Iraq, US Investigate Mass Civilian Deaths in Mosul

  The U.S. led coalition in Iraq says it is investigating reports that coalition airstrikes killed as many as 100 civilians in western Mosul this month. Military officials called the death of civilians in Iraq's northern city of Mosul "a terrible tragedy." The U.S. Defense Department has said an early examination showed coalition warplanes attacked at the place where civilians reportedly were killed on March 17. Iraqi forces, with coalition air support, are working to capture western Mosul from Islamic State fighters. The Islamic State group has controlled the area since 2014. The head of U.S. Central Command said Sunday that coalition forces will continue taking what he called "extraordinary measures to avoid harming civilians." General Joseph Votel said, "While Iraq's security forces are making measurable progress, the fight in Mosul is a difficult one, and particularly because the enemy operates amongst the civilian population.” The Iraqi military has suggested that Islamic State fighters were responsible for the deaths on March 17. It said new evidence suggests that Islamic State fighters placed explosives at the site. The Iraqi military’s Joint Command said, "All of [the building's] walls were rigged with bombs and there is no hole or signs that it was an airstrike target." More than 500,000 civilians are believed to be living in Islamic State-held areas of Mosul.  Reports say Islamic State extremists use civilians as human shields against Iraqi forces. VOA spoke Sunday to  28-year-old Ammar Hazzim who had just arrived at a refugee camp near Mosul. He said, “We tried to run the day before yesterday, but Islamic State militants executed 21 people that day for fleeing, including women. Today, we decided we had to go.” Hazzim said there had been much violence in his neighborhood, called New Mosul, in the past month. He said an airstrike there 40 days ago killed his brother and his brother’s three children.  Hazzim’s family said the airstrikes, car bombings, executions and suicide attacks have turned the area into a disaster zone. Other families fleeing western Mosul this week agree. Hazzim’s brother Lazem added, “The militants gather families into small areas. The families hide in the basements and the airplanes don’t see them. They are hidden.” “In western Mosul, there is no place to strike without hitting families,” he said.   Caty Weaver adapted this for Learning English from VOANews reports. Mario Ritter was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   particularly – adv. more than usually rig – v. to put something secretly in (a place) — usually + with shield – n. something that defends or protects someone or something casualty – n. a person who is hurt or killed during an accident, war, etc. zone – n. an area that is different from other areas in a particular way basement – n. the part of a building that is entirely or partly below the ground  

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Shell Scientist Says Company Hid Nigeria Oil Spill Dangers

A German scientist working for Royal Dutch Shell believes the oil company’s businesses in Nigeria “fiercely opposed” environmental testing. The scientist, Kay Holtzmann, also accused the businesses of hiding information. He said it shows that thousands of Nigerians are being exposed to health dangers because of a delay in efforts to clean-up the worst oil spills in Nigeria’s history. Holtzmann noted that an environmental study found extremely high pollution levels with soil full of hydrocarbons. The people of Bodo in the Niger Delta should get urgent medical tests, he added. The Associated Press, or AP, says his comments were in a letter written to the Bodo Mediation Initiative. The group was set up to make sure the cleanup follows international requirements. Shell had no immediate reaction when asked by the AP for comment. The cleanup operation stopped 17 months ago. Those efforts were part of a British settlement requiring the company to pay $83.5 million to 15,600 fishermen and farmers for damages. The court ruled that old pipes were to blame for oil spills in 2008 and 2009. The oil damaged thousands of hectares of coastal plant life and waterways. Lawyers claimed that as much as 500,000 barrels of oil polluted the area. Shell officials said it was only 1,640 barrels. The company initially offered the community $50,000 for the damage. The settlement was reached through the British law office Leigh Day. The office said on Friday it has received no reaction to a January letter it wrote to Shell requesting more information from Kay Holtzmann. The Dutch-British oil company was paying him to direct the cleanup operations. "Leigh Day has been pushing for the cleanup of Bodo,” the letter said. The letter also stated Leigh Day has requested health exams for the population and tests of the water supply since 2011. Leigh Day’s letter also noted that the Holztmann letter proves even people working for Shell are concerned about its behavior. The letter warns that children washing up in creeks are risking harm from dangerous substances. People who drink from hand-dug wells are also at risk, it said. In a statement, rights group Amnesty International called Shell "deeply irresponsible.” It added: “Shell has a responsibility to share this information with the community to ensure they can take steps to protect themselves and their children.” The Dutch government began supervising cleanup efforts in June 2015, but community disagreements and labor problems stopped the efforts. Holtzmann's letter urges a representative of the Bodo Mediation Initiative to publish the information. The letter notes that the initiative wanted the tests – against strong opposition from the Shell Petroleum Development Company, or SPDC. Nigeria is one of Africa's largest oil producers. The Nigerian government is the majority owner of SPDC. The environmental tests were done in August 2015 with support from Royal Dutch Shell's headquarters in The Hague, the letter said. Holtzmann said he wanted to publish the study findings in a scientific magazine last year, but Shell stopped him. Shell officials said his work agreement with the company did not permit publication. An official from the Bodo Mediation Initiative said that the local population’s health will be better served by restarting the cleanup work. Bodo is part of Ogoniland, where the failure to clean up oil spills was called an environmental scandal in 2011 by the United Nations Environment Program. The U.N. agency reported pollution levels so high that it could take 30 years to renew the land. I’m Alice Bryant.   The Associated Press reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted the report 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   hydrocarbon - n. a substance, such as coal or natural gas, that contains only carbon and hydrogen creek - n. a small waterway scandal - n. an incident in which people are shocked because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong expose - v. to make known; to make public barrel - n. the amount of oil in a large container (160 liters or 42 gallons of petroleum)

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March 27, 2017

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

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Girls Kept Off Airplane Because of Their Clothing

  This is What’s Trending Today. United Airlines barred two young women from boarding their flight Sunday morning because of the kind of pants they were wearing. Many people on social media are talking about the decision. Most say the girls did nothing wrong. The airline says it made the decision because the girls were wearing leggings. Leggings are pants that are made of a material that stretches to fight tightly around the legs. They are a popular kind of clothing for women and girls. That kind of clothing is not in line with its dress code, United says. Places like restaurants and offices sometimes enforce dress codes. For example, a nice restaurant may require men to wear a suit jacket at dinner. The girls were traveling from Denver, Colorado, to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their story spread quickly after another United passenger, Shannon Watts, tweeted that the girls had been asked to change out of their leggings in order to get on the plane. Watts, an activist and popular Twitter user, started tweeting about the incident early on Sunday morning.  Soon enough, it became a major news story. Celebrities as well as other airlines expressed their opinions about women’s clothing. Chrissie Teigen is a well-known model. She said she has flown on United Airlines before without wearing pants. She wrote that she instead wore a long shirt as a dress.  Actress Patricia Arquette wrote that the girls were probably dressed appropriately for their age.  And Delta Air Lines wrote: “Flying Delta means comfort. (That means you can wear your leggings.)”  United Airlines said on its Twitter page that it has the right to prevent people from getting onto their airplanes if they are not dressed properly.  United later explained that the girls were traveling as guests of an employee for free. It has a dress code that applies to passengers who are employees or guests of employees.   But the explanation did not seem to help. Social media users continued to criticize the airline and its policies on clothing. Some people said the policy did not represent current fashion styles or trends. But others said the airline could set rules for passengers however it wanted. The debate continued on Monday. Shannon Watts told one newspaper she thought that United Airlines had applied the dress code too strictly. She also said that she had seen a man wearing shorts board the plane without a problem. “I'd be interested in knowing how often they do this for little boys," she asked the New York Daily News. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English based on reports USA Today, the New York Daily News and NPR. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Are leggings appropriate clothing for airplanes? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   dress code – n. a set of rules about what clothing may and may not be worn at a school, office, restaurant, etc. trend – n. something that is currently popular or fashionable apply – v. to have an effect on someone or something shorts – n. short pants that reach down to the knees strict – adj. used to describe a command, rule, etc., that must be obeyed activist – n. a person who uses or supports strong actions (such as public protests) to help make changes in politics or society

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Forbes’ Yearly Billionaires List Hits Record High

  Forbes Magazine released its yearly list of the richest people in the world. There are more billionaires than ever before - a record 2,043 billionaires on Earth. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, once again, is number one, his fourth straight year at the top. The magazine reports his wealth to be a cool $86 billion. The estimate is up $11 billion from last year. Businessman Warren Buffett, re-gained his number two position on the list this year with $75.6 billion. Another American Jeff Bezos is at third place with the biggest jump in wealth. The creator of the online market Amazon is $27.5 billion richer this year. The entrepreneur has $72.8 billion, according to Forbes. Spain’s Amancio Ortega, the founder of the women’s clothing retailer Zara, was in second place last year. His fortune rose by $4.3 billion in a year. Ortega is listed in fourth place with $71.3 billion. The rest of the top ten is filled with familiar names. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, at the age of 32, is in fifth place. The others are Carlos Slim Helu from Mexico, Larry Ellison of the technology company Oracle, American brother businessmen Charles and David Koch, and New York City's former mayor Michael Bloomberg. All 10 have two things in common – they are white and they are men. There are 227 women on the list this year. They own a combined $853 billion.  The first woman on the list is Frenchwoman Liliane Bettencourt, who owns a third of L’Oréal cosmetics. Bettencourt is worth about $40.7 billion. American Alice Walton of Wal-Mart is the only other woman in the top twenty. She lost about $25 million over the last year. Now, she has to get by with just $34.4 billion. Out of 2,043 billionaires, 10 are black. Aliko Dangote of Nigeria is the richest of the group. He is number 107 on Forbes list. His estimated net worth is 12.2 billion dollars.The richest man in Africa, he owns a multinational cement business and has interests in agricultural products. The Asia-Pacific area has more billionaires than any other region, with 720 names on the list. But the United States has more billionaires than any other country, says Forbes. Among the Americans on the list is the U.S. president. Donald Trump, the magazine says, dropped more than 100 spots to number 544 this year. But, he also made history. He is the first American president to be named to the list. Forbes says Trump’s net worth is down to $3.5 billion, the result of a downturn in New York’s real estate business. But, during Trump's campaign for the presidency, his advisors said he was worth $10 billion.  I'm Caty Weaver.   Caty Weaver wrote this story with reporting from Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story cool - adj. used for emphasis in referring to a large amount of money​ cosmetics - n. substances (such as a cream, lotion, or powder) that you put on your face or body to improve your appearance; makeup​ entrepreneur - n. a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money​ retailer - n. a person or business that sells things directly to customers for their own use​ cement - n. a soft gray powder that is mixed with water and other substances to make concrete​ real estate - n. the business of selling land and buildings​  

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Hong Kong Police Plan to Arrest Protest Leaders

  Nine Hong Kong activists were told on Monday that they are to be arrested for their involvement in the student protests of 2014. The protests became known as the Umbrella Movement. Tens of thousands of student protesters filled Hong Kong’s streets three years ago to demand full democracy for the city. Now, police plan to charge the nine with taking part in mass demonstrations and inciting others to create “a public nuisance.” The announcement was made one day after longtime government official Carrie Lam was chosen as Hong Kong’s first female chief executive. She is currently the city’s deputy chief executive. The 59-year-old Lam won a special election on Sunday. She received 777 votes from Hong Kong’s 1,200-member electoral committee. The committee is filled with supporters of the government in Beijing. After her election, Carrie Lam talked about Hong Kong. She promised to protect the city’s “core values,” such as inclusiveness, freedom of speech and clean government. She noted that city residents see these values as very important. Pro-democracy activists are worried about Lam’s victory. They say she is likely to support pro-China positions. And they are worried about China’s growing involvement in Hong Kong. They fear the former British colony will no longer be governed under the “one country, two systems” plan, which guarantees the city many freedoms. Some activists are refusing to accept the election results. Legislator Nathan Law was a member of the election committee. But he says he did not mark his ballot. “The Beijing government has the final say on who is going to be appointed. As long as it is a very closed system, a selection, you should not add legitimacy to the system.” Pro-democracy activists want the city’s residents – not a committee -- to choose the chief executive. They also do not believe Lam can balance the interests of the public and the demands from China. Takchi Tam is a democracy activist. “I do not think she will keep the balance. I think she will betray Hong Kong people.” Lam’s supporters, such as Ivan Tsim, believe she will ensure the city’s security and economic growth. “I am more concerned [about] the education and the housing, of course. These are two big issues for Hong Kongnese.” Lam has promised to spend more than $600 million dollars for education. She also promised to increase the supply of housing. Political observer Dixon Sing says Lam’s election will always be seen as a sign that China will never lessen its control of the city. “Politically, as long as [Chinese president] Xi Jinping, the real hardliner, continues to govern China, he will continue to tighten his grip on Hong Kong and stop Hong Kong from democratizing.” Felix Patrikeeff of the University of Adelaide campus in Hong Kong told VOA that Lam is probably the best leader Hong Kong could expect. He said, "She’s not only trusted by China but also I think that there would be a grudging respect for her in Hong Kong itself. That’s notwithstanding the fact that she was not genuinely popularly elected there.” Patrikeeff says the election is a sign that China’s control over the city is growing. On Monday, China’s state-controlled Global Times newspaper said Lam’s margin of victory “provides an important basis for Hong Kong’s future unity.” The newspaper said the election was open and transparent. But most experts said it was not a democratic race and most of the city’s democracy activists have rejected the results. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Joyce Huang reported for VOA News from Hong Kong. VOA’s Fern Robinson and Victor Beattie reported from Washington. John Smith adapted their reports 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   nuisance – n. a person, thing, or situation that is annoying or that causes trouble or problems (usually singular) core – adj. most important or most basic legitimate – adj. allowed according to rules or laws; credible resident – n. someone who lives in a particular place hardliner – n. someone who holds strongly to a policy grip – n. power or control grudging – adj. said, done or given in an unwilling or doubtful way genuine – adj. actual, real or true margin – n. a measurement of difference transparent – adj. honest and open; not secretive

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Are Fast Radio Bursts Evidence of Unknown Life?

  The idea may be a little out of this world. Ten years ago, scientists started noticing very brief, but powerful radio bursts coming from outer space. Called fast radio bursts, or FRBs, they have been identified as millisecond-long bursts of radio emission. Scientists believe these emissions were made in a group of stars billions of light years away from Earth. A new theory says the radio bursts may be evidence of highly developed alien life. A paper describing the theory was published this month in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The bursts cannot be seen with the human eye, but were observed by very large radio telescopes. Many scientists believe that these powerful flashes may be related to the collapse of a massive star. But scientist Avi Loeb says researchers have yet to confirm any natural cause of the emissions. Loeb is chair of Harvard University’s Astronomy Department and works at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He believes the bursts might be coming from powerful equipment, like a transmitter used on Earth to broadcast radio or television signals. He thinks the device could be as big as a planet and have enough power to send large spaceships great distances. Light Powered Spaceships While noting this is just “speculation,” Loeb told VOA what he suspects might be producing the fast radio bursts. He says, imagine a spacecraft moving like a sailboat, powered by light from the huge planet-sized transmitter. “If you have a sailboat, the wind is pushing the sail, and the sail carries the boat along with it. You can imagine doing exactly the same thing with light. If you bounce light off a sail, you could push a spacecraft.  And in principal because the spacecraft doesn’t carry its own fuel, you can push it all the way to the speed of light. At very high speeds.” Loeb says it could be created by alien life forms belonging to a highly developed civilization. He thinks the powerful bursts could be a sign of “leakage” — when light hitting the sail moves just past the edge of the sail. It shows up on Earth as a very bright, fast-moving radio wave. "And the idea is that the beam of light that is being used to push the sail is leaking. We see leakage of that radiation and if the beam is powerful enough we could see it from a great distance and because the beam is sweeping across the sky, we would see it as a flash of light, as a burst of radio waves, the way these fast radio bursts appear." Alien Threat? If there are aliens — life outside our planet — are they a threat? Loeb does not think so. If they do exist, they are “great distances” from us, he notes, “so there is no danger for us directly.”    The bursts were first observed in 2007. Since then, a total of 18 have been identified using very large radio telescopes.  Some of the researchers have been at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in the American state of New Mexico. They identified where one burst came from -- a dwarf galaxy more than three billion light-years from Earth. Sarah Burke-Spolaor teaches physics and astronomy at West Virginia University. She reported on the discovery earlier this year in two journals: Nature and Astrophysical Journal Letters. Burke-Spolaor says the fast radio burst was first discovered in November of 2012 at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. The NRAO radio telescope later helped to identify where the FRB came from. What makes this emission different is that it is the only one to keep sending bursts — about 200 times, so far.  Burke-Spolaor says there are “many ideas about what FRBS are.” She says “the leading theory … is that these are related to neutron stars in other galaxies.” They could also come from black holes – areas with a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape.  She describes Avi Loeb as an “out of the box thinker.” She says his theories have an important job: they “make us (scientists) reconsider our assumptions and what we know and don’t know.” She adds, “it doesn’t mean the theory is anywhere near right, but we don’t have enough evidence to rule it out.” Where did Loeb get his theory? And where did Loeb get the idea that the fast radio bursts come from light pushing a spaceship? Loeb leads a team developing technology to send spacecraft to a planet called Proxima b. The project is called Breakthrough Starshot. He and the team are developing thousands of small spacecraft with sails. They want to use laser beams to push those sails forward. That got him thinking. “The fact that we are starting to think about propelling a spaceship, a spacecraft with light made me think about the possible signals that we could detect from the sky from a civilization that is using this technology.” For now, Loeb’s idea is just a theory. He and others say it will take more information to know if his theory is right. I’m Anne Ball.   Anne Ball reported this story from VOA Learning English with information from VOA. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. And find us on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   burst – n. a short period of producing or doing something that begins suddenly emission – n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source alien – n. a creature that comes from somewhere other than the planet Earth speculation – n. ideas or guesses about something that is not known dwarf – adj. smaller than normal size assumption – n. something that is believed to be true or probably true but that is not known to be true detect – v. to discover or notice the presence of (something that is hidden or hard to see, hear, taste, etc.)    

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John Quincy Adams: Great Diplomat, Poor Politician

VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. Today we are talking about John Quincy Adams. Does his name sound familiar? John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, was the son of John Adams, the second president.   Like his father, Quincy Adams had a sharp mind and a difficult personality. And, like his father, Quincy Adams served only one four-year term in office. But Quincy Adams went on to have many successful years working in a different job. He is the only former president (so far) to serve in the House of Representatives.   Great expectations The parents of John Quincy Adams, John and Abigail, were strong patriots. Theirs was one of the founding families of America. Abigail Adams especially raised her son to serve his country. She expected him to become president. She told him that, with his good education and training, if he did not serve in a high public office it would be his own fault. Quincy Adams did not disappoint his mother. As a child, he learned to speak at least four languages and read Greek and Latin. He also studied Shakespeare’s plays.   At age 10, he traveled with his father to Europe. As a young man, he worked alongside John Adams in American diplomatic offices in Paris, Amsterdam and St. Petersburg. Finally, Quincy Adams returned to his home in Boston in time to graduate from Harvard. He was working as a lawyer by the age of 23. Stories confirm that Quincy Adams was a brilliant boy and young man. But he rarely compromised his ideas. His inability to work with other lawmakers and to consider public opinion were partly to blame for his difficult presidency. Poor politician. Excellent diplomat Quincy Adams may have been a poor politician, but he was an excellent diplomat. In the early part of his career, he served as the American ambassador to the Netherlands, Germany, Russia and Britain. He helped lead the negotiations that ended the War of 1812. And he served for eight years as secretary of state under James Monroe.   Some of that president’s accomplishments owe a lot to Quincy Adams. He helped negotiate the purchase of Florida from Spain. And, he was of the people responsible for the Monroe Doctrine. It warned Europe not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere. But Quincy Adams could be impatient, especially with lawmakers. Many of them, he believed, did not care much about the country and wanted to help only themselves. Quincy Adams also avoided political battles. As secretary of state, he appointed people whom he thought were capable, even if they did not support his political party. Similarly, when he became president, he tried to bring political opponents -- along with representatives of different parts of the country -- together in his cabinet. His opponents, however, refused to serve. And, although his cabinet included southerners, he did not really have the support of the South. Presidency Yet Quincy Adams talked about unity in his presidential inaugural speech. Adams said the Constitution and the representative democracy of the United States had proved a success. The nation was free and strong and stretched across the continent, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.   He noted that political divisions had eased. So now, he said, it was time for the people to settle their differences and make a truly national government. In his first message to Congress, President Adams described his ideas. The chief purpose of the government, he said, was to improve the lives of the people it governed. To do this, he offered a national program of building roads and canals. He also proposed a national university and a national scientific center. Adams said Congress should not be limited to making laws only to improve the nation's economic life. He said it should make laws to improve the arts and sciences, too. But many people of the West and South did not believe that the Constitution gave the federal government the power to do all these things. They believed these powers belonged to the states. Their representatives in Congress rejected the president’s proposals. In addition, a new opposition party was trying to weaken support for Quincy Adams. They supported a general from Tennessee named Andrew Jackson. Historian Harlow Giles Unger says John Quincy Adams was never able to meet the high expectations many people had for him. “His presidency was a complete failure,” Unger told VOA. “He was able to accomplish nothing.” Retirement … sort of Quincy Adams lost the presidential election of 1828 in a landslide. He refused to attend the inauguration of Andrew Jackson. He returned to his home in Quincy, Massachusetts depressed and worried about the country.   His wife, Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, believed they were returning to Massachusetts to stay. She was an American, but was born in England. Her mother was British. She was, at the time, the first foreign-born first lady. John and Louisa had four children, but their only daughter had died as a baby. Their sons were grown by the time Quincy Adams retired from the presidency. Soon he became restless. Some neighbors asked if Quincy Adams would consider representing the district as a member of the U.S. Congress. He agreed – but only if voters would let him act as he believed was right, instead of as what would be politically popular. Apparently they agreed, too, because voters elected Quincy Adams to the House of Representatives nine times.  In Congress, Quincy Adams often fought for citizen’s individual liberty. He strongly opposed slavery. His ideas were not widely popular at the time, especially among other lawmakers. They had created a rule that said Congress would not even consider any measures against slavery. Yet Quincy Adams defended the rights of enslaved people -- frequently, and sometimes successfully.    He died at the age of 88, a few days after suffering a stroke on the floor of the House of Representatives. At the time, lawmakers were considering a proposal. And, as usual, John Quincy Adams was loudly voting no. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.  Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.     ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   patriot - n. a person who loves and strongly supports or fights for his or her country fault - n. responsibility for a problem, mistake or bad situation disappoint - v. to make someone unhappy by not being as good as expected or by not doing something that was hoped for or expected graduate - v. to earn a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university accomplishment - n. the successful completion of something  landslide - n. an election in which the winner gets a much greater number of votes than the loser   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.    See how well you understand the story of the sixth president by taking this listening quiz. Play each video and then choose the best answer.  

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The Importance of Sharing on Social Media

  What is more important to you when you read a news story on social media: the news agency or reporter who actually wrote the story or the person who shares it? A new study has found that many Americans are more likely to believe information shared by someone they trust. The source of the information is not as important to them. Survey Results In 2016, the Media Insight Project did a survey about trust and news on the social media service Facebook. It found that two-thirds of Facebook-using Americans said their trust in a news source had an important effect on their belief of the information. Only 48 percent said their trust in the person sharing a story had an important effect on how they much trusted that information. The Media Insight Project decided to set up an experiment to see if these findings were correct. Experiment results: Americans more influenced by sharer The results of the experiment were different from those in the 2016 survey. The experiment found that a trusted sharer has more of an effect than a reputable media source. In other words, people were more likely to believe news shared by someone they trusted. Many of those questioned did not even remember the source after seeing a Facebook-style post. "If there's somebody I like and agree with, they can have a big influence not only in what I look at, but in whether I believe it or not. I trust them and I convey that trust to the news that they share," said Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute. Survey organizers write that "people make little distinction between known and unknown (even made-up) sources when it comes to trusting and sharing news." Implications The writers say the findings are important for members of the news media, news literacy activists, and social media networks. There has been a lot of talk recently about “fake news” -- misinformation spread through social media and news media organizations. Facebook is now taking steps to call attention to fake news stories. "It's important we give people the tools to make smart decisions about content," said Justin Osofsky, Facebook's vice president of global operations and media partnerships. Critics have suggested that Facebook's decision to identify stories as false, instead of removing them from its website, shows the service is not doing enough. The project's findings show that news organizations should pay attention to how stories spread through social media. They might even want to consider sharing news by competitors in the hope they will do the same, said Rosenstiel. Readers "are not just your audience anymore," he said. "They're your ambassadors." I'm John Russell.   David Bauder wrote this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted the 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 survey – n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something reputable – adj. respected and trusted by most people source – n. the cause of something; someone or something that provides something audience – n. a group of readers or listeners fake – adj. of or relating to a copy; not true or real literacy – adj. the ability to read and write; knowledge that relates to a subject

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Questions About a Third Term for Chinese President Xi Jinping

  Chinese President Xi Jinping has been described as China’s most powerful leader in many years. Xi is firmly in control of the world’s most populous country. China watchers say that was clear during recent high-level meetings in Beijing. Now, experts are wondering whether Xi could seek a third term as president. In early March, thousands of delegates gathered in Beijing for China’s National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Plans for future policies are announced during the meetings. Delegates repeatedly referred to Xi Jinping as “core leader of the (Chinese Communist) party.” That was not done in the past for his predecessor, Hu Jintao. However, the term core leader of the party was used years ago for former leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Willy Lam studies China’s leadership. He told VOA the description of Xi as a core leader means he will be in power a long time. “So having been designated the core leader, that means he is virtually emperor for life, and that is the message Xi Jinping wants to tell the Chinese people and leaders of other countries, that he will be around to guide the realization of the Chinese Dream,” Lam said. The “Chinese Dream” is a term used by Xi when he took power in 2012. The saying means the redevelopment of the nation. As Xi nears the end of his first five-year term as president, some China watchers believe it is too early to consider his successor. Succession is a politically sensitive issue in the country. It also can take a long time. Changes in China’s leadership have become more predictable since 2000. Under the constitution, the president can serve up to two terms. A major political leadership meeting this year Later this year, another major political meeting will take place in Beijing. The 19th Communist Party Congress will be held. The Congress will lead to changes in the party’s central leadership in October or November. The Communist Party Secretary of Guizhou Province, Chen Min’er, has been suggested as a possible candidate for the presidency after Xi Jinping leaves office. Jean-Pierre Cabestan is a political scientist at Hong Kong Baptist University. He said many people think that Xi will wait until close to the end of his second term, in 2022, before naming his successor. “The theory is that he wants to wait another five years before designating a successor,” said Cabestan. He also said that as the party congress nears, talk of Xi as a core leader will intensify. The 19th Party Congress will be a time of change for China’s top decision-making group, the Politburo Standing Committee. It is made up of between five and nine party members. Some wonder whether Xi will reduce the current number from seven to five. As many as four committee members may be replaced, experts say. The Standing Committee is part of a larger group of 25 members known as the politburo. It is the executive committee of China’s Communist party. About half of those members will need to be replaced because of age limits. Experts say age requirements are also an issue for the powerful Central Military Commission. Xi’s power has increased with new duties Since he became head of China’s Communist Party in 2012, Xi Jinping has aggressively strengthened his power. He now holds nearly all the most powerful positions in the party and government. Xi serves as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. He is head of state as President of the People’s Republic of China. And he leads the military as Chairman of the Central Military Commission. He also serves as the head of other important groups. These include the Central National Security Commission and the Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs. Experts see this as a sign that he plans to be in office for many years. Willy Lam compares Xi to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “It looks like he wants to leave a big legacy, and that’s why he is, in a sense, emulating President Vladimir Putin, by giving himself a virtual office for life,” he said. However, as Cabestan notes, that would mean a change to current laws. “Now, whether he is going to stay more than 10 years as president is another story because that would require an amendment of the constitution,” he said. Lam told VOA that Xi sees himself as the Mao Zedong of the 21st century. Mao was Communist China’s first leader until his death in 1976 Cabestan points out that Xi may step down from the job of president while continuing to lead important groups such as the military or security commissions. Will Xi serve three terms? VOA spoke with some delegates at the two meetings earlier this month. Some wondered whether Xi will seek a third term. Most supported the idea, but several placed importance on the need to follow the rules. “According to party regulations it is two terms,” said Luo Shaming who added that Xi is doing “a very good job.” Zhao Yan Fen said age is not too important. “What is more important is whether a leader can really help promote a country’s development and the development of the world,” she said. I’m Mario Ritter.   Bill Ide and Brian Kopezynski reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted their reports for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Do you think China’s President Xi Jinping will seek a third term? Let us know in the comments section. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   refer – v. to call core – adj. the central part of something predecessor –n. a person who served in a position before someone else designated – adj. named, appointed to some position virtually – adv. almost, very nearly successor – n. the person who follows someone else in a position

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8,000 Years of London History Discovered Underground

The Crossrail project, an underground railway tunnel, is designed to reduce traffic in London. But the project has also provided Britain’s capital city with a view into its 8,000-year-old history. Jackie Keily is the curator of “The Archaeology of Crossrail” exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands. She says, “The great thing about the Crossrail project is that it’s allowed us to basically sort of take a slice through London.” The underground project to connect Heathrow airport to the financial district has unearthed over 10,000 artifacts. One of the highlights, Keily says, is a bronze medallion dating from the year 245 AD. During this time, southern Britain was ruled by the Romans. "It's a medallion that would have been given by the emperor to a high-ranking official, probably in Rome. And it's quite fascinating that it's travelled right across the Empire to be here in London." Another interesting find are Roman “hipposandals.”  These are metal shoes for pack animals. They were used for animals, such as oxen or horses, as they moved goods around the rain-covered streets of early-day London. Hundreds of human skulls were also found beneath what is now the financial district of London. Did they belonged to the losers of gladiator battles at the nearby Roman amphitheater? One very unusual artifact was a skeleton of a woman with her head removed and placed between her leg bones. It is displayed as it was found, buried beneath what is now Liverpool Street station. The Crossrail also travels through several graveyards, many dating to major disease outbreaks, like the Black Death' plague of 1348. An estimated 1.5 million people died across Britain because of the plague. There are also lighter aspects of London life on display. A bowling ball was found in the moat of a sixteenth century house. Hundreds of leather shoes have also been unearthed. These are around 500 years old. According to Keily, the shoes connect people, in a way, to people in the past. "The earlier shoe at the very bottom has got this really long, elongated, pointed toe. Whereas the ones above are much more like the ones we imagine Henry the Eighth wearing, they've got these broad toes. So very fashionable shoes that Londoners were wearing.” Despite the detailed archaeological work, construction of Crossrail remains on schedule. The first trains will take passengers through these tunnels in late 2018. I’m Phil Dierking   This story was originally written by Henry Ridgwell for VOAnews.com.  Phil Dierking adapted this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. What kinds of artifacts would be found under your city? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________ Words in This Story amphitheater - n. a large building with seats rising in curved rows around an open space on which games and plays take place​ archaeology - n. a science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones, tools, etc., of ancient people​ artifact - n. a simple object, such as a tool or weapon, that was made by people in the past​ cemetery - n. a place where dead people are buried​ elongated - adj. to be made longer gladiator - n. a man in ancient Rome who fought against another man or animal for public entertainment​ graveyard - n. a place where people are buried ​ macabre - adj.  involving death or violence in a way that is strange, frightening, or unpleasant​

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