October 7, 2016

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

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2d9lPej
via IFTTT

1200 UTC Newscast for October 7, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Steve Karesh reporting. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to a Latin American for the first time in more than two decades. “The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2016 to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his resolute efforts to bring the country’s more than 50-year-long civil war to an end.” The Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Despite the peace accord's rejection in a recent referendum, Santos has promised to revive the plan, which many Colombians saw as too lenient on FARC rebels. Officials in Pakistan say a powerful bomb blast on a train has killed at least four people and wounded 13 others. Authorities say the bomb went off on Friday in Baluchistan province in the southwestern part of the country. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility. North Korea's relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons is forcing both its allies and adversaries to rethink their strategies for maintaining regional peace and security. VOA's Steve Miller has more. “North Korean state media denounced U.S. policy of “strategic patience” as ineffective, and that it has contributed to the reclusive nation enhancing their nuclear weapons capabilities.  On Friday, 38 North, a group that is affiliated with the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, said there is current activity at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site. This increased activity could indicate preparations for a new nuclear test or it could be follow-up work for the test in September. Steve Miller, VOA News, Washington.” From Washington, this is VOA.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dKRT9p
via IFTTT

October 6, 2016

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

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2e6K52A
via IFTTT

Learning Participial Phrases with Famous Songs

  From VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. “Don't Stop Believing” is one of the most popular karaoke songs in the world. You have probably heard the rock group Journey perform the song even if you do not remember its name. It begins like this: Just a small-town girl Livin' in a lonely world She took the midnight train Goin' anywhere ​ You can learn English grammar by singing along to the words. In fact, you can learn how to use two parts of speech: participles and participial phrases. In today's program, we will explore a common grammatical construction: the participial phrase. Relative clauses In an earlier Everyday Grammar, we discussed relative clauses – groups of words that act like an adjective in a sentence. Common relative pronouns -- such as who, whom, which, or that -- often begin the relative clause. Here is an example: She is just a small-town girl who lives in a lonely world. In this sentence, the relative clause begins with the word who. It is a clause because it has a subject and a predicate. Predicates express what is being said about the subject. So, how does this discussion of relative clauses relate to participial phrases? Participial phrases are like shortened relative clauses. When reading or listening, English learners often have trouble understanding participial phrases. That is because, unlike relative clauses, such phrases do not have a pronoun – words like that, who, or which, for example. Do not fear! In the way you might derive a problem in mathematics, you can also derive, or get, participial phrases from relative clauses. However, unlike complex math, creating participial phrases can be fun. What are participial phrases?* A participial phrase is a group of words beginning with a participle – in the present tense, the base form of a verb plus an –ing ending. These phrases often serve as an adjective in a sentence. In general, you can change a relative clause to a participial phrase by removing the relative pronoun and the verb BE. Then add –ing to the end of the verb if it does not already have an –ing ending. Think back to the words of our example: She is just a small-town girl who lives in a lonely world. If you take away the relative pronoun "who" and change the verb "live" to "living," you get this sentence: She is just a small-town girl living in a lonely world. This sentence is almost exactly like the words you heard in Journey's song, "Don't Stop Believing." The only difference is they removed the subject, she is, for artistic reasons. So, what happens if the verb already has an –ing ending? Here is an example that shows you this process is even simpler. Consider the following examples: The young students who are taking the final exam look afraid. The young students taking the final exam look afraid.   These examples show you how to change a relative clause to a participial phrase. When there is a relative clause, you can remove the relative pronoun and the BE verb. You can also see that when the verb already ends in –ing, you do not need to change it.       Place in a sentence: You will often see participial phrases following a noun. Think back to some of the words from Journey's song: A small town girl living in a lonely world     In the example, the participial phrase living in a lonely world is modifying the important noun, girl. This phrase is describing the girl, so you know it is acting like an adjective. Like other adjectives, participles can sometimes move to different places in a sentence. You will often see participial phrases following a noun, but sometimes they can come at the beginning of a sentence. For example: Walking at night, the hikers used headlamps. The participial phrase "walking at night" is describing the subject, the hikers. When you see participial phrases at the beginning or end of a sentence, they are modifying the subject of the sentence. We will discuss this idea in future Everyday Grammar programs. Practicing Participial phrases with karaoke Verbs from any of the sentence patterns we discussed in earlier Everyday Grammar stories can work as participles. If you recognize and understand the common sentence patterns we discussed, then developing your own sentences with participial phrases should be easy. We are going to leave you with some homework. Can you change these sentences with relative clauses to sentences with participial phrases? Write to us in the Comments Section of our website or on our Facebook page. Do you recognize those people who are singing in the karaoke room? The old man who sings karaoke has a nice voice. I’m John Russell. And I'm Jill Robbins. John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. *We are discussing participial phrases in an adjectival role. A discussion of other common adjectival participles is beyond the scope of this story. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   karaoke – n. a form of entertainment in which a device plays the music of popular songs and people sing the words to the songs they choose participle – n. a form of a verb that is used to indicate a past or present action and that can also be used like an adjective participial phrase – n. a phrase that starts with a participle relative clause – n. a kind of dependent clause. It has a subject and verb, but it is not a sentence. Relative clauses are often called “adjectival" because they function like adjectives. derive – v. to have something as a source : to come from something modify – v. to change or amend something pattern – n. a repeated form or design; the repeated way in which something is done construction – n. the way something is built; a structure

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dyCbwI
via IFTTT

Colorado Voters to Decide on Health Care System

  Voters in the western state of Colorado will decide next month if they want their state to have a single-payer health care system. Under such a system, private health insurance companies would no longer operate in the state. The government would pay all health care costs from a new tax. In some countries, health care workers are government employees. Under the Colorado plan, doctors would still work for themselves or for hospitals or clinics. But the government – not their patients or private health insurance companies – would pay them. That money would come largely from a new 10 percent income tax. Most older Americans currently get health care from a government-paid system called Medicare. And many poor people in the U.S. get health care from a government-paid system called Medicaid. However, those who oppose Colorado’s plan say they do not want the government to become involved in their health care. The issue Irene Aguilar is a state senator and a medical doctor. She tried four times over seven years in the state legislature to reform the health care system. She did not succeed. But she was successful in the effort to gather enough signatures to force the state to permit voters to decide the issue directly. “Americans need to get over the idea that health care can somehow be treated as a commodity. It just can't.” Senator Aguilar says the plan would cost $25 billion every year. But she says the state now spends $30 billion a year on health care. She says the plan would give health care to 350,000 Coloradans who do not now have health insurance, and to 870,000 who have health insurance that is not very good. Julie Perla is working full-time to try to convince people to vote for the plan. She knows it will not be easy. “We have such opposition from corporations and billionaires that are opposing this…” Opponents of the plan have been paying to put many advertisements on television stations. They say the plan would double the state’s budget and harm peoples’ health. They say patients would be forced to wait for a long time before a doctor could care for them. And, they say it will hurt communities where small-business owners would be affected by the new income tax. Dr. Erin Sain is one small-business owner who does not want a single-payer system to be put in place. \ She says the small dental practice she opened five years ago in the small mountain town of Silverthorne will be hurt. And she says one statewide system does not have enough power to fight the high cost of healthcare and drugs. She also says such a system will not have the power that large national insurance companies have to force drug companies to lower their prices. Dr. Sain has been writing about her opposition to the plan in her local newspaper. She has also been talking to her patients about it. Most public opinion surveys show that a majority of voters will reject the planned system. I’m Ashley Thompson.   VOA's Katherine Gypson reported this story from Denver, Colorado. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her report for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   insurance - n. an agreement in which an individual makes payments to a company and the company promises to pay money if the person dies or is injured clinic - n. a medical center income - adj. of or related to money that is earned from work or investments get over - v. to move on commodity - n. something that is bought and sold convince - v. to persuade; to cause someone to believe something corporation - n. a large business

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dWbapB
via IFTTT

Migration Out of the Middle East Shows No Signs of Slowing

  Recent conflicts in the Middle East are responsible for the worst global refugee crisis in 70 years. Data from the United Nations showed that more than 1 million migrants escaped to Europe last year. Syrians refugees made up 28% of that number. Refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan were the next largest groups. William Lacy Swing is the director general of the International Organization of Migration, based in Geneva, Switzerland. He says that if conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia continue, the flow of refugees into Europe will likely continue as well. The top priority, he said, "is to get the biggest problem solved, which is Syria." Syria Half the population of Syria has fled the country since the civil war started in 2011. Currently six million Syrians live outside of Syria. One million have escaped to Europe. The majority live in temporary shelters in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon. International migration officials hoped the September 12 ceasefire created by the U.S. and Russia would lead to peace and to Syrians returning to their country. But the ceasefire ended suddenly when U.S. airplanes struck Syrian troops, and the Syrian government bombed a U.N. convoy. William Lacy Swing of the IOM observes that collapse of the ceasefire shows that the causes for migration in Syria have not changed. Mediterranean migration is down, but deaths are up The International Organization for Migration released new data last month about migration through the Mediterranean Sea. The numbers showed that migration to Europe using the Mediterranean Sea has gone down 40% so far this year. About 300,000 migrants and refugees crossed the Mediterranean into Europe between January 1 and September 25. During the same period last year, about 500,000 entered. But over the same time, the number of deaths rose 20%. IOM data showed that 3,501 migrants and refugees died from January 1 through September 25th. That number includes the more than 200 people whose overcrowded boat sank off the coast of Egypt at the end of September. The victims were trying to enter Europe illegally. The director general of the IOM, William Lacy Swing, told VOA, "This is a tragedy.” He said government policies accidentally make the migration situation worse. Because countries do not offer enough ways for people to get out of dangerous situations safely, refugees are forced to use smugglers and travel in overcrowded boats, such as the one that recently sank.  Resettlement More than 50 countries and organizations met in September at the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss the refugee problem. They all agreed to double the number of refugees they take in through the UN program. Together, the countries will take a total of 360,000 refugees next year. But the UN says far more refugees will need to be resettled in 2017. It predicts that at least 1.2 million people will need to find new homes. IOM director William Lacy Swing is confident all the nations will honor their agreements. But, he said, “I do think it is pretty bad ... that we cannot reach a quota of 1 million." President Barack Obama told the UN General Assembly that the migrant crisis was "a test of our international system where all nations ought to share in our collective responsibilities, because the vast majority of refugees are hosted by just 10 countries." To persuade other countries to take in refugees, the Obama administration announced a new funding system. The system allows wealthier nations to give money to less developed nations. The fund will be managed by the IOM and the UN’s refugee agency. The U.S. has already contributed $11 million to the fund. The U.S. has also agreed to increase the number of refugees it takes from 86,000 to 110,000. Immigration critics oppose the increase. They fear increasing the number of refugees in the U.S. will also increase the threat of terrorism. William Lacy Swing believes their fears are unfounded. "I think that if you look at the hundreds of thousands of cases that have come in here, up to now they have found virtually none," he said. "More likely is what happened in Europe: If they get here and they're not properly integrated, then they can become a problem.” I’m Patrick Merentie.   Masood Farivar reported on this story for VOANews.com. Patrick Merentie adapted the report for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. How should the international community help these refugees? How has your country responded to this crisis? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   global – adj. involving the entire world migrant - n. someone who moves from place to place, usually for economic reasons migration – n. movement of people from one country or place to live or work in another smuggler(s) – n. a person who moves people or things from one country into another illegally and secretly confident – adj. certain that something will happen or that something is true collective – adj. shared or done by a group of people vast – adj. very great in size, amount, or extent host(ed) – v. to be cared for or provided with the things one might need funding – n. the way to provide money for something unfounded – adj. not based on facts or proof virtually – adv. almost entirely integrated – adj. allowing all types of people to participate or be included

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dyCHuJ
via IFTTT

What Is the Best Way to Teach English?

  The U.S. government’s top education official wants schools to do a better job teaching students whose first language is not English. U.S. Education Secretary John King said the issue is important. That is because one in every 10 U.S. students from grades Kindergarten to 12th grade are English learners. Most English learners arrive from a country that speaks another language, or have parents from a non-English-speaking country. There has been progress in recent years, King said. He noted Spanish-speaking students are graduating high school and attending college at higher rates than ever before. “But in too many places across the country, English learners get less -- less access to quality teachers, less access to advanced coursework, less access to the resources they need to succeed,” King said. King said a new federal law called the Every Student Succeeds Act can help. It allows school districts more ways to use federal money to improve programs for English learners. That includes better training for English language teachers. Kelly Gonez is a policy adviser at the Department of Education. She said research shows giving instruction in two languages, English and the student’s native language, is better for English learners. Although it takes them a little longer to master English, they do better on tests that measure reading and math skills, Gonez said. So do people who enter dual-language programs already proficient in English, Gonez said. To be proficient means able to read and speak a language. Sarah Catherine Moore is director of online learning at the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington D.C. She said two recent studies found English learners do better if they attend classes that use both English and the student’s native language. But Gonez said such programs are still not offered by a majority of schools teaching English learners. One problem is finding enough qualified teachers. Gonez said some school districts are hiring teachers from Spain and China. They are trying to make up for a shortage of teachers in the United States who can offer instruction in two languages. But such programs are not always easy to set up. In New York City, for example, the city’s Department of Education says its students speak a total of 180 different languages. About sixty percent are Spanish speakers, and another 14 percent are Chinese speakers. It also has 6,546 students who speak Bengali, 6,501 who speak Arabic, and 3,591 who speak Haitian-Creole. Thousands more speak Russian or Punjabi. Gonez said that it may be hard to find instructors who can speak all the different languages spoken by students. But she said schools can get educational material in many more languages that just Spanish and Chinese. Terry Richards is in charge of federal programs for the state of Delaware. She welcomes the new federal education law. It will allow state and local education departments to make more decisions about how to teach English learners, she said. Richards said the law permits local school districts to consider “local” needs in developing English education programs. I’m Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported this story for VOA Learning English. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Tell us how you learned to speak a language?   ____________________________________________________ Words in this Story allow -- v. to permit (something): to consider or treat (something) as acceptable​ access -- n. a way of being able to use or get something done advanced coursework -- n. subjects that are more difficult than basic subjects resources -- n. a supply of something (such as money) that someone has and can use when it is needed dual language -- n. programs using two languages hire -- n. to give work or a job to (someone) in exchange for wages or a salary​ qualified -- adj. having the necessary skill, experience, or knowledge to do a particular job or activity instruction -- n. the action or process of teaching​    

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dWb8ht
via IFTTT

Reporter’s Chinatown Story Criticized

  This is What’s Trending Today: People in the United States are concerned that a report on a recent episode of the conservative talk show “The O’Reilly Factor” represented Chinese-Americans in a negative, unfunny way. Bill O’Reilly’s show is one of the most popular programs on the Fox News Channel in the U.S. In some episodes of the program, Fox News reporter Jesse Watters provides what is supposed to be a funny video examining a part of American life. The special segment is called Watters’ World. In his reports, Watters asks people he meets on the street questions related to the topic of the video. For example, he once asked people on the street, “What are you afraid of?”  In another episode, he showed people photos of famous Americans like Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, and asked people if they knew who they were. In one recent episode, he went to New York City’s “Little Italy” neighborhood to attend a festival. He tried a lot of traditional Italian foods and joked about how to pronounce certain Italian words. After the recent debate between U.S. Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, Watters went to the Chinatown neighborhood of New York City to ask questions. He decided to speak with Chinese-Americans because Trump mentioned China several times during the debate.   He asked one man if he knew karate. Karate is actually a Japanese martial art. He asked an elderly woman, who did not seem to speak English, questions about the election. After she could not answer, a scene played from an old movie with a woman yelling “Speak. Speak. Why don’t you speak?” He also used an old joke: “Do they call Chinese food in China, just food?” Many people said Watters’ latest report was racist and aggressive toward Asian-Americans. A New York Times sports reporter, wrote on Twitter: “It’s 2016. Here is a person from Fox News going to Chinatown and asking people if they know Karate.”   Even New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said “the vile, racist behavior of Fox’s Jesse Watters in Chinatown has no place in our city." After the criticism, Watters did apologize. He also said that his reports are not to be taken seriously. He wrote on Twitter, “My man-on-the-street interviews are meant to be taken as tongue-in-cheek and I regret if anyone found offense.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. What do you think of Watters’ program? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________   Words in This Story karate – n. a form of fighting that was developed in Japan in which your feet and hands are used to kick and hit an opponent : a Japanese martial art — often used before another noun racist – n. poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race vile – adj. very bad or unpleasant tongue-in-cheek – expression. something not to be taken seriously segment – n. a part of something larger; a part of a television program

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dwaYOB
via IFTTT

Plane Evacuated Because of Smoking Samsung Phone

  A plane was evacuated Wednesday in Louisville, Kentucky, after a passenger reported smoke coming from a Samsung smartphone. All passengers were safe after getting off the Southwest Airlines plane. The plane was to travel to Baltimore, Maryland. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration confirmed in a statement that a Samsung phone had caused the smoke. The agency did not say which Samsung model was involved and said it is continuing to investigate the incident. Samsung also did not say which smartphone model caused the emergency. The company said in a statement that it would examine the device. Samsung issued a recall of its new Galaxy Note 7 device last month after receiving several reports of overheating problems. The company said the overheating was linked to problems with batteries that caused some phones to catch fire. The recall reportedly covered at least 2.5 million phones worldwide. Sarah Green is the wife of the airplane passenger whose phone overheated. Green told the media that the phone was a new Samsung Galaxy Note 7. She said her husband, Brian, recently got the phone as a replacement following the Samsung recall. Green told Louisville’s Courier-Journal newspaper that her husband called from someone else’s phone to explain what happened. He told her the phone began making popping noises and started giving off smoke after he turned it off. “He took it out of his pocket and threw it on the ground,” she told the newspaper. The plane had not yet taken off. An official with Louisville’s Metro Fire Department confirmed the passenger threw the phone on the ground after it started smoking. The official said the phone caused minor damage to the floor where the device landed. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning to airplane passengers last month about the Samsung phones. It urged passengers not to use Galaxy Note 7 devices during flights. It also urged passengers not to put them in checked baggage.   Flight attendants on many airlines have also added a warning about the Samsung devices during pre-flight safety demonstrations.  I’m Bryan Lynn. Joshua Fatzick reported this story for VOANews.com. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English, with additional information from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters. Ashley Thompson 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   evacuate – v. to remove people from a dangerous place or situation recall – n. – a request by a company for people to return a product because it has a defect or problem battery – n. power source placed inside a car or other device to supply it with electricity replacement – n. a thing that takes the place of something else baggage – n. cases and bags used when people travel  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dyATBY
via IFTTT

US Security Agency Contractor Arrested

  The United States Department of Justice says a man employed by a private company that was performing work for the National Security Agency has been arrested. In a statement, the department said 51-year-old Harold Thomas Martin III of Glen Burnie, Maryland, was being investigated for taking “highly classified” information. The statement said Martin was arrested in late August. It said he had a top secret national security clearance. The statement said six documents were taken that had information in them from intelligence reports. It said they were “produced by a government agency in 2014.” Investigators say the documents were classified Top Secret. This means that revealing what is in them “reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the U.S.” The New York Times newspaper reported that Martin is suspected of stealing information from an NSA computer program. The program is designed to secretly enter the computer systems of countries including Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. It said Martin worked for Booz Allen Hamilton. The company provides services to the federal government as well as private companies. In a statement, Booz Allen Hamilton said that as soon as it learned that Martin had been arrested it immediately offered to help investigators. The company also said it had fired him. “We continue to cooperate fully with the government on its investigation into this serious matter,” it said. The Justice Department did not say whether Martin may have used the information he allegedly stole, or how he may have used it. It said the information was found in a search of his home and storage buildings. Investigators said that during the search, they found documents as well as information stored on small devices. Martin could be imprisoned for up to 10 years if he is convicted on charges of illegally removing and storing classified materials and stealing government property. The Justice Department said when investigators first questioned Martin, he denied he had taken any documents or computer files. But it said when he was shown documents investigators believe he illegally removed from his office, he admitted he took them. He also admitted that he knew they were classified. In 2013, Edward Snowden, stole 1.5 million documents from the NSA while working for Booz Allen Hamilton, the same company as Martin.  Snowden used the stolen documents to prove the existence of several secret U.S. surveillance programs. The U.S. government charged Snowden with espionage. He could be sentenced to 30 years in prison if he is convicted. But he fled the country and has been given asylum in Russia. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA Correspondent William Gallo reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his report into VOA Special English. Ashley Thompson 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   contractor – n. a person who is hired to perform work or to provide goods at a certain price or within a certain time​ classified – adj. kept secret from all but a few people in the government clearance – n. an official decision saying that someone has permission to do something grave – adj. very serious; requiring or causing serious thought or concern device – n. an object, machine or piece of equipment that has been made for some special purpose surveillance – n. the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime espionage – n. the things that are done to find out secrets from enemies or competitors; the activity of spying

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dyqDJL
via IFTTT

What Washington Politicians Are Really Saying

It sounds so nice. “My good friend...” It is what some members of Congress say about their fellow lawmakers. But Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark offer the not-so-nice meaning. They explain the real meaning of “my good friend” and other words from American politics in their book, “Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs & Washington Handshakes.” The authors say that members of Congress often use the phrase “my good friend” to refer to a person they do not like. The official may not even be able to stand the good friend. Another example of words that mean something different than they appear is: “I want to spend more time with my family.” Members of Congress often say this when they are resigning or giving up their jobs. While it is true that members of Congress often spend many days away from their families, the authors say that politicians use this expression when they do not want to give the real reason they are resigning. The real reason could be that they did something wrong, or they just found out that they are unlikely to win re-election. However, some government officials say they really mean it when they say they want to spend more time with their family, McCutcheon and Mark added. McCutcheon and Mark explained that words used by government leaders and politicians can be very confusing. They said their book is an effort to explain the hidden meanings. Here are some other examples from their book: Slow walk: Means to delay something from happening. An example: When Senate Democrats brought up a bill to reduce climate change, Republican opponents demanded that every page of the 492-page bill be read out loud on the Senate floor. Officials eventually voted on the bill, but getting there was a slow walk. Revolving door: It does not refer to a real door that moves from the open to closed position. Rather, it refers to the common practice of going from a government agency that regulates a business to working for that same business. Activists say that politicians cannot govern well if they are always passing through the revolving door between government service and private industry. Washington handshake: The authors say this phrase describes talking to a person while looking over his shoulder in case a more important person enters the room. You can be sure that when the more important person arrives, the discussion with the less important person will stop. I'm Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported this story for VOA Learning English. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Do you use any words that have a different meaning to you than what the dictionary says? ___________________________________________________________ Words in this Story whistle - n. a small device that makes a very high and loud sound when a person blows air through it. In this case, the authors are referring to words some politicians use to appeal to voters’ emotions handshake - n. the act of grasping someone's right hand with your right hand and moving it up and down confusing - adj. difficult to understand regulate - v. to make rules or laws that control something shoulder - n. the part of your body where your arm is connected

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2dBSNmJ
via IFTTT