School Year Begins in Cameroon, But Many Children Not in Class

Schools in Cameroon re-opened this week for the beginning of a new school year. But an estimated 100,000 children in northern Cameroon are not attending classes. They have been forced from their homes because of the conflict with Boko Haram militants. Schools in some areas are overcrowded and the building of more schools has been delayed because of security concerns. Sixteen-year-old old Lara Salamatou fled her home in Kerawa three months ago. She says she then tried to go to the government high school in the town of Maroua. She said the school in Maroua is overcrowded and has few teachers. She wants conditions there to improve, and would like to continue her education. Officials recently closed her school in Kerawa and 160 other schools because of attacks by Boko Haram supporters. The militants are said to have entered Cameroon from Nigeria. The government says at least 100,000 displaced children are not in classes this year. At an elementary school in Maroua, classes have begun. But about 500 young people are waiting outside the building. Teacher Njah Clementine says school officials are refusing to admit children whose parents have yet to make payments for their education. She knows many of those waiting have been displaced because of the conflict. She says the government has yet to tell the school to admit the boys and girls. She says many parents wait until the last minute to make the payments. She said some of them beg the school to let their children go to class even without paying. But she says for those who have paid, their children are in class and there is effective teaching. Teachers are teaching. They prepared their lessons last week. Education officials have moved teachers paid by the government to schools in areas at risk of Boko Haram attacks. But since 2014, some of those teachers have refused to go. This causes more problems for the schools in those areas. Across the border in northern Nigeria, Boko Haram has targeted government schools and schoolchildren. Youssouf Hadidja Alim is Cameroon’s Minister of Basic Education.  She says the government is building schools in safe areas. She says the government has built more than 200 classrooms, 87 buildings with restrooms and 56 water wells. She says the government has also built more than 6,000 school benches. And it has paid extra money to teachers in an effort to persuade them to teach in some areas. More schools are planned but have not been built. Aminou Sanda Zoua is the top basic education official in the Far North area of Cameroon. He says Boko Haram fighters target companies building the schools. He says workers began building the schools, but stopped because of problems with security. He says crews are waiting for the right time to complete the work. But he says some classrooms have been built by the Army and they are ready to be used. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   Moki Edwin Kindzeka in Cameroon reported this story for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   lesson – n. an activity that you do in order to learn something basic – adj. describing the simplest and most important parts of something (such as a subject of study) bench – n. a long and usually hard seat for two or more people

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Google Services for Your Daily Life

Google has many services to help people and businesses. Some you may use every day. Others you may not have discovered yet. The more commonly known services include Gmail, Chrome and YouTube. But here are several others: Google Trends ​ Google Trends shows the most popular topics searched on Google. Click on a topic to read related news stories. Google Trends has a filter for dates and country to show more detailed results.   View trends according to categories, such as business, sports, entertainment, health and science/technology. Trends will also show related topics. Compare two topics to see which is the most popular. Users can also see how a topic had been trending over time. Find Your Android We all have trouble keeping track of our phones. Maybe we set it down in an unusual place, like at a restaurant or train station. Perhaps a friend uses it and forgets to give it back. If that phone is an Android, there is a Google service that can help you find it. Go to google.com and type "find my phone." Google will show you where your phone is on a map. Click the “ring” link to make your phone ring. Google Dashboard You can check to see all the Google services linked to your account at Google Dashboard. Users can see the bookmarks they have saved on Chrome, or which Android phones they have linked to their accounts. Users can also check out their +1's on Google Plus, view their search history and more. Users can change settings in many Google services directly from their Dashboard. Google Photos Introduced last year, Google Photos gives users unlimited storage space for digital photos. The service helps keep photos organized, and users can search by person, place and date.   Google Photos also will create albums of related photographs. Assistant combines photos to create a panoramic image and can create animations of photos. Recently, Google Photos launched a Rediscover This Day feature to remind you of photos you took on this day in past years. Google Reverse Image Search When you see an image on the Internet, you may wonder what it is a picture of. Or you might think you have seen it before but are not sure where. Google Reverse Image Search helps users learn more about images that interest them. They can find out what the subject of the image is, where the image has appeared and about its usage rights. Google Flights When planning a trip, you may want to find the lowest priced flights or those that are most convenient. Google Flights shows both. A calendar view shows prices of flights on different dates. Users can also see flight choices on a virtual map. Use the I'm Feeling Lucky Button in the map view of Google Flights to have the service suggest a trip for you. Google Maps Google Maps shows points of interest, directions, traffic, public transportation information, routes, and images of places. Google Maps can be used as a website or as an app. The service shows live traffic. It also lets users set day and time information to see how traffic has been in the past. And, Google Maps can show how crowded a business is at certain days and times. Users can download maps for viewing when they are away from the Internet. Google Street View can show you what a place looks like at ground level. Is that friend’s house you are trying to find large or small, brick or wood? What color is it? Street View can show you. And, Google Earth gives you the view from above. Google Maps app for Android Google Maps app for iPhone and iPad Google Arts & Culture ​ Google Arts & Culture is a website filled with the greatest art in the world. Take virtual tours of museums, find out about special exhibits, learn about the history of art at the site. Search by color, medium, artist, date, location and more. Watch ballet and opera performances from around the world. You can save your favorites to find them easily later. Planning a trip? Check the site to get a preview of the art you can experience there. You can also download the app to use when you are on the go: Google Arts & Culture app for Android Google Arts & Culture app for iOS Google Translate   Learn the translation of words in over 100 different languages with Google Translate. Translate words and phrases from other languages into your native language by copying and pasting text into the Google Translate website. The service can detect a language if you are not sure what it is. You can type text to translate words from your native language into other languages. Be careful though, the translations do not always include cultural context. In addition to a website, the service is also available as a Google Translate Chrome Extension. The Google Translate apps let users translate words as text. You can also point the phone's camera at a word for instant translations. Google Translate app for Android Google Translate app for iPhone and iPad Field Trip Field Trip can help users discover interesting places nearby. This app shows what is around you, including historical sites, restaurants, parks, museums and more. The Field Trip app is free and can alert users when they are close to an interesting place. Field Trip app for Android Field Trip app for iPhone and iPad Google Hangouts Google Hangouts is a free chat service that lets users send text messages or have video calls. Users can add up to five people for a group video chat. Google Hangouts also lets users share their screens with others so that viewers see an image of the computer screen instead of the person. Google Hangouts is available on computers, phones and tablets. In addition to the website, Google Hangouts is available on Chrome Extension, the Android app, and the iPhone and iPad apps: Google Hangouts Chrome Extension Google Hangouts Android app Google Hangouts app for iPhone and iPad Google Alerts If a topic is important to you, Google Alerts can help you stay informed about it. Google Alerts can send you a notification when that topic is mentioned on the Internet. For example, you can set up a Google Alert for your name, your company's name, or your favorite TV show. Set up your alert to control how often you receive them, where they are sent, and which sources are used. Google Dictionary Google Dictionary is a handy extension for Chrome that provides the definition of words. Double-click a word to see the definition. You can save words you look up to study them later. I’m Jonathan Evans.  And I'm Mehrnoush Karimian-Ainsworth. Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Which of these Google services do you use? Are any of these services new to you? Are there any Google services not listed here that you recommend? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story topic - n. someone or something that people talk or write about filter - n.  software that prevents someone from looking at or receiving particular kinds of material through the Internet trend  - n. something that is currently popular or fashionable convenient - adj. allowing you to do something easily or without trouble on the go - v. to move or travel away from a place translation  - n. words that have been changed from one language into a different language detect - v. to discover or notice the presence of cultural context - n. the setting, in time or space, surrounding the occurrence of a given event chat - v. to talk over the Internet by sending messages back and forth in a chat room alert  - n. something (such as a message or loud sound) that tells people there is something important  

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NFL Season Opens Without Quarterbacks Brady, Manning

Fans of American-style football are looking forward to the opening of the National Football League season on September 8. The sports league includes 32 professional teams from around the U.S. They will play against each other for the next four months. All are seeking the chance to play in the championship, known as the Super Bowl, in February. The NFL championship is the most-watched sporting event on television in the U.S. It is also popular in other countries. The 2016-2017 season begins with a night game between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. It will be the first time the season has started without quarterback Peyton Manning since 1998. Manning retired after winning the Super Bowl in February. The 40-year-old former player for the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts now jokes about all his free time in television commercials. The last time a season started without Tom Brady as the quarterback of the New England Patriots was in 2001. He became the team’s quarterback in the third game of that year. This year the 39-year-old athlete is suspended from play. The NFL says he can return in the fifth week of the season. For 15 years, Manning and Brady have been the highest profile quarterbacks in the NFL. In football, the quarterback is responsible for starting each play with the ball and throwing it, running it or handing it off to a teammate. The quarterback is a player on offense. Its goal is to move the ball down the field. Teams score by moving the ball into the opponent’s end zone. That is called a touchdown. The defense is responsible for pushing against the offense and stopping the offense from moving the ball down the field. The defense can win control of the ball for their team if the other team does not make enough progress. Football fans and sports industry experts are discussing the future for the Broncos and the Patriots now that their stars are gone. Of course, Brady will be back. The NFL ordered his suspension as punishment for his actions in an important game two seasons ago. He was found to be playing with footballs that were underinflated. Such balls can be easier to throw and catch in cold weather.   New England is replacing Brady in the first four games with Jimmy Garoppolo. He does not have much experience in the NFL. In two seasons, he played in only 11 games for the Patriots. Denver’s new quarterback is Trevor Siemian. He has even less playing time than Garoppolo. Siemian has played in just one NFL game. Siemian says he hopes he can put to use some things he learned from Manning last year. Devin McCourty is an experienced New England player. He says Brady cannot be replaced by just one man. “I think it's going to be a true team effort to try to replace what he's built here and what he's been able to do, week in and week out," McCourty told the Associated Press. Both Denver and New England were two of the league’s best teams last year. Denver defeated New England one game before the Super Bowl. Two weeks later, Denver defeated the Carolina Panthers to win the Super Bowl. The league is divided into two groups, the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference. After practicing and playing warm-up games all summer, teams and players are ready for the new season. The season opener is a Super Bowl rematch between Denver and Carolina. The season includes 16 games and lasts 17 weeks. The last game before the playoffs is January 1, 2017. Each team’s goal is to play well enough to qualify for the playoffs. The playoffs are a small tournament. One team from the American Football Conference and one team from the National Football Conference will play in the Super Bowl on February 5. Reporters who cover football for the magazine Sports Illustrated picked the teams they thought would be the best this year. Denver, Carolina and New England are expected to be good. Also, the writers say teams from Arizona, Seattle, Green Bay and Pittsburgh should be strong. Ricky Jean-Francois is a defensive player for the Washington Redskins. He is a six-year veteran and played in the Super Bowl once, as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. His team’s season starts Monday night. Washington plays the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the NFL’s most famous teams. “I’m overly excited. I’ve been waiting on the season to come about. It’s going to be an amazing season. I just want everybody to make sure they’re there to enjoy it like we are. It’s great to play a team like that [Pittsburgh] a team that’s a playoff team each and every year and a team that’s a Super Bowl contender each and every year. So it’s good to start the season off against a team like that.” I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English with material from the Associated Press. Caty Weaver was the editor. Are you excited for the start of the new NFL season? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story inflate – v. to add air or gas to (something, such as a tire or a balloon) and make it larger challenge – n. an action, statement, etc., that is against something: a refusal to accept something as true, correct, or legal rematch – n. a match or game that is played by the same people or teams after an earlier match or game — usually singular veteran - n. someone who has a lot of experience in a particular activity, job, etc. contender – n. a person or team who has a good chance of winning high-profile – adj. attracting a lot of attention in newspapers, on television, etc. tournament – n. a sports competition or series of contests that involves many players or teams and and usually continues for at least several days        

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‘Umbrella Revolution’ Leader Wins Hong Kong Seat

  A leader of the student-led, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong two years ago has won a seat in the territory’s Legislative Council. Nathan Law was one of many pro-democracy candidates winning in the legislative elections last Sunday. The 23-year-old activist became the youngest person ever elected to the Council.  Law was a candidate of the Demosisto party, which he launched with another protest leader, Joshua Wong. The party has called for a special citywide referendum to let voters decide the future of Hong Kong. The Chinese leadership has repeatedly stated that it is opposed to any form of independence for the territory. Several candidates were barred from taking part in the elections this week because of their support for independence. Final election results showed pro-democracy candidates won 30 of the 70 council seats. With this one-third margin, pro-democracy forces will have the power to veto bills approved by allies of the government in Beijing. An estimated 2.2 million Hong Kong residents – or 58 percent of eligible voters – took part in the elections. This was the highest voter turnout in Hong Kong since 1997, when the territory was returned to China from British rule. It was the first vote in Hong Kong since the 'Umbrella Revolution' protests that shut down parts of the city for 79 days beginning in September 2014. The protests started when student activists entered a fenced-off area around Hong Kong’s government offices. They were protesting Chinese plans to restrict fully free elections in Hong Kong. The demonstrations, considered illegal by Chinese and Hong Kong government officials, were the first major test of Chinese rule in Hong Kong. Nathan Law and two other leaders of the Umbrella Revolution movement were sentenced last month for their involvement in the protests. But all of them avoided jail time and were ordered to perform community service. A few long-serving pro-democracy legislators lost their seats in the elections. Political observers and some candidates said the results clearly show that many Hong Kong voters want change. The pro-democracy movement has voiced concerns that China is moving to limit civil liberties in the territory. The agreement that gave China control of Hong Kong requires the government to permit these freedoms. It also states that Hong Kong must remain autonomous from China for at least 50 years.  I’m June Simms. Bryan Lynn adapted this report from VOA News. Additional information came from the Associated Press and Reuters. George Grow 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   referendum – n. a vote of a single political question margin – n. a certain amount or degree of difference eligible – adj. able to participate or do something autonomous – adj. independent, having the right to self-govern

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Laos Struggles Between China, Vietnam

  U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Laos Monday for a three-day visit to the Southeast Asian country. His visit shows how far Laos has stepped out of the shadows of its larger, influential neighbors, China and Vietnam. Since the days of French colonial rule in Southeast Asia, Vietnam has influenced Laos, both culturally and politically. The Communist Party came to power in Laos during the Vietnam War. By the time of the 1975 communist revolution, most party officials had spent time in Vietnam. Many of them even spoke the Vietnamese language. Nguyen Ngoc Truong is a former Vietnamese diplomat. He now directs a foreign policy research center. He says Vietnam’s government now considers Laos “a very important neighbor.” Yet some observers would say China’s government has more influence than Vietnam. They note the size of China’s development aid programs in Laos. Chinese media say China’s foreign direct investment in Laos exceeded $1 billion in 2015. By comparison, Vietnam has a small foreign direct investment in Laos, Truong said. He added Laos cannot compete with what he describes as China’s "economic invasion" of Laos. Ho Cam Gioi is with the Center for South East Asian studies in Ho Chi Minh City. Gioi said Vietnamese nationals are still interested in Laos and its language, but that the level [of interest] is low. “Some want to learn the Laotian language to travel to the country to study, to do business and to settle there with their family.” During his visit to Laos, Obama is dealing with issues resulting from past U.S. policies. In the 1960s and 1970s, the U.S. military dropped bombs on villages and rural areas in Laos as America’s war with Vietnam crossed the border. The Lao government estimated that more than 2 million tons of bombs were dropped during more than 500,000 bombing raids. The government estimated that one bomb fell every eight minutes for nine years.                     Millions of cluster bombs fell to the ground in the countryside, but failed to explode. But over the years, many of these tennis ball-sized bombs did explode, killing and wounding civilians. On Tuesday, Obama met with Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachith in the presidential palace. After the meeting, the Obama administration announced plans for a three-year, $90 million program for a national study of unexploded ordnance and efforts to clear the bombs. “Given our history here, I believe the United States has a moral obligation to help Laos heal,” Obama said. The Obama administration also said the two countries launched a new period in relations on “a shared desire to heal the wounds of the past” and build a foundation for the future.   Trung Nguyen wrote this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. His report included information from the Associated Press. 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   cluster bomb – n. a type of bomb that is dropped from an airplane and that contains many small bombs shadow– n.  a dark shape that appears on a surface when someone or something moves between the surface and a source of light (sometimes used figuratively) exceeded – v.  to be greater or more than something ordnance – n.  military supplies including weapons, ammunition, armor, vehicles foundation – n. something such as an idea, a principle, or a fact that provides support for something

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Higher-Priced Goods Popular with Vietnam’s Middle Class

  Vietnam’s middle class is growing faster than anywhere else in Southeast Asia. Exports of goods manufactured in the country have created jobs and increased pay. As people’s buying power increases, so has “conspicuous consumption.” That phrase describes spending money on costly goods and services to show a person’s wealth.  It is a way people might try to show their economic power. The Boston Consulting Group says Vietnam’s “middle and affluent class” is expected to double to 33 million people by 2020. The business group considers people earning $714 or more a month members of Vietnam’s middle class. By 2020, the group says, about one third of the country will be defined as middle class. In 1987, Vietnam opened the country to foreign investment. Since 2012, it has dealt with issues like labor and the exchange value of its money, the dong. Vietnam is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It is one of 12 countries that have signed the Trans Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. Vietnam also has signed trade deals with Europe. Companies manufacturing goods for export in Vietnam like the low operating costs in the country. Foreign factories have helped the local economy. The factories have created related businesses that supply stores and provide financial services. Vietnam regularly raises the minimum amount workers can be paid. To save money, workers often live with family to save on housing costs. Some employers say it is hard to find skilled people to do higher level office work. So people who can perform these jobs get paid higher wages. Aparna Bharadwaj covers Southeast Asia for the Boston Consulting Group. She said unlike other emerging Asian countries, Vietnam’s government investment in agriculture has created a rural middle class. She said the middle class has moved quickly into smaller towns and rural markets and is spread widely among the population.    Boston Consulting Group says the average income per person in Vietnam will rise from $1,400 in 2014 to $3,400 by 2020. A sign of increased wealth in the country’s financial center of Ho Chi Minh City is increased traffic jams. Among the vehicles are costly cars and motorcycles built by Honda and Yamaha. Those are considered status brands for Vietnamese. Restaurants serve foreign foods, which are more expensive than local food. They fill up at night with loud groups of people showing off their Apple and Samsung mobile phones. Some people are so status conscious that they might have less furnishings in their homes so they can spend more on items others can see. Oscar Mussons works for Dezan Shira & Associates in Ho Chi Minh City. He says, if you go inside a Vietnamese house, they might not have a lot of things. “They would probably eat on the floor, but still they would have a mobile phone or a motorbike because this is what they see, they can show from the outside. It’s not just about being middle class, but also about showing that they’re middle class.” Tam Nguyen is a 36-year-old office worker in Ho Chi Minh City. Her wages have gone up more than 10 percent in two years. She eats out with her family on weekends and spent $5,000 for a trip for four people to Japan. She says she likes to spend money on traveling and tourism. She decided to save some money to buy property in the next five years. Growth in Vietnam’s middle class means foreign companies are competing in many different areas. These include fast food restaurants, dairy products, hygiene, consumer electronics and vehicles. Foreign companies with businesses in the capital include Burger King, Starbucks, Family Mart, Nestle and Sony. U.S.-based computer company, Dell, says people prefer different companies depending on where they live in the country. One business development manager says, in the north, people like European companies, while those in the south like American and Japanese ones. Dell now brings attention to providing service to customers after a sale to build “trust” in their products I’m Mario Ritter.   Ralph Jennings wrote this story for VOANews.com. Anne Ball adapted his report for Learning English. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   conspicuous – adj. not easy to miss or ignore affluent – adj. having a lot of money, rich emerging – adj. growing in strength, becoming widely known status brands – n. kinds of products considered better or more desirable than others status conscious – n. wanting to give the impression of status, position or wealth hygiene – n. things people do to keep themselves and their surroundings clean to support good health

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September 6, 2016

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

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Study: Elephants Disappearing from Parts of Africa

  The number of elephants living in Africa continues to drop. A survey reporting on elephant counts was released last week. It shows the future of the species is in trouble. Elephants are facing extinction in parts of the Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Zambia, according to the Great Elephant Census (GEC). The study estimated a population of 352,271 elephants in the 18 countries surveyed. That is a drop of nearly 150,000 elephants since 2007. The researchers say the population has been falling by about 8 percent each year. The GEC points out one large reason for the decrease in the elephant population. Ivory poaching has led to the lower numbers of elephants in most of the countries surveyed. Even more troubling is where the dead elephants are being killed. The study reported a high number of carcasses - around 12 for every 100 live elephants – are being found on protected grounds. This number was highest in Cameroon. There, 83 carcasses were found for every 100 live elephants. Many of the elephants were victims of killing by poachers for their ivory. Many of these protected areas for wildlife are located on Africa’s savannahs. Savannahs are large flat areas of land with grass and very few trees. The GEC was started in 2014. Its job is to monitor savannah elephants across Africa. All other studies and counts of elephants before this survey were estimates. The survey was conducted by air. Researchers in dozens of airplanes counted the animals as they flew over the groups of elephants. The census also used video cameras to help count the elephants. I’m Anne Ball.   Esha Sarai wrote this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted her report for Learning English. Jill Robbins 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   extinction – n. the state or situation that results when something (such as a plant or animal species) has died out completely carcass – n. a bodies of a dead animal ivory – n. a hard white substance that forms the tusks of elephants and other animals-- it is valuable and sold for making jewelry and other goods poaching – v. hunting or fishing illegally savannah – n. a large flat area of land with grass and very few trees especially in Africa and South America

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Runners Face Mud Pit at Texas Race

  This is What’s Trending Today. A running website recently published a video of a high school race in the United States. The site, FloTrack, is known for reporting on competitive running. It provides results from races around the world. FloTrack told about Usain Bolt and his success at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. It also has reports about big races, like the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City. There was also a story about a recent high school cross-country race in Texas.  Cross-country is the name for an event where the runners compete on uneven ground instead of running in a circle on a flat surface. Some cross-country courses send runners around a waterway, through the woods or up and down hills. The high school race took place in Texas. It was called the Gingerbread Jamboree. About 20 high schools sent runners to the jamboree. The course was five kilometers long. But why would a high school event find its way onto the Facebook page of a site that reports on Olympic runners? Because a camera set up next to a wide mud pit captured some amazing images. The slow-motion video showed one runner taking off like a high-jumper, taking hold of his knees and then landing like a cannonball in the mud pit. But that was not all. Just seconds later, while other runners tried to stay clean and dry, another runner lept and dove chest-first into the water. About 1 million people watched the video since it came out on Facebook. One thousand people left comments on the Facebook post, which is called “Dear Cross Country … Welcome back.” Many people said they could imagine themselves doing the cannonball jump into the mud pit. Others were impressed with the beauty of one runner who did the “belly flop,” landing flat on his stomach. And plenty of people noticed the runners who were doing their best to stay dry. Dan Hall of California wrote “I'd be the guy trying to take long steps in hopes of only getting one foot a little wet!” It turned out photographer Sean Pokorny was taking pictures from a different angle.  And he also photographed other runners jumping into the mud pit after the race.  And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What do you think of the mud pit? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   jamboree – n. a large party or celebration with music and entertainment mud – n. soft, wet dirt pit – n. a hole in the ground usually made by digging leap – v. to jump from a surface belly flop – n. a jump into water where the person lands on his or her stomach angle – n. the position from which something is approached, looked at, etc. course – n. a path or route that runners, skiers, bikers, etc., move along especially in a race

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US Election Officials Worried About Russian Cyber Attacks

  Election officials in the United States are working to stop threats to the election system from cyber attackers. And Democrats in Congress are calling on the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate reports that Russia may be planning to try to affect the presidential election in November. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid recently sent a letter to FBI Director James Comey. The letter said the threat of Russia tampering with the elections “is more extensive than widely known. ...The prospect of a hostile government actively seeking to undermine our free and fair elections represents one of the gravest threats to our democracy since the Cold War.” Four senior House Democrats asked the FBI to investigate officials in the campaign of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. In a letter, the representatives said they want to know if the officials worked with Russia to carry out recent attacks against the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to “interfere with the U.S. presidential election.” Russian government involved? News reports said American officials believe Russian hackers illegally entered the election systems of two states in August. The FBI has not named the states. But Yahoo News, which first reported the hacks, reported that its sources said the states were Arizona and Illinois. The website reported that an Illinois election official said the voter registration system was shut down for 10 days after hackers gathered information about 200,000 voters. In the Arizona attack, harmful software was placed into the voter registration system. Russia has said its government officials were not involved in the attacks on the Democratic party organizations or the states. Electronic voting vulnerable Federal officials are increasingly worried about the possibility that foreign hackers -- particularly those working for Russia -- could enter the computer systems of American states and disrupt the presidential election. Timothy Carone works at the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. In an interview with VOA, he said he believes “this election will probably start to showcase the future around problems we’ll have with electronic voting.” Tim Erlin is the senior director of information technology security and risk strategy at Tripwire, a cybersecurity company. He said he believes cyber attacks will take place during the election in November. “There have already been cyber security incidents related to the election, so the likelihood that this election will be influenced in some way by attacks is 100 percent,” he said. James Andrew Lewis works at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a public policy research group in Washington. He told VOA that “hacking for political purposes or coercive purposes [is] new and dangerous.” Lewis said Russian hackers are skilled. He said the recent reported cyber attacks may be taking place in preparation for the election in November. "That might suggest that, if they wanted to, they could do something -- a lot more at election time,” he said. Lewis believes it would be difficult for the hackers to change the result of an election. That is because, he said, cyber attackers would have to illegally enter a large number of local, computerized voting machines. But he said it is possible that people could doubt the result of the election if the hackers are able to illegally enter state voting systems that combine vote totals from towns and cities. Lewis said it is more likely that the hackers will attack wireless voting machines. If they do, he said, it may cause people to not believe the reported vote totals. “It’s something to be worried about for November,” he said. Stepped-up security Federal agencies are increasing the strength of their computer security systems to prepare for the November 8 elections. And they are working with the states as they do the same. The Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the National Institute for Standards and Technology and the Department of Justice are helping state officials limit the threats to their voting systems. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson spoke with federal and state officials about election security. He said “it is critically important to continue to work to ensure the security and resilience of our electoral infrastructure, particularly as the risk environment evolves.” Harvey Kushner is the director of the Homeland Security and Terrorism Institute at Long Island University. He has trained workers at federal agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. He told VOA “the government has not been very sophisticated in dealing with cyberspace.” He noted the problems several years ago with the website of the Affordable Health Care Act. The website had many problems when it was first introduced. But Lewis says the federal government has many ways to fight cyber attacks. In addition to the FBI’s “counterhacking capabilities,” the government has a large intelligence-gathering network and works with private cyber security companies. “So between the private companies and forensic evidence and the federal government and intelligence activity, you can very often be pretty sure about who’s doing what,” he said. Timothy Carone says officials are working hard to stop cyber attacks during the elections, but he says they cannot stop them all. He says attacks are “going to happen, and how we recover from it is going to be a challenge.” Tim Erlin says the most effective approach to stopping cyber attacks is to identify possible threats and put defenses in place to guard against them. Other cyber security experts say election officials must have other ways in place to record votes, including paper ballots. I’m Dorothy Gundy. And I'm Bryan Lynn.   VOA News reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for VOA Learning English. Jill Robbins 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   cyber – adj. related to computer networks tamper with – phrasal verb to change or touch (something) especially in a way that causes damage or harm prospect – n. the possibility that something will happen in the future undermine – v. to make (someone or something) weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way hacker – computers a person who secretly gets access to a computer system in order to get information or cause damage disrupt – v. to cause (something) to be unable to continue in the normal way; to interrupt the normal progress or activity of (something) showcase – v. to show (something or someone) in an attractive or favorable way cyber security – n. the state of being protected against the criminal or unauthorized use of electronic data, or the measures taken to achieve this. coercive – adj. using force or threats to make someone do something; using coercion institute – n. an organization created for a particular purpose (such as research or education) resilience – n. the ability to become strong, healthy or successful again after something bad happens sophisticated – adj. having or showing a lot of experience and knowledge counterhack – v. to attack the computers of hackers capability – adj. the ability to do something forensic – adj. relating to the use of scientific knowledge or methods in solving crimes

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Trump Making Immigration His Top Issue

  Donald Trump is making America’s immigration policy the top issue of his presidential campaign. At a speech on Wednesday, Trump said illegal immigrants are responsible for many violent crimes. And he said they represent a terrorism threat to the United States. Trump told a crowd in Arizona that illegal immigration is also an economic threat. He said it can cost Americans jobs or force them to work for lower wages. Trump, a New York businessman, is the Republican Party’s candidate for the presidency. The candidate of the Democratic Party is Hillary Clinton, a former secretary of state, senator and the wife of former President Bill Clinton. The U.S. presidential election is November 8. Some observers expected Trump to moderate some of the positions on immigration during the Arizona speech. But that did not happen. Trump called for a tripling of immigration agents to enforce immigration laws and remove illegal immigrants with criminal records. And he repeated his call for building a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. ‘They Don’t Know It Yet’ “We will build a great wall along the southern border,” Trump said. “And Mexico will pay for the wall. One hundred percent. They don’t know it yet, but they’re going to pay for it.” Hillary Clinton opposes a border wall. Clinton has said she will push a bill in Congress to give immigrants without legal documentation a path toward citizenship. Stephen Brooks is with the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron in Ohio. He said Trump continues to appeal to voters who worry that a long-time goal of many Americans is no longer possible for them and their families. That goal is to hand down a better life for their children. “Many believe that is out of reach and they blame -- whether fairly or not -- immigration and trade,” Brooks said. Many of these voters are white men, Brooks said. Many live in areas where factories that produced clothing, steel and other products are gone. So are the high-paying jobs those businesses provided. White, working-class voters helped Trump surprise the experts and defeat 16 other candidates for the Republican presidential nomination. Trump’s problem is that these voters may not be enough to win a general election, with an increasingly diverse group of voters, Brooks said. More Hispanic Voters In 2012, 71 percent of Hispanic voters chose President Barack Obama over his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney. A public opinion survey in July found that 82 percent of Hispanic voters have an unfavorable view of Trump. Jacob Monty is an immigration lawyer from Texas. He served on the National Hispanic Advisory Committee for Donald Trump. Monty resigned from the committee after the Arizona speech. He said the candidate’s immigration positions did not match what Trump told him and other committee members. “It’s a sad day because I am no fan of Hillary Clinton,” Monty told television broadcaster MSNBC. A record 27.3 million Hispanics have the legal right to vote, according to the Pew Research Center. Brooks said Trump is also having trouble with many white college graduates, especially women, who consider Trump’s message too divisive. Just hours before his speech, Trump traveled to Mexico City to meet with Mexican President (Enrique) Peña Nieto. The candidate used diplomatic language, saying a Trump administration would work together with Mexican leaders to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. When he first announced his candidacy in June 2015, Trump said Mexico was sending people “bringing drugs,” “bringing crime” and “rapists.” 'Spectacular, Spectacular Hard-Working Poeple' In Mexico City, Trump said Mexican-Americans are “spectacular, spectacular hard-working people.” David Damore teaches political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He said it almost seemed as if there were “two Donald Trumps” speaking on Wednesday. For the Mexico trip, Damore said, it was Trump being civil and reaching out to an important U.S. ally. But in the Arizona speech, Trump sent a strong message to his supporters that he is not backing down from strong immigration policies and tough language, Damore said. Writer and political commentator Ann Coulter had expressed concern that Trump was no longer calling for tough policies against illegal immigration. But she praised him after the Arizona speech. “I hear (former British Prime Minister Winston) Churchill had a nice turn of phrase, but Trump's immigration speech is the most magnificent speech ever given,” she wrote on Twitter. But Damore and Brooks said the language Trump used in his Phoenix speech turns off many wealthy and well-educated white voters. I’m Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported this story for VOA 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   diverse -- adj. different from each other unfavorable -- adj. having a bad opinion of someone match -- v. to do the same thing spectacular -- adj. very great phrase -- n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence magnificent -- adv. very great

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