A look at the best news photos from around the world.
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Monday, August 22, 2016
August 21, 2016
A look at the best news photos from around the world.
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Sunday, August 21, 2016
Mosque in Virginia Starts Hospital Visiting Program
A young member of a Muslim religious center near Washington, D.C. has created a program for people who are suffering health problems. But the program does not try to heal their bodies; it aims to help their hearts. Eliya Hammad is a Palestinian student at George Washington University. She encourages volunteers to visit people who are in the hospital who do not have friends or family members who can visit them. She created the volunteer program at the Darul Hijra mosque in Falls Church, Virginia. Some people who come to the United States do not yet have friends or family members in their new home. Being alone in the hospital can make even small medical problems seem major. Hammad says this experience happened to her. “I'm here in this country mostly without my family. I have, like, a stone in my kidney and it’s a one-day surgery, but I felt the need. A lot of people, they don’t have family here.” So in 2009, Hammad created a program to send visitors to lonely people in the hospital. More than 30 people volunteered in the first year of the patient visitor program. Reverend Graham Bardsley is the chaplain of Virginia Hospital Center. “Visitors from the mosque have badges that look very much like mine -- a picture, an indication of the fact that they've had a TB test, which is required annually, for the protection of the patient.” Lyali Khalf is one of the volunteers. “I started (with) the program in January. And I visit approximately between three or four patients a day. So maybe about 12 to 15 patients a week.” Surraya Hussain is also a volunteer. “Minimum is once a week. But sometimes I come by myself because I have the kids, so sometimes I sneak (in at) nighttime, when it's not a visitation time. And I can talk to them.” Imam Johri Abdul Malik is one of the leaders of the Darul Hijra Islamic Center. “The people who come and visit patients in the hospital, many times we think they're giving something to the sick person. Really? That is between you and Allah -- that you gave a gift to a person who is sick or who had a baby and you were there.” Hammad says it is not easy to find volunteers for the program. But she and her team say they will continue the program because it is so rewarding. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise. VOA's Tabina Naeem reported this story from Falls Church, Virginia. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly 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 mosque – n. a building that is used for Muslim religious services kidney – n. either of two organs in your body that remove waste products from your blood and make urine surgery – n. medical treatment in which a doctor cuts into someone's body in order to repair or remove damaged or diseased parts chaplain – n. a religious leader who performs religious services for a military group (such as the army) or for a prison, hospital, etc. badge – n. a small object (such as a tag, pin, or metal shield) that is worn or held up by a person so that it can be easily seen, that has writing (such as a person's name) and often a picture on it, and that shows who the person is TB – n. abbreviation for tuberculosis, a serious disease that mainly affects the lungs approximately – adj. close in value or amount but not precise sneak – v. to move quietly and secretly in order to avoid being noticed rewarding – adj. giving you a good feeling that you have done something valuable, important, etc.
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More Surprises from the Deep Sea
Researchers hired to study part of the deep sea floor of the Pacific Ocean found a surprising number of new animal species. Scientists at the University of Hawaii at Manoa studied a 900-square-kilometer area in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean known as the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, or CCZ. Their goal was to find and study new kinds of sea life. Their task included documenting what is living in the deep sea area, known as an abyss. The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. Diva Amon is a researcher at the University of Hawaii. She is assistant director of the ABYSSLINE project to study undersea life. She spoke with VOA on Skype from her laboratory in Hawaii. Amon says usually deep sea biologists think there is not a lot living in the abyss. “But we found that actually there is quite a lot living there, and so that was really exciting..." The group is studying the area because the CCZ is known to have valuable minerals, including copper, nickel and cobalt. The metals are found in pieces, five to 10 centimeters in size, called nodules. They are spread along the seafloor from 3,000 to 6,000 meters below the ocean’s surface. The CCZ is a huge, flat area of seabed, almost the size of the United States. It is located between the mountainous Clarion and Clipperton Fracture Zones. These are areas where the Earth’s crust is cracked or fractured. The CCZ sits between Central America and the Hawaiian Islands. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is permitting the company UK Seabed Resources Ltd. to explore the area on the Pacific Ocean floor for mining. However, the ISA said the company must first complete a biological study of the area before it can begin mining for metals. So, the company hired Diva Amon and the ABYSSLINE project. Their job is to find out what sea life exists in the area. They want to know how marine life depends on the mineral deposits on the ocean floor. Amon says that more than half of the animals they collected were completely new to science. “It just shows how much more work really needs to be done in that area because we know so little..." Her group discovered a new species of anemone and two new species of sponges. But three of the animals Amon collected were not only new species, but new categories of animals. Two of these are in the coral family and the third is a completely new genus and species. Paul Snelgrove is a biological oceanographer with the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada. He told VOA that finding new species in the deep ocean is common. But, he said, finding a new genus "is really quite profound." Amon's work centers on the relationship between the living things and the metallic nodules. She found that more than half of the animals collected were attached to the nodules. The CCZ seabed is a soft, flat seafloor. The nodules provide the only hard surface where many creatures can attach themselves. Amon warns that if mining happens across the entire area, the ecosystem would be, in her words, “decimated.” But, she says, scientists want to find the least damaging way to make mining possible. "There is a sort of scientific push to try and slow things a bit so that the science can be done before … so this [mining] can be done as sustainably, and least impacting as possible..." That is why these studies are so important, says Snelgrove, who is not part of the ABYSSLINE project. "It's likely we are going to develop at least some aspects of these deep ocean environments and we should try to do that with knowledge in hand and do it in a way that's going to minimize our impact." More cruises into the deep The ABYSSLINE project has five years to study deep sea life in the eastern Pacific. Amon expects that more new life forms will be discovered on future trips. She says she is studying data. She calls the deep sea a “fascinating place.” There are so many things there that no one has ever seen before that are “weird and wonderful.” “We need to be careful and hope fully by doing the studies that we're doing… we can provide the data that can be used to manage the areas as best as possible." The deep sea is one of the last areas on Earth that has not been greatly affected by humans. So, there could be many strange new worlds yet to explore. I’m Anne Ball. JoEllen McBride reported on this story for VOANews.com. Anne Ball wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and find us on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story abyss – n. a hole so deep or so great that it cannot be measured anemone – n. a small brightly colored sea animal that looks like a flower sponge – n. a type of sea animal genus – n. a group of related animals or plants that includes several different species profound – adj. very great decimated – v. severely destroyed aspect – n. part fascinating – adj. very interesting manage – v. to take care of and make decisions about
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Cambodian-American Writer Reveals Mystery of Father's Death
Sometimes writing a fictional work can help the writer deal with painful trauma. That was Variny Yim's experience when she wrote her first novel, The Immigrant Princess. Yim is Cambodian-American. Her book tells about three generations of women from Cambodia’s ruling family who try to rebuild their lives in the United States. However, it was Yim's father who became central to her while writing the novel. "I only have a few memories of my father and one of the most heartbreaking memories for me is the day that we left Cambodia. He had taken us to the airport," she said. "I was too young to understand what was happening, and I remember walking up the stairs to the airplane and looking back on the tarmac and my father waived at us. What I didn't realize was that would be the last time that I would ever see my father's face." Moving to the United States Variny Yim, her sister and her grandparents escaped before the Cambodian genocide. Her father, who stayed in Cambodia to care for aging parents, was a victim of it. Over four years, supporters of the Khmer Rouge killed about two million people. Yim and her family joined her mother, who was studying in the United States. Yim said they owe their lives to her grandfather, who made sure they left Cambodia. They were all members of Cambodia’s royal family. Yim's mother was a princess in Cambodia, but in the United States she was just another refugee. Her family had to change their expectations about life. They had no money, and their position meant almost nothing in the United States, Yim explained. She added that her family tried to keep their royal identity close to themselves. They did not tell many people about who they were. Yim discovers what happened to her father As a young girl in the U.S., Yim said, the Cambodian genocide seemed very far away. She did not think about what it meant that her father might have been killed with many other Cambodians. This changed when she started researching Cambodian history while writing her book. The details of her father's death had always been a mystery -- a mystery she solved while doing research for the book. Her research led her to Cornell University in New York. The university has records of the statements given by the Khmer Rouge's victims at Tuol Sleng prison. Those held there were questioned, tortured, and killed. According to some estimates, 14,000 people entered the prison. Only a small number of these people survived. In Cornell's archive of confessions was proof of what happened to Yim's father during the genocide. "One of the hardest days of my life was when I got an email from Cornell confirming that they had found my father's name and confession," said Yim. "It was finally wonderful to know the truth. The truth really sets you free, even if it was painful.” The book's themes Guided by the memory of the family she had lost, Yim said she needed to write The Immigrant Princess to face the past. She also wanted to remember the beauty in Cambodian culture. Yim explained that her novel shows universal themes about identity and reinvention. She said the book is about how a person survives a traumatic loss. "You can be brutal and you can bring terror and you can become a dictator but that's not going to kill the human spirit and that's what I want my book to show," Yim said. Yim added that she wrote the book for her children so they will know what happened. She also wrote the book for Cambodians, so that they will know that the genocide may have left a scar but does define them as a people. I’m John Russell. VOA's Elizabeth Lee reported and wrote this story from Los Angeles. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story trauma – n. a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes someone to have mental or emotional problems usually for a long time inspire – v. to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create tarmac – n. the area covered by pavement at an airport archive – n. a place in which public records or historical materials (such as documents) are kept focus – v. to cause (something, such as attention) to be directed at something specific — + on theme – n. a particular subject or issue that is discussed often or repeatedly reinvention – n. becoming a different kind of person, performer, etc. scar – n. a feeling of great emotional pain or sadness that is caused by a bad experience and that lasts for a long time
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Everyday Grammar: Relative Adverbs
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Hacking the U.S. Election 'Possible' But Difficult, Experts Say
As recently as 2014, people could use WiFi to connect to voting machines inside certain voting places in the state of Virginia. They simply had to be nearby. Once connected, they could interfere with ballots. That major problem in election security has been fixed. Virginia stopped using those machines last year. But election cybersecurity is getting a closer look. Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested that the election in November may be rigged. And, a politically sensitive hacking of the Democratic National Committee computer system increased public concern about election cybersecurity. Security experts say the risks are real. But, the probability of attacks on voting cybersystems is hard to estimate. Every machine a possible target David Wagner is a computer science professor at the University of California at Berkeley. He worked on a 2007 statewide examination of California's voting system. He says a sophisticated attacker could hack machines and steal votes. He says every machine is at risk. But, such a hack would not be easy, he says. "It would require considerable technical sophistication. And it would require someone to be physically present in each county, tampering with at least one machine. This is not something that some random teenager can do over a weekend. It's not something that can be done from across the world over the Internet." Hard-copy ballots help The best defense against cheating is a system that has a hard-copy ballot and a system in place to look for ballot irregularities. These systems are on the rise. This November, 75 percent of voters across the United States will vote on machines that retain a hard copy of their choices, says Verified Voting. It is an election observation organization. Also, 26 states require ballot audits after the voting. But that leaves 25 percent of voters entering ballots with no paper copy. And nearly half of the 50 states do not require audits. Wagner says a lot more can and should be done to improve cybersecurity. But, he adds, "We've come a long way in protecting our elections." Locks and keys If attackers want to hack voting machines, they would have to get to them first. "Most of them are under lock and key," says Denise Merrill, Connecticut secretary of state and president of the National Association of Secretaries of State. Usually they are under two keys, in fact -- one for a Republican representative and one for a Democrat. Both keys are required to unlock the machine. Local jurisdictions control their elections, and there are more than 7,000 jurisdictions nationwide. The voting equipment and methods differ widely from place to place. As a result, security can differ widely. But, that also means an attack on one jurisdiction would not affect the others. Secretary of State Merrill says someone who is really determined and had a very large operation might be able to attack. "But,” she says, “even then, it would have to be in very specific places." Safety comes from understanding risks Pam Smith is president of Verified Voting, the election observation organization. She says more states are already moving toward paper ballots and increased physical security of voting equipment. "I think what will happen as we go forward is that people will want to have any and every extra tool they can to eliminate any lingering concerns or questions that people might have." The U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson, spoke to state election officials Monday. He offered them help in finding and fixing election cybersecurity risks. The department is considering designating the nation’s election systems as “critical infrastructure.” The government provides extra resources to protect critical infrastructure. Verified Voting’s Pam Smith has another idea for anyone concerned about possible election cheating. "It's not too late to sign up to be a poll worker. You can learn more about it from the inside out and see what some of the safeguards are.” On November 8, those safeguards – as well as the presidential candidates – will be put to the test. I’m Dorothy Gundy. And I'm Kaveh Razaei. VOA Steve Baragona wrote this report. Caty Weaver adapted his report for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story rigged - v. having fixed something for a desired result; to control, usually through dishonest methods sophisticated - adj. having or showing a lot of knowledge or experience about the world; highly developed tampering - v. to interfere with so as to weaken or change for the worse random - n. without aim, direction or rule irregularities - n. things that are not usual, often a sign of dishonest behavior audits - n. complete and careful examinations of official records jurisdictions - n. areas where a system of laws is used determined - v. found to be the cause of or reason for something; to lean or find out specific - adj. special; clearly and exactly presented eliminate - v. to remove; to defeat and remove linger - v. to stay somewhere after the usual or expected time; to continue to exist as time passes designating - v. to officially choose someone or something; to be used as a name for something poll - adj. of or related to a study of public opinion
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Lesson 25: Watch Out!
Summary Anna learns about a new game, "Catch Americana." She walks around the memorials to U.S. Presidents and learns fun facts by playing the game. Speaking In this video, you can practice saying the new words and learn how to make recommendations using "should." Pronunciation This video teaches about past tense contractions, like "didn't." Conversation Anna: Hello from Washington, DC! This city has many monuments and memorials. Anna: Today I am visiting the ones built in memory of our Presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt. Anna: I want to learn more about them. Anna: Hey! Watch out! Dan: Sorry! I didn't see you. Anna: You were not looking. You should be more careful. Dan: I know I should be more careful. But this game is really fun. Anna: What kind of game? Dan: You have to find things that aren't really there. Anna: How can you find things that aren’t really there? Dan: They're in your phone. See? Anna: I see. It’s like a scavenger hunt. Dan: That’s right! Anna: I don’t have time for games. I want to learn about U.S. presidents. Dan: Then you should play this game! When you find an American symbol, you win points and a Fun Fact about a U.S. President. Anna: I have time for this game! Dan: Here are the symbols that I caught: the Statue of Liberty for 20 points, Uncle Sam for 40 points and the American flag for 60 points. Anna: What symbol are you looking for now? Dan: I am looking for the bald eagle. That is 100 points! It should be near the Washington Monument. Anna: This game is awesome. Dan: You ought to buy the app right now. It’s called “Catch Americana.” Anna: Got it. Catch Americana. Anna: Thanks! Good luck! Dan: Good luck to you too! Anna: This is the Jefferson Memorial. I know that Thomas Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence! Now, where is that symbol? Anna: Here it is! My first one. It’s an American flag! I won 60 points! Anna: An American flag works well for Thomas Jefferson. I see lots of American flags on Independence Day! Anna: Where is my Jefferson Fun Fact? Voice: In his lifetime, Thomas Jefferson wrote about 19,000 letters! Anna: I did not know that. Where is the next symbol? Writing In this lesson, Anna learns about a new video game. What games do you like to play? Write to us to tell us about the video games or other games you like. Send us an email or write in the Comments section. Use the Activity Sheet to play a game that helps you practice talking about games, sports, and leisure activities. 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 Associations. When we think of connections between things we are making associations. In this lesson, Anna connects the picture of an American flag in her mind with President Thomas Jefferson. She sees the flag in the game and says, "I know that Thomas Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence! Now, where is that symbol?" "Here it is! My first one. It’s an American flag! I won 60 points! An American flag works well for Thomas Jefferson. I see lots of American flags on Independence Day!" Anna is making associations between the flags and President Thomas Jefferson. What associations do you make when learning new things in English? Is there something in this lesson that you can associate with the new words? Maybe the association will help you remember them. 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 Check your understanding and practice your listening skills with this quiz. ______________________________________________________________ New Words Americana - n. things produced in the U.S. and thought to be typical of the U.S. or its culture bald eagle - n. a very large bird of North America that has a white head and white tail feathers build / built - v. to make (something) by putting together parts or materials be careful! - an instruction to take care in a particular situation catch/caught - v. to capture and not allow (a person, animal, or fish) to escape Declaration of Independence - n. the statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776. It said that the thirteen American colonies would not accept British rule find / found - v. to get or discover something or someone that you are looking for flag - n. a piece of cloth with a special design that is used as a symbol of a nation or group Independence Day - n. July 4 celebrated as a legal holiday in the U.S. in honor of the day when the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 memory - n. the power or process of remembering what has been learned in memory of or in someone's memory - made or done to honor someone who has died ought to - modal verb. used to say or suggest that something is the proper, reasonable, or best thing to do. It has the same meaning as should and is used in the same ways, but it is less common and somewhat more formal. point - n. a unit that is used to score a game or contest scavenger hunt - n. a game in which players try to find specified items within a particular period of time should - v. used to say or suggest that something is the proper, reasonable, or best thing to do Statue of Liberty - n. A large sculpture given to the United States from the people of France. It is a symbol of freedom and democracy. symbol - n. an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality Uncle Sam - n. A common symbol of the government of the United States. Watch out! - phrasal verb. to be aware of something dangerous American Presidents (Part One) Thomas Jefferson - America’s 3rd president, Thomas Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence on America’s birthday - the 4th of July. (The symbol for President Jefferson in the Catch Americana game is an American flag.) ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials Word Book 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 writing ordinal numbers. 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: Modals: should; ought to Topics: Warnings: Be careful, Watch out; Recommending products, giving advice Learning Strategy: Cooperate Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: past tense contractions; Making recommendations using ‘should’ Are you teaching with Let's Learn English? Send us a photo of your class and we'll put it on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. What do you think the game in this lesson? Do you play a game like this? 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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Saturday, August 20, 2016
Autism-Related Genes Discovered
The human body has about 25,000 genes. Researchers already know of 65 genes they believe carry a risk for autism. Now, researchers at Princeton University in New Jersey have identified 2,500 more that could help create the conditions for autism. The discovery is important because the genes could lead scientists toward finding a cause and, possibly, a treatment. Autism and … Facebook? Autism is a condition that makes it difficult for some people to communicate, learn and socialize. Arjun Krishnan is a researcher at Princeton’s Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics. He says researchers used what they called a machine-learning computer program to identify autism-related genes. Krishnan explains that the program identified similarities between brain-related genes and the 65 autism-risk genes. Then, the program looked for other genes that are “friends” of both sets. He says the process is like finding friends on Facebook. "And if Facebook wanted to find out who your friends are and wanted to suggest a friend for you, what they would do is find out who your friends are and then find out other people who are friends with those same people. And if they are, they are very likely friends of you, too. So that is how they give you suggestions of new friends you might know. We used a very, very similar strategy..." The strategy permitted researchers to find patterns within the brain’s huge circuitry. It showed that having genes that are “friends” of both brain-related and autism-related genes can increase a person’s risk for autism. The findings can also help researchers understand why one person may be only mildly affected with autism, while another is severely affected. Olga Troyanskaya is a professor of computer science and genomics at Princeton. She says people’s entire sets of genes influence what kinds of symptoms they have. In other words, autism researchers need to consider not only individual genes, but also gene combinations. Researchers still have not found a way to diagnose autism, beyond just observing the child. But they hope this new research into gene patterns will lead to a way to diagnose very young children. Then they can be helped as soon as possible. I’m Anne Ball. Jessica Berman reported this story for VOA. Anne Ball adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story autism – n. a condition or disorder that begins in childhood and that causes problems in forming relationships and in communicating with other people circuitry – n. a system or group of circuits—or paths diagnose – v. to recognize a disease by examination entire - adj. compete; not lacking any part
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Amnesty Report on Syrian Prisons Details ‘Catalog of Horror’
A new Amnesty International report says survivors tell of the torture of tens of thousands of political prisoners in Syria. The report also estimates more than 17,000 people died or were killed in Syrian military prisons between March 2011 and December 2015. An uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011. This led to a civil war that continues today. Charges in the report, called “It Breaks the Human,” were based on interviews with 65 torture survivors. Most witnesses told Amnesty they had seen at least one death while in prison. Prison 'horror' The Director of Amnesty International for the Middle East and North Africa, Philip Luther, called the report a “catalog of horror stories.” “For decades, Syrian government forces have used torture as a means to crush their opponents,” Luther said. “Today, it is being carried out as part of a systematic and widespread attack directed against anyone suspected of opposing the government in the civilian population and amounts to crimes against humanity.” Syrian authorities have denied the charges. The report said that abuses increased at the start of the Syrian uprising. “…Anyone perceived to oppose the government is at risk of arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment, enforced disappearance and death in custody,” it said. Torture during interrogations Most detainees told Amnesty they experienced torture and other ill-treatment during almost all interrogations. The torture described included beatings, electric shock, psychological abuse and other methods. Amnesty Syria expert Claudia Scheufler helped put the report together. She said there is much more torture now than there was in the past. “I was looking through one of our old reports from 1987. And the torture methods that we documented then are actually scarily similar to the ones that we have documented now, but obviously the scale has changed dramatically.” Sexual assaults were also reported by men and women prisoners. Witnesses said some of the sexual violence happened during so-called “security checks” conducted on new detainees. The report said many beating survivors were kept alongside others who died. Witnesses said guards kept wounded prisoners in cramped, unsanitary facilities with no medical care. “[They were] hitting me everywhere… After they were done beating me with the wooden sticks, they took the cigarettes. They were putting them out all over my body. It felt like a knife excavating my body, cutting me apart,” said one witness. A lawyer detainee told his story: “They treated us like animals. They wanted people to be as inhuman as possible… I saw the blood, it was like a river… I never imagined humanity would reach such a low level… they would have had no problem killing us right there and then.” Nadim Shehadi, from Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, said the report tells of the Syrian government’s long and brutal history. “For most Syrians, Palmyra prison was where the Syrian regime perfected torture. Where people were held in the thousands, where they were forgotten. And the saying in Palmyra was that the lucky ones were dead, because life was made so horrible by the brutality of the prison.” Call for action Amnesty urged the international community – specifically the United States and Russia - to put greatest importance on human rights abuses in any peace negotiations with Syrian authorities. I’m Bryan Lynn. Edward Yeranian reported this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English. Additional information came from the Associated Press. Jill Robbins was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story catalog – n. a series of documented bad events systematic - adj. using a careful system or method or done according to a system perceived – adj. thought of in a particular way arbitrary – adj. not based on a system of principles, unfair interrogation – n. to ask someone a lot of questions, often with great force unsanitary – adj. dirty, especially in a way that is dangerous to health scarily - adv. done in a manner that causes fear excavate – v. to dig into or make a hole brutal – adj. extremely cruel, harsh or violent
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