August 23, 2016

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

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Pyeongchang Olympics Hopes to Avoid Rio Mistakes

  In Olympic sports, attention is now turning to the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. South Korean organizers say they hope to avoid the delays and other problems organizers faced in Rio de Janiero. In 1988, South Korea hosted the Summer Olympic Games in Seoul. A slowing economy and budget shortfalls caused delays in some projects in Rio. Others were left unfinished. Organizers in the Brazilian city were criticized for the delays. They prevented complete testing of some Olympic buildings and structures before the games started. Australian officials complained of bad housing conditions after its athletes arrived. They said the housing was “not habitable.”  The Australian team stayed in a hotel while the problems were fixed. Some Chinese athletes in Rio posted pictures on social media of broken bathroom facilities. Organizers of the Pyeongchang Olympics say they learned some important lessons from the problems in Rio. They have promised to complete all Olympic buildings and infrastructure improvements in time to fix unexpected issues. Yeo Hyung-koo is Secretary General of the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee. “We are making an effort to ensure the Pyeongchang Olympics will be progressive and successful by having learned from Rio as a reference,” he said. The committee estimates the Pyeongchang Olympics will cost $12 billion. This is much higher than the $4-$6 billion spent in Rio. But it is far less than the $50 billion spent on the 2014 Sochi Winter Games in Russia. Earlier this month, the president of the Pyeongchang committee, Lee Hee-beom, said all preparations were “fully on track” for the games. “We will work hard for success at the Games in 2018.” Lee made the comments during a meeting of the International Olympic Committee in Rio.                         South Korean officials have said all 12 Olympic venues are expected to be completed by September 2017. Organizers plan to hold test events before the games to identify and correct any problems.  One of the most expensive projects will be building a high-speed railway linking the Pyeongchang mountain area to Seoul. The train is expected to be finished by June 2017. It will reduce the travel time of the 120-kilometer trip from four hours to one. South Korea’s central government is paying for infrastructure improvements, as well as 75 percent of the costs for sports facilities. The local government in Gangwon province will pay the remaining 25 percent.         Organizers have also said that 90 percent of South Korea’s Olympic sponsorship goal of $760 million will be met by the end of this year. Some local residents have complained that the games will result in higher taxes and increased housing prices. Officials, however, have pointed out that the area will benefit from the new sports venues for many years to come. They say plans have already been made to use 10 of the 12 Olympic buildings after the games. The facilities will be used for professional and amateur sports, education, cultural events and exhibitions, officials said. I’m Bryan Lynn. Brian Padden reported this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English, with additional information coming from the Associated Press and Reuters. Mario Ritter 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 habitable – adj. in good enough condition to live in bathroom – n. a room with a bath or shower, sink and a toilet infrastructure – n. basic systems used to serve society, such as transportation and communication progressive – adj. happening or developing steadily venue – n. a place to hold sports, music or other special events sponsorship – n. an agreement between organizations to jointly provide money to support something benefit – v. to be useful or helpful amateur –adj.  

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U.S. Swimmer Ryan Lochte Loses Sponsors

This is What’s Trending Today. Ryan Lochte’s name stayed in the news this week, two days after the closing ceremony of the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. Lochte is the American swimmer who did not tell the truth about being robbed early one morning during the Rio Games. Four of Lochte’s sponsors said they would no longer support him. Two of the sponsors are well-known companies, Speedo and Ralph Lauren. Speedo makes swimwear, including the suits many swimmers wore in the Olympics. Ralph Lauren made the clothing Team USA athletes wore during the opening and closing ceremonies in Rio de Janeiro. Many companies pay money so athletes will wear their clothing, use their equipment and appear in their advertisements. Lochte got into trouble for saying he and three teammates were robbed when men posing as police officers stopped his taxi. But after the Rio de Janeiro police investigated the incident, it turned out that Lochte was not telling the truth. Video cameras at a gas station showed Lochte and his teammates getting into an argument with armed security guards. Lochte and his teammates explained that they were asked to pay money for damaging property at the gas station. But the explanation came many days after the first story they told. In an interview, Lochte said the incident and his behavior tarnished the Rio de Janeiro Olympics “a little.” Speedo said it would donate $50,000 to a charity that supports children. The other sponsors that ended their connection with Lochte were a hair removal company and a Japanese company that makes mattresses. Sponsors can usually end their deals with an athlete if he or she behaves badly. Many people on Facebook and Twitter reacted to the news. They said the moral of the Lochte story is: take responsibility for your actions, however embarrassing they may be. Others said people should remember “what you do in the present affects your future.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. What do you think about Ryan Lochte losing his sponsors? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.   ________________________________________________________________   Words in This Story sponsor – n. an individual or organization that gives money to an athlete for training, clothes, equipment, etc., in return for the right to use the athlete for advertising tarnish – v. to damage the good quality of something pose as – v. to pretend to be someone in order to deceive people teammate – n. a person who is on the same team as someone else embarrassing – adj. confusing or foolish relating to actions or behavior

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Chinese Companies Fight for Data Storage Business

  Chinese companies have begun competing with Western companies in the cloud computing and data storage market. The “cloud war” is taking place as the dispute between the United States and China about data hacking and computer network security grows stronger. Chinese companies such as Alibaba, Baidu and Huawei are expanding within their country and gaining customers in other countries. At the same time, regulations against foreign companies in China make competing with those businesses difficult. Security concerns The increasing competition in cloud computing and storage worries some experts. They are concerned about the security of information. After all, companies often use the cloud to store important, confidential information and to operate such activities as data-driven machinery, telecommunications, banking and transport systems -- including plans for driverless vehicles. Lee Branstetter is an associate professor of economics at the Heinz School of Policy and Management of the Carnegie Mellon University. He told VOA that many multi-national companies “have serious concerns about the protection of their intellectual property in China.” Branstetter said some of these large companies already believe they have lost valuable information. “All of this would give non-Chinese multinationals pause before entrusting their critical data to Chinese cloud computing service providers,” Branstetter said. But experts say some companies simply do not have enough money to pay for the higher-cost cloud computing services sold outside China. Sheila Jasanoff is the director of the program on science, technology and society at Harvard’s Kennedy School. She called the cloud computing industry “unruly.” In other words, the industry is not strictly governed. “People (in the business) are making rules as they go along or taking advantage of the lack of rules,” Jasanoff said. She said cloud computing companies are not clear about what security measures they are promising customers. She is worried that a major accident may happen before governments realize the need for stronger rules in the cloud computing industry. “I would think a big tragedy might happen in a large airport or other facility -- like a hospital system -- and it would result in loss of life,” she said. She believes there should be internationally-accepted rules on data security. But she does not believe an international agreement will be reached anytime soon. Competition for U.S. businesses? Chinese companies are creating data centers in multiple countries and trying to sell data management services throughout the world. For example, Alibaba has created data centers in the United States, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. However, Professor Branstetter does not believe Chinese companies selling cloud services can compete with companies such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon. He said China is an unusual country because it tries to keep out foreign data companies -- or, in his words, “digital players.” “For this reason, I expect Chinese digital players to continue to be dominant at home, but I do not expect them to be very successful abroad,” Branstetter said. China’s limits on foreign data companies means Chinese companies have been able to sell their services locally with little competition. As a result, these Chinese companies have captured a lot of business -- more than one-fifth of the world’s largest companies are in China, as measured by Forbes Magazine. If foreign companies want to work in China, the government requires them to work with a Chinese company. And they must place their computer servers in China. Some foreign companies have agreed to these restrictions because of the large size of the Chinese market. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   Correspondent Saibal Dasgupta reported this story from Beijing. 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   cloud – n. the large computers (called servers) that you can connect to on the Internet and use for storing data hack – v. to secretly get access to the files on a computer or network in order to get information, cause damage, etc. intellectual property – n. something (such as an idea, invention, or process) that comes from a person's mind critical – adj. extremely important dominant – adj. more important, powerful, or successful than most or all others abroad – adj. in or to a foreign country

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Young Muslim-Americans Try Online 'Halal' Dating

  Many young Muslim-Americans report having difficulty finding a spouse in the traditional way, so they are using websites that connect Muslims who want to be married. Filza Satti and Obaid Akram have been married for more than a year. They met on a website for Muslims who want to take part in “halal dating.” Halal dating is a way for Muslims to learn about one another to decide if they want to be married, while at the same time observing the beliefs of Islam. When Muslim men and women date one another, it is with the intention of marrying one another or deciding against marrying. As they are dating, they do not become physically intimate. They meet only in public places and with friends. And they must have permission from their parents or other older people to date one another. "I joined a matrimonial website two years ago. You'll find a lot of people there with different backgrounds and cultural values." Obaid Akram says he once supported so-called “arranged marriages,” in which family members bring a man and woman together to be married. But he says finding a wife through a website was easier. “Halal dating, I think, is gonna be the next thing for our Muslim community, because we need it. You need to do that. We need, we all need to do that." Some Muslims still prefer the traditional method of matchmaking, or arranging marriages. Huma Qureshi lives in Houston, Texas. She has been a matchmaker for the past 16 years. “Online dating has impacted our work, because it’s so easy to go to the website and create a profile for a nominal fee. Boys and girls can also meet in the process we follow but that involves families first. You do find halal dating amazing as you’re young and are attracted to the opposite sex, (but) it’s more like a fun thing...” Meeting other Muslims on a website and then taking part in halal dating is new. But Satti and Akram believe this is the way most Muslims will meet in the future. They believe learning about a person before a marriage takes place will help prevent some of the problems that arranged marriages produce. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA's Madeeha Anwar reported this story from Dallas for VOANews.com. 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   spouse – n. someone who is married; a husband or wife intimate – v. involving sex or sexual relations background – n. the experiences, knowledge, education, etc., in a person’s past prefer – v. to like (someone or something) better than someone or something else matchmaker – n. a person who tries to bring two people together so that they will marry each other impact – v. to have a strong and often bad effect on (something or someone) profile – n. a brief written description that provides information about someone or something nominal – adj. very small in amount  

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Social Media Points Out Sexism in Olympics Coverage

  This is What’s Trending Today…. The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro have come to an end, but people are still discussing media coverage of the event. Several comments by Olympic broadcasters about women athletes led to a debate. During the team gymnastics competition, for example, an American broadcaster commented about the smiling and laughing U.S. women’s team. They had just easily won a round of the competition. The announcer said that the athletes “might as well be standing in the middle of a mall.” Another American announcer credited Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszu’s husband for making her a winning competitor. Hosszu’s husband, American Shane Tusup, is also her coach. And the Chicago Tribune newspaper identified bronze medal winner Corey Cogdell-Unrein in a headline as the “wife” of a Chicago football player. The headline failed to give Cogdell-Urein’s name. She is an American competitor in the sport of trap shooting.   ​ Equal time, unequal treatment The Olympic Games are an opportunity for women’s sports to get as much attention as men’s sports on television in America. A 2015 study from the University of Southern California found that the sports network ESPN spends only 2 percent of its broadcast time on women’s sports. That rate has not changed in 26 years, the study found. The Olympics, however, are more balanced. A team of researchers found that 58 percent of the television coverage in the first week of the 2016 Olympics included women athletes. However, the way in which men and women athletes are discussed by the media is not always the same.   Researchers from Cambridge University studied more than 160 million words from news articles, social media, internet websites and other places. They researched the words used to describe men and women in Olympic sports. The researchers found that men most often were described as “great” “strong” and “fastest.” Women, however, were described most often using words not related to their ability in sports. The researchers noted words like “older,” “pregnant” and “married” were used often for women athletes. People on social media have pointed out examples of what they consider sexism during the Rio Olympics. Sexism is the unfair treatment of people because of their sex. Rebecca Brooks is a market researcher in Los Angeles. She told VOA that sexism in Olympic coverage is “nothing new.” “Many of the broadcasters covering the Rio Olympics are the same reporters who have covered the events in past decades,” Brooks said . Why, then, has sexism become a major topic during these Olympics? Some experts say social media may be the answer. A.J. Marsden is a professor of psychology at Beacon College in Leesburg, Florida. She notes that young people, or millennials, are quick to notice such comments and then discuss them on social media. Marsden also said that most of the broadcasters “accused of sexist statements are a little bit older.” Journalist Lindy West writes about gender equality. She recently wrote a report in The Guardian newspaper about sexism and the Olympics. She offered advice to reporters who cover women’s sports. “Don’t spend more time discussing female athletes’ makeup, hairdos….marital status and age...than you spend analyzing the incredible feats of strength and skills…” She also said that reporters should simply write about women athletes “the way you write about male athletes….without mentioning their gender except maybe in the name of the sport.”  And that’s What’s Trending Today.  Marissa Melton wrote this report for VOANews.com. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story coverage - n. the activity of reporting about an event or subject in newspapers, on television news programs, etc. athlete - n. a person who is trained in or good at sports, games, or exercises that require physical skill and strength mall - n. a large building or group of buildings containing stores of many different kinds and sizes sexism - n. unfair treatment of people because of their sex, especially unfair treatment of women journalist - n. a person who researchers, writes and edits news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio gender - n. the state of being male or female

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Coloring Books Can Cut Stress for Adults

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Coloring is an activity that children worldwide have long enjoyed. With a picture already made for them, kids simply choose a crayon, pencil or marker of their favorite color and fill it in. But why should children get to have all the fun?   Now they don’t. More and more adults are enjoying relaxing hours of coloring. This is thanks to a new book craze in the United States and in other countries around the world – an adult coloring book craze. In December, five of the top ten best-selling books in the United States were coloring books made for adults. They're fun but are coloring books good for you? Artist Trina Lucido creates coloring books. To find inspiration for her drawings, she says she doesn’t have to look far. "One day I saw a beautiful leaf and – boom! – I did a whole page on leaves. So, some came from sketchbooks. Some were just one-word inspiration and some I just saw something on the ground and that was my inspiration that day." Trina Lucido's latest coloring book contains 40 pages filled with hand-sketched drawings of flowers, birds and geometric shapes. It also has spaces to journal – in other words, to write about what you’re doing or thinking. Journaling has long been an exercise in many types of therapy.   Lucido says the “big idea” behind her latest book is to help encourage people do something creative. "It’s called Color, Write and Create. I wanted to do something that would encourage people to be creative. When I do art journaling, people see my journals and (they go), ‘Oh my gosh! I wish I were creative.' And that makes me sad because I think everybody is creative. So the idea behind this book, the big idea is to encourage people to be creative..." Lucido says the positive feedback from her customers is encouraging. She says that many of her customers are buying the coloring books for others who are sick or having challenges. Lucido adds that the act of coloring becomes almost healing, or as she says, “therapeutic.” “Something else I heard from people, they are buying these for people who are either ill or going through a rough time, and they feel that this is something that kind of helps them, almost therapeutically. " Art therapy experts have said in several articles (add link) that coloring can reduce stress by focusing you on a simple task. When you are filling in a flower with a vibrant purple color, you focus on the flower and not on your troubles. Experts add that coloring can bring out your imagination and can take you back to your childhood. Psychologists add that coloring activates your brain in a healthy way. The shape and form of the drawings activate one side of the brain, while the color and texture of the drawing material activates the other. Coloring also exercises a person’s fine motor skills. But people drawn to coloring books probably are not thinking of exercising their fine motor skills. Susan Jackson is a big fan of Lucido’s coloring books. Jackson stands in a local store in the Washington, D.C. area. She holds one of Lucido’s coloring books in her hands. As she flips through the book, she says she is drawn to their beauty and authenticity. Sitting down and coloring, Jackson adds, relaxes her and just makes her feel happy. "Oh, it is very relaxing. Any stress just sort of falls away. It frees your mind. And it's not as daunting as trying to fill a blank page. The pictures, I think, are just happy. They just make me feel happy. I love her little birds. There is just something about them. They make me smile. So I'm saving the bird pictures to the very end, I think." For now, there is strong demand for adult coloring books. That fact keeps Lucido happy and busy. I’m Anna Matteo. Faiza Elmasry wrote this story for VOA News. Anna Matteo adapted it for Learning English, using additional material about coloring and stress. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. Are adult coloring books popular where you live? Let us know in the Comments Sections. Also play a game with us! There is a pun (a play on words) in this article. If you think you know what it is, write your answer in the Comments Section. We will announce the correct answer next week.   _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   craze  – n. something that is very popular for a period of time inspiration – n. a person, place, experience, etc., that makes someone want to do or create something boom! – interjection indicates that something has happened suddenly sketch – n. a quick, rough drawing that shows the main features of an object or scene geometric – adj. of, relating to, or according to the methods or principles of geometry journal – n. a book in which you write down your personal experiences and thoughts therapeutic – adj. producing good effects on your body or mind :  vibrant – adj. very bright and strong encourage – v. to make (someone) more likely to do something : to make (someone) more determined, hopeful, or confident positive feedback – n. helpful information or criticism that is given to someone to say what can be done to improve a performance, product, etc. drawn – v. to bring toward oneself or itself, as by inherent force or influence; attract: authenticity – n. real or genuine : not copied or false daunting – adj. tending to make people afraid or less confident : very difficult to do or deal with

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The Most Dangerous Time for Mothers and Babies

  The days immediately before and after child birth appear the most dangerous for mothers and babies. The World Health Organization, or WHO, estimates that more than 300,000 women die every year during pregnancy or childbirth. Each year, about 2.6 million babies are stillborn and another 2.7 million babies die during the first 28 days of life, it said. Most of the deaths are taking place in South Asia and in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. Many of the deaths could have been avoided with quality health care, WHO officials said. Another problem is that nearly all babies who are stillborn and half of all newborn deaths are never documented. Those deaths are not reported to or investigated by government health agencies. Officials said this means the actual number of stillborn and newborn deaths is probably even higher than the WHO’s own current estimates. The United Nations agency says the lack of information makes it harder to find solutions. Ian Askew is director of Reproductive Health and Research at the WHO. He said it is important for all births and deaths to be counted so health officials can make better decisions on how to prevent future deaths. In this way, Askew said, countries could improve the quality of health care and stop “millions of families from enduring the pain of losing their infants or mothers.” The WHO released three reports earlier this month to help health agencies do a better job collecting information. Askew told VOA that traditions and beliefs often interfere with the collection of important records about infant deaths. In many countries, he said, there is a belief, that a stillbirth may not represent a lost life. Some stillbirths, infant deaths or deaths of mothers result from complications during childbirth, the WHO said. Others may result from health problems with the mother, including diabetes or hypertension. A poor diet or using drugs can interfere with the growth of a fetus inside the mother, the WHO added. I’m Bruce Alpert. Lisa Schlein reported this story for VOA News. Bruce Alpert adapted the story and did additional reporting for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Here are some suggestions from the U.S. National Institutes of Health on what a pregnant woman can do to improve chances of giving birth to a healthy baby. ________________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   stillborn - n. dead at birth solution - n. something that solves a problem endure - v. to experience pain and or sadness complication - n. something that makes something harder to understand, explain, or deal with diabetes - n. a serious disease in which the body cannot properly control the amount of sugar in your blood because it does not have enough insulin hypertension - n. high blood pressure

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Malawi's Homegrown Vegetables Ease Food Shortage

In Malawi, over 6 million people need food aid because severe weather has made growing corn crops difficult. But small home gardens are helping. The Victory Garden Campaign is working with people in the capital city of Lilongwe to grow a variety of vegetables near their houses. Edson Kumbani and his family live in the Likuni area of the capital city. He created a garden last year after his corn crop failed. Like most farmers in Malawi, his family depended on corn as its main source of food. But now he grows vegetables such as tomatoes, pumpkins, beans and potatoes. His wife, Efrida helps with the garden. “Now I have even stopped asking my husband about food whenever he leaves the house. I just enter the garden and pick whatever food I need for the family and cook it.” Kumbani began his garden with help from a U.S. anti-hunger charity, Face to Face. Its mission is to help communities help themselves. Ken Wong is the director. “What we want to do is roll out our Victory Garden solution, our solution of changing the way that Malawians think about farming, and thinking about food, so that Malawi can break the cycle of poverty.” About 22,000 families in the Likuni, Tsabango and Mitundu areas are benefiting from the campaign. Each person that receives training will teach 25 other people. The small gardens are about 2.5 square meters and can grow up to 15 kinds of plants, vegetables and fruit trees.   The campaign chooses plants and trees that can survive on little water. The weather is still dry in Malawi and some villagers must walk a long way to get water. Even so, the seeds of change for a healthier future are being planted. I’m Dorothy Gundy. Lameck Masina reported on this story for VOANews.com. Dorothy Gundy adapted it  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   variety – n. the state of having or including many different things mission – n. work that you consider to be a very important duty solution – n. something that solves a problem cycle – n. a repeating series of events benefiting – verb  to be useful or helpful to someone

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Memorial Bridge Needs Repairs in America's Capital

A famous bridge over the Potomac River is badly in need of repair. The Memorial Bridge connects Washington, D.C. with Arlington County in Virginia. It provides drivers, runners and walkers alike a crossing between the famous memorial to President Abraham Lincoln and Arlington National Cemetery. Tens of thousands of people use the bridge every day. But only some of them know that the large stone structure and its steel supports are slowly breaking down. The Memorial Bridge was built in 1932. It was designed to be a ceremonial entrance to Washington. But the bridge is in need of major repair work. Money for the project has been hard to find. The U.S. Congress approved a $90 million grant for the repairs. But an estimated $250 million would be required to fully fix the famous structure. Close to 68,000 drivers use the Memorial Bridge daily. Many have noticed the bridge is falling apart. "I see it every day," said Frank Lopez del Rincon, who spoke to VOA while riding his bicycle. "The cracks, people working on it…it clearly needs lots of work." K. Seyoum, a taxi driver, also uses the bridge. He said he has experienced first-hand the difficulties of bridge repairs and lane closures, "especially during rush hour." Temporary "quick fixes" have been made for several years. Recently, more permanent changes, such as closing the outer lanes and increasing weight limits, have drivers seeking other ways to get to and from D.C. Emergency repair projects in 2010, 2012, and 2015 resulted in months of lane and sidewalk closures. The U.S. National Park Service says those repairs were only temporary. Park service officials are responsible for the bridge and grounds around it. Matthew Gilmore is a local historian and planning expert. He said the park service has been making quick, simple repairs for many years. He explained the federal agency never has a lot of money to spend. But a major fix is needed. Without a complete repair project, the park service said the bridge will have to close to all traffic in five years. The main problem now is that the deck, or top surface, continues to break up. Cyclist Del Rincon was surprised to hear that the park service continues to struggle to find money for the project. "I would think the government would cover that," he said. Worsening infrastructure The situation at the Memorial Bridge is found in other parts of the U.S. The American Society of Civil Engineers this year rated one in nine American bridges as "structurally deficient." Progress in fixing the country’s roads and bridges is slow. Congress has been unwilling to approve the public money needed for such repairs in recent years. The country needs to spend nearly two times its current budget of $12.8 billion a year just to make sure American bridges stay safe and secure. That spending estimate comes from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. I’m Kaveh Rezaei.   Esha Sarai wrote this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What famous buildings or structures in your country are in need of repair? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   cemetery – n. a place where dead people are buried dismount – v. to get down from something such as a horse or bicycle taxicab – n. a car that carries passengers to a place for an amount of money that is based on the distance traveled lane – n. a part of road that is marked by painted lines and that is for a single line of vehicles overhaul – v. to look at every part of something and repair or replace the parts that are broken deck – n. a flat surface on a bridge rush – adj. requiring speed or urgency  

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African Films Explore Our Sense of Time

Artist Rachel Rymont did not plan on spending part of her day inside a dark building when she visited Washington, D.C. But she changed her mind after taking one look at a new exhibit at the world-famous Smithsonian Institution. The exhibit can be seen at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. It is called "Senses of Time: Video and Film-based Works of Africa." "Senses of Time" is a video and film show that explores how people experience time.   "It is a really different experience than being in a gallery or looking at a painting," said Rymont, who lives in Baltimore, Maryland. "It kind of forces you to step back and co-exist with the piece instead of just glancing at it."  Time is the main subject that connects all of the works, although the subject matter differs from work to work.  The exhibit includes Yinka Shonibare's work "Un Ballo in Maschera." It is based on Giuseppe Verdi's 1859 operatic work, “A Masked Ball.”   Shonibare’s piece questions the nature of time. In it, a leader, played by a woman, is killed. She then rises again and dances once more.   Moataz Nasr's film, “The Water,” is very different from Shonibare’s colorful work. Nasr's film is in black and white. Faces appear in water on the ground, but before you, the viewer, can see any details, a foot steps on the image.   Art and Politics  Rachel Rymont liked how the exhibit was political, but did not try to teach about politics in an unwanted way.   "A lot of time with political work, there's a tendency for things to get a bit cold or didactic, but that didn't happen in there," she said. "All of it was very moving, and it was very human."  Perhaps the most openly political piece is Sammy Baloji's "Memoire.” It was filmed against a series of former copper mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Choreographer and dancer Faustin Linyekula does a dance, while speeches from some of the country's earlier and current leaders play.   The piece shows how the reality of the present has not lived up to the promises of the past. Linyekula expresses this idea in a heartbreaking way by shouting, "Vive l'independence" (Long live independence) to nothing but silence.   Other works tell of difficulties that political activists faced in the past.  For example, Sue Williamson's work, called "There's Something I Must Tell You", shows six South African women from the generation of former President Nelson Mandela. The women talk about their experiences to their young relatives.   In total, seven films are shown at the same time in the African art museum’s exhibit hall. The experience tests not only perceptions of time, but also ideas about what artists can accomplish with film. I’m John Russell.   Rosie Brown wrote this report for VOANews.com. 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   exhibit – n. an object or a collection of objects that have been put out in a public space for people to look at gallery – n. a room or building in which people look at paintings, sculptures, etc. choreographer – n. a person who decides how a dancer or group of dancers will move during a performance accomplish – v. to succeed in doing (something) viewer – n. someone who sees or watches something

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