Afghanistan, a Dangerous Place to Be, to Have a Baby

Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to live and have children, says a United Nations report.

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English in a Minute: Jump on the Bandwagon

A "bandwagon" was once a vehicle that carried circus performers. In this idiom, it has a different meaning. Practice using this popular expression with this week's EIM!

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Talking Movies on Words to the Wise

Many of you might watch American movies to help you learn english. I'm Caty Weaver. My colleague Ashley Thompson is here in the studio with me. Hey, Ashley! Hey, Caty! Today on Words to the Wise the two of us are going to talk about movies. Well, not movies directly. We are actually going to talk about how Americans talk about movies. We'll go over some common words and phrases that you might not have heard before -- or maybe some you have heard and wondered about. So, Caty, do you go the movies?  I do! I especially like horror flicks. Ooh, flicks -- that's a good word. Can you explain what it means? Flick is another word for movie. It comes from the word flicker.  Back in the early days of movies the equipment in theaters that they used to show the movies was not very advanced.  So, the film would go from bright to dark very, very quickly.  The light in the film would flicker. So, people called movies "flickers" and then, "flicks." So, it evolved from flicker to flick. Mm-hmm, 'cause we like to shorten words. Yes, we do. Now, when you go to the movie theaters today, you don't see the flicker effect anymore because the machines are much improved, or more advanced. But the name flick for movie has stuck.​ I think it might be losing favor, though. I don't hear young people use the term very much. Cinema is probably going the same way; probably losing favor among young people Right, so the first definition of cinema is movie theater. But it might also mean the art or industry of moviemaking. People might talk about 'American cinema' or '20th century cinema,'  for example. People also use the word "Hollywood" to refer to movies and movie making. Often when they say Hollywood, though, they are talking more about the industry, or the business of making movies. And when they talk about cinema, they are talking more about the art of movie making. Another fun term for Hollywood that you might hear is tinseltown. Tinsel is long narrow strips of shiny metal that we use for decoration. People might put tinsel on Christmas trees. And, actually, it can also be used in clothing, as well. So, does that mean Hollywood is a bright shiny place? I guess, in a way. It is in full of bright and shiny stars -- movie stars. But the name also suggests a falseness. Tinsel is not really a high quality metal, of course. It shines like it's silver or gold but it's definitely not. It's seen kind of as false or fake, and some people might say that about Hollywood in general. So, another term you might hear in movie talk is "blockbuster." It sounds a little dangerous but every filmmaker wants one, right? Yes, definitely. So, if someone calls a movie a blockbuster hit that means it's made a lot of money and its very popular -- many people bought tickets to go see it theaters. This year, in fact, "LaLa Land," that musical, was a huge hit. It was a blockbuster. Definitely, the blockbuster of the year. Right. Another term referring to how a movie does is "sleeper." When a movie is big hit but it wasn't expected to be; or if there wasn't a lot of buzz -- or talk -- about it before it came out but it does really well, it's called a sleeper. Yeah. You might hear this about films that had a lower budget or were not directed by some of the most famous names in Hollywood. They might be independent movies; a lot of them become sleeper hits. Right. Also called "indies." So, sometimes a movie might get a lot of buzz but then it's a flop. Which means it does poorly at the box office and also sometimes with critics, too. A movie that's a big flop is kind of a disaster for its makers. So to flop as a verb means to fall or hang, kind of in a heavy, loose way.  So when a movie flops, it's a very hard fall -- really another way of saying failure. So, we hope this Words to the Wise has not been a flop. We'd love to know what you thought of the show and, also we'd like suggestion for future shows -- what kind of words or phrases you'd like to hear about. I'm Caty Weaver. And I'm Ashley Thompson. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story colleague - n. a person who works with you: a fellow worker​ flicker - v. to burn or glow in an unsteady way : to produce an unsteady light​ buzz - n.  the things that are being said about something​ hit - n. something that is very successful​

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'William Wilson,' by Edgar Allan Poe, Part Three

We present the third of four parts of the short story "William Wilson," by Edgar Allan Poe. The story was originally adapted and recorded by the U.S. Department of State. You will remember that in the last part of my story I told of my experiences in my first school; I spoke of my early meetings with a boy who looked and behaved as I did – whose name was even the same as mine: William Wilson. I told of the night when I went to Wilson’s room, with a plan to hurt him. What I saw that night so frightened me that I left the room and the school forever. As I stood looking down at his sleeping form and face I might have been looking at myself in a looking glass. It was not like this — surely not like this — that he appeared in the daytime. The same name, the same face, the same body, the same day of coming to school! And then his use of my way of walking, my manner of speaking! Was it, in truth, humanly possible that what I now saw was the result and the result only — of his continued efforts to be like me? Afraid, I left the old school and never entered it again. After some months at home, doing nothing, I went to study at the famous school called Eton. I had partly for gotten my days at the other school, or at least my feelings about those days had changed. The truth — the terrible truth — of what had happened there was gone. Now I doubted what I remembered. Now I called the subject into my mind only to smile at the strength of the strange ideas and thoughts I had once had. My life at Eton did not change this view. The fool’s life into which I carelessly threw myself washed away everything that was valuable in my past. I do not wish, however, to tell here the story of my wrongdoing — wrongdoing which went against every law of the school and escaped the watchful eyes of all the teachers. Three years of this had passed and I had grown much larger in body and smaller in soul. Three years of wrongdoing had made me evil. One night I asked a group of friends who were as evil as I to come to a secret meeting in my room. We met at a late hour. There was strong drink, and there were games of cards and loud talking until the new day began appearing in the east. Warm with the wine and with the games of chance, I was raising my glass to drink in honor of some especially evil idea, when I heard the voice of a servant outside the room. He said that someone had asked to speak with me in another room. I was delighted. A few steps brought me into the hall of the building. In this room no light was hanging. But I could see the form of a young man about my own height, wearing clothes like those I myself was wearing. His face I could not see. When I had entered he came quickly up to me, and, taking me by the arm, he said softly in my ear: “William Wilson!” There was something in the manner of the stranger, and in the trembling of his uplifted finger, which made my eyes open wide; but it was not this which had so strongly touched my mind and heart. It was the sound of those two, simple, well-known words, William Wilson, which reached into my soul. Before I could think again and speak, he was gone. For some weeks I thought about this happening. Who and what was this Wilson? — where did he come from? — and what were his purposes? I learned that for family reasons he had suddenly left the other school on the afternoon of the day I myself had left it. But in a short time I stopped thinking about the subject; I gave all my thought to plans for study at Oxford University. There I soon went. My father and mother sent me enough money to live like the sons of the richest families in England. Now my nature showed itself with double force. I threw aside all honor. Among those who spent too much money, I spent more; and I added new forms of wrongdoing to the older ones already well-known at the university. And I fell still lower. Although it may not be easily believed, it is a fact that I forgot my position as a gentleman. I learned and used all the evil ways of those men who live by playing cards. Like such skilled gamblers, I played to make money. My friends trusted me, however. To them I was the laughing but honorable William Wilson, who freely gave gifts to anyone and everyone, who was young and who had some strange ideas, but who never did anything really bad. For two years I was successful in this way. Then a young man came to the university, a young man named Glendinning, who, people said, had quickly and easily become very rich. I soon found him of weak mind. This, of course, made it easy for me to get his money by playing cards. I played with him often. At first, with the gambler’s usual skill, I let him take money from me. Then my plans were ready. I met him one night in the room of another friend, Mr. Preston. A group of eight or ten persons were there. By my careful planning I made it seem that it was chance that started us playing cards. In fact, it was Glendinning himself who first spoke of a card game. We sat and played far into the night, and at last the others stopped playing. Glendinning and I played by ourselves, while the others watched. The game was the one I liked best, a game called “écarté.” Glendinning played with a wild nervousness that I could not understand, though it was caused partly, I thought, by all the wine he had been drinking. In a very short time he had lost a great amount of money to me. Now he wanted to double the amount for which we played. This was as I had planned, but I made it seem that I did not want to agree. At last I said yes. In an hour he had lost four times as much money as before. For some reason his face had become white. I had thought him so rich that losing money would not trouble him, and I believed this whiteness, this paleness, was the result of drinking too much wine. Now, fearing what my friends might say about me, I was about to stop the game when his broken cry and the wild look in his eyes made me understand that he had lost everything he owned. Weak of mind and made weaker by wine, he should never have been allowed to play that night. But I had not stopped him; I had used his condition to destroy him. The room was very quiet. I could feel the icy coldness in my friends. What I would have done I cannot say, for at that moment the wide heavy doors of the room were suddenly opened. Every light in the room went out, but I had seen that a man had entered; he was about my own height, and he was wearing a very fine, long coat. The darkness, however, was now complete, and we could only feel that he was standing among us. Then we heard his voice. In a soft, low, never-to-be-forgotten voice, which I felt deep in my bones, he said: “Gentlemen, I am here only to do my duty. You cannot know the true character of the man who has tonight taken a large amount of money from Mr. Glendinning. Please have him take off his coat, and then, look in it very carefully.” While he was speaking there was not another sound in the room. And as he ended, he was gone!   Download a lesson plan to use with this story here. Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. Have you ever done something even though you knew it was wrong to do? How do you deal with what happens after you do something you know is wrong? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   looking glass - n. an old fashioned term for ‘mirror’ manner - n. the way that something is done or happens wrongdoing - n. behavior that is morally or legally wrong cards – n. a small piece of stiff paper that is marked with symbols or pictures to show its value, comes in a set, and is used for playing games delighted - adj. made very happy; full of great pleasure or satisfaction height - n. a measurement of how tall a person or thing is; the distance from the bottom to the top of a person or thing gentleman - n. a man who treats other people in a proper and polite way gambler - n. someone who plays games in which you can win or lose money or possessions; to bet money or other valuable things paleness - n. the quality of being light in color or lacking color coat - n. an outer piece of clothing that can be long or short and that is worn to keep warm or dry

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Female US Marine Makes History

The life story of Private First Class Maria Daume is very different from anyone else in the United States Marines. She was born in a prison in Siberia. Her parents died when she was two years old. Two years later, she was adopted by Americans. They agreed to take Maria in and treat her as their own child. She moved to the United States, and was raised in New York. Last week, the 19-year-old Maria Daume made history. She completed special training at the Marine School of Infantry in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Daume has done what many people said a woman would never do. She is the first female Marine to join the infantry through the traditional entry-level training process. The system was opened to women just six months ago. Daume told VOA she knows what she did was historic.   “I like to prove people wrong and just because you are a female doesn’t mean you can’t do what a male can do.” The Mortar Marine class that she completed is one of the most difficult in the Marines. And Marine officials say it is becoming even more difficult. Marine Sargent Matthew Schneider was one of Daume’s instructors. He says Daume was a good student. “She was right at the top of the pack.” To pass the training, Daume climbed a 142 centimeter-high wall while carrying all of her equipment. She had to lift a 36 kilogram MK19 heavy machine gun above her head. And she had to complete other gun exercises and skill tests. The completion of Daume’s training came at the same time as a scandal has hit the U.S. Marine Corps. A private Facebook group called “Marines United” has been linked to photographs of military women on social media. The photos show the women wearing little or no clothing. Tens of thousands of Marines and retired Marines reportedly belonged to the Facebook group. Their posts often had sexist, derogatory comments. Some even talked about rape and molestation. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service has launched an investigation, which has reportedly spread to other U.S. military services. General Robert Neller is the Commandant of the Marine Corps. He told members of Congress this month that he was shocked and angered when he heard about the Facebook group. He said some members of the group appeared to “have forgotten that every member of our team is an equal and valued member of our Corps.” “How much more do the females of our Corps have to do to be accepted? We all have to commit to getting rid of this perversion to our culture. Enough is enough!” Experts hope Private First Class Daume’s success will persuade more women to join the Marines despite the scandal. Katherine Kidder is with the Military, Veterans and Society Program of the Center for a New American Security. “This may be the way to bridge the gap and bring more women into the infantry, and therefore make them feel like colleagues with their infantry counterparts.” The U.S. Marines now have four women serving in the infantry. Three are based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Daume and four Marines who completed their infantry training at the same time are now based at Camp Pendleton, near San Diego, California. I’m Dorothy Gundy.   VOA Pentagon Correspondent Carla Babb reported this story from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. John Smith adapted her 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   adopt – v. to take a child of other parents legally as your own child infantry – n. the part of an army that has soldiers who fight on foot instructor – n. a person who teaches a subject or skill; someone who instructs people pack – n. a group of similar people or things scandal – n. an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong derogatory – adj. expressing a low opinion of someone or something; showing a lack of respect for someone or something molest – v. to harm (someone) through sexual contact; to touch (someone) in a sexual and improper way perversion – n. sexual behavior that people think is not normal or natural bridge the gap – expression to make a bridge over or across (something) -- usually used figuratively counterpart – n. someone or something that has the same job or purpose as another  

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Hong Kong’s New Leader to be Chosen Sunday

An electoral committee will meet on Sunday to choose a new chief executive for Hong Kong. That person will serve for five years. Most of the committee’s almost 1,200 members are loyal to the Chinese leadership in Beijing. They are expected to support Carrie Lam, China’s choice for chief executive. Her opponent, John Tsang, is more popular with people in Hong Kong. However, some observers believe the committee is divided. Many people are wondering what effect the election results might have on calls for political reform. The British returned control of Hong Kong to China 20 years ago. Today the former colony remains a mix of East and West. It has its own culture and traditions. Large buses travel through narrow streets. The smell of dried seafood fills the air in many places. And horse racing is popular, just as it was when Hong Kong was a British colony. But some things have changed. Instead of being able to directly elect Hong Kong’s leader, city residents must accept the decision of the committee. China is increasing its control of the city. At the same time, residents seem increasingly disconnected with the government in Beijing. Young people are wondering about the delay of political reforms. Many people in Hong Kong say they want the rule of law, a strong economy and the right to vote for the chief executive. They want someone who will protect the interests of the city of seven million people. Many people believe Hong Kong’s current chief, C.Y. Leung, failed to do so. They launched a series of demonstrations that lasted for months. The protests were called the Occupy Central campaign or Umbrella Movement. In late 2015, some booksellers disappeared. This increased concerns that China’s “one country, two systems” for Hong Kong was becoming “one country, one system.” Pro-democracy activists say they are not afraid to continue their protests if Chinese officials do not listen to them. Yvonne Leung is a former president of the Hong Kong University Students’ Union. She was a leader of students during the Occupy Central campaign. "The Chinese government is trying very hard to combat any democratization movement. But I believe it is very important for Hong Kong people to uphold the core value, because the more aggressive the Chinese government are, the more people will be affected.” Most observers believe Carrie Lam will get a majority of the votes on Sunday. Only about 25% of the electoral committee’s members are supporters of John Tsang. Political observer Dixon Sing says the election is not likely to end political unrest in Hong Kong. “The division will continue, but then it's also a matter of making compromises, including respecting the mainstream public opinions.”   Correspondent Joyce Huang reported this story from Hong Kong. John Smith 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   resident – n. someone who lives in a particular place rule of law – n. a situation in which the laws of a country are obeyed by everyone combat – v. to try to stop (something) from happening or getting worse core – adj. most important or most basic mainstream – n. the thoughts, beliefs and choices that are accepted by the largest number of people

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US Doctors Successfully Operate on Baby With Four Legs

  Doctors at an American hospital have successfully operated on a baby born with four legs and two spines. The 10-month old baby girl is known only as ‘Dominique’ from Ivory Coast. She is reported to be recovering well. Doctors separated her from a parasitic twin in a complex operation on March 8 at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. Hospital officials say the operation lasted six hours. It involved five surgeons and many other healthcare workers. The bottom half of the not-fully-developed twin’s body was sticking out from Dominque’s neck and back. The twin was dependent on Dominque’s body and could not survive independently. Dr. John Ruge is a child care specialist. "This is a situation where identical twins failed to separate.  And, the separation, it can be connected in a variety of different manners." Dominique was born with two spinal columns. Without an operation her life would likely not be a long one with physical problems and pain, doctors said. They were concerned about the pressure put upon Dominique’s back and organs. Doctor Ruge says her heart and lungs were working to support two bodies. "It is as if the twin, from the waist down, had been attached to the back of Dominique's neck.  And, there was a pelvis and bladder, and functional legs that moved, and feet coming out of the back of Dominique's neck.  Now, this made it extremely dangerous for Dominique." Doctors used imaging equipment to create a three-dimensional model of her two spines. A second bladder behind the extra legs had to be removed.   The team of surgeons performed a test operation to prepare for the surgery. In the real operation, doctors disconnected nerves and blood passages to prevent feelings of numbness or even paralysis.   Dr. Frank Vicari was also part of the surgical team. "So, we took her to the operating room.  We approached the problem, the critical part being at the base of the junction of the two spines and the abnormal pelvis.  And, once we had control of that, I think it was pretty clear to most people in the operating room that we were going to be able to accomplish this surgery." Dominique was able to sit up the day after the surgery and was released from the hospital five days later. She is now recovering at the home of a foster family in Chicago. They will care for her until she is well enough to return home to her family in Africa. Doctors do believe that baby Dominique will be able to have a normal and productive life. I’m Marsha James.   Victor Beattie reported on this story. Marsha James adapted this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   spine – n. backbone; the connected bones down the middle of the back parasitic – n. of or related to an organism living in, with or on another organism twin – n. one of two persons produced at a birth three-dimensional – adj. having or appearing to have length, width and depth numbness – n. the not able to move paralysis – n. a condition in which you are unable to move or feel all or part of your body approach – v. to move or become nearer to something or someone junction – n. a place where two things join foster family – n. a family that cares for a child for a short time We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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March 24, 2017

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

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English @ the Movies: 'Power Nap'

Today on English @ the Movies we talk about the saying "power nap" from the movie "The Boss Baby." This is a funny cartoon movie about a boy who gets a new baby brother-- who looks, and sounds, like a little man. Check out the video, take the quiz and see if you know what "power nap" means!

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Explainer: FISC Warrant

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America's Presidents - John Quincy Adams

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