China’s Internet Army Getting More 'Refined'

  There is a real Chinese army. It is called the People’s Liberation Army. It is the largest military force in the world. But there is also an online Chinese army. It is nicknamed the “50 Cent Army.” The name is connected to people who post comments online that are in support of China. Many people once thought that they were regular citizens who were getting paid 50 cents for each pro-China post they wrote. But a new study says that they are actually government employees working overtime. A Harvard University study found that the “50 centers” are not young Chinese writing posts to earn money. They are actually government employees who work overtime. They post online messages designed to seem like ordinary citizens wrote them. The Harvard study, published in August, said the posts are usually bland and pro-China. “Almost none of the Chinese government’s 50-cent party posts engage in debate or argument of any kind,” the study said. The “50 Cent Army” is busiest during patriotic holidays in China, or when the government wants to cover up news events, such as the independence protests in Hong Kong. David Bandurski is the editor of the University of Hong Kong’s China Media Project. He was one of the first media experts to write about the virtual army. He wrote about the 50 Cent Army in 2008. Bandurski said many in China are nervous during holidays or anniversaries of anti-communist protests. That is when the virtual army tries most to “redirect public opinion.” The 50 Cent Army began in the early 2000s.  At that time, most online discussions took place on message boards and in chat rooms. The army has had to change its methods in the “era of Weibo,” Bandurski said. Weibo is a Chinese social media site that is similar to Twitter and Facebook. “By this point, everyone is interacting online in real time,” he said. The Chinese government is also working with the Communist Youth League. The league is a powerful group of 89 million people. Its members are between the ages of 14 and 28. The government works with the youth league to “purify” the Internet. Experts say its members are more aggressive than the 50 Cent Army described in the Harvard study. They are also more skilled at posting on foreign social media sites that are blocked in China. The group wrote 40,000 negative comments on the Facebook page of an Australian Olympic swimmer who called a Chinese swimmer “a drug cheat.” They did the same thing when Tsai Ing-wen was elected president of Taiwan. Foreign Policy magazine reported that some 40,000 negative comments appeared on her Facebook page in just 12 hours. Bandurski called the youth league members “volunteer armies of mobilized, angry youth.” He said they are happy to “spam” the president of Taiwan. He described them as “version 2.0” of the 50 Cent Army. Bandurski said that he does not think the Communist Youth League members get paid to post the negative comments. They also often use their real names, he said. Experts say there is evidence that China is becoming more effective at controlling online opinions. Bandurski said efforts by the 50 Cent Army are getting ”more sophisticated and more refined.” “The 50 Cent Army doesn’t just fade away,” Bandurski said. I’m Dan Friedell. Joyce Lau wrote this story for VOANews.com Dan Friedell adapted this it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. What do you think of the 50 Cent Army? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   nickname – n. a name (such as “Moose” or “Lady Bird”) that is different from your real name but is what your family, friends, etc., call you when they are talking to you or about you overtime – n. time spent working at your job that is in addition to your normal working hours bland – adj. showing no emotion, concern, etc. virtual – adj. existing or occurring on computers or on the Internet mobilize – v. to bring (people) together for action spam – v. to send unwanted e-mail or other messages to (someone) sophisticated – adj. having or showing a lot of experience and knowledge about the world and about culture, art, literature, etc. redirect – v. to change the path or direction of (something) patriotic – adj. having or showing great love and support for your country : having or showing patriotism  

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Many Americans Wearing Trump or Clinton Masks on Halloween

  The United States presidential election is affecting how some people celebrate Halloween. Halloween takes place on the last day of October. Many people celebrate by wearing costumes and masks to make themselves look like somebody else. This year, popular masks include those that look like the two major candidates for president -- Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Spirit Halloween is a company that sells Halloween costumes. It paid for a survey of 2,000 adults. It reported that 55 percent said they would choose the Trump mask and 45 percent the Clinton mask. Spirit Halloween said the number one reason people gave for choosing a Trump mask was to be funny. The top reason people gave for choosing a Clinton mask was because they liked her. Some stores are selling a Halloween set with one Clinton mask and one Trump mask. The set sells for about $38. It is being marketed as the perfect costume for husbands and wives or people undecided about who to vote for in the November 8th election. The “political masks” will be competing with masks and costumes that look like characters from popular culture. According to the Google website Frightgeist, the most popular for Halloween 2016 is a “Harley Quinn” costume. Harley Quinn is a villain in “Batman” movies and comic books. No. 2 on Google’s “Frightgeist” list is “Joker,” another Batman villain.   Children and adults, who never quite grew up, will go door to door on Halloween to collect candy. Most will be in costume. Lots of candy will be handed out Monday The National Confectioners Association represents candy makers. It says Americans will spend $2.7 billion on Halloween candy this year. According to the association, more than 75 percent of American adults buy Halloween candy. Seventy-two percent of adults say they will take some of the candy collected by their children, according to the candy association. Most will ask their children for some of the candy they collected on Halloween. But one in four adults admit they will help themselves to candy when their children are not looking. What is the most popular candy on Halloween? It is no mystery. Chocolate has been and likely will remain No. 1 on Halloween for years to come, according to the National Confectioners Association.   Daniel Kelly teaches philosophy at Purdue University in Indiana. He has become an expert on why people like to dress up in frightening costumes and watch frightening movies. Kelly said Halloween is fun for people of all ages because everyone knows it is all about people dressing up to look frightening. “You’re not actually in danger,” Kelly said. “The guy with the axe isn’t actually going to kill you.” Some people add frightening things to their homes -- such as the zombies in the front yard of the Buffaloe family in Alexandria, Virginia. “You can let your imagination run wild,” said Will Buffaloe. “It’s the one time of the year where you’re allowed to sort of let loose and be kind of crazy.” I'm Bruce Alpert. Bruce Alpert reported this story for VOA Learning English, based in part, on a video story by the VOA’s Deborah Block. 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. Do you celebrate Halloween? If you do, how do you celebrate? ________________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   costume –n. costume – n. the clothes that are worn by someone who is trying to look like a different person or thing mask –n. a covering used to hide or disguise your face and, for Halloween, to make you look like someone else survey –n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something character –n. a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show comic book - n. a magazine that is made up of a series of comic strips villain –n. a bad person in a film or book candy –n. a sweet food made with sugar or chocolate axe –n. a tool that has a heavy metal blade and a long handle and that is used for chopping wood zombie –n. a dead person who is able to move because of magic.

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Mars: How Will Humans Get There?

  Mars—how to get there and maybe even live there— has been in the news a lot lately. Governments and private industry around the world are discussing ways to get people to the so-called “Red Planet.” In mid-October, U.S. President Barack Obama attended a science and technology conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He spoke of his love of the subject.   “I’m a science geek,” Obama said. “I don’t make any apologies for it.” The president got laughter from a roomful of fellow science geeks. Obama first proposed a U.S. mission to Mars in 2010. He repeated his call this month to get humans to and from the Red Planet by the 2030s. Obama called for a partnership with private companies to develop a way to make it happen. In Pittsburgh, Obama examined a Boeing space flight simulator—a device that recreates what it would be like to fly in space. He also saw a SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft—the kind that carries cargo to the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is part of ongoing research efforts to develop vehicles that could transport astronauts to the Red Planet.     “Cool stuff,” Obama said. At the conference, the White House announced it is giving about $300 million to research and development-- including money for the deep-space exploration project that supports the president’s Mars-related goals. “Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars…” Some scientists believe that the words of this popular Frank Sinatra song may come true one day. They want to return to the moon as a first step to exploring Mars. Some scientists question whether a trip to Mars is possible without huge amounts of money from the government. Paul Spudis is with the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas. “Any program where the payoff is 20-30 years in the future is effectively a dead issue in Congress because they do not deal in timescales like that. They deal in timescales from two to 10 years.” Spudis wrote a book called "The Value of the Moon."  In it, he argues for establishing an outpost on the moon. It takes only three days to get there, and three to come back. He says NASA missions have shown that there is water at the moon’s poles. “So, I have energy and I have materials.  I can live on the moon.  I can make rocket propellant.” Scientists and space experts gathered recently at Rice University in Houston, Texas, for the “Lost in Space 2016” conference. Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao attended the meeting. He supports returning to the moon. “We can train crews. We don’t necessarily want the first crew on Mars to be rookies. We can train crews on the moon.” Michael Lembeck is president of CEPStone. He supports using the moon as a training base. But he questions the idea some scientists have of using it as a chemical refueling station. “If we talk about actually making the journey to Mars on chemical propulsion, that could be a dead end. We need high-speed transportation.” That is something private industry is already developing. Elon Musk is founder of SpaceX. His company is working on designing transportation to Mars. He used the social news site Reddit earlier this month to explain his plans to colonize Mars. People asked him about his plan to send up to one million people to the Red Planet sometime in the next 40 to 100 years.   Musk said the plan would begin with unmanned cargo missions. These missions would teach future crews how to land as well as the best way get water needed to make methane fuel. An unmanned ship would also be sent to Mars with equipment to build a plant to create refueling propellant for return trips to Earth. Musk said the first manned crew would have the job of constructing the plant. He has said that SpaceX is already working on equipment for the project. Musk also said his company will have actual models of the habitation, or living sections, “maybe in a year or two.” Musk’s plans also include 1,000 passenger ships flying all together to Mars. But much of the technology needed for the Interplanetary Transport System—the system to get people there—has not yet been developed. The recent crash of the European Space Agency probe as it landed on Mars shows how difficult it is to successfully get to, and land on, the planet. ExoMars Flight Operations Director Michel Denis said, “This didn’t land softly as we would have like to.” The probe hit the ground traveling much faster than it should have, he said. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is circling around the planet, took a picture of the crash site. The ExoMars program is a joint effort with Russia. The program aims to determine if there is life on the planet.  China is also working on its own mission to Mars. The country plans to land a rover vehicle on Mars by 2020. I’m Anne Ball.   Anne Ball wrote this story for Learning English with reports from VOA’s Greg Flakus, Marissa Melton and Reuters News Service.  Ashley Thompson 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   geek – n. a person who is very interested in and knows a lot about a particular field or activity simulator – n. a machine that is used to show what something looks or feels like and is usually sued to study something or to train people cargo - n. supplies outpost – n. a small military base or town far away from other towns propellant - n.  fuel rookies - n. a person who has just started a job or activity, a beginner colonize - v. to establish a place occupied by humans probe – n. a thin, long instrument that is used especially for examining

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Meet Some of America's First-Time Voters

Every four years, young Americans and naturalized citizens are able to vote for the first time for a president. This year, more than 10 million people have become eligible to vote for their first time. These new voters are diverse in age, background and political opinions. They will be a big part of what the Pew Research Center has called the most “diverse electorate in U.S. history.” A majority of newly eligible voters are between the ages of 18 and 29. The voting age in the United States is 18. But researchers say young people are the least likely group to vote on Election Day.  Naturalized American citizens will also have a chance to cast their votes for the first time this November. Many of them say they care about issues such as economic fairness and educational opportunity. Amanda Lugg is one of those first-time voters. She is a naturalized English and Ugandan-American citizen. “The disparity in this country between the haves and the have-nots has just grown wider and wider, and with that breeds, breeds so much animosity and fear and results in something like we’re seeing in, in the U.K. right now.” Jace Laquerre was the youngest delegate at this year’s Republican Party convention. He turned 18 in August. He says he hopes the party will listen to the opinions of young voters. “A lot of younger people are more liberty-oriented, a little more socially liberal than the older Republicans, and I think that's what’s costing us elections in the end, and so, you know, young Republicans are here to say this is what we think and hopefully if the older Republicans will listen we can help win the youth vote in the future and win some elections.” Aya Elamroussi is an Egyptian-American student and a first-time voter. She says many young Americans do not understand how much freedom they have. That includes the freedom to vote. “Voting is the basic act of a democratic country. Most of us in America, if you were to compare the lives here to the ones in Egypt, we live a comfortable life. We, at age 16, you, you are able to go out there and have a job and pretty much make your own money. Over there, that’s not something that happens.” More new voters support Democratic and Independent candidates than Republicans. But some new voters say they want Donald Trump to become president, including Christian Martinez. “Everything other than his radical statements, everything, I believe that he’s very well integrated when it comes to making a strong foundation with the, into the economy. The economy is something very fragile, but yet again it could revolve around giving us free health care, free education. If our economy is weak, we can’t do anything.” Elamroussi says she is frightened by the possibility that Trump could become president. “The idea is when the rhetoric that he says becomes normalized. When it can cause violence, when it can turn debate, peaceful debate, into physical violence. That’s where the problem comes in.” I’m Jonathan Evans.   VOA Correspondent Ramon Taylor reported this story from New York. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning 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   diverse – adj. made up of people or things that are different from each other background – n. the experiences, knowledge, education, etc., in a person's past electorate – n. the people who can vote in an election (usually singular) bigotry – n. bigoted (having or showing a strong and unfair dislike of other people, ideas, etc.) acts or beliefs disparity – n. a noticeable and often unfair difference between people or things haves and the have-nots – expression/n. people who have a lot of money and possessions; wealthy people (usually used in the phrase “the haves and the have-nots”) breed – v. to cause or lead to (something) animosity – n. a strong feeling of dislike or hatred oriented – adj. interested in a particular thing, activity, etc. radical – adj. very new and different from what is traditional or ordinary fragile – adj. not strong revolve around – phrasal verb to have (someone or something) as a main subject or interest rhetoric – n. language that is intended to influence people and that may not be honest or reasonable normalize – v. usual or acceptable

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Everyday Grammar: Commonly Confused Words, Part Three

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Lesson 34: What Will I Do?

Summary In this lesson, Anna wants to go to a Halloween party. But she needs a costume. Will her friend Genie help her find the right one? Speaking Learn the new words for this lesson. Then, learn how to talk about the future in two ways.  You can use the modal verb "will" or the modal verb "might." ​ Pronunciation Use this video to learn a stress pattern to show strong emotion with the modal "might."​ Conversation   Anna: Hello! Halloween is very popular in the United States. Anna: Children trick-or-treat. They ask people for candy. Children and adults wear costumes and go to parties! Anna: In fact, there is a Halloween party tonight. I need my friend, Genie. Genie! Anna: Hi! Genie: Hi, Anna! What do you need? Anna: Tonight, there is a Halloween party. Genie: I love Halloween! Are you going? Anna: I might go. I might not go. I don’t have a costume. Can you help me? Genie: Dress as a genie! Anna: Great idea! I can do a genie trick like read minds! Genie: Anna, be careful. Things might go wrong. Anna: What can go wrong? Genie: Okay. Anna: Hey, look! I’m a genie! This is going to be fun! Genie: Remember, Anna. Be careful! Anna: Don’t worry, Genie! I will! Rebecca: Excuse me, are you really a mind reader? Anna: I might be. Rebecca: Okay, tell me what I am thinking. Anna: Sure! First, what do you do? Rebecca: I study. I'm a junior in college. Anna: What do you study? Rebecca: I study journalism. Anna: Okay. Wait. You are thinking … you will graduate from college in about one year. Rebecca: Well, yeah. That’s the plan. I told you, I’m a junior in college. Anna: Right, um, wait. There’s more. You are thinking … you might get a job writing the news. Rebecca: I MIGHT get a job writing the news? I MIGHT! That means I might not. And I'm studying really hard. Anna: No, no, no, no. Uh, no, you will! You WILL get a job writing the news. Rebecca: I will? Anna: You will. Rebecca: I will. I think. Anna: 'Bye. Happy to help! Kaveh: Can you really read minds? Anna: I might. Kaveh: Well, today, I will ask my girlfriend to marry me. What am I thinking? Anna: Wait. Wait, you are thinking ... you might have a wedding very soon! Kaveh: Might? MIGHT? She won’t say "no," will she? Anna: No, no! She WILL say “yes”! Kaveh: I will have a wedding, won’t I? Anna: You will. You will! Kaveh: Thanks. I think. Anna: Good luck! Anna: This is hard. Genie! Genie! Genie: Anna, what’s wrong? Anna: I don’t want to be a genie for Halloween. I might not go to the party. Genie: Of course you will go. I have another costume for you! Anna: I’m a rock star! You read my mind! Genie: No. You told me you like rock music. Anna: Oh, right. Well, I love it! Genie: Have fun, Anna! Anna: Thanks, Genie!! Anna: I am ready for the Halloween party! But I am not going to read minds. I might play some rock music! Or I might not. Until next time … Writing What do you think about your future? Where might you live and work in five years? What might happen in your life? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about the important things that happen in our lives. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Make Your Best Guess​.  That means using what you know about the world to make a guess.  When we do this with language, it can help us understand and speak more fluently.  For example, Anna says she might be able to read minds. But she is really guessing. After she hears Rebecca say, "I'm a junior in college." Anna says, "You are thinking … you will graduate from college in about one year." She knows that "junior" means a student in the third year at a four-year college, so she can make a good guess that Rebecca will be graduating in one year. Can you find another example in the lesson of Anna making a guess? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan  for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ​______________________________________________________________ New Words candy - n. a sweet food made with sugar or chocolate college - n. school that offers courses leading to a degree (such as a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree) costume - n. the clothes that are worn by someone (such as an actor) who is trying to look like a different person or thing dress - v. to put clothes on (yourself or someone else) girlfriend - n. a woman with whom someone is having a romantic relationship graduate - v. to earn a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university Halloween - n. the night of October 31 when children dress up as ghosts, witches or monsters, and go to houses to ask for candy journalism - n. the activity or job of collecting, writing, and editing news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio junior - n. US:a student in the third of four years in a high school or college marry - v. to become the husband or wife of (someone)orto become joined with (someone) in marriage might - modal. used to say that something is possible mind - n. the part of a person that thinks, reasons, feels, and remembers rock star - n. a person who plays a kind of popular music with a strong beat that is played on instruments that are made louder electronically think - v. to form or have (a particular thought) in your mind trick - n. something that causes confusion or that makes something seem different from what it actually is trick-or-treat - expression. a custom on Halloween in which children knock on people's doors and say “trick or treat” when the doors are opened to ask for candy wedding - n. a ceremony at which two people are married to each other ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials   Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice talking about life events. For Teachers ​ See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Modal verb "might" Topics: Asking about the future; Talking about life events Learning Strategy: Make Your Best Guess (Inferencing) Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Using modal verb​s "will" and"might;"  ​patterns of intonation with modal verbs   ____________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. What do you like best about using Let's Learn English? Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.

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Immigrants Become Citizens at U.S. National Park

  Theodore Roosevelt Island is small and peaceful. It sits in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The island is a tree-filled memorial to America’s 26th president. It includes several trails and a huge statue of Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. The island is one of more than 400 sites within the U.S. National Park Service. On most days, local people visit the island to escape city life. They walk or run its forested paths. Tourists also visit the island to see the memorial that honors Teddy Roosevelt, known as the "conservationist" president. They often take photos of themselves with the statue. But, on a recent Monday morning, more than 40 people from 28 countries arrived at the island for a different reason. Instead of exploring, they recited an oath of allegiance. Instead of just taking pictures of the Roosevelt memorial, they sat in its shadow, holding American flags. On that morning, they became citizens of the United States. "I'd also like to thank the National Park Service for hosting us here at Theodore Roosevelt Island…" That is Sarah Taylor. She is the Washington district director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS. It is celebrating the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary this year by holding citizenship ceremonies in national park sites across the country. The agency has already done more than the 100 ceremonies it had planned. In August, for example, 15 people became American citizens at the Grand Canyon. In September, 37 people gained their citizenship at Yellowstone National Park. The naturalization ceremony at Theodore Roosevelt Island was the 13th such event in the Washington, D.C. area this year. Alexcy Romero is superintendent of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The National Park Service protects this historic road and the scenic area around it. Romero spoke at the ceremony. It was his first time attending a naturalization ceremony. "This ceremony is really very fitting, having it in a national park, our national parks: people know them as their natural beauties, those scenic views, that are breathtaking, but we also have incredible sights that tell the American story. These naturalization ceremonies are a good piece - integrating their citizenship with our national parks, where they can learn and understand our democracy and how we came to be who we are today." The ceremonies mark the end of an immigrant’s effort to gain citizenship. But they also mark a new beginning. The naturalization process "Naturalization" is the legal act of becoming a citizen. In general, a person can become a naturalized American citizen if they are over the age of 18 and if they have lived in the U.S. for five years, without leaving the country for more than 30 months. The naturalization process has several steps. A person must first take a test in English on American civics. They must also prove they are of good character. To do that, two American citizens must verify that the nominee will be a good and loyal citizen of the United States. The process also includes completing paperwork and interviews. The final step is to take an oath of allegiance to the country at an official naturalization ceremony. At Theodore Roosevelt Island, Sarah Taylor with USCIS led the crowd in the oath of allegiance. …and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God. Congratulations, you are America’s newest citizens!” During the last 10 years, more than 6.6 million people have become naturalized American citizens. Last year, more than 700,000 people gained their citizenship. Those who became naturalized citizens at Theodore Roosevelt Island came from 28 countries, including Vietnam, Turkey, Pakistan, Venezuela and the Philippines. For some, the path to citizenship was a long one. Moid Ali works at a bank in northern Virginia. He is originally from Pakistan. "I came here in January 2012. And, my wife is a U.S. citizen. So I moved here with her." Ali called his path to citizenship a "rigorous process." "It's been a rigorous process, as far as like six or seven years back. So, multiple documentations and interviews, getting my Green Card, and applying for the citizenship."   After the ceremony, he felt relieved. "I'm relaxed. Excited. Definitely an overwhelming experience, you know, being a part of the whole ceremony." Aaron Gaza said he wanted to become a citizen to serve the nation in the U.S. Navy. He came to America from the Philippines three years ago. He joined the Navy in January. To become a U.S. citizen for me is very important, to be able to do my job in the Navy, in the U.S. Navy." Gaza was chosen to lead the rest of the group in the pledge of allegiance. "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God..." Zainab Bangura left her native Sierra Leone to continue her education in America. She arrived five years ago. “There was a certain time in my country when we had the civil war and rebels were all over. And education-wise was like, going down the drain, we don’t have enough infrastructure. And like, coming to America, I see this as an opportunity to expand and further my education.” Bangura said becoming a U.S. citizen was an easy process for her. “It was pretty much smooth for me. I went through it, I registered, and it was exciting. It takes like three months.” Bangura and other newly naturalized citizens now have all the liberties and rights of a full American citizen. The only real limit she faces? She cannot become the president or vice president of the United States. But she and other naturalized citizens across the country will play a part in electing the country’s next leader. New citizens and new voters  The citizenship ceremony at Theodore Roosevelt Island took place on the final day to register to vote in nearby Virginia. New citizens who live in the state lined up at a small tent near the site of the ceremony. Workers there helped them register.  For Maria Sifontes, the ability to vote [in the upcoming U.S. elections] was a major reason why wanted to become a citizen this year. Sifontes is from Venezuela. She came to the U.S. in 2007 to study English. She stayed in the country to study criminal justice. Sifontes now works in the Washington area as a lawyer. “I decided to become a citizen because I really wanted to vote this year. I feel that we need to be more involved in the democracy of the country. We work hard, and I think it’s fair enough to participate and that our voice can be heard.” Park Superintendent Alexcy Romero said he was honored to watch 42 new Americans gain their citizenship.  “Just sitting there watching their expressions as they were being sworn in, wondering what was going on through their mind and … the struggles to get to this point, the struggles of leaving their country and to become an American citizen. It’s just moving. It was just one of those events that I was honored to share it with them.” I'm Ashley Thompson.  And I'm Caty Weaver.  Ashley Thompson wrote this story. Caty Weaver was the editor.  Now it's your turn. What do you think of the naturalization ceremony in a national park? Does your country have such public citizenship ceremonies? Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   breathtaking - adj. very exciting​ incredible - adj. extremely good, great, or large civics - n. the study of the rights and duties of citizens and of how government works character - n.  the way someone thinks, feels, and behaves : someone's personality verify - v. to prove, show, find out, or state that (something) is true or correct rigorous - adj. very strict and demanding relieved - adj. feeling relaxed and happy because something difficult  has been stopped, avoided, or made easier relaxed - adj.  calm and free from stress, worry, or anxiety overwhelming - adj. very strong in emotion down the train - expression. spoiled or wasted smooth - adj. happening or done without any problems register - v. to put your name on an official list​ (to be able to vote)  

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Do You Believe in Ghosts?

First-Generation College Students Experience School Differently

  Students who are the first in their family to attend college have a different experience than students with college graduate parents. Young people today do have many resources available to them. Books and websites offer advice on getting accepted into a school and dealing with life away from home for the first time. Also, most high schools in the United States have counselors and college advisors. Their job is to help students understand the process of applying to schools. But when Christopher Curran started looking for the right university, he had one less resource than most students in the U.S. His parents never went to college. So, they had little advice to give. Curran is from the town of Whitman in the northeastern state of Massachusetts. He is the oldest of five children. Curran always worked hard to impress his parents in school and in his daily life. So, his parents decided he would have what they never did. Curran’s parents had little money. But they worked hard to send him to Boston College High School, a well-known and respected private high school, in 2000. Curran says he always felt different from his classmates. They had money for new clothes while he worked at a part-time job to pay for his transportation to and from school. Also, when his classmates began considering which college to attend, their parents could share advice and connections from their own experiences as graduates. Curran, however, is considered a “first-generation” student, meaning he is the first in his family to attend college. He is not alone. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce is an organization that studies the link between education and career success. Research from the organization suggests almost 32 percent of undergraduate students in the U.S. are first generation. The research also suggests first generation students have a much more difficult college experience than those whose parents hold degrees. Researchers found only about 40 percent of first generation students completed a degree or certificate program after six years of study. About 55 percent of students with degree-holding parents completed their programs in the same amount of time. In 2004, Curran chose to attend Bridgewater State University because it was close to his family. He admits that it was difficult to be unable to ask his parents for advice on specific things like choosing classes. His mother was more worried about the risky behavior that can happen at colleges, especially involving alcohol. Curran says at first he felt he had to work harder than other students to prove himself. He wanted to show his parents all the effort of sending him to a special high school and to college was worth it. But soon, he understood that having to succeed without the same resources as others also helped make him the man he is today. "I realized it was a lesson. And I realized that a lot of those kids that I went to high school with weren’t going to have the same understanding of how the real world works because they’ve never had to work for it. So, when I got into college I definitely had a respect for what it took to get there and what it took to succeed. In that it wasn't just something that happened." Curran finished his undergraduate degree in 2008 and then went on to complete a master’s degree as well. He says his path was long and never easy. But, he says, if a person never tries they will never know if they can succeed. Maria Urena is a college adviser with the College Success Foundation. Her organization works to improve college graduation rates among first-generation students and other minority groups. She says Curran’s story is very common among first-generation students. Urena notes that not all first-generation college students are the same. They may be from high or low income families. They may have been born in the U.S. or a foreign country. Urena works with students at A.C. Davis High School in the northwestern state of Washington. About 80 percent of the students there live in poverty, she says. Also, 49 out of the 50 students in her program have parents who never completed high school. Most of these students also have had to deal with traumatic experiences in their lives, Urena adds. This includes family members dying or going to prison. Also, families often need older children to work to provide extra income. Many of her students believe there is no chance they will ever go to college, she says. And those who do make the choice to seek higher education do not know what it requires. "A lot of times, students don’t even know where to begin the process, like what kind of questions they need to be asking" That is why Urena meets regularly with both students and parents to discuss their goals and how to reach them. She brings community members in to help students with their application materials. The library at A.C. Davis High School stays open late so students can do things like apply for financial aid in their free time. Nichole Smith agrees that first-generation students need the extra help with the many steps in the application process. Smith is the chief economist at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. She says colleges should ensure all the information they provide to interested young people is easier to understand. But she adds that barriers for students are not completely removed once a college accepts them. First generation students often feel like they do not belong. They also feel greater stress and pressure to succeed, which can cause problems for them, she says. "When you ask them ‘What are some of your biggest challenges and some of your greatest fears?’ They have a great fear of failure, because they feel if they fail, they not only fail themselves. They fail their parents. They fail their children or their potential children, if they don't have children yet. They fail their other relatives." Smith suggests that colleges and universities should do more to measure the progress of first-generation students. In that way, the dream of a college education can come true for them and hopefully their children as well. I’m Pete Musto. Pete Musto reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Did your parents attend college? Are your children first-generation college students? What do you think are the best ways to support them? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   graduate(s) – n. a person who has earned a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university advice – n. an opinion or suggestion about what someone should do counselor(s) – n. a person who provides advice as a job  apply(ing) – v. to ask formally for something (such as a job, admission to a school or loan) usually in writing undergraduate – n. a student at a college or university who has not yet earned a degree degree – n. an official document and title that is given to someone who has successfully completed a series of classes at a college or university certificate - n. a document that is official proof that you have finished school or a course of training realize(d) – v. to understand or become aware of something master’s degree – n. a degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after one or two years of additional study following a bachelor's degree income – n. money that is earned from work, investments or business challenge(s) – n. a difficult task or problem

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