English in a Minute: Bigger Fish to Fry

Fried fish is a popular food in America and around the world. But does this expression have anything to do with eating seafood? Watch this week's EIM to find out!

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2lqPw0d
via IFTTT

News Words: Surreal

What does surreal mean? Find out in this week's News Words.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2mC9oh5
via IFTTT

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

We present the last of three parts of the short story "The Fall of the House of Usher," by Edgar Allan Poe. The story was originally adapted and recorded by the U.S. Department of State. I was visiting an old friend of mine, Roderick Usher, in his old stone house, his palace, where a feeling of death hung on the air. I saw how fear was pressing on his heart and mind. Now his only sister, the lady Madeline, had died and we had put her body in its resting place, in a room inside the cold walls of the palace, a damp, dark vault, a fearful place. As we looked down upon her face, I saw that there was a strong likeness between the two. “Indeed,” said Usher, “we were born on the same day, and the tie between us has always been strong.” We did not long look down at her, for fear and wonder filled our hearts. There was still a little color in her face and there seemed to be a smile on her lips. We closed the heavy iron door and returned to the rooms above, which were hardly less gloomy than the vault. And now a change came in the sickness of my friend’s mind. He went from room to room with a hurried step. His face was, if possible, whiter and more ghastly than before, and the light in his eyes had gone. The trembling in his voice seemed to show the greatest fear. At times he sat looking at nothing for hours, as if listening to some sound I could not hear. I felt his condition, slowly but certainly, gaining power over me; I felt that his wild ideas were becoming fixed in my own mind. As I was going to bed late in the night of the seventh or eighth day after we placed the lady Madeline within the vault, I experienced the full power of such feelings. Sleep did not come — while the hours passed. My mind fought against the nervousness. I tried to believe that much, if not all, of what I felt was due to the gloomy room, to the dark wall coverings, which in a rising wind moved on the walls. But my efforts were useless. A trembling I could not stop filled my body, and fear without reason caught my heart. I sat up, looking into the darkness of my room, listening — I do not know why — to certain low sounds which came when the storm was quiet. A feeling of horror lay upon me like a heavy weight. I put on my clothes and began walking nervously around the room. I had been walking for a very short time when I heard a light step coming toward my door. I knew it was Usher. In a moment I saw him at my door, as usual very white, but there was a wild laugh in his eyes. Even so, I was glad to have his company. “And have you not seen it?” he said. He hurried to one of the windows and opened it to the storm. The force of the entering wind nearly lifted us from our feet. It was, indeed, a stormy but beautiful night, and wildly strange. The heavy, low-hanging clouds which seemed to press down upon the house, flew from all directions against each other, always returning and never passing away in the distance. With their great thickness they cut off all light from the moon and the stars. But we could see them because they were lighted from below by the air itself, which we could see, rising from the dark lake and from the stones of the house itself. “You must not — you shall not look out at this!” I said to Usher, as I led him from the window to a seat. “This appearance which surprises you so has been seen in other places, too. Perhaps the lake is the cause. Let us close this window; the air is cold. Here is one of the stories you like best. I will read and you shall listen and thus we will live through this fearful night together.” The old book which I had picked up was one written by a fool for fools to read, and it was not, in truth, one that Usher liked. It was, however, the only one within easy reach. He seemed to listen quietly. Then I came to a part of the story in which a man, a strong man full of wine, begins to break down a door, and the sound of the dry wood as it breaks can be heard through all the forest around him. Here I stopped, for it seemed to me that from some very distant part of the house sounds came to my ears like those of which I had been reading. It must have been this likeness that had made me notice them, for the sounds themselves, with the storm still increasing, were nothing to stop or interest me. I continued the story, and read how the man, now entering through the broken door, discovers a strange and terrible animal of the kind so often found in these old stories. He strikes it and it falls, with such a cry that he has to close his ears with his hands. Here again I stopped. There could be no doubt. This time I did hear a distant sound, very much like the cry of the animal in the story. I tried to control myself so that my friend would see nothing of what I felt. I was not certain that he had heard the sound, although he had clearly changed in some way. He had slowly moved his chair so that I could not see him well. I did see that his lips were moving as if he were speaking to himself. His head had dropped forward, but I knew he was not asleep, for his eyes were open and he was moving his body from side to side. I began reading again, and quickly came to a part of the story where a heavy piece of iron falls on a stone floor with a ringing sound. These words had just passed my lips when I heard clearly, but from far away, a loud ringing sound — as if something of iron had indeed fallen heavily upon a stone floor, or as if an iron door had closed. I lost control of myself completely, and jumped up from my chair. Usher still sat, moving a little from side to side. His eyes were turned to the floor. I rushed to his chair. As I placed my hand on his shoulder, I felt that his whole body was trembling; a sickly smile touched his lips; he spoke in a low, quick, and nervous voice as if he did not know I was there. “Yes!” he said. “I heard it! Many minutes, many hours, many days have I heard it — but I did not dare to speak! We have put her living in the vault! Did I not say that my senses were too strong? I heard her first movements many days ago — yet I did not dare to speak! And now, that story — but the sounds were hers! Oh, where shall I run?! She is coming — coming to ask why I put her there too soon. I hear her footsteps on the stairs. I hear the heavy beating of her heart.” Here he jumped up and cried as if he were giving up his soul: “I tell you, she now stands at the door!!” The great door to which he was pointing now slowly opened. It was the work of the rushing wind, perhaps — but no — outside that door a shape did stand, the tall figure, in its grave-clothes, of the lady Madeline of Usher. There was blood upon her white dress, and the signs of her terrible efforts to escape were upon every part of her thin form. For a moment she remained trembling at the door; then, with a low cry, she fell heavily in upon her brother; in her pain, as she died at last, she carried him down with her, down to the floor. He too was dead, killed by his own fear. I rushed from the room; I rushed from the house. I ran. The storm was around me in all its strength as I crossed the bridge. Suddenly a wild light moved along the ground at my feet, and I turned to see where it could have come from, for only the great house and its darkness were behind me. The light was that of the full moon, of a bloodred moon, which was now shining through that break in the front wall, that crack which I thought I had seen when I first saw the palace. Then only a little crack, it now widened as I watched. A strong wind came rushing over me — the whole face of the moon appeared. I saw the great walls falling apart. There was a long and stormy shouting sound — and the deep black lake closed darkly over all that remained of the House of Usher.   Download a lesson plan to use with this story here. Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. How do you act in scary situations? How do you in act in very sad situations? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   palace – n. the official home of a king, queen, president, or other official vault – n. a locked room where money or valuable things are kept likeness - n. the quality or state of being alike or similar especially in appearance ghastly – adj. very shocking or horrible trembling – v. shaking slightly because you are afraid, nervous, or excited certain – adj. used to refer to a quality that is noticed but that is difficult to explain or describe horror – n. a very strong feeling of fear, dread, and shock doubt – n. a feeling of being unsure about something rush – v. to move or do something very quickly or in a way that shows you are in a hurry figure - n. a person or animal that can be seen only as a shape or outline grave – n. a hole in the ground for burying a dead body

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2m540S8
via IFTTT

Cherry Blossoms Will Come Out Early in Washington

  This is What’s Trending Today. One of the most popular events in Washington, D.C. each year is the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It takes place in early April. People from around the world come to see the beautiful pink and white blossoms on almost 1,700 flowering cherry trees. The city’s first cherry trees were a gift from Japan to the United States in 1912. About 100 of them are still alive. They are planted in Southwest Washington, along the Potomac River and a body of water called the Tidal Basin. The cherry trees are a short walk from a number of major monuments, like the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument. Over 1 million people travel to Washington each year to see the trees. However, there is a small problem. The weather in Washington has been unusually warm the past few weeks. On March 1, the temperature rose to about 27 degrees Celsius! Small buds can already be seen on the cherry trees. These growths will turn into flowers sooner than usual. In fact, this may be the earliest year ever for cherry blossoms. Experts say the trees will look their best between March 14 and March 17. The U.S. National Park Service says that may break the record of March 15, set in 1990. Many people would like to see the blossoms come later. One Facebook user says Washington needs a break from large crowds. Jack Potter wrote: “we just had the inauguration, we don’t need more tourists!”  Twitter user April Wolfe is worried that the early bloom is evidence of climate change. She wrote: “I want to like this, because who doesn’t like cherry blossoms? But then I think #climatechange.”  The cherry blossoms are fragile. They do not last long and easily break apart. High winds or a heavy rain storm can knock them off the trees. That is why there are still a lot of springtime events planned to celebrate the ties between Japan and the United States. If you like things that fly high in the sky, there is the Blossom Kite Festival on April 1 and 2. And the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade will take place on April 8. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. His report was based on information from the Associated Press and the Washington Post newspaper. George Grow was the editor. Do you think the cherry blossoms will come early this year? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   blossom – n. a flower especially of a fruit tree festival – n. a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something monument – n. a building, statue, etc., that honors a person or event bud – n. a small part that grows on a plant and develops into a flower, leaf, or new branch tourist – n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2mVJMYC
via IFTTT

China Replaces Commerce Minister as Trump Repeats Threat

President Donald Trump made news last week when he repeated his belief that China is a currency manipulator. His comments came weeks after many observers felt that United States and Chinese officials had decided to delay action on the issue. And they were made hours after the new U.S. Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, said China would not be punished. Trump said the Chinese are, in his words, “grand champions at manipulation of currency. So I haven’t held back. We’ll see what happens.” The Reuters news agency reported the comments. The U.S. Treasury Department is expected to make a decision on the issue on April 15th. But Mnuchin may be forced to provide details of the Trump administration’s plans when finance ministers meet in Germany later this month. The meeting is for representatives of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies. Many economists believe China’s money, the yuan, is not being devalued on purpose -- as it has been in recent years. Last year, the International Monetary Fund said the value of the yuan was at the right level for an economy the size of China’s. In other words, the Chinese government was not taking steps to force down the yuan’s value. Kaushik Basu is a former chief economist at the World Bank. He now teaches at Cornell University in New York State. Basu told VOA “there is no evidence of currency manipulation (by China) in recent times beyond the occasional buying and selling of foreign exchange to stabilize volatilities, which all countries -- rich and poor -- do. I hope the U.S. (does) not (name) China a currency manipulator, which would not be right and would also unleash destabilizing forces in foreign exchange markets the world over.” The U.S. Treasury normally uses a three-part test to decide if a country is taking steps to influence the value of its money. Scott Kennedy directs the project on Chinese business and political economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. He said that if the Treasury Department uses the test, it will not find that China is a currency manipulator because China meets only one of the three parts. But Kennedy thinks the administration could decide not to use the test. In his words, “the ultimate decision will turn on broader U.S. policy toward China, which is still being decided.” China announced last Friday it was removing Gao Hucheng as Minister for Commerce. The move came after Trump repeated his threat of declaring China a currency manipulator. China watchers are not sure if President Xi Jinping decided to replace Gao as part of the government’s preparations to deal with economic disputes with the United States. They say Gao may have been replaced only because he was close to the age at which the Communist Party directs officials to retire. Kennedy says the decision “suggests the commerce minister has reached retirement age and Xi is starting to consider the composition of the Cabinet for his second term. Zhong Shan (the new commerce minister) may or may not stay on.” The American Chamber of Commerce in China said 25 percent of American companies in China have moved their operations out of the country or are planning to do so. Kennedy said this is a result of worsening investment conditions in China and stronger controls on money. Jacob Kirkegaard is an economist at the Peterson Institute of International Affairs. He says that “as Chinese growth slows and financial risks increase, many foreign investors will rightly ask if their investments in China continue to be justified by the ‘ooh, it’s a billion people so we gotta be there’ factor. If foreign businesses don’t make much money in China, he notes, they will stop coming.” I’m John Smith.    Saibal Dasgupta reported this story for VOANews.com from Beijing. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the story 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   currency manipulator – n. also called currency intervention or foreign exchange market intervention. A monetary policy action taken by a government: a central bank -- or the government itself -- buys or sells foreign currency in exchange for their own domestic currency, usually to influencing the exchange rate occasional – adj. happening or done sometimes but not often; not happening or done in a regular or frequent way stabilize – v. to make (something) steady volatile – adj. likely to change in a very sudden or extreme way unleash – v. to allow or cause (something very powerful) to happen suddenly composition – n. the combination of parts or elements that make up something factor – n. something that is considered or included (something) in making a judgment or calculation  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2m57Dr9
via IFTTT

'America's Library' to Expand Access to Collections

  The Library of Congress is using technology to make its collections available to people across the United States and around the world. The library is the main research center of the United States Congress. It has books, recordings, photographs and newspapers. The library also has maps, sheet music and even baseball cards among its collections. It is the largest library in the world. Five months ago, President Barack Obama named Carla Hayden as Librarian of Congress. She is both the first woman and the first African-American to be appointed to the position. Most who held the job before her were politicians or came from the world of education. But Hayden has worked as a librarian. She led a large library in Baltimore, Maryland. Before that, she served as chief librarian for the public library in Chicago, Illinois. She was also president of the American Library Association. The Library of Congress has been criticized in recent years for a lack of leadership and for being slow to accept new technologies. The library was created more than 200 years ago as a place where members of Congress could find information. Its workers also provide research for U.S. lawmakers and their aides. Today, the Library of Congress is considered America’s library. It has more than 160 million items. They include more than 30 million books and print materials from around the world in more than 450 languages. The library also has a Gutenberg Bible produced in the 1400s, and the world’s largest comic book collection. Hayden says the library adds at least 10,000 items to its collections every work day. The general public can see materials in the library’s reading rooms, but is not permitted to take them off the grounds. Hayden wants to change that by making them available online and through other technologies. Hayden says she wants the library “to open its arms to people around the world, to let people know it is available to them.” “We have things on our website that bring the collections to people wherever they are. They can download materials. They can participate -- and we just added, this is pretty exciting, a 3D virtual reality tour where you can put the goggles on and you can physically tour the buildings.” Hayden also wants the Library of Congress to make its materials available across the country through traveling demonstrations. “Actually taking an 18-wheeler truck and loading it up with facsimiles -- sometimes there’ll be electronic information and devices on those trucks -- and actually going into communities.” I’m Caty Weaver.   VOA Correspondent Deborah Block reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the story 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   access -- n. a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone​ library -- n. a place where books, magazines, and other materials (such as videos and musical recordings) are available for people to use or borrow​ item -- n. an individual thing: a separate part or thing​ participate -- v. to be involved with others in doing something : to take part in an activity or event with others​ tour -- n. an activity in which you go through a place (such as a building or city) in order to see and learn about the different parts of it​ goggles -- n. special eyeglasses that fit close to your face​ mobile -- adj. able to move from one place to another​ facsimile -- n. an exact copy​

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2lEPBc0
via IFTTT

March 3, 2017

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

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2mVS0Qp
via IFTTT

Former CIA Head: Kim's Murder Designed to Remove Rival

A former acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency recently spoke to VOA about the killing of Kim Jong Nam in Malaysia. He said the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was murdered to stop any effort to remove the current leadership of the country. Forty-five-year-old Kim Jong Nam died on February 13th. Malaysian officials say two women poisoned him at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. Police say the women put VX nerve agent on Kim’s face. VX is a very powerful chemical weapon banned by the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention. Police in Kuala Lumpur arrested the women and a North Korean citizen last month. On Friday, Malaysia’s national police chief said the North Korean held in connection with the case had been released. However, Malaysian officials say they want to talk to seven other North Koreans -- including a diplomat based in Kuala Lumpur. Police in Malaysia have not said that North Korea planned or carried out the murder. A North Korean official suggested that Kim Jong Nam died of a heart attack. Malaysia’s national police chief said that was not the case according to police experts. The South Korean government has accused the North Korean leader of ordering the killing of his half-brother. John McLaughlin was the acting director of the CIA from July to September 2004 and the deputy director from 2000 to 2004. He worked at the CIA for 30 years. He says North Korea likely planned and carried out the attack because of the method used by the women.   “It’s very hard for someone not connected to a state entity -- a nation-state -- to obtain the kind of poison that was apparently used.” At one time, Kim Jong Nam was believed to be the choice of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il to rule the country. Kim Jong Il was the leader of North Korea from 1994 until he died in 2011. Kim Jong Nam has lived outside of North Korea since 2001. McLaughlin now teaches at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He told VOA that the reason Kim Jong Nam was killed was “the North Korean leadership wanted to make sure there is not an alternative readily available (to replace) Kim Jong Un.” McLaughlin said the North “particularly would want to make sure that China would not have someone handy that they could install in the event Kim Jong Un was removed or fell from power.” The murder has caused many to wonder if the North Korean leadership is stable. But McLaughlin said it is important not to speculate about the North’s leadership. However, he said a series of executions carried out by Kim Jong Un since he became the head of the government could mean he might not have complete control over the country. The killing was reported throughout the world because it took place at one of the busiest airports in Asia. Many observers asked why such a place was chosen. “It’s probably seen as a more, a place where what they were doing would be less easily noticed just from the general turmoil of an airport.” McLaughlin called the attack an “alarming event” because the banned chemical is believed to have been used in a public place to kill someone. Experts say China wanted Kim Jong Nam to be a member of the North Korean leadership. So, McLaughlin says, his murder puts China in a difficult position. McLaughlin said the United States should name North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism if it is found to be responsible for the killing. The United States named the North a state sponsor of terrorism after it was determined that it bombed a South Korean airliner in 1987, killing 115 crew and passengers. In 2008, the U.S. said the North was no longer a terrorism sponsor. This removal from the list of countries that support terrorism was part of an agreement in which the North agreed to disable its plutonium plant and permit some inspections of its nuclear facilities. After reports of the killing in Kuala Lumpur, some American lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to cancel that decision. I’m John Smith.   VOA News Writer Jenny Lee reported this story from Washington. John Smith adapted the story for Learning English. Mario Ritter 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   nerve agent – n. a poison that is used as a weapon in war entity – n. an organization; something that exists by itself; something that is separate from other things alternative – n. something that can be chosen instead of something else; a choice or option handy – adj. near or close install – v. to put (someone) in an official or important job speculate – v. to think about something and make guesses about it; to form ideas or theories about something usually when there are many things not known about it sponsor – n. supporter

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2lIbvfg
via IFTTT

English @ the Movies: 'It's Revolutionary'

Today on English @ the Movies we talk about the saying "it's revolutionary" from the movie "The Founder." This movie is about the people who started a famous fast food restaurant. Do you know what "it's revolutionary" means? Watch our video to see if you get it right!

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2mncdC6
via IFTTT

'The Fall of the House of Usher' by Edgar Allan Poe, Part 3

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2lDfnNA
via IFTTT

America's Presidents - Thomas Jefferson

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2lmoiYI
via IFTTT