The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe

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US Court Upholds Suspension of Travel Ban

A United States federal appeals court has refused to cancel the suspension of a travel ban ordered by President Donald Trump.  The executive order from January 27 bans travelers from seven mostly Muslim nations. Last week, a judge in Seattle, Washington issued a temporary restraining order that halted the ban. The federal government appealed that decision. On Thursday, the appeals court upheld the lower court’s suspension of the ban. All three judges agreed in the ruling against the government. Trump responded on Twitter moments after the court’s announcement. "See you in court, the security of our nation is at stake," he tweeted. The federal government is now expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. The ban had led to heated debate and demonstrations around America. The president said the order was critical for national security. But critics said the ban discriminated against Muslims, and they questioned its value as a security measure. I’m Caty Weaver. Caty Weaver adapted this story for Learning English from a VOANews report. Hai Do 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 issue - v.  to announce (something) in a public and official way at stake - n. in a position to be lost or gained​ discriminate - v. to unfairly treat a person or group of people differently from other people or groups​

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Kenyan Court Rules Refugee Camp Will Remain Open

The world’s largest refugee camp will remain open in Kenya.  Kenya’s high court announced the ruling Thursday. It said closing the Dadaab camp would violate the country’s constitution. Rights groups sought legal action after the Kenyan government announced last May that it would close the camp. It said it would return home the almost 260,000 Somali refugees living there. The Somalis had fled fighting in their country, which borders Kenya. Kenyan high court justice John Mativo said the government’s orders to close the camp were discriminatory and amounted to collective punishment. Kenya had argued that security threats made it necessary to close the camp. The government also said it would close the Department of Refugee Affairs. The High Court also rejected that plan. A Ministry of the Interior official, Mwenda Njoka, said the Kenyan government will appeal the ruling because the reason for closing the camp remains. “The main reason was security,” Njoka said. “The fact that the camps have lost their humanitarian character and they became places where terrorists would come, al-Shabab and their sympathizers would go and plan their attacks on Kenya. So that has not changed.” Njoka said that Somalia “has also stabilized.” A new president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, took office in Somalia on Wednesday. Njoka also said that the Kenyan government would obey the court’s ruling if it loses on appeal. “We cannot defy a court order,” he said. The rights group Amnesty International praised the court’s decision. But the group’s deputy regional director Michelle Kagari also said that Kenya has carried “a disproportionate burden” when it comes to housing refugees. She called on western countries to take a fair share of refugees. The Norwegian Refugee Council, Doctors Without Borders and Human Rights Watch also released statements praising the ruling. The United Nations says almost 34,000 refugees have returned to Somalia since Kenya announced it would close the Dadaab camp.   I’m Anne Ball.   Jill Craig reported this story for VOA from Nairobi, Kenya. Anne Ball adapted it 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 discriminatory – adj. not fair : unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people character – n. the way someone thinks, feels, and behaves : someone's personality stabilize – v. to become stable or to make (something) stable disproportionate – adj. having or showing a difference that is not fair, reasonable, or expected burden – n. someone or something that is very difficult to accept, do, or deal with

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February 9, 2017

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

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Traffic Court Video Goes Viral

This is What’s Trending Today. Judge Frank Caprio is a celebrity in the city of Providence, Rhode Island. And, he is starting to get noticed around the world, too. Caprio is an 80-year-old judge in the capital city of Rhode Island, the smallest state in the U.S. One of his jobs is to preside over traffic court. That involves talking to people who have gotten traffic tickets for going through red lights or parking illegally. They go to traffic court to dispute the tickets. Caprio hears what they have to say. Then, he decides whether or not the ticket is valid. Caprio recently heard the case of a young man who was driving his mother’s car. He went through a light after it turned red. After he spoke with the high school student, Caprio decided to let him off with a warning  -- if he promised to go to college and graduate.   Another video from the Providence traffic court came out earlier this week. It showed a woman speaking with Judge Caprio about a parking ticket.  She went to traffic court after getting a ticket for parking in an area that only permitted parking after 10 a.m. The ticket was written at 9:59 a.m. The woman said the clock in her car showed 10 a.m., so she thought it would be OK. After some conversation, the judge decided to dismiss the ticket. But Caprio did tell her, “You violated the city ordinances.” He held up a large book of rules. He smiled and the woman laughed. He said: “Our parking enforcement officers are second to none in the country!” After talking with the court officer, he said “I think 9:59 is close enough. Matter is dismissed.” The video was viewed over 1 million times in just two days. It became a trending video on YouTube. One person wrote of the video: “This is so cute. What a great judge. Playful defendant. LOVE THIS” Others wondered if the video was real, because it seemed so funny. But, there actually are judges out there like Frank Caprio. He is as real as they come. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. What did you think of Judge Caprio and his courtroom? Let us know in the comments section. ______________________________________________________________   Words in This Story preside – v. to be in charge of something (such as a trial) celebrity – n. the state of being famous or celebrated valid – adj. fair or reasonable ordinance – n. a law or regulation made by a city or town government cute – adj. the state of being famous or celebrated

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Common Adverbs in Conversation: Amplifiers, Downtoners

  From VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. Imagine you are at a business meeting. You have just presented a plan to your business partners. They want to give suggestions for how to make your plan better. The conversation might sound like this: A: I really like your plan! B: Yes, it's pretty good … but it needs a little revising. A: Of course, you did a very good job. But you might need to consider a few more points. B: Yes, it will probably be more effective if you highlight the staffing requirements and expand on the budget. Whether you like business or not, this conversation gives you important grammar information that you can use in just about any situation. In particular, the exchange offers examples of some of the most important adverbs that you will hear in everyday speech. This week, we will explore special adverbs that increase or decrease the force of a statement. These adverbs are sometimes called amplifiers or downtoners.* What are adverbs? What are amplifiers? Adverbs are words that modify, or change, the meaning of adjectives, verbs, and sometimes entire sentences. They are often used to show time, a way of doing something, place, or degree – a measure of something. Some kinds of adverbs act as amplifiers. The word amplify means to make something stronger. So these amplifiers make the meaning of an adjective or sentence stronger.  In American English, amplifiers have three common uses: increasing intensity, expressing certainty and showing precision. This information comes from Susan Conrad and Douglas Biber, two experts on English grammar. Words such as really and very are among the most common that increase the intensity of a statement. They usually modify an adjective. Take the adjective good, for example. Imagine you are trying some food that your friends cooked. Perhaps you want to tell them, "This food is good." You could increase the intensity of your statement by using the word very: "This food is very good." You could express certainty by using an amplifier such as definitely: "This is definitely the best food I've ever had." Or you could use an amplifier to show precision: "At exactly 5:13 p.m. on February 6th, I ate the best food I've ever had in my life!" What are downtoners? Other kinds of adverbs act as downtoners. Downtoners are the opposite of amplifiers. They reduce the force of a statement or express doubt. In other words, they set the tone of a statement. You can remember the term 'downtoner' by thinking about what it does: toning down a statement. Downtoners have three common functions: reducing intensity, expressing doubt or showing imprecision. Three common downtoners in conversational English are pretty, maybe and probably, say Conrad and Biber. How can you use downtoners to change the meaning of the statement? Take our earlier example: "This food is good." If you wanted to reduce the intensity of your statement, you could say: "This food is pretty good." You could show doubt, even raise questions, by saying: "This is maybe the best food I've ever had." Or,  "This is probably the best food I've ever had." These statements express someone’s opinion about the food. But they are not as strong as the example sentences that use amplifiers. In other words, saying "This food is pretty good" is not as forceful as saying, "This food is really good." Amplifiers and downtoners in a conversation So what does this discussion of food have to do with the exchange we heard at the beginning of this report? Let's think back to the business conversation: A: I really like your plan! B: Yes, it's pretty good … but it needs a little revising. A: Of course, you did a very good job, but you might need to consider a few more points. B: Yes, it will probably be more effective if you highlight the staffing requirements and expand on the budget. You might notice that one of the speakers uses amplifiers such as really and very. She is using these words to give more force to her statement. She is probably more excited about the business plan. The second speaker uses downtowners – the words pretty and probably, for example. So you might suspect that he is more guarded about the plan. Maybe he has doubts that the new plan will be better. The amplifiers and downtoners they use are also among the most common ones that you will hear in American English. These words are useful in a number of settings. They are polite and acceptable in almost any situation. Amplifiers and downtoners in writing Remember this: the amplifiers and downtoners we have discussed today are common in conversation. Different amplifiers and downtoners are more common in writing. For example, you are more likely to read words such as indeed, certainly, or approximately than you are to hear them in everyday conversation. If you use these amplifiers and downtoners in conversation, your speech will take on a very official sound. While that might be a good idea in a formal presentation or speech, it might not be the best choice for an everyday conversation. Amplifiers and downtoners are not always necessary to use in a sentence. But when you see or hear them, you are getting information about the thoughts and feelings of another person. You are learning about how strongly they feel about something. And that's the end of this really long report! I'm Jill Robbins. And I'm John Russell.     *These are also often called qualifiers. John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   revise – v. to make changes especially to correct or improve (something) staff – n. the people who make a business or organization do what it does amplifier – n. grammar an adverb that increases the force of a statement downtoner – n. grammar an adverb that decreases the force of a statement function – n. the special purpose or activity for which a thing exists or is used conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people highlight – v. to direct attention to (someone or something) grammar – n.  the set of rules that explain how words are used in a language particular – n. special or unusual adverb – n. a word that describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a sentence and that is often used to show time, manner, place, or degree certainty – n.  something that is certain : a fact about which there is no doubt precision – n. exactness or accuracy imprecision – n. the opposite of precision doubt – n.  a feeling of being uncertain or unsure about something tone – n. a quality, feeling, or attitude expressed by the words that someone uses in speaking or writing polite – adj.  having or showing good manners or respect for other people  

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Trade Group: Japan to Approve New ‘Green Card’ Rules

  Japan is reportedly planning to approve new visa rules to attract more foreign workers. The proposed change comes as the United States considers new immigration reforms to limit the number of foreign workers it accepts. The new rules would speed up the process for temporary workers to get permanent residency, according to multiple reports quoting officials from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). If the government plan is approved, it would allow skilled foreign workers in Japan to receive permanent residency within 1-2 years, according to JETRO Chief Director General Kazuya Nakajo. Currently, Japan’s points-based temporary worker program requires visa holders to wait five years before applying for permanent residency. JETRO Executive Vice President Shigeki Maeda also spoke about the planned changes at a recent trade event in India. “We are trying to make the Japanese business environment better for foreign companies through introducing a new type of green card system,” he was quoted as saying. U.S. considers changes in H-1B visa program The new Japanese proposal comes as U.S. officials consider changing its H-1B visa program.     The H-1B visa allows foreign workers to stay in the U.S. for up to six years. After a maximum stay of six years, H-1B visa holders can either return to their home country or apply for permanent U.S. residency, also known as a “green card.” The program is designed to employ foreign workers in jobs requiring “specialized knowledge,” according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Many of the jobs are filled by scientists, engineers and computer programmers. The American technology industry has relied on H-1B visas to bring in skilled workers that it says are difficult to find in the U.S. Workers cannot apply for an H-1B visa on their own. The company that wants to employ them must do so. The number of H-1B visas is limited to a total of 85,000 per year. A lottery is held to choose which applicants get approved. Last year, there were more than 200,000 requests for H-1B visas. ​   During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump criticized visa programs that allow U.S. employers to bring in skilled foreign workers. He promised to make changes to see that more of those jobs go to Americans, not foreigners. A draft of an executive order has reportedly been prepared for President Donald Trump, according to the Associated Press. The draft calls for a nine-month government study to look at current visa programs, including the H-1B program. A government report will then be issued about ways U.S. workers are harmed by working visas such as the H-1B, AP reported. It will also reportedly seek ways to make sure H-1B visas end up going to “the best and the brightest” people.  Trump’s new Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, has also voiced opposition to the current H-1B program. And the U.S. Congress also has proposed legislation to reform the program.   On Friday in Washington, Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to discuss trade and other issues at the White House. It will be the second meeting for the two leaders. Trump will also host Abe over the weekend for a round of golf near the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. I’m Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from VOA News, the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   residency – n. legal permission to live in a place green card – n. official document allowing a foreign to permanently live and work in the United States lottery – n. system used to decide who gets something by choosing names or numbers by chance host – v. to be the person in charge of entertaining guests  

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Trump Sends Letter to China's Xi

  U.S. President Donald Trump sent a letter Wednesday to Chinese President Xi Jinping. He wrote that he is looking forward to working with Xi to “develop a constructive relationship” that benefits both countries, the White House said in a statement. The letter also thanked Xi for his note of congratulations on Trump’s inauguration. It also wished the Chinese people a happy Lantern Festival and a successful Year of the Rooster.   China’s Lantern Festival takes place this Saturday, February 11. The Lunar New Year was January 28. China praised Trump’s letter on Thursday. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China “highly commended” Trump for the letter to Xi. Lu also dismissed suggestions that China had expected contact from Trump sooner. “It is known to all that since President Trump took office, China and the U.S. have been in close contact,” Lu said. Trump and Xi have not spoken directly since Trump took office last month. They did, however, talk on the phone soon after Trump won the presidential election in November. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing said last week that the two countries were remaining "in close touch.” China’s top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, has led that contact. Last week, Yang told Michael Flynn, Trump's national security adviser, that China hopes it can work with the United States to manage and control disputes and sensitive problems. As a presidential candidate, Trump accused China of unfair trade practices and of undervaluing its currency. When he was president-elect, Trump took a telephone call from Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen. Some Chinese officials said the call violated America’s 1979 pledge of support for a one-China policy. China claims Taiwan as its own territory. Since taking office, Trump and members of his administration have been critical of China’s actions in the South China Sea. Diao Daming is with the Institute of American studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He told the state-run Global Times that Trump’s letter to Xi is a good sign, but “we still need to observe his [Trump’s] real actions.” Chu Yun is a professor at the University of International Relations in Beijing. He told the Global Times that Trump’s choice to send a letter instead of making a phone call shows he “may still want to keep his distance from China.” However, he said, a “friendly signal is better than a provocation." Last month, Chinese internet users found another “friendly signal” on social media. Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, posted a video of her 5-year-old daughter singing a song in Mandarin in celebration of the Chinese New Year. The short video spread quickly in China.  I’m Anna Matteo.   VOA News and the Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it with additional materials from the Global Times and Learning English content. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   constructive - adj. helping to develop or improve something benefit - v.  to be useful or helpful to (someone or something) commend - v. to praise (someone or something) in a serious and often public way sensitive - adj. likely to cause people to become upset provocation - n. an action or occurrence that causes someone to become angry or to begin to do something​

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News Words: Practical

Is a good thing or a bad thing to be practical? You decide after watching this week's News Words with Anne Ball and Jonathan Evans.

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Rising Numbers of Chinese Visiting Vietnam Eases Tensions

More visitors to Vietnam come from China than from any other country. The number of Chinese tourists going to Vietnam reached 250,000 last month. Vietnamese state media say that is a 68 percent increase from the number in January 2016. The popularity of Vietnam with Chinese tourists is somewhat of a surprise. The two countries are involved in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea. They also have a long history of disputes and distrust. Chinese tourists have influenced the economies of places like Hong Kong and Taiwan over the past 10 years. Fredrick Burke is a partner in Baker & McKenzie, a law office in Ho Chi Minh City. He says, while there are disagreements between the countries, Chinese like to visit Vietnam. “There are some underlying tensions over the East Sea or the South China Sea, but nevertheless Vietnam is a place the Chinese feel comfortable going,” he said. Tourism: a way to ease tensions Relations have not always been warm. China and Vietnam have argued for years over two groups of small islands and rocks in the South China Sea. In 1979, the two sides fought a brief war. The number of Chinese visitors fell in 2014 when China’s state oil company set up an oil rig in disputed waters. The move resulted in deadly anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam. But since then, the number of Chinese tourists has increased. About 2.2 million Chinese went to Vietnam last year. Some observers say increasing tourism is a way for Vietnam to be more than a manufacturing center. Louie Nguyen started the news website VietnamAdvisors. He says the country is seeking to develop new industries. “You can see that in the increase in the startup initiatives in terms of tech startups. Even the film business, the latest King Kong was made in Vietnam. So there (are) various initiatives to try to move away from manufacturing. Tourism is one of them.” Vietnam still depends on manufacturing to keep its economy strong. However, Fredrick Burke says tourism provided 6.6 percent of Vietnam’s economic activity last year. He says one in eight jobs is tied to services such as hotels, travel and food. China and Vietnam share a border and flights between the two are short, especially from southern China. Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand were first countries in Southeast Asia to become popular tourist destinations. But the number of Chinese visitors to Malaysia has dropped since the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370. Singapore reported a drop in Chinese tourists in both 2013 and 2014 before the country made it easier for Chinese families to travel there. Thailand has remained a popular place for Chinese tourists, with a 20 percent increase in visitors in 2015. Chinese tourist destinations can change Tourists from China have influenced other parts of Asia. China eased restrictions on travel to Hong Kong from mainland China in 2003. In 2015, the territory received nearly 46 million mainland Chinese. Also, millions of Chinese also have visited the island of Taiwan since 2008. But Taiwanese officials have reported a 30- to 40-percent drop in Chinese travel groups since the swearing-in of Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen last May. Tsai opposes closer ties with China, which considers the island a rebel province. Taiwan’s hotels and bus operators have been hurt by the decrease in tourists. In the case of Vietnam, Fredrick Burke says China does not appear to be pushing tourism for any long-term gain. But Chinese travel agencies could cut back their services if relations get tense. In Hong Kong, visits from the mainland dropped three percent during 2015. That year, thousands of young people demonstrated in what became known as the Umbrella Movement. Protesters were angry about Chinese government efforts to influence in the election of Hong Kong’s chief executive. Jonathan Spangler is director of the South China Sea Think Tank, a research group based in Taiwan. He says Vietnam understands the risk of a sudden decrease in tourism. “Beijing has been known to limit outbound tourism as a political tool, but the Vietnamese government understands that such risks are only a small part of its economic relations with China and broader diplomatic and political interests,” he said. I’m Mario Ritter.   Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tourists – n. people who travel to another country for pleasure initiative – n. a plan or program to solve a problem or start a business startup –n. a business that has just opened or started destinations – n. a place that a person or group is going or is being sent

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US Senate Votes to Silence Lawmaker Elizabeth Warren

  This is What’s Trending Today. The Twitter hashtag #LetLizSpeak was trending on social media Wednesday. And over 6 million people saw a video from Elizabeth Warren, a member of the United States Senate. She posted her video on Facebook Tuesday night. Warren is a member of the Democratic Party from Massachusetts. And Liz is a nickname for Elizabeth. On Tuesday, the Senate was considering whether to approve Senator Jeff Sessions, a Republican, as the next U.S. Attorney General. Sessions is President Donald Trump’s choice for the position. The attorney general is a member of the president’s cabinet and heads the Department of Justice. During the Senate debate on Sessions’ nomination, Warren read a letter written by Coretta Scott King. King was the wife of civil rights leader Martin Luther King [Junior] She wrote the letter in 1986, when Sessions, then a lawyer for the federal government, was being considered for a federal court judgeship. Tuesday night, Warren was reading Coretta Scott King’s letter aloud on the Senate floor. King wrote that Sessions used his power in Alabama to “chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens...” That is when Senator Steve Daines, a Republican from Montana, intervened. He warned Warren that Senate rules bar one senator from speaking badly about another. Warren was permitted to continue reading the letter. But she was stopped again, this time by Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Warren was told she could not continue reading the letter. She said, “I am surprised that the words of Coretta Scott King are not suitable for debate in the United States Senate.” Warren asked to continue speaking, but her appeal was rejected. A majority of senators voted to bar her from speaking about Sessions until after his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Warren left the Senate floor, went to a nearby room and continued reading the letter. She posted the video to her Facebook page. By Wednesday afternoon, the 15-minute video received over 400,000 comments. Some of them included: “We love you,” “Thank you so much for displaying what real leadership is,” and “Standing strong and proud beside you from Kentucky, Senator Warren.” Warren then said “I think (the letter) is relevant to everyone who is about to vote on Jeff Sessions.” The Democratic leadership in the Senate accused the Republican senators of only enforcing the rule because a Democrat was speaking. Many people also used the Twitter hashtag #LetLizSpeak to express their support for Warren. Wednesday morning, the Massachusetts senator met with civil rights leaders and Democratic Party supporters outside the Senate. At the same time, other senators, including former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, read King’s letter on the Senate floor without being stopped. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.   What do you think about Warren being banned by the senate? Let us know in the comments section. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   chill – n. a cold and unfriendly quality suitable – adj. having the qualities that are right, needed, or appropriate for something relevant – adj. of or relating to evidence to prove or disprove an issue under consideration

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