Scientists: Failure to Trust Vaccines Can Cause Spread of Disease

Researchers say public mistrust of vaccines is causing diseases like measles and yellow fever to spread. The scientists said the lower levels of trust can lead to people refusing vaccines. This, in turn, can cause diseases to spread quickly, they warned. But the researchers said they also found a high level of support worldwide for vaccinating children against disease. Scientists from Britain and Singapore reported the findings. They work for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Imperial College London and the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health in Singapore. The researchers questioned 66,000 people in 67 countries to discover their ideas on whether vaccines are important, safe and effective. They also wanted to know whether the development and use of vaccines was in agreement with their religious beliefs. The survey showed people in Southeast Asia had the highest level of trust in vaccines. Africa showed the second highest level of confidence. Europeans showed the lowest level of confidence in vaccines. In France, 41 percent of the population questioned the safety of vaccines. Heidi Larson is with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She says recent media reports of problems involving vaccines have hurt public confidence in France. Larson noted that many Europeans worried about reports of possible links between hepatitis B vaccines and the disease multiple sclerosis. But she said scientists found no linkage between the two. Mistrust in France was also driven by public reaction to the H1N1 influenza outbreak fears in 2009. The French government spent $1.4 billion on 94 million doses of the vaccine. The majority were sold or destroyed. The findings come as a major yellow fever vaccination program has been launched in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. The disease has already killed hundreds of people in the area. The World Health Organization aims to vaccinate over 15 million people in both countries. “If everyone agrees to be vaccinated, we can eliminate yellow fever from our country,” said Mosala Mireille, one of the doctors directing the program. I’m Anne Ball.   Henry Ridgwell reported on this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   confidence – n. trust or belief dose – n. the amount of a medicine, drug or vitamin that is taken at one time eliminate – v. to destroy; to do away with; to put an end to

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US Intelligence Officials Call for Discussions on Privacy, Security

American officials say U.S. citizens should continue to talk about the balance between privacy and security. Intelligence and security officials from the military and federal government joined experts from the computer industry and universities recently at a two-day-long meeting in Washington. They said complete privacy would hurt efforts to fight computer crime and terrorism. James Comey, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was among those attending the Intelligence and National Security Summit. He said he understands that people do not want to have all of their personal information made public. “I don’t want anybody looking at my stuff. I don’t want anybody looking at my banking information, my health care information.” But Comey said he must be concerned for the country’s safety. He said the need for safety and the desire for privacy are sometimes in conflict. He said government officials and civil rights activists must work together to find a solution. “We need to stop demonizing each other, stop saying 'It's impossible,' stop saying ‘Oh, you want to destroy this or destroy that’ and sit down and say ‘Our values are in conflict -- that we all share -- what could we do?’” Comey noted that Americans have never had the guarantee of complete privacy. “The bargain our founders struck was: ‘Your stuff is private unless the people of the United States need to see it.’” The U.S. Constitution does not state clearly that citizens have a right to privacy. However, the Fourth Amendment says people have a right “to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects.” The amendment guards against “unreasonable searches and seizures,” and says government officials must have “probable cause” before a warrant can be approved. It also says the warrant must describe “the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” The Cornell University Law School says the goal of this part of the Amendment “is to protect people’s right to privacy and freedom from arbitrary governmental intrusions.” In order to be protected by the Amendment, a citizen must “demonstrate an expectation of privacy,” one “that society is prepared to recognize as reasonable under the circumstances.” In other words, expectations of privacy can change if society changes. Michael Rogers is the director of the National Security Agency. “This has become such a charged, emotional issue that we're not really having that dialogue, and we're not getting into what’s in the realm of (the) possible.” Rogers said there should be a discussion about what law enforcement officials can do and another about what they should do. He said that is a political discussion. John Brennan is the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He urged a quick resolution to the tensions between security and privacy. He said the government and private business need to work together to find out how things should be done in the future. “If we are going to help to secure and ensure the prosperity of that digital environment in the future, since it is privately-owned and -operated...and that’s why I think this interaction and cross- fertilization between the public and private sector needs to be the way of the future. And I think here in the United States we can set a path for how this needs to be done.” I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA Correspondent Zlatica Hoke reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   stuff – n. informal things, material, belongings or personal information demonize – v. to cause, often unfairly, others to have a bad opinion of someone bargain – n. an agreement charged – adj. showing strong feelings about an issue with two opposing sides dialogue – n. discussion between people realm – n. an area of knowledge, a field warrant – n. a court order permitting police to do something arbitrary – adj. without reason, a plan or justification intrusion – n. to come into a place where you are not wanted or welcome prosperity – n. the state of being successful -- usually by making a lot of money cross-fertilize – v. to combine (two different ideas, style, etc.) in a good or creative way sector – n. an area of an economy; a part of an economy that includes certain kinds of jobs    

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Eureka! A Word of Discovery

  Hello! This is the VOA Learning English program, Words and Their Stories.  On this weekly program, we explore the origin and usage of common expressions in American English. For example, sometimes when Americans do not understand something they say, ‘It’s all Greek to me.” This saying does not make sense, of course, if you actually speak Greek. But today, we are going to talk about a Greek word and what it means in American English. “Eureka!” is Greek for “I have found it!” It is something we say when we have figured out a solution to a complex problem. “Eureka” is a kind of interjection. Interjections are the quick, short words or sounds we cry out when we are feeling intense emotion. They can express pain, surprise, anger or joy. These kinds of words also are called exclamations. Someone cries “Eureka” to express excitement when that person makes a discovery. When you finally find the answer to something you have been working on for a long time, nobody would blame for yelling “eureka!” from the rooftops. The story behind “Eureka,” however, is somewhat of a guess. Some say it goes all the way back to the time of ancient Greece and an inventor named Archimedes (c. 287-212 B.C.E.). The king of Syracuse, Heiro II, gave Archimedes a difficult problem to solve. The king wanted to know if goldsmiths had used pure gold to make his crown. This problem troubled Archimedes. How could he learn if the crown was pure gold? One day, he stepped into the water of a bathtub. He saw that the water flowed over the top of the tub. The water that overflowed was displaced by his body. When Archimedes climbed in and out of the bath, he carefully studied the displaced water. He noticed that the more his body sank into the water, the more water was displaced. This meant that the displaced water measured his volume exactly. Suddenly, Archimedes realized how he could test the gold in the king’s crown. He knew that gold is heavier than silver. So, he reasoned that a crown mixed with silver would have to be bulkier than one made only of gold if both weighed the same. Therefore, it would displace more water than a crown of pure gold. Archimedes, allegedly, became so excited by this discovery that he jumped out of the bath and ran naked through the city streets, shouting: “Eureka! Eureka!” meaning, “I have found it! I have found it!” In another version of the story, the king gives a different puzzle to Archimedes to solve. Archimedes must figure out how to build a massive ship that won’t sink. Again, he supposedly makes his discovery in a public bath. This TedED video was written by Armand D'Angour and animated by Zedem Media. Both are great stories, but most likely, Archimedes never said “Eureka!” And who knows if he really ran through the streets naked. What we do know is that Archimedes discovered the law or buoyancy, or what engineers still call today, the Archimedes principle. But let’s go back to “eureka” as an expression. “Eureka!” has another historic connection to gold. This time it happened during more modern times in the United States. During the California gold rush, prospectors looking for gold in the Californian hills were said to yell “Eureka! I found it!” when they struck gold. To this day, California’s state motto is Eureka! The word “Eureka!” also lives on in scientific communities. The American Association for the Advancement of Science calls its breaking scientific news site EurekAlert. However, these days, saying “Eureka!” as a way of expressing an amazing discovery is out of style. One interjection that has replaced “eureka” is “a-ha!” But both “eureka moments” and “a-ha moments” are used to describe the times we are experiencing a breakthrough discovery. Albert Einstein arriving at his theory of relativity and Isaak Newton getting hit on the head with an apple are both examples of eureka moments. Here is how to use it in everyday conversation. If your classmate or work colleague seems to be about to discover something big and important, others might warn you to stay away. “Don’t bother her. She’s having a Eureka moment." Sometimes we just say, lightbulb! When a character in comics or in an animated film has a really great idea, sometimes a lightbulb appears above their head. So, saying “lightbulb” is a funny way of saying, “I just had a brilliant idea!” Scene from the movie Despicable Me. And that brings us to the end of another Words and Their Stories. Hey, I know … lightbulb! If you have a eureka moment, you can share it in the Comments Section! I’m Anna Matteo. "Lightbulb, hanging over my head I hope you're never gonna go out, never go out." Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOANews.com Mario Ritter was the editor. The song at the end is Rachal Goodrich singing "Lightbulb." ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   line – n. merchandise or services of the same general class for sale or regularly available       brand – n. a category of products that are all made by a particular company and all have a particular name goldsmith – n. a person who makes gold jewelry and other gold items volume – n. the amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object as measured in cubic units (as quarts or liters) : bulky – adj. having great volume in proportion to weight prospector – n. someone who explores an area for natural resources Law of buoyancy (Archimedes' principle) indicates that the upward buoyant force that is exerted on a body immersed in a fluid, whether fully or partially submerged, is equal to the weight of the fluid that the body displaces and it acts in the upward direction at the center of mass of the displaced fluid. buoyancy – n. the tendency of a body to float or to rise when submerged in a fluid; the power of a fluid to exert an upward force on a body placed in it; also :  the upward force exerted breakthrough – n. a sudden increase in knowledge, understanding, etc. : an important discovery that happens after trying for a long time to understand or explain something

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English in a Minute: Hit Your Stride

What does it mean if you "hit your stride?" Find out in this week's episode of English in a Minute!

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White House Celebration Honors Student Poets

  The American poet Carl Sandburg once said, “Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance.” Recently five young people were named to lead that dance for the next year.  They are the National Student Poets. They recently enjoyed a ceremony in their honor at the White House. President Barrack Obama and his wife, Michelle, created the program to honor student poets from five areas of the country.  The first lady said that they felt the program was necessary to prevent the arts from becoming lost in schools. “What we knew is that loss was pretty devastating because we all know what the evidence shows is that when kids are involved in arts, they do better in school and in life. They have higher grades. They have fewer behavioral problems. We talk about this at almost every event. They are more likely to go to college, to graduate, and go on and do wonderful things.” About 70,000 young people apply to the program each year.  A team of poets and artists choose the winners. This year’s student poets include 17-year-olds Stella Binion of Illinois, Maya Eashwaran of Georgia, Gopal Raman of Texas, and Joey Reisberg of Maryland.  Sixteen-year-old Maya Slameh is from California. The Lebanese American read her poem “Sacrilege Incorporated” at the event held in the White House. Maya said she wanted to write to express her feelings about being Arab-American. She wanted to show how that identity was not always a comfortable one. Maya Eashwaran is Indian American.  Her poem “Linguistics” is about losing some of her Indian identity to American culture. Maya says the poem was written at a time when she began to realize that she was losing some of her culture, some of her history. "I was writing the poem after I had realized that I was speaking more English than my mother tongue." Each National Student Poet spends a year attending poetry classes. They also go to art festivals and do a community service project.  Some of the past winners have taught poetry to women prisoners, worked with veterans, and helped people with Alzheimer’s. Stella Binion is from Chicago. She says that her dream is to work with and inspire other students, especially African American girls. "My dream would be to work with young girls of color, specifically black girls, to, like, empower their voices and (make them) feel like their voices are important and heard through the lines of poetry because that's what poetry has been for me, in terms of, like, my experience as a young black woman." Joey Reisberg of Towson, Maryland, says he hopes to help develop poetry workshops in Baltimore. Rioting broke out in that city last year, in connection with the arrest and death of an unarmed black man named Freddy Gray. Reisberg says he wants to show that there is much more to Baltimore than the recent unrest. "I'm thinking less in terms of my own work, and more in terms of, like, leading workshops for Baltimore poets to show that the city isn't as divided as it seems. We're all still people." At the ceremony, Michelle Obama said she could not have been prouder of all the student poets – from 2016 and earlier years. I’m Caty Weaver. VOA’s David Byrd reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Mario Ritter was the editor. Do you read or write poetry? What does it mean to you? Let us know by posting in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   echo – n. the repeated sound that is heard when sound waves bounce off of distant object shadow – n. a dark area of blocked light that appears when something blocks a light source devastating – ​adj. causing great damage or harm​ comfortable – adj. not painful inspire – v. to make (someone) want to do something​

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Campaign Launched to Pardon Edward Snowden

  Supporters of Edward Snowden have appealed to U.S. President Barack Obama to give him a pardon. The American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch launched a campaign in support of Snowden this week. Several business leaders and personalities have joined the cause. Snowden once worked as a contractor for the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). The agency collects and studies information for the federal government. While at the NSA, Snowden provided details to the media of secret government programs for gathering intelligence. He showed for the first time that the NSA was secretly collecting information on the telephone calls of millions of U.S. citizens. The NSA has claimed the program was legal under the USA Patriot Act. Both houses of Congress passed the measure after the September 11 attacks on the United States.    Snowden’s actions resulted in the government bringing charges against him in June 2013. He was accused of stealing government property, illegally communicating national defense information, and illegally communicating secret intelligence information. If found guilty, he could spend up to 30 years in prison. The government’s case is based on the belief that Snowden gave away national security secrets that could put the public in danger. Some of his supporters see him as an American activist who put his life at risk to bring attention to the secret NSA programs. Snowden currently lives in exile in Russia, which has offered him asylum. The Russian government has rejected U.S. requests to extradite him to the United States to face trial. The Obama administration has repeatedly stated that Snowden’s actions were serious crimes. Administration spokesman Josh Earnest said the information “harmed U.S. national security and put the American people at greater risk.” Earnest also said that Snowden made a mistake by deciding to release the information to the media. Instead, the government believes, he could have made his concerns known in a “more responsible” way. Congress issues new report on Snowden's case On Thursday, a U.S. congressional committee said that the material made public by Snowden “caused tremendous damage” to national security. The committee said its investigation “makes clear that he handed over secrets that protect American troops overseas and secrets that provide vital defenses against terrorists and nation-states.”  But others disagree. Dinah PoKempner is General Counsel with Human Rights Watch. She told VOA that Snowden should not be considered a criminal. “It’s a real problem the way the U.S. handles people who expose wrongdoing, and it needs to be corrected. One of the best ways to start that process would be symbolic, but highly meaningful, and that would be to pardon Snowden.” Snowden lawyer cites lack of government evidence Ben Wizner is with the American Civil Liberties Union. He is also a lawyer for Edward Snowden. He says the government has yet to provide any real evidence to support the charges.   “There’s been three-and-a-half years since the revelations began, and the government has had every opportunity and every incentive to come forward with specific and concrete evidence that there has been harm. And instead, we hear the same vague, speculative language about how these things damaged national security.” President Obama can only approve a pardon before his term in office ends in January of next year. Wizner says he remains hopeful about the president acting, although the government has repeatedly said that Snowden should face the charges. “Something that may seem quite unlikely in September, might seem just a bit more likely in December, if millions of people around the world respond to this call and join our campaign.” ​ Hollywood film 'Snowden' renews interest in case There has been new interest in the case with the release of a film about Snowden. The film, “Snowden,” is directed by Oliver Stone, who recently called for a pardon. He spoke while making an appearance in support of the movie at the Toronto International Film Festival. “Mr. Obama could pardon him, and we hope so,” Stone said. “We hope Mr. Obama has a stroke of lightning, and he sees the way.” But he admitted a pardon is not likely to come from Obama, whom he said has kept expanding U.S. surveillance efforts.   “Obama has managed to put together the most intensive surveillance state in the history of the world,” Stone told The Hollywood Reporter. “In the hands of the wrong president, it’s very dangerous what we’re doing.” Tanya O’Carroll is an advisor on technology and human rights for Amnesty International. She said a pardon for Snowden would be an important step in the movement to limit secret government surveillance all over the world. Pardon could have far reaching effects “Snowden himself has said this very clearly – this is not just a debate about now. It is a debate about the future. And I think if we see him walk free, that’s going to be an incredibly important message – a huge, symbolic win for the fight back against mass surveillance.” I’m Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn reported this story for VOA Learning English, with additional information coming from 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   extradite – v. to send someone to another country where they are charged with a crime for trial expose – v. make something public, especially wrongdoing incentive – n. something that encourages someone to act in a certain way concrete – adj. relating to something real, rather than general ideas or qualities  vague – adj. not clear in meaning speculative – adj. assumption based on guesses rather than facts surveillance – adj. intelligence-gathering

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Peace and Quiet at Isle Royale National Park

This week on our national parks journey, we explore a remote island near Michigan’s border with Canada. It sits within a huge freshwater lake. It is one of the least-visited national parks in America. Welcome to Isle Royale National Park! Isle Royale is surrounded by the deep blue waters of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake on Earth by area. The park’s quiet forests and rocky shores offer a kind of solitude and peace not found in some of the more popular national parks.   No cars or other wheeled vehicles are permitted on Isle Royale. There are no real roads on the island. The only way to get to the park is by boat or sea plane. The National Park Service operates shuttle boats that take visitors to Isle Royale. The boats leave from two Michigan ports. A boat trip to Isle Royale takes three to five hours. Waters are often extremely rough. Isle Royale is the largest of the islands within the national park. It is 72 kilometers long. The entire national park protects a total area of 230,000 hectares, including some 450 islands that surround Isle Royale. Fifty-two-thousand hectares is land. The rest is water. Isle Royale became a national park in 1940. In 1980, officials named it an International Biosphere Reserve because of its unique ecosystem. Its remote location is part of what makes it among the least-visited national parks. But, once they arrive, most visitors stay a while. The average stay for visitors to Isle Royale National Park is 3.5 days. The average stay for visitors to most other national parks is just four hours. Isle Royale offers hiking, camping, boating, and even scuba diving. The extremely cold waters of Lake Superior help keep shipwrecks in excellent condition. The National Park Service protects 11 sunken boats for divers to explore. They are reminders of Lake Superior’s commercial shipping history. The sunken wooden ship called The America is one of the most popular dive sites. The America carried passengers, mail, and supplies to many towns along the shores of Lake Superior. It first launched in 1898, and was used until 1928, when it was damaged. It sank to the bottom of the lake soon after. Today, divers can swim through the ship’s ballroom, bedrooms and engine room. Painted on the ship’s engine is an American flag. Many divers take pictures of this sight. The Rock Harbor lighthouse is another reminder of the former shipping industry. Workers built the lighthouse in the 1850s to help guide ships safely to the island’s copper mines. The mining industry was short-lived, however. The lighthouse itself lit the way for ships for just 24 years. But, it still stands today. Inside, exhibits and information help visitors understand Isle Royale’s maritime history. A short hiking trail leads visitors to the lighthouse.   Visitors to Isle Royale share the trails with a well-studied population of moose and wolves. Both species migrated to the island sometime in the early to mid-1900s. Scientists believe that moose swam to the island. They think wolves walked there during a freeze of the lake sometime in the 1940s. Scientists have closely studied the relationship between Isle Royale’s wolves and moose since the late 1950s. It is one of the best-studied predatory-prey relationships in the world. Researchers closely record their population numbers. Much of the research takes place during the winter, when the trees are bare. The researchers fly over the island to observe the animals from above. In early 2016, researchers from Michigan Tech University observed just two remaining wolves on Isle Royale. The moose population, however, is growing. Scientists observed about 1,300 moose on the island this winter. Animal research is the only winter activity going on at Isle Royale. The national park is closed each year beginning in late October because of the harsh weather conditions. It reopens in spring time the next year. But for the other months of the year, Isle Royale offers refreshing lake breezes, green forests, and clear blue waters. Its stunning scenery and unusual solitude keep visitors returning year after year. I’m Ashley Thompson. And I’m Caty Weaver.      Ashley Thompson wrote this report with materials from the National Park Service. Caty Weaver was the editor.  ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   rough - adj. not calm : having large waves, strong winds, storms, etc. reminder - n. something that causes you to remember or to think about something commercial - adj. related to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services maritime - adj. of or relating to sailing on the sea or doing business (such as trading) by sea predatory - adj. living by killing and eating other animals prey - n. an animal that is hunted or killed by another animal for food solitude - n. a state or situation in which you are alone usually because you want to be

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Foreign Diplomats and U.S. Officials Clean a Florida Beach

Last Friday was an unusual day for several diplomats in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Department of State gathered consular officers from Africa, Europe and Latin America to pick garbage off the beach in Key Biscayne. Their efforts supported a program called the International Coastal Cleanup of Beaches. This program aims to clean garbage out of oceans and off beaches. The International Coastal Cleanup also tries to bring attention to the issue of pollution in the world’s oceans. U.S. Department of State official Clifton Seagroves said protecting the world’s oceans is very important. "We want to bring attention to … pollution, microbeads, plastics … which causes problems for the whole world." A 2015 Reuters news service report stated scientists believe more than nine million tons of garbage are in the world’s oceans. Uruguay’s consul, Lourdes Bonet, said she felt it was her duty to help with the efforts. “A person continues to live in the place where he or she lives,” she said. “And [they] must return all that hospitality that has been received.” Ecuador’s consul, Eduardo Rivadeneira, praised the efforts to clean the beach. “I had never come to this park and I think it’s spectacular,” he said. “Everyone is from all over the world sharing this great moment.” The group was able to remove almost 550 kilograms of garbage from the Key Biscayne beach by the end of the day. This same amount usually takes a week to remove. I’m Pete Musto. Jose Pernalete reported on this story for VOANews.com. Pete Musto adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   consular officer(s) – n. a government official whose job is to live in a foreign country and protect and help the citizens of his or her own country who are traveling, living, or doing business there garbage – n. things that are no longer useful or wanted and that have been thrown out hospitality – n. generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests spectacular – adj. causing wonder and admiration

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'A Pair of Silk Stockings' by Kate Chopin

Our story is called "A Pair of Silk Stockings." It was written by Kate Chopin. Here is Barbara Klein with the story. Little Missus Sommers one day found herself the unexpected owner of fifteen dollars. It seemed to her a very large amount of money. The way it filled up her worn money holder gave her a feeling of importance that she had not enjoyed for years. The question of investment was one she considered carefully. For a day or two she walked around in a dreamy state as she thought about her choices. She did not wish to act quickly and do anything she might regret. During the quiet hours of the night she lay awake considering ideas. A dollar or two could be added to the price she usually paid for her daughter Janie's shoes.  This would guarantee they would last a great deal longer than usual. She would buy cloth for new shirts for the boys.  Her daughter Mag should have another dress. And still there would be enough left for new stockings — two pairs per child. What time that would save her in always repairing old stockings! The idea of her little family looking fresh and new for once in their lives made her restless with excitement. The neighbors sometimes talked of the "better days" that little Missus Sommers had known before she had ever thought of being Missus Sommers. She herself never looked back to her younger days. She had no time to think about the past. The needs of the present took all her energy. Missus Sommers knew the value of finding things for sale at reduced prices. She could stand for hours making her way little by little toward the desired object that was selling below cost. She could push her way if need be. But that day she was tired and a little bit weak. She had eaten a light meal—no! She thought about her day. Between getting the children fed and the house cleaned, and preparing herself to go shopping, she had forgotten to eat at all! When she arrived at the large department store, she sat in front of an empty counter. She was trying to gather strength and courage to push through a mass of busy shoppers. She rested her hand upon the counter. She wore no gloves. She slowly grew aware that her hand had felt something very pleasant to touch. She looked down to see that her hand lay upon a pile of silk stockings. A sign nearby announced that they had been reduced in price. A young girl who stood behind the counter asked her if she wished to examine the silky leg coverings. She smiled as if she had been asked to inspect diamond jewelry with the aim of purchasing it. But she went on feeling the soft, costly items. Now she used both hands, holding the stockings up to see the light shine through them. Two red marks suddenly showed on her pale face. She looked up at the shop girl. "Do you think there are any size eights-and-a-half among these?" There were a great number of stockings in her size. Missus Sommers chose a black pair and looked at them closely. "A dollar and ninety-eight cents," she said aloud. "Well, I will buy this pair." She handed the girl a five dollar bill and waited for her change and the wrapped box with the stockings. What a very small box it was! It seemed lost in her worn old shopping bag. Missus Sommers then took the elevator which carried her to an upper floor into the ladies' rest area.  In an empty corner, she replaced her cotton stockings for the new silk ones. For the first time she seemed to be taking a rest from the tiring act of thought. She had let herself be controlled by some machine-like force that directed her actions and freed her of responsibility. How good was the touch of the silk on her skin! She felt like lying back in the soft chair and enjoying the richness of it. She did for a little while. Then she put her shoes back on and put her old stockings into her bag. Next, she went to the shoe department, sat down and waited to be fitted. The young shoe salesman was unable to guess about her background. He could not resolve her worn, old shoes with her beautiful, new stockings. She tried on a pair of new boots. She held back her skirts and turned her feet one way and her head another way as she looked down at the shiny, pointed boots. Her foot and ankle looked very lovely. She could not believe that they were a part of herself. She told the young salesman that she wanted an excellent and stylish fit. She said she did not mind paying extra as long as she got what she desired. After buying the new boots, she went to the glove department.  It was a long time since Missus Sommers had been fitted with gloves. When she had bought a pair they were always "bargains," so cheap that it would have been unreasonable to have expected them to be fitted to her hand. Now she rested her arm on the counter where gloves were for sale. A young shop girl drew a soft, leather glove over Missus Sommers's hand. She smoothed it down over the wrist and buttoned it neatly.  Both women lost themselves for a second or two as they quietly praised the little gloved hand. There were other places where money might be spent. A store down the street sold books and magazines. Missus Sommers bought two costly magazines that she used to read back when she had been able to enjoy other pleasant things. She lifted her skirts as she crossed the street. Her new stockings and boots and gloves had worked wonders for her appearance. They had given her a feeling of satisfaction, a sense of belonging to the well-dressed crowds. She was very hungry. Another time she would have ignored the desire for food until reaching her own home. But the force that was guiding her would not permit her to act on such a thought. There was a restaurant at the corner. She had never entered its doors.  She had sometimes looked through the windows. She had noted the white table cloths, shining glasses and waiters serving wealthy people. When she entered, her appearance created no surprise or concern, as she had half feared it might. She seated herself at a small table. A waiter came at once to take her order. She ordered six oysters, a chop, something sweet, a glass of wine and a cup of coffee.  While waiting to be served she removed her gloves very slowly and set them beside her. Then she picked up her magazine and looked through it. It was all very agreeable. The table cloths were even more clean and white than they had seemed through the window. And the crystal drinking glasses shined even more brightly. There were ladies and gentlemen, who did not notice her, lunching at the small tables like her own. A pleasing piece of music could be heard, and a gentle wind was blowing through the window. She tasted a bite, and she read a word or two and she slowly drank the wine. She moved her toes around in the silk stockings. The price of it all made no difference. When she was finished, she counted the money out to the waiter and left an extra coin on his tray. He bowed to her as if she were a princess of royal blood. There was still money in her purse, and her next gift to herself presented itself as a theater advertisement. When she entered the theater, the play had already begun.  She sat between richly dressed women who were there to spend the day eating sweets and showing off their costly clothing. There were many others who were there only to watch the play. It is safe to say there was no one there who had the same respect that Missus Sommers did for her surroundings. She gathered in everything —stage and players and people -- in one wide sensation. She laughed and cried at the play. She even talked a little with the women. One woman wiped her eyes with a small square of lace and passed Missus Sommers her box of candy. The play was over, the music stopped, the crowd flowed outside. It was like a dream ended. Missus Sommers went to wait for the cable car. A man with sharp eyes sat opposite her.  It was hard for him to fully understand what he saw in her expression. In truth, he saw nothing -- unless he was a magician. Then he would sense her heartbreaking wish that the cable car would never stop anywhere, but go on and on with her forever. "A Pair of Silk Stockings" was written by Kate Chopin.  Your storyteller was Barbara Klein.  Dana Demange adapted and produced it. Download activities to help you understand this story here. Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. If you were given a large amount of money, how would you spend it? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. __________________________________________________________ Words in This Story investment - n. something that you buy with the idea that it will increase in value, usefulness, etc. ankle- n. the joint where the foot joins the leg stylish- adj.  following the popular style; fashionable oyster- n. a type of shellfish that has a rough shell with two parts and that is eaten both cooked and raw chop- n.  a small piece of meat that usually includes a bone from an animal's side sensation- n.  a particular feeling or effect that your body experiences lace- n. a very thin and light cloth made with patterns of holes ​

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Ethiopian Runner Urges US to Push for Human Rights in His Country

Ethiopian runner Feyisa Lelisa is urging the United States Congress to take action in support of Ethiopians protesting against their government. Lelisa won the silver medal in the marathon at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro last month. He spoke to reporters earlier this week during a visit to Washington, D.C. He said that the Ethiopian people are “peace-loving, but they have been denied peace for a very long time.” The protesters “are calling for the freedom, (and) democracy that you have here.” He called on the U.S. government to urge the Ethiopian government to make sure that democracy prevails in Ethiopia. Feyisa Lelisa gained attention throughout the world during the men’s marathon at the Rio Games. He crossed his wrists as a sign of protest at the end of the race, near the finish line. Lelisa is Oromo and made the sign in support of Oromo protests. Those protests have been taking place in Ethiopia since last November. The demonstrators are raising issues such as land rights and representation in the government. Since Lelisa crossed his wrists at the race in Rio, other runners have copied this move. Ebisa Ejigu crossed his arms in the Quebec City Marathon in Canada. Tamiru Demisse is a member of the Ethiopian team at the Paralympics in Rio. He crossed his arms as he won a silver medal in the men’s 1,500 meter race for runners with poor or limited eyesight. Three U.S. lawmakers presented a measure called House Resolution 861 during Lelisa’s press conference. The three -- Chris Smith, Keith Ellison and Mike Coffman – say the resolution is called “Supporting human rights and encouraging inclusive governance in Ethiopia.” The resolution calls on the Ethiopian government to end the use of excessive force by security forces. It urges the government to hold security forces responsible for wrongdoing. The resolution also calls on the government to investigate the killings and violence during protests in the Oromia and Amhara areas of Ethiopia. Eleven civil society organizations have signed the measure. Lelisa is visiting the United States on a temporary visa. He said he was not seeking asylum. I’m Jill Robbins.   Salem Solomon wrote this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   medal – n. a piece of metal often in the form of a coin with designs and words in honor of a special event, a person or an achievement marathon – n. a running race that is about 42 kilometers long paralympic – n. a series of international contests for athletes with disabilities prevails – v. to defeat an opponent, especially in a long conflict or competition encouraging – v. making something more hopeful, more appealing or likely to happen

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English @ the Movies: 'You're A Legend'

With English @ the Movies, we are talking about the expression "you're a legend." It is from the movie "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back." The action movie about a former military officer. Watch and listen to find out what "you're a legend" means.

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