English @ the Movies: 'Hitting Rock Bottom'

Our saying today on English @ the Movies is "hitting rock bottom." It comes from the animated film "Sing." It is about animals who want to sing and a theater owner trying to save his business. Do you know what "hitting rock bottom" means? Watch our video to find out if you are right!

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Malaysia: VX Nerve Agent Killed North Korea’s Kim

Malaysian police say the nerve agent VX was used to kill the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Investigators found traces of the poison on Kim Jong Nam’s eyes and face, police announced Friday. Kim was killed February 13 at the airport in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. Two women suspects have been detained by Malaysian police in connection with the killing. One of the women was identified as Indonesian, the other had a Vietnamese passport. The two women were seen in surveillance footage wiping the chemical on Kim’s face at the airport, Malaysian police said. Kim was preparing to board a flight from Kuala Lumpur to the Chinese territory of Macau, where he has been living. A North Korean man has also been detained in Malaysia. Several other suspects are being sought, including an official who worked at North Korea’s embassy. South Korea has accused the North Korean government of being behind the attack. It says Kim Jong Nam has been under a North Korean assassination order for years. North Korea has denied involvement in the killing and said it does not trust Malaysian police to conduct a proper investigation. Security cameras show the two women quickly walking away from Kim in opposite directions after putting the poison on his face. A Malaysian police official said the women were trained to go straight to washrooms to clean their hands. He said one of the women got sick and threw up after the attack. Police said they believe the women were paid to carry out the attack and had practiced their methods in advance.   In the security video, Kim appears unharmed immediately after the attack. He is seen pointing to his face while speaking with airport officials and guards. Kim was later put in an ambulance to the hospital, but suffered seizures on the way and died. What is VX nerve agent? VX is a highly deadly nerve agent identified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations. It is banned worldwide except for official research purposes. Experts describe it as a “very toxic” chemical that can kill even in very small amounts. VX has no taste or smell. It can be breathed in, swallowed or absorbed through the skin. In anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours, it can cause a range of symptoms, from vision problems to headaches. It can also cause other serious conditions, and eventually death. There is an antidote to VX that can be given by injection. The chemical can take days or even weeks to completely disappear. This raised concerns that other people might have come into contact with VX at the airport. Malaysian police said steps were being taken to decontaminate the airport. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn adapted this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from 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   assassination – n. to the killing of someone, usually for political reasons ambulance – n. vehicle to transport sick people to the hospital seizure – n. medical condition during which a person loses consciousness and the body moves uncontrollably toxic – adj. containing poisonous substances absorb – v. to take in something antidote – n. substance that stops the harmful effects of poison decontaminate – v. remove dangerous materials

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February 23, 2017

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

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'The Fall of the House of Usher' by Edgar Allan Poe, Part Two

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You've Been Accepted ... Not!

  Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health recently emailed good news to 277 applicants. The emails said the Ivy League school is “delighted to welcome” the 277 applicants to its graduate program in public health. But less than one hour later, the applicants received another emails saying the acceptance emails were sent by mistake. Julie Kornfeld is the Mailman School’s vice dean for education. She apologized for the mistake and said the school is working to make sure “this mistake does not happen in the future.” Kornfeld said the school regrets the “stress and confusion caused by this mistake.” This is far from the first time a college has sent out “acceptance” notices by mistake. Last year, the State University of New York at Buffalo emailed 5,000 mistaken acceptance notices, the Buffalo News reported. The school quickly corrected the information. The applicants were told they were still being considered for admission, but that no final decision had been made. Time Magazine keeps a list of colleges that mistakenly tell students they were accepted. In 2014, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore sent out acceptance notices to 300 applicants, Time reported. That came as a surprise. Earlier, the students were told their applications had been rejected. The university quickly sent out another notice saying, regrettably, that the first rejection letter was correct. Anna Ivey is a college admission's adviser and a former college admission's officer. She said college officials “live in fear” of making a mistake on something as important as admission to a student’s dream school. But college admissions require “enough human data entry” to produce mistakes, Ivey said. Though such mistakes happen maybe 1 percent of the time, Ivey said, “It's a 100 percent failure rate for that applicant who gets the wrong letter.” For many, a rejection letter from a college they had hoped to attend is the first big disappointment of their young lives. Sue Luse, like Ivey, is a college admission adviser. She advises students to apply to a mix of schools. ”It should include colleges they know are difficult to get into, but others that are more likely to accept them.” Some schools are so selective, she said, that even the top students in their high school class are not guaranteed admission. Sometimes, schools choose students with a talent the university needs. “It could be that the school needs a quarterback for the football team, or they might need a tuba player,” Luse said. It is harder to get in than when parents went to college It is important for parents not to take rejection too hard -- even when children are rejected from schools that they attended, Luse said. Parents should know it is more difficult to get into top colleges. “It might be that when they went to that school, it accepted 30 percent of applicants and now that percentage is down to five percent,” she said. The College Board prepares college entrance exams. It offers this message to students and parents getting bad news from their first college choice. Officials at top colleges say two-thirds of the students they reject have the ability to succeed at their schools. Helping applicants understand they are among many smart people denied admission to top schools can help them better deal with rejection, the College Board said. Ivey, the college adviser, said students need a little time to get over being rejected by their top college choice. “But then they need to get back to work and implement their Plan B,” she said. By Plan B, she means considering other schools, or applying to new schools still accepting applications. 95 of 100 applicants rejected at this California school The acceptance rates are very low at top schools. Stanford University in California reported that it turned down 95 of every 100 people who applied for admission to its current freshman class. The chances of getting in were not much better at other top schools such as Harvard University in Massachusetts and Yale University in Connecticut. Columbia University, which recently sent out the mistaken acceptance notices, only admitted 6 percent of the 36,292 applicants for its 2016 freshman class. But there are schools that take in most applicants and some that accept all students who apply. US News and World Report said that schools that accepted all applicants in 2015 included: The Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California; California State University in Bakersfield, the College of Staten Island in New York City and Herzing University in Wisconsin. I'm Caty Weaver. And I'm Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   applicant - n. someone who formally asks for something, such as a job or admission to a college delight - v. very happy stress - n. a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems or disappointment in life or work confusion - n. a situation in which people are uncertain about what to do or are unable to understand something clearly data - n. acts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something disappointment - n. the state of feeling disappointed or bad about something quarterback - n. an American football player who leads a team's attempts to score usually by passing the ball to other players tuba - n. a large brass musical instrument that is played by blowing air into it and that produces low tones ability - n. knowing how to do something smart - adj. very good at learning or thinking about things implement - v. to carry out a plan

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Disagreements in Everyday Conversation, Part Two

  From VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. Imagine you are at a business meeting in the United States. The meeting is held one day after a major sporting event, like the Super Bowl.  You might hear comments like this: A: Did you see that terrible call the referee made? B: Yes, but it didn't matter. Our team would have lost the game anyway. C: So, anyway, do you think the budget details are correct or not? Why were two of the speakers talking about a football game at a business meeting? How did they use grammar to show disagreement? In our report today, we will answer these questions by exploring the word anyway. We will tell about two ways people use anyway to show disagreement, or contrast, in American English. Anyway Today, we are not talking about the term any way, a noun phrase that has two words – any and way. We are instead talking about anyway, an adverb that is one word. Adverbs are words that change the meaning of adjectives, verbs, or sometimes whole sentences. They tell about a way of doing things, time, reason, and so on. Anyway is a common adverb that you will hear in everyday speech. Like many other adverbs, it can appear at the beginning, middle, and end of a sentence. Its meaning can change depending on where it is found in the sentence. Today, we will consider the use of anyway at the beginning and end of the sentence. Two of the most common uses of anyway in conversation Susan Conrad and Douglas Biber are two experts on English grammar. They say there are two main uses of anyway in everyday conversation. #1 Show contrast with another speaker's point The first use of anyway is to show contrast with another speaker's earlier comments. This does not necessarily mean that one speaker disagrees with another. It just means that one speaker is comparing one idea or thing with another. When anyway has this meaning, it generally appears at the end of the sentence. Here is an example: Passenger: I'm not sure if I have my bus ticket. Bus Driver: That's OK. I'll let you ride anyway. #2 Show that you want to talk about a different topic The second common use of anyway is to show that a speaker wants to talk about a different subject. It could mean that the speaker wants to move back to the main point of discussion. The speaker could also use anyway to show that they think another issue is more important. When anyway has this meaning, it generally is found at the beginning of the sentence. Here is an example. Imagine a group of students are meeting after school to prepare for a biology test. A: What are you doing this weekend? I'm going to a movie. B: I'm going to play video games! C: Anyway, I think we need to go back to studying our biology notes. Think back to the conversation at the beginning of the story Think back to the comments you heard at the beginning of this story. A: Did you see that terrible call the referee made? B: Yeah, but it didn't matter. Our team would have lost the game anyway. C: So, anyway, do you think the budget details are correct or not? You might notice that there are two forms of disagreement or contrast in this example. There are also two uses of the word anyway in the conversation. One speaker uses it to provide a contrasting point about the call the referee made. Another speaker uses anyway to show that she wants to return to the main issue under consideration at a business meeting: the budget. This speaker probably does not believe that the game is an important subject. In this sense, she is showing disagreement or contrast. Anyway and politeness One important point to remember is this: Americans will often use other words in front of words that show contrast or disagreement. Speakers will use these words to soften the sudden or unexpected change in conversation. This is probably why the female speaker uses the word "so" before the word anyway. She is probably expressing annoyance at her coworkers' comments, but does not want to stop them in a very forceful or impolite way. Americans can also use the word "well" before anyway to serve this same purpose – softening a sudden change in the conversation. Using the word anyway at the beginning of the sentence can appear to be impolite at times. How polite or impolite the word sounds might depend on the speaker's voice. It also depends on the person you are speaking to. Here is an example of a softer, more polite way to use anyway when you want to go back to an important subject: "Well, anyway, I would like to go back to the topic we were previously discussing…" And here is a forceful, impolite way to show someone that you want to go back to an important subject. You will notice that the speaker uses the word anyway. "ANYWAY, I want to talk about an important topic." What can you do? These rules are not easy to learn. However, learning them will help you understand Americans when they speak. You will be able to understand disagreements about what is important to discuss, and how to change a topic in a polite way. The next time you are watching an American film or television show, try to study how Americans change subjects or express disagreement. You might notice that they use different or similar grammatical constructions. I’m Jill Robbins. And I'm Phil Dierking.   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   conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people contrast – n. something that is different from another thing phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence 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 annoyance – n. something that causes feelings of slight anger or irritation referee – n. a sports official who has power to make judgments or rulings in a game grammar – n. the study of the classes or words and how they are used impolite – adj. demonstrating or relating to bad behavior

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New Americans Take Oath at George Washington’s Home

Excitement was in the air and on the grounds of Mount Vernon, home of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Friends and family gathered there to watch loved ones become U.S. citizens on the 285th anniversary of Washington’s birthday. Fifty one people, from 31 different countries, would now be citizens of one country, the United States of America. They were continuing the rich American tradition of a nation built by immigrants. But they were taking the oath of citizenship while the country debates President Donald Trump’s order to ban people from seven Muslim-majority countries. Iraq is one of those countries. Omar Khan was born there. He came to the U.S. as a refugee, fleeing his home in Iraq. He says he is “overwhelmed” and happy to be a U.S. citizen. Now he will be able to travel freely with an American passport. He says it is unfair to ban people who are Muslim. “You’re creating a culture of hate in the United States, and you know, we’re always talking about uniting people of the United States. And then you come out with a speech of hate and discrimination, I don’t think that’s that is something that this nation is built on.” He says the travel ban means his mother will not be able to come visit her grandchildren in the U.S. But, Khan adds the Obama administration had denied entry to her before. “Why would you refuse a sixty years old woman to come here and see her grandkids?” Bibi Mariam Jamalzai is also against banning Muslims. On Wednesday she became the last person in her family to become a U.S. citizen. As a Muslim from Afghanistan, she says she does “not like” the new travel ban, but she has “a good feeling” about becoming an American citizen. Standing with their three children, Asmat Jamalzai is happy for his wife. He had helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan and became a U.S. citizen in 2014. He says banning people because of their religion is wrong. “I think the government should based on the US constitution, it shouldn’t ban any one based on their religion. However, I think that the security of the United States is very important, so the government should take some steps to keep Americans safe.” Jamalzai believes some green card holders are afraid that if they go back to their countries to visit family, they will not be able to get back into the U.S. “I think this is a big concern for most people who are green card holders. And they have a big American dream, that it’s a great country now they see some, some hard stuff that they haven’t experienced yet.” In fact, the Associated Press reported that organizations around the country are seeing an increase in people asking questions about becoming U.S. citizens. Organizations in Los Angeles, Maryland and New York that help immigrants from Latin America, Asia and the Middle East all said they have seen an increase in calls and questions about how to become a citizen. Adam Cook was born in England. He stood on George Washington’s lawn – the home of the man who defeated England to gain U.S. independence-- and along with his fellow new Americans, Cook took the oath of citizenship. “So help me God. Congratulations my fellow citizens!” Cook says he wants to help his new country be better. He also opposes the travel ban. “I don’t think that it will be effective. I think that we need to make sure that we treat everyone equal. Everyone was immigrant to begin, and everyone will be coming forward and that’s what makes this a great country and sets the tone for a lot of other countries." Cook points to the many nations represented at the ceremony and says that diversity is “everything about what America is.” He says Americans need to work together “because if we are going to keep… thinking about the bad in people, we’re never going to find the good” in people. The people were given certificates of citizenship and encouraged to register to vote right away. As the music started playing again, the new Americans found their families and friends, and left to start new lives as U.S. citizens. I’m Anne Ball.   Anne Ball reported and wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and find us on Facebook. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   overwhelmed – adj. overcome with emotion discrimination – n. the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people refuse – v. to not allow someone to have (something) green card – n. a card indicating that a person from a foreign country can live and work in the U.S. diversity – n. the quality or state of having many different forms, types, ideas, etc. lawn – n. an area of ground covered with short grass

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Many Arizonans Support Trump’s Presidency

  Many Americans do not trust opinion polls. They are not moved by recent polls on the presidency of Donald Trump. Studies show that, nationwide, 44 percent of those questioned approve of Trump’s actions since taking office in January. But his favorability rating can rise to as high as 52 percent in some areas, depending on whom is questioned. Much of his support comes from rural communities in states like Arizona. In Mohave County, Arizona, three out of four people voted for Donald Trump. That is more than in any other county in Arizona. Many people in Mohave Country believe Trump is doing a good job as president. They agreed with him that bad news about his presidency comes from three sources: the media, members of the Democratic Party and critics who have an interest in keeping things the way they are. Sam Scarmardo owns a gun store and is a Trump supporter. “Sometimes he’s a little bombastic,” he says of Trump. “But behind the bombast and show, there’s a whole lot of thought on what will make America great again, and America does need to be great again.” Arizona is a state with relatively few rules on gun ownership. Scarmardo believes Trump supports gun rights. His store sells silencers for handguns and ammunition to shoppers. They can also sign rental agreements to borrow a high-powered rifle or machine gun. Scarmardo says gun ownership is an American tradition. But he notes, guns are not the top issue for people in Arizona. “Immigration’s number one,” he says. “We have people in this town that are out of work or underemployed, totally unemployed, that can’t feed their own families and we have a terrible influx of illegal aliens.” A community struggling to recover economically The area around Lake Havasu City, in Mohave County, has struggled since the economic crisis of 2008. Lake Havasu became known for its water sports and warm weather in the 1970s. It had many visitors from California, Northern states and even Western Canada. The city is home to the London Bridge, a 19th century structure that once stretched across the River Thames. The bridge now crosses part of the lake, which was created by building a dam on the Colorado River. Scarmardo attends a weekly breakfast with a group of men who support the Republican Party. These people are among the president’s strongest supporters. At one recent gathering, several women were also present. Jeanne Kentch is the Mohave County Assessor. She supports the president’s temporary travel ban on people from seven mainly Muslim countries. A federal court has suspended enforcement of the ban. Kentch says conservatives like her often are accused of being homophobic and sexist. She says the ban’s critics are ignoring that conservatives do not support the legal discrimination against gays and women in many Muslim countries. Another woman at the meeting, Diane Klostermeier, asked, “What is wrong with trying to protect the people from terrorists entering our country?” Some people in Lake Havasu worry that the United States is too divided by politics and culture. Arizona also shares a border with Mexico. One man at the breakfast said he hoped that Trump will repair U.S. relations with Mexico. Those relations have been hurt by Trump’s plan to build a wall along the border and have Mexico pay for it. Gordon Groat, a member of the Lake Havasu City Council, has worked in international trade. He says the wall, “implies strained relations with the entirety of the Western hemisphere through Latin America.” Groat worries that the tension, in his words, “creates a great entrée point for countries like China,” which can then build financial influence in the area. Groat says he trusts that President Trump, as an international businessman, can deal with this complex situation. The voters at the meeting say they believe Trump understands American business and American values. They say, although others are criticizing the president, they are glad to see change brought to Washington, D.C. I’m Mario Ritter.   Mike O’Sullivan reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   bombastic – adj. speech or writing meant to sound important but is not sincere influx – n. the arrival of many people homophobic – adj. afraid of homosexuals implies – v. express something indirectly, to suggest entirety – n. the whole or total amount poll - n. a public opinion study favorability – n. winning approval source – n. cause; beginning

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Millions Watching Giraffe Cam

This is What’s Trending Today. A few days ago, we told you about a young giant panda named Bao Bao. She spent the first three years of her life at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. But this week, she left the United States for her new home in China. Under an agreement between the two countries, panda cubs must be sent to China before they reach the age of 4. Now, many people are following another animal in New York State. A zoo called the Animal Adventure Park has a pregnant giraffe named April. The zoo is in Harpursville, a small community just north of the state’s border with Pennsylvania. Doctors expect April, the giraffe, to give birth to a calf any day now. This will be her fourth calf. Workers have set up a camera, called a “giraffe cam,” to watch April. According to the zoo, since the camera has been in place, millions of people have tuned in to the live video on YouTube. The Animal Adventure Park shared some interesting facts about giraffes. The average calf is about 2 meters tall at birth, and weighs about 70 kilograms. A giraffe’s pregnancy usually lasts about 15 months. Viewers from around the world are watching the live video feed to see if April had the baby yet. One person wrote on Twitter: “all I want is for this giraffe to give birth already."  Another wrote about waking up early on Thursday to see if she missed the birth or not.  But some people were worried when they looked at the park’s YouTube channel and saw a message that it had been taken down because of a violation. Park officials said YouTube was hearing from people who do not like seeing animals in captivity. They said the video showed “nudity or sexual content.” But after a short delay, the live video was operating normally. Jordan Patch is the zoo’s owner. He went on Facebook Live to explain what happened. Patch said the protests “pulled an educational tool away from tens of millions of viewers.”  He added that people should work to protect the natural habitat for animals instead of criticizing his zoo for its camera. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Will you watch the giraffe camera? Let us know in the comments section. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tune-in – v. to watch a television show or listen to a radio broadcast calf – n. the young of some large animals (such as the elephant or whale) habitat – n. the place or sort of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or grows nudity – adj. wearing no clothing

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News Words: Diverse

This week's News Words is about the Academy Award's best actor nominees.

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America's Presidents - John Adams

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