains the genes which control how an animal or plant grows and what it becomes groundbreaking – adj. introducing new ideas or methods appropriate – adj. right or suited for some purpose or situation​ topic – n. a subject or issue factor – n. one of the things that causes a result  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/29SEnft
via IFTTT

News Words: Encryption

This week's word is important in the debate about the good and bad sides of technology.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/29nOBUc
via IFTTT

Ernestine Shepherd Oldest Female Bodybuilder

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/29kyO8g
via IFTTT

Maz Jobrani: Building Cultural Bridges, One Laugh at a Time

  Maz Jobrani likes to make people laugh. The Iranian-American knew early in life that he wanted to become an actor or comedian. His path to stardom was a long journey.  His immigrant story is not unusual. He was born in Iran’s capital Tehran, but grew up in America. Jobrani came to the U.S when he was six years old, just before the Iranian revolution in 1979. He and his parents moved to California where he attended school. Jobrani says he grew up around a lot of people that made him laugh. His introduction to acting was an audition for a school play. “And when I was 12, I ended up trying out for the school play and I fell in love with being on stage...” Jobrani says he had many friends who were funnier than he, adding to his interest in being a comedian. “A lot of my friends were the funny people in school. I have friends from when I grew up that were funnier than I was!” Jobrani tried a conventional career path, studying political science in college and even starting a Ph.D. program at UCLA.  But the comedy of Eddie Murphy was a more powerful influence.  “The reason I’m a comedian is because I’m a fan of comedy. I think what inspired that was Eddie Murphy because back then I used to love watching comedy and I believe I discovered Eddie Murphy probably by watching Saturday Night Live and from there I just wanted to be like Eddie Murphy.’       Now as a full-time comedian, Maz Jobrani uses comedy to bridge the cultural divide caused by Islamic extremism. His performances both ridicule that extremism and challenge American stereotypes of Muslims. And his recent movie does the same. Maz Jobrani co-wrote and stars in “Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero.” He says the film playfully makes fun of American preconceptions of the Middle East. “You know most people when they see people of Middle Eastern descent on film and television in America, they tend to see people in the news, burning flags and protesting and being anti-American. We wanted to make a movie about a guy who loves America, who wins the green card lottery to come to America from Iran. Who wants to be a cop like his hero Steven McQueen was back in the day when he used to watch Steven McQueen movies. But once he comes to America, he realizes that America of the 21st century doesn’t embrace immigrants the way he thought they would and the only job he can find is working as a security guard in a Persian grocery store and from there he has to go on to save the world.”   Jobrani also says the movie sends a message to Americans that they have not seen before.  “I feel that this comedy does have a message, it has a message of peace, it has a message of diplomacy. More importantly, it has a message of showing Iranians in a very different light then what were used to seeing Iranians. I show them in a fun light. I show them in a light that I don’t think most Americans are used to seeing.”    Maz Jobrani can turn that which frightens him into something funny. For example, the comedian was alarmed when he first heard the phrase “axis of evil.” President George Bush used the term to describe Iran, Iraq and North Korea. But he soon realized it could also make a great name for a series of shows. So, in 2005, the ‘Axis of Evil Comedy’ Tour came to be. The shows featured Jobrani and three other comedians of Middle Eastern descent. The group first appeared on the American television channel Comedy Central.   Jobrani says it is always a good feeling when people laugh at your jokes. “It’s a good feeling because then you realize that it’s working, it’s relating. The worst feeling is when you’re doing stand-up and for whatever reason there is a crowd that doesn’t relate to you. Those are the nights when you think to yourself, 'Wow, I can’t wait to get off the stage.' But when they get you it’s a great feeling and it’s probably one of the reasons you stay up there. It’s this drug that keeps feeding you. It’s kind of like what I would assume surfing could be because every laugh is like a wave. You want to catch that wave and ride it out until the next laugh comes. So whether it’s doing stand-up comedy or putting on a movie, your goal as a comedian is to make people laugh.”   Life as a comedian has been good for Maz Jobrani. He has appeared in numerous films and television shows. He has toured much of the world and performed for the King of Jordan.   Maz Jobrani also has a bestselling book, ‘I’m Not a Terrorist, But I’ve Played One on TV.” It tells the story about his life in a very funny way. I’m Marsha James.   Marsha James wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Test your understanding with this multimedia quiz. Next on People in America, meet the oldest female bodybuilder Ernestine Shepherd! ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   stardom – n. the state of being a very famous performer introduction – n. the act of making a person known to others or to something audition – n. a short performance to show the talents of someone who is being considered for a role in a play conventional – adj. common and ordinary: not unusual challenge – n. an action, statement, that is against something ridicule  – n. the act of making fun of someone or something in a cruel or harsh way preconceptions – n. an idea or opinion that someone has before learning about or experiencing something directly embrace – v. to accept something readily or gladly alarmed – v. to worry or frighten (someone)

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/29znOXk
via IFTTT