English @ the Movies: 'I am Dead Meat'

Today's English at the Movies saying is "I am dead meat." Do you know what it means? It is from a funny movie called “Storks.” This story is about a girl and a stork delivering a baby. Watch our video and test your knowledge. Did you get it right?!

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John Glenn, First American to Orbit Earth, Dies at 95

Astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth, has died. Glenn was 95. He was admitted to the James Cancer Hospital at Ohio State University more than a week ago. John Glenn was the last surviving member of a group known as "the Mercury Seven," test pilots who, in 1959, were chosen to become America’s first astronauts. President Barack Obama released a statement about Glenn's death. "Our nation has lost an icon and Michelle and I have lost a friend," he said.​  He praised Glenn for a lifetime of breaking barriers, including setting a transcontinental speed record and becoming the oldest man ever to go into space.​ Pilot and Astronaut He served as a military pilot in World War II and the Korean conflict. Then, he served as a test pilot on military airplanes. On February 20, 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. He flew a spacecraft named the Friendship 7. He orbited three times during the almost five-hour flight. Much later, in 1998, he also became the oldest man to fly in space. He served as a crew member on the space shuttle Discovery. The United States space agency, NASA, wanted to study the possible effects of space travel on old people. NASA said that Glenn was perfect for the job because they already had so much information about him. U.S. Senator Glenn was not only an astronaut. He was a politician, too. Glenn was a member of the Democratic Party. He first sought political office in 1964, to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate. He withdrew from the race after an injury, however. He ran again six years later but did not win the party’s nomination. Finally, in 1974, on his third attempt, Ohio elected John Glenn to the U.S. Senate. During the race, Glenn famously defended attacks by his political opponent, Howard Metzenbaum. Metzenbaum, a wealthy businessman, suggested that Glenn’s service in the military and NASA meant he had never had a job.   Glenn's answer became one of the most famous retorts in American political history. It is called the “Gold Star Mothers” speech. A gold star mother is a mother whose child has died in active U.S. military service. Glenn told Metzenbaum, "You go with me to any gold star mother and you look her in the eye and tell her that her son did not hold a job." Many experts say that speech helped Glenn win the election. The astronaut remained a member of the U.S. Senate until 1999. Public Service and Awards After leaving the Senate, Glenn helped to create a public service school at Ohio State University. Later, this school became the John Glenn College of Public Affairs. Glenn won many awards, including honorary degrees at several universities, the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, a U.S. senate public service award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I’m Caty Weaver. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Marissa Melton wrote this story for VOA News. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story icon – n. a person who is very successful and admired transcontinental – adj. going across a continent retort – n. a quick and often angry reply  

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Trump Tower: White House North

Donald Trump's presidential transition team's headquarters are at Trump Tower in New York City. It is having an effect on 5th Avenue.

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Therapy Pig Brings Relief to Stressed Travelers

This is What’s Trending Today: Have you ever heard the expression “when pigs fly?” It is a saying people use to express that something is very unlikely to happen – as unlikely as pigs growing wings and flying like a bird! For example, a person who hates riding roller coasters might tell a friend: “I’ll go on that ride with you when pigs fly.” Well, one pig in San Francisco may not be flying. But she is helping people relax before they fly in a plane. LiLou is a small pig working at the San Francisco airport. She is a therapy animal. That means she is calm and likes to be touched by humans. She and other therapy animals aim to help travelers who get nervous about flying in planes. She was trained by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). This is LiLou’s first week on the job as a member of the airport’s “wag brigade.”     She only works at the airport once a month, so not all travelers to the San Francisco airport will see her. But you might see some of her fellow therapy animals. She works alongside a group of trained dogs. Their trainers walk around the airport with them. The animals wear signs that say “pet me!” LiLou the pig has been getting a lot of attention at the airport, and on social media. One Twitter user said he made fun of the airport’s decision to provide a relaxing yoga room for travelers, but he “fully supports LiLou.”  LiLou is the first pig to ever to be certified by the SPCA in San Francisco. Jennifer Henley is the manager of the SPCA’s program. “It’s wonderful to witness the surprise and delight that LiLou brings to people during therapy visits,” she said. And that’s What’s Trending Today.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Will you look out for the therapy animals if you are at the San Francisco airport? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story nervous – adj. having or showing feelings of being worried and afraid about what might happen therapy – n. the treatment of physical or mental illnesses cruelty – n. actions that cause suffering brigade – n. a large group of soldiers that is part of an army pet – v. to touch (a cat, dog, child, etc.) with your hand in a loving or friendly way delight – n.  a strong feeling of happiness : great pleasure or satisfaction cute – adj. having a pleasing and usually youthful appearance relax - v. to make less tense; to reduce from nervous tension

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A Visit to the Virtual World

Virtual reality (VR) is a powerful, new technology. VR software programs are being used in many video games. But others have been developed for education, to train doctors and in military training. VR gives the people who use it an interactive three-dimensional experience. They can see realistic images and hear sounds that are almost like those one experiences in real life. Khora Virtual Reality opened earlier this year in Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen. It may be the first virtual reality store in the world. It is a place where people can learn about virtual reality and create and play it. The Greek philosopher Plato used the word “Khora” to describe a place between reality and fantasy. In the company’s VR game “Cityscape Repairman,” players must operate a huge urban infrastructure. Each person must take care of the city’s roads and public services to continue playing. Simon Lajboschitz is the CEO of Khora. He says the company’s developers do more than create games. “We work with artists in New York. We work with psychology. We work with the main city hospital here. We work with dementia. We work with businesses (to) tell (a) new way of telling stories…” Morten Haulik is the company’s event manager. “Tt’s super important to give people the experience of actually walking around in the world, interacting with stuff. It could be the Great Wall of China or the space station or stuff like that, but if you really need to learn something about it, you actually need to see it in real life, and touch it and interact with it." Lajboschitz says that is what students at the University of Copenhagen experience. “My favorite thing is showing people virtual reality and then, when they take off the goggles. It’s like, ‘Whoa, I forgot that I was in this space with white walls and with people around me.’ When they realize that they actually forgot that’s my favorite part.” Clara Lykkegaard is a student at the university. “I have read about virtual reality before, and I’ve seen others trying it, but I have never tried it myself. And it is a brand new world. It’s so weird because you almost forget where you are.” Khora’s leaders believe helping students get interested in this technology might persuade some of them to work in the industry, and gain a share of what is expected to be a more than $3 billion market by 2020. I’m Lucija Millonig.   VOA’s Faiza Elmasry reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   interactive – adj. designed to respond to the actions, commands, etc., of a user three-dimensional – adj. made in a way that causes an image to appear to be three-dimensional; having or seeming to have length, width and depth fantasy – n. something that is produced by the imagination; an idea about doing something that is far removed from normal reality infrastructure – n. the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) that are needed for a country, region or organization to function properly dementia – n. a mental illness that causes someone to be unable to think clearly or to understand what is real and what is not real stuff – n. informal used to refer to something when you do not need to name exactly what it is goggles – n. special eyeglasses that fit close to your face    

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Susan Watson: Still Singing After Decades in Musicals

  Ask many actors and they will tell you it is hard to get work when you are just starting out and also as you get older. That has not been the case for American musical actress Susan Watson. In 1958, Watson was offered a part in the musical, “West Side Story,” in London. At that time, she was still a student at New York City’s Julliard School for musicians, dancers and actors. More than 50 years later, she was offered another part. Watson was to take an important role in a remake of the musical, “Follies,” at the Kennedy Center in Washington and the Marquis Theatre in New York City. In both cases, the offers came from musical theater legend Stephen Sondheim. He wrote the lyrics for “West Side Story” and the music and lyrics for “Follies.” “It felt so good being on stage nightly with fellow ‘senior citizens,’ Bernadette Peters, Linda Lavin and Elaine Paige,” Watson said of “Follies.” “Active, empowered senior women are a resource that I think Americans can be proud of.” As a teenager, Watson developed her dancing, singing and acting skills in her home town of Tulsa, Oklahoma. She traveled to study at New York’s Julliard School before Sondheim interrupted her studies with the offer of a part in “West Side Story.” The award-winning musical, based on William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” tells a story of the struggles of immigrants in New York City. Watson later had starring roles in such well-known musicals as “The Fantastics,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Carnival,” “Celebration” and “No, No, Nanette.” She has also appeared in many American television shows. Musical Theater Created in America Musical plays are an American invention. They tell stories through many art forms: spoken words, song, acting and dance. Music adds an important emotional element, making an interesting story even more powerful, Watson said. Now, musical theater is regularly shown in such countries as Australia, China, Israel, Japan, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and South Korea. American musicals have been popular for many years in Britain and Canada. The end of a performance, when the stars of a show come out to a “curtain call,” to accept cheers from the people watching, never gets old, Watson said. The Theatrical Slap that Hurt In live theater, actors know the unexpected will happen -- it is just a question of when. Watson remembers how her co-star in the musical, “Carnival,” the late Jerry Orbach, liked to give as realistic a performance as possible. There was one scene, Watson recalled, where Orbach was supposed to slap her. “I’m a small person, and he was slapping me a little too hard,” she said. Watson said she asked him to lighten up, but if he did, it was not nearly enough for Watson. “So in one performance, I hit him back hard,” Watson said. After that, Watson’s co-star let up on their nightly hitting scene. That was important for her. Actors in Broadway shows in New York City do eight performances a week. Watson’s Strong Voice a Surprise to Some Watson’s singing voice often surprised people. John Wilson, writing for The New York Times in 1976, said a Susan Watson performance produced “shock value.” It surprised people that a small woman had such a “big full-bodied voice,” Wilson wrote. At age 78, Watson now lives in California, but she is not finished performing. She just released a new album of musical theater and other American music called, “The Music Never Ends.” She is excited that six of the 14 songs on her new album were written by “empowered women,” including Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer. “I’m 78 years old and still having a lovely time in show business,” Watson said. Some people have the opinion that it is harder to get started in the entertainment business. But Watson said today’s computer technology makes it easier to tell people about new shows, recordings and movies. Performers, musicians, television networks and theaters can tell the world “about their creative efforts” by placing messages on the internet and social media, Watson said. She said her new musical recording, “The Music Never Ends”, is selling “very well” partly because people do not have to go to a store to buy it. They can buy it online, like almost any other product. I’m Bruce Alpert. And I’m Jill Robbins.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Have you ever thought about being an actor? How hard do you think it will be to succeed? ______________________________________________________ Words in This Story   role – n. part in a play legend - n. a famous or important person who is known for doing something extremely well lyrics - n. the words of a song stage - n. a raised platform in a theater, auditorium, etc., where the performers stand senior - adj. older people interrupt - v. to cause someone to stop doing what they had been doing curtain call - n. at the end of a show, when actors appear on stage to accept the cheers of the audience slap - v. to hit someone

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UN Report: Young Girls Still Face Gender Inequality

  A new United Nations report says a lack of education for girls in developing countries may be partly to blame for a rise in poverty worldwide. The U.N. released its 2016 State of the World Population Report last week in Jordan's capital, Amman. The writers examine the well-being of 10-year-old girls as signs of success or failure of a country's development. The report says most of the world's 10-year-old children live in developing countries. In many areas, girls face barriers to good education, healthcare and safety. The report points to problems with continued gender inequality among half of the world's young population. On the day of the report’s release, a group of students sang about gender equality at a press conference in Amman. The students take classes at the city’s Princess Alia School for Girls. The report says 89 percent of the world’s 125 million 10-year-olds live in developing countries. It also says 35 million 10-year-old girls live in countries said to be very unequal on issues of gender. Princess Basma Bint Talal is a Goodwill Ambassador for the U.N. Population Fund. She told reporters, “In some parts of the world, a 10-year-old girl looks forward to her horizons opening up” so she can reach her goals. But in other places, “she is up against closed doors.” Princess Basma said that girls’ chances for success are limited when their futures are decided by other people or their environment. Some barriers can threaten their safety and social or economic growth. Ten-year-old girls in many poor countries face the risk of being married off. More than 60 million girls are not in school. They do twice as much work around the home as boys their age, and they serve as unpaid laborers more than boys do.  Every 10 minutes, an adolescent girl dies of violence. Many of them are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, as a result of rape. Suicide is the second largest cause of death for young girls. Jordan’s Princess Basma said, “Let us remember that we are all responsible. Let us remember that our every word and deed, positive or negative, can affect the road a girl travels” from this turning point in her life. She continued, “This is what will shape her role in society, which is to say our society, and our world.” The U.N. report says that investment in the health, education and empowerment of 10-year-old girls can triple a girl’s lifetime earnings. Daniel Baker is the humanitarian coordinator for the U.N. Population Fund’s office in Amman. “Failing to invest in girls is nothing less than planned poverty. Unless we invest in girls, we’re planning to have a poorer future.” This is a point that cannot be noted enough, he said. The report closes with the message that doing damage to girls is harmful not only to their communities, but to humanity as a whole. I’m Alice Bryant. Zlatica Hoke wrote this story for VOANews.com. Alice Bryant adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story gender - n. the state of being male or female horizon - n. the limit of what is possible in a particular field or activity adolescent - adj. a young person who is developing into an adult deed - n. something that is done: an act or action triple - v. to cause something to become three times as great or as many  

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Introducing English Verb Tenses

Editors note: This is the first of a four-part series on verb tenses. Click here for part two. For VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. Today we are going to give you a basic overview of the verb tense system in English. Verb tenses tell us how an action relates to the flow of time. There are three main verb tenses in English: present, past and future. The present, past and future tenses are divided into four aspects: the simple, progressive, perfect and perfect progressive. There are 12 major verb tenses that English learners should know. English has only two ways of forming a tense from the verb alone: the past and the present. For example, we drove and we drive. To form other verb tenses, you have to add a form of have, be or will in front of the verb. These are called helping, or auxiliary verbs. Time, culture, and grammar Verb tenses can be difficult to learn in a foreign language. Different cultures think different ways about time. Chinese, for example, has no grammatical verb tenses. Other languages, like Indonesian, express time only through adverbs — there are no changes to the verb form.   English verb tenses give many details about time and action such as: Is the action finished? How long did the action happen? Was the action repeated? Did the action happen at a known or unknown time? Is the action a habit? Is the action planned or spontaneous? It is difficult to think about time distinctions that do not exist in your own language. So, it can take many years for English learners to master verb tenses. Let’s get started. We are going to give examples of all 12 verb tenses using the verb drive. Simple Tenses We’ll start with the simple tenses. These are probably the first tenses you learned in English. Simple tenses usually refer to a single action. In general, simple tenses express facts and situations that existed in the past, exist in the present, or will exist in the future. Simple present: I drive home every day. Simple past: I drove home yesterday. Simple future: I will drive home later. Progressive (Continuous) Tenses Let’s go on to the progressive tenses. We use progressive tenses to talk about unfinished events. Progressive tenses are also called continuous tenses. Past progressive: I was driving when you called. Present progressive: I am driving now. Future progressive: I will be driving when you call. Perfect Tenses Now let’s look at the perfect tenses. Perfect tenses cause the most confusion. To put it simply, they express the idea that one event happens before another event. There are many tricky exceptions with the perfect tenses, which we will discuss in a future episode. The adverbs never, yet and already are common in perfect tenses. Present perfect: I have driven that road. Past perfect: I had already driven that road in the past.   Future perfect: I will have driven 200 miles by tomorrow. Perfect Progressive Tenses Finally, let’s look at the perfect progressive tenses. Generally, perfect progressive tenses express duration, or how long? Perfect progressive tenses usually include the adverbs for or since. Present perfect progressive: I have been driving since this morning. Past perfect progressive: I had been driving for three hours before I stopped to get gas. Future perfect progressive: I will have been driving for five hours by the time I arrive. Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything yet. Here are some recommendations we have for learning verb tenses. Adverbs are your friends First, think of adverbs as your friends. Adverbs of time offer valuable clues about the correct verb tense. Let’s use the adverb ago. Ago is only used in the simple past as in, “I left home three years ago.” The adverb ago is never used in the present perfect. Certain adverbs occur with certain verb tenses. Keep it simple English learners sometimes try to impress people by using complex verb tenses. You often have a choice of several verb tenses. When you do, always choose the simplest one. It will be clearer for your listener, and there is less chance of making a mistake. Practice with questions Native speakers don’t think consciously about verb tenses. With enough practice, English learners can internalize the verb tense system, too. Instead of worrying about deep time relationships, try using adverbs and your ear to choose the right verb tense. Often when someone asks a question, you can respond in the same verb tense. We’ll ask a question in each verb tense. Give an answer in the same tense, then listen to our answer. Ready? 1. Did you get enough sleep last night? (simple past) Yes, I slept well. 2. Do you shower every day? (simple present) Yes, I shower every day. 3. Are you going to study tonight? (simple future) Yes, I’m going to study tonight. 4. What were you doing when I called you last night? (past progressive) I was eating dinner when you called me last night. 5. What are you doing right now? (present progressive) I am practicing verb tenses right now. 6. What will you be doing at midnight on New Year’s Eve? (future progressive) I will be celebrating the New Year with my friends. 7. Had you ever tried skiing before today? (past perfect) Yes, I had already done it several times before. 8. Have you ever broken the law? (present perfect) No, I have never broken the law. 9. Will you have gotten married by the time you turn 30? (future perfect) No, I will not have gotten married by the time I turn 30. 10. How long had you been smoking before you quit? (past perfect progressive) I had been smoking for two years before I quit. 11. How long have you been waiting for the bus? (present perfect progressive) I have been waiting for the bus for 20 minutes. 12. How long will you have been working before you retire? (future perfect progressive) I will have been working for 30 years before I retire. This is just a basic introduction to verb tenses. In the following weeks, we will cover the more difficult verb tenses in more detail. I’m Jill Robbins. And I’m John Russell. Adam Brock wrote this story for Learning English. Jill Robbins and Kathleen Struck were the editors. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story aspect – n. the verb form that indicates completion, duration, or repetition of an action. distinction – n. a difference that you can see, hear, smell, feel, etc: a noticeable difference between things or people spontaneous – adj. done or said in a natural and often sudden way and without a lot of thought or planning consciously – adv. done after thinking about facts and reasons carefully   Reference VERB TENSES past present future Simple It snowed yesterday.     Simple past verb It snows every winter.     Simple present verb It is going to snow tonight. It will snow this winter. Will / be going to + simple present Progressive It was snowing when I drove to work. Was/were + -ing verb It is snowing.   Am/is/are+-ing verb It will be snowing by the time I get home. Will be + -ing verb Perfect It had already snowed before I left.   Had + past participle verb I have driven in snow many times.   Have/has + past participle verb It will have snowed 6 inches by the end of the day. Will have + past participle verb   Perfect progressive It had been snowing for two days before it stopped.     Had been + -ing verb + for/since It has been snowing all month long.       Has/have + -ing verb + for/since It will have been snowing for three days by the time it stops.   Will have been + -ing verb + for/since  

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December 8, 2016

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

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News Words: Authentic

In this week's News Words, learn what authentic means with Anne Ball and Johnathan Evans.

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December 7, 2016

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

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