Nobel in Chemistry Goes to Makers of “World’s Smallest Machines”

Three scientists have won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work in developing tiny machines. The three men are Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir James Fraser Stoddart and Bernard Feringa. They designed extremely thin molecular machines. The machines are said to be 1,000 times thinner than a single piece of hair and have parts that move when energy is added. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said the scientists’ work could lead to developments in new materials and energy storage systems. The science of making things unimaginably small is called nanotechnology. Nanotechnology gets its name from a measure of distance. A nanometer, or nano, is one-thousand-millionth of a meter, about the size of atoms and molecules. Jean-Paul Sauvage of France is a retired professor at the University of Strasbourg. He began the work on a molecular machine in 1983 when he successfully linked together two molecules shaped like a circle or ring. It marked the first time chemists were able to make a molecule act in such a way. Fraser Stoddart is a professor of chemistry at Northwestern University in the United States. In 1991, he built on Sauvage’s work. He found a way to move the molecular ring onto a molecular axle and was able to move the ring along the axle. Bernard Feringa is a professor of organic chemistry at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. In 1999, he developed a molecular motor. It used a molecular blade that turned continuously in the same direction. Sara Snogerup Linse explained the importance of their work to reporters in Stockholm. "Maybe this morning you ground your coffee, maybe you used a motorized vehicle to get here - you used man-made machines operating on the centimeter to meter length scale. It's been a dream of scientists for over half a century to take this development all the way down to the molecular scale - that's nanometers. A nanometer is one million times smaller than a millimeter..." Snogerup Linse is chair of the Nobel Chemistry Committee. Sauvage, Stoddart and Feringa will share a $930,000 prize for their work. They will also receive a medal and diploma at an award ceremony on December 10. I’m Anne Ball.   Joshua Fatzick reported on this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted his report for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tiny – adj. very small​ ring – n. an object in the shape of a circle axle – n. a long, straight object on which a wheel or other wheels turn blade – n. a flat, turning part that is used on some machines to push air or water 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 diploma – n. a document given in recognition of something   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Google Launches New ‘Pixel’ Smartphone

  Google has announced its first smartphone designed in-house, the Pixel. The company showed the new phone to the world during a launch event Tuesday in San Francisco, California. “So today, I’m very excited to introduce you to a new phone made by Google, we call it Pixel.” That was Rick Osterloh, head of Google’s newly-formed hardware group. Google’s Android operating system already runs millions of phones worldwide. In the past, the company has sold phones and tablets under the Nexus name.​ But the Pixel smartphone marks a change by Google to design and build its own devices, rather than just supplying software to other manufacturers. In addition to the smartphone, the company also launched several other high-tech devices designed to compete with main rivals Apple and Amazon. One of the main features of Pixel is that it includes the company’s latest artificial intelligence service, called Google Assistant. Users can talk directly to Google Assistant to ask questions, get information or even to perform tasks.  Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said the idea behind Google Assistant is to provide a useful, personal experience for device users.   “Just like we built a Google for everyone, we want to build each user his or her own individual Google.” Google Assistant uses technology similar to that of Apple’s Siri service, and Microsoft’s Cortana system.  Pichai called Pixel the “first phone made by Google, inside and out.” Taiwan-based HTC manufactures the phone but Google says it completely designed and built Pixel. Here are some of the main features of the new Pixel smartphones. Two sizes and prices The phone comes in two sizes, 12.7 centimeters, or 14 centimeters. The price of the smaller phone starts at $649. The larger one, called Pixel XL, will cost $769. Users can upgrade either phone from 32 GB to 128 GB for $100 more. The prices are comparable to Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy models. The phones have an aluminum body and glass case, sold in three colors – Quite Black, Very Silver and Really Blue. Improved camera and video quality Pixel has a 12.3 megapixel camera that the company calls the “best smartphone camera” ever made. Google cited a review from DXOMark, which gave Pixel a rating of 89 out of 100. This is better than the 86 score given the iPhone 7, and the 88 rating for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. The company said camera speed is also faster, permitting users to take photos without delay. A demonstration showed a user recording video as they walked down a street. The video suggested that the phone’s new video stabilization technology records images smoothly. Processing and OS A Snapdragon 821 processor, run by Android’s newest OS, Nougat, powers the phone. No storage limit Using Google’s cloud system, Pixel phones can store unlimited photos and video.  Battery life Google says Pixel can get users through the day with one charge. It also says the battery can charge for seven hours of use in just 15 minutes.   Easier updates Software upgrades are easier with Pixel because when a new update is available, it is automatically downloaded and installed. The next time the phone is turned on, the update is complete. 24/7 support Google offers a service built into the Pixel phones that lets users talk with helpers at any time to solve problems. The phones have a screen sharing option, so the helper can see exactly what the user is seeing. A highlight of the launch event came when the company’s vice president of product management, Brian Rakowski, showed off some of the Google Assistant’s human-like actions. The Pixel phones are already being sold in the GoogleStore, and will be distributed through mobile carriers throughout the world. I’m Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on the Google launch event, as well as reports from VOANews.com and the Associated Press. Caty Weaver 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   introduce – v. to make someone or something known for the first time hardware – n. the machine or equipment parts of a computer  artificial intelligence – n. the development of computers to perform intelligence-related tasks without human involvement upgrade – v. improve something to a better or newer model cloud system – n. a way to store and regularly access computer data on multiple servers through the internet  

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October 5, 2016

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

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Chess Rules in Film "Queen of Katwe"

  Many films about Africa tell about violence and war. But the new movie "Queen of Katwe" tells a story about a chess expert. The heroine is a young girl from a slum in Uganda who works in a food market. Then she learns to play chess. The film is based on a true story. Robert Katende is the girl’s teacher. He is played by actor David Oyelowo. Katende has seen the girl looking into the room where other children are playing chess and eating free food. Phiona Mutesi is played by actress Madina Nalwanga. “What is your name?” “Phiona.” Katende talks to a young girl in the room. “Can you please show Phiona how to move the pieces?” Learning how to play chess changes Phiona’s life. She learns the game at a place that helps the poor children of Kampala, Uganda. Katende tells her to have big dreams. “What is preventing you from being a grand master?” “I do not know about being a grand master.” “Sometimes the place you are used to, it is not the place you belong. You belong where you believe you belong. Where is that for you, Phiona?” The girl learns that Katende grew up in the same slums where she now lives. He studied engineering at a university. Oyelowo told VOA the film uses the story of a poor girl to tell about Africa and the African people. “Often when we see films coming out of Africa, it’s child soldiers, it’s dictators, it’s poverty, it’s disease. But we very rarely get to see these positive images, we very rarely get to see the self-possession of the people, and the fact that they can take care of themselves from within, they don’t need help necessarily from without.” In the film, Katende tries to convince Phiona’s mother to let her and her brother travel to a private school for a chess competition. Phiona’s mother Harriet is played by Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o. “This is a chance for them to visit the finest school in the country.” “Well, how can I pay school fees?” Harriet’s husband has died and she must work hard to survive. Nyong’o says Harriet is very protective of her children. “…she has to learn that in order to really love her daughter, she has to learn to let her go and risk failure, and that's how Phiona ends up being the champion that she becomes.”  The real Phiona Mutesi defends her mother. “I don’t blame her for what she was doing because of where we were living. She had to protect me because there is a lot of raping, kind of things, so she couldn’t allow me to go out from house. But then after some time she allowed me to go out and start practicing. Right now, she is so happy with whatever is going on, she is excited.”  Today, Phiona Mutesi is a chess grand master and has taken part in two international chess competitions. I’m Caty Weaver. VOA Entertainment Correspondent Penelope Poulou reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it into VOA Special 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 chess - n. a game for two players in which each player moves 16 pieces across a board and tries to place the opponent's king in a position from which it cannot escape​ heroine - n.  the chief female character in a story, play, movie, etc.​ slum - n. an area of a city where poor people live and the buildings are in bad condition​ grand master - n. an expert player in chess who has scored very high in international competition positive - adj. good or useful​  

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Wildlife Convention Protects Animals Great and Small

  Delegates from around the world met this week in Johannesburg, South Africa to discuss how to stop the trade in endangered animals. Representatives from 183 countries attended the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species conference, known as CITES. The delegates discussed about 500 animals. The pangolin, or scaly anteater, was among them. Pangolins are mammals found in Asia, India and Africa. They eat insects. Hunters catch pangolins and sell them for their meat and their scales. Some cultures believe the scales can be used in medicine. They are the most illegally traded animal in the world. While CITES often deals with the protection of large animals like big cats, elephants and rhinoceroses, it also pays attention to smaller animals. One of the first agreements to come from the convention was to reclassify all eight species of pangolins. They are now in the most protected group of animals. This means the CITES considers them in danger of extinction. John Scanlon is the CITES Secretary General. He said they used to call the pangolin “little-known.” But in recent years, Prince William spoke out against the pangolin trade. Scanlon said he is pleased a famous person brought attention to the pangolin. But he noted that there are still hundreds of small, unknown animals that need help. “But, we’ve got the snakes here, we’ve got the lizards here, we’ve got the frogs here. And some really interesting ones, the earless monitor [lizard], the Titicaca frog, the psychedelic rock gecko; there are some really interesting animals there that nobody’s paid much attention to.” Dan Ashe is the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He said it is hard to make people aware of strange animals. “We’re dealing with things like the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly or the Houston toad. These are things which often the public questions, ‘why is this important, why should we save this?" Jen Creamer is president of Animal Defenders International. She said even a cockroach has a “strange sort of beauty.” Events like CITES provide the chance for discussion of all sorts of animals. “With certain species it takes time to realize that they’re in trouble.” One of the species Ashe is happy to see thriving is a small fish called the Oregon chub. It took nearly 20 years to bring the fish’s population back to strong levels. The Titicaca water frog is another endangered animal that could use the support of a prince, or even a movie star. The Peruvian animal faces the threat of fungal infection and predatory fish. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise. Anita Powell wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. What do you think of the efforts to protect these animals? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   endangered – adj. used to describe a type of animal or plant that has become very rare and that could die out completely mammal – n. a type of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin scale – n. one of many small thin plates that cover the bodies of some animals (such as fish or snakes) psychedelic – adj. suggesting the effects of psychedelic drugs by having bright colors, strange sounds, etc. predatory – adj. an animal, fish or insect that lives by eating others aware – adj. knowing that something (such as a situation, condition, or problem) exists reclassify – v. to reconsider an arrangement of people or things that have already been grouped by ways they are alike

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US Vice Presidential Candidates Debate Policies of Trump, Clinton

  Two men seeking to become vice president of the United States were in Virginia Tuesday night for their only planned debate.   The two, Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, spent most of the debate talking about the two main candidates for president. They also attacked the policy proposals of the other’s campaign. Pence is the vice presidential nominee of the Republican Party. The Republicans chose businessman Donald Trump as their presidential candidate. Kaine is the Democratic Party’s choice for vice president. The Democrats nominated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as their presidential candidate. The rules of the debate permitted Pence and Kaine to talk to one another during the 90-minute-long event. But they often talked at the same time or spoke up while the other was speaking. Pence blamed Clinton’s policies during her time as secretary of state for current unrest in the Middle East. He said her policies enabled the Islamic State group to grow in strength and numbers. Pence also blamed her for what he called a “newly emboldened Russia.” Kaine said Trump cares about himself before anyone else. And he claimed Trump had business connections with Russia that he “refuses to disclose.” Both vice presidential candidates said action should be taken to protect civilians in northern Syria. Pence suggested creation of a no-fly zone there. He added that if Russia is involved in more attacks on the Syrian city of Aleppo, U.S. forces should attack Syrian military targets. The two men also agreed on the need for criminal justice reforms. Kaine repeatedly demanded that Trump release his tax records. Many Democrats believe they will show he has not paid federal taxes for years. Pence said Trump has operated many successful businesses and created thousands of jobs. Kaine said Trump’s plan to cut taxes would mostly help rich people and might lead to a recession. Pence said Clinton’s economic plan would sharply increase taxes and government spending. Kaine criticized Trump for his statement that more countries should have nuclear weapons. Pence said more nuclear weapons would make us safer. After the debate, political observers said they were pleased that the two men spoke mostly about policies, instead of personalities. John Hudak is with the Brookings Institution, a research group based in Washington, DC. He said “It stands in contrast to the first presidential debate, which was very personally oriented, very focused on scandals, very focused on guttural politics, and not so much about what the future of America is going to look like.” Lisa Spies worked for Pence when he served in the U.S. Congress. “We got details, we got facts, we got numbers,” she told VOA. “During the presidential debate, we had adjectives and adverbs, and we had insults thrown at each other, and name-calling at each other. Tonight, even though there were interruptions, they were both stating what their policies would be.” Tuesday night, supporters of the two nominees accused the other side of running a dirty campaign. John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s drive for the presidency, criticized Donald Trump. “I think he has run an insult-driven campaign and I think that what Tim Kaine did tonight was to challenge Mike Pence to try to defend the hateful campaign...” Representative Jeb Hensarling is a Trump supporter. “It’s clear that all the name-calling was coming from Tim Kaine. I mean, some of his charges were so over the top. It’s something I would expect to see in a grocery store tabloid. I just think he lost credibility with the American people. He was just lodging charge after charge after charge.” The vice presidential debate took place five days before the next debate between Clinton and Trump. They will meet in Saint Louis on Sunday. I’m Ashley Thompson.   VOANews.com reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the reports 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   disclose – v. to make public; to release no-fly zone – n. an area where aircraft are not permitted to fly focused – v. to direct one’s attention or effort at something scandal – n. something shocking or considered wrong guttural – adj. of or related to the lowest level or condition of human life adjective – n. a word that changes or modifies another word adverb - n. a word that changes or modifies a verb over the top – expression doing more than what is expected or normal tabloid – n. a newspaper often having many photographs and stories about famous people and less serious news stories lodging - v. making an official protest or criticizing

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Report Says Yahoo Scanned Emails

  This is What’s Trending Today... It has not been a good month for the American Internet company Yahoo. In late September, Yahoo announced that everyone who uses its email service should change his or her password. The company said up to 500 million email accounts had  been hacked.  This week, the news agency Reuters reported that the company built an app that could scan emails. It said Yahoo gave the app to a United States intelligence agency.  People are reacting to the latest news on Facebook and Twitter. One Facebook user said: “If you were using Yahoo for anything, just stop. Now!”  Three former Yahoo employees told Reuters that the company had obeyed a demand from the U.S. government. They said it agreed to look at messages sent to hundreds of millions of email accounts. Security experts say it is the first known time a U.S. Internet company agreed to view incoming messages instead of stored messages. The sources said they do not know exactly what intelligence agents were searching for. Other Internet companies including Apple, Google, Twitter and Facebook said they never received a similar request. They also said they would not agree to such a demand.  On Wednesday, Yahoo called the Reuters story “misleading.” In a statement provided to journalists, the company said “the mail scanning described in the article does not exist on our systems.” But many social media users continue to criticize Yahoo for its reported action. That includes Edward Snowden, who wrote “They secretly scanned everything you ever wrote, far beyond what law requires. Close your account today.”  And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dorothy Gundy.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. What do you think of the newest Yahoo story? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   password – n. a secret series of numbers or letters that allows you to use a computer system hack – v. to secretly get access to the files on a computer or network in order to get information, cause damage, etc. scan – v. to look at (something) carefully usually in order to find someone or something email account – n. the online space used to store and receive electronic messages

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Nobel in Physics Awarded for ‘Strange States’ of Matter

  Three British-born scientists have won the 2016 Nobel Prize for Physics. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award on Tuesday. The academy is recognizing David J. Thouless, F. Duncan Haldane and J. Michael Kosterlitz for their work in topology, an advanced field of mathematics. Topology describes the properties of objects. Thouless, aged 82, once taught at the University of Washington, but is now a professor emeritus. Haldane, 65, is a physics professor at Princeton University in New Jersey. Kosterlitz, 73, is a physics professor at Brown University in Rhode Island. The men launched their experiments in the 1970s. The academy said their research projects brought about a new and unexpected understanding of the way solid materials behave. It said they also developed their own mathematical equations to explain the behaviors. In a statement, the Nobel judges said, “This year's laureates opened the door on an unknown world where matter can assume strange states. Thanks to their pioneering work, the hunt is now on for new and exotic phases of matter." The judges said there is hope that topological materials will help create new generations of electronics and superconductors. Haldane told reporters he was “very surprised and very gratified” to win the award. “A lot of tremendous new discoveries that are based on this original work are now happening.” He added that the discoveries came by accident, which is often the case with science. “You stumble on it and you have the luck to recognize what you've found is something very interesting.” The Associated Press spoke by telephone with Kosterlitz, who was in Finland. He said he was “a little bit dazzled” and “still trying to take it in.” The Nobel Prize for Physics comes with a monetary prize of $930,000, which is split among the winners. The Nobel laureates will also collect a medal and diploma at an award ceremony on December 10. The first Nobel Prize of this year – for Physiology or Medicine - was announced Monday. That award went to Japanese scientist Yushinori Ohsumi for experiments related to baker’s yeast.  Other Nobel prizes will be announced this week and next week.   Joshua Fatzick reported this story for VOANews.com. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for Learning English. Additional information came from the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. 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   equation – n. mathematical statement that shows two amounts are equal laureate – n. person given a prize for achievement pioneering – adj. one of the first to develop new ideas or methods exotic – adj. very different, strange, often foreign superconductor – n. substance capable of allowing electricity to easily flow through it stumble – v. to come upon unexpectedly or by chance dazzled – adj. greatly surprised, excited or impressed baker’s yeast  – n. the common name given to organisms used to help bread or baking products rise when heated  

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India's Dalits Seek an End to Social Barriers

  Nearly every day, there is a news story about an attack on members of India’s Dalit community. A few days ago, for example, six men beat a pregnant Dalit woman and members of her family. Al Jazeera television said they were attacked for refusing to remove a dead cow from the street. Dalits are members of India’s lower caste, or social class. The woman’s attackers were members of a higher caste.   Beatings and other violence against Dalits are not new. What is new, however, is the community’s reaction. Recently, Dalits have been protesting in a number of ways. The pregnant woman, for example, is among a growing movement of Dalits who have promised not to clear the streets of dead animals – a job Dalits have long been expected to perform. Other Dalits are taking their protest to the business world. At the end of September, for example, the writer and activist Chandra Bhan Prasad launched an online food company. The company prepares and sells grains, pickles, and spices. Food for Thought For years, Chandra Bhan Prasad has fought to end India’s caste divisions. He was born 58 years ago into a family of pig farmers in the eastern state of Uttar Pradesh. Prasad grew up experiencing the prejudice of upper caste Hindus against those from lower castes. Historically, Hindu society divided people into four main castes, with Dalits being the lowest. While doing research for the University of Pennsylvania, Prasad was shocked to find 80-year-old Dalits carrying heavy bundles of wheat on their head and laboring in the fields. He also learned that the grains his community produced and ate were very healthy. For example, when Prasad was a child, millet was a popular grain among the Dalits. Now, health experts are calling millet a superfood.  Until recent years, Dalits could not prepare or even touch the food of higher castes, or enter their cooking areas. If Dalits touched these foods, the foods became “impure.” By naming his company “Dalit Foods,” Prasad is protesting the belief that Dalits are not pure and therefore untouchable. The company has already received orders from a large hotel chain in India, according to Yahoo! Finance. If his business is a success, Prasad believes it will support major social changes in India. Younger Dalits will begin believing that the country belongs to them, too, he said. This Land is Your Land Dalits are victims of thousands of violent attacks every year, according to the Associated Press (AP) news agency. The Times of India reported that crimes against Dalits rose 19 percent in 2014. In 1955, India created laws banning abuse and caste discrimination. The country has also established affirmative action programs, such as saving university seats and government jobs for Dalits. But, generally, change remains slow. Although the social position of Dalits has improved over the years, some leaders and police officers still do not enforce laws protecting them. In 2014, for example, the crime records office documented more than 47,000 cases of discrimination at police stations around India, the AP reported.  Udit Raj, a member of Parliament, said that only two to eight percent of people accused of crimes against Dalits are found guilty. The AP reported his comment. Raj, who is from New Delhi, is a supporter of expanding rights for Dalits. Caste divisions in India are not as rigid as they once were, partly the result of the country’s economic growth over the past several years. New jobs have pulled millions of Indians into large cities, where people of all castes live close to one another. Where Social Divisions Rule In rural areas, Dalits still suffer from a deep social divide. In villages, for example, lower castes are usually not permitted to enter religious temples or take water from wells. Traditionally, Dalits have been forced to perform the least-wanted jobs, such as removing dead animals from roads and cleaning restrooms. Today, many Dalits are still expected to perform these jobs.  In August, thousands of members of the Dalit community attended a protest called “Dalit Pride March.” The protesters promised to stop removing dead animals and doing other dirty jobs. They made the declaration a month after a group of angry higher caste men brutally beat four Dalit men in public. The attackers accused the Dalit men of removing the skin from a dead cow. Cows are considered holy in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condemned attacks by upper caste men claiming to protect cows. These groups, which have been more active in the past few years, accuse lower castes, and sometimes Muslims, of killing the animals or eating their meat. Protests have taken place all over Gujarat since the four men were beaten, the AP reported. In addition to the refusal to remove dead animals, the protesters want access to land, as most Dalits are landless, according to Al Jazeera. A Sign of Changing Times Beena Pallickal is with the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights. Pallickal says the Dalit community has progressed much more slowly than the rest of the country. The biggest problem remains lack of social acceptance of the community. Pallickal hopes businesses like Dalit Foods can make a difference. “I am looking for a world where I can claim my caste and not be discriminated against,” she said. Chandra Bhan Prasad recently said that his business is a social experiment to see if India has really changed and to find out if people are willing to examine their own biases and customs. For now, Dalits across India continue to battle social and economic barriers and push for meaningful change. I’m Alice Bryant. And I'm Jill Robbins.    Ajana Pasricha wrote this story for VOANews.com. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   access - n. a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone caste - n. one of the classes into which the Hindu people of India were traditionally divided pickle - n. a cucumber that is preserved in salt water or vinegar spice - n. a substance (such as pepper or nutmeg) that is used in cooking to add flavor to food and that comes from a dried plant and is usually a powder or seed prejudice - n. an unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, sex, religion, etc. bundle - n. a group of things that are fastened, tied, or wrapped together superfood - n. a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. affirmative action - n. an action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, especially in relation to employment or education rigid - adj. not easily changed brutally - adv. done in an extremely cruel or harsh way bias -  n. a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly

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Maria Sharapova's Doping Ban Reduced

  This is What’s Trending Today… Maria Sharapova will be able to return to competitive tennis next April, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced her doping ban from 24 months to 15 months. Sharapova was banned from play after she failed a drug test in January. Tests at the 2016 Australian Open showed she had used meldonium, a banned substance. Meldonium is made in Eastern Europe. It is said to be popular with some athletes from Eastern European countries. The drug is said to increase blood flow. It helps carry oxygen to muscles. Sharapova admitted she had been taking a drug called Mildronate for over 10 years. But she did not know it was the same as meldonium. The World Anti-Doping Agency banned use of meldonium at the beginning of 2016. At first, the International Tennis Federation banned Sharapova from competitive tennis for two years. The ban was to end January 25, 2018. But Sharapova appealed the ruling in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It ruled on Tuesday to reduce her sentence by nine months. Sharapova will now be able to play in any event that starts after April 25, 2017. As a result, she could compete at the French Open next May. Sharapova said in a statement that she has “gone from one of the toughest days of my career last March when I learned about my suspension to now, one of my happiest days, as I found out I can return to tennis in April.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Ashley Thompson.  ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   arbitration - n.  a process of settling an argument or disagreement in which the people or groups on both sides present their opinions and ideas to a third person or group​ doping - n. the illegal use of a drug (such as a steroid) to improve an athlete's performance​ athlete - n. a person who is trained in or good at sports, games, or exercises that require physical skill and strength​ toughest - adj. involving the greatest difficulty

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Coming Soon to the Office: Facebook at Work

Facebook recently estimated that each of its users spends an average of 50 minutes a day on the company’s online social network. But the company wants to find ways to increase the time spent on Facebook and two other services, Instagram and Messenger. A new product aimed at capturing our interest is called Facebook at Work. Some businesses bar workers from using Facebook (openly) on the job. Now those individuals actually can use the service -- at least for work purposes. Facebook at Work is separate from a users’ personal Facebook. So people will need to sign up with the company for a new account. The idea, however, is exactly the same as Facebook – to connect as many users as possible, this time in the workplace. Same Facebook look  The look and feel of Facebook at Work is just like the old Facebook. There are groups to join, a News Feed to read, and instant messaging to stay in contact with co-workers. Naturally, users can add and share comments, photographs, videos and information about the company and its offices. “A connected workplace is a more productive workplace,” explains the official Facebook at Work page. Facebook at Work was first announced about two years ago. Since then, the company has been testing the service with several large companies. One of those businesses is the Royal Bank of Scotland. Its Director of Design, Kevin Hanley, told Business Insider the service has been helpful to the bank’s 100,000 employees. “I think Facebook lets us communicate, discuss and solve problems that other solutions, such as email, simply can’t.” Hanley told the website that within his company, 90 percent of employees who tried Facebook at Work remained active from month to month. Faces much competition Facebook at Work will be competing with other workplace products or services already in use. These include LinkedIn, Slack, HipChat, Microsoft’s Yammer and Salesforce’s Chatter. According to the technology website TechCrunch, Facebook at Work will be launching in London on October 10. The site said it had seen invitations to the launch event that have been sent out. Facebook has not yet confirmed a date for launching the service. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on information from Facebook, and reports from TechCrunch and Business Insider. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Would you like to use Facebook at Work in your workplace? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   network – n. group of people who know each other or work together account – n. agreement allowing a person to use a particular website or service

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