Many people have been contacting United States offices around the world since the government’s H1-B visa program for foreign workers opened on Monday. H1-B visas give American businesses permission to employ skilled foreign workers in the United States for three years. Many technology companies have used the program to fill job openings. This year, there are 85,000 visas available: 65,000 for people with a bachelor’s degree from a college or university, and 20,000 visas for those with higher education. In recent years, there have been so many visa requests that the U.S. government stopped accepting them within a week. Visa winners are chosen through a computer-generated lottery system. This year, there is additional pressure because the program’s future is not clear: President Donald Trump has said that he will not let foreigners holding H1-B visas displace U.S. workers. On Monday, the Department of Justice warned U.S. companies not to discriminate against American citizens. Tom Wheeler is Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division. He said: “U.S. workers should not be placed in a disfavored status, and the department is wholeheartedly committed to investigating and vigorously prosecuting these claims.” At the same time, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services warned it will take a “more targeted approach” as its agents inspect businesses across the country. It promised to investigate companies with a high percentage of H1-B workers compared to U.S. citizens. It also plans to investigate employers who ask for permission to let H1-B workers perform their duties away from the traditional workplace. Outsourcing The Department of Homeland Security noted that 71 percent of H-1B visas were given in 2015 to people from India. That year, 10 percent were given to Chinese. Experts say India has such a high number because of the country’s many outsourcing companies. Those businesses supply workers and services to other employers. Supporters of the H1-B visa program say there are not enough skilled American workers to fill all the positions for which skilled workers are needed. A group called New American Economy says there are “persistent and dramatic” worker shortages in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The group is made up of American business leaders and city officials who support immigration reform. It reported that in 2016, there were 12 or more job openings in the STEM areas for every unemployed American worker. Some bills in the U.S. Congress expand the visa program. Others seek to limit it. I’m Kevin Turner. VOA News reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise 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 bachelor’s degree – n. a recognition given to a student by a college or university, usually after four years of study generate – v. to bring into existence; to be the cause of something disfavored – adj. disapproving or disliking status – n. a position or rating in relation to something else vigorously – adj. of or related to full physical or mental force prosecuting - v. to follow to an end; to bring legal action against approach – n. passage; path or way persistent – adj. existing for a long or longer than usual time dramatic – adj. historic; theatrical
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Thursday, April 6, 2017
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Trump Denounces Chemical Attack in Syria
U.S. President Donald Trump said the chemical attack in Syria crossed “many, many lines” and called it an “affront to humanity.” But the president declined to say how he would respond to the attack. During a joint appearance Wednesday with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House, Trump said: “I will tell you that attack on children yesterday had a big impact on me, big impact. That was a horrible, horrible thing. And I've been watching it, and seeing it, and it doesn’t get any worse than that.” Trump added that the attack had made him change his mind about Assad and what has been happening in war-torn Syria. He said the latest attack followed several others in recent weeks, bringing the conflict to “a whole different level.” “And I will tell you it’s already happened, that my attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much.” Trump’s comment came days after members of his administration said that removing Assad was not a U.S. “priority” but that it “will be decided by the Syrian people.” Throughout the six-year war, the Syrian government has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons against civilians. Russia denied any role in the latest attack. A Russian spokesman blamed the incident on Syrian warplanes striking a warehouse or factory storing chemical weapons possessed by rebel forces. Crossing the red line Trump also blamed the Obama administration for the current situation in Syria, saying it should have taken action against the country years ago. “The Obama administration had a great opportunity to solve this crisis a long time ago when he said the red line in the sand. And when he didn’t cross that line after making the threat, I think that set us back a long ways – not only in Syria, but in many other parts of the world.” Trump was speaking about Obama’s warning to Assad in 2012 – that a chemical attack would “cross a red line” and lead to a U.S. response. Obama did not follow through on this warning. In 2013, however, Trump appealed to Obama not to attack Syria in a series of tweets. No U.S. military action was taken after a gas attack later killed hundreds outside Damascus, Syria. Instead, Obama chose to support a Russian-backed agreement to remove Syria's chemical weapons supplies. Syrian chemical weapons attacks continued after the deal. When asked whether the latest attack had crossed a red line of his own, Trump said it had crossed many. “When you kill innocent children, innocent babies - babies, little babies - with a chemical gas that is so lethal – people were shocked to hear what gas it was – that crosses many, many lines. Beyond a red line.” Possible action against Syria When asked by a reporter about any possible action against Syria or its allies, Trump said, “I’m not saying I’m doing anything one way or the other, but I'm certainly not going to be telling you.” Earlier in the day, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the U.N. Security Council to take action following the chemical attack. She said it “bears all the hallmarks of the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons.” She added that the attack marked “a new low, even for the barbaric Assad regime.” “There is an obvious truth here that must be spoken. The truth is that Assad, Russia, and Iran have no interest in peace. If Russia has the influence in Syria that it claims to have, we need to see them use it. We need to see them put an end to these horrific acts. How many more children have to die before Russia cares?” Haley concluded by saying that when the U.N. “fails in its duty to act collectively,” there are times where states can be “compelled to take our own action.” And North Korea During his remarks, Trump also brought up the issue of North Korean missile tests and nuclear weapons development. This is expected to be a main issue discussed during Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping beginning Thursday in Florida. “We have a big problem, we have somebody that is not doing the right thing, and that’s going to be my responsibility.” While accepting that these issues are now clearly his responsibility, Trump again pointed the finger at the Obama administration for not making his job easier. “The world is a mess. I inherited a mess. Whether it's the Middle East, whether it’s North Korea. Whether it’s so many other things, whether it’s in our country, horrible trade deals. I inherited a mess. We’re going to fix it.” I’m Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story challenge – n. difficult task or problem affront – n. action or statement that insults or offends attitude – n. the way a person thinks or feels about something lethal – adj. deadly hallmark - n. a quality, ability, etc., that is typical of a particular person or thing barbaric – adj. very cruel compel – v. convince or force someone to do something conclude - v. to end (something) in a particular way or with a particular action point the finger at (someone) - idiomatic expression. to blame or accuse someone inherit – v. receive something passed on by someone else flexible – adj. capable of bending or being influenced by something
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Classrooms in Boston to Get Different Kind of World Map
Walk into most any classroom, and you will see a large world map hanging somewhere on the wall. Teachers use maps for subjects like geography and social studies. In the United States and other countries, schoolchildren have long learned from one kind of world map. It is called the Mercator projection. This version of map is more than 400 years old. Gerardus Mercator, a European mapmaker, designed it for the purpose of helping sailors and ships on the high seas. Today, the Mercator projection is the map of choice for modern-day direction-finding services like Apple Maps and Google Maps. It is also the map of choice in school classrooms and textbooks. But map experts and other people say the Mercator projection should not be used in schools. They say it does not correctly show the sizes of countries and continents. It is not an easy thing to show our three-dimensional planet in just two dimensions – length and width. Gerardus Mercator’s 16th-century method made countries far from Earth’s equator appear larger than they are. Countries close to the equator appear small in comparison. On Mercator maps, for example, Africa appears smaller than North America. In reality, the African continent is larger than all of North America. Mercator maps also make Greenland appear bigger than China. In fact, China is about four times larger than Greenland. The Peters projection Now, school officials in the U.S. state of Massachusetts are replacing the Mercator map with one that presents a different view of the world. Boston Public Schools is America’s oldest public school system. It is also the first-known American school system to use the Gall-Peters projection world map. German historian Arno Peters worked on the projection in the 1970s. James Gall of Scotland first developed it in the middle 1800s. Peters’ aim was to fix Mercator’s problems with sizes. He believed that map showed what critics called a “Eurocentric” world view. Officials announced the change last month. Soon, Peters world maps will hang in classrooms across the city. The change from Mercator to Peters is part of the school system’s efforts to “decolonize the curriculum,” said Colin Rose, an official with Boston Public Schools. He recently spoke with The Guardian newspaper. Hayden Frederick-Clarke is also with Boston Public Schools. He told National Public Radio that 86 percent of the school system’s students are individuals of color. Maps such as the Mercator, he said, “generally classify the places that they’re from as small and insignificant." “It only seems right that we would present them with an accurate view of themselves,” he told NPR. Ward Kaiser is a writer, publisher and an expert on maps. In 1983, his publishing business produced the first English-language Peters maps in North America. Kaiser supports Boston Public Schools' decision to move beyond the Mercator projection. “I think on the whole it is a great decision, a right decision, because it helps enlarge the understanding of those students.” Seeing a Peters map for the first time can be a strange experience. Land masses may look stretched compared to how they look on the Mercator and some other world maps. Kaiser says he expects Boston students to be surprised when they have their first look at a Peters map. “I hope that they will have an “aha!” moment. My experience is that in any school where this new map, the Peters map is being used, that does happen." A map’s purpose Every map has its purpose. At first, the main purpose of Gerardus Mercator’s map was to help sailors get across the open seas without getting lost. It was not supposed to be an educational tool, Kaiser says. “When the (Mercator) map is used for other purposes than navigating, such as on classroom walls as a representation of the real world, that’s like using a telephone to brush your teeth. It’s the wrong use of the map.” He adds that the aim of the Peters projection was to “show all countries, all regions, all continents, at their actual size.” "...And people from Nigeria, or Thailand, or Venezuela, can gain a sense of their own value in the world, their place. They are not shrunk down. They are not marginalized. They are treated with respect in that sense.” “The world belongs to everybody” The Mercator and Peters projections are just two of many kinds of world maps that may hang in school classrooms. Many public schools in China, for example, use a map that shows East Asia near the center. Kaiser said it is human nature to view one’s own place near the center of the world. Mercator himself put Germany -- his adopted homeland – near the middle of his map. “We all tend, no matter who we are, to see ourselves at the center of the world," he said. "Of course, not all maps do it so obviously.” Maps are powerful tools, Kaiser says. And the map from which a student learns about the world can make a big difference in their understanding of -- and feelings toward – others. “The world is not their oyster. The world belong to everybody. And if we treat people with respect and understanding, we may even get a better set of relationships in the world.” I’m Ashley Thompson. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story three-dimensional - adj. having or seeming to have length, width, and depth equator - n. an imaginary circle around the middle of the Earth that is the same distance from the North Pole and the South Pole view - n. an opinion or way of thinking about something curriculum - n. the courses that are taught by a school, college, etc. accurate - adj. free from mistakes or errors aha! - interjection. used when something is suddenly seen, found, or understood navigate - v. to find the way to get to a place when you are traveling in a ship, airplane, car, etc. marginalize - v. to put or keep (someone) in a powerless or unimportant position within a society or group region - n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way the world is your oyster - idiomatic expression. you are in a position to take the good chances that life has to offer (oyster - n. a type of shellfish that has a rough shell with two parts and that is eaten both cooked and raw)
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Kansas Students Praised for Investigating New School Principal's Past
This is What’s Trending Today. American reporters and news media are praising a group of high school students from southeastern Kansas. The students attend classes at Pittsburg High School and work for its newspaper. The school has about 900 students. Amy Robertson was named Pittsburg High’s new principal in early March. School officials said she lived in Dubai. They said she would move to Kansas and start her new job before the next school year. Robertson said she works as an education consultant in the United Arab Emirates. After reading a press release from the school and speaking with her on Skype for a newspaper story, the high school students had some questions. One of the students, Connor Balthazor, told The Washington Post that there were some things about Robertson “that just didn’t quite add up.” He and others from the school newspaper decided to look at Robertson’s credentials. The number-one thing they found is that Robertson claimed to have high-level degrees from Corllins University in California. When they went to the Corllins’ website, it did not have the look of the website of a serious university. The site had spelling mistakes and no information about how to become a student there or which classes are required to complete a study program. It also lacked information about a university library or how much money students have to pay for their education. The high school students worked on the story about Robertson for three weeks, and published their findings on March 31. The students said they had found “inconsistencies in Robertson’s credentials” and raised their concerns to the school district. The Pittsburg Community Schools’ superintendent asked the students to continue their investigation. The newspaper said it could not find evidence that Corllins University ever held classes in California. And Robertson’s problems did not end there. The students had further questions about her work at universities in both the United States and Britain. On Tuesday, the school district announced that Robertson resigned. Trina Paul is an editor of the student newspaper. She told the Kansas City Star “we wanted be assured that she was qualified and had the proper credentials.” Separately, Robertson told The Star that the students’ concerns “are not based on facts.” Pittsburg Community Schools plans to reopen the position for the high school’s principal. When the news of the students’ investigation came out, journalists and organizations that critique U.S. media expressed their admiration. Todd Wallack works for an investigative team at The Boston Globe newspaper. The team was recognized in the film that won the Best Picture Oscar at the 2016 Academy Awards. Wallack tweeted to the students, writing: “great investigative work.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on reports from the Washington Post, Kansas City Star and the Booster Redux. George Grow was the editor. What do you think of the students’ work? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story consultant – n. a person who gives work-related advice or services to companies credential – n. a quality, skill, or experience that makes a person equipped to do a job superintendent – n. a person who directs or oversees a place, office or organization admiration – n. a feeling of great respect and approval principal – n. a chief or head of an educational organization
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April 5, 2017
A look at the best news photos from around the world.
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In Silicon Valley, Experts Help International Groups Grow
The smell of smoke from cooking fires has stayed in the memory of Ravindra Sunku. While growing up in Hyderabad, India, Sunku smelled too much oil and wood burning in his neighborhood. His neighbors were just cooking their meals. But, years later, he wondered if his neighbors developed lung disease from breathing smoke from the cooking fuel. Now, he is doing something about it. Sunku is a director at a technology company in Silicon Valley. An area south of San Francisco Bay, Silicon Valley is home to many of the biggest and best known technology companies in the United States. Recently, Sunku used his technology skills to help BURN Manufacturing, a Kenyan company that makes stoves that burn less fuel. It hopes to make people healthier and to reduce the cutting of forests for firewood. Sunku recently told VOA that the cook stoves could have saved the lives of people in his childhood community in India. Sunku volunteered to help the Kenyan company through RippleWorks, a program in Silicon Valley. RippleWorks connects technology experts with groups around the world that have humanitarian goals. RippleWorks has helped 28 projects and it plans to help 40 more this year. The program chooses companies that work on improving education, healthcare, clean energy technology and access to financial services. RippleWorks has helped companies like NeoGrowth, a company in Mumbai, India, that provides loans to small businesses. It has also helped Zoona, a company that provides financial services to people in countries such as Malawi and Zambia. In Mexico City, RippleWorks has connected a technology marketing expert with Cignifi, a company providing credit to customers through mobile phones. RippleWorks identifies a specific problem for companies it helps. Then, it joins the company with an expert who has dealt with that problem before. RippleWorks manages the project and sets up weekly video-conference meetings. Doug Galen is the co-founder and CEO of RippleWorks. He says the secret to his organization’s success is: managing projects to make sure everyone is doing their duties. RippleWorks helped Ravindra Sunku work with BURN Manufacturing. Tech experts help solve growth problems Sunku came to the United States to attend school in Oklahoma. There, he received a master’s degree in industrial engineering. He worked in a metal factory near Los Angeles before moving to the San Francisco area to develop computer programs. In California, he worked and raised a family. He also volunteered in his community. The work involved building a playground and filling bags of food to help the hungry. Then, through RippleWorks, he volunteered to work for six months with BURN Manufacturing. Sunku did not have go to Kenya. He used video conferencing and other technology to communicate with the company. Since 2013, BURN Manufacturing has provided 250,000 cook stoves to African families. BURN Manufacturing has grown quickly, with a factory, employees, products and customers since its start. It needed technology to manage information about things like sales, pay for employees and supplies. Once a week, Sunku arrived at work in San Francisco early in the morning for a video conference with BURN’s chief financial officer and general manager. He also volunteered for three hours on the weekend: two hours on BURN projects and one hour with the RippleWorks project manager. He helped BURN choose software. He also helped them develop processes for hiring technical help in Nairobi. After he saw that the managers were taking his advice, he found the job satisfying. The final part of Sunku's work with BURN was a trip to Nairobi. He was able to take the trip because his job gives workers unlimited time off. Sunku is director of information technology at StitchFix, a web company that makes clothing selections using technology. “I never thought someone like me, originally from India who moved to the U.S. and has been in this country for more than 30 years, would make a contribution to Africa," he said. I’m Phil Dierking. And I’m Alice Bryant. Michelle Quinn reported this story for VOA News. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story access - n. a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone master’s degree - n. degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after one or two years of additional study following a bachelor's degree video conference - n. A video conference uses technology to create visual connection between persons in separate places playground - n. an outdoor area where children can play that usually includes special equipment, such as swings and slides customer - n. someone who buys goods or services from a business
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Memoji App Turns Selfies Into Emojis
If you are a fan of emojis, you might enjoy Memoji. The new app turns photos of faces into emojis. If your friends are fans of emojis, you can turn their photos into emojis, too. But if your friends are not fans of emojis, you can still turn their photos into emojis. Maybe then they will learn to like emojis! Memoji is a free app for iPhone that turns photos of faces into emojis. The app lets users choose from 11 different emojis, including happy, sad, cool, love, and even a rainbow unicorn. A Memoji app for Android is in development. Memojis can be saved as photos, GIFs and videos. The app lets users save these to their phone and share them on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other social media sites. Users also can send them directly to their friends in Facebook Messenger, text messages and email. How to use memoji To use Memoji, first download it free from the iTunes App Store. Open the app and give it permission to access your photos. Tap the photo icon in the upper left corner of the screen. Choosing a photo Choose from photos on your phone that show faces. The app does not recognize all face photos. If the app does not recognize a face in the photo you choose, try a different photo. The app only recognizes photos of human faces. If you try to use a photo of your dog or cat, you will get a message that suggests you try again with a human face. You can have fun with photos of friends using Memoji. If you choose a photo of a group of friends, only one face in the photo will get the emoji. Turning the photo into an emoji Under the photo you will see the 11 different emojis you can use. Swipe through to choose your favorite. Tap on the emoji to add it to the face in the photo. You can choose from: Laugh until you cry Angry Kiss Devil Laughing Sad crying Rainbow unicorn Feeling ill Love Sad Cool After you tap the emoji, the face in the photo will change according to the emoji you choose. The face moves to a smile, frown or something else. An image might be added such as tears, sunglasses, or a unicorn horn. For some emojis the facial expression changes without an image being added. Keep tapping different emojis until you find one you like. Saving and sharing the memoji When you have chosen your favorite Memoji, you can save it and share it with others. Tap the arrow icon in the upper right corner of the screen. You will see choices of format for saving the image as a GIF, video or image. GIF may be the most fun, but you can choose based on how you want to share the Memoji. After you choose the format, sharing and saving options will appear on the screen. You can save the image to your phone, share it to your social media accounts, add it to a text or email message, assign it to a contact and more. A label that gives credit to the app is included in the lower right corner of the image or video. As of now, the app does not let you remove the label. I’m Caty Weaver. Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Do you like emojis? Will you try Memoji? Which emoji is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story emoji -n. a small digital image or icon used to express an idea, emotion, etc., in electronic communication unicorn -n. an imaginary animal that looks like a horse and has a straight horn growing from the middle of its forehead GIF -n. an animated image generally meant to convey an emotion or state of mind access -v. permission or the right to enter, get near, or make use of something or to have contact with someone icon -n. a small picture on a computer screen that represents a program or function swipe -v. move one's finger across a screen to activate a function ill -adj. not well or healthy : sick or unhealthy smile -n. an expression on your face that makes the corners of your mouth turn up and that shows happiness, amusement, pleasure, affection, etc. frown -n. a serious facial expression that usually shows anger, displeasure, or concentration tear -n. a drop of liquid that comes from your eyes especially when you cry sunglasses -n. glasses with dark lenses that protect the eyes from the sun format -n. the way in which information is stored in a computer file option -n. the opportunity or ability to choose something or to choose between two or more things label -n. a word or phrase that describes or identifies something or someone
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What Is This ‘Filibuster’ Americans Are Talking About?
This week, the U.S. Senate will vote on whether to accept Donald Trump’s nomination for the Supreme Court. The president has asked Congress to approve federal judge Neil Gorsuch, who is 49 years old. If he is approved, Gorsuch will fill the position that has been open since February 2016, when Justice Antonin Scalia died. Under the U.S. Constitution, the president nominates Supreme Court Justices, and Congress decides whether to approve them. If Gorsuch is approved, he will be permitted to stay on the Court for the rest of his life, and to help determine the meaning of the country’s laws -- including on disputed issues related to guns and abortion. He would restore the 5-4 conservative majority before Scalia’s death. In the days leading up to the Senate’s decision, many people are arguing about the vote. Two words especially are coming up: filibuster and nuclear option. Democrats, who in general do not support Gorsuch, are threatening to filibuster. And Republicans, who support him, are threatening to use the nuclear option. But what do these words mean? The filibuster A filibuster is a way of delaying a vote. The political party with the smaller number – or minority – in Congress can use it to prevent lawmakers from voting. The filibuster has been part of Senate rules since the 1800s. Historically, senators filibustered by speaking for many hours -- often overnight -- to block votes. For example, during the 1930s Senator Huey Long of Louisiana spoke against bills he said favored the rich over the poor. Once he talked for 15 hours, the Senate Historical Office says. Long filled the time by reading from William Shakespeare’s plays and sharing his favorite food recipes. Now, senators do not usually talk continuously to filibuster. Instead, they insist that the majority party come up with 60 votes to end debate and schedule a vote. If the majority party falls short of 60 votes, the vote is blocked. Democrats, who are in the minority party in the Senate, say they will filibuster the vote on Gorsuch. The nuclear option But Republicans who want Gorsuch to start hearing cases right away are preparing to counter the Democrats’ move. Under Senate rules, lawmakers can stop a filibuster. If 60 out of the 100 senators agree, debate can be stopped and a vote scheduled. But Republicans do not have the 60 votes to stop the Democrats’ filibuster. Only 52 of the lawmakers are Republicans and not enough Democrats will support their move to stop the filibuster. And that explains why Senate Republicans say they will use the “nuclear option.” In this case, the phrase means to change a rule in the Senate. Republicans will move to change a rule that would allow a simple majority of senators to end debate and schedule a vote. A rule change only requires a majority vote. Why is it called the nuclear option? This change in Senate rules was first described as the “nuclear option” back in 2003. The reason: Some compared a difficult political situation in the Senate to the Cold War between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union. It was said that nuclear deterrence -- that both nations had enough nuclear weapons to destroy the other -- meant neither country was likely to attack the other. Gregory Koger teaches political science at the University of Miami in Florida. As was the case with the Soviet Union and the U.S., Koger said, Democrats and Republicans know the party that approves the “nuclear option” will pay a price. For Republicans, it will come when Democrats reclaim the Senate majority and are able to confirm Supreme Court justices with a simple majority. Koger said the Senate has long worked on the common belief that “nobody gets everything they want,” and that compromise is needed to get things done. A vote to end the filibuster for Supreme Court judges, he said, “signals the end of that way of doing things.” Why are we in this situation? The current fight over the Gorsuch nomination goes back to the Obama administration. Republicans blocked votes on many judicial and administration nominees from President Barack Obama, a Democrat, particularly in his second term. Senate Democrats responded by changing Senate rules in 2013. No longer would 60 votes be needed to end a filibuster against judicial nominees and top positions in the government. But the filibuster remained available for Supreme Court nominations -- a rule Senate Republicans are ready to change this week. Republicans took over the Senate majority from Democrats in 2015. And in 2016, Republican leaders refused to hold hearings or vote on Obama’s final nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Merrick Garland. Republican leaders said the choice should go to the next president. And now Trump, a Republican, is president. Less than two weeks after taking office, he chose Gorsuch for the Supreme Court. I'm Bruce Alpert. And I'm Dorothy Gundy. Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story restore - v bring back recipe - n. a set of instructions for making food counter - v. to say something in response to something that another person has said phrase - n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence deterrence - n. developing a lot of military power so that other countries will not attack your country particularly - adv. more than usually
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Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Sometimes It Pays to Disobey
A respected American university will award a cash prize for breaking rules. But the disobedience must be for a good purpose.
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Trump Talks Tough on China Ahead of Meeting with Xi
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping this week for talks expected to focus on trade and North Korea. The meeting will be held Thursday and Friday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in the southern U.S. state of Florida. Difficult trade talks Trump was highly critical of China during his presidential campaign and has continued to make strong statements in office. He has accused China of unfair trade practices and undervaluing its currency. Chinese officials have said they do not want a trade war to break out over possible changes in U.S. trade policies. Last week, Trump tweeted that his upcoming meeting with Xi would be “a very difficult one.” He said the U.S. “can no longer have massive trade deficits and job losses.” This is in keeping with the president’s pledge after taking office to put “America first” in many policies, including trade and foreign affairs. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer noted several other “big problems” between the U.S. and China. He cited Chinese activities in the South China Sea and the North Korean nuclear dispute. “There are big issues of national and economic security that need to get addressed, and I think there’s going to be a lot on the table when it comes to that over the two days that they will talk.” China has warned the U.S. not to get involved in its disputes with other nations over the South China Sea. Chinese officials have also strongly condemned the deployment of the American-built THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea. The deployment came after North Korea carried out a number of missile tests. North Korea nuclear development Many security experts believe China will have to be an important partner with Washington in efforts to make progress on North Korea. In an interview with Britain’s Financial Times newspaper, Trump noted that China has “great influence” over North Korea. While he hopes China will cooperate on North Korea, he said if Beijing is not willing to help resolve the problem, “we will.” Trump also warned that if North Korea’s fast advancing nuclear and missile capabilities are allowed to continue, “it won't be good for anyone.” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged China to take steps to show it is serious about North Korea and stop making "excuses that they're concerned, too." “They need to show us how concerned they are. They need to put pressure on North Korea. The only country that can stop North Korea is China," Haley told ABC television's This Week. Economic sanctions and international negotiations have failed over the years to persuade North Korea to stop its missile building and nuclear development. It is possible that Trump will seek a deal with Xi that involves both trade and security issues, according to Bong Young-shik, a professor of North Korean studies at Yonsei University in Seoul. “So the question is whether Washington is willing to, and able to, make concessions giving Beijing enough incentives so that the Chinese government will make a fundamental shift in its dealings with the leadership in Pyongyang.” In the Financial Times interview, Trump said trade will be the main incentive the U.S. will use in negotiations with China. Last month during a visit to South Korea, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said all options regarding North Korea were being considered, including possible military action. James Nolt is a political and economic expert with the World Policy Institute. He says the U.S. may decide that military strikes against North Korea are an acceptable risk to maintain U.S. security. “I think that is a very plausible action because it doesn’t look necessarily warlike. It looks like a relatively reasonable response to a threat, and yet undoubtedly from North Korea it’s going to look like it’s very provocative.” Yun Sun is with the Stimson Center policy institute in Washington, D.C. She told VOA she believes China will send Xi to the United States with a “generous gift package” in hand. This package could include a large commitment for Chinese investment in building roads and bridges in the U.S. Yun said this could be a good political move for both China and Trump, who has called for major projects to create American jobs. I’m Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from VOA News, the Associated Press, Reuters and other sources. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story deficit – n. amount of something that is less than the amount needed concession – n. giving in to something to reach agreement incentive – n. thing that encourages a person to do something shift – n. change in position or direction plausible – adj. possibly true provocative – adj. causing discussion, thought or argument generous – adj. giving freely of money, time or other things commitment – n. promise to do or give something
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Empowering Educators through Data
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD is working with teachers and schools to reform education through data. The OECD is over 50 years old, and has 35 member countries, including the United States. Its aim is to support policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people worldwide. The OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, is the largest international study of 15-year-old students. More than 500,000 students from 72 countries took the test in 2016. They answered questions involving three subjects: science, reading and mathematics. The PISA results are informative, but do not always lead to improvements in the classroom. The OECD hopes to change that through a program it calls PISA4U. It hopes the program will connect teachers in different areas and lead to exchanges of what it considers “relevant best practices.” Holm Keller is heading the PISA4U initiative. He says the reasons for differences between high schools is something that teachers are best positioned to explain. PISA4U is “aimed at empowering teachers to do what they can to substantially improve teaching outcomes in their expertise,” Keller said. “There is a lot of potential for innovation in the teaching community, but it is not always easily shared.” Through PISA4U, the OECD hopes to share information about what makes some schools perform better than others. The initiative has two parts. The first is an online program where teachers work in groups to create resources related to their area of specialization. These online and other resources are then shared with the 4,000 teachers involved in PISA4U. The teachers are asked to study and rate the information. Afterwards, the final version of the resources will be shared online to a larger community of teachers for free. Basis Schools: managing by data Another goal of PISA4U is to study successful education models around the world. One such model, the only one being studied in the United States, is the Basis school system. It is a group of independent and charter schools that have a record of high student performance. Basis schools have receive a lot of recognition for their successes. In 2016, U.S. News and World Report magazine rated two Basis schools in Arizona as the number 2 and 3 “Best High School” in the country. The same two schools, plus another in Oro Valley, Arizona, were named as the top three U.S. charter schools. These rankings are based on the school’s student performance on state-required tests, as well as how well their students are prepared for college. While Basis schools do have a history of success, another reason for studying them is their method of using data to inform teachers. The Basis schools direct their programs with data from an electronic learning platform, called the Basis Educational Link and Assessment, or BELA. Mark Reford is the Chief Business Development and Brand Officer for Basis. In his opinion, the simplest way to describe BELA “is crowdsourcing curricular innovation.” At Basis schools, teachers never have a set curriculum or program of study. Instead, they are given “goals” of what subjects they need to present to students during the school year. Teachers put all the information about their classes, such as homework, study guides, or education goals, into the BELA database. With this information, school administrators are able to see teacher’s progress, which teachers have been successful, and what interesting things they are doing with their classes. That way, the administrators are able to share the information with other teachers and schools. The database also can help teachers. Teachers can search BELA for curriculum and resource materials for their classes. School innovation BELA is not the only unusual thing about the Basis schools. According to Sean Aiken, Head of School for the Basis Independent School in McLean, Virginia, the schools have a one-of-a-kind model for teachers. At the Basis schools, students do not have homeroom teachers, but instead have separate teachers for each subject. Instead of using teachers who are considered “generalists,” the schools offer teaching positions to experts in the subject they are teaching. The idea is that whoever is teaching middle school biology should be an expert in biology. Individuals being considered for a teaching position also required to complete a teaching demo with Basis students, who provide their comments to a school administrator. That information is used in the-decision-making process. Additionally, in Basis primary schools, groups of students are asked to work with a Learning Expert Teacher, or LET, who follows the students to their classes throughout the day. The LET then meets with the subject teachers to help make sure class time is well spent for the students. A “culture of education” Basis schools are said to support a “culture of education.” School days are longer, and there are less breaks than at U.S. public schools. Advanced Placement, or AP tests are first taken in eighth or ninth grade. School work is also considered more important than sports or other extra-curricular activities. However Aiken says the main goal is to regain control of how students use their time. “Do you want to be functioning in the top 1 to 2% of the world when it comes to your critical thinking, reading, writing and science? Yes... Do you also want to win the city championship for middle school girl’s basketball? Yes... Those are not mutually exclusive goals. But now we need to be even more intentional about how we are using our time,” Aiken said Although difficult at times, the Basis model appears to be working for some students. According to Sayeed Akhtar, an 11th grade student at the Basis School in McLean, the biggest difference between his and other schools was the rigor. “I think the level of academic rigor at Basis is much higher than other schools in the area… I spent about six years in another school in the area and it was kind of like a country club. I think at Basis they have a much more serious approach to academics and they are functioning just at a higher level overall in terms of their curriculum,” Akhtar said. Akhtar is currently taking seven AP classes, something he says that not many students his age are doing. But trying to meet high expectations at an early age is not easy, Aiken says. Some students find that balancing the work load at the Basis schools with other activities is difficult. Also, not all parents feel the model is right for their children, as it puts more pressure on them. Basis schools are different, but it is their custom of using data to improve teaching that makes the schools a model of what PISA4U hopes to achieve. By sharing information, the hope is that eventually teachers around the world will have use of information on what really makes a school successful. I’m Phil Dierking. And I'm Alice Bryant. Phil Dierking wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Do you think using data to improve teaching is effective? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________ Words in This Story crowdsourcing - n. the practice of obtaining information or input into a task or project by enlisting the services of a large number of people, either paid or unpaid, typically via the Internet. curriculum - n. data - n. the courses that are taught by a school, college, etc. database - n. a collection of pieces of information that is organized and used on a computer function - n. a collection of pieces of information that is organized and used on a computer initiative - n. a plan or program that is intended to solve a problem online - adj. connected to a computer, a computer network, or the Internet platform - n. a program or set of programs that controls the way a computer works and runs other programs practice - v. to do something again and again in order to become better at it primary - adj. most important resource - n. something that a country has and can use to increase its wealth rigor - n. the difficult and unpleasant conditions or experiences that are associated with something substantially - n.very much, or, a lot
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