US Aircraft Carrier Begins Patrol in South China Sea

Editor's Note: An audio to accompany this story will be added when it is available.   A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group has begun "routine operations" in the South China Sea. The operations came despite a warning from China not to interfere with Chinese sovereignty in the area. The U.S. Navy announced the operations on Saturday. The strike group includes Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. The Navy Times reported last week on the planned operations with information provided by unnamed Navy officials. The report clearly angered China’s foreign ministry. A foreign ministry spokesman urged U.S. officials “not to take any actions that challenge China's sovereignty and security." China claims the man-made islands are part of its territory, along with many other parts of the South China Sea. Satellite images suggest China has added military weapons to some of the islands. Other countries with territorial claims in the sea are the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. Freedom of navigation operation A U.S. Navy release said the California-based Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group left last month for a deployment to the western Pacific. A Navy official was reported as saying the deployment would, among other things, contribute “to freedom of navigation and lawful use of the sea.” Freedom of navigation operation, or FONOP, is meant to show military force and free movement of shipping in international waters. But the operation represents a test to countries holding territorial claims in disputed areas. China has objected to earlier freedom of movement exercises performed in or around its territory. The U.S. military has carried out at least four FONOP operations in the South China Sea in recent years. The most recent one took place last October, when a U.S. Navy destroyer was sent to waters near Chinese-claimed islands. At the time, a Chinese official called the move “illegal” and “provocative.” In the past, China has sent military airplanes and/or ships to follow American ships taking part in freedom of navigation exercises. The U.S. government defends the operations, saying they fully comply with international law. During a recent visit to East Asia, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the U.S. military was prepared to hold future freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea. Zack Cooper is with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, or CSIS, a research group based in Washington, D.C. He says international law is clearly described in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “Beyond 12 nautical miles from the shoreline, basically any country can fly, sail or operate military vessels in those areas - despite the fact that some countries claim that they can limit that sort of operation.” Zack Cooper of CSIS has been watching new U.S. President Donald Trump. He thinks the new U.S. administration is likely to take a more assertive position to freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea. Cooper added that the next test for China’s government could be in waters near Mischief Reef, in the Spratly Islands. China has been expanding that man-made island for years and has reportedly built extensive military positions on the reef. “I would expect that one of the early operations that the Trump administration might do would target Mischief Reef by sailing fairly close to it - (to) demonstrate that the new administration is willing to accept more risk to directly challenge Chinese claims.” U.S. freedom of navigation operations can send an important message to any state testing international maritime law, he added. “It's important for the United States and other countries to demonstrate to China that where the law has been made quite clear, that those countries are not going to be intimidated into walking away from what is very clear international law.” Still, Cooper said, it is not likely that freedom of navigation operations will stop Chinese militarization or existing development projects in the South China Sea. But he said it could prevent China from claiming and developing new territory. China announced changes to its maritime law China recently announced a proposal to change its own laws controlling how it can react to foreign ships entering its territory. According to the country’s official Global Times, a draft of the law “would empower maritime authorities to prevent foreign ships from entering Chinese waters if it is decided that the ships may harm traffic safety and order.” Cooper said the revision suggests the law would give China the power to declare control over foreign ships passing through the South China Sea and other major waterways. “If China was to revise the law in that way, it would again directly contravene the restrictions on those kinds of domestic laws that are in the UN Convention on the Law of the sea. So in many ways it would be seen I think as a direct challenge to the UN Convention.” He said other nations should send a strong message to China that they would oppose such changes. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn reported this story for VOA Learning English. His report includes information from Reuters, the Associated Press, Navy Times and other sources. George Grow 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   navigation – n. moving a boat or ship over an area of water sovereignty – n. power of a country to control its own government assertive – adj. confident or strong in speaking or actions intimidate – v. intentionally make someone afraid revision – n. a change to something that already exists provocation – n. something causes anger or action; incitement comply – v. to do what you have been ordered or asked to do maritime – adj. of or related to the sea contravene – v. to fail to follow a rule or law

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George Washington: The President Who Did Not Want to Be President

  VOA Learning English presents America's Presidents. Today we are talking about George Washington. He was the first president of the United States. He served from 1789 to 1797. But he had many other accomplishments, too. He owned thousands of hectares of land in his home state of Virginia. He was a famous general, who led the American colonists to freedom from British rule. And he presided over the convention that created the U.S. Constitution. For Washington, that was enough. He said he wanted to retire from public service and return home. But the country’s new electors had other ideas. They wanted him to move to New York and invent the American presidency. Washington accepted the job as his duty. Washington as president Washington was sworn in as president in 1789. At the time, a truly united states was still just an idea. Americans were unconnected groups. They came from different countries, had different religions, and spoke different languages. For example, a quarter of the people in the state of Pennsylvania spoke only German. Doug Bradburn is the founding director of the Washington Library at Mount Vernon. He says when Washington took office, the country was “fragile.” “The chances that it would even survive were probably very, very slim.” Bradburn explains that Washington had to establish social and political unity. But the Constitution did not say how the president could do that. So, Bradburn says, George Washington invented the job for all future presidents. He established a group of advisors — called the cabinet—as well as the nation’s official money. He appointed a six-member Supreme Court. And he created the Department of Foreign Affairs, now called the State Department. However, Washington said it was the president’s responsibility to set foreign policy. Historian Doug Bradburn explains that Washington established the president not just as a figurehead, but as a decision maker. But he always used the Constitution as his guide. “He wasn’t just trying to establish an office and then figure out a way to justify it, he was trying to work with his Constitution.” Washington as a young man George Washington was born in 1732 in the colony of Virginia. His father died when George was 11 years old. As a boy, he learned reading, writing and math. Then he worked as a land surveyor in western Virginia. Historian Joseph Ellis points out that Washington did not have a formal education. Instead of going to college, Ellis says, Washington went to war. He fought against the French and Indians as a British Army officer. That experience informed Washington’s world view. Ellis describes the first president as “a realist.” At the same time, Washington was a “very passionate man” with “extremely strong emotions.” He was known to get angry, but he showed his temper to only a few people. Washington not only acted like a great leader – he looked like one. George Washington stood about 1.9 meters tall. That was a head taller than the average man of his time. He was very strong, and very graceful. He was known as one of the best horseback riders and best dancers in Virginia. But he had a problem: bad teeth. Unlike his wife, Martha, who was known for her lovely smile, George Washington began losing his teeth in his twenties. When he was sworn in as president, he had only one tooth left. ​           Washington as a myth Washington remains an important figure in the American imagination. Even today people tell stories about him. One popular story, that he had wooden teeth, is not true. But he did wear dentures. They were made, in part, from hippopotamus ivory. And he did not chop down a cherry tree as a child and then admit it by saying, “I cannot tell a lie.” In fact, historian Joseph Ellis says George Washington “lied many times.” But it is true that as Washington became more famous, his reputation grew. People thought of him as a man who always did the right thing. Joseph Ellis says even Washington understood people would look at his writings and judge him. “Washington went from being a man to a monument. He was aware of the fact that he had a role to play and that all emerging nations need mythical heroes.” Washington became very protective of his personal thoughts. His wife burned most of their letters. Yet we know a little bit about George Washington’s thoughts from other writing. One of his regrets, he said, was that he had not done something to end slavery.  Like many plantation owners, Washington was a slave holder. More than 300 enslaved people lived on his property. By the end of his life, Washington opposed slavery. He left a will ordering his survivors to free his slaves after his wife’s death. Washington’s will became relevant sooner than he might have liked. Three years after he finished his second term as president, Washington fell ill. He had been outside riding his horse on a cold, wet day. When he came home, he complained of a sore throat. Over the next two days, his condition became worse. On December 14, 1799, he died in his bed, surrounded by his wife, enslaved maids, and friends. He was 67. Washington’s legacy Historian Joseph Ellis says one of the best things about George Washington was his ability to give up power. At the end of the Revolutionary War, General Washington returned his sword. And at the end of his administration, President Washington simply returned home. “You could trust Washington with power because he was so conspicuously willing to give it up.” Doug Bradburn says Washington was the right man at the right time. Bradburn, like many historians, calls George Washington the “indispensable man.” In other words, Washington was essential to the American experiment in self-government. He made ideas about American freedom real, and he showed that even the president would operate under the rule of law. I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.   See how well you understand the story by taking this listening quiz. Play each video and choose the best answer. ​________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   accomplishment – n. something done or achieved successfully figurehead – n. a person who is called the head of something but who has no real power surveyor – n. a person whose job is to measure and examine an area of land temper – n. the tendency of someone to become angry graceful – adj. moving in a smooth and attractive way denture(s) – n. a set of artificial teeth will – n. a legal document in which a person states who should receive his or her possessions after he or she dies conspicuously – adv. very easy to see or notice indispensable – adj. extremely important and necessary

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Stanford Students Brew Beer Using 5,000-Year-Old Chinese Recipe

  Most college students would love to get an assignment like the one Madeline Ota recently received at Stanford University. She and her classmates were asked to make beer in their dorm rooms. But before you get too excited, you need to know that it was for a class called The Archaeology of Food. And the assignment was to make beer according to a 5,000-year-old Chinese recipe. “I think it was a bit different than beers that you would buy in the store because it only had a week to ferment, and I think that is one of the biggest differences that you would notice in taste. Because after only a week, alcoholic content isn’t very strong.” Ota and her classmates made two kinds of ancient beer, some of which are still being made by indigenous people today. One of the beers was made by grinding grains like wheat, millet or barley. The other was made using a root known as manioc, or cassava, in different parts of the world. The students chewed the root and then spit it into glass containers. Their saliva began the fermentation process. Water and heat were carefully added to each mixture. Ota said she has a new appreciation for what goes into making the beer people buy at stores or at the local bar. “This is not something we should take for granted when we go and pick up something from the store. And you know, that doesn’t just apply to beer, but kind of any sort of processed food. There is a whole story behind how this got to where it is, how people produced it, how they cooked it...” Their professor, Li Liu, discovered the old Chinese recipe. Liu and a graduate student, Jiajing Wang, “reverse engineered” their beer recipe based on substances found in clay pots from northeast China. That means they studied the residue and made guesses as to what the original ingredients might have been. The researchers found evidence of barley, an important grain in making beer today. Until Liu and Wang did their research, most historians thought barley arrived in China more recently. “Again, that’s where experimental archaeology comes in. Because when you have this small residue from an archaeological artifact, you know, you don’t have the full story. You may have parts of a bigger story, but you don’t know how those parts necessarily fit together. So experimental archaeology is really cool because it allows you to experiment with those processes and see which ones are the most successful.” Ota said we can learn a lot about ancient cultures by learning about their food and beer. “You know, when the first people started actually having farms and agricultural societies, very soon after that they actually started making the first alcohols using various techniques. Having alcohol became a very culturally significant and religious experience for many communities and it went on to become an important part of their society.” Because the class treated the beer making like a science project, they were able to add their information to the scientific record. Every ingredient was carefully measured. Every degree of heat was noted. Thanks to the students, there is now a very specific record for how to make these ancient beers. In the past, the instructions might have been “fill the pot with water,” Ota said. But no one ever knew how big the pot was or how much water was used. But the most important question is: How did the beer taste? The beer made from grain, Ota said, was fruity, like a cider. The one from manioc root smelled so bad – like cheese – she didn’t want to try it. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Would you like to try to make the beer the students at Stanford made? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   assignment– n. a job or duty that is given to someone : a task someone is required to do dorm – n. a building on a school campus that has rooms where students can live archaeology – n. a science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones, tools, etc., of ancient people ferment – v. to go through a chemical change that results in the production of alcohol take for granted – v. to fail to properly notice or appreciate (someone or something that is helpful or important to you) residue – n. a usually small amount of something that remains after a process has been completed or a thing has been removed artifact – n. a simple object (such as a tool or weapon) that was made by people in the past cool – adj. often used to show approval in a general way cider – n. an alcoholic drink made from apples bar – n. a building or room where alcoholic drinks and sometimes food are served reverse engineer – v. to study the parts of (something) to see how it was made and how it works so that you can make something that is like it  

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Undocumented US Immigrants Fear Deportation

  Cindy lives with her three children in a small bedroom in an apartment near a major American city. Two other adults also live in the apartment. Cindy asked VOA to use just her first name for this story. She is not in the United States legally. She was born in Guatemala and brought to the United States when she was five years old. So, Cindy considers the U.S. home. “Even though I don’t have papers, I feel that I’m from here. Of course, I’m proud of having been born in Guatemala, but I wasn’t raised there. I don’t know the culture over there. I don’t know what it’s like to live there.” She has worked since she was 17, holding different jobs. She is now 29 and pregnant. Cindy says she wants to stay in the United States so she and her family can have a good life. Her children were born in the United States, so they are citizens. Cindy says she is more scared than she has ever been of being deported to Guatemala. She says she wants to become a legal resident of the United States. Cindy is among an estimated 11 million people living in the United States without government permission. Experts say more than half of them are from Mexico and other Latin American countries. Last week, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, carried out raids around the country. They arrested 680 people. The agency said it was targeting people who had been found guilty of crimes while in the United States. ICE said the raids were no different than those that took place during the Obama administration. In a statement this week, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said “President Trump has been clear in affirming the critical mission of DHS in protecting the nation, and directed our department to focus on removing illegal aliens who have violated our immigration laws.” Trump promised often during the campaign to stop illegal immigration. He said if he became president he would deport up to three million people involved in criminal activity. On January 25th, he signed a presidential order that expanded the powers of ICE to detain immigrants. On Sunday, Trump wrote a message on the social networking site Twitter. He said “The crackdown on illegal criminals is merely the keeping of my campaign promise. Gang members, drug dealers (and) others are being removed!” His message seemed to differ from what ICE said about its actions: that they were usual -- no different from what the agency did when Barack Obama was president. The Department of Homeland Security said 25 percent of those arrested last week had not been found guilty of criminal acts in the United States but were in the country illegally. It said their cases will be examined individually. It said they may be deported even if they are not criminals. Angelica Satas is the executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. She said she has been watching the operations of ICE for 30 years. She said last week’s raids were “not normal.” She said many more people called her organization than usual while a raid was taking place in Los Angeles. She said some people were being seized in their homes and as they traveled to their jobs. Many immigrants are afraid. There are reports that ICE will be setting up checkpoint stations to stop and seize immigrants who entered the United States without permission. Many people from Latin America live in the Columbia Heights area of Washington, DC. VOA spoke with some of them as they waited at a Catholic Charities center for free food. They said they feared being deported. Rodrigo Aguirre works at Catholic Charities. He says he has noticed a difference from a year ago.  "We're seeing people just become a little bit more afraid about asking for help. Because they are fearful of the consequences -- fearful that their name might be given to immigration and then eventually deported." VOA spoke to a Salvadoran woman named Hemelina while she was waiting for free food from the center. She said she came to the United States illegally last year. She said she fled El Salvador because her husband often hit her and she feared gangs -- groups of criminals. Smita Dazzo is an immigration lawyer for Catholic Charities. She says Hemelina could be given asylum if she can show a judge proof that she would be harmed if she is returned to El Salvador. Dazzo says most of the immigrants she talks to have what the law calls a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country. “The majority of people that are coming here really are fleeing for their lives. It's, it's really, really scary for these people and some of them really honestly feel like they have no choice."  Dazzo says Trump’s election has caused many people in the U.S. illegally to begin the process of getting permission to stay. But supporters of Trump’s immigration policy say limits are required because there are so many people who want to come to, or stay in, the U.S.   Dan Stein is among these voices. He heads the Federation for American Immigration Reform. He says that in the past 40 years the United States has had the highest level of immigration in its history. He says that cannot continue. "All countries have to deal in the real world. And there are simply far more people who would like to move to a country like the United States than we can possibly handle and still provide a good quality of life and a shot at the American dream for people who are here today.” It is not clear what will happen to the millions of people in the United States illegally who have not done a crime while they are here. They have families and jobs. Immigration activists say the solution is a law that lets them stay. Dazzo says “there are a lot of people who come here as children that are really upstanding citizens. They work hard, they’re family oriented. They’re exactly what you hope that Americans are.”  I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA Correspondent Bill Rodgers reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver 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   papers – expression immigration documents that show a person has permission to be in a country deport – v. to force (a person who is not a citizen) to leave a country resident – n. someone who lives in a particular place affirm – v. to show a strong belief in or dedication to (something, such as an important idea) critical – adj. extremely important mission – n. a task or job that someone is given to do focus – v. to direct your attention or effort at something specific (often + on) crackdown – n. a serious attempt to punish people for doing something that is not allowed; an increased effort to enforce a law or rule merely – adv. used to describe the only reason for something or the only effect of something gang – n. a group of criminals persecute – v. to treat (someone) cruelly or unfairly especially because of race or religious or political beliefs handle – v. to do the work required for something; to deal with (a person, situation, etc.) successfully upstanding – adj. honest and respectable oriented – adj. designed to appeal to a certain kind of people; interested in a particular thing, activity, etc.

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Eyes in the Sky Map Amazon on the Ground

  Looking at a rainforest from high in the sky, you might think all the trees look about the same. But they are not. Take, for example, the Amazon rainforest in South America. Research shows that the Amazon’s biological diversity—the huge number of plants and animals living there—is more of a mix than experts believed. It turns out the rainforest has many species of trees and even different kinds of forests. The Amazon covers an area of about 7 million square kilometers. It lies within the borders of nine countries: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, which belongs to France. About 60 percent of the rainforest falls within Brazil. For about 150 years, researchers have explored the Amazon. They searched under its tall trees to study the many plants growing there.   Greg Asner has done that too. He is the principal investigator for the Carnegie Airborne Observatory (CAO) program. Asner studied the plants and then, with his team, developed a tool to identify what is growing in the Amazon rainforest. They use an airplane equipped with a high-technology laboratory to create maps of the area. When the plane flew over Peru, the team learned there are many more -- and different kinds of -- forests than was documented before. Researchers once thought the western Amazon had three to five different forests. Then, Asner notes, his team mapped the area in the CAO aircraft.   “We flew over and we mapped 36 distinct forest types. And so what we did, we just increased the diversity of the region by tenfold and that’s important because the region, the Peruvian Andes and Amazon, just like all the other countries that occupy that region, are rapidly developing.”       The CAO is equipped with airborne laser-guided imaging spectroscopy. This technology enables Asner and his team to take three-dimensional images of the forest far below. These pictures give the appearance of length, width and depth. They have bright colors and look like modern art paintings. Yet they show different tree species.               Asner says the team is gathering more than just pictures of plants. “And at the same time we’re able to assess the health, composition and types of trees that are there, from their chemical signatures.” He says getting chemical information on the trees is like a doctor taking blood from a patient. The images tell the researchers about the health of the forests, and give them genetic information, too. But how can you get chemical information from trees while flying above them? Asner says the CAO aircraft uses sunlight as the main measurement tool. The sunlight reflects off the tops of the trees. With the equipment on the plane, they can measure infrared light – the light that cannot be seen. “This is in the shortwave infrared. So we can’t see this with the naked eye. But we are able to read the molecular composition of the tree canopy.”                         This information helps them understand how the plant species and forests change in different areas. Asner says they can use airborne laser-guided imaging spectroscopy over a huge area that has never been mapped. In this case, it is 76 million hectares in the Amazon. The Carnegie team joined with the Peruvian Ministry of Environment to study that country’s forests. Asner says this technology is still new to science, and it can help officials watch over and protect the forests. “The application to Peru is really a big step forward because it tells us that we can use this still-new approach to map the composition of forests, in this case,and use that information to do better forest management, conservation and planning for future changes that we know the region is undergoing.” He says their maps help researchers and government officials make decisions based on the actual biodiversity of each area. No longer are people treating the Amazon rainforest “like a big green carpet” – one that is the same everywhere.       Researchers will be busy because they noticed plant species that are little known, or completely unknown, in the forest communities. The Carnegie team is now working with Equador to map its countryside. The images will help Ecuadorean officials preserve their forests. The next step is to take the technology even higher—to orbit the Earth. Then researchers may observe the biodiversity not just of the Amazon, but the whole planet. The orbiting satellite would remap the entire Earth every 30 days and measure the health of its biodiversity. Biodiversity is important to the health of the planet, Asner explains. It is the “fabric” that is under all the planet’s systems, like water and food. “So where the different species are and what types of species we have actually affects all the major processes that regulate our climate.” So, Asner adds, finding ways to watch the Earth will help researchers make better decisions on how to save more species and help stop destruction of our planet. I’m Anne Ball.   Anne Ball wrote this story for Learning English with information from Kevin Enochs from VOA.  George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.   Now check your understanding by taking a listening quiz.   _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   biodiversity – n. the existence of many different kinds of plants and animals in an environment tenfold – adj. ten times as much or many laser – n. a device that produces a narrow and powerful beam of light that has many special uses in medicine, industry, etc. spectroscopy – n. using a tool to measure different properties of light. assess – v. to make a judgment about (something) reflect – v. of light, sound, etc. to move in one direction, hit a surface, and then quickly move in a different and usually opposite direction infrared – adj. producing or using rays of light that cannot be seen and that are longer than rays that produce red light shortwave – n. a radio wave with a wavelength between 10 and 100 meters canopy – n. the highest layer of branches in a forest or on a tree conservation – n. the protection of animals, plants, and natural resources

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Lesson 45: This Land is Your Land

Summary Anna and Marsha are going on a road trip! Follow them across the United States as they see the sights. Will they still be friends when they finish the trip? Speaking In this video, learn how to say the new words. Then learn about using the future continuous verb tense to talk about planned events. Pronunciation Use this video to learn about the reduced form of "will" in the future continuous tense. Conversation Anna: You know I love Washington, D.C. But I want to see more of the United States. My roommate Marsha and I will be on vacation at the same time. So, we are going on a road trip together! Hi, Marsha! Marsha: Hi! Anna: I packed my bags and I am ready to go! Marsha: Did you make a list of all the places you want to see? Anna: I did. I want to see New York City and the Statue of Liberty! Marsha: And I want to see Mount Rushmore! Anna: (Anna writes) Mount Rushmore. Marsha: And don’t forget the Grand Canyon! Anna: (Anna writes) Let’s not forget California’s redwood forest! There are so many places to see! Marsha: We will be driving for a long time. So, we might get bored. Anna: Bored? No way! We can talk. Marsha: Or not talk. Anna: We can play word games. We can sing! You know, our trip is like that famous American song. (sings) "This land is your land, This land is my land …"* Marsha: (sings) "…from California to the New York island ..." BOTH: “... to the redwood forest to the Gulf stream waters ... this land was made for you and me!” Marsha: Will we be stopping soon? Anna: We won’t be stopping soon. Marsha:  I’m hungry. Anna: Marsha, we just left D.C.! We’ll be eating lunch in about 2 hours. Can you wait? Marsha: I guess. Anna: Here, have an apple. It’s organic! (Anna throws the apple. It goes out the window.) Marsha: Thanks. Marsha: Okay, we will be arriving in New York City very soon! Anna: I can’t wait to see The Big Apple! Marsha, look! There she is! Marsha: The Statue of Liberty! Anna: She is awesome! Anna: Marsha, in ten minutes, guess what we’ll be seeing? Marsha: What? Anna: The largest rocking chair in the world! Marsha: No, we won’t be seeing that. Anna: Marsha, it’s on my other list -- Best Roadside Sights. (Marsha grabs the paper and throws it out the window.) Anna: Oh no! We littered! And my list is gone. Don't worry. I brought the book. (lifts up large book, starts reading) (Later) Anna: … and that is why I am so afraid of sheep. Marsha: (snores a little) Anna: Wow, I feel better. Marsha, you are a great listener. Marsha: (waking up) Where are we? Anna: We will be entering North Dakota any minute now! Marsha: North Dakota! We are going in the wrong direction! We want to go to South Dakota! Anna: No problem. I will just exit the highway. We will be going south … in just a minute. There. Done! We're going south! Okay, we will be stopping for gas and a bathroom break in about an hour. Marsha: Then we will be very near to Mount Rushmore! Anna: Yay! Dead presidents’ heads on the side of a mountain! Anna: We did it, Marsha! We made it to California! It’s beautiful! Marsha: And we saw everything on the list! Anna: Well, we saw everything on page 1 of the list. Marsha: What do you mean "page 1?" Anna: Oh. Here are pages 2, 3 and 4! We’ll be very busy driving back to Washington, D.C. Until next time … ! * This Land is Your Land was written by American folk singer Woody Guthrie. See below for the lyrics and videos of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen performing the song. Writing In this lesson, Anna and Marsha take a road trip. Did you ever take a road trip or a journey with a friend? Where did you go and what did you do there? Did you see any sights along the way? If you have not taken a road trip, tell us about where you would like to go on a road trip.  Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice predicting what will happen on your road trip across the United States. Please note, our activity sheets now can be completed on the computer. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Predict. When we predict, we are using what we know to say what will happen in the future. In using English, it is helpful if you can predict what is coming up in a story that you are reading or something that you are listening to. This helps your brain prepare to understand the next part of the story. In this lesson, Anna shows Marsha her long list of places she wants to see. She predicts that they will be busy on their trip back to Washington, D.C. Do you ever predict when you are reading or listening 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   break - n. a brief period of time during which someone stops an activity direction - n. the course or path on which something is moving or pointing enter - v. to go or come into (something) exit - v. to go out of a place or situation highway - n. a main road that connects cities and towns land - n. the solid part of the surface of the Earth litter - v. to throw or leave trash on the ground in a public place pack - v.to put (something) into a bag or suitcase so that you can take it with you place - n. a specific area or region of the world ready - adj. prepared to do something road trip - n. a long trip in a car or truck, etc (use image also) rocking chair - n.< chair that moves back and forth on rockers that are attached to its legs PLACE NAMES ​______________________________________________________________ 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 future continuous tense to talk about plans. ____________ 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: Future continuous verb tense​ Topics: Talking about upcoming events​; Expressing desires to see sights or do activities on a trip Learning Strategy: Predict Speaking & Pronunciation: Reduced form of "will" in the future continuous verb tense ____________________________________________________________ Here is a complete version of the song, This Land is Your Land. This Land Is Your Land Words and Music by Woody Guthrie This land is your land This land is my land From California to the New York island;  From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters  This land was made for you and Me. As I was walking that ribbon of highway,  I saw above me that endless skyway:  I saw below me that golden valley:  This land was made for you and me. I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps  To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts;  And all around me a voice was sounding:  This land was made for you and me. When the sun came shining, and I was strolling,  And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling,  As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting:  This land was made for you and me. As I went walking I saw a sign there  And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."  But on the other side it didn't say nothing,  That side was made for you and me. In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,  By the relief office I seen my people;  As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking  Is this land made for you and me? Nobody living can ever stop me, As I go walking that freedom highway; Nobody living can ever make me turn back  This land was made for you and me.   © Copyright 1956 (renewed), 1958 (renewed), 1970 and 1972 by Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. & TRO-Ludlow Music, Inc. (BMI) For a modern cover of the song, here are Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen. 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: Linking Verbs

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How Free Is 'Free College?'

  Some people say the United States higher education system is the best in the world. But the cost of a college education in the U.S. can be very high -- about 70 percent of students graduate with some debt. In 2014, the total amount of that debt in the U.S. reached about $1.2 trillion. Norway, Finland, Germany, Mexico and Brazil are very different countries. But they all have one thing in common: citizens can attend public universities for little to no cost. That is why some American lawmakers are looking to other countries as models for change. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Senator Bernie Sanders said the U.S needed to offer free college. Sanders’ presidential campaign was unsuccessful. But he is not alone in the fight for free education. In 2014, Tennessee became the first state to provide free community college to recent high school graduates. Community colleges are smaller, public schools that usually offer two-year degree programs. The schools also provide general education classes at low cost to students who plan to transfer to a four-year college. Earlier this month, Tennessee reported a 30 percent increase in the number of students attending community college for the first time. Oregon also has a program like Tennessee’s. In fall of 2016, the Oregon program paid for at least part of the cost for 6,745 students to attend community college. The idea of free college is spreading in the U.S. Last month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his own plan. It centers on families making less than $125,000 a year. It would permit their children to attend the state’s public universities for free. Officials say Cuomo’s plan could cost as much as $163 million per year by 2019. Richard Vedder is director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, a research organization. He feels some New Yorkers may not like an increase in taxes to pay for Cuomo’s plan and could move to different states. He also thinks it is fair to ask students to pay for some of the cost of college. "First of all, the students are the primary beneficiaries of the college education. Most of them, after college, will earn a good deal more income than they did before going to college. A lot of the students who go to college can afford to pay tuition. The tuition fee is not an obstacle that keeps them from attending. So, asking them to pay tuition fees seems to be reasonable since they are getting a high return on the investment." Vedder says offering free education at public universities could also hurt competition. Vedder says it could make private schools less appealing to students. In the case of Oregon, something similar may already be happening. Public university administrators in the state reported lower numbers of new students in 2016. This might suggest students are choosing the free community colleges over four-year degree programs. Vedder also points to already existing state and federal financial aid programs, like the Pell grant. Pell grants provide money to low-income college students. The students do not have to pay the money back. Officials in the state of Rhode Island say such help is not enough. A recent survey from the state’s education department showed that 90 percent of Rhode Island high schoolers want to attend college. However, the study showed only 65 percent actually do so. Cost was the number one reason students gave for not attending college. But Rhode Island has a plan that might help. In January, Governor Gina Raimondo proposed a plan for two free years of study at the Community College of Rhode Island, the University of Rhode Island or Rhode Island College to any high school graduate living in the state. Kevin Gallagher is the governor’s deputy chief of staff. He says offering free college is the right thing to do because higher education will be required for most jobs in the future. "If you’re thinking about college as a luxury that only a few should be able to afford, then sure you could say, ‘Okay, this isn’t essential.’ But from the governor’s perspective, we can’t afford not to make this commitment. We know that in Rhode Island, and in the United States, a high school diploma is simply not enough…You have to have some education beyond high school in order to get a good-paying job." Governor Raimondo’s proposal is planned to start in 2018. It would cost $10 million in the first year. Gallagher says the price is expected to rise to $30 million a year by 2022. The official notes that this would only be a small part of the state’s current $9 billion budget. Gallagher also believes that people will see the value in having an educated population. Educated Rhode Islanders will make more money but also provide more to the state in tax payments, he says. Robert Kelchen is a professor of higher education at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. He researches higher education finance and accountability policy. Kelchen says he thinks there are important questions still to be answered about the Rhode Island proposal. "One thing to know first is that free tuition does not mean that students will avoid debt. For a student going to a public college, the other parts of higher education -- like books, transportation and housing -- are a much larger part of the overall price than tuition. So, students need to realize that in most cases they’ll have to take on some debt." Kelchen also says the plan may not help low income students as much as middle- and higher-income students. He argues more money should be spent on low-income students instead of all students in general. I’m Pete Musto.   Correspondent Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. What is the average cost of a college education in your country? Do you think governments should provide free college tuition? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   graduate – v. to earn a degree or diploma from a school, college or university transfer – v. to stop going to one school and begin going to another beneficiaries – n. a person, group or organization that is helped by something income – n. money that is earned from work, investments or business afford – v. to be able to pay for something tuition – n. money that is paid to a school for the right to study there obstacle – n. something that makes it difficult to do something financial – adj. relating to money luxury – n. something that is expensive and not necessary essential – adj. extremely important and necessary perspective – n. a way of thinking about and understanding something such as a particular issue or life in general commitment – n. a promise to do or give something accountability – n. the act of being required to explain actions or decisions to someone realize – n. to understand or become aware of something

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No Love Lost: Stolen Pictures Used to Trick Singles

  Millions of single people turn to the Internet to meet other singles. Many use dating websites in hopes of finding that special someone. But there are some people who want nothing more than to trick singles, using their desire for a loving relationship to get their money. VOA recently investigated one such effort. Criminals used pictures of United States armed forces members to steal money from women around the world. One of those women is Lilo Schuster. She began looking online to try to find a boyfriend or a husband. Then one day, Schuster received a promising email from someone on a dating website. The message came from someone who claimed he was a pilot in Afghanistan. “And it was a widow(er), and he said that he was in the Air Force, that he was fighting the Taliban -- the terrorists -- that he had a, a daughter. I just thought ‘Oh my, my prayers are being answered.’” The relationship quickly became serious. Schuster said she fell in love. She soon began sending the man emails throughout the day. He sent her poetry and messages saying he loved her. He even sent her pictures of himself in his military clothing. “As soon as I had the pictures, I would -- this is so stupid -- I would carry them around. I would show people.” Schuster noticed that the man did not write well. But she remembered her father was an immigrant, and his writing was not very good. So she did not think it was a problem. But she and her love interest never spoke by telephone. When she asked to do so, the man said he was not permitted to do so. “We never talked, we never Skyped because his thing was ‘Well, this is top secret, we’re fighting the terrorists, we can’t do anything that would compromise that so I can’t use the phone.’” After a few weeks, the man told her he needed money to help his daughter go on a school trip. So she sent a few thousand dollars to Britain, where the man said his mother lived with his daughter. “I’m helping him. This is for our future. It’s embarrassing but that’s the feelings that I was feeling.” But after she sent the money, the man asked for more. He said he wanted to leave the Air Force and join some of his friends who were starting a small company. The man told Schuster that the Air Force would not let him remove money from his bank account. He said he needed her help. She was suspicious, but she still sent more money to him. “You’re so scared. You don’t want to lose them -- you’ll just do anything, and that’s what I did. So I just started to continue to wire money.” Schuster sent a total of $22,000. Almost immediately after she sent the last amount, he stopped sending her emails. “My heart just sank and I thought ‘this doesn’t seem right.’” Chris Grey is with the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigations Command. He says he has heard stories like Schuster’s many times. “It’s been just overwhelming. We are dealing with thousands of these. I’ve personally spoken to women who’ve given upwards of $75,000, $80,000 to someone that they’ve never met in person.” Online criminals are also targeting people in other countries. Grey says women from Japan, Britain and Australia have called his office. He says they thought they were in love with a U.S. service member but were actually being tricked. Grey says many of these criminals operate from “cyber cafes” in West African countries like Nigeria and Ghana. He says they take photographs of U.S. troops from social media. They then create a story and begin to target women on dating sites. Grey has some simple advice: “Never send money to someone that you’ve never met, never talked to on the phone.” Grey says there are several signs to watch for. They include misspellings on documents and mistakes with capitalization. Other signs include using names of organizations that do not exist or using logos that are in disagreement with official images or designs. Grey says cyber criminals sometimes send documents with U.S. Army logos when the writer claims to be serving in the Navy. Schuster turned her anger into action. By sharing her story, she says she helped a woman in New Zealand and an American discover that they were being lied to. “Same story and the same exact pictures were used to these two other women.” If you suspect you are being tricked by someone online, do not send them money -- especially if they are in another country. You should call police or postal officials. I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.   VOA Pentagon Correspondent Carla Babb reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her 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   date – v. to do an activity with someone you have or might have a romantic relationship with; to go on a date or several dates with (someone) online – adj. done over the Internet compromise – v. to expose (something) to risk or danger wire – v. to send (money) by using electronic methods overwhelming – adj. used to describe something that is so confusing, difficult, etc., that you feel unable to do it upwards of – adv. more than (an amount or number) cyber café – n. a café or coffee shop where customers can use computers to search the Internet misspell – v. to spell (a word or name) incorrectly capitalize – v. to begin (a word or name) with a capital letter logo – n. a symbol that is used to identify a company and that appears on its products

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India Launches 104 Satellites Into Orbit

  A single Indian rocket launch  Wednesday morning sent a record 104 satellites into space. The government-run Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said the rocket launched from Sriharikota in eastern India. It broke Russia’s record of launching 37 satellites one year ago. Most of the satellites are so-called nano satellites—small ones weighing up to 10 kilograms. There is also an Earth observation satellite that weighs 714 kilograms. The majority of the nano satellite customers were from the United States. Others were from Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Israel, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. The launch was broadcast on Indian national television. It showed scientists in the mission control room, cheering as the rocket flew higher. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the "remarkable feat by    ISRO is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation."         India’s space program has centered mostly on low-cost ways to get into space. In 2014, an Indian spacecraft reached Mars’ orbit. The ISRO Mars mission cost $74 million. In comparison, the United States space agency, NASA, spent $670 million on its Mars mission a few months later. India’s effort was welcomed as evidence that an economical program can achieve technological success. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan is a space expert with New Delhi’s Observer Research Foundation. She said this record breaking satellite launch highlights India’s technological “sophistication.” She said it may lead more countries ask the ISRO to do their space launches. Growing demand for more high-tech communication systems among governments has increased demand for such launches. So, has the growing demands of private telephone, Internet and other tech companies. Last year, India launched 75 satellites for foreign customers. The South Asian country increased the budget for its space program this year. It also has set up a fund for a possible second mission to Mars and its first to Venus. But scientists  say that while India can put smaller satellites into space, it still has some way to go before it can launch heavier ones. I’m Anne Ball.   Anjana Pasricha wrote this story for VOA. Anne Ball adapted her story for Learning English with additional material from the Associated Press. 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   feat – n. an act or achievement that shows courage, strength, or skill proud – adj. very happy and pleased because of something you have done highlights – v.  to make people notice or be aware of something sophistication – adj.  having or showing a lot of experience and knowledge about the world and about culture, art, literature, etc. fund – n. an amount of money that is used for a special purpose

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How to Win an Election

  And now the VOA Learning English program -- Words and Their Stories. On this show, we explore common expressions in American English. Today we talk about expressions related to the biggest contest in the United States – the election of the American president. Well, except for the first election. That was not much of a contest. On February 4, 1789, all 69 members of Congress voted for George Washington. Supposedly, Washington didn’t even want to be president. John Adams was the runner-up. So, according to the rules at the time, Adams became Washington’s vice president.                Elections these days are much harder to win. They can last for years and cost millions and millions of dollars. So it is not surprising that there are many expressions to describe the race for the White House. That expression, in fact, is one of them. We often call political elections races, a word you probably know from sports. Many expressions we use for political campaigns are borrowed from sports competitions. In fact, sometimes we just cut to the chase and call the presidential election, a horse race. If the race is close, we can say the candidates are neck-and-neck. This horse racing term means the two candidates are nearly tied in the polls and a winner is difficult to predict. We call such a race – political or otherwise – a dead heat. In the early part of an election cycle when a party is picking its nominee, usually many candidates are in the running. Sometimes a candidate pulls away from the pack and becomes the clear favorite. These two terms also come from horse racing. So does down to the wire. In a horse race, the horses race to the finish and run through a wire as they cross the finish line. A presidential race that is down to the wire is very close. The only way to know the winner is to wait for all the votes to be counted. If a candidate wins the election by a large margin -- that is to say won by many, many votes -- he or she has won hands down. We also say the race was a landslide. Or you could say the race was simply no contest. These expressions all mean a candidate won easily. But if a candidate loses an election by a big margin, we could say that campaign got blown out of the water, as if by a submarine torpedo. Or we might say simply that the candidate got crushed at the polls. More informally, we might also say the candidate got beat like a rug, which is visually entertaining. Some candidates lose an election because they are unwilling to toe the party the line. In other words, they refuse to go along with the rules and standards of their own political party. This may upset the candidate’s base -- the people who usually support that party. The opposite of toeing the party line is reaching across the aisle. In the U.S., the two major parties are the Democrats and the Republicans. In this expression, the “aisle” refers to the actual physical walkway that divides the legislative halls. Members of the two parties sit on opposite sides. So “to reach across the aisle” means to make an effort to negotiate with members who are not in your party. Many politicians win elections because of their willingness to work with members of the opposing party. On the other hand, some politicians lose for the same reason. Voters can, sometimes, be very difficult to predict. And that brings us to the end of another Words and Their Stories. I’m Anna Matteo.   Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly edited the story.

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