New Orleans Cooking Meets a Taste of Vietnam

  Every part of the United States is known for some special kind of food. Americans in Maine would say their state is best known for its seafood, especially lobster. Texas and North and South Carolina argue about which state has the best barbecue. And the same goes for New Yorkers and people from Chicago when it comes to which city has the best pizza. But the city with possibly the richest food culture is New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans, also known as the “Big Easy,” is almost 300 years old. It is home to almost 350,000 people and covers about 90,000 hectares. The city has a mix of French, Spanish and Caribbean influences. These influences can be seen in not just the food, but also the music and buildings. Many people travel to New Orleans every year for any one of the city’s many festivals. They come for wild parties, and rarely leave without a taste for southern cooking. Restaurant critic Tom Fitzmorris operates a website called The New Orleans Menu. It lists about 1,550 restaurants in the city. So how does one chef separate their food from the food of the others? Amarys Herndon and her husband Jordan try their best by cooking traditional New Orleans food in a special way: a Vietnamese way. In 2007, the Herndons moved to the city from Texas to study cooking at Delgado Community College. But for Amarys Herndon, the love for making tasty food started much earlier. "I always really liked cooking. My mom hated cooking. So as soon as I showed an interest in it, she just let me take over. I have 8 younger brothers and sisters ... Our financial situation was pretty tight. So…one of my tricks was making stuff look really pretty on the plate, so that they’d be excited to eat it even if it was the same thing that we’d had for four meals in a row." Herndon and her husband worked in famous New Orleans restaurants for several years. They learned how to make the traditional dishes, like gumbo and po’boys. And then they decided to launch their own eatery. They opened an independent company called The Old Portage, using the cooking areas of other businesses. They kept most of the traditional cooking they learned in restaurants the same. But Herndon says they saw so many people cooking crawfish in the usual New Orleans way that they knew they had to make a change. They remembered seeing Vietnamese people living in the Houston, Texas, area cook crawfish in their own traditional way. Herndon says she loved the different spices and ingredients. And so she and her husband started going to a bar called the Black Penny in the city’s historic French Quarter. Now, they prepare a Vietnamese-style “crawfish boil” there several times a month. New Orleans-style spicy crawfish often comes with corn and boiled potatoes. But the Herndons serve theirs with lemongrass butter and bread from Dong Phuong, a real Vietnamese bakery. And it has become a great success. A former employer once told Herndon that, in order to cook food in the style of another culture, one must show that culture respect. Herndon says several Vietnamese are often among the people enjoying her style of crawfish. And that makes her believe she is honoring both New Orleans and Vietnamese culture as best she can. "There’s a story and a history to almost every dish here. You can see the ties to all the different cultures that have come through, which is one of my favorite things about the city… Because you can see the way all these different cultures have affected New Orleans and our food here." Nicholas Christian is another person that moved to New Orleans for the food. He works with several local coffee shops and has helped some restaurants choose the different kinds of food they will serve. He says a crawfish boil is the perfect example of the culture of eating in the Big Easy. Friends and strangers come together at large tables eat to all the food as one group. A meal here is a time when people slow down and pay more attention to what they are doing and who they are with, Christian says. "Food is a way of life and down here it definitely shows. The amount of high quality food you can get down here for the price is incredible. If you do go to a fine dining restaurant [and] you spend $60 on a steak, it’s going to be one of the best steaks you’ve ever had in your life." New Orleans has its problems like any other city, Christian says. But he adds that love of food, music and life make it home to anyone that visits. I’m Pete Musto.   Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. Adam Brock shot the video and Pete Musto produced it. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Do chefs in your country often combines dishes from different cultures with their own? What city has the best food in your country? _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   lobster - n. an ocean animal that has a long body, a hard shell, and a pair of large, sharp, curved parts on the toes, and that is caught for food barbecue - n. food that has been cooked on a flat metal frame over hot coals or an open fire pizza - n. a food made from flat, usually round bread that is topped with usually a yellow or white solid food that is made from milk called cheese, as well as a thick liquid made from a round, soft, red fruit called a tomato chef - n. a professional cook who usually is in charge of a restaurant gumbo - n. a thick soup made in the southern U.S. with meat or seafood po’boys - n. two pieces of bread filled with seafood that is served in Louisiana crawfish - n. an animal that looks like a small lobster and lives in rivers and streams spice(s) - n. a substance that is used in cooking to add flavor to food and that comes from a dried plant and is usually a powder or seed​ ingredient(s) - n. one of the things that are used to make a food or product potato(es) - n. a round root of a plant that has brown, yellow, or red skin and white or yellow flesh and that is eaten as a vegetable lemongrass - n. a type of grass that produces an oil that smells like lemon and is widely used in Asian cooking butter - n. a solid yellow substance made from milk or cream that is spread on food or used in cooking​ bakery - n. a place where bread, cakes, cookies, and other baked foods are made or sold steak - n. a thick, flat piece of meat and especially beef

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MLK Day: The Fight for a Holiday to Celebrate Peace

In 1968, American civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed outside his motel room. Four days later, a congressman proposed a federal holiday honoring King. It was to be a holiday celebrating peace. Who could object to such a proposal? Many people, it turned out. The struggle to approve Martin Luther King Day took more than 15 years. And it ended with a very unlikely lawmaker: Ronald Reagan, one of America’s most conservative presidents. Objections to the King holiday In King’s famous 1963 speech in Washington, D.C., he described his dream for racial unity in the United States. In one line, King said he hoped “little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.” The speech helped create King’s public image as a seeker of justice and equality. He based the movement on non-violent resistance, leading large peaceful protests. Among other things, King’s activism helped end laws that separated black and white Americans. But people who objected to King’s message – or to King himself –called him a troublemaker, communist and racist. For years after his death, most lawmakers would not consider a proposed bill to make King’s birthday a federal holiday. Finally, in 1979, after ten years of petitions from millions of citizens, lawmakers discussed the idea of a King holiday in an official hearing. Author David Chappell writes about some of the objections in his book “Waking from the Dream.” Chappell reports that one opponent said King used peaceful protests to make others so angry they had to react violently. Another claimed communist groups were often asked to raise money for King. A third asserted that King wanted government programs to support blacks over whites. And many opponents questioned whether King deserved the same respect as George Washington, the nation’s first president who is honored with a federal holiday.   The bill did not pass. But wait, how about…? Some lawmakers proposed alternative ideas. How about a statue of King in the Capitol building? While the Capitol included more than 600 works of art at the end of the 1970s, only two featured black Americans. Others suggested a day somewhat less than a federal holiday. Why not a “commemoration” of King’s birthday on the third Sunday of January? A more informal Sunday commemoration cost less than giving federal workers a paid weekday off, they said. King holiday supporters agreed to a statue of King in the Capitol. But they insisted that the civil rights leader also deserved the full respect of a national holiday.   One supporter, musician Steven Wonder, even released a hit song celebrating King’s work and criticizing those who opposed a holiday. The song was called “Happy Birthday.” Two years later, Wonder – along with King’s widow, Coretta Scott King – presented Congress with the signatures of more than 6 million people supporting the King Holiday. Another vote In 1983, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate officially discussed the King holiday again. The timing was surprising because conservative Republican Party candidate Ronald Reagan had recently been elected president. His party also controlled the Senate. Reagan had said publicly he did not support the King holiday proposal. In addition, the U.S. economy was struggling. Lawmakers were reluctant to agree to the cost of another holiday. But American culture had also changed. Author David Chappell says that in the early 1980s, the arguments against King were not as effective as they once were. Many voters no longer responded positively to opponents’ charges that King incited violence, was linked to communists, or supported racial division. Even some conservative lawmakers – especially those with large African-American populations in their districts – had slowly changed their position on the issue. By the end of that year, the bill establishing the King holiday passed both the House and the Senate. It went to the president to sign. Reagan and King Earlier in his career, Reagan had praised King. In the 1960s, the future president had called King “a great leader and teacher.” Reagan had said King symbolized “courage, sacrifice, and the tireless pursuit of justice.”  Two years into his presidency, Reagan’s respect for King seemed to have returned. In January of 1983, Reagan noted that he and King did not share political philosophies. But, Reagan said, the two men shared “a deep belief in freedom and justice under God.” Several months later, Reagan communicated his support for a day honoring King—although, he did not say exactly why he changed his mind. On November 2, 1983, Ronald Reagan signed the legislation establishing the third Monday of every January as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. Even though the holiday rarely falls on King’s actual birthday—January 15—it permits public school students and federal workers a three-day weekend to relax, spend time with loved ones, or perform community service. One final note… As the bill described, the federal government began celebrating the holiday in 1986. Most states extended the holiday to other workers and students. But several states declined to dedicate the day only to King. New Hampshire combined it with Civil Rights Day. Utah and Idaho combined it with Human Rights Day. Arizona chose not to recognize the day at all, until tourists boycotted the state and the National Football League refused to play the Super Bowl there. And some Southern states honored American Civil War generals alongside King. The birthday of Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general who fought for states’ rights to maintain African-American slavery, is January 19. Lee’s cause lost in the Civil War, but some states remember him with a holiday. One of them, Virginia, celebrated General Lee, fellow Confederate general Stonewall Jackson, and Martin Luther King, Jr. all on the same occasion: Lee-Jackson-King Day. In 2000, the Virginia governor succeeded in separating the events. The Confederate generals are remembered on a Friday. King is honored three days later.     I'm Marsha James. And I'm Rick Hindman.   Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver 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   petition – n. a written document that people sign to show that they want a person or organization to do or change something assert – v. to state (something) in a strong and definite way commemoration – n. something (such as a special ceremony) that is intended to honor an important event or person from the past signatures – n. a person's name written in that person's handwriting boycott – v. to refuse to buy, use, or participate in (something) as a way of protesting fellow – adj. used to describe people who belong to the same group or class or who share a situation, experience, etc.

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Very Large Crack Creating Iceberg in Antarctica

  Researchers say part of a very large shelf of ice on Antarctica could soon break off – and become an iceberg. A team of scientists is closely watching part of the Larsen Ice Shelf, off the coast of northwestern Antarctica. The area is connected to land, but floats on seawater instead of sitting on top of the continent.           The piece of ice, known as Larsen C Ice Shelf, caught the attention of researchers a few years ago. There are many cracks, or signs of weakness, in the ice. In 2010, the scientists found that one crack was getting bigger. Martin O’Leary is with Swansea University in Wales. He spoke with VOA about the work he does with Project MIDAS, the British group studying Antarctica. “We became concerned in 2014 when it started to become obvious that this crack was going to produce a particularly large iceberg, much larger than we had initially expected.” Icebergs are huge masses of ice that break off from glaciers in coastal areas. Glaciers begin as fallen snow. Over time, the weight of the snow creates large, thickened ice masses. When the ice becomes too heavy, pieces break off and float in the sea. The crack on the Larsen C Ice Shelf has been growing quickly -- by an estimated 18 kilometers just in the second half of December.   And how large will this future iceberg be? Martin O’Leary thinks it will be between nine to 12 percent of the ice shelf, which is about the size of some countries. The iceberg will be “around 5,000 square kilometers,” he says. That would be about the size of Lebanon. Now, only 20 kilometers of ice still connects the iceberg to the shelf. What is causing the break? By nature, ice is brittle and can break easily. O’Leary says the process that is opening the large crack is a natural one. “The crack is a natural phenomenon, the ice by its nature is quite brittle, it tends to crack quite a lot. What happens is that snow and bits of debris fall into the crack and that pushes the crack open even wider, so the force of that crack ratchets the crack open and that’s what causes it to get longer and longer." He adds that “to the best of our knowledge,” this break is not a product of climate change. Some studies have linked rising temperatures to human activities. The new iceberg is not expected to change ocean levels around the world. That is because the iceberg is already sitting in the sea and it will not displace more water.  Once it breaks off, the iceberg will slowly move away. Over time, it will break into smaller pieces, which will move north, and eventually melt away. What is the Larsen Ice Shelf? The Larsen Ice Shelf is a series of shelves, all of which are linked together. They may be connected to the land, but float out over the sea. They grew out from the Antarctic mainland over tens of thousands of years. And over time, pieces have broken off. Larsen A, the most northern and smallest part, broke free from the continent in 1995. There was the larger Larsen B Ice Shelf. It was an estimated 3,200 square kilometers of ice, and about 220 meters thick. But it broke up into the sea in 2002. Now, Larsen C is larger still, with ice thickness averaging 350 meters. This is where the piece is that is about to break off of the ice shelf. O’Leary says “the honest answer is we don’t know” when the iceberg will break off. But scientists think it will probably be in the next few months. While they call this a “natural process,” O’Leary explains that this break could make the area more vulnerable to climate change in the future. “What we’re worried about is that this will put the ice shelf in a more unstable position, which will mean that the effects of climate change, such as melting of the ice, thinning of the ice, those can have a stronger effect now.” And that means there could be more events like this one, with large parts of the ice shelf falling into the sea. It could lead to the collapse of the whole shelf.  There is not enough information to predict if or when that might happen. But if it does, it is possible that the ice, which the Larsen shelf holds on the land, could start sliding into the sea. Predictions suggest that could raise world sea levels by as much as 10 centimeters. I’m Anne Ball.   Kevin Enochs wrote this story for VOA News. Anne Ball reported this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   crack – n. a line in the surface of something that is broken but not separated into pieces obvious – adj. easy to see or notice initially – adv. occurring at the beginning of something phenomenon – n.  something that can be observed and studied that is unusual or difficult to understand or explain fully ratchet – v. to increase or decrease something by a series of small amounts vulnerable – adj. easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally or emotionally  

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Lesson 42: I Was Minding My Own Business

Summary Anna sees a crime and tries to help find the robbers. She hurts her arm. The news reporter wants to know, "How did she hurt herself?" Speaking In this video, learn how to say the new words. Then learn how to use reflexive pronouns like herself, ourselves, and yourself. ​ Pronunciation Use this video to understand how English speakers pronounce the words "did you" quickly and learn to say them as /didjə/. Conversation Guy: Hello. I'm Guy Newsman with News Channel XYZ. I’m here in Washington, D.C. at the scene of a crime. Guy: We are talking with this woman. Guy: She saw the crime during her lunch break. It looks like she hurt herself while she was trying to stop the crime. Guy: Tell us your name. Anna: Hi, Guy. I'm Anna. Guy: Anna, what did you see and what happened to your arm? Anna: Guy, I was minding my own business. See, I work over there. Guy: Um-hum Anna: I left work to get some lunch. Then suddenly, I heard a woman yelling. She was yelling like this ... “Help! Help!” Guy: Um-hum Anna: Two robbers were grabbing her bag like this. She was hitting them with her umbrella. Guy: Is that when you hurt your arm? Anna: No. At that time, I was not fighting the robbers. Guy: Um-hum. Anna: See. I was too far away and I didn't have my own umbrella. Guy: So, what happened next? Anna: They grabbed her bag and ran away! So, I grabbed her umbrella and ran after the robbers. Guy: Then that is the time that you hurt your arm? Anna: No. I was yelling, “Stop, robbers! Stop!” She was yelling, “Hey, come back with my umbrella!” Guy: Were you afraid? Anna: I had no time to be afraid, Guy. Well, I had time while I was resting on a bench. I had a lot of time. Guy: Then what happened? Anna: The robbers got on a bus. So, I ran after the bus. A VO: While I was running, I tripped and fell. Guy: And that is the time that you hurt your arm? Anna: No. While I was lying on the ground, someone stepped on my arm! Guy: Ouch. That’s too bad. Anna: Yeah. And they didn’t apologize. Well, then the robbers got themselves kicked off the bus. Guy: Why? Anna: They didn’t pay. You've got to pay when you get on a bus. The police came and took them away. Guy: And that’s when you hurt your arm! Anna: No. Guy: Then, when did you hurt yourself? Anna: Well, Guy, by this time, I was feeling very hungry. So, I went to my office to get a snack. C: Anna, I'm calling for help right now. C: (on the phone) Hello? Yes, please come right away. My co-worker is stuck in a vending machine. Guy: You hurt your arm in a vending machine buying a bag of chips? Anna: I was really hungry and the bag was stuck. I had to - Guy: That’s all from News Channel XYZ. This is Guy Newsman saying goodbye. Guy: Okay, we have to find ourselves another story, guys. Anna: Until next time! Hi Mom! Writing In this lesson, Anna hurt herself in the vending machine? Did you ever hurt yourself by accident? What were you doing when you hurt yourself? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice writing and using the past continuous tense and reflexive pronouns. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson Read Between the Lines. This expression means to find a hidden meaning in something said or written. In this lesson, Guy Newsman asks Anna many questions.  Anna tells him a long story about the crime. But she doesn't explain how she hurt her arm until the end. Guy reads between the lines each time he guesses about how she hurt her arm. Do you ever read between the lines to understand what you hear or read in English? 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 arm - n. either one of the two long body parts that join the top of your body at the shoulder and that end at the hand or wrist chips - n. thin, hard, and usually salty pieces of food crime - n. an illegal act for which someone can be punished by the government fall (past tense: fell) - v. to come or go down suddenly from a standing position grab - v. (past participle: grabbing) to quickly take and hold (someone or something) with your hand or arms ground - n.  the soil that is on or under the surface of the earth kick off - phrasal verb. (past tense: kicked off) force (someone) to leave  lie - v. (gerund: lying) to be in a flat position on a surface minding my own business - idiom. doing what you normally do and not bothering anyone robber - n. a criminal who steals money or property or a thief who robs people snack - n. a small amount of food eaten between meals step -  - v. to put your foot down — usually + in or on stuck - adj. difficult or impossible to move from a position trip -  - v. (past tense: tripped) to fall or nearly by accidentally hitting your foot on something as you are walking or running umbrella - n. a device that is used for protection from the rain and sun vending machine - n. a machine that you put money into in order to buy food or drinks   Subject Pronouns (Lesson 2) Object Pronouns (Lesson 18) Possessive Adjectives (Lesson 15) Possessive Pronouns (Lesson 37) Reflexive Pronouns (Lesson 42) 1st person I me my mine myself 2nd person you you your yours yourself 3rd person (female) she her her hers herself 3rd person (male) he him his his himself 3rd person (neutral) it it its (not used) itself 1st person (plural) we us our ours ourselves 2nd person (plural) you you your yours yourselves 3rd person (plural) they them their theirs themselves ______________________________________________________________ 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 using the past continuous tense and reflexive pronouns. 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: Reflexive pronouns; While-clauses; Past Continuous Tense, Topics: Describing ongoing past activities; Asking about & giving information about past events; Describing a sequence of events; Expressing concern about someone; Reacting to bad news; Expressing sympathy                       Learning Strategy: Read Between the Lines Speaking & Pronunciation: Reflexive pronouns; Pronouncing /didjə/ ____________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. 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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Everyday Grammar: Simple Past Yes/No Questions

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Chinese Commission Approves Anti-Corruption Rules

The Chinese Communist Party has approved a new set of rules that will increase the party’s control and supervision of corruption investigators. The rules were passed last Sunday at the close of a meeting of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, or CCDI. The new regulations are meant to standardize corruption investigations. They also set guidance for the anti-corruption teams. However, some observers question whether the regulations will uncover corrupt investigators. Instead, they say, the rules will ensure that party members are obedient to the party’s leader, Chinese President Xi Jinping. Rules cover investigations and those who carry them out The rules are said to offer guidance on how to deal with information on corruption and how to review cases. They reportedly explain what investigators should do with financial assets or other property gained through corrupt activities. Investigators also will be advised to keep audio and video recordings of their questioning of suspects or witnesses. The investigators are to keep records of those who ask questions about or try to interfere with their cases. A report on the new regulations was published last weekend on the commission’s website. A document about the meeting said, “Trust (in disciplinary officials) cannot replace supervision.” This week, the deputy secretary of the CCDI spoke to the media. Wu Yuliang restated the desire of party leader Xi that officials continue their campaign against both “tigers and flies.” This means fighting corruption among powerful leaders and low-level officials. Wu added that the party’s fight against corruption has gained “crushing momentum” and has made “huge progress.” Wu said the party punished 0.43 percent of its 88 million members in 2016, an increase from 0.18 percent of its members the year before. He said that, in the past 4 years, 2,500 corrupt officials who fled overseas have been returned to China. He said $1.25 billion worth of stolen money and property had been returned. Wu was asked if China would develop a supervisory system that would act independently of the Communist Party. He answered that such a system would be ill-suited to China’s socialist system. Jean-Pierre Cabestan is a political science professor at Hong Kong Baptist University. He says the new rules deal with concerns that anti-corruption investigators have become too powerful. However, he says it remains to be seen if the rules will better control CCDI members. Cabestan says such measures do help Xi Jinping increase his power. “The discipline inspection work is not only a kind of business to make party members and party leaders cleaner, but also (to) make them obedient to the current political leadership.” In another move, Xi’s former speechwriter, Li Shulei, was named head of Beijing’s anti-corruption commission. The appointment shows that the Chinese president is seeking to increase his control of the party, according to Cabestan. I’m Mario Ritter.   Joyce Huang reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   standardize – v. to make a group of processes meet a standard, or a level that is considered acceptable review – v. to carefully look over, to study or consider the qualities of something momentum – n. the force with which something continues to move once it is set in motion ill-suited – adj. not well matched asset - n. a valuable person or thing; the property of a person, a group or business  

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For Poor Students, Getting into College Is Harder Than It Seems

Many people believe a college education can help any hard working person. But not everyone is able to attend a college or university. One common barrier is money. The College Board collects information about colleges and universities across the United States. The organization recently investigated how much it costs Americans to attend a publicly-supported, four-year college in their home state. It found that the average cost for a single student for the 2016-2017 school year is $20,090. Yet the U.S. higher education system does have other choices. There are two-year community colleges and private four-year universities. Also, students must consider what financial aid can do for them. For example, after including federal financial aid, the College Board found that the average yearly cost of a four-year public college is $14,210. However, this assistance still is not enough for some. The American Council on Education (ACE) studies issues related to higher education. A 2015 ACE report used Department of Commerce information to show a decrease in the number of low income students enrolling in college. These men and women have little money available to pay college costs or come from poor families. The report showed the percentage of American college students considered to be low income went from 55.9 in 2008 to 45.5 in 2013. Yet the ACE reported that spending on all forms of financial aid increased by about $41 billion during that time. So now, a group of 30 colleges and universities are taking action. They have all agreed to be part of the American Talent Initiative (ATI). Launched in December, the ATI is a project from a non-profit leadership organization called the Aspen Institute. It also receives support from the higher education research group Ithaka S+R. Their goal? To increase the total number of low-income men and women studying at these 30 schools to 480,000 by the year 2025. Josh Wyner is executive director of the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program. He says one of the reasons this goal is so important is because of the value diversity adds to education. Students from different races and cultures help each other see and understand the world differently, he says. But students from different income backgrounds also have knowledge to share. And, Wyner notes, ensuring equal chances for everyone is an important part of the American identity. "While there are schools … that have done really good work in this area, it remains the case that … there is still somewhat limited opportunity for students from lower income backgrounds ... So I think … If we believe in the American dream, which is that hard work should enable you to go as far you talents can take you, we’ve got to do something about this." Wyner admits this can be a problem. Any school wishing to join the program must have at least a high graduation rate. Seventy percent of the students must successfully complete their study program. But only 270 of the thousands of U.S. colleges and universities meet this requirement. And the 30 schools currently involved are all different. Some are large, public research colleges. Others are small private universities. The problem also has several causes, Wyner adds. For example, one reason there are so few low-income students in college is a lack of recruiting. Wyner says schools not only need to find better ways of finding low and middle-income students with the ability to succeed. They also need to be better about letting these students know what financial aid is available. Many of these students do not think any top college would want them to attend, let alone help them pay the cost, Wyner says. However, simply providing financial aid is not as simple a solution as it might appear. While the largest amount of aid comes from the government, schools also provide their own. Some of the aid schools provide comes from tuition dollars taken from students who have enough money to pay the full price. Financial help can also come from a college or university’s endowment. This is the money, shares of stock and other financial assets the school receives from donors. The money and other assets are then invested in the hope they will support the school for many years. Governments do not tax endowments, and the school invests the money to make it last a long time. Most schools only spend small amounts from their endowments each year, hoping not to spend more than the return on their investments. But a 2016 report from the research group Education Trust argues some colleges and universities have more than enough money to share. Andrew Nichols is director of higher education research for the group. He also helped write the report. It found that 138 U.S. colleges each had an endowment worth over $500 million. Also, the cost of about 4 out of every 5 of these schools is more than 60 percent of the average, yearly family income of low-income students. Nichols argues that by increasing endowment spending, even in small amounts, large endowment schools could give more aid. Yet they often reject increased spending, he says, because a large endowment is a quality that makes them more desirable. "I think the resistance really comes from a place of wanting to amass a great amount of wealth so that you can essentially … talk about how much endowment funds you have … And so by … continuing to amass more and more money, you, in some ways, come across as a more prestigious institution." But Liz Clark says a school cannot spend its endowment money any way it likes. Clark is with the National Association of College and University Business Officers. She notes that donors often place legal restrictions on how money they leave to the endowment is spent. "So in some cases donors may have restricted funds specifically to help low-income students. And in other cases, donors may have said, ‘I’d like my funds to be used to help support the library or, perhaps, the music department.’ And while it is extremely important for colleges and universities to build a … diverse student body … they need to have the faculty, the resources, and the educational offerings that make those institutions great. And it takes dollars to help make that happen." Clark adds if schools give out more and more in financial aid each year, they will likely have little or no endowment money to use in the future. This means the school will be in trouble if it has any financial difficulties in the coming years. However, there is some middle ground on this issue, says Catharine Hill. She served as president of Vassar College for 10 years before she joined Ithaka S+R in 2016. Hill notes the unequal educational experiences young people from different backgrounds have in the United States. A lot of aid is merit-based, meaning it goes to students performing at the highest level. This often goes to wealthier students, as they have had more educational resources. Wyner, Nichols, and Hill agree that more aid should be need-based, or should simply go to the students with the greatest need. But Hill says even that is a complex solution. "We want the talented low and middle-income kids, but their families now can’t afford to pay nearly as much relative to the high-income kids. And that means we have to allocate more money to need-based financial aid. That means we have less resources to spend on the things that help us attract those high-income kids. So we’re operating in a much more complicated environment today than schools were 40 years ago." Hill offers one possible solution: schools can re-organize their spending. Vassar College did just this in 2007 when it decided to make cuts in repairs on buildings and other services in favor of need-based aid. The school then reported an increase in its number of low-income students by 9 percent in 8 years. Also, as Andrew Nichols says, schools could ask for less restrictions on donations, as they used to do in the past. Otherwise, he adds, higher education is at risk of becoming another privilege of those with the most money. I’m Pete Musto.   Pete Musto this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. How is financial aid given in your country? Do universities in your country have endowments? How do they manage them? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   low income – adj. relating to a person in the U.S. that earns $17,820 or less a year enroll(ing) – v. to enter someone as a member of or participant in something diversity – n. the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization background(s) – n. the experiences, knowledge and education in a person's past graduation – n. the act of receiving a diploma or degree from a school, college, or university recruit(ing) – v. to find people with  the qualities that are right, needed, or appropriate for something and get them to join a company, an organization, school or the armed forces tuition – n. money that is paid to a school for the right to study there endowment – n. a large amount of money that has been given to a school or hospital, and that is used to pay for its creation and continuing support amass – v. to gather or collect something, such as a large amount of money, especially for yourself prestigious – adj. the respect and admiration that someone or something gets for being successful or important funds – n. available money faculty – n.  the group of teachers in a school or college relative – adj. compared to someone or something else or to each other allocate – v. to divide and give out something for a special reason or to particular people or companies privilege – n. a right or benefit that is given to some people and not to others

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Obama Leaves Healthy US Economy to Trump

  The American economy appears to be in good health as Donald Trump prepares to become the 45th president of the United States. Trump will be inaugurated on Friday, January 20. Economic conditions were far different when Barack Obama was sworn-in as president in January 2009. Obama took office during one of the worst recessions in American history. Unemployment levels reached 10 percent. The recession slowed that summer, but the economy did not fully recover for many more months. Trump, on the other hand, takes over an economy that has added jobs in each of the past 75 months. During that period, nearly 11 million jobs have been created. Mark Hamrick reports on economic news and is Washington Bureau Chief for the website Bankrate.com. He says Obama is leaving office with a strong economy. "Donald Trump can be, let's say confident, that he is being given an opportunity to do relatively well here, and I think Barack Obama can be relatively pleased about the job that he and his administration have done." The building trade is one part of the economy that added jobs under Obama and may continue to create jobs in the future. Trump’s campaign website says he plans to invest government money in building new roads, bridges and pipelines and repairing ones that need fixing. Ken Simonson is chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America. He says he hopes Trump’s administration follows through with that promise. There are many workers ready to start new projects, he adds. U.S. oil producers may soon be able to sell their petroleum products overseas. That should help the economy, too. Oil prices are rising, after falling in recent years. Three years ago, oil was selling for about $100 per barrel, according to Macrotrends.net. Now it sells for just over $50 per barrel. Jack Girard is president of the American Petroleum Institute. He calls the likelihood of exporting American oil “a big deal.” Wages paid to workers are important in judging the health of an economy. Hamrick of Bankrate.com says American wages are rising at their fastest rate since 2009. “Hopefully we’ll see more of that in the future,” Hamrick said. Many states also have plans to raise the minimum wage. Yet, there are still some problems facing the new U.S. president and the economy. In recent years, the country has added between 100,000 and 300,000 jobs each month. That rate of increase is likely to decrease. While 156,000 jobs were added in December, the unemployment rate stayed at 4.7 percent. That means 7.5 million people who were hoping to find work are still jobless. There are also many people who have left the labor force after not being able to find employment. The measurement of that number is called the labor participation rate, and it remains historically low. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the labor participation rate was 66 percent in January 2006. By December 2016, it had dropped to 62.7 percent. I’m Dan Friedell.   Mil Arcega reported this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted his story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What effect will Donald Trump have on the U.S. economy? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   inaugurate – v. an occasion or ceremony in which someone begins a new official job or position by making a formal promise to do the work properly, to be honest and loyal, etc. confident – adj. certain that something will happen or that something is true contractor – n. a builder or construction worker petroleum – n. a kind of oil that comes from below the ground and that is the source of gasoline and other products minimum wage – n. an amount of money that is the least amount of money per hour that workers must be paid according to the law

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Norway to End FM Radio Broadcasts

  On January 11, Norway became the first country to begin turning off signals from its FM radio network. The Norwegian stations will instead use only digital audio broadcasting, called DAB. FM, or frequency modulation, radio stations have been in operation since the 1950s. Both FM and digital radio have been used in Norway since 1995. The move to complete digital broadcasting will take about one year, beginning in the northern part of the Scandinavian country. Eventually, every area will have only digital radio, making millions of FM radios useless. Critics Some Norwegians are not happy about the move to all-DAB radio. One newspaper survey suggested that two-thirds of the population oppose plans to close down the FM network. Up to 2 million car owners will need to buy special equipment to hear DAB programs, reports the Wall Street Journal. Car radios require an adaptor that costs between $116 and $232. Advocates Mari Hagerup is a spokesperson for Digital Radio Norway. She notes that Norway has a small population. She says the people are spread out over a large area, raising the operating costs of FM radio stations. In addition, she says, broadcasting in both FM and DAB is costly. She says that DAB radio is the most common household radio in Norway. Eight of every ten Norwegian homes currently has a DAB radio. DAB also has more room to grow, she explains. There were only five national FM channels, with no room for additional channels. Other European countries are closely watching Norway’s move to turn off FM radio signals. Switzerland plans to carry out the same changes in 2020. An easy transition to digital radio could influence countries such as Britain and Denmark to change to digital-only broadcasting. I'm John Russell.   Victor Beattie wrote this story for VOANews.com. John Russell adapted his 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   frequency modulation (FM) – n. a system for sending radio signals in which the number of radio waves is changed in order to send information in the form of sound digital – adj. using or represented by computer technology transition – n. a change from one state or condition to another channel – n.  a television or radio station

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The Cost of Doing Business

Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories. There are many special terms in the world of business. The following story is about a woman who has a business making signs. She tells us about a recent sweetheart deal. She made a deal with a friend, and they both made a profit. Here is Faith Lapidus with that story. I had started a small company several years ago. I worked hard to make it successful. It was a sign-making business. It was a small company, not a blue chip company. It was not known nationally for the quality of its signs. It did not make millions of dollars in profits. And it was private. It was not a public company with shares traded on the stock market. Still, I worked hard building up my business. I did not work only a few hours each day -- no banker’s hours for me. Instead I spent many hours each day, seven days a week, trying to grow the company. I never cut corners or tried to save on expenses. I made many cold calls. I called on possible buyers from a list of people I had never seen. Such calls were often hard sells. I had to be very firm. Sometimes I sold my signs at a loss. I did not make money on my product. When this happened, there were cut backs. I had to use fewer supplies and reduce the number of workers. But after several years, the company broke even. Profits were equal to expenses. And soon after, I began to gain ground. My signs were selling very quickly. They were selling like hotcakes. I was happy. The company was moving forward and making real progress. It was in the black, not in the red. The company was making money, not losing it. My friend knew about my business. He is a leader in the sign-making industry – a real big gun, if you know what I mean. He offered to buy my company. My friend wanted to take it public. He wanted to sell shares in the company to the general public. My friend believed it was best to strike while the iron is hot. He wanted to take action at the best time possible and not wait. He offered me a ball park estimate of the amount he would pay to buy my company. But I knew his uneducated guess was low. My company was worth much more. He asked his bean-counter to crunch the numbers. That is, he asked his accountant to take a close look at the finances of my company and decide how much it was worth. Then my friend increased his offer. My friend’s official offer was finally given to me in black and white. It was written on paper and more than I ever dreamed. I was finally able to get a break. I made a huge profit on my company, and my friend also got a bang for the buck. He got a successful business for the money he spent. And that is the end of our business story. But even if you’re not in business, some of these expressions can be used in other situations. For example, you can cut corners or get a break anywhere. Let’s say you are planning a party and don’t have enough money. You might have to cut corners on the food you serve. Or you could get a break by winning $100 on free food at your local grocery store!   The expression black and white can also mean a very clear choice that leaves no confusion. Sometimes we use it in the negative. Politics, for example, is not as black and white as some people may think. There are often shades of gray when dealing with complicated political issues and how they affect government policy. And that’s all for this Words and Their Stories. After listening to this story, you should strike while the iron is hot! While the expressions are still fresh in your mind, practice using them in a business conversation. I’m Anna Matteo. "Break even" is a common expression in American English. Watch this episode of English in a Minute to hear it used in a dialogue.  

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English in a Minute: Two Left Feet

You know the difference between a left foot and a right foot. But what does it mean if you say someone has "two left feet?" Watch this EIM episode to find out.

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