Imprecise Noun Phrases in Conversation

Imagine you hear a group of American teenagers talking. One teenager has received a gift, and his friends are a little jealous. Where did you get that new video game? Yeah! It's expensive - it costs like thirty dollars or something! My mom got it for me. You're lucky – she's always buying you games and stuff like that! In today's report, we are going to learn about video games. Just joking! In fact, we are going to teach you how Americans use certain phrases to show they are uncertain. Sometimes they use these phrases to shorten their sentences, too. These phrases are sometimes called coordination tags. What are coordination tags? In conversation, Americans often use imprecise nouns. Imprecise nouns are nouns that do not represent an exact person or object. Sometimes Americans use these imprecise nouns in phrases. Americans use them to show that they have not identified exactly the noun they are thinking of. Rather than listing a long series of nouns, speakers will often use one noun and then use a coordination tag to show that there are other possible nouns they could have said. So, what do these coordination tags look like? Three common coordination tags Susan Conrad and Douglas Biber are English grammar experts. They write that there are three common coordination tags in conversation. These include or something like that, and things like that, as well as and stuff like that. The words like that can be optional. Sometimes speakers will say them; sometimes they will not. #1 or something (like that) The first common coordination tag is the phrase or something like that. Speakers generally use this phrase when the earlier noun is not exactly what the speaker meant, say Conrad and Biber. Here's an example. Imagine you are listening to strange electronic music. A friend might tell you this: "It sounds like a science fiction movie or something like that." The speaker uses the coordination tag because he thinks that the noun, science fiction movie, is not quite the right noun for the situation. The speaker is able to make a statement while expressing some uncertainty about that statement. #2 and things (like that) The second common coordination tag is the phrase and things like that. Americans generally use this when there are unstated nouns that could be added to the earlier noun. Sometimes speakers will use this to move through a sentence quickly, to avoid listing all of the exact nouns. Consider this example. Imagine you are at a college and a student is telling you about all of the majors at the school of fine arts. "We have a master of arts in painting and things like that." Why did the speaker say and things like that? She used it mainly to shorten the length of her sentence without limiting its meaning too severely. Perhaps she felt that listing every degree at the school would bore the person listening to her. Or perhaps she does not care very much about all of the majors at the school. Regardless of the speaker's opinion, the basic point is this: and things like that is a way to express that there is a long list of exact nouns. #3 and stuff (like that) The third common coordination tag is the phrase and stuff like that. As with things like that Americans use this when there are some unstated nouns. Sometimes speakers will use and stuff like that to refer to nouns that are objects. For example, you might hear an American say, "The restaurant has hamburgers and hot dogs and stuff like that." Here, the speaker is suggesting that the restaurant has common American foods -- hamburgers and hot dogs, most notably. You will notice that the construction and stuff like that has an almost identical meaning to and things like that. They both mean that there are unstated nouns that should be added to the earlier noun. In conversation the phrases things like that and stuff like that are basically the same. What can you do? Now let's think back to the conversation from the beginning of the story. Where did you get that new video game? Yeah! It's expensive - it costs like thirty dollars or something! My mom got it for me. You're lucky – she's always buying you games and stuff like that! You will notice the two examples of coordination tags have slightly different meanings. The first example, or something, shows that the speaker does not know the exact price of the video game. The speaker is able to express some amount of uncertainty while making a statement. The second example, and stuff like that, shows a different meaning: the game was one of a series of gifts that the lucky teenager has received! The coordination tags we have explored today are not only useful in everyday conversation. They can be useful in written communication such as emails or text messages to friends, too. We do not advise using these structures in formal speaking or writing. In general, formal situations call for more exact language. While you might say "We have a master of arts in painting and stuff like that" to a friend who visits your college, you should not say it in a speech to officials at your college. In that setting, it would be better to say "We have a master of arts in painting and many other degrees" or "We have a master of arts in painting, drawing, and filmmaking," for example. The next time you are watching an American film or television show, try to listen for when the speakers use coordination tags like the ones you heard in today's report. Try to listen for other coordination tags, and ask yourself what they might mean. In future Everyday Grammar programs, we will explore parts of speech and other stuff like that. I'm John Russell. And I'm Alice Brant.   John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   expensive – adj. costing a lot of money phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence coordination tag – n. grammar words that show that the speaker has not exactly identified the noun they are thinking of conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people imprecise – adj. not clear or exact  optional – adj. available as a choice but not required quite – adv. exactly or precisely uncertainty – n. something that is doubtful or unknown construction – n. the way words in a sentence or phrase are arranged formal – adj. suitable for serious or official speech and writing  

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

China: Trade War With US Would Harm Both Nations

China is warning about the possible effects of a trade war with the United States. The warning comes as the world’s two biggest economies take steps to improve relations under the presidency of Donald Trump.  Chinese Premier Li Keqiang spoke to news reporters earlier this week in Beijing. He talked about reasons for the two countries to have good relations. He said he was optimistic about ties, but warned that a trade war would hurt American businesses. “We do not want to see any trade war breaking out between the two countries,” Li said. “That would not make our trade fairer and would harm both sides. Our hope on the Chinese side is that no matter what bumps the China-U.S. relationship hits, we hope it will continue to move forward in a positive direction.” Getting personal Recently, Chinese state media have been publishing many stories in support of Li’s position on trade. Some have noted that Trump’s businesses would grow as a result of better economic relations with China. One opinion piece noted the many business interests The Trump Organization has in China. The comments were published in the Communist Party-supported Global Times newspaper. The comments noted the Chinese government’s “preliminary approval” of more than 30 Trump trademarks. Observers were surprised at the approval of so many trademark requests at one time. The requests involved businesses such as golf clubs, hotels and restaurants. The Global Times report agreed with Li that American businesses would suffer if there was a trade war. It said “Trump’s position as U.S. president would not (protect) his business(es) from a trade war with China.” It said his businesses would be harmed just as any other American company would be if relations worsened. The report said Trump’s political skills will be tested by how he works to keep his promise to put “America First” while keeping good relations with China. Tough talk During the 2016 election campaign and since he took office, Trump has strongly criticized China. This has worried Chinese officials. Trump has talked about many issues, including trade, China’s activities in the South China Sea and China’s relations with North Korea. But China is most worried about his threats to name it as a currency manipulator and to require large taxes on Chinese exports to the United States. He has not taken those actions yet. But in April, the U.S. Treasury Department will release a report on currency actions. This all worries Chinese officials even though the two nations are opening contacts with one another. There were reports this week that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jin-Ping could meet in early April. On Saturday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will make his first trip to Beijing. Fairer trade This week, Acting Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton told CNBC television that Tillerson would talk about fair trade. “While we have a very important economic relationship with China, it hasn’t been a level playing field vis-à-vis U.S. companies and U.S. interests,” Thornton said. “We are going to be insisting that there be fair trade measures that be put in place and that be observed and implemented.” Last year, the U.S. trade deficit with China was $347 billion. That was only a little less than the trade deficit in 2015. Li told reporters that China would continue to open up its economy. He said American companies and others were already benefiting. “We may have different statistical methods, but I believe whatever differences we may have, we can always sit down and talk to each other, and work together to reach consensus,” Li said. He said trade and investment between the two countries created more than one million jobs in the United States last year. I’m Caty Weaver.   VOA Correspondent Bill Ide reported this story from Beijing. John Smith adapted his reporting 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   optimistic – adj. having or showing hope for the future; expecting good things to happen bump – n. something that slows the progress of a plan or relationship (often used figuratively in American English) trademark – n. something (such as a word) that identifies a particular company's product and cannot be used by another company without permission currency manipulator – n. a country that takes part in currency intervention or foreign exchange market intervention by putting in place a monetary policy in which the government or the central bank buys or sells foreign currency in exchange for their own domestic currency, usually to influence the exchange rate level playing field – n. a state in which conditions in a competition or situation are fair for everyone vis-à-vis – preposition in relation to; with regard to insist – v. to demand that something happen or that someone do something implement – v. to begin to do or use (something, such as a plan); to make (something) active or effective statistical – adj. relating to numbers that represent a piece of information (such as information about how often something is done, how common something is, etc.) consensus – n. a general agreement about something; an idea or opinion that is shared by all the people in a group    

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

March 16, 2017

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

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2nKf3Or
via IFTTT

America's Presidents - James Monroe

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

Trump Wants Big Increases for Military, Cuts in Foreign Aid

  President Donald Trump Thursday offered his first budget, calling for big increases on military spending and large cuts in foreign aid and other domestic programs. In his budget message, Trump said the spending proposal carries out his campaign promise to protect the American people. “A budget that puts America first must make the safety of our people its number one priority -- because without safety, there can be no prosperity,” Trump said. But the president needs congressional approval to make the major spending changes he is proposing. And Congress is certain to make changes. “It is clear that this budget proposed today cannot pass the Senate,” said Senator John McCain, a Republican from Arizona. A number of leading Republicans, including McCain, came out against big cuts in foreign aid and diplomatic programs -- even before Trump released his spending proposals on Thursday. Many budget proposals by American presidents are declared “dead on arrival.” Norman Ornstein, congressional expert for the American Enterprise Institute, said that will be the case with Trump’s budget proposal -- even with Republican majorities in both houses of Congress. But Jennifer Nicoll Victor, a political scientist at George Mason University in Virginia, expects Trump to get a good part of his spending proposals approved. “The likely prospect of some obstruction in the Senate especially will probably force some compromises, but I would expect them to be on the small side,” Victor said. Trump wants big changes Trump is proposing big changes in America’s government. The president wants to add $54 billion in defense spending, a 10 percent increase, and another $2.8 billion to the Department of Homeland Security. The Homeland Security increases will go largely to add more border patrol agents and to build a wall along the U.S. southern border with Mexico. Those spending increases are offset by cuts of $11 billion from the State Department, $15 billion from Health and Human Services, and $2.5 billion from the Environmental Protection Agency. The proposed budget cuts affect aid to foreign countries, funding for the United Nations and World Bank, medical research, housing for the poor and money to the arts. Federal employee unions warned the budget would force the firing of many federal workers. Some said it would be the largest cut in the American federal workforce since World War II. Trump would end federal funding for 62 agencies and programs, including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and AmeriCorps. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting helps fund programs such as the popular children’s show, “Sesame Street.” AmeriCorps sends volunteers to work on programs that help low-income Americans. Trump’s budget director Mick Mulvaney said the president is putting his campaign proposals into budget numbers. “The President very clearly wants to send a message to our allies and our potential adversaries that this is a strong power administration,” said Mulvaney. “So you have seen money move from soft-power programs, such as foreign aid, into more hard-power programs.” By strong power, Mulvaney meant mostly military and law enforcement. By soft power, he meant programs such as diplomacy and foreign aid. Mulvaney said the administration is willing to work with Congress on changes to the president’s budget. But he said the budget provides enough funding for agencies such as the State Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry out its most important responsibilities. But critics said the cuts go too far. Environmental groups said that the cuts to the EPA mean the agency will not have enough employees to protect Americans from air and water pollution, or carry out the 2016 Paris Climate Change agreement. “Money talks, and Trump’s budget proposal screams that the only thing that matters in his America is corporate polluters’ profits and Wall Street billionaires,” said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, an environmental group. House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, a Republican, said he welcomes Trump’s proposals “to turn the page from the last eight years” of the Obama administration. But Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Trump’s budget would help the wealthy, while cutting programs that help “the middle class and those struggling to get there.” I'm Bruce Alpert. And I'm Jill Robbins.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English based on reports by VOA News, the Associated Press, Reuters and other sources.  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   domestic - adj. of, relating to, or made in your own country priority - n. something that is more important than other things and that needs to be done or dealt with first prosperity - n. the state of being successful usually by making a lot of money prospect - n. the possibility that something will happen in the future obstruction - n. something that blocks something else and makes it difficult for things to move through especially - adv. more than usual potential - adj. capable of becoming real adversary - n. enemy scream - v. to make a very loud sound  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2mz3rxR
via IFTTT

Let's Learn English Lesson 45 This Land is Your Land

Anna and Marsha have vacation at the same time. They are going to go on a "road trip" across the United States. Where will they go? Will they still be friends when the trip is finished?

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2mT9iAE
via IFTTT

Federal Judge Orders Suspension of Trump's Latest Travel Ban

  A United States federal judge in Hawaii has suspended President Donald Trump's new travel ban order. District Judge Derrick Watson announced his ruling Wednesday. The state of Hawaii had appealed to the court for a temporary restraining order on the ban. The judge’s ruling prevents the president’s order from going into effect Thursday. Several states are trying to stop the ban. Federal courts in Maryland and Washington state also heard arguments about the ban on Wednesday. Hawaii argued that the ban discriminates on the basis of nationality. It said the ban would prevent Hawaiians from receiving visits by relatives from the six mostly Muslim countries included in the ban. The state also said the ban would harm its tourism industry and the ability to recruit foreign students and workers. White House spokesman Sean Spicer did not comment when asked about the judge's order. I'm Caty Weaver.   Caty Weaver adapted this article from Reuters and Associated Press reports. Ashley Thompson was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   discriminate - v. to unfairly treat a person or group of people differently from other people or groups tourism - n. the activity of traveling to a place for pleasure recruit - v. to find suitable people and get them to join a company, an organization, the armed forces, etc.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2mQtAe9
via IFTTT

March 15, 2017

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

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

Twitter Update Lets Users Block People and Words

Twitter can be a helpful source of news, information and advice. Twitter can also be annoying, with troll accounts that tweet using hateful words. The site can also be the source of spoilers, posts that tell what happens in a movie or sporting event that you plan to watch. The latest updates to Twitter may solve those problems. The updates let the user block anonymous accounts from appearing in Notifications. Users can also block keywords so that tweets with certain words do not appear in their Twitter stream. Blocking accounts from appearing in your Notifications Everyone who signs up for Twitter is given an image of an egg as a profile photo until a different photo is added to the account. Often, egg accounts are owned by spammers who set up anonymous accounts. Now, you can block those egg accounts so they do not appear in your Notifications. Updates to Twitter also let you control which accounts appear in your Notifications. You can block Notifications from anonymous accounts and from those who have not added a profile picture. And, you can block accounts that do not have a verified phone number or email account. Anyone can set up a Twitter account using a fake email address and profile picture. But faking a phone number is more difficult. If you block anonymous accounts, you will not see tweets in your Notifications from such accounts, even if they use your name. How to block anonymous accounts Here's how you can block anonymous Twitter accounts in Notifications. First, click Settings, then choose which accounts to block.           You can block Notifications from accounts: you do not follow that have a Twitter egg photo that do not have a confirmed email or that do not have a confirmed phone number           What you need to know about blocking accounts from your Notifications If your account shows an egg as the profile photo, you may be blocked from Notifications in many accounts. Add a photo to your Twitter profile if you have not done that yet. Also, add a phone number to your account and confirm your email address to avoid being blocked. Consider whether you would like to block anonymous accounts. By blocking these accounts from Notifications, you will not see as many tweets. You will be blocking not only trolls, but also those who have not yet added a profile picture or linked a phone number or email address to their accounts. Not everyone without a profile photo or email address is a Twitter troll. If your goal is to see all tweets that include your Twitter name, then you may not want to block accounts. Muting keywords Twitter also is now letting you block keywords from appearing in your stream. You can mute words temporarily or permanently. If you do not want to see political tweets ever, for example, you can block political keywords. Maybe you do not want to know the result of a sporting event, or what happens on a favorite television show, before you watch it. You might avoid Twitter so you will not see a tweet with such information. You do not have to avoid Twitter anymore. You can mute keywords temporarily. Now, you can safely go on Twitter without worrying about seeing such spoilers. Twitter lets you mute words, phrases, user names, emojis, and hashtags. Muting is available for all languages that Twitter supports. How to mute keywords Here's how to mute keywords: Click on your profile photo to show a menu. Choose "Settings and Privacy." Choose "Muted Words" in the menu on the left. Add the keywords you would like to mute. You can choose to mute keywords in your Notifications, Timeline or both.         You can also choose how long you want the mute to last. The choices? Forever, 24 hours, seven days, or 30 days. This update is not available to everyone yet. If you do not have the update yet, you may only be able to mute keywords from your Notifications section. After the update, you will be able to mute the keywords from your Twitter stream and choose the time period you would like the mute to be effective. I’m Caty Weaver. And I’m Anne Ball.   Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Will you be blocking anonymous accounts from your Twitter Notifications? Will you be muting keywords from Twitter? What updates would you like to see from Twitter? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   annoy - v. to cause (someone) to feel slightly angry troll - n. a person who tries to cause problems on the Internet by posting messages that cause other people to argue, become angry, etc. spoiler - n. information about the things that happen in a movie, book, etc., that spoils the surprise or suspense for someone who has not seen it or read it yet anonymous - adj. made or done by someone unknown keyword ​- n. a word that is used to find information in a piece of writing, in a computer document, or on the Internet spammer ​- n. a person or organization who shares unwanted articles or emails with others profile ​- n. a description that provides information about someone or something verify - v. to prove, show, find out, or state that (something) is true or correct mute - v. to block words or sounds emoji ​- n. a picture that can be used for communication in text messaging hashtag ​- n. a word or phrase that starts with the symbol # and that briefly indicates what a message (such as a tweet) is about​

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2n18GJA
via IFTTT

Once a US Soldier, Iranian Immigrant Now Serves Veterans

  Assal Ravandi knows service. First, as a soldier in the United States Army in Afghanistan. Now, as a soldier for soldiers at the organization she founded: Academy of United States Veterans. But Ravandi insists that her service has not been selfless. “Serving has always made me feel good and therefore, I consider it to be a self-serving act in a way, while it's still helping others. So, service was something that I thought I would end up doing one way or another.” Ravandi was born in Tehran, Iran. She came with her family to the United States at age 13. She thinks her decision, years later, to join the United States Army was partly inspired by the life she left. “I come from a place where people get killed, prosecuted, imprisoned for every ounce of freedom that they want in life and at the end, when all the blood is shed, and all the people that are imprisoned – you still don’t have it.” Ravandi was 29 when she entered the military. Basic training is always difficult. Ravandi found it especially hard. She was surrounded by enlistees years younger than she. But she says, the experience taught her a lot, especially about herself. “The system was incredibly comprehensive and it  taught me a lot physically, emotionally, mentally. My favorite part in the basic training experience that I had was marksmanship.  I loved shooting my weapon, and I soon learned that I was physically more capable than I thought I was.” But marksmanship did not turn out to be Ravandi’s most important skill during her deployment in Afghanistan. She says, there, her native language, Farsi, proved a more powerful weapon in the effort to serve and protect. Farsi is very similar to Dari, the most common language spoken in Afghanistan. “I was asked to teach infantry soldiers the Farsi language.  The Farsi that I taught was to build relationships. So, the first thing that I would teach them, it was in Dari dialect, which is the primary language of Afghanistan, and I would say, after you meet someone tell them ‘Beysar khosh shodam,’ which means it is nice to meet you. And I think that kindness and that notion, that gesture, can bring people together.” Assal Ravandi was recognized for her work in teaching Farsi to infantry soldiers. Her battalion commander presented her with a medal. Ravandi’s duty in Afghanistan and the Army had a major impact on her. After she left military service she found that nothing else measured up to the work she did as a soldier. “I felt so privileged, so honored to serve in the United States military. I think until I actually got there, I didn’t know it was everything that I ever wanted and to be honest with you, I don’t remember who I was before I was a soldier.” Returning to civilian life was not easy for Ravandi. “I kind of lost myself after my military service. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was just going through the motions, just going through life and I started to suffer from post-traumatic stress.” However, Ravandi did know what she wanted back from Army life. “The one thing that I missed the most, that could make me feel better was the community and camaraderie in the United States military.” So, she recreated it outside of the military by founding the Academy of United States Veterans. The group provides public and media relations support to veteran service organizations, veterans programs and veteran-owned businesses. Its motto? “We serve those, who serve those, who served!” Assal Ravandi says she does not think her story would have been possible in any other country in the world. She still expresses wonder that, in her words, “freedom is something that is just given to you” in the United States. “I take a lot of joy in this incredible life.  This opportunity that’s been given to me and to wake up every day and to know that I have put all the effort, all the thought, all the energy into something and in the end it was worthwhile.” I’m Marsha James. Marsha James wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Next time on People in America, meet Rocky Patel, Owner of Rocky Patel Premium Cigars Inc. Listening Quiz See how well you understand the story by taking this listening quiz. Play each short video and then choose the best answer. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   inspire - v.  to make (someone) want to do something  enlistee – n. a person who signs up for military service camaraderie – n. a feeling of good friendship among the people in a group​ comprehensive – adj. including many, most, or all things​ marksmanship – n. skill in shooting guns​ infantry – n. the part of an army that has soldiers who fight on foot​ gesture – n. something said or done to show a particular feeling or attitude​ primary – adj. most important: main post-traumatic stress – n.  a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault. privilege – n. a special opportunity to do something that makes you proud

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2mtQdS2
via IFTTT

US Charges Russians in 2014 Attack on Yahoo

  The United States has announced charges against four people suspected of stealing information from at least 500 million Yahoo user accounts in 2014. The four are accused of targeting the email accounts of Russian and U.S. government officials, reporters, financial services employees and military personnel, officials said. Assistant Attorney General Mary McCord announced the indictments on Wednesday. She said the defendants are two officers of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and two computer experts who helped them in the attack. The FSB officers, identified as Dmitry Dokuchaev and Igor Sushchin, “protected, directed, facilitated and paid criminal hackers to collect information through computer intrusions in the United States and elsewhere,” she said. One of the hackers, Alexsey Belan, is on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s list of most-wanted cyber criminals. The other, Karim Baratov, was arrested Tuesday in Canada, McCord said. A grand jury in California indicted the four men for computer hacking, economic espionage and other crimes. In the past, the U.S. Justice Department has charged Russian hackers with cybercrime. It has also taken legal action against hackers supported by China and Iran. However, this is the first criminal case brought against Russian government officials. McCord said the FSB officers’ role in the hacking made this crime “much more egregious.” She added, “There are no free passes for foreign state-sponsored criminal behavior.” The indictments come as U.S. officials are still investigating possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Yahoo did not report its 2014 hack until last September. At that time, the Internet service told at least 500 million users that their email addresses, birth dates, and other personal information may have been stolen. Three months later, Yahoo said it found another attack in 2013 affecting about 1 billion accounts. In a statement, Chris Madsen, Yahoo's assistant general counsel told the Associated Press, "We're committed to keeping our users and our platforms secure and will continue to engage with law enforcement to combat cybercrime.” I’m Jonathan Evans.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based reporting from VOA, the Associated Press and Reuters. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   account - n. a record of services used by a customer indictment - n. an official written statement charging a person with a crime hacker - n. a person who secretly gets access to a computer system to get information egregious - adj. very bad address - n. letters, numbers and symbols used to direct an email message platform - n. set of programs that controls computers and networks

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2n1nfgm
via IFTTT