Activists Seek Freedom for Pizza, ‘World’s Saddest’ Polar Bear

  Chinese activists are demanding that a polar bear named Pizza be moved from captivity in a shopping center to a better home.  About 50 animal activist groups across China have joined together to call for moving Pizza. Since January, she has been kept inside an animal display at a shopping center in the city of Guangzhou, in southeastern China. The groups plan to present a letter to local officials next week urging them to get involved to help relocate Pizza. The activists say Pizza has recently shown signs that her mental state is getting worse. The campaign to move Pizza grew larger last March, when the group Animals Asia posted a video of the polar bear online. In the video, Pizza is seen lying down in the space where she lives at Guangzhou’s Grandview Aquarium. The video shows possible health issues for the animal, including watery eyes and a twitching mouth. The video went viral on the internet and people around the world became heartbroken over the polar bear. This led to Pizza being called “the saddest polar bear in the world.” Since then, an online petition started by Animals Asia has gotten more than 680,000 signatures supporting the cause. Animals Asia has called for the aquarium to be closed. The living space for Pizza is less than 66 square meters. That is too small for an animal her size, the group said. It also said she must deal with people tapping on the glass of the display for most of the day. So far, the aquarium has refused to change Pizza’s living conditions or move her to another home. It says its operation is legal because it has the required permits from the government. Last month, Britain’s Yorkshire Wildlife Park offered to put Pizza in its specially-designed polar bear habitat. The park includes four hectares of land and two lakes for its community of polar bears. The Grandview Aquarium turned down the offer. In a statement to VOA, Grandview said Pizza was not bred through natural means, and left her mother at age 2. It said this means she would not be able to survive with other polar bears in the wild. The aquarium said the health of Pizza and other animals there is important. A team of 130 people look after the animals every day. They receive regular physical examinations, Grandview said. The statement added “our star animal Pizza” remains healthy, with results from the most recent tests falling in “the normal range.” A video released by the aquarium said it has also increased efforts to provide Pizza with more activities to improve her mental and physical state. Wendy Higgins is with the London-based Humane Society International (HIS). She says Grandview does not provide conditions similar to a polar bear’s natural habitat. She worries that Pizza is showing signs of mental problems, including unusual head movements and performing the same acts over and over.    “Once you’ve got an animal displaying those kinds of very typical behaviors, the clock is ticking really,” Higgins said. I’m Ashley Thompson. Joyce Huang wrote this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter 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 display – n. ​a collection of things for people to look at relocate – v. move to another place aquarium – n. a building where fish and other animals are kept for people to look at twitch – v. moving suddenly without the ability to control petition – n. formal written request to take action habitat – n. place where a plant or animal naturally lives breed – v. to produce young animals typical – adj. happening in the usual way ticking – v. to make a small, quick, sound, especially made by a clock or watch the clock is ticking – expression. used to express that something must be done quickly because there will soon be no time left

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2es2fsz
via IFTTT

Wrangell-St. Elias: The Largest National Park in America

  Today we are visiting a vast and remote park in the state of Alaska. The park is bigger than the country of Switzerland. It is six times the size of Yellowstone. In fact, it is the largest national park in America. Its name is Wrangell-St. Elias. Do not worry if you have not heard of America’s biggest national park. Most Americans do not know its name. But Wrangell-St. Elias contains some of North America’s largest glaciers and volcanoes. It also is home to nine of the highest mountains in America. The park extends more than 5.3 million hectares. Four mountain ranges come together here, including the Wrangell Mountains and the St. Elias Mountains. The Wrangell Mountains cover much of the park. They were formed over the last 5 million years from volcanic activity. The St. Elias Mountains stretch into Canada’s Yukon Territory. The Chugach Mountains cover the southern part of the park. The Alaskan Mountain Range forms some of the huge park’s northern boundary. The mountain landscape is wild. Much of it is also difficult to reach. Private companies offer “flightseeing” tours on planes and helicopters. From high above, visitors witness Wrangell-St. Elias’s beauty. A world of water Rivers and glaciers help tell the story of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. These rivers, with names like Copper, Chitina, Chisana, and Chitistone, come from the park’s many glaciers. They wind through land carved out by other huge glaciers long ago. The Copper, the largest river of them all, flows into the Gulf of Alaska. Other rivers take a more dramatic path. The Chitistone River becomes Chitistone Falls, a 91-meter-tall waterfall that drops over a steep wall. Glaciers cover almost 13,000 square kilometers of the park. In summer months the park’s rivers carry their meltwater. It is filled with tiny pieces of sand, stone and other materials. A buildup of this sediment forces the rivers to flow through new channels. This causes the riverbeds to twist and turn. From up above, these rivers can look like braided hair. One of the park’s most striking places is the Hubbard Glacier. It is the longest tidewater glacier in North America. A tidewater glacier is one that begins in a mountain valley and flows all the way to a body of water. The Hubbard Glacier is 120 kilometers long and nearly 10 kilometers wide. It begins on the 6,000-meter-tall Mount Logan in Canada’s Yukon Territory. It ends in the waters of a place called Disenchantment Bay. Hubbard was named in 1890 after Gardiner Hubbard, the first president of the National Geographic Society. The massive glacier is only getting bigger. Unlike most glaciers, Hubbard is thickening and extending. Other glaciers face melting caused by increasing temperatures. But experts say Hubbard reacts in an opposite way to climate change. As the Earth’s temperature rises, the area around Wrangell-St. Elias gets more snow and rain. Scientists say this snow and rain is what permits the glacier to grow. Sometimes, very fast growth causes huge pieces of ice to break apart from the glacier. Scientists call this “calving.” The ice creates a thunderous sound as it breaks and falls into the water. Hubbard Glacier’s size, beauty, and “calving” activity have made it popular with park visitors. Large boats travel through Disenchantment Bay, taking passengers close to the glacier. Wrangell-St. Elias’ system of glaciers and rivers help support animal life in the park. The park’s Dall sheep may be the most famous animal residents.  Alaska’s Dall sheep are the world’s northernmost wild sheep population. About 13,000 Dall sheep live within the park’s borders. Visitors can look for their white bodies and huge brown horns near rocky mountainsides. Visitors might also see black bears, brown bears, moose and caribou. Caribou are large North American reindeer with huge, wide antlers. Along the coast seals and sea lions lie in the ice and splash in the water. Visiting the park Wrangell-St. Elias became a national park in 1980. The park’s main visitor’s center is about 300 kilometers east of Anchorage. The long drive to get to the park is an adventure itself. The trip includes roadside views of mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, and lakes. Its distant location makes it one of America's least-visited national parks. About 75,000 people visit Wrangell-St. Elias each year. By comparison, parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone get about 3 million visitors each year. Visitors can experience the park’s pristine nature as well as its historical areas. The Athabascan people lived in the area thousands of years ago. The park includes sites of their villages and hunting areas. The park also has many historical structures and buildings. The National Park Service says the structures represent periods of exploration, mining and transportation. One historical place is called Kennecott Mill Town. The picturesque town tells a story of westward expansion and discovery. Miners processed nearly $200 million worth of copper at Kennecott Mines between 1911 and 1938. Many of the buildings that remain in the town have been empty for 60 years. Some are in disrepair. The National Park Service works with the local community to restore and preserve them. Some visitors stay at Kennecott during their trip to Wrangell-St. Elias. The family-owned Kennecott Glacier Lodge provides beautiful views of the surrounding glacial mountains. It also gives visitors a chance to try exciting outdoor activities like glacier hiking or ice climbing. Some visitors choose to sleep in the wild outdoors. Private campsites are located in many areas of the park. Some visitors set out on long hikes in the park’s backcountry area. Whatever way you visit, the immense and untouched beauty of Wrangell St. Elias National Park is guaranteed to awe.  I'm Caty Weaver.  And I'm Ashley Thompson.    Ashley Thompson wrote this report, with materials from the National Park Service. Caty Weaver was the editor.  ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   vast -adj. very great in size, amount, or extent remote - adj. far away from other people, houses, cities, etc. range - n. a series of mountains or hills in a line boundary - n. something (such as a river or fence) that shows where an area ends and another area begins landscape -n. an area of land that has a certain quality or appearance dramatic - adj. sudden and extreme twist - v. to bend or turn (something) in order to change its shape braided - adj. formed with three or more parts woven together thunderous -adj. making a loud noise like the sound of thun antlers -n. the horn of a deer or similar animal pristine -adj. not changed by people : left in its natural state picturesque -adj. very pretty or charming preserve -v. to keep (something) in its original state or in good condition awe -v. to fill someone with a strong feeling of wonder or respect

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

Nintendo Announces New Gaming Device

  This is What’s Trending Today. Video game company Nintendo announced its newest portable gaming device on Thursday. It is called the Nintendo Switch. It lets users play games both at home on their televisions and while moving around. The announcement came in the form of a video on Thursday morning. People around the world played the video over 10 million times in the first day. More than 100,000 people left comments. One person wrote: “This is the future of gaming right here!” On Twitter, “Nintendo Switch” was the top trending topic around the world on Thursday. One Twitter user wrote “Nintendo switch is going to empty my wallet.”  ​ ​ Nintendo says the system will work for games from a variety of game designers. It will be available in March 2017. Some of the game designers include Activision, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft and Bethesda Softworks. They are the makers of popular games like Assassin’s Creed, Fallout and Call of Duty. The Switch offers gamers flexibility. They will be able to play games at home on a big-screen television, but also while they are away from home. The video announcing the device showed people playing games at outdoor parties, on an airplane, at basketball courts and while sitting in a park.   Nintendo said more information about the Switch will be available closer to the release date. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Will you buy the new Nintendo gaming device? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   trend – n. a topic or idea that is currently popular or fashionable variety – n. a number or collection of different things or people — usually + of gamer – n. a person who plays games and especially video or computer games

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

'The Lady, or the Tiger?' by Frank R. Stockton

  Today's story is “The Lady, or the Tiger?” by Frank R. Stockton.  Here is Barbara Klein with the story. Long ago, in the very olden time, there lived a powerful king.  Some of his ideas were progressive.  But others caused people to suffer. One of the king’s ideas was a public arena as an agent of poetic justice.  Crime was punished, or innocence was decided, by the result of chance.  When a person was accused of a crime, his future would be judged in the public arena. All the people would gather in this building.  The king sat high up on his ceremonial chair.  He gave a sign.  A door under him opened.  The accused person stepped out into the arena.  Directly opposite the king were two doors.  They were side by side, exactly alike.  The person on trial had to walk directly to these doors and open one of them.  He could open whichever door he pleased.  If the accused man opened one door, out came a hungry tiger, the fiercest in the land.  The tiger immediately jumped on him and tore him to pieces as punishment for his guilt.  The case of the suspect was thus decided.  Iron bells rang sadly.  Great cries went up from the paid mourners.  And the people, with heads hanging low and sad hearts, slowly made their way home.  They mourned greatly that one so young and fair, or so old and respected, should have died this way. But, if the accused opened the other door, there came forth from it a woman, chosen especially for the person.  To this lady he was immediately married, in honor of his innocence.  It was not a problem that he might already have a wife and family, or that he might have chosen to marry another woman.  The king permitted nothing to interfere with his great method of punishment and reward.  Another door opened under the king, and a clergyman, singers, dancers and musicians joined the man and the lady.  The marriage ceremony was quickly completed.  Then the bells made cheerful noises.  The people shouted happily.  And the innocent man led the new wife to his home, following children who threw flowers on their path. This was the king’s method of carrying out justice.  Its fairness appeared perfect.  The accused person could not know which door was hiding the lady.  He opened either as he pleased, without having knowing whether, in the next minute, he was to be killed or married.  Sometimes the fierce animal came out of one door.  Sometimes it came out of the other.  This method was a popular one.  When the people gathered together on one of the great trial days, they never knew whether they would see a bloody killing or a happy ending.  So everyone was always interested.  And the thinking part of the community would bring no charge of unfairness against this plan.  Did not the accused person have the whole matter in his own hands? The king had a beautiful daughter who was like him in many ways.  He loved her above all humanity.  The princess secretly loved a young man who was the best-looking and bravest in the land.  But he was a commoner, not part of an important family.  One day, the king discovered the relationship between his daughter and the young man.  The man was immediately put in prison.  A day was set for his trial in the king’s public arena.  This, of course, was an especially important event.  Never before had a common subject been brave enough to love the daughter of the king.  The king knew that the young man would be punished, even if he opened the right door.  And the king would take pleasure in watching the series of events, which would judge whether or not the man had done wrong in loving the princess. The day of the trial arrived.  From far and near the people gathered in the arena and outside its walls.  The king and his advisers were in their places, opposite the two doors.  All was ready.  The sign was given.  The door under the king opened and the lover of the princess entered the arena.  Tall, beautiful and fair, his appearance was met with a sound of approval and tension.  Half the people had not known so perfect a young man lived among them.  No wonder the princess loved him!  What a terrible thing for him to be there! As the young man entered the public arena, he turned to bend to the king.  But he did not at all think of the great ruler.  The young man’s eyes instead were fixed on the princess, who sat to the right of her father.  From the day it was decided that the sentence of her lover should be decided in the arena, she had thought of nothing but this event. The princess had more power, influence and force of character than anyone who had ever before been interested in such a case.  She had done what no other person had done.  She had possessed herself of the secret of the doors.  She knew behind which door stood the tiger, and behind which waited the lady.  Gold, and the power of a woman’s will, had brought the secret to the princess. She also knew who the lady was.  The lady was one of the loveliest in the kingdom.  Now and then the princess had seen her looking at and talking to the young man. The princess hated the woman behind that silent door.  She hated her with all the intensity of the blood passed to her through long lines of cruel ancestors. Her lover turned to look at the princess.  His eye met hers as she sat there, paler and whiter than anyone in the large ocean of tense faces around her.  He saw that she knew behind which door waited the tiger, and behind which stood the lady.  He had expected her to know it. The only hope for the young man was based on the success of the princess in discovering this mystery.  When he looked at her, he saw that she had been successful, as he knew she would succeed. Then his quick and tense look asked the question: “Which?”  It was as clear to her as if he shouted it from where he stood.  There was not time to be lost.  The princess raised her hand, and made a short, quick movement toward the right.  No one but her lover saw it.  Every eye but his was fixed on the man in the arena. He turned, and with a firm and quick step he walked across the empty space.  Every heart stopped beating.  Every breath was held.  Every eye was fixed upon that man.  He went to the door on the right and opened it. Now, the point of the story is this: Did the tiger come out of that door, or did the lady? The more we think about this question, the harder it is to answer.  It involves a study of the human heart.  Think of it not as if the decision of the question depended upon yourself.  But as if it depended upon that hot-blooded princess, her soul at a white heat under the fires of sadness and jealousy.  She had lost him, but who should have him? How often, in her waking hours and in her dreams, had she started in wild terror, and covered her face with her hands?  She thought of her lover opening the door on the other side of which waited the sharp teeth of the tiger! But how much oftener had she seen him open the other door?  How had she ground her teeth, and torn her hair, when she had seen his happy face as he opened the door of the lady!  How her soul had burned in pain when she had seen him run to meet that woman, with her look of victory.  When she had seen the two of them get married.  And when she had seen them walk away together upon their path of flowers, followed by the happy shouts of the crowd, in which her one sad cry was lost! Would it not be better for him to die quickly, and go to wait for her in that blessed place of the future?  And yet, that tiger, those cries, that blood! Her decision had been shown quickly.  But it had been made after days and nights of thought.  She had known she would be asked.  And she had decided what she would answer.  And she had moved her hand to the right. The question of her decision is one not to be lightly considered.  And it is not for me to set myself up as the one person able to answer it.  And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the open door – the lady, or the tiger? The story was written by Frank Stockton in 1882. It was adapted for VOA Learning English by Shelley Gollust. The storyteller was Barbara Klein. Now it’s your turn. Write to us in the comments section or on our Facebook page about a difficult choice you had to make. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   poetic justice – n. a result or occurrence that seems proper because someone who has done bad things to other people is being harmed or punished innocence – adj. the state of being not guilty of a crime or other wrong act mourn – v. to feel or show great sadness because someone has died ancestor – n. a person who was in someone's family in past times; one of the people from whom a person is descended tense – adj. nervous and not able to rela

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2f07kvJ
via IFTTT

Trump Is a Big Issue in US Congressional Elections

Republican Party candidates for seats in Congress must decide what to do about Donald Trump. Trump, the Republican candidate for president, has many loyal supporters. They crowd into his campaign events and cheer his promises to make America great again. But the popularity of the businessman has been dropping in opinion polls ever since the release of an 11-year-old recording. On the recording, Trump could be heard talking about touching and kissing women without their permission. Trump has said the recordings are embarrassing. He has apologized. He denied doing the kind of things he talked about on the recording. Some women have come forward to say that Trump had made unwanted sexual advances years ago. He said their claims are not true. “Those stories are all totally false, I have to say that,” Trump said, at the presidential debate in Nevada on Wednesday. “And I didn’t even apologize to my wife, who’s sitting right here, because I didn’t do anything.” Difficult Decisions for Some Candidates All the news reports about the Trump recording left some Republican congressional candidates with difficult decisions. If the candidates say they will vote for Trump, Democrats will criticize them for supporting a man who has made widely criticized comments about women. But if the candidates say they do not support Trump, they anger his supporters, who make up a big majority of Republican voters, according to the polls. Republican John McCain has represented the southwestern state of Arizona in the United States Senate since 1987. He is seeking a sixth Senate term against Ann Kirkpatrick, a Democrat. McCain recently said that he will not vote for either Trump or Hillary Clinton, the Democrats’ candidate for president. “I have wanted to support the candidate our party nominated,” McCain said. But he said Trump’s “comments about women and his boasts about sexual assaults, make it impossible to continue to offer even conditional support for his candidacy.” Congressman Todd Young of Indiana, a Republican, is a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat. Young is backing Trump, just as he says “most Hoosiers are.” A Hoosier is the informal name for someone who lives in Indiana. “My position is the same as their position,” Young told The Washington Post newspaper. “Most Hoosiers intend to support the Republican nominees. Most Hoosiers believe leaders like myself should speak out when we disagree.” Most Republican candidates for Congress are doing what Young is -- supporting Trump, while offering criticism of some of his comments and proposals. Congressional Elections Are a Big Deal The congressional elections are important. The newly elected president would have a better chance of getting his or her proposals through Congress if their party holds the majority. Currently, Republicans control both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Democrats need to gain at least four seats in the Senate and 30 in the House to get the majority. Political watchers say the Democrats have a better chance of winning the majority in the Senate than the House. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania is seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate. Toomey is the only Republican in a difficult race who has refused to say if he will vote for Trump, according to Reuters. He has called Trump’s recorded comments on women “outrageous.” Toomey told Pennsylvania voters he will serve as a “check” on Hillary Clinton’s nominations to the Supreme Court. If Trump wins, Toomey said, he might help win Senate approval of his court nominations. Larry Sabato is the director of the Center of Politics at the University of Virginia. He said Toomey and other Republicans in difficult races are making the case that they can serve as check on Clinton. They hope to stop or limit her proposals. Sabato calls that argument “one of the only good ones” some Republican congressional members have. Brian Brox teaches political science at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. He said that the 2016 congressional elections are hard to understand, even for the candidates. Brox said that is because it is difficult to say who will show up and vote on Election Day. For Republican members of Congress, the question is whether some of the party’s long-time supporters might stay home because they do not like Trump, he said. Also, will more Democrats worried about a Trump presidency show up to vote?, Brox wonders. Or will young voters, who supported Barack Obama, stay home because they wanted Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders as president? Sanders lost the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination to Clinton. Kevin Arceneaux teaches political science at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Here is what he expects from many Republican congressional candidates: “Distance yourself from Trump, while trying to make the race about stopping Clinton’s agenda -- for example, reminding GOP and GOP-leaning voters that they do not like Clinton. Whether this works, only time will tell,” Arceneaux said. I’m Bruce Alpert.   Michael Bowman reported this story for VOA News. Bruce Alpert adapted this story and did additional reporting for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   poll - n. an activity in which several or many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to get information about what most people think about something boast - n. to express too much pride in yourself or in something you have, have done, or are connected to in some way assault - n. the crime of trying or threatening to hurt someone physically intend - v. to plan or want to do something outrageous - adj. very bad or wrong in a way that causes anger agenda - n. a list of things to be considered or done remind - v. to cause someone to remember something leaning - n. a preference for something or tendency to do something advance – n. forward movement GOP- n. short for Grand Old Party (meaning the Republican Party)

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2eu4VGW
via IFTTT

English @ the Movies: 'Make Things Right'

Our English @ the Movies phrase today is "make things right." It is from the movie "Nine Lives." It is a funny one about a man who is turned into the family cat. Want to know what "make things right" means? Watch and find out!

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2f06TkZ
via IFTTT

Scary Clowns Have People Worried in the U.S.

  Some Americans think it could be a joke, but people around the country are talking about a number of clown sightings. The first sighting took place a few months ago in South Carolina. People there reported seeing men wearing face paint and acting strangely. They told police the men were trying to get children to go into the woods. Whether it was a true story or just a prank, local media reported on the incident. News of the clown sighting spread quickly across the United States through social media websites like Facebook. Clowns are supposed to bring laughter and happiness to the people they meet. People made to look like clowns sometimes perform at birthday parties for children. But since the stories from South Carolina first appeared, many people are admitting they think clowns are creepy. They say clowns often act strangely and can even frighten others. Now, two businesses are reacting to the news. The fast-food restaurant McDonald’s announced recently that it would be limiting appearances by the clown Ronald McDonald. Ronald McDonald represents the company, both at public events and in television ads. He has been a part of McDonald's since the 1960s. The other company, Target, has almost 1,800 department stores nationwide. The company said on Monday its stores would remove the clown masks and costumes they have on sale for Halloween observances. Target made the decision based on the “current environment” related to clowns. McDonald’s said it is reacting to the “current climate around clown sightings in communities.” Clowns and people acting like them have been around for thousands of years. Harlequins, jesters and clowns entertained Europe’s ruling families in the 16th and 17th century. They made appearances in the plays of William Shakespeare. Clowns performed for crowds at circuses in North America, starting in the early 1900s. But they have also been used to frighten readers in scary stories. In the 1980s, American writer Stephen King wrote about an evil clown in his best-selling book “It.” The book was later made into a television movie. John Wayne Gacy made news as a serial killer in the 1970s. He murdered over 30 young men. He liked clowns and made paintings of a clown named Pogo. Psychologists have a name for a fear of clowns. They call it coulrophobia. Some news organizations are reporting stories of clown attacks. In New York City, a man in a clown costume chased a person out of a train station. In Oklahoma, police accused a clown of flattening a man as he walked his dog. School officials in Arizona blamed clown-related threats made on social media for a large number of students missing classes. Three teenagers were arrested for their part in spreading a violent rumor. There have also been reports of possible copycat crimes. Individuals wearing clown masks robbed a bank and a restaurant. Other cities reported pranks pulled by people dressed as clowns. The clowns were stopping traffic in the Long Island region of New York. In Detroit, someone posted a video of a clown hanging off the back of a bus. Justin Kenlon likes to dress up as a clown named Stretcho. He is friendly. “I’m sure that people still have a positive image of clowns,” Kenlon said. “I think it’s important for children and adults to like clowns and to not fear clowns.” But this year, happy clowns are not getting the attention. Police are not pleased with violent threats and pranks. They want it to stop. James Berlin is a police chief near Detroit, where two women dressed as clowns chased two teenage girls. “This is going to lead to violence,” Berlin said. “Someone is going to get hurt over these antics. And it needs to stop, now.” I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on reports from VOANews.com and Reuters. George Grow was the editor. What do you think of the clowns? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   prank – n. a trick that is done to someone usually as a joke creepy – n. strange or scary; causing people to feel nervous and afraid mascot – n. a person, animal, or object used to represent a group (such as a sports team) and to bring good luck circus – n. a traveling show that is often performed in a tent and that typically includes trained animals, clowns, acrobats, etc. antics – n. funny or playful actions or behavior clown – n. someone who performs in a circus, who wears funny clothes and makeup, and who tries to make people laugh copycat – adj. a person who does the same thing as someone else : a person who adopts the behavior, style, etc., of someone else rumor – n. information or a story that is passed from person to person but has not been proven to be true mask – n. a covering used to hide or disguise your face costume – n. the clothes worn by someone who is trying to look like a different person or thing

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2eoWzC4
via IFTTT

The Third and Final Presidential Debate 2016: Clinton vs. Trump

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump held their last general election debate in Las Vegas on Monday night. Voters in the United States will vote for a new president on November 8.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2ep3clm
via IFTTT

US Officials, Political Experts Dispute Trump’s Claims of 'Rigged' Election

  American presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to say the election process is “rigged.” Trump, a businessman, is the candidate of the Republican Party. The Democratic Party nominated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as its candidate. Wednesday night, Trump and Clinton met for their final debate before the November 8th election. Trump was asked if he would accept the results of the vote -- win or lose. “I will look at it at the time. I'm not looking at anything now,” Trump said. “I'll look at it at the time. What I've seen -- what I've seen is so bad. First of all, the media is so dishonest and so corrupt, and the pile-on is so amazing.” On Thursday, Trump appeared to joke about if he would accept the election result.  He said, “I would like to promise and pledge to all of my voters and supporters and to all of the people of the United States that I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election.”  He then paused and said, “If I win.” Trump went on to say he has the right to challenge the results “in the case of a questionable result.”   At the debate, Clinton described his comments as “horrifying.” Some of her supporters said Trump is, in effect, telling his supporters to believe that if he does not win the presidency it will be because of an unfair voting system. “So that is not the way our democracy works,” Clinton said. “We've been around for 240 years. We've had free and fair elections. We've accepted the outcomes when we may not have liked them.” Over the years, the United States has had a number of presidential elections in which the results were disputed. But historians and election experts say it is unusual for a candidate to raise concerns about fraud before people vote. “Our institutions like our election system is one of the bedrocks of American democracy,” said John Husted, a Republican who serves as Ohio’s Secretary of State. “We should not question it or the legitimacy of it. It works very well.” A new report says voting fraud is unusual and “does not happen on a scale even close to that necessary to ‘rig’ an election.” The report comes from the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. States Run American Elections One reason massive fraud is unlikely is because there is no single government office that controls presidential elections. National elections in the United States are the product of work by 50 state governments. And the Republicans now control 67 of 98 state legislatures -- more than any other time in American history. The last presidential election that raised concerns about the final results was in 2000. That was when voters had to choose between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore. Gore won the popular vote by over 500,000 votes. But the winner is not decided by who gets the most votes. The winner is decided by the 538 members of the Electoral College. They are chosen based on which presidential candidate wins the most votes in each state. 2000 Election Was Down to Florida With the vote in Florida too close to call the morning after the election, Gore was leading in the Electoral College vote, 266-246. A majority, or 270 electoral votes, is needed to win the presidency. After 36 days of recounting ballots, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the recount to stop. Bush was declared the winner in Florida by 537 votes out of nearly 6 million ballots. Florida’s 25 Electoral College votes went to Bush. He became president by winning the Electoral College vote, 271 to 266. Nixon Doesn’t Fight Dead Votes for Kennedy In 1960, another Democrat, John Kennedy, won a close election against Republican Richard Nixon. There were charges that votes by dead people were counted to help Kennedy win Illinois. There were also reports of possible voter fraud in West Virginia and Texas, home state of Kennedy’s vice presidential choice, Lyndon Johnson. Richard Reeves reported on the 1960 election. He wrote that Nixon decided not to fight the election results. “He (Nixon) had many faults, but he thought politics had something to do with loving country over self,” Reeves wrote. He said Nixon knew a recount would take “months, even years,” and would hurt America. Reeves also said Nixon might also have worried about possible Republican voter fraud. The ‘Corrupt Bargain’ of 1824 In 1824, Andrew Jackson won the popular vote, but the House of Representatives decided the election. That is because none of the candidates -- Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William Crawford and Henry Clay -- won a majority of the Electoral College. After a month of closed-door talks, the House voted to make Adams the president. After he took office, Adams named Clay, who led the House of Representatives, as his secretary of state. Jackson was angry. He said the election was decided in a “corrupt bargain.” Peter Kastor chairs the Department of History at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He said an important way of making sure that Americans accept the election results is what is called a “concession speech.” It is a speech in which the losing candidate accepts defeat and congratulates the winning candidate. Kastor said the 2016 election is unusual. Both Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders, who fought Clinton for the Democratic nomination, told voters that the system is rigged to help big companies and business people with ties to political leaders. Those arguments about a “rigged” economy could well make their supporters more likely to question if the election itself is rigged, Kastor said. Some Sanders supporters said the candidate was not treated fairly during the Democratic presidential nominating process. But Sanders is now supporting Clinton for president. Heather Cox Richardson is a history professor at Boston College in Massachusetts. She likens some of the Americans who support Trump to voters in the late 1800s who thought African-Americans and immigrants were taking their jobs. In 1898, a group of poor black and white voters in North Carolina had elected candidates to office, Cox Richardson said. Protestors killed 10 black neighbors and forced the candidates elected by the poor voters to resign. The protestors argued the political process was rigged against them, Cox Richardson said. Obama Enters the Debate President Barack Obama will leave office on January 20, when the winner of the 2016 election takes his place. Obama said one of the great things about American democracy is that the losing candidate congratulates the winner -- even after a difficult campaign. This helps the country “move forward,” he said. “I have never seen in my lifetime or in modern political history, any presidential candidate trying to discredit the elections and the election process before votes have even taken place,” Obama said. I’m Marsha James. And I'm Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported this story for VOA Learning English. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Are you paying attention to the U.S. presidential race? What are your opinions? _______________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   rigged - v. to control or affect an election or game in a dishonest way in order to get a desired result fraud - n. the crime of using dishonest methods to get the results you want pile-on – v. to join others in criticizing someone or something amazing – adj. causing great wonder or surprise pause - v. a temporary stop horrifying – v. causing someone to feel shocked or frightened institution - n. an established organization bedrock - n. a strong idea or principle legitimacy - n. done according to rules scale - n. the size or level of something fault - n. weakness in character  

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

Improving Your Grammar and Pronunciation

  When you listen to music or read books in English, you will often hear and see how English speakers use different grammatical structures to change the sound of a sentence. The speakers will use these different structures, or devices, to direct your attention to one or more words. They can also use changes in wording to create a variety, or mix, in the kinds of sentences they use. Today, we consider a simple word: "there". We will learn how to use the word "there" to change the sound of a sentence. We also will learn how grammar controls when the speaker emphasizes the word "there". The word "there" in popular music Have you found that English speakers often say the word "there" in different ways? In an earlier Everyday Grammar program, we examined how grammar can influence the sound of a sentence. We played David Bowie’s song "Starman." It starts like this: "There's a starman waiting in the sky He'd like to come and meet us…" So, why did Bowie sing "there's a starman waiting in the sky…"? Why not choose wording like "A starman is waiting in the sky" or "In the sky, a starman is waiting"? All of these sentences have the same meaning. While we may never know the exact reason Bowie chose these words, we can be fairly sure that this sentence sounded the best to his musical ear. The question becomes this: why did it sound best to his ear? One reason could be that the sentence uses what grammar expert Martha Kolln calls the “there transformation.” The there transformation The there transformation means changing the order of words in a sentence by adding the word "there." When this happens, the word there acts as an expletive – a word that does not actually have meaning. The two sentences "A starman is waiting in the sky" and "there's a starman waiting in the sky" have the same meaning. However, in the second sentence, there is acting as a placeholder. It is pushing the subject of the sentence, a starman­, to a different position.*   ​                 When you hear or see the sentence "A starman is waiting in the sky," it is clear that the noun "a starman" is the subject of the sentence. When you hear or see the sentence "There's a starman waiting in the sky," the noun phrase "a starman" is also acting as the subject. So what could be the difference between the sentences, if the meaning is the same? The difference is about style, a way of presenting things, and emphasis. English speakers will often say the words "there's a" quickly and then emphasize the word directly following, usually the subject of the sentence. The indefinite article "a" is sending a message that the subject will have new information. So, when Bowie sings, "There's a starman waiting in the sky," he is setting up the sentence. In this way, he emphasizes the subject of the sentence, which is also the name of the song! You can hear this structure in other songs. Consider "There's a Place" by the Beatles. There's a place where I can go… The Beatles could have said "I can go to a place…" And that expression would have the same meaning as "There's a place where I can go…" But as you can hear, the sentence "I can go to a place" does not sound nearly as good as the "There's a place where I can go"! TIP #1 Use the there transformation when you want to emphasize the subject You can learn from David Bowie and the Beatles. They are showing you what native English speakers do with their voices when speaking. Here is the point: if you want to speak or write a sentence that emphasizes the subject, you can use the there transformation. If you want to speak or write a sentence that does not emphasize the subject, you can use a normal sentence. Both choices are grammatically correct, but their effects are different, because of their use of different grammatical structures. Expletive there versus adverbial there Until now, we have talked about the expletive "there" plus an indefinite subject. For example, let’s return to the earlier sentences, "there's a starman" or "there's a place." What happens when "there is" is followed by a definite subject, such as "the starman" or "the place?" If you use the definite article "the," you are suggesting that the subject is old, or known information.  If you wanted to change the wording we talked about at the beginning of this report, so that we used "there is the" instead of "there is a," you could say: "There's the starman we were talking about." "There's the place I want to go." When you do this, the meaning of the sentence has changed. In both examples, you can hear that the emphasis is placed on "there" because it is acting as an adverb – it is giving information about the location, or placement, of the subject. The sound of the sentence is much different than the sentence that begins with "there is a." In these new sentences, the speakers are noting the location adverb because it is new and important information. In general, they do not emphasize the subject. You will hear this structure often in everyday speech or in films. Here is a line from Jackie Brown, a film by Quentin Tarantino. The American actor Samuel L. Jackson plays a criminal who sells guns and drugs. While watching a television ad for guns, he makes the following comment: "Now that there is the Tec-9….They advertise this Tec-9 as the most popular gun in American crime." Tip #2 Emphasize adverbial there In this sentence, you can hear Jackson emphasize the adverbial "there." He is pointing his finger at the TV screen and emphasizing the position of the gun. We know that the name of the gun is old or already known because he says "the Tec-9." What is new is the location of the gun – on the television screen. The difference between "there is a" and "there is the" The important point in this report is that grammatical structures can have an effect on how a sentence sounds. The purpose of individual words in a sentence can influence how they are said or emphasized. You will often hear the words "there is a…" in which the subject after the indefinite article is emphasized. You will also hear "there is the…" in which the adverb, there, is emphasized. The subject is generally not emphasized. Both of these sentence structures are common in popular music and everyday language. By understanding how sentence structure and grammar have an effect on pronunciation, you can improve your writing and speaking skills. You can think about if you are using one structure too often, or if you are not using the right structure for the right situation. These ideas are difficult, but remember this: native English speakers only use these words and grammatical structures with ease because they have been learning them since birth. You, too, can learn and master these structures, but it will take time and effort! I’m Phil Dierking. And I'm John Russell. 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. *A discussion about the grammatical subject and logical subject is beyond the scope of this story. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   emphasize – v. to place emphasis on (something) transformation – n. a complete or major change in someone's or something's appearance, form, etc. expletive – n. grammar a word that enables the writer or speaker to move the stress, or emphasis, in a sentence indefinite article – n. the word a or an used in English to refer to a person or thing that is not identified or specified definite article – n.  the word the used in English to refer to a person or thing that is identified or specified adverb – n. a word that describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a sentence and that is often used to show time, manner, place, or degree pronunciation - n. the way in which something is said phrase – n. a group of words that express an idea, but do not generally form a complete sentence noun – n. the name for a person, place or thing grammatical – adj. of or related to the rules of language

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2ey0Z6d
via IFTTT

October 20, 2016

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

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