Drug Helps Teeth Repair Themselves

  I am going to take a chance and say that very few people enjoy going to the dentist, especially for a filling. A dentist usually treat a cavity by removing the damaged part of the tooth. Then they fill the hole with porcelain or a combination of silver and other metals. Oftentimes fillings need replaced during the patient’s lifetime. But is filling the cavity with a foreign material really the best treatment? What if the tooth could repair itself with its own material – dentine? That is what researchers at King's College London are studying. They have found a process that may replace the traditional method. Researchers say they may be close to perfecting a method of helping teeth to repair themselves. They say the treatment may make the filling of a cavity a thing of the past. Paul Sharpe of King’s College says a new treatment for cavities is simpler. It uses a drug that causes the tooth to fill in the hole naturally with dentine. "[It] involves putting a drug on a little sponge that goes inside the tooth, in the hole that the dentist made. It stimulates this natural process, which is starting to occur anyway following the damage, but it over-activates the process so you actually get the big hole repaired and the repair is a production of the natural material, the dentine." Usually a new drug requires repeated testing before it is approved for treatment. However, this drug that produces the regrowth in teeth has already been approved. It is a drug currently used to treat Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders of the nervous system. Sharpe explains that when using this already-approved drug to repair cavities, researchers use only a small amount and they use it locally. Usually that means the medicine is put directly on the affected area. It does not travel through the patient’s blood. "We are using much smaller doses and we're delivering them locally, just in a tooth.” Nigel Carter heads Britain’s Oral Health Foundation. He describes the new treatment as an exciting possibility for dental care. He notes that re-growing a tooth would be a major development. But Carter also has a warning. "Actually re-growing the tooth that's been lost with a cavity would be really a huge step forward. But, it's also important that we remember that we shouldn't be getting the cavity in the first place. We're talking about a totally preventable disease." Although the new treatment uses a drug to cause the regrowth, it still requires the dentist to use a power drill. So, if you don't want to go under the drill, the dentists advise us to keep cleaning those teeth. I’m Anna Matteo.   Faith Lapidus reported this story for VOA News. Anna Matteo adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   dentist – n. a person whose job is to care for people's teeth dental – adj. of or relating to teeth or to the work dentists do dentine – n. a calcareous material similar to but harder and denser than bone that composes the principal mass of a tooth cavity – n. an area of decay in a tooth porcelain – n. a hard, white substance that is very delicate and that is made by baking clay sponge – n. a piece of light natural or artificial material that becomes soft when it is wet, is able to take in and hold liquid, and is used for washing or cleaning stimulate – v. to make (something) more active dose – n.  the amount of a medicine, drug, or vitamin that is taken at one time    

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Everyday Grammar: Be supposed to

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Lesson 50: Back to School

Summary Anna has been wanting to go back to school for a long time. In this lesson, we go to class with her at Georgetown University, where she is getting ready to give a report in her class. Did she understand the directions? Speaking In this video, learn how to say the new words. Then learn about the present perfect continuous verb tense. Pronunciation This video teaches about how the word "for" is pronounced quickly in sentences using the present perfect continuous and a time phrase. Conversation   Anna: Hello, and welcome to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.! I am going back to school! Georgetown is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the United States. The Jesuits are a religious order known worldwide for their many colleges and universities. Students have been studying here since 1792! Sarah: Hey, are you finished with your report? Taylor: Almost. I have been writing and re-writing since last night! The subject is really interesting to me. Sarah: Me too! I have been studying this topic* for a long time. Anna: Am I late? Sarah: You’re a little late. But don’t worry. The professor isn’t here yet. Anna: How long has the class been waiting? Taylor: We’ve only been waiting for about 10 minutes. Anna: Oh good. Oh, no! I forgot my pencil sharpener. Excuse me, do you have a pencil sharpener I can borrow? Taylor: No, sorry. Anna: Oh wait. I found my extra one! Whew, that was close. Anna: So, how long have you been studying at Georgetown? Andrew: I’ve been studying here since 2015. Anna: Awesome. You know, I've been wanting to go back to school for a long time. So, here I am! Andrew: Well, you picked a great school. I’ve been really happy here. Anna: Awesome. See, I’ve been working for several years now. So, going back to school makes me a little nervous. Randall: Don’t be nervous. Just pay attention and do your best! Anna: That is great advice. You know, I have been paying attention. But sometimes I still feel like I don’t understand. Like last week … Anna: What’s that? Jada: This is my draft. Anna: What draft? Jada: The professor told us to bring our drafts. Anna: I think she said “giraffe.” Jada: No. She didn’t. Randall: I’m sure you’ve been understanding just fine. Anna: Here comes the professor. Dr. Jones: Hello class! Sorry I'm late, but the snow storm made getting here really difficult. I see you’ve been waiting very patiently. So, let’s get started! Who wants to give their talk first? Anna: Oh! Oh! Please, please pick me. Dr. Jones: Anna? Anna: Who me? Sure. Thanks. Anna: Here is my report on “Violins in the City.” Anna: People have been looking for a solution to the problem of violins in the city. I say stop! Stop! They are not the problem! In fact, violins are part of the solution! Anna: Are you all understanding me? 'Cause you look a little confused. I’ll talk louder. Violins create beautiful music that can fill a city with hope. Dr. Jones: Anna … Anna: If we put a violin in the hands of every child … Dr. Jones: Anna! The topic is “Violence in the city.”Violence. Not violins. Anna: Until next time … *  topic = subject Thanks to Georgetown University for allowing us to film on their historic campus. And a special thanks to the Georgetown students and staff who appeared in this episode: Andrew Debraggio, Sarah Mucha, Taylor Soergel, Jada Bullen, and Randall-Grace Johnson.   Writing In this lesson, Anna goes back to school. Did you ever take a special training course or classes? What did you learn? If you have not gone back to study, do you want to study something? Tell us about it. Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice using the present perfect continuous tense and monitoring what you hear. Please note, our activity sheets now can be completed on the computer.   Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Monitor. This strategy is what we use when we are speaking, and we want to know if our listeners are understanding what we say. We also monitor while we are listening, to check on whether we are understanding what we hear. In this lesson, Anna goes back to school. She misunderstands the professor, and gives her report on the wrong topic. As she is speaking, she looks at her classmates. Their faces show they are confused. Anna is monitoring here. She tries to talk louder, but they are still confused. Soon the professor corrects her. What do you do to monitor when you are speaking in English? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.   Quiz Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ​ ______________________________________________________________ New Words   Catholic - adj. of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church class - n. a group of students who meet regularly to be taught a subject or activity draft - n. a version of something (such as a report) that you make before you make the final version confused - adj. unable to understand or think clearly giraffe - n.  a very tall African animal that has an extremely long neck and legs Jesuit - n. a man who is a member of a religious group called the Roman Catholic Society of Jesus order - n. a religious organization whose members usually live together and promise to follow special rules and traditions patient - adj. able to remain calm and not become annoyed when waiting for a long time pay attention - phrase to listen to, watch, or consider something or someone very carefully pencil - n. an instrument used for writing and drawing that has a hard outer part and a black or colored center part professor - n. a teacher especially of the highest rank at a college or university religious - adj. believing in a god or a group of gods and following the rules of a religion report - n. a written or spoken description of a situation or event sharpener - n. a tool or machine that makes something sharp since - prep. in the time after (a specified time or event in the past) orfrom (a point in the past) until the present time solution - n. something that is used or done to deal with and end a problem study - v. to learn about something by reading, memorizing facts or attending school understand - v. to know the meaning of something violence - n. the use of physical force to harm someone or to damage property violin - n. a musical instrument that has four strings and that you play with a bow ​______________________________________________________________ Free Materials   Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice using the present perfect continuous verb tense.   For Teachers ​ See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar: Present perfect continuous verb tense​  Topics: Discussing duration of activity; Expressing surprise; Reassuring someone    ​ Learning Strategy: Monitor Speaking & Pronunciation: Reduced "for" in sentences using  the present perfect continuous ​and a time phrase _______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.

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Online Degree Programs Face Barriers to Success

  Last week, we talked about Americans taking college classes and completing study programs online – that is, with the help of computers and over the Internet. The United States Department of Education has noted the growing popularity of online degree programs, what it called ‘distance education.’ It reported that 14 percent of all students at American colleges and universities studied through such programs in 2014. Leanne is one of those students. Her goal was to earn a master’s degree in nursing from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She signed up for the university’s online program in 2014. She asked VOA not to share her last name because she has yet to complete her studies. Leanne chose to study online for many of the same reasons that other students do. She was working full-time, and did not want to move away from her job and family to continue her education. Leanne liked that she was able to study whenever and however much she wanted. But while the program met her needs at first, Leanne feels there are things she did not get from studying online. She earned her undergraduate degree from a traditional, face-to-face, study program at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the end, there’s really no substitute for the exchanges that actually happen in a classroom. Leanne says physically being in a classroom helps build a strong connection between students and their professors. She says in some ways she liked taking control and leading her own studies. But many times, she also felt lost without that special connection. "In the end, there’s really no substitute for the exchanges that actually happen in a classroom. And I think that, to some extent, I missed out on that and I would have like to have had that experience. So if I were to do it again, I don’t know that I would have made the same decision. I think it maybe would have been worth making a little bit more sacrifice in terms of the convenience and the finances to have a more rich learning experience, where you really get to exchange with your professors … and develop your skills." In addition, it may not be just a student’s learning that suffers in a distance learning program. There is some concern about what future employers think about an online degree. Public Agenda is a nonprofit research organization in the United States. In 2013, the group reported on a study of over 600 people working for American companies. They were responsible for filling positions at these businesses. The study looked at what these employment specialists thought about online degree programs. Fifty-six percent said they were more likely to offer jobs to people with a more traditional college experience, where students and teachers meet face-to-face. Forty-two percent said they thought students in online programs learned less than those in traditional programs. And 39 percent of those questioned said they thought online programs were easier to complete. Alison Kadlec is a senior vice president of Public Agenda. She says the numbers may have changed a little over the past four years as online programs become more popular. But there are still strong critical opinions about what online programs can do for students. "There is a kind of traditional bias about what education should be, and technology and life and work and everything show what’s problematic about that hundred year-old model of education. But it’s still something that’s so ingrained in who we are, in how we think about higher education." Kadlec says it is hard for people to change their ideas about higher education from a professor teaching students in a classroom. Also, some employers may have limited understanding of what is possible through an online program. Many people think studying online just means watching videos of teachers talking. Yet technology is always changing. Computer programs may someday educate and test students in ways human teachers cannot. However, Kadlec notes, until there are widely accepted standards for online programs as there are for traditional ones, critical opinions will likely remain. Students like Leanne choose online programs because their lives are already complex or difficult. And having employers value their degrees less than a traditional college education only makes things more difficult for them. Also, there appears to be a barrier for online programs becoming more widely accepted. If more well-known, high quality schools start offering such programs, employers will likely consider the two methods as equal. But the high cost to create high quality online programs suggests this will not be easy. The WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies studies online learning. The group released a study on the cost of creating online programs in February. It asked administrators at 197 colleges to report on the costs of 21 different components needed to operate the two programs. This included the cost of paying professors to design materials and testing. At all the colleges, administrators noted that nine of the components generally cost more than for traditional programs. Twelve of the components cost the about same. Nothing in any online program cost less. Russ Poulin helped create the study. He says the reason costs are so high for online programs is all the extra steps they require. In a traditional program, the main cost is the professor, who designs the study materials, and the building where the class is taught. But if many professors take turns teaching in the same rooms, the cost of the building is shared by all the students in those classes. While online programs may not require a classroom, there are other requirements. We’re starting to hear the pain being expressed by the students in terms of they can’t pay back loans or they can’t afford even to come in. Online programs require computer engineers to design programs to present the lesson materials. Online programs can often reach more students than a class taught in a building. But this means professors need more teaching assistants than they normally would. Also, physical universities can offer support services like study aids, libraries and other research centers. Many online programs have not yet found ways to offer such services at a lesser or equal cost, Poulin says. The study found that costs for students in online programs were lower at only about 6 percent of the schools. And Poulin adds that schools cannot simply pass these costs on to students. "We really have reached a point, whether it’s distance education or in the face-to-face education, where you can raise the price to the student so long that they’re able to absorb it up to a point. And really we’re starting to hear the pain being expressed by the students in terms of they can’t pay back loans or they can’t afford even to come in." Poulin and Kadlec agree that as technology changes and becomes less costly, some of these problems may solve themselves.  More students are choosing online college programs over traditional programs every year. But there is still a ways to go before online and traditional programs operate on the same level. I’m Pete Musto.   Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. What other problems do you think there might be with online education? How might schools solve these problems? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   degree – n. an official document and title that is given to someone who has successfully completed a series of classes at a college or university master’s – n. an official document and title that is given to someone who has successfully completed a series of classes at a college or university sign(ed) up – p.v. undergraduate – adj. used to describe a degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after four years of study substitute – n. a person or thing that takes the place of someone or something else extent – n. used to indicate the amount or level at which something exists, happens, or is true miss(ed) out (on) – p.v. to not use or to not have a chance to experience something good convenience – n. a quality or situation that makes something easy or useful for someone by reducing the amount of work or time required to do something finances – n. matters relating to money and how it is spent or saved bias – n. a quality that it likely for people to believe that some people or ideas are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly ingrained – adj. existing for a long time and very difficult to change standard(s) – n. a level of quality or achievement that is considered acceptable or desirable component(s) – n. an important piece of something absorb – v. to accept or deal with something that is difficult or harmful afford – v. to be able to pay for something

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Could Surgeons Operate Using the Internet?

  Mischa Dohler is a professor at King’s College in London, England. He also plays the piano and writes music. Dohler wants to teach people how to play the piano using the internet. “Kids or anybody could learn how to play the piano really properly from the best musicians in the world,” he said. Dohler’s idea is to create a glove that the piano student could wear while practicing. This glove could connect over the internet to the teacher, who could be anywhere in the world. The teacher could then help the student learn proper technique without being in the same room. The glove would help move the student’s hands into the correct position to play the music. The idea of a person on one side of the world using the internet to accomplish a task on the other side of the world is called “the internet of skills.” Dohler also wants people in the medical industry to use the internet of skills. Doctors already use robots to help them perform difficult tasks like medical operations. But they are in the same room as the robot and patient. If a doctor could do remote surgery, it could help save people’s lives in places where highly skilled doctors are not available. The only problem is that, right now, the internet is not fast enough to support this idea. To perform a difficult task like surgery, a doctor in one place would have to make a movement, and the robot would have to be able to make the same movement within 10 milliseconds. Companies are working to develop systems that can move data, or information, faster. Eve Griliches is a Product Line Manager at Cisco Systems. Cisco develops systems that connect people over the internet. Griliches said “the internet of skills” would not be possible without the work companies like hers are doing to create high-speed video networks. The same systems that provide video to iPhones and laptops may someday help teach piano or save a life. Dohler recently discussed his ideas at a conference on communication technology in Los Angeles, California. He said he came up with the virtual piano teaching idea when he thought about all the other work people do using digital tools. “We use digital today to negotiate for jobs. We use LinkedIn, emails, etc.,” Dohler said. “But then to execute the work, we still need to drive. We need to fly. We need to walk. So I was thinking, ‘Could we virtualize it? Could we digitize skills?’” I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell adapted this story Learning English based on reporting by VOA’s Elizabeth Lee. Mario Ritter was the editor. Do you think surgeons will one day be able to operate on a patient on the other side of the world? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   proper – n. a general direction of change : a way of behaving, proceeding, etc., that is developing and becoming more common glove – n. a covering for the hand that has separate parts for each finger practice – v. to do something again and again in order to become better at it technique – n. the way that a person performs basic physical movements or skills accomplish – v. to succeed in doing something remote – adj. far away virtual – adj. existing or occurring on computers or on the Internet execute – v. to do or perform an action  

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Famous American House Sits on Top of a Waterfall

  American architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed more than 1,000 buildings and other structures during his lifetime. One of the most famous is Fallingwater, a house in rural southwestern Pennsylvania. Wright designed the house in 1935. Fallingwater is not near a big city and is not easy to travel to. But it is worth the time and effort needed to find it. The house is called Fallingwater for a reason: it sits on top of a waterfall, created by a mountain river named Bear Run. The waterfall is actually part of the house. You can hear it in one of the bedrooms. You can see it under your feet in the living room. Edgar and Lillian Kaufmann owned a large store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They asked Frank Lloyd Wright to design a home for them that they could visit on weekends. Wright combined the waterfall into the house. The structure was so interesting that it and Wright were on the cover of Time magazine in 1938. Many famous people visited Fallingwater, including scientist Albert Einstein, actors Ingrid Bergman and Marlene Dietrich, and then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  Today, Linda Waggoner is the director of Fallingwater. She told VOA that the house was everything the Kaufmanns wanted. “It just fit them like a pair of custom shoes, fit their lifestyle and what they wanted to achieve here, which was an immediate integration and relaxation in nature.” The home combines human-designed forms with things found in nature, such as stone, flowers and water. It has many open spaces, filled with light and air. Instead of art or photographs on the walls, there are large windows. Fallingwater has been a museum since 1964. Smithsonian Magazine said it is one of the few places that Americans must see. Over the past 50 years, more than four million people have done so. I’m Jill Robbins.   Masha Morton reported this story from Mill Run, Pennsylvania. John Smith adapted the 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   architect – n. a person who designs buildings custom – adj. made to fit the needs or requirements of a particular person lifestyle – n. a particular way of living; the way a person lives or a group of people live achieve – v. to reach a goal integrate – v. to make (something) a part of another larger thing museum – n. a building in which interesting and valuable things (such as paintings and sculptures or scientific or historical objects) are collected and shown to the public  

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Trump Changing Obama Environmental Policies

Acting on promises he made during the 2016 election campaign, President Donald Trump is taking steps to overturn policies from the presidency of Barack Obama. Last Tuesday, the president signed an executive order that takes aim at environmental rules and other measures he says harm economic growth. Trump ordered a rewriting of rules aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions from power stations. Many scientists agree that gases such as carbon dioxide are partly to blame for rising temperatures in Earth’s atmosphere.     But Trump says cutting the rules on power plant emissions will create jobs for Americans. "Perhaps no single regulation threatens our miners, energy workers and companies more than this crushing attack on American industry." The Obama administration rules were meant to cut carbon dioxide from power plants by a third from 2005 levels by 2030. Trump’s action also lifts rules on coal, oil and gas production. And it reduces the effect of climate change in other federal rules. Democratic Party lawmakers reaction to the executive order came quickly. “This is a declaration of war,” said Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts. New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez called it “an abdication of American leadership in the battle against climate change.” Michael Brune works for the Sierra Club, an environmental group. He called the order “the single biggest attack on climate action in U.S. history, period.” Officials will have to create new rules to replace the ones being overturned. Environmental groups are expecting to take the Trump administration to court. But some observers think that because of legal battles and the regulation process, Trump’s order will do little to change Obama’s Clean Power Plan. That measure requires cuts in carbon emissions from power plants.  Tomas Carbonell is policy chief with the Environmental Defense Fund, an environmental group. He says the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the legal duty to reduce harmful gases. "The Supreme Court has already held on three separate occasions that EPA has the authority and responsibility under the Clean Air Act to address the threat of climate change." The executive order follows another one that calls for changes to the Obama administration’s rules for vehicle fuel efficiency. Those rules were put in place just days before Trump became president. Trump calls the measures "industry-killing regulations." But environmental and doctors’ groups say they are cleaning the air and will help Americans spend less on fuel. The president’s proposed budget targets climate change programs across the federal government. Mick Mulvaney is the Trump administration’s budget director. "Regarding the question as to climate change, I think the president was fairly straightforward. We're not spending money on that anymore. We consider that to be a waste of your money." Candidate Trump once called climate change a hoax. However, a White House official told reporters this week that the president does believe in man-made climate change. Tuesday’s executive order does not talk about the Paris climate change agreement. Trump campaigned on withdrawing from the agreement. When asked whether the president plans to follow through on that campaign promise, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, “It’s still under discussion.” I’m Anne Ball.   Steve Baragona and Peter Heinlein reported on this story for VOA News. Anne Ball adapted the story for Learning English. 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   executive – n. a person who manages or directs other people in a company or organization greenhouse gas - n. a layer of gases, such as carbon dioxide, that trap the warmth from the sun in the Earth's atmosphere emission – n. producing or sending out something, such as energy or gas regulation – n. an official rule or law that says how something should be done abdication – n. to fail to do what is required by duty or responsibility efficiency – n. the ability to do something or produce something without wasting materials, time, or energy : the quality or degree of being efficient straightforward – adj. easy to do or understand : not complicated hoax - n. something that is not true  

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Pacific Island Nations Consider Future Ties with the United States

Three sovereign, self-governing Pacific island nations are joined with the United States in Compacts of Free Association. The three are the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and Palau. They are sometimes called the Freely Associated States (FAS). Many Americans know very little about these island nations or that they have a relationship with the United States. But American officials consider the countries important because of their location in the Pacific. The People’s Republic of China and other nations have begun investing in the three countries in an attempt to increase their influence in the area. The three island nations receive millions of dollars in direct aid from the U.S. government. In 2016, they received more than $214 million to help their governments and economies. They also get help from U.S. government agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Weather Service and the U.S. Postal Service. The Compacts of Free Association are bilateral, international agreements. They permit certain citizens of FSM, RMI and Palau to visit -- and live in -- all 50 states and all U.S. territories as legal nonimmigrants without a visa. They can live, work and study in the states and territories for an indefinite period of time. American citizens have what are called “reciprocal rights” -- they may live and work in the three island nations. The Compacts also permit the United States to place troops in the three countries, and give the U.S. the right to use some of their land for bases. The countries agree not to permit the militaries of other nations to operate in their territory. Micronesians, Marshallese and Palauans all use the U.S. dollar as their national currency -- in other words, they use the dollar when making purchases in their home country.   Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia adopted a constitution in 1979. The Compact of Free Association with the United States took effect in 1986, three years after its citizens voted to approve it. The FSM was admitted as a member of the United Nations in 1991. About 108,000 people live in the Federated States of Micronesia. The nation has about 607 islands. It is in the Western Pacific, about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii.  In 2003, a new, 20-year agreement on U.S. financial assistance was reached. It included a new Compact between the FSM and the U.S. Like the agreements with the Marshall Islands and Palau, the Compact “provides financial assistance, defends FSM’s territorial integrity and provides for visa-free travel for citizens to the United States. The United States has special access to FSM’s land and waterways for strategic purposes.” Marshall Islands The Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands was established in 1979. The country joined the United Nations in 1991. The Compact of Free Association took effect in 1986. Like FSM, in 2003 it reached a new, 20-year agreement on financial assistance with the United States that included an Amended Compact. The U.S. Army’s Kwajalein Atoll Reagan Missile Test Site is in the Marshall Islands. It is an important part of America’s anti-missile defense system. The U.S. Department of Defense pays the Marshall Islands to use the atoll and to control some of the islands in the Kwajalein Atoll. From 1946 to 1958, the United States Department of Defense operated nuclear testing programs at Bikini and Enewetak Atolls. The U.S. State Department told VOA that “the United States (has) recognized the effects of (the) testing and has accepted and acted on its responsibility to the people of the Marshall Islands.” As part of the 1986 Compact with the Marshall Islands, the U.S. government settled claims with the country and has paid more than $600 million to affected communities, including $135 million to resettle people who lived on the atolls.   About 63,000 people live in the Marshall Islands, which has five large islands and 29 small coral atolls. As part of the Amended Compact, the United States agreed to provide financial help to FSM and the Marshall Islands until 2023 in the form of “direct sector grant assistance” and trust fund contributions. But U.S. officials do not want to continue giving those nations money forever. So the U.S. government is providing money to create a program that will help them become self-sufficient after direct aid ends. Palau Palau also adopted a constitution in 1979. Its Compact of Free Association with the United States took effect in 1994. The U.S. Department of the Interior says the Compact “defends Palau’s territorial integrity, and (permits) visa-free travel by Palauan citizens to the United States. The United States has special access to Palau’s land and waterways for strategic purposes.” Although the U.S. government and Palau decided in 2010 to augment the Compact, the U.S. Congress has not agreed to fund and approve it. However, even though the new agreement has not taken effect, most parts of the 1994 Compact remain in effect. In 1994, Palau ceased being the last district of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and was admitted as a member of the United Nations. It is estimated that between 14,000 and 18,000 people live in Palau, which has about 250 islands. Palau is in the Pacific Ocean, about 7,600 kilometers west of Hawaii. In World War II, during the Battle of Peleliu, a state in Palau, more than 1,500 U.S. servicemen died and at least 8,000 were wounded. The fighting took place in late 1944, and lasted for two and one half months. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war. The U.S. Department of the Interior has provided Palau with more than $13 million in aid every year since 2010. Grace Choi is a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department’s East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau. She said that if Congress had approved the 2010 agreement, Palau would have received “$229 million in financial assistance in several categories through fiscal year 2024, including an additional $30 million for its Trust Fund.” Palauans serve in the U.S. military at much higher rates compared to the size of their population than any American state. However, the U.S. territory of American Samoa has the highest rate of enlistment of any state or territory, however. And Palau supports the United States in votes at the United Nations between 87 and 97 percent of the time, more than almost any other country. In 2011, the State Department told Congress that “our relationship with not only Palau but with other FAS states (permits) the United States to guard its long-term defense and strategic interest in the region.” Palau, the department said, “helps create a security zone that safeguards U.S. interests in the Pacific.” It warned that China, Arab states and Cuba are “actively courting Palau and the other Pacific island nations as they seek to build influence in the region.” The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more than 41,000 citizens from FSM, RMI and Palau live in the United States. The five states with the highest number of citizens from those three countries are Hawaii, Arkansas, Washington, Oregon, and Texas. The Census Bureau estimates that almost 20,000 citizens of the three nations live in the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. I’m Jonathan Evans. And I'm Caty Weaver.   John Smith reported this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.  ________________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   sovereign – adj. having independent authority and the right to govern itself location – n. a place or position bilateral – adj. involving two groups or countries indefinite – adj. not certain in amount or length reciprocal – adj. used to describe a relationship in which two people or groups agree to do something similar for each other, to allow each other to have the same rights, etc. currency – n. the money that a country uses; a specific kind of money adopt – v. to accept or approve (something, such as a proposal) in a formal or official way access – n. a way of being able to use or get something (usually + to) amend – v. to change some of the words and often the meaning of (a law, document, etc.) atoll – n. an island that is made of coral and shaped like a ring self-sufficient – adj. able to live or function without help or support from others augment – v. to add something to (something) in order to improve or complete it court – v. to give a lot of attention and praise to (someone) in order to get approval, support, etc. region – n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way

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Rain, Rain, Go Away!

  And now, it’s time for the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories. In some parts of the world, April is a time of thunderstorms and lots of rain. In the U.S. we even have a rhyme to describe it: April showers bring May flowers. This rhyme does not simply describe a weather event. It reminds us that even something bad or inconvenient -- in this case, rain -- can bring something good -- in this case, flowers! We will talk about flowers expressions another time. Today, let’s talk about rain. Even though rain is necessary for nature, many expressions use rain to represent troubles, loneliness or hard times. To rain on someone’s parade is to question their positive attitude or to ruin their good time. Someone who rains on another person’s “parade” is usually trying to introduce a note of caution or practical advice. This person may not mean to make the other person feel bad, but raining on someone’s parade can really kill a good mood. By the way, this is a fixed expression. So, you shouldn’t say, “Don’t rain on my picnic!” or “Don’t rain on my baseball game!” People will have no idea what you’re talking about. In the musical “Funny Girl,” Barbara Streisand’s character just wants to live her life in her way. She doesn’t want others to stop her from trying to achieve her dreams. So, she warns people, “Don’t rain on my parade.” “Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade. Don't tell me not to fly. I've simply got to. If someone takes a spill it’s me not you. Who told you you’re allowed to rain on my parade!” No one has a perfectly happy life all the time. A poetic way to express that thought is to say into each life a little rain must fall. Here is singer Ella Fitzgerald complaining that she is not getting more than her fair share of suffering. Too many bad things are happening in her life. Too much rain! “Into each life some rain must fall. But too much is falling in mine.” When it rains, it pours is another popular expression. This means when one bad thing happens, many other things often follow. Now, there isn’t any science to support this. Perhaps it just feels that way when it’s happening to you. This is too good of an expression not to be in a country song. Merle Haggard uses it this way: “When it rains it pours. It all seems so sad. Before it's over, it will wash away all I had.” Some people are so happy, so excited or so in love that they don't let anything -- including the weather -- stop them from doing something.  Come rain or come shine means you are not going to let anything stop you. Many people have sang the Johnny Mercer song “Come Rain or Come Shine.” Here, it is Ray Charles who tells his love that he will love her no matter what.  “I’m gonna (going to) love ya (you), like no one’s loved you, come rain or come shine. High as a mountain, deep as a river, come rain or come shine.” Sometimes, though, you can’t do what you want come rain or shine. Sometimes rain does affect your plans. Let’s say you plan a big outdoor party for all your friends. Unfortunately, on the day of the party, it rains cats and dogs – in other words, it rains really heavily. You will have to reschedule. Your guests can take a rain check and come back another time. “Rain check” comes from the early days of baseball. If a baseball game was canceled because of rain, attendees were given a piece of paper -- a rain check -- allowing them to come back on a different day to see the game. So, when you take a rain check on something you will have to wait before you can do it. In comparison, when you save something for a rainy day, you choose to put it safely away for future use. Usually we use this expression for saving money. But you can save anything for a rainy day.  Up until now, all these rain expressions use the wet weather as a hardship, sadness, inconvenience or difficulty that a person must overcome. One exception is the expression right as rain. If something is “right as rain” it is perfectly fine. For example, let’s say you hurt your back playing sports. You could tell your friends not too worry and that you’ll be right as rain in a week or two. Some word experts say that “rain” is used in this expression simply for its “r” sound. “Right” and “rain” sound good together. And that brings us to the end of this program. But come rain or shine, we will be back next week with another Words and Their Stories. Let us know if you have any rain expressions in your language in the Comments Section. I’m Anna Matteo. “And I’ve heard that into every life a little rain must fall, but you’ll never catch me complaining about too much of that southern rain.”   Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. The Cowboy Junkies sing “Southern Rain” at the end of the show. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   mood – n. an emotional state of mind or feeling caution  – n. care taken to avoid danger or risk : a careful attitude or way of behaving practical – adj. relating to what is real rather than to what is possible or imagined poetic – adj. having a beautiful or graceful quality parade – n. a public celebration of a special day or event that usually includes many people and groups moving down a street by marching or riding in cars or on special vehicles (called floats)  

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English in a Minute: Pack Rat

Is a "pack rat" an actual kind of rat? Watch this week's EIM to learn about this phrase!

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

We present the last 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. As I ended the last part of my story, I was speaking of that terrible evening when I played cards with a young gentleman called Glendinning. We were in the room of one of my friends at Oxford University. I had just realized that the young man, weak of mind and weakened by wine, had allowed me to win from him everything he owned. I was still trying to decide what I should do, when, as I said… The wide, heavy doors of the room were suddenly opened. Every light in the room went out; but I had seen that a stranger 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 him speak. In a soft, low, and never-to-be-forgotten voice, which I felt deep in my heart, 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. As he ended, he was gone. Can I — shall I — tell what I felt? Need I say that I was afraid, that I felt the sick fear of those who are judged forever wrong? Many hands held me. Lights were brought. My friends looked in my coat. In it they found all the high cards, the valuable cards needed to win in the game we had been playing. Secretly using these cards, I could have taken the money of anyone who played the game with me. Mr. Preston, in whose room we were, then said: “Mr. Wilson, this is yours.” He lifted from the floor a fine, warm coat, and said, “We shall not look in this to prove again what we have proved already. We have seen enough. You will understand, I hope, the need for you to leave the University. At the very least, you must leave my room, and leave it now.” Down in the dust though my spirit was, I might have tried to strike him for those words if at that moment I had not noticed something very surprising. My coat had cost more money than most men could spend, and it had been made especially for me. It was different, I thought, from every other coat in the world. When, therefore, Mr. Preston gave me the coat which he had picked up from the floor, I saw with terror that my own was already hanging on my arm, and that the two were alike in every way. I remembered that the strange being who had so mysteriously entered and left the room had had a coat. No one else in the room had been wearing one. I placed the coat offered by Preston over my own, and left his room. The next morning I began a hurried journey away from Oxford University. I ran, but I could not escape. I went from city to city, and in each one Wilson appeared. Paris, Rome, Vienna, Berlin, Moscow — he followed me everywhere. Years passed. I went to the very ends of the earth. I ran in fear, as if running from a terrible sickness, and still he followed. Again and again I asked myself, “Who is he? — where did he come from? — and what was his purpose?” But no answer was found. And then I looked with the greatest care at the methods of his watch over me. I learned little. It was noticeable, indeed, that when he appeared now, it was only to stop me in those actions from which evil might result. But what right did he have to try to control me? I also noticed that although he always wore clothes the same as mine, he no longer let me see his face. Did he think I would not know him? He destroyed my honor at Oxford, he stopped me in my plans for getting a high position in Rome, in my love in Naples, in what he called my desire for too much money in Egypt. Did he think I could fail to see that he was the William Wilson of my schoolboy days, the hated and feared William Wilson? But let me hurry to the last scene in my story. Until now I had not tried to strike back. He was honorable and wise, he could be everywhere, and he knew everything. I felt such wonder and fear of him that I believed myself to be weak and helpless. Though it made me angry, I had done as he desired. But now I wanted more and more to escape his control. As I began to grow stronger, it seemed to me that he began to grow weaker. I felt a burning hope; in my deepest thoughts I decided that I was going to be free. It was at Rome, during the Carnival of 1835, that I went to a dance in the great house of the Duke Di Broglio. I had been drinking more wine than is usual, and the rooms seemed very crowded and hot. I became angry as I pushed through the people. I was looking (Let me not say why)…I was looking for the young, the laughing, the beautiful wife of old Di Broglio. Suddenly I saw her; but as I was trying to get through the crowd to join her, I felt a hand placed upon my shoulder, and that ever-remembered quiet voice within my ear. In a wild anger I took him in a strong hold. Wilson was dressed, as I had expected, like myself, in a rich coat of blue. Around his body was a band of red cloth from which hung a long sharp sword. A mask of black cloth completely covered his face. “You again!” I cried, my anger growing hotter with each word. “Always you again! You shall not — you shall not hunt me like this until I die! Come with me now or I will kill you where you stand.” I pulled him after me into a small room nearby. I threw him against the wall and closed the door. I commanded him to take his sword in his hand. After a moment, he took it and stood waiting, ready to fight. The fight was short indeed. I was wild with hate and anger; in my arm I felt the strength of a thousand men. In a few moments I had forced him back against the wall, and he was in my power. Quickly, wildly, I put my sword’s point again and again into his heart. At that moment I heard that someone was trying to open the door. I hurried to close it firmly, and then turned back to my dying enemy. But what human words can tell the surprise, the horror which filled me at the scene I then saw?! The moment in which I had turned to close the door had been long enough, it seemed, for a great change to come at the far end of the room. A large mirror — a looking glass — or so it seemed to me — now stood where it had not been before. As I walked toward it in terror I saw my own form, all spotted with blood, its face white, advancing to meet me with a weak and uncertain step. So it appeared, I say, but was not. It was my enemy — it was Wilson, who then stood before me in the pains of death. His mask and coat lay upon the floor. In his dress and in his face there was nothing which was not my own! It was Wilson; but now it was my own voice I heard, as he said: “I have lost. Yet from now on you are also dead — dead to the World, dead to Heaven, dead to Hope! In me you lived — and, in my death — see by this face, which is your own, how wholly, how completely, you have killed — yourself!”   Download a lesson plan to use with this story here. Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. When you do something bad, is it better to face the results of your actions quickly or later in life? What are some things you can do to make people want to forgive you? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   cards - n. small pieces of stiff paper that are marked with symbols or pictures to show their value, come in a set, and are used for playing games gentleman - n. a man who treats other people in a proper and polite way coat - n. an outer piece of clothing that can be long or short and that is worn to keep warm or dry down in the dust – idm. an expression that means discouraged, depressed or sad; Poe uses an outdated form of the expression; today, the common expression is “down in the dumps.” duke – n. a man of very high rank in the British nobility shoulder - n.  the part of your body where your arm is connected band – n. a flat, straight piece of material (such as plastic or metal) that forms a circle around something sword – n. a weapon with a long metal blade that has a sharp point and edge mask – n. a covering for your face or for part of your face, such as to hide or disguise your face

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