Lesson 52: Taking Chances

Certificate of Completion Have you been studying with "Let's Learn English" through the past year? We are happy that you have visited regularly to study English with us. As a thank-you, we offer this certificate of completion. Download it and add your own name. Record a short video of yourself speaking English while you are holding the certificate. Then share it with us and other English learners around the world on the VOA Learning English Facebook page. Keep visiting us to review Let's Learn English, and look for the next English course, which is coming in Fall 2017. Summary Anna is on a talk show to tell us about her new career move - acting as a tree in the movies. She looks back at the chances she took in the past year and plans for the future. Will she stay in Hollywood or come back to live in Washington, D.C.? Speaking Use this video to learn the new words for this lesson. Then, learn about some new phrasal verbs. ​Pronunciation Use this video to learn about the blend of two words in the phrase "sit down." ​ Conversation   Anna: Hello, it's Anna! I did it - Washington, D.C. is my home. Looking back over the past year, I’ve done so many amazing things! I have met people from all over the world. I’ve made many good friends. And I have a great job! And I've taken a lot of chances. And now I have some really big news! Wait for it… and 3, 2, 1… Kelly: Hello and welcome to “Around the Corner and Across the Street from the Actor’s Studio!” Many people dream of becoming actors. But very often, those dreams don’t come true. Kelly: Well, today we will meet a woman and -- her acting career has really taken off. In fact, she acted in my play, “The Woods Are Alive!” Oh. She really brought the part of Tree Number 15 to life! Let’s give a warm welcome to Anna Matteo! Anna: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me here. Kelly: Please, please, sit down. Here, here, let me help you. Anna: Thanks. Thanks. Wow, it is great to see you again, Director Kelly! Kelly: It’s great to see you too, Anna. I see you are still wearing your tree costume. Does this have anything to do with your big news? Anna: Yes. Yes, it does. Kelly: Well, Anna, please share that news with us. Anna: Kelly, I will be acting in three movies. Kelly: That is amazing! Anna, tell us more. Anna: Well, the first is a science fiction movie. The second is a romantic comedy. And the third is an action movie. Kelly: That is so great! Let me guess -- you’re playing a tree in all of them! Anna: Yes! This is what happened. To prepare for your play, I had to find out what it was like to BE a tree in the world. I had to find out where to eat, where to shop, where to meet people and how to get around the city. Kelly: Amazing. I think big things are going to happen for you, Anna. So, tell me, will you be moving to Hollywood for a career in movies? Anna: No. I’ll make the movies and then come back. Washington, D.C. is my home. Kelly: I’m sure your family is very proud. Anna: Yes, they are. You know, Kelly, not too long ago, I didn’t feel very good about my life. I had to make a change. So, I took some chances. Sometimes I succeeded. Sometimes I failed. But I will never stop trying. Kelly: Well, thank you for sharing your news and so much more with us, Anna. Kelly: Until next time …   Writing In this lesson, Anna looks back on how she has learned by taking chances over the past year in Washington, D.C. Have you ever taken chances to learn something new or to meet your goal? Tell us about a chance you took and how it helped you to learn or do something important to you . Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet to practice phrasal verbs and evaluating.  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 Evaluate. We use this strategy when we look back at how we have learned and look forward to how we can learn more. In learning a language, we can evaluate how well we are learning and also evaluate how we are using strategies to learn. When we think about which strategies helped us, we know that we should use those strategies again. In this lesson, Anna looks back at how she took chances in learning to do her job and to live in a big city. She is also looking forward to her new career as an actor. She is taking a chance to go to Hollywood and be in the movies. Look back at how you have been learning English. What helped you the most?Now look forward. What will help you in the future? Are you taking chances to practice in lots of ways? Write to us 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 action movie - n. a movie with events that happen quickly and that cause feelings of danger and excitement ​ bring to life - phrase. make or become active, lively, or interesting career - n. a job or profession that someone does for a long time come back - phrasal verb. to return to a place fail - v. to not succeed or to end without success find out - phrasal verb. to learn (something) by making an effort get around - phrasal verb. to go, walk, or travel to different places prepare - v. to make yourself ready for something that you will be doing or something that you expect to happen proud - adj. very happy and pleased because of something you have done, something you own, or someone you know or are related to romantic comedy - n. a movie or play that deals with love in a light, humorous way science fiction - n. a kind of story about how people and societies are affected by imaginary scientific developments in the future share - v. to tell someone about (your feelings, opinions, or thoughts) take chances - phrase. to do things even though there could be good or bad results take off - phrasal verb. make great progress ______________________________________________________________ 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 phrasal verbs and evaluating. 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: Phrasal verbs; Review of verb tenses Topics: Discussing feelings and describing accomplishments Learning Strategy: Evaluate Speaking and Pronunciation: Blended form of "sit down" _______________________________________________________________ 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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Schools, Universities Teach Students the Truth About Fake News

In the past, most people received their news from newspapers, magazines and broadcasters. But now, just about anyone can report and publish on the Internet and share it as news through social media. The problem: not all of the information is true and not all of the reporting is trustworthy. After the presidential election last November, many people even questioned whether “fake news” had influenced the election results. This has led Facebook to work with organizations to find out whether a disputed story is true or false and educators to train students to become responsible readers of news What really is "fake news?" The term “fake news” is complicated, because it is not always clear what that means. People have used the term to identify everything from news stories reporting false facts, to stories reporting facts they disagree with. Howard Schneider, a former editor of the newspapers Newsday, started the Center for News Literacy at Stony Book University in 2007. The center has multiple projects, but the most visible is a course to teach News Literacy. The course trains students to look for various details that may indicate the validity of the story. Does the body of the story actually relate to the headline?  Are there a lot of overstated or extreme sentences? Are there facts in the story and can they be proven? Is it written by a well-known journalist? Richard Hornik is the Director of Overseas Partnership Programs for the Center for News Literacy. He says the problem of fake news really has two parts: stories with actual false information, and poor journalism in general. “It’s not about spotting a bogus (or false) piece, it’s also about spotting a piece that could have been better… to quote Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a former senator from New York, ‘everyone is entitled to their own opinions but not entitled to their own facts.’” In some ways, Hornik says that Schneider anticipated the fake news crisis. He says, “His [Schneider’s] insight was that there is no point in training quality journalists if the public didn’t really know the difference between journalism and something else…” ​Spreading the news The University of Michigan, or UM, has a similar course to train students to research the validity of news stories, and to be aware of biases. Doreen Bradley is the university’s Director of Learning Programs and Initiatives. She says, “What is really an important step for people is realizing they don’t come with an unbiased view, that they have a certain viewpoint.” She gives this advice to students: “take yourself out of your own current view and to appreciate someone else’s…we think is really critical for dialogue.” Another problem, Bradley says, is the fact that most students are using Facebook and Twitter to get their news, rather than going to more traditional news websites or publications. Students are too busy Michelle Sheng is a third-year student at the University of Michigan. Sheng finds that students either just stop reading the news or only take news from one source that they trust.  “A lot of people are jaded about the news. People are too busy to keep up with the news, and it is really easy to take whatever news is given to you because you don’t have the time to figure it out yourself,” she says. For her part, Sheng recently created a digital exhibit for the university library of images to educate students on steps they can take to better analyze the news. Educating the public Richard Hornik feels it is important to educate an even larger audience, beyond American university students. Hornik and the Center for News Literacy have developed teaching resources, as well as a free online news literacy course on Coursera. The news literacy courses have been taught at universities in Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Australia, Russia, Hong Kong, and Poland. They are also trying to reach a younger audience. They have partnered with several secondary schools in the American state of New York to teach news literacy. One school is the Intermediate School, or IS, 303 in Brooklyn borough of New York City. The school uses various activities, like having students determine whether videos on YouTube were real or fake, or if websites are independently confirming their stories before printing them. According to the New York Times, IS 303 teacher Rema Kaddah tells her students to be selective about what they take and accept as truth, and to not accept somebody else’s truth. They need to be ready to “fact check this world.” Middle school is not too early to start, it seems. As Stony Brook university student Paula Pecorella says, news literacy should begin “by the time you start interacting on the web, whether it’s social media or any other kind of forum.” Changing human behaviors Doreen Bradley of the University of Michigan says people should research and confirm what they read online. However, she says, “to change human behavior is a difficult thing… but that really is the only thing that is going to help.” Hornik agrees as well. “The biggest problem is not getting people to be able to recognize bad journalism or fake news, the biggest problem is getting people to want to recognize it. Our brains are wired to seek out information that agrees with our current beliefs.” I’m Phil Dierking   This story was written for VOA Learning English by Phil Dierking. Hai Do was the editor. What do you think the best way is to teach people about fake news and poor journalism?  How can someone spot it?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   anticipate – v.  to think of something that will or might happen in the future​ algorithms – n. a set of steps that are followed in order to solve a mathematical problem or to complete a computer process​ bias – n. a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly​ bogus – adj. not real or genuine​ dialogue – n.  a discussion or series of discussions that two groups or countries have in order to end a disagreement​ digital exhibit – n. an electronic work of art, designed to demonstrate a concept, that his housed in a cultural or educational setting. headline – n. the title written in large letters over a story in a newspaper​ literacy – n. the ability to read and write​ jaded – adj. feeling or showing a lack of interest and excitement caused by having done or experienced too much of something​ validity – n. the quality of being real or correct​

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Study Finds Link between El Niño and Cholera Outbreaks

  Researchers are now reporting a link between the weather event known as El Niño and an increase in cholera cases in eastern Africa. This means that knowing when there is going to be an El Niño climate event might improve public health preparedness. El Niños are a global climate phenomenon that takes place every two to seven years. During an El Niño, the temperature of the ocean’s surface, in the eastern Pacific near South America, becomes warmer than usual. The warming begins in late December. The following year, in the fall, sea surface temperatures also warm in the western Pacific, leading to extreme weather events like flooding and droughts. These conditions also support cholera outbreaks. Cholera is an infectious bacterial disease that people usually get from infected water supplies. The water becomes contaminated if human waste containing the bacteria enters the water. Finding the link About 177 million people live in areas where the cases of cholera increase during El Niño. However, there has been little evidence of El Niño’s health effect in Africa. The recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in March found that cholera cases increased in countries in East Africa. “Because they can either lead to surface flooding that washes contamination into drinking water in areas where there’s open defecation," said epidemiologist Sean Moore who led the study. "It also can lead to overflowing of sewer systems in urban areas which again can lead to contamination of drinking water.” Moore is an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore. He says there are about 150,000 cases of cholera a year, mostly in Africa south of the Saharan Desert. Researchers measured changes in the number of cholera cases during El Niños between the years 2000 and 2014. They found cases increased by almost 50,000 in eastern Africa during El Niño years.  Scientists also saw a small increase in the number of cholera cases in areas hit by drought because of El Niño. Moore said when water supplies decrease, available drinking water can become contaminated by bacteria in human waste. The study also reported a surprising finding: cholera cases dropped in some parts of Africa.  Researchers found there were 30,000 fewer cases reported in southern Africa during El Niño years compared to non-El Niño years.  The reasons for the drop in cases is not clear at this time, Moore said. Cholera remains a dangerous disease Without treatment, death rates from cholera can be as high as 50 percent. El Niño’s can be predicted six to 12 months ahead of time, Moore said. That means public health officials can prepare for outbreaks, which usually happen soon after the climate event begins. “An advance warning could, even if it doesn’t prevent outbreak, it could at least prevent the deaths that tend to occur during the early part of an outbreak,” he said. Using a treatment known as oral rehydration therapy, Moore said the risk of death from cholera drops to 1 percent. He said there are now low-cost cholera vaccines that could be used to prevent the disease if it is known that an area is going to be hit by an El Niño. I’m Phil Dierking   Jessica Berman wrote this story for VOA News.   Phil Dierking adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. Do you know how to keep your drinking water safe?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   cholera – n.  a serious disease that causes severe vomiting and diarrhea and that often results in death​ contaminate – v.  to make something dangerous, dirty, or impure by adding something harmful or undesirable to it​ defecate – v. to pass solid waste from the body​ drought – n.  a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain​ epidemiologist – n.  the study of how disease spreads and can be controlled​ phenomenon – n.  something that can be observed and studied and that typically is unusual or difficult to understand or explain fully​ advance –adj. before something happens​

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An American Town without Wi-Fi or Mobile Phones

  You might think people all over the United States have wireless internet service and mobile phones. But there is no such service in Green Bank, West Virginia, a tiny town four hours from the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C. Fewer than 150 people live in Green Bank, which has two churches, an elementary school and a public library. It also is home to the largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world. There is a ban on Wi-Fi -- wireless internet service -- in Green Bank, along with anything else that can create electromagnetic waves. Officials say the waves could interfere with signals the telescope receives. For many Americans, a visit to Green Bank is a little like returning to the 1950s. To get there, you must read road signs -- because there is no GPS service in the town. People can connect with the internet through telephones or Ethernet cables, but wireless service is not permitted. Sherry Chestnut was born in the town, so the lack of Wi-Fi, texting, and mobile phone service is normal for her. “We’ve never really had it, so most people would probably say we do it the old-fashioned way, even though to us it’s not the old-fashioned way -- it’s just the way of living.” The store where Chestnut worked until recently has a landline telephone. Such phones are the only way to call someone while in Green Bank. There is a 33,000-square-kilometer zone of silence around the radio telescope. Cell phone towers are not permitted in the area. There is also a 16-kilometer area around the observatory where radio-controlled toys and other devices may not be used. Green Bank is in an area called the National Radio Quiet Zone. The Federal Communications Commission created the zone in 1958. It extends to other parts of West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. Some people call the Green Bank Telescope “the GBT.” That is short for “Great Big Thing.” The observatory is one of the largest employers in the area. The federal National Science Foundation (NSF) spends about $8.2 million a year to operate the observatory, telescope and educational center. That is about two-thirds of the cost of operating the facility. The other third comes from West Virginia University, the educational partnership NANOGrav (Nanograv.org) -- which is funded by the NSF -- and Breakthrough Listen (BreakthroughInitiatives.org), a private organization which seeks to learn if there are other forms of life in the universe. Jonah Bauserman is a technician. He enforces the ban on devices that produce electromagnetic waves.   “With this equipment I can actually look for a little weak signal that could be interfering with the telescopes.” If Bauserman suspects there is a signal that is not permitted in the zone, he drives to the house where the signal is coming from and inspects it. Telescope employees work in a specially designed room that blocks electromagnetic waves. Michael Holstine is an observatory official. “This is an electrical submarine if you will. No electrical waves can get, electromagnetic waves can get into this room, none of them can get out of this room.” Holstine told NBC News the radio telescope can capture signals “from 13 billion light years away.” The scientists work to limit the effect of interference on the telescope. But once a week, when the device is cleaned, some banned devices are permitted near it.   The telescope is searching for radio signals from other planets, among other things. Richard Lynch is one of the scientists who listen for signals from outer space. “All the signals that we detect with the telescope so far are just generated by unintelligent stars, galaxies -- you know, things in the universe. We haven’t ever detected anything from an intelligent civilization.” Sherry Chestnut and others in the town respect the work of the scientists. And they say they are happy to live without wireless internet service or mobile phones. “You know, instead of sitting here on our phones and our gadgets we’re out fishing and hunting and going to each other’s houses.” For the latest news, people in Green Bank read the local weekly newspaper. When Chestnut needs to look for a phone number, she looks in a phone book. And instead of sending messages on Facebook to her friends and neighbors, she talks to them. In Green Bank, everyone knows each other and communication is almost always face-to-face.   Correspondents Lesya Bakalets and Sergey Sokolov from VOA’s Russian Service reported this story from Green Bank, West Virginia. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the 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   steer – v. to control the direction in which something (such as a ship, car or airplane) moves electromagnetic – adj. a magnetic field that is produced by a current of electricity GPS – n. a radio system that uses signals from satellites to tell you where you are and to give you directions to other places old-fashioned – adj. typical of the past in a pleasing or desirable way landline – adj. a kind of telephone that uses wires; a phone that is not a mobile phone zone – n. an area that is different from other areas in a particular way allow – v. to permit (something)  

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Toyota Plans to Offer a Robotic Leg to Help the Disabled

  Japanese carmaker Toyota has designed a robotic leg to help disabled people walk. The company demonstrated the new device to reporters at its headquarters in Tokyo this week. The robotic leg is called the Welwalk WW-1000 system. It has a mechanical frame that fits onto a person’s leg below the knee. Patients can practice walking on a special treadmill. Eiichi Saito is a doctor and an executive vice president at Fujita Health University. His university helped Toyota develop the robotic leg. Saito said it is designed to be worn on one leg for patients who are paralyzed on one side of their body because of a stroke or other disease. The device is attached with a strap to the thigh, knee, ankle and foot of the person using it. A motor helps to bend and straighten the knee. Sensors provide information about what is happening and medical staff can control the system through a touch panel screen. “This helps just barely enough,” said the researcher, who said helping a patient too much can slow recovery. Japanese carmakers are also making robots Japanese carmakers have been developing robotics for manufacturing and other uses for many years. Honda Motor Co., for example, has developed the Asimo humanoid robot that can run, dance and speak. Toyota’s WelWalk system uses robotic technology to assist people in moving and walking. Toyota took about 10 years to develop the robot walker. Toshiyuki Isobe is with Toyota’s Frontier Research Center. He told Reuters news service that it has taken the company time to develop robotics products. “The biggest challenges have been in determining the needs of the robot market, which is relatively new, and to ensure that our products are safe,” he said. Robots that assist in health care are seen as an important and growing market. Growing market for robots in healthcare Eiichi Saito says Toyota’s device is aimed at helping common paralysis caused by health problems like strokes that can happen to aging people. Japan’s population is aging faster than other countries. In 2015, more than 26 percent of Japanese were aged 65 or older. Robotic devices may also be better for patients in some cases. Saito said patients using the device can recover more quickly because the robotic sensors in the WelWalk are more sensitive to movement than a human health worker. Some experts expect demand for robots used to assist in care of the old and disabled will increase sharply. That is because there will be fewer people in the work force to care for the growing number of older patients. The International Robotic Federation says more than 37,000 robots used in healthcare for the aged and disabled will be sold between 2016 and 2019. It says the field is expected to increase a lot in the next 20 years. Toyota plans to rent 100 of the robotic systems to medical centers in Japan later this year. Costs include a $9000 one-time charge and a monthly rental cost of $3,200. However, competition in walking assistance devices is growing. The medical technology company Hocoma of Switzerland and ReWalk Robotics of the United States also have developed robotic walkers. I’m Mario Ritter.   Naomi Tajitsu and Maki Shiraki of Reuters and Yuri Kageyama of AP reported this story. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do 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   treadmill –n. a machine used for exercise or rehabilitation that has a large belt that moves allowing a person to walk or run on it without moving paralyzed –adj. unable to move, unable to walk touch panel screen –n. a kind of computer screen that operated by touching the screen humanoid –adj. like a human being challenge –n. a difficult task, something that is hard to do

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English Expressions Grow in the Garden

Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories. As the weather turns warmer, many people love to head outdoors to dig in the dirt, plants seeds and watch them grow. Gardening is a very popular hobby. And it is one that produces wonderful results – food for your dinner table and flowers for your home! Gardens themselves can be very beautiful. So you would think that a garden path is a great place to be. Well, in conversation, it is not. Leading someone up the garden path means you are trying to trick them. You are not trying to show them your beautiful flowers. Speaking of beautiful flowers, gardeners love to see small buds forming on their plants. Besides plants and flowers, people can bud, too. If a child is good at drawing and painting, we can call him a budding artist. Or if someone just completed law school, we can call her a budding lawyer. So “budding” describes something that is beginning to develop. On the opposite end, you stop something from growing if you nip it in the bud. This is a common expression when we talk about stopping something bad and preventing it from continuing. It’s good to nip small problems in the bud before they turn into big problems. Now flowers that bloom are beautiful to see -- even garden-variety flowers. “Garden-variety” describes anything that is common and not so special. You can have a garden-variety cold -- not a serious illness. You can have a garden-variety problem at work -- nothing special, just a common problem with a colleague. Now, a problem that many gardeners have is weeds. Weeds grow easily and can quickly take over a garden. In conversation, we sometimes use “weeds” to mean too many details. So, if you are in the weeds, you are taken over by too many details. Often, we put ourselves in the weeds. That usually happens when someone knows a lot about a topic. For example, let’s say a politician is giving a speech on affordable housing. But she gives too much information on the legislative process needed to accomplish her goal. You could say, “She is really in the weeds. People stopped listening 20 minutes ago. They just want to know if they are going to be able to buy a house or not. They are not interested in all these boring details.” From politics to sports to movies, you can be in the weeds on any topic. As we said, weeds grow quickly. So do children. So, we like to say a child grows like a weed. This expression compares a child’s fast growth to that of a weed. Saying a child grows like a weed, does not compare a child to a weed in any other way – like being annoying or unwanted. So, you can use it with family, friends or even at work as you talk about your boss’s child. Some weeds may not be pretty to look at, but flowers in full bloom are beautiful! Blooms that appear later than others can be among the most surprising. When a person is a late bloomer, it means they became successful, attractive or developed a skill at a later time in life than other people. So, being a late bloomer is a good thing. Being a blooming idiot is not. This insult describes someone who is lacking in common sense – severely lacking.   Now, let’s hear some of these expressions used in a short dialogue. Thanks for inviting me out for a walk. I didn’t know this park had such beautiful flower gardens. I know! Nobody knows it’s here. It’s like a hidden treasure in the city. I really need to walk off some of my mom’s home cooking. I ate so much on my trip home last weekend! How is everyone back home? Oh, they're doing fine. I hadn’t seen my sister and her son for a long time. So, it was nice to catch up with them. How old is your nephew? He just turned 16 and is growing like a weed. He’s taller than I am now! And he’s so smart. He actually gave me a great business idea that turned out to be the perfect solution for a problem I was having. Sounds like your nephew is a budding businessman! He totally is! His ideas have been better than a woman on my development team. I actually had to fire her last week. What happened? Well, it was strange. She was fine when you talked with her one-on-one. But every time we met with buyers, she turned into a blooming idiot. Ha, “blooming idiot” -- I haven’t heard that in a long time! What did she do? Well, at client meetings she would make strange noises, like a bird, when others were talking. Then when she wanted to make a strong point, she would throw pencils around the room. I mean … who does that? A blooming idiot. Exactly! And she wasn’t your garden-variety idiot. What was so special about her idiocy? She seemed mentally unstable. So, I nipped that problem in the bud. It’s best to take care of a problem like that quickly. I’m sure you made the right decision. Your business has been really successful. You must really love what you do. I do. And when it comes to my career, you could say I’m a late bloomer. When I was younger, I had so many jobs that I hated. It took me much longer than other people to find work that I love. I’d rather be a late bloomer. I went to high school with a girl who had perfect grades, was a superstar athlete and was also the prettiest and most popular girl in school. But I think the pressure to succeed after such a great high school experience was too much for her. What happened to her? She kind of gave up. I’ve heard that she’s been married three times, is unemployed and has a serious drinking problem. Sorry, to drag you into the weeds. That’s way too much information about someone you don’t know. That’s okay. I went to school with a similar guy. It sometimes happens to people who bloom too soon. Good to be a late bloomer! Right on! And that brings us to the end of Words and Their Stories. Do you have a favorite garden idiom? Or are you more of a weeds idiom kind of person? Let us know in the comments section. I’m Anna Matteo.   Anna Matteo wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow and Kelly Jean Kelly edited it. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   garden – n. a plot of ground where herbs, fruits, flowers, or vegetables are cultivated hobby – n. a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation path – n. a track that is made by people or animals walking over the ground < We followed a winding path through the woods. > variety – n. the quality or state of having different forms or types nip – v. to sever by or as if by pinching sharply nipped the dead flowers from the plant : to destroy the growth, progress, or fulfillment of idiot – n. a foolish or stupid person From Dialogue walk off – phrasal v. : to get rid of a bad feeling or condition by going for a walk catch up – phrasal v. :  to provide with the latest information gave up – phrasal v. :  to quit doing or attempting something especially as an admission of defeat Right on! informal phrase / somewhat old-fashioned : used to say that you agree completely with what someone has said   Enjoy singer John Denver singing "Garden Song" on the Muppet Show.

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Hostility Toward Religious People Increasing, Says Report

Christians in Egypt are asking the government for better security after two recent bombings killed dozens at two churches. Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the bombings, which killed 45 people on Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is a holy day for Christians to celebrate Christ’s arrival at the city of Jerusalem, a week before Easter. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered a three-month state of emergency in response to the bombings. It gives his government sweeping powers to deal with what he calls enemies of the state. On Wednesday, Egyptian officials named Mahmoud Hassan Mubarak Abdullah as the suspected suicide bomber in the attack. The government said he had connections to people who carried out earlier terrorist attacks in Egypt. Bishop Macarius is head of the Coptic Christian church in the Egyptian city of Minya. Macarius said the state of emergency will not provide enough protection. “Security solutions never succeeded alone,” he said. “No state in the world should be a police state, either here or elsewhere. Emergency all the time makes people nervous.” Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of the 92-million people in mostly Muslim Egypt. It is the largest Christian minority in the Middle East. Religious hostility increasing A new report by the Pew Research Center says that “hostility” toward people based on their religious beliefs are increasing. Pew said that the percentage of countries with high levels of religious hostility increased from 23 percent in 2014 to 27 percent in 2015. It is based on the latest information collected by Pew. So have government restrictions on religion. Pew said the percentage of countries with “very high levels” of restrictions on religion increased from 24 percent in 2014 to 25 percent in 2015. Pew said that Russia, Egypt, Pakistan and Nigeria had the highest level of religious restrictions. Pew noted that the U.S. State Department reported in 2015 -- that the Egyptian government “failed to protect Christian targeted by kidnappings and extortion.” That was well before the Palm Sunday bombings, Pew said. Other religions also under attack But Christians are not the only religious people under attack. Pew said that Boko Haram militants in Nigeria reportedly killed thousands of people. Some resulted from “indiscriminate” acts of violence, but other attacks targeted Christians and Muslims seen as opposed to Boko Haram. In Europe, 33 of 45 countries reported hostile acts against Jews in 2015, Pew said. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York addressed Coptic Christians attending services recently at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. “If you see the hope and the resilience of the Coptic people that are here with us now in New York after all they’ve been through — their faith won’t let them down,” Dolan said. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said it stands with Christians in Egypt and Christians worldwide. “The fact that (the) terrorist attacks took place during Palm Sunday and targeted Coptic Christians as they were conducting their service inside the churches, testified to the inhuman barbarity of the terrorists,” said the ADL, a Jewish human rights group. Macarius said Sunday’s celebration of Easter will include the usual prayers. But because of the recent bombings, it will not include Easter’s usual celebrations and visits from famous people. But the first scheduled visit to Egypt by Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, is still scheduled for April 28-29. I'm Jill Robbins. And I'm Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English based on reports by Reuters, Pew Research Center and other sources.  Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   response - n. something that is said or written as a reply to something sweeping - adj. wide in range or amount solution - n. a way of getting something done pyramid - n. a very large structure built especially in ancient Egypt that has a square base and four triangular sides which form a point at the top extortion - n. the crime of getting money from someone by the use of force or threats resilience - n. the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens faith - n. a belief in something, such as religion testify - v. to talk about or say in an honest and confident way

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AI Computer Beats Human Poker Players by Nearly $800,000

  An artificial intelligence, or AI program has again beaten a group of human poker players to win $792,000 in virtual money.    The AI program won during a recent competition against experienced poker players in China. More than 36,000 hands were played during a 5-day competition on China’s Hainan Island. The computer went up against a group of six human players led by Alan Du, a winner in the 2016 World Series of Poker tournament. The human team said it attempted to play against the AI system like a machine, rather than using traditional methods of humans. The winning system is called Lengpudashi, or “cold poker master.” It was developed by engineers at America’s Carnegie Mellon University. A previous version of the AI system beat four top poker players in the world in a U.S. competition last January. Artificial intelligence is the capability of a computer to learn to perform human-like operations and make decisions. This can be achieved by putting large amounts of data into a computer for processing. Algorithms are also used to help computers learn through experiences the same way humans do. This kind of AI technology is used in machine translation systems like Google Translate. Last year, Google’s AI system AlphaGo beat a Korean champion in the ancient Chinese board game Go. The two wins show how AI development has greatly increased in the ability to succeed against humans. But poker differs from Go in that a player keeps his cards hidden from the opponent. Poker players also use techniques to trick opponents into thinking they have a better hand than they actually do. This is one area where a computer can find it hard to match human thinking and actions. But a co-creator of the Lengpudashi program, Noam Brown, said the computer even performed well in this part of the competition. “People think that bluffing is very human -- it turns out that's not true,” said Brown, a computer scientist and student. “A computer can learn from experience that if it has a weak hand and it bluffs, it can make more money,” Brown told Bloomberg. Brown and Carnegie Mellon professor Tuomas Sandholm won $290,000 in the competition. The money will go to Strategic Machine Inc., a company started by the two to develop AI. The company is involved in many other areas besides games. These include AI solutions that can be applied to business, negotiation, cybersecurity, political campaigns, and medical treatment. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on AI? Have you had any personal experiences with it? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   poker – n. card game in which players bet money of the value of their cards virtual – adj. representing something without actually being it hand – n. the cards held by a player in a card game master – n. person who becomes very skilled at something algorithm – n. set of steps that are followed in order to solve a mathematical problem or to complete a computer process card – n. small piece of stiff paper used to play games bluff – n. pretend to do or know something to trick someone into doing what you want  

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'Mammon and the Archer' by O. Henry

  We present the short story "Mammon and the Archer" by O. Henry. The story was originally adapted and recorded by the U.S. Department of State. Old Anthony Rockwall, who made millions of dollars by making and selling Rockwall’s soap, stood at the window of his large Fifth Avenue house. He was looking out at his neighbor, G. Van Schuylight Suffolk-Jones. His neighbor is a proud member of a proud old New York family. He came out of his door and got into a cab. He looked once quickly, as usual, at Anthony Rockwall’s house. The look showed that Suffolk-Jones was a very important man, while a rich soapmaker was nothing. “I will have this house painted red, white, and blue next summer,” said the Soap King to himself. “And we’ll see how he likes that.” And then Anthony Rockwall turned around and shouted, “Mike!” in a loud voice. He never used a bell to call a servant. “Tell my son,” he said when the servant came, “to come to me before he leaves the house.” When young Rockwall entered the room, the old man put down the newspaper he had been reading. “Richard,” said Anthony Rockwall, “what do you pay for the soap that you use?” Richard had finished college six months before, and he had come home to live. He had not yet learned to understand his father. He was always being surprised. He said, “Six dollars for twelve pieces.” “And your clothes?” “About sixty dollars, usually.” “You are a gentleman,” said his father. “I have heard of young men who pay twenty-four dollars for twelve pieces of soap, and more than a hundred for clothes. You have as much money to throw away as anyone else has. But what you do is reasonable. I myself use Rockwall Soap, because it is the best. When you pay more than ten cents for a piece of soap, you are paying for a sweet strong smell and a name. “But fifty cents is good for a young man like you. You are a gentleman. People say that if a man is not a gentleman, his son can’t be a gentleman; but perhaps his son’s son will be a gentleman. But they are wrong. Money does it faster than that. Money has made you a gentleman. It has almost made me a gentleman. I have become very much like the two gentlemen who own the houses on each side of us. My manners are now almost as bad as theirs. But they still can’t sleep at night because a soapmaker lives in this house.” “There are some things that money can’t do,” said the young man rather sadly. “Don’t say that,” said old Anthony. “Money is successful every time. I don’t know anything you can’t buy with it. Tell me something that money can’t buy. And I want you to tell me something more. Something is wrong with you. I’ve seen it for two weeks. Tell me. Let me help you. In twenty-four hours I could have eleven million dollars here in my hands. Are you sick?” “Some people call it sickness.” “Oh!” said Anthony. “What’s her name? Why don’t you ask her to marry you? She would be glad to do it. You have money, you are good-looking, and you are a good boy. Your hands are clean. You have no Rockwall Soap on them.” “I haven’t had a chance to ask her,” said Richard. “Make a chance,” said Anthony. “Take her for a walk in the park. Or walk home with her from church.” “You don’t know the life of a rich girl, father. Every hour and minute of her time is planned. I must have her, or the world is worth nothing to me. And I can’t write to say I love her. I can’t do that.” “Do you tell me,” said the old man, “that with all my money you can’t get an hour or two of a girl’s time?” “I’ve waited too long. She’s going to Europe the day after tomorrow. She’s going to be there two years. I’m allowed to see her alone tomorrow evening for a few minutes. She’s coming to the city on a train. I’m going to meet her with a cab. Then we’ll drive fast to the theater where she must meet her mother and some other people. Do you think she would listen to me then? No. Or in the theater? No. Or after the theater? No! No, father, this is one trouble that your money can’t help. We can’t buy one minute of time with money. If we could, rich people would live longer. There’s no hope of talking with Miss Lantry before she sails.” “Richard, my boy,” said old Anthony, “I’m glad you’re not really sick. You say money won’t buy time? Perhaps it won’t buy all of time, but I’ve seen it buy some little pieces.” That evening his sister Ellen came to Anthony, to talk about the troubles that lovers have. “He told me all about it,” said brother Anthony. “I told him he could have all the money he wanted. Then he began to say that money was no use to him. He said money couldn’t help.” “Oh, Anthony,” said Ellen, “I wish you wouldn’t think so much of money. Money is no help for love. Love is all powerful. If he had only spoken to her earlier! She could never say no to our Richard. But now I fear it is too late. All your gold cannot buy happiness for your son.” At eight the next evening Ellen took an old gold ring and gave it to Richard. “Wear it tonight,” she said. “Your mother gave it to me. She asked me to give it to you when you had found the girl you loved.” Young Rockwall took the ring and tried to put it on his little finger. It was too small. He put it inside his coat, in a place where he thought it would be safe. And then he called for his cab. At the station he met Miss Lantry. “We must not keep my mother and the others waiting,” said she. “To Wallack’s Theater as fast as you can drive,” said Richard to the cabby. They rolled along Forty-second Street to Broadway and from there to Thirty-fourth Street. Then young Richard quickly ordered the cabby to stop. “I’ve dropped a ring,” he said, getting out. “It was my mother’s and I don’t want to lose it. This will take only a minute. I saw where it fell.” In less than a minute he was again in the cab with the ring. But within that minute, a wagon had stopped in front of the cab. The cabby tried to pass on the left, but a cab was there. He tried to pass on the right, but another cab was there. He could not go back. He was caught where he was and could not move in any direction. These sudden stops of movement will happen in the city. Instead of moving along the street in their usual orderly way, all the wagons and cabs will suddenly be mixed together and stopped. “Why don’t you drive further?” said Miss Lantry. “We’ll be late.” Richard stood up in the cab and looked around. He saw a stream of cabs and wagons and everything else on wheels rolling toward the corner where Broadway, Sixth Avenue and Thirty-fourth Street meet. They came from all directions. And more and more were rolling toward them. More and more were caught there. Drivers and cabbies shouted. Everyone on wheels in New York City seemed to be hurrying to this place. “I’m very sorry,” said Richard. He sat down again. “We can’t move. They won’t get this straight in an hour. If I hadn’t dropped the ring, we—” “Let me see the ring,” said Miss Lantry. “Since we really can’t hurry, I don’t care. I didn’t want to go to the theater. I don’t like the theater.” At eleven that night someone stopped at the door of Anthony’s room. “Come in,” shouted Anthony. He had been reading and he put down his book. It was Ellen. “They are going to be married Anthony,” she said. “She has promised to marry our Richard. On their way to the theater their cab was stopped in the street. It was two hours before it could move again. “And oh, brother Anthony, don’t ever talk about the power of money again. It was a little ring, a true love ring, that was the cause of our Richard finding his happiness. He dropped it in the street and had to get out and find it. And before they could continue, the cab was caught among the others. He told her of his love there in the cab. Money is nothing, Anthony. True love is everything.” “I’m glad the boy got what he wanted,” said old Anthony. “I told him I didn’t care how much money—” “But, brother Anthony, what could your money do?” “Sister,” said Anthony Rockwall. “I’m reading a book with a good story in it. It’s a wild adventure story, but I like it. And I want to find what happens next. I wish you would let me go on reading.” The story should end there. I wish it would. I’m sure you too wish it would end there. But we must go on to the truth. The next day a person with red hands and a blue necktie, whose name was Kelly, came to Anthony Rockwall’s house to see Anthony. “That was good soap we made,” said Anthony. “I gave you $5,000 yesterday.” “I paid out $300 more of my own money,” said Kelly. “It cost more than I expected. I got the cabs, most of them, for $5, but anything with two horses was $10. I had to pay most to the cops—$50 I paid to two, and the others $20 and $25. But didn’t it work beautifully, Mr. Rockwall? They were all on time. And it was two hours before anyone could move.” “Thirteen hundred—there you are, Kelly,” said Anthony, giving him the money. A thousand for you, and the $300 of your own money that you had to spend. You like money, do you, Kelly?” “I do,” said Kelly. Anthony stopped Kelly when he was at the door. “Did you see,” asked he, “anywhere on the street yesterday a little fat boy with no clothes on? Carrying arrows?” Kelly looked surprised. “No. I didn’t. But if he was like that, with no clothes, perhaps the cops caught him.” “I thought Cupid wouldn’t be there,” Anthony said, laughing. “Good-bye, Kelly.”   Download activities to help you understand this story here. Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. Do you think money can buy anything? What is more valuable than money? Let us know in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   soap – n. a substance that is used for washing something avenue – n. a wide street cab – n. a car that carries passengers to a place for an amount of money that is based on the distance traveled theater – n. a building where plays or shows are performed on a stage cabby – n. a person who drives a taxi wagon – n. a vehicle with four wheels that is used for carrying heavy loads or passengers and that is usually pulled by animals cop(s) – n. a person whose job is to enforce laws, investigate crimes, and make arrests Cupid – n. the god of sexual love in ancient Rome

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Vietnam Hopes for Cooperation with Trump's Letter

A government-run Vietnamese website says U.S. President Donald Trump sent a letter to President Tran Dai Quang wishing “to promote cooperation on economics, trade, regional and international issues.” The Vietnamese president mentioned Trump’s letter during a meeting with Ted Osius, the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam. But there has been no U.S. comment on the matter. Experts on U.S.-Vietnam relations say Vietnam officials were worried that, under Trump, the U.S. would reduce support for the Southeast Asian nation. The letter eased Vietnam’s concerns. But they do not expect any immediate action. Vietnam was expected to be one of the countries to benefit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But Trump pulled the U.S. out of the trade agreement after he took office in January. Last year, Vietnam’s exports to the U.S. were worth over $38 billion, but it only received $8.7 billion of imports. It would take many years if Trump wants to negotiate a deal that would balance trade between the U.S. and Vietnam. Adam McCarty is an economist in Hanoi. He said in spite of the letter, Trump might view Vietnam as a country that takes jobs away from the United States. That may affect how his administration deals with Vietnam. Some experts on Southeast Asia say the relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam could become about more than jobs and trade. That would happen if the U.S. asks for Vietnam’s help in dealing with China. Carl Thayer is a retired professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia. He said even if Vietnam pursues a good relationship with the U.S., the efforts could come undone if Trump mostly deals with China instead of countries in Southeast Asia. The U.S., under both Barack Obama and Donald Trump, has expressed interest in limiting China’s expansion in the South China Sea. It is not clear whether Vietnam is part of the U.S. plan. Kevin Snowball is the chief executive of PXP Vietnam Asset Management in Ho Chi Minh City. He said Vietnam will not want to offend China, its largest trading partner, by making deals with the U.S. At the moment, worry about the U.S., Trump or China does not seem to be affecting Vietnam’s trade. “We’re still doing extremely well with or without TPP, with or without Trump,” Snowball said. I’m Dan Friedell.   Ralph Jennings wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Do you think the relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam will be better or worse in the coming years? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   cooperation – n. a situation in which people work together to do something sophisticated – adj. highly developed and complex

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Facebook Moving to Reduce ‘Fake News’

Facebook is removing the accounts of people who use its social media program to send out “fake news” stories. Facebook’s security team said it found people who use their real names “act responsibly.” But it said people who use false names are the ones most likely to post fake stories. Facebook is also canceling 30,000 fake accounts in France. The company said it is removing fake accounts with the most “traffic” to limit misinformation before the country’s presidential election. The election will take place on April 23. A second vote between the top candidates is planned for May 7 if no candidate gains a majority in April’s election. One way Facebook says it hopes to remove fake accounts is by looking for people who repeatedly post the same information. Facebook also looks for users who increase their messaging on Facebook’s messaging system. Facebook was criticized for having “fake” stories on its service during the final three months of the 2016 American presidential election. Professors Hunt Allcott of New York University and Matthew Gentzkow of Stanford University in California released a research paper on the issue last month. They found fake stories were shared more often on Facebook than reports from news agencies such as NBC News, the New York Times and Washington Post. They said most of the fake news posted on Facebook favored Trump, who defeated Clinton in the November presidential election. “Our database contains 115 pro-Trump fake stories that were shared on Facebook a total of 30 million times, and 41 pro-Clinton fake stories shared a total of 7.6 million times,” the professors wrote. One of the most popular false reports was a story that Democrat Hillary Clinton sold weapons to Islamic State militants. Another was that Pope Francis endorsed Republican Donald Trump, the news website BuzzFeed said. As of December 2016, Facebook said it had 1.23 billion daily active users worldwide. Shabnam Shaik is Technical Program Manager on the Protect and Care Team at Facebook. In a statement, he said Facebook is improving its systems “to make it easier to respond to reports of abuse,” and to cancel “fake accounts and prevent accounts from being compromised.” Not everyone is pleased by Facebook’s new security efforts. Some comments about Shaik’s announcement raised questions. One user, whose first name is Deb, said: “I would really like to believe you, but I have reported many fake accounts and fake news stories only to be told that the account doesn’t violate community standards.” I’m John Russell.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English based on reports from the Associated Press, Facebook, and joint research by New York University and Stanford University. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. How do you try to figure out what is true and what is false on social media? _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fake - adj. not true or real post - v. to add a message or information to an online message board account - n. someone who signed up to use a service database - n. a collection of pieces of information that is organized and used on a computer respond - v. to do something as a reaction to something that has happened or been done standard - n. a level of quality that is considered acceptable  

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