Sunday's U.S. Presidential debate was the most-tweeted debate in Twitter's ten-year history, the social network said. Twitter users sent more than 17 million debate-related tweets during the 90 minute debate. Highly Anticipated Debate The second presidential debate between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump was held at Washington University in Saint Louis. Officials at the school in the state of Missouri held a lottery for seating. More than 10,000 students applied; 315 received seats just hours before the debate began. Part of the anticipation surrounding the debate came from recent information about statements by former Secretary of State Clinton and businessman Trump. Two days before the debate, a video appeared on the internet showing Donald Trump making lewd comments about women. Then, Wikileaks released parts of Hillary Clinton's speeches to financial companies. The speeches appeared to show her close ties with those companies. Contentious Beginning The candidates began the debate in a contentious way; they did not shake hands when they appeared in front of the audience. In general, American presidential candidates shake hands before beginning a debate. The two did shake hands after the debate ended. Supporters of Trump and Clinton posted their opinions about the tense greeting under the hashtag #nohandshake. The candidates shook hands before their first debate. One Twitter user, a critic of Clinton, said Trump did not want to shake Clinton's hand because she is responsible for the death of American citizens who were in Benghazi. Another Twitter user, a critic of Trump, said that Hillary refused to shake Trump's hand because he made lewd comments about women in a video. One of the first questions of the debate addressed the video of Trump. The candidate defended his words by saying "I don't think you understand what was said at all. This was locker-room talk. I'm not proud of it." Locker-room talk refers to a conversation between men that is usually harsh or sexually offensive in nature. Trump’s defense included accusations about Clinton's husband, former president Bill Clinton. Trump said that Bill Clinton did "far worse." He also criticized Clinton for her use of a private email system while she led the State Department. He added that if he were elected, he would instruct a government investigator to look into the issue. This statement became one of the top three most-tweeted moments in the debate according to Twitter. Clinton answered that Trump's accusations were not true. The Federal Bureau of Investigation studied Clinton's email use. F.B.I. Director James Comey said there was no reason to bring charges against her. The issues The candidates discussed several foreign and domestic policy issues, including Syria and the set of health care laws commonly called Obamacare. Both candidates called for creating safe zones in Syria. Safe zones are areas where civilians can be kept safe during war. Trump said he disagreed with his running mate, Governor Mike Pence, about Syria. Twitter said this statement became the most tweeted moment in the debate. Trump and Clinton also debated the future of President Barack Obama's healthcare law, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Clinton admitted the law had problems, but she promised to fix it by bringing down costs and helping small businesses give coverage to their employees. Trump promised to replace Obamacare with a system that allows insurance companies to compete in every state. The two candidates will hold their final debate on October 19th. I’m John Russell. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. John Russell adapted this story for Learning English using sources from AP, VOA News, and CNET. Mario Ritter was the editor. ____________________________________________________ Words in This Story tweet – v. to put a message on Twitter anticipated – v. to look forward to (something) lottery – n. a system used to decide who will get or be given something by choosing names or numbers by chance lewd – adj. sexual in an offensive or rude way contentious – adj. involving a lot of arguing
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Monday, October 10, 2016
EU Launches New Border Force to Slow New Arrivals
The European Union has launched a new border force to control the flow of immigrants entering EU member countries. The new force is called the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. A ceremony marking its creation was recently held at the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing on Bulgaria’s border with Turkey. Europe has received millions of migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa in recent years. This has put pressure on many EU members and led to calls to close off the borders. Dimitris Avramopoulos is the EU’s commissioner for migration. He praised the new border force. He notes the force came to exist just nine months after it was first proposed. “The European citizens have demanded, and they rightly do so, a tangible European response - and today we deliver it collectively.” Permanent employees at the new agency – formerly known as Frontex - will be more than doubled, according to EU officials. At least 1,500 border guards will be ready to quickly deploy to areas experiencing a sharp increase in migrant activity. Currently, E.U. citizens are permitted to travel freely across borders of 26 countries. But the rising number of refugees and migrants led some nations to reestablish their own border controls. More than 300,000 migrants have arrived in Europe in this year alone -- many passing through Turkey. Critics of the E.U.’s new border force say wealthy E.U. nations are not doing enough to care for their share of migrants and refugees. Gauri van Gulik is Deputy Europe Director for the rights group Amnesty International. She said the wealthiest E.U. member countries currently host less than 10 percent of the world’s refugees. “That needs to shift, and no border guard is going to make that happen. That’s going to require political will and some durable solutions...” Flows of migrants from Turkey have decreased since E.U. officials struck a deal with Turkey in March. Under that agreement, Turkey promised to return all migrants who try to enter Europe illegally. But Van Gulik said this is just a way for Europe to outsource its asylum policy. “They’re leaving it up to Turkey to host millions of refugees. They’re leaving it up to the very borders of Europe – so mostly Greece and also Italy now – to host refugees. And it means that people are stuck in the most horrendous conditions...” E.U. officials have said the new border agency will respect human and refugee rights. But they say the force must also be used to help the E.U. regain control of its borders to prevent another crisis. I’m Bryan Lynn. Henry Ridgwell reported this story for VOANews.com. Bryan Lynn 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 our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story re-impose – v. put in place again host – v. – take in, accept durable – adj. remaining in good condition for a long time outsource – v. sending work out to be done by another company, often in another country horrendous – adj. very bad or unpleasant
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Roller Coaster Rides Can Help With Painful Condition
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Roller coasters are fast and exciting. But passing a painful kidney stone is not. The process is painful and can take a long time. But American researchers have found that a roller coaster ride just might help those suffering from a kidney stone. They say such rides help patients pass the stones with a 70 percent success rate. The findings come from researchers at Michigan State University. They published their findings in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. David Wartinger led the study. He says he became curious after hearing many stories of people who passed kidney stones after going on a fun ride at a theme park in Florida. Patients told him that after riding a “roller coaster at Walt Disney World, they were able to pass their kidney stones.” One man even said he passed three different stones after going on the ride more than once! To test whether the claims were true, Wartinger used a 3-dimensional model of a hollow kidney. Inside the model he placed three kidney stones, each no larger than 4 millimeters. Then he placed the man-made kidney into a backpack. The researchers put the kidney on Disney’s Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster for 20 rides. There are many variables Wartinger found that where the person sits on the roller coaster can make a big difference. He said “in the pilot study, sitting in the last car of the roller coaster showed about a 64 percent passage rate.” Sitting in the first few cars only had a 16 percent success rate. Researchers decided to expand the study. They rode the same roller coaster with several kidney models. When sitting in the back car, the success rate of passing the stones was 70 percent. It also mattered where the stones were located in the kidney. The researchers found that stones located in the upper part of the kidney model were passed 100 percent. Another variable – it depends what kind of roller coaster. When it comes to passing kidney stones, not all roller coasters are equal. The researchers used 174 kidney stones of differing “shapes, sizes and weights to see if each model worked on the same ride and on two other roller coasters.” They found that “Big Thunder Mountain was the only one that worked.” The other two roller coasters both failed the test. Wartinger said the other rides were "too fast and too violent." The movement forced the stones against the side of the kidney. He said that the ideal roller coaster is rough and quick with some twists and turns. How common are kidney stones? About 300,000 people in the United States go to hospital emergency rooms with kidney stones each year. One common treatment for kidney stones -- called lithotripsy -- breaks up larger stones into smaller ones. But Wartinger said the treatment can leave many smaller stones. To solve this problem, he suggested riding a roller coaster “after a treatment when the remnants are still small." Wartinger thinks roller coaster rides could also be used as a preventative measure. He said that a yearly ride on a roller coaster could even prevent stones from developing. "You need to heed the warnings before going on a roller coaster," he said. "If you have a kidney stone, but are otherwise healthy and meet the requirements of the ride, patients should try it." He adds that it’s “definitely a lower cost alternative” to other treatments. And riding a roller coaster is definitely more fun! I’m Anna Matteo. VOANews.com reported on this story. Anna Matteo adapted the story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story curious – adj. having a desire to learn or know more about something or someone theme park – n. an amusement park where the rides and attractions are based on a particular theme 3-dimensional – adj. An object that has height, width and depth, like any object in the real world. hollow – adj. having nothing inside : not solid factor – n. something that helps produce or influence a result : one of the things that cause something to happen variable – n. something that changes or that can be changed : something that varies pilot – adj. done as a test to see if a larger program, study, etc., should be done rough – adj. having or causing sudden, violent movements ideal – adj. exactly right for a particular purpose, situation, or person remnant – n. the part of something that is left when the other parts are gone heed – v. to pay attention to (advice, a warning, etc.) alternative – adj. offering or expressing a choice
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Why is the U.S. General Election Held on a Tuesday in November?
Americans will vote for a new president, either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, on November 8th. Find out why the general election is held on a Tuesday in the month of November.
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Virginia County Could Play Major Role in Presidential Race
Virginia is one of the so-called “swing” or “battleground” states in the 2016 presidential election. Voters there could decide whether Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton becomes president. The town of Leesburg, Virginia holds many memories of the past. In many places, it looks like the Virginia that voted for many years for Republicans in presidential elections. But Virginia is changing. Democratic candidates for president know that it is no longer a state Republican presidential candidates know they will win. Craig Green is a Clinton supporter. Green is a Democratic activist in Loudoun County. Loudoun County is a part of northern Virginia that has changed due to the growth of the high-tech industry and a rise in the number of foreign skilled workers. Green says the changing demographics will help Democrats and hurt Republicans. “I went canvassing this weekend, and pretty much universally it was, ‘Oh, that Trump guy, there is no way I could vote for him.’” From 1968 to 2004, the county voted for Republican presidential candidates. But in 2008 and 2012, Barack Obama won Virginia with the help of Loudoun County. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 15 percent of the county’s population is Asian. Green notes many African, Indian and Chinese families also live in the county. Sri Amudhanar is a software engineer. He is a Democrat and a Clinton supporter. He came to the United States almost 30 years ago. He says the county’s growing immigrant population is affecting the politics of Virginia. “They take an oath of citizenship when they become Americans, and that's a very solemn process. It's a very moving process, and we have all gone through that, and that binds us to America very, very strongly and to its values, and one of the values is that everybody is really equal.” Even though the state’s demographics are changing, Donald Trump is working hard to win in Virginia. Leesburg restaurant owner Bryan Crosswhite is a Trump supporter. “He resonates because he's a straight-talker. He speaks the truth whether you like it or not. He’s going to tell you what he thinks.” More than 150 years ago Virginia was the site of many battles during the Civil War. Today, it is a different kind of battleground. The state is changing, and an increasingly diverse population is writing a new chapter in America's story. I’m Jonathan Evans. VOA National Political Correspondent Jim Malone 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 canvass - v. universally - adv. done or experienced by everyone oath - n. a formal and serious promise to tell the truth or to do something solemn - adj. very serious or formal in manner, behavior, or expression bind - v. to cause (people) to be joined together closely resonate - v. to have particular meaning or importance for someone diverse - adj. made up of people or things that are different from each other
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Refugees Bring Farming Skills to American Communities
A non-profit aid group estimates more than half of the refugees who are resettled in the U.S. each year come from agricultural backgrounds. These refugees bring valuable farming skills as they rebuild their lives in their new communities. VOA News spoke with some of the refugee farmers who are planting new roots in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dhan Subba is a farmer and refugee from Bhutan. During the growing season, he and others clean and sort the variety of vegetables that they harvest. “I like to work on the farm because I can grow my own food and eat healthily,” he said. Subba lived in a refugee camp in Nepal for 18 years before the U.S. resettled him six years ago. He is glad that he can use the farming skills that he learned in Nepal. Subba and other refugees from all over the world are joining the New Roots program of the non-profit International Rescue Committee, or IRC. The program uses empty lots in cities for farming. The New Roots program began 10 years ago in San Diego, California. It has since spread to more than 20 cities across the country, including Charlottesville, Virginia. Brooke Ray is the New Roots manager in Charlottesville. She told VOA News that the program offers many opportunities. “New Roots really has a lot of different parts. First and foremost, it’s a chance for people to use the skills that they’ve already had in gardening and farming. But it’s also a chance for people to meet their neighbors and interact with the community and bring home healthy food.” These farmers grow many kinds of produce. Some of this produce is common in their home countries, but not familiar to the American market. As part of its New Roots program, IRC offers the Micro Producer Academy. At the academy, refugees can learn sustainable farming and small business skills, which can be another source of income. Brooke Ray explains that these farmers usually have to adapt to new ways of farming. “What we do there is take the skills and knowledge that everybody has and talk about how to apply it to the U.S. A lot of people have grown in very big space, and here you have to grow on very small space. We also talk about marketing, and pricing, and the seasons in the U.S.” The refugees sell their produce directly to local restaurants. Adam Spaar is a chef at a local restaurant. He says that the refugee’s produce is excellent. “Their produce is exceptional. You can tell that they spend a lot of time, a lot of care, a lot of love goes into whatever they grow...” The refugee farmers also convert empty lots into a lively, weekly market where neighbors with limited incomes -- especially refugees -- can buy fresh produce at low prices. But they are not the only customers. Jane Ray buys food at the market: "Well, I come every week. The vegetables are beautiful and freshly picked. And I have lots of recipes to use for them, and the prices are extremely reasonable.” The refugee farmers may not be able to quit their jobs to farm full-time, Brooke Ray says. But the program is helping them build strong roots in their new communities. I'm Alice Bryant. June Soh reported this story for VOA News. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story background - n. the experiences, knowledge, education, etc., in a person's past plant roots / build roots - expression. to do things that show that you want to stay in a place, for example making friends or buying a home variety - n. a number or collection of different things or people lot - n. a small piece of land that is or could be used for building something or for some other purpose acre - n. a measure of land area in the U.S. and Britain that equals 4,840 square yards produce - n. fresh fruits and vegetables adapt - v. to change (something) so that it functions better or is better suited for a purpose micro - adj. very small chef - n. a professional cook who usually supervises a kitchen in a restaurant convert - v. to change (something) into a different form or so that it can be used in a different way
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Sunday, October 9, 2016
A Fish That 'Sings' Love Songs?
This is the sound of a fish "singing:" Hmmmmmmmm. It is a male fish — a plainfin midshipman, to be exact — from the Pacific Ocean. He is singing, or humming, a love song to get female fish to come and visit the nest he built for their eggs. Scientists have wanted to know why the male plainfin midshipman sings only at night. A study published in the journal Current Biology provides some answers. Laboratory experiments showed that the fish’s song, that low, fog-horn-like sound, is controlled partly by a hormone, melatonin. Hormones are natural substances that influence how bodies grow or develop. In the human body, melatonin tells us when it is time to sleep. Andrew Bass is a professor of neurobiology and behavior at Cornell University in New York State. For nearly 30 years, he has been studying the plainfin midshipman, and the sounds they make. Bays 'alive' with sound "It was always remarkable how right after nightfall, if you are recording from a bunch of nests in a bay, the bay just comes alive with this sound. It’s like it suddenly turns on at night...” Plainfin midshipmen are olive-brown in color. They grow to be up to 38 centimeters long. The fish gets its name from rows of organs lined up on its underside. These rows are bio-luminescent. They produce light and shine in the water. Long ago, people thought they looked like the buttons on navy clothes. In the late spring and summer, the males move from waters deep in the ocean to more shallow waters close to land. There they build nests for females to leave their eggs under rocky shelters. Then, during the night, the males produce their sounds. Often a group of them gather together and start humming. But how do they make these sounds? Unlike people speaking, or birds singing, you cannot see the fish making the sound. It comes from organs inside. Their gas-filled swim bladder and their vocal muscles help them sing. Bass says the vocal muscles are hidden deep inside the fishes’ bodies. Good vibrations? “And they contract those muscles at very high rates, and that vibrates the swim bladder, and that in turn generates a vibration in the surrounding water that makes the sound.” They can make that sound, non-stop, for hours at a time. But once a female arrives, mating begins, and she leaves her eggs, the male stops singing for the night. It is the male that then watches over the eggs until they hatch — and the young fish can swim on their own. The fish experiments were done in a Cornell laboratory by then-student Ni Feng, who is now at Yale University. It was her idea to study how melatonin affects the fish. The researchers had no idea how the hormone might affect the fishes’ ability to sing and hum. All about the rhythm The fish were kept in rooms where lighting could be controlled. When it was always dark, the fish hummed as they would at night. They followed their internal timing or circadian rhythm. But in bright lighting, a condition that lowers melatonin production, humming was suppressed. When kept in normal light, but given a melatonin replacement, they continued to hum but at unpredictable times. So unlike humans, and even birds, the melatonin did not put the fish to sleep. It had just the opposite effect. Andrew Bass says the study shows how “incredibly versatile” hormones are. “So here we study melatonin in our animal, right? And instead of suppressing calling, or putting them to sleep, essentially, it somewhat acts as a stimulant. Again, it’s the “go” signal that says ok, make more hums...” He says that by studying how different animals react to melatonin, researchers will get a better understanding of how it works. “We will reveal very fundamental mechanisms of just how this hormone in fact controls daily sleep/wake cycles in all animals.” The hum of space aliens? The midshipman fish are not the only ones making sounds. In fact, long ago, fishermen would listen carefully to hear where the fish were. Bass says he even found a report written in 1924 about the plainfin midshipman and how they hum at night. In the 1980s, people living on houseboats along the California coast did not know what to make of those sounds. Bass said they thought the sound came from either an underwater power line, a nearby water treatment center, a U.S. Navy experiment, or maybe even beings from other planets. The boat owners found out the sound was coming from the male midshipman, looking for love in the night. Like whales and dolphins, other sea creatures, the midshipman fish make different kinds of sounds for social communication. For example, the sound they make when protecting their nests from possible invaders is different than the one they make when calling a mate. Bass says that in the end, humans and other animals are similar in certain behaviors -- in this case, the ability to produce sounds. He says these fish, and the things he learns about them, never cease to amaze him. I’m Anne Ball. Anne Ball reported this story for Learning English with information from Reuters News Service. 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 nest – n. a place where an animal or insect lives and usually lays eggs or takes care of its young hormone – n. natural substances that influence how bodies grow or develop bio-luminescent – adj. something that glows and produce light in the water swim bladder – n. a gas-filled organ in fish that help them move up or down in the water larynx – n. muscles in a human’s throat that produce sound, also called a “voice box” vibrate – v. to move back and forth or from side to side with very short, quick movements hatch – v. to come out of an egg circadian rhythm – n. physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle, mostly connected to light and darkness in an organism’s environment amaze – v. to surprise and sometimes confuse someone very much
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South African Opera Singer Makes Her Voice Heard
When she was a girl, Zandile Mzazi loved to sing. She tried to sing along with stars like Whitney Houston. She did not know her love of singing was the first step towards an opera career. Mzazi had a good voice from a very young age. She says she was a “skinny little girl” when she won the lead role in a school musical. But she was showing off her strong voice even on the day she was born. "My mom said when I was born, the first day I cried so much! She said, ‘My gosh! Those lungs! The nurses from the entire floor of the hospital, they came because they thought maybe we were slaughtering this child, you know!’" Mzazi got her professional start singing religious music called oratorio. The music is like opera, but the music has religious themes. Handel’s “Messiah” is a well-known example of oratorio. She first heard that kind of music from her aunt. And just like when she listened to pop music, she could sing along with Handel’s composition. "And I could sing the ‘Messiah,’ jeepers; from the age of nine! I listened to opera recordings, and I imitated the sound that I was hearing. Little did I know that actually I had something very special." As a teenager, she heard a South African opera singer on television. She started to sing along. That is how she discovered opera. One thing she likes about opera, she said, is its “sadness and drama.” Mzazi also said opera music is right for her talent. She said she does not think she has a big voice, but her tone is a good fit for opera. "Whenever I perform and I hear my sound ... it shocks me, because it is really incredible that I am so blessed with this instrument." The instrument of her voice carried Mzazi from local shows to a performance in front of Nelson Mandela. She also sang for the president of China – in Mandarin. Last July, she went to Europe for a voice competition. Mzazi came in first out of 80 singers from around the world. Now Mzazi is planning to go to Europe to continue her career. But she still calls South Africa home. I’m Dan Friedell. Darren Taylor wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. Will you look for future performances from Zandile Mzazi? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story slaughter –v. to kill in a very violent way jeepers –int. used to express surprise imitate –v. to do the same thing as (someone) drama –n. a play, movie, television show, or radio show that is about a serious subject and is not meant to make the audience laugh tone –n. the quality of a person's voice bless –v. to provide (a person, place, etc.) with something good or desirable
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Everyday Grammar: Subjunctive
This video is based on an article in the Everyday Grammar series: http://ift.tt/2d5h6XT
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A Fish That “Sings” Love Songs?
Video from Cornell University Lab where they studied the night-time singing pattern of the plainfin midshipman males who sing to attract the females.
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Poll Finds Majority of Filipinos Approve of Duterte
A new public opinion survey shows that more than 76 percent of Filipinos approve of the job President Rodrigo Duterte is doing. The survey found 76 percent of those questioned were satisfied with Duterte’s performance during his first three months in office. Only 11 percent said they were dissatisfied. Thirteen percent said they were undecided. The organization Social Weather Stations questioned 1,200 adults from across the Philippines September 24th to 27th. The group released the results Thursday. Duterte has been sharply criticizing opponents of his deadly campaign against suspected drug dealers and users. He has openly insulted American President Barack Obama, European Union officials, the United Nations and others. Anti-drug campaign pushes on American, E.U and U.N. officials have spoken out against the anti-drug campaign, which has killed more than 3,600 people. Duterte reportedly has permitted death squads to kill accused drug offenders. Duterte took office last June. He won the election largely on a promise to end crime and corruption within six months of taking office. This week, he told reporters his anti-drug campaign had cut crime in Manila by 50 percent. He said he does not expect Obama or E.U. officials to understand, in his words, “the pain we are suffering” from the country’s drug problems. Duterte said of the U.S. president, “Mr. Obama, you can go to hell.” The United States and the Philippines have a long history of strong economic and defense ties. But Duterte recently said his country had reached a “point of no return” in relations with the U.S. He promised to seek closer ties with Russia and China “to open up the other side of the ideological barrier.” The country’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Perfecto Yasay, wrote this week about the state of relations. The first line is “America has failed us.” New direction in US ties Yasay said Duterte is “compelled to realign” Philippine foreign policy and not give in to U.S. demands and interests. He said the United States has used a “carrot and stick” policy to guide relations with the Philippines for many years. He said the policy was used to, in his words, “force Filipinos into submission to American demands and interests.” Yasay wrote that the Philippines had learned from this experience. He said the country would no longer “permit China or any other nation to bully us or deal with Philippine interests under another carrot and stick policy.” Molly Koscina is a spokeswoman for the U.S embassy in the Philippines. She told Reuters that U.S. officials do not believe Yasay’s comments reflect the current ties between the two nations. “Frankly, it seems at odds with the warm relationship that exists between the Filipino and American people,” Koscina said. I’m Bryan Lynn. Joshua Fatzick wrote this story for VOANews.com. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English, using additional information from the Associated Press and Reuters news agencies. 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 death squad – n. a group of people given the task of killing others, usually with the indirect approval of government compel – v. – to force to do something realign – v. to change the position or direction of something carrot and stick – adj. a policy approach that offers both a reward and threat of punishment submission – n. act of accepting that someone else or something has control over you reflect – v. to show (something); to make (something) known at odds with – phrase. not in agreement with
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