Obama: Africa Wants Trade, Not Aid

There may be conflicts, poverty and disease in Africa, but the president of the United States says the direction of the continent is unmistakable. President Barack Obama told business leaders this week that “Africa is on the move.” He spoke at a meeting of the U.S.-Africa Business Forum in New York City. Obama said the African continent is “home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world and … powered by the youngest population anywhere on the planet.” “[Africa has] a middle class projected to grow to more than a billion customers,” he added. Obama told the meeting that everywhere he travels in Africa, “from Senegal to South Africa, Africans insist they do not just want aid, they want trade. They want partners, not patrons.” To help American businesses and investment, the U.S. government has become more active in Africa. Since 2008, the Department of Commerce has opened offices in Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Tanzania. The department also has an expanded presence in Ghana and re-established a presence at the African Development Bank. Two well-known Americans led the U.S.-Africa Business Forum meeting: Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The event was designed to help investors and business people from Africa and North America get acquainted with each other. As Obama explained: “All of you should be wanting to make money and create great products and great services, and be profitable, and do right by your investors. But the good news is, in Africa right now, if you are doing well, you can also be doing a lot of good.” One of the young people he spoke about is Frances Udukwu from Nigeria. She is currently serving as Miss Africa USA. Frances Udukwu is only 26 years old, but she recently launched a non-profit organization, called the Lead Girl Foundation. Its goal is to help girls and young women make a life for themselves through business and occupational training. She said, “My personal favorite [thing] is being able to touch the lives of many young girls and women across not only Africa, but in the (United) States as well.” Udukwu lives in Washington, D.C., but travels to Nigeria often. She attended Temple University in Philadelphia and studied public health. She plans to go to law school. I’m Marsha James.   Cindy Saine reported this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted her 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 forum – n. a meeting at which a subject can be discussed customer – n. someone who buys goods or services from  a business patron – n. a person who gives money and support to an artist or organization acquainted – adj. having met : knowing each other in a personal or social way

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The Bride Comes To Yellow Sky Part I. by Stephen Crane

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1600 UTC Newscast for September 23, 2016

  From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Michael Brown reporting. Residents of Syria's rebel-held city of Aleppo have reported a surge in airstrikes, which local monitors say have killed at least 30 people. Aleppo, the country's second biggest city, has been divided among government troops, rebel militias, Islamic extremists and Kurdish fighters since 2012. The Syrian government announced a renewed offensive on the city after U.S. and Russia failed to salvage a cease-fire that had defused hostilities for nearly a week. U.S. military and intelligence officials are questioning whether Russia has the will or the capability to do anything about the growing crisis in Syria, accusing Moscow of perpetuating a humanitarian catastrophe. “…But we can’t be the only ones trying to hold this door open. Russia and the regime (Syrian government) must do their part or this will have no chance. The question now is whether there remains any real chance of moving forward because it is clear we cannot continue on the same path any longer…” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. U.S. President Barack Obama will veto legislation Friday that would allow survivors and relatives of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. to sue Saudi Arabia's government for damages. Mr. Obama has said the legislation would expose Americans overseas to legal risks. Congress is expected to try to override the president's veto, which would require votes by two-thirds of the lawmakers to complete. Riyadh has denied any involvement in the attacks. However, 15 of the 19 airline hijackers were identified as Saudis. This is VOA News.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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First Look: African American Museum Opening on National Mall

The National Museum of African American History and Culture opens Saturday, September 24.  What began years ago as legislation under then-President George W. Bush will soon be the newest addition to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.  VOA’s Arash Arabasadi was invited the new museum before it officially opened to the public. June Simms has his report. “What we want is a museum that uses the past to help you understand the world you’re living in.” That is Lonnie Bunch III. He serves as curator of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture. “This is your story, regardless of who you are.  This is a story that tells you about your own family, your own family’s struggle of freedom or citizenship..." Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, a former presidential candidate, describes the power of the new museum. “It reshuffles the deck of American history. It’s revolutionary.” The story starts with the slave trade that forcibly brought Africans on a long, difficult journey to North America. Jackson notes that African Americans have faced many struggles in the United States. “We built the country, and we were enslaved for 246 years, which means that we were enslaved longer than we have been free.” People visiting the new museum can see an early 1800s slave home. The Smithsonian’s Nancy Bercaw describes the living conditions. “It would have been pretty unbearable living within this cabin. If you’ve ever been down to the South Carolina low country, you’ll know that it’s very heavy with mosquitos and bugs. It’s very hot. When we collected the cabin, snakes came out of the cabin...” The museum also has reminders of the Jim Crow laws in the southern states. Those laws effectively enforced racial separation and remained in effect into the 1960s. Supporters described the legal policies as “separate but equal.” But, in truth, everything was better for whites. Richard Kurin, Undersecretary of the Smithsonian Institution, provides an example. “If you were white, you bought your ticket, you walked into this railcar, and you sat in the white section. The white section was a lot nicer than the black section.” The museum exhibits flow through time from slavery to Jim Crow to the civil rights movement and modern times. There are some areas dedicated to music and entertainment, as well as to sports. Jesse Jackson noted that equality ruled in sports when members of all races were finally permitted to compete.  “Whenever the playing field is even and the rules are public, and the goals are clear, the referees are fair and the score is transparent, we can make it.” The struggle for civil rights for African Americans served as a model, says Smithsonian official John Whittington Franklin.  “African Americans paved the way through their strategies to assist other groups seeking equality.” President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are to take part in the opening ceremony at the African American History and Culture museum. I’m June Simms.   Reporter Arash Arabasadi wrote this report for VOANews.com. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Share your thoughts in the Comments Section or post a message on Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   museum – n. a building in which interesting and valuable things are kept and shown to the public curator – n. someone responsible for organizing things in a museum regardless – adv. without being stopped by trouble or difficulty cabin – n. a small, simple house, usually made of wood dedicate – v. to officially make (something) a place for honoring or remembering a person, event, etc. referee – n. a person who makes sure that players obey the rules of a game or sport transparent – adj. honest and open: not secretive pave the way – expression begin a process that makes something possible strategy – n. a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time

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US Announces Guidelines for Driverless Cars

The U.S. government has released new guidelines for the fast-developing technology of driverless cars. The guidelines were announced Tuesday by the Department of Transportation. They were developed with companies working on the technology, as well as industry experts and safety groups. The administration of President Barack Obama commented on the new guidelines. It said they will help bring about “the responsible introduction” of driverless cars in a “safe, clean, efficient” way. Obama shared his thoughts on the technology this week in an editorial for The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “In the seven-and-a-half years of my presidency, self-driving cars have gone from sci-fi fantasy to an emerging reality with the potential to transform the way we live,” he wrote. But he added, “We have to get it right. Americans deserve to know they’ll be safe today even as we develop and deploy the technologies of tomorrow.” 15-point safety standards Obama said that is the goal of the new Federal Automated Vehicles Policy. It includes a list of 15 safety standards for the design and development of autonomous vehicles. The standards set policies for testing vehicles and recording information about crashes. They also require developers to provide safeguards for system failures and outline their plans to prevent vehicle hacking. Officials said the policies are meant as suggestions to guide the industry, rather than rules backed by legal enforcement. But the guidelines give the government authority to carry out a recall on vehicle features that do not meet the safety standards. “If a self-driving car isn't safe, we have the authority to pull it off the road,” Obama wrote in his editorial. “We won't hesitate to protect the American public's safety.” Industry welcomes guidelines The guidelines were welcomed as “an important step forward” by a group representing major companies involved in the technology. These include Uber, Google, Lyft, Ford and Volvo. The service Uber is testing driverless cars in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Currently, the cars still have a human driver in the vehicle in case anything goes wrong. Uber recently also announced a $300 million deal with an automobile manufacturer, Volvo. The companies are to cooperate on self-driving technology and the production of vehicles.  Ford has announced plans to make a self-driving car available by 2021. The car will have no steering wheel or pedal controls. At first, it will be sold to car-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. Later, it will go on sale to everyone. Driverless cars will change cities  The chief executive officer of Uber’s main competitor, Lyft, recently offered a prediction about car ownership. John Zimmer wrote in a blog post that, "private car ownership will all but end in major U.S. cities.” Zimmer wrote, “Every year, more and more people are concluding it is simpler and more affordable to live without a car.” He added, “And when networked autonomous vehicles come onto the scene, below the cost of car ownership, most city-dwellers will stop using a personal car altogether.” I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports by VOA News and the Associated Press. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. How do you think driverless cars should be regulated? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story fantasy – n. something that imagined that is not real or true standard – n. a certain level of acceptable quality autonomous – adj. independent, existing separately from other things. hacking – v. illegally gaining access to a computer recall – n. – a request by a company for people to return a product because it has a defect or problem pedal – n. a control on a piece of equipment that you push with your foot affordable – adj. cheap, costing little  

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Next Week’s Presidential Debate Could Make History

Americans are preparing for the first of three debates involving the candidates for president. The first debate takes place on September 26. It will be held at Hofstra University in the city of Hempstead, New York. The first debate will include the candidates of the two main parties. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the nominee of the Democratic Party. The Republican candidate is businessman Donald Trump. The other parties will not be represented at the first debate. The Libertarian Party, for example, has nominated former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson as its presidential candidate. The Green Party chose Jill Stein, who also served as its candidate in the 2012 elections. The moderator of the first debate will be television news anchor Lester Holt. The debate will be 90 minutes long. The three topics for debate will be America’s direction, achieving prosperity and securing America. Each topic will be debated for close to 30 minutes. Holt will begin each topic with a question, and each candidate will have two minutes to respond. Candidates will also have the opportunity to respond to each other. Many think the first debate could make history by drawing the largest audience ever to watch an American political event. History of presidential debates American presidential debates and the media have a 56-year history. In 1960, Republican Vice President Richard Nixon debated Democratic Senator John F. Kennedy. The subject of the debate was domestic policy. The issues they discussed included education, health care, farming, the economy, labor and the Cold War.  But what the 1960 debates showed was how television was changing politics. In the first debate, radio listeners said Nixon won. Those who watched on television said Kennedy was the better debater. The difference in the audience’s perceptions had to do with the candidates’ appearances. Kennedy looked tanned and youthful on television. Nixon wore a gray suit that blended into the television studio background. Nixon – who was recovering from an illness -- also looked pale and thin. A few months later, Kennedy won a narrow victory in the election. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter debated challenger Ronald Reagan. Carter led in the political polls before the debate. But Reagan was a former actor and comfortable in front of a studio camera. Reagan’s relaxed performance during the debate helped secure him an easy victory. The 1992 debates featured three candidates. President George H.W. Bush faced challengers Bill Clinton and Ross Perot. ​During their conversation, Bush checked his watch. Some thought Bush’s glance at his watch as a sign he was bored with the debate. Bill Clinton went on to win that election. I’m Bruce Albe Esha Sarai and Jim Malone this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach 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 visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story Democratic Party  – n. one of the two major political parties in the United States Republican – n. a member of the Republican party of the U.S. Libertarian Party – n. a political party in the United States that promotes civil liberties Green Party – n. a political party in the United States that promotes environmental issues and non-violence moderator – n. someone who leads a discussion in a group and tells each person when to speak news anchor – n. a person who presents news during a news program on television or on the radio Cold War – n. the nonviolent conflict between the U.S. and the former U.S.S.R. after 1945 perception – n. the way you think about or understand someone or something tanned – adj. having skin that has been made darker by the sun bored – v. to make someone annoyed by being uninteresting

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American Boy Offers Home to Syrian Boy in Letter to Obama

  This is What’s Trending Today… Last month, images of a bloody, wounded 5-year-old Syrian boy in an ambulance captured the world’s attention. The boy had suffered head injuries when a bomb hit his family’s apartment building in Aleppo. The boy was identified as Omran Daqneesh. This week, another little boy has captured the world's attention. A 6-year-old American named Alex wrote about Omran in a letter to President Barack Obama. Alex is from the state of New York. He wrote to the president after he saw the images of Omran. He wrote that his family would like to offer him a home here in the United States. Alex opened his letter this way: “Dear President Obama, Remember the boy who was picked up by the ambulance in Syria? Can you please go get him and bring him to our home?” Alex wrote that that he would like to share his bicycle with Omran, and that his younger sister would share her toys, as well. He also wrote that he “has a friend at school from Syria named Omar. I will introduce him to Omar.” President Obama posted a video on Facebook Wednesday of Alex reading his letter. It has been viewed almost 8 million times. In the post, Obama described Alex as “a young child who has not learned to be cynical or suspicious or fearful of other people because of where they come from, how they look, or how they pray." “Imagine what the world would look like if we were,” the president wrote. “Imagine the suffering we could ease and the lives we could save." The president also mentioned Alex’s letter earlier this week at a United Nations meeting on the refugee crisis. People have reacted to Alex’s words on social media. One Facebook user wrote, “A six year old who has more humanity, love and understanding than most adults.” Another said, “I wish there were billions of kids that were raised just like this little boy.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I'm Caty Weaver.    Ashley Thompson wrote this report. Caty Weaver was the editor.  ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   ambulance - n. a vehicle used for taking hurt or sick people to the hospital especially in emergencies cynical - adj. believing that people are generally selfish and dishonest suspicious - adj. causing a feeling that something is wrong or that someone is behaving wrongly humanity - n. the quality or state of being kind to other people or to animals

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Adventures with Adverbials: Part 2

Many American western movies use a common plot element: A mysterious man appears in a small, dusty town. He speaks to people in a short, purposeful way. He shows confidence and strength. Often, he is looking for revenge. Exploring this common plot element can help you learn about the structure of the English language. In a recent Everyday Grammar program, we explored one common adverbial, or verb modifying, structure: the prepositional phrase. In today's report, we will discover two other common adverbials: the noun phrase and the verb phrase. Specifically, we will explore how adverbial noun and verb phrases can help provide information about the mysterious man. This idea might sound complicated, but we promise: unlike the bad guys in a western, you will survive this lesson! What is a noun phrase? A noun phrase is a group of words that acts like a noun in a sentence. Think back to the second sentence of this story, "A mysterious man appears in a small, dusty town." The phrase "A mysterious man" is an example of a noun phrase. Noun phrases can take several shapes, but in general, you can recognize them by looking for common words such as demonstrative pronouns or articles, among others. For example, the noun phrase "A mysterious man" begins with the article, a. Nouns and noun phrases can act as adverbials – that is, they can modify or add information to a verb.  When noun phrases act in such a role, they describe time, place, quantity, or manner. So, what do adverbial noun phrases look like? A couple of examples that describe our western film can help you see that adverbial noun phrases are not as complex as you might think: He arrived this morning. He is riding home. He travels a great deal. Tip #1 Ask questions to recognize adverbial noun phrases Ask yourself what information these noun phrases provide. That can help you see that these noun phrases are giving adverbial information. Adverbial noun phrases might look like direct objects at first, but if you remember the kind of information that adverbials give, you will not have any trouble. Consider our examples: He arrived (when?) this morning. He is riding (where?) home. He travels (how much?) a great deal. What is a verb phrase? Infinitives are the most common verb form to play an adverbial role. They consist of the base form of the verb plus to, which gives a signal that the verb is infinitive. But remember, infinitive verb phrases are not just verbs with to; they also have complements and modifiers. Consider this example: He went home early to rest before the gunfight. The infinitive verb phrase to rest before the gunfight is telling why the man went home early. You might mistake the infinitive verb phrase for a prepositional phrase. After all, both types of phrases can use to. There is, however, one important difference. In prepositional phrases, to is followed by a noun or noun phrase. In infinitive verb phrases, to is followed by a verb or verb phrase. Tip #2 Use the phrase 'in order to' to find adverbial verb phrases Infinitive verb phrases often answer a why question. Martha Kolln and Robert Funk, two English grammar experts, say an easy way to recognize adverbial infinitive verb phrases is to add the phrase in order to to the sentence. This action will show you that the verb phrase is answering a why question. Consider our example: He went home early to rest before the gunfight. You could add the phrase 'in order to' to make this relationship clear: He went home early in order to rest before the gunfight. Occasionally, an infinitive operates adverbially without the meaning of 'in order to.' However, these exceptions are not common in speech. How can adverbial structures help you? Remember the mysterious stranger? Here is one way to summarize a typical beginning of American western movies: A stranger arrived this morning. He came to get revenge.  These two short, declarative sentences follow a similar pattern. They both have adverbials after the main verb. The noun phrase this morning gives information about when the stranger arrived. The infinitive verb phrase to get revenge tells why the man came. Once you understand this idea, you can have fun with adverbials. You can combine these sentences to create a new sentence. Here is an example: This morning, a stranger came to get revenge.   The sentence structure is this: Adverbial + Subject + Verb + Adverbial. The placement of adverbial information has changed, but it contains almost all of the same information as the first two examples. These examples show you that the adverbial structures often come at the beginning and end of a sentence. Understanding this idea will help you use longer, more complex sentences with multiple adverbial structures. Like other adverbials, you can sometimes change the order of adverbials in the sentence. See our previous Everyday Grammar story to read more about this idea. Remember: adverbial structures are one of the reasons that sentences in English are longer than the basic sentence patterns we discussed in previous stories. Now that you have learned about adverbials, try looking for them when you are reading or listening to something in English. For example, try to find the adverbials in this short piece from Edgar Allen Poe's “The Purloined Letter:” "The next morning, I stopped at his apartment to look for my glove. While we were talking, we heard people shouting in the street. D'Arcy went to the window and looked out. Quickly, I stepped to the shelf and put the letter in my pocket. Then I replaced it with a letter that looked exactly like it, which I had taken with me. I had made it the night before." With time, you will master adverbials. Like a hero in a western movie who coolly confronts his enemies, you, too, can meet adverbials without fear. I’m Jill Robbins. I'm Alice Bryant. And I’m John Russell.   John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. Catherine Weaver was the editor. Shep O'Neal read from Edgar Allen Poe's Story, "The Purloined Letter." We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   plot – n. a series of events that form the story in a novel, movie, etc. confidence – n. a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something revenge – n. the act of doing something to hurt someone because that person did something that hurt you adverbial – adj. a word that describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a sentence and that is often used to show time, manner, place, or degree prepositional phrase – n.  a phrase that begins with a preposition and ends in a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence demonstrative pronoun – n. a word (such as “this,” “that,” “these,” or “those”) that tells who or what is being referred to article – n. a word (such as a, an, or the) that is used with a noun to show whether or not the noun refers to a specific person or thing infinitive – n. the basic form of a verb confront – v. to oppose or challenge (someone) especially in a direct and forceful way

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September 22, 2016

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

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News Words: Error

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Using Electromagnetic Waves to Fight Depression

  People suffering from depression are finding help when electromagnetic waves enter their brains. Mental health experts estimate that depression affects more than 120 million people worldwide. It severely affects the person’s quality of life and, in extreme cases, can lead to suicide. Anti-depressant medicines have been shown as an effective treatment for many patients. But the drugs are unable to help some people with the disorder. For such persons, doctors may suggest deep transcranial magnetic stimulation, or DTMS for short.  In this treatment, patients wear a helmet — a large hard hat on their head. The helmet is connected to a machine. An electric coil in the helmet sends out regular pulses of electromagnetic energy. These beating sounds produce changes in the brain area responsible for the disorder. In the treatment room, patient Wayne Sarles says he felt an improvement after four weeks of DTMS. “Since I started this treatment I’ve only had one cycle of deep depression and that’s uncharacteristic for this time frame so I’m very relieved.” The first results are felt in about five days. Wagdi Attia is a mental health expert. He uses this treatment on his patients. “In three to four days later they said ‘yes, I’m out of it. Yes, I am more energized. Yes, I sleep better and could function.  I can go out I have a good relationship with my husband or my wife.’” Electromagnetic brain stimulation is not new. It was first used to treat depression over 30 years ago. Now, a new generation of wiring can direct the energy on one part of the brain. DTMS starts with daily 20-minute-long treatments for 20 to 30 days. The patient then returns for treatment two to three times a week for several weeks. The only side effect is sometimes minor head pain. Aaron Tendler is the chief medical officer of Brainsway, the company that makes the machine. He told VOA on Skype that it is hard to say how long the effects of DTMS last.  “We do know that if a person continues maintenance, meaning if a person gets better from TMS and then continues some form of maintenance, meaning twice a week for 3 months, they’ll more than likely stay better.” DTMS is being used in Europe to treat both depression and other conditions. Patients there are getting treated for dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. And DTMS is even being used to help some Europeans stop smoking. But in the United States, the federal Food and Drug Administration has approved it only for the treatment of drug-resistant depression. But clinical tests are continuing on other conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Both of the disorders, like depression, can get in the way of a person working and getting along with people. I’m Anne Ball.   George Putic reported this story for VOANews.com. Anne Ball adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   transcranial – adj. passing through the skull stimulation – n. the act of exciting to activity or growth coil – n. a number of turns of wire wound around a core center to create a magnetic field for an electromagnet regular – adj. happening at the same time in the same way uncharacteristic – adj. not typical or usual relieved – adj. feeling relaxed and happy because something difficult has stopped obsessive-compulsive disorder – n. an anxiety disorder when a person has thoughts or actions over and over again that cause distress or interfere with normal daily living post-traumatic stress disorder – n. a mental condition that can affect a person who has had a very shocking or difficult experience

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