Review of Lessons 50 - 52

Are you ready for the next course? This is the end of the Let's Learn English course. Our next course will be "Let's Speak English," and will begin in September 2017. We suggest that you review these lessons while you are waiting for the next course. Practice the conversations with friends. Make flashcards and test yourself on all of the new words you have learned with Anna. Start a study group and watch the videos together, then download the Activity Sheets and have fun doing the activities and playing the games you can find on them. Reviewing the lessons will help you to remember and become even more comfortable speaking English! Did you get your certificate for following Let's Learn English over the past year? Click here to download the certificate. Type in your name and save it or print it. We'd like to see you and the certificate. Take a photo with the certificate, or take a video of yourself holding the certificate and speaking English. Share it on our Facebook page or email it to us.   Review Quiz In this quiz, you can test your listening skills and review the last three lessons. Watch a short video and answer each question. Lesson Review Did you miss a lesson? Look back and see if you remember these grammar points and topics. Lesson 50: Back to School Grammar: Present perfect continuous verb tense Topics: Discussing duration of activity; Expressing surprise; Reassuring someone Learning Strategy: Monitor Speaking & Pronunciation: Reduced "for" in sentences using the present perfect continuous and a time phrase Lesson 51: A Good Habit Grammar: Review of Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous; Gerunds; Infinitives  Topics: Habits; Discussing things you dislike doing; Expressing appreciation Learning Strategy: Set a Goal Speaking and Pronunciation: Reduced "to" in infinitives Lesson 52: Taking Chances Grammar: Phrasal verbs; Review of verb tenses Topics: Discussing feelings and describing accomplishments Learning Strategy: Evaluate Speaking and Pronunciation: Blended form of "sit down" Certificate of Completion Have you followed all of the lesson in Let's Learn English? You can download the certificate of completion to show the hard work you have done.  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 these lessons.

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Study: Female Professors Do More Service Work than Males

Susan Mackey-Kallis is a busy woman at Villanova University, outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mackey-Kallis is an Associate Professor in Villanova’s Department of Communications. Like most professors in the United States, she has many responsibilities. Much of her job involves teaching classes on film, popular culture and the media. She also spends a lot of time doing research on those subjects. But there is another part of her job that does not get as much public attention: her service work for the school. Service work for a college or university can mean many things. There is internal service work. This can include being as an advisor to individual students or larger groups, as well as serving on one or more committees. These committees can do everything from helping admit students to the school, to finding new faculty members and organizing events. External service can include representing the school through national organizations. Mackey-Kallis has done a lot of service work during her nearly 30 years of experience in higher education. In fact, she received the Lawrence C. Gallen Faculty Service Award from Villanova in 2008. The award recognizes tenured faculty members who have 10 years or more of “outstanding service” experience. For several years, Mackey-Kallis says she was doing at least 20 hours of service work in addition to her other duties. But she says that after a while, she started to realize her career was not moving forward at the same speed as other professors. “I’ll never forget,” she said. “I was at a reception at the university and one of my male colleagues from the School of Business, who was a full professor, was talking with me and said, ‘Susan, you’re not a full professor yet?’” Full professor is the highest position most professors can reach as a faculty member at a U.S. college or university. It comes with higher pay and greater recognition as an expert in one’s area of study. Not every professor can become a full professor. Most colleges and universities only fill a few of these positions each year. The schools make these decisions based on many things, Mackey-Kallis says, but a professor’s research and published works are probably the most important considerations. Mackey-Kallis has published several books. But this still was not enough to gain the attention of the group that appoints full professors at Villanova. So a few years ago she decided to reduce her amount of service work. She says doing so much service got in the way of her career. And a new study suggests Mackey-Kallis is not alone in this problem. A report on the study was published this month in the academic journal Research in Higher Education. Evidence of unbalanced workloads The study looked at the average amount of service work professors did at more than 140 U.S. colleges and universities in 2014. It also examined work-related activities of almost 1,400 faculty members at several campuses in one large university system in America’s Midwest. The study took into consideration the race, sex, areas of study and the duties of the professors. The nationwide information showed that on average, female professors do about half an hour more service work per week than male professors. At the large Midwestern university system, the female professors were doing about 1.5 more service activities each year. Cassandra Guarino wrote the report on the study. She is a Professor of Education and Public Policy at the University of California (UC) Riverside. She says the study did not examine why female professors did more service work. But she has some ideas. Guarino says many female professors told her they were not surprised by the findings. In some cultures, women are asked to do more work than men while receiving less in return. The Pew Research Group reported that, in 2015, a woman in the U.S. would have to work 44 days more, on average, to earn the same amount as a man. Guarino adds that many women feel it is harder for them to say ‘no’ when given extra responsibilities. But in higher education, the problem for women goes beyond just saying no, she says. “I don’t think women have [realized] that they may be asked to do more,” Guarino said. “And I think they just think they’re doing what everyone else is doing, when actually they are doing more of this other stuff that is taking away time from their research.” Different parts to the problem Cynthia Miller-Idriss is an Associated Professor of Education and Sociology at American University in Washington, DC. She also directs the university’s international training and education program, which is a form of internal service. Miller-Idriss has been a professor since 2003. She says the difference in service work between the sexes is much greater than the averages the study found. She admits that service work is very important to colleges and universities. Yet the problem is not just that women do more of it. Schools often do not place the same value on all this extra work as they do research and publishing. “Internal service doesn’t bring the same kinds of advantages to the university in a visible way,” Miller-Idriss said. “[The university] can’t [operate] without it. But it doesn’t necessarily help with things like status or reputation, it doesn’t bring in additional resources. It can be much more invisible because it doesn’t draw external attention.” She notes that heavy service workloads put female professors at a disadvantage. They are less able to work on the things that will do more to drive upward movement in their careers. Susan Mackey-Kallis at Villanova, Cassandra Guarino at UC Riverside and Miller-Idriss all hope the study will bring more attention to this issue. They want faculty and administrators to think more about how much service work women are doing in comparison to men. And hopefully, schools will clarify who they are asking to do this kind of work. Also, Mackey-Kallis admits many more women are being appointed to important jobs in many occupations than in the past. But there needs to be a change in the culture. “Women [are still taught] to help, to be helpers, to [support] good organizations, good teamwork,” she said. “Men have been [taught] to, as you might say, ‘keep their eyes on the prize.’” Mackey-Kallis says there needs to be more attention on what a person can do, not what they should be doing based on their sex. And professors in higher positions need to show their female colleagues it is okay to think of themselves first sometimes. I'm Alice Bryant. And I’m Pete Musto.   Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. What at are any differences between the responsibilities of male and female professors at universities in your country? How can schools do better to make sure all professors are given equal amounts of work? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   internal – adj. existing or occurring within an organization faculty – n. the group of teachers in a school or college external – adj. concerning relationships with tenured – adj. having the right to keep a job, especially the job of being a professor at a college or university, for as long as you want to have it outstanding – adj. extremely good or excellent reception – n. a social gathering to celebrate something or to welcome someone colleague(s) – n. a person who works with you academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education journal – n. a magazine that reports on things of special interest to a particular group of people campus(es) – n. the area and buildings around a university, college or school advantage(s) – n. something, such as a good position or condition, that helps to make someone or something better or more likely to succeed than others visible – adj. known to or noticed by the public status – n. the position or rank of someone or something when compared to others in a society, organization or group reputation – n. the common opinion that people have about someone or something

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Cross Your Heart

  Now, the VOA Learning English program, Words and Their Stories. The cross is an ancient symbol in many cultures and religions. It is closely linked, of course, with the Christian church. The cross was also a sacred symbol to the Egyptians and to the Aztecs in Mexico. Scandinavian cultures also used crosses to mark the edges of their territory. Today, we use the word “cross” in many expressions that seem to have little direct connection to religious beliefs. For example, one way of wishing good luck to a friend is to tell them that you will keep your fingers crossed for whatever they are trying to do. Sometime we don’t say anything. We often just cross two of our fingers to wish them luck. But, more often, just saying the expression is believed to be enough to help bring success. Crossing the fingers when making a wish may be a tradition many hundreds of years old. It probably has its roots in the ancient Christian belief that making the sign of the cross would keep away evil spirits and bad luck. Years ago, children would cross their fingers when they were telling a small lie. It is an old belief that if you cross your fingers while you tell a lie, you won’t get caught lying and, therefore, won’t be punished. However, over the years, children most likely have unhappily discovered that crossing their fingers offers no such protection. Perhaps that explains why most children these days do not cross their fingers for luck. Now, some children may use another old expression -- cross my heart. Children might say this when they want to prove that they are really and truly telling the truth about something. A child may make an “X” over their heart with their finger while saying it. Language expert Charles Earle Funk says “cross my heart,” and crossing the heart with the finger, probably come from the Roman Catholic Church tradition of making the sign of the cross. Funk also says that many years ago, children in the United States often said this: “Cross my heart and hope to die and hope the cat will spit in your eye.” They don’t say this anymore. No one does. In fact, this is the first time that I have heard of this expression. But I have heard it said this way: “Cross my heart and hope to die and stick a needle in my eye.” This means that, in order to convince others that they are telling the truth, a child is willing to die and have a needle painfully stuck into the eye. Now, besides children protesting their innocence -- we use the word “cross” in many other ways. To double cross does not mean to cross yourself twice. This means to betray someone, especially someone who trusts you. “Double-crosser” is not a name you want. Nobody trusts a double-crosser. To have your wires crossed is different. This simply means two people fail to understand each other. There is no purposeful or planned attempt to betray one another. Merriam Webster’s dictionary says that this expression is used between two people. This is because the origin of this expression comes from the early days of using the telephone. When two wires came in contact with each other, phone conversations could be mixed up.   However, we also use this common expression to mean someone simply made a mistake -- all on their own. For example, “I must have gotten my wires crossed. I thought the party was on Saturday, not Sunday.” Now, there is no case of mistaken information if you are at cross purposes with someone. This expression began in the 1660s. It means that different goals are working against each other. To understand how to better use these [and other] expressions, let’s hear them used in a short story. Let’s say you work at a large book publishing company as an editor. Your job as an editor is to make sure the texts in the books are accurate and that the writer is happy with the end product. You and the writer want to sell many books. The goal of the company is the same – publish good books and sell as many as possible. But recently, conditions in the book publishing world have not been great – far from it. Book sales have been down. Each department has been feeling the pressure and each has its own idea of how to help. The public relations (PR) department wants to spend more money on author tours and book release parties. But the business office sees these activities as unnecessary expenses. So, their goal is to cut them. These two departments are definitely working at cross purposes.  You probably feel that every time you cross paths with them. Someone in the business department is always trying to convince you of their side. The same is true with the PR department. You want to stay out of it. So, you try to not cross their paths. One day, as you are trying to avoid crossing paths with your co-workers, something crosses your mind. Suddenly and without forethought, you think of a way to make both departments happy. You tell your friend in PR your idea and he loves it. Then you tell another friend in the business office your idea. She loves it, too. However, they both get their wires crossed. They didn’t completely understand all the details of your idea. So, when they come together in a meeting to discuss the idea, they realize it is not exactly what they had thought. They are not happy. They become cross with each other -- and with you! They both think you tried to double cross them! For several weeks, both departments are angry with each other and with you. It causes you much worry and concern. This is a heavy cross to bear. You lose sleep and work becomes unbearable. But you still think you can clear it up with a simple explanation. And that is what you do. One day, you invite both of your friends to lunch. You explain that they didn’t understand your idea fully. You even cross your heart and hope to die if you are lying. Your explanation -- and this silly childhood expression -- is enough to prove to them that you are telling the truth. They apologize and realize that your idea can still work. You say to them, “That’s up to you two! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the both of you. But now, I am going back to what I do best for the company -- editing stories.” And that's  the end of this Words and Their Stories. But we’ll be back next week with another new story explaining common expressions in American English. I cross my heart. I’m Anna Matteo.   Harold Berman wrote the first part of the story dealing with crosses in history. Anna Matteo wrote the rest. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Crosby, Stills, & Nash sing “Southern Cross” at the end of the program.  

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New York City Wants Higher Cigarette Taxes

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to raise taxes on cigarettes to persuade people to stop smoking. He would raise the current $10.50 minimum price for a pack of cigarettes to $13 in New York City. De Blasio said the goal of making New York the most expensive city in America to buy cigarettes is to reduce tobacco use. If people have to pay more, he said, they might decide to stop smoking, or, even better, never start. Anti-smoking proposal The mayor is pushing a number of bills. In addition to raising taxes on cigarettes, his bills would limit the number of places selling tobacco products in New York. Under one proposal, the city would bar drug stores, also known as pharmacies, from selling cigarettes. Dr. Mary Bassett is New York City’s commissioner of health. She said, “As a former smoker, I know how hard it is to quit. These bills will make it less likely that New Yorkers will start smoking and easier for New Yorkers who smoke to quit.” New York is America’s largest city, with over 8.5 million residents. The city’s Health Department says the percentage of New Yorkers who smoke has dropped from 21.5 percent in 2002 to 14.3 percent in 2005. But that still leaves 900,000 smokers in the city. An estimated 15,000 of the city’s smokers are under age 18. The idea behind the mayor's proposal is that people will stop smoking if the cost is too high. Opponents said many people will continue to smoke and that some will be pushed more into poverty or find places to get illegal cigarettes free of taxes. “Over time, it's proven again and again that these efforts are ultimately ineffective as people, minors included, turn more and more to the bootleggers,” said Audrey Silk. She is founder of NYC Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment. But de Blasio said government has a moral responsibility to discourage people from smoking. He said that higher prices have been shown to stop people from smoking. “When it comes to New Yorker’s health, big tobacco is pubic enemy #1,” de Blasio said. Smoking around the world The World Health Organization says there is no doubt that smoking cigarettes is harmful. “Tobacco is the only legal drug that kills many of its users when used exactly as intended by manufacturers,” the WHO said in a report. It says smoking is responsible for about 6 million deaths a year across the world. Globally, the WHO says there are 1.1 billion tobacco smokers aged 15 or older. About 226 million smokers live in poverty, it said. Smoking rates and taxes differ across the world. The countries with the highest percentage of smokers are Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Russia and Slovenia, the Tobacco Atlas reports. But the countries with most cigarettes smoked are China, Russia, the United States, Indonesia and Japan, the Tobacco Atlas said. The Chinese smoke more cigarettes than all other low- and middle-income countries combined, the Tobacco Atlas says. The atlas is put out by officials from the American Cancer Association and World Lung Foundation. Numbeo.com is a website that tracks the cost of living around the world. The site reports that the most expensive countries to buy cigarettes are: Australia, $18.77 per pack; followed by New Zealand, $16.19; Bermuda, $12.24; Norway, $12.23; and Iceland, $11.81. In 2016, voters in two American states -- California and Colorado -- voted on separate proposals to raises taxes on cigarettes. Voters in California approved a $2 tax increase per pack of cigarettes. But voters in Colorado rejected a $1.75 tax increase. The New York City Council will now decide whether to approve or reject the anti-smoking measures offered by Mayor de Blasio. I’m Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. 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   cigarettes - n. a small roll of paper that is filled with cut tobacco and smoked pack - n. small packages that often include 20 cigarettes tobacco - n. a plant that produces leaves which are smoked in cigarettes ultimately - adv. at the end of a process bootlegger - n. someone who cells cigarettes or other products illegally, often without providing the requires taxes to government intend - v. to want to do something

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Thai Officials Ban Bangkok’s World Famous Street Food

Bangkok, Thailand, is known for having some of the best street food in the world. But officials have announced plans to ban food vendors in an effort to clean up the city.  An assistant to Bangkok’s governor told The Nation newspaper the move is meant to improve the appearance, walkability and safety of city streets. “The street vendors have seized the pavement space for too long and we already provide them space to sell food and other products legally in the market,” the assistant said. “So there will be no let-up in this operation - every street vendor will have to move out.” Bangkok was recently named the world’s finest street food location for the second year by Cable News Network (CNN). Forbes magazine also rated Bangkok number one for its street food. The lifestyle website Thrillist placed it second, behind Singapore. Even the Tourism Authority of Thailand put out a video in 2015 that advertised Bangkok’s famous street food. CNN said it is “impossible to avoid street food in Bangkok.” It noted that vendors across the city change locations throughout the day to serve as many people as possible. Vendors can be found in all of Bangkok’s busiest areas. They serve everyone from business people to tourists to local citizens. The chairs and tables are basic. Customers have to deal with Bangkok’s extreme heat and polluted air while they eat. But the tasty food keeps people coming back again and again. Nont Nontskiul is a financial worker in Bangkok. He lives in a part of the city where street vendors will be some of the first to be removed. He told the Associated Press that, "even people who eat at pricey restaurants every day can't avoid street food. It's faster, tastes better, and costs less than half the price." Observers say local officials in Thailand have been strengthened by the military government that has ruled the country since a 2014 coup. It launched a campaign to “clean up society.” Efforts have included crackdowns on corrupt politicians, drugs and gambling. Critics of the street food clean-up campaign say low-income people – including food vendors and their customers -- will be most affected by the ban. They have called on the government to do more to help the vendors keep their businesses going in a legal way. Ubolwattana Mingkwan is a coffee vendor in Bangkok. She charges 85 cents for a cup of coffee. She says she cannot afford the cost of rent required to do business in a government-approved area. "I've asked city officials for help and understanding," she told the Associated Press. "All they say now is 'no, no, no.' They've already received their orders." An opinion article in the Bangkok Post said the ban will hurt working-class people. The writer of the article wrote, “While many seem worried that Bangkok ‘charm’ will be wiped from the tourism map, I’m more worried about the disappearance of affordable food choices for average men and women, especially low-income earners.” I’m Jonathan Evans.   Bryan Lynn adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on material from the Associated Press, Reuters, The Nation and Bangkok Post newspapers. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Where have you experienced the best street food in the world? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   vendor – n. person who sells something outside walkability – adj. how easy something is for a person to walk through pavement – n. the hard surface of a road basic – adj. not including anything special or extra crackdown – n. attempt to stop activities or punish people for doing something that is now allowed gambling – n. to risk money while taking part in a game, race or competition income – n. money a person earns from working charm – n. a quality that makes something very likeable or attractive affordable – adj. something with a price most people can pay  

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Myanmar Has New Education Plan, But Not All Are Happy

Myanmar is launching a long-term plan to improve its education system after years of neglect under its former military leaders. The National Education Strategic Plan (NESP) aims to improve teaching and learning for all education levels, from kindergarten to universities. The plan runs through 2021. The plan seeks to extend basic education by two years to a total of 13 years. Other changes include new curriculums, child-centered learning and interactive classrooms. Many have praised the plan as an important start for developing a modern education system. But education experts note that there will be issues, including high costs. Some experts have criticized the plan for failing to include educators, civic organizations and ethnic minorities in the decision-making. The plan took more than three years to develop and has received financial assistance from international donors and education advisors. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi presented the plan in February. She said the changes will be extremely important to Myanmar's social and economic development. And she asked everyone to think about what is needed to help the plan succeed. Bertrand Bainvel is the Myanmar representative for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, or UNICEF. He said the launch was "a historic moment" for the country's education system. Costly improvements Myanmar's education system was one of Asia's best until the military took power in 1962. The military government sharply reduced spending. It also made rote learning the main learning style. And, it made huge cuts to higher education to avoid the possibility of student political movements.   It will be costly for the Myanmar government to launch the new education plan. It will cost more than $2.1 billion a year for just 80 percent of the proposed plan. Last year, the Myanmar government spent $1.13 billion on education. Mael Raynaud is an expert from the Enlightened Myanmar Research Foundation. He said finding the financial support and professionals needed to start the plan will be a long-term challenge. Raynaud explained that it took 20 years for Indonesia, for example, to provide money for education comparable to East Asian and Western countries. Myanmar will also need time to train teachers, professors, and educational employees, he said. Many educators not included Raynaud said another major issue will be inclusion. In Myanmar, many Buddhist schools and civil and ethnic organizations offer education to poor students and children in rural ethnic areas. And rebel groups, like the Kachin, Karen and Mon, teach their own languages and culture in areas under their control. Thein Lwin is a former member of the democratic government and an education expert with the National Network for Education Reform (NNER). According to Lwin, the government provides very few ethnic language teaching programs and curriculums. "The difficulties are that ethnic languages are taught only in evening class, not in the school hours; Myanmar reader texts are translated into ethnic languages for teaching; and [there is a] lack of teachers for ethnic languages," he wrote. Lwin said teaching ethnic languages greatly reduces the problem of students dropping out – a big problem in Myanmar's ethnic regions. Kim Jolliffe is a political researcher who studied laws on social services for ethnic groups. Jolliffe said the new education plan's "clear strengths" are its move to child-centered learning and learning that centers on results. He said this could help all civic and ethnic education programs. I'm Alice Bryant.   Paul Vrieze wrote this story for VOA News. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   inclusion - n. to make someone or something a part of something curriculum - n. the courses that are taught by a school, college, etc. interactive - adj. requiring people to talk with each other or do things together rote learning - n. the process of learning something by repeating it many times without thinking about it or fully understanding it text - n. the words that make up the main part of a book, magazine, newspaper, Web site, etc. drop out - v. to stop going to a school, college or university before finishing

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English in a Minute: Boils Down To

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Dictionary.com's New Words to the Wise

Welcome to another edition of Words to the Wise!  Languages, as you all know, are always changing. Last month, we learned about some new words that the American dictionary Merriam-Webster added to its online dictionary. They included conversational words like “photobomb” and “binge-watch,” along with scientific words like propopagnosia. Dictionary.com also announced it added new words to its online search system -- 300 of them to be exact. I have Anne Ball here with me in the Learning English studio. And we are going to explain and discuss some of these new additions. Hi, Anne. Hey, Ashley. So, Anne, I know you looked into some of Dictionary.com’s new word choices. What can you tell us about them? Well, first, I can tell you that I can’t tell you about some of the new words because they are...inappropriate to talk about on the air. Uh oh! Well, let’s only talk about the ones that are appropriate, or okay, for broadcast! Well, of course. So, there are a lot of them. It would take a lot of effort and time to learn them all.  You may feel like you are on the struggle bus if you try to study all of these new words at once! Struggle bus? Are you describing a vehicle that is having trouble operating, or is this one of those new expressions? Well, you've got that right, you guessed it! It’s one of Dictionary.com’s new entries. “Struggle bus” is a slang expression. It describes a situation that seems difficult or frustrating -- such as trying to learn 300 new words all at one time!   That would be difficult. You know, I feel like I am on the struggle bus today. It is probably because I didn’t eat breakfast. Oh! Are you serious? You didn't eat breakfast? Well, what you need now is a superfood. That is another of Dictionary.com’s new words. Superfood? That sounds like you might need to put a superhero’s cape on your dinner table! Well, not exactly! A superfood is any food that has a lot of vitamins and nutrients. It is very good for your health and helps your immune system. Some superfoods are kale, blueberries, and pomegranates. They're all delicious. And eating superfoods could help you “slay” the day. Help me slay? That sounds a bit violent, Anne. Well, yes. To “slay” literally means “to kill by violence.” But, as a slang expression, “slay” means “to impress,” or to do well and be successful. I have actually heard that one before. People say it when someone says something really funny, too. For example, you might say “your joke slayed me!” Yep! And, you know, if someone has a smart, or just really funny, response to someone, they might use another one of Dictionary.com’s new phrases -- “mic drop!” Okay. So “mic” is short for microphone, right? Yes. A “mic drop,” signals the end of a winning performance or even a statement. It means nothing can top -- or better -- what was just said or done. Okay, so often it is done as a gesture, right? Uh-huh. A person will hold their hand out and pretend they're dropping a mic, or microphone. I remember former President Barack Obama did it at the end of an informal and funny speech he gave at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. I remember that. That’s right. And the origin goes back to the 1980s. Competitive rap artists would drop the mic when they believed they had won the rap contest. And comedians, people who tell jokes, also would sometimes drop the mic at the end of a performance. [It's] kind of like saying, "I'm done." Yeah, of a really good performance, probably. Well, so “mic drop” shows a lot of confidence. Exactly. But a “mic drop” could lead to a smackdown. Again with this violence! I have heard "smackdown” used to describe a fight or physical contest -- like a wrestling competition. The verb “smack” does mean to hit someone or something with a lot of force. It kind of makes a sound, like [that.] But as a slang expression, a smackdown means a sharply critical comment. It might be hurtful to someone, or at least hurt their image! So, it might be something you hear in American politics... Oh, especially in the last election, definitely. In fact, a lot of the exchanges that President Trump and his then-rival Hillary Clinton had during those presidential debates that we all watched, were described by some people as a “smackdown.” Okay. I remember those well! Well, Anne, maybe we should end this Words to the Wise here, before one of us slays the other with a smackdown! Oh, good one! Maybe even a mic drop, right? Wow. You may have seemed like you were on the struggle bus during this lesson, but you were definitely learning and paying attention! I'm Anne Ball.  And I’m Ashley Thompson. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   inappropriate - adj. not right or suited for some purpose or situation struggle bus - slang. a situation, task, etc., that seems difficult or frustrating frustrating - adj. causing feelings of annoyance or anger superfood - n. a food considered very good for one’s health slay - slang. to impress strongly, often by humor mic drop - slang. 1) something, especially a statement or action, that displays confidence;2) the act of intentionally dropping one’s microphone at the end of aspeech or performance, displaying a bold confidence that it has been very impressive or cannot be topped.​ smackdown - slang. a severe criticism or defeat

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Facebook's Plan to Send Thoughts from Brain to Computer

Facebook is developing a technology that it says will be able to transfer thoughts directly from the brain to a computer. It announced the plans this week at a gathering of the social network’s developers in San Jose, California. Speech-to-text technology has made great progress in recent years. Now scientists are looking to expand on this to develop a system for thoughts-to-text.  Facebook’s vice president of engineering Regina Dugan introduced the technology by asking the question, “So what if you could type directly from your brain?” Dugan said the aim of the project is to turn people’s thoughts into text in order to communicate on a computer or personal device. The company’s goal is for users to be able to type at least 100 words per minute based on signals sent from their brains. Facebook says the technology could be released within “a few years.” Dugan said other researchers say that people who are not able to use their hands have had success using similar technology. People involved in testing of the technology at California’s Stanford University had small electrodes put inside their brains. The electrodes were used to record signals from the part of the brain that controls muscle movements. These signals were then sent to a computer and translated into point-and-click commands. Stanford researchers said experiments showed that people using the system were able to type up to eight words per minute. Facebook has put dozens of people on a special team working on the technology. The company is also working with several U.S. universities to reach the goal of a thought-to-text rate of 100 words per minute. This is about five times faster than a person can type on a phone or other device. Dugan said the Facebook system would not require implants inside the brain. Instead, users would wear something on their heads with sensors to pick up brain signals. She added that the signals would only come from the area of the brain that translates thoughts into speech. “We are not talking about decoding your random thoughts. That might be more than any of us care to know.” Facebook also announced it was working on another technology that could allow people to recognize words through their skin. Researchers say this technology would use skin instead of the ear to take in sound and send information to the brain. “Imagine the power such a capability would give to the 780 million people around the world who cannot read or write, but who can surely think and feel.” Facebook is not the only company studying technology to directly transfer thoughts from the brain to a computer. American businessman Elon Musk is launching a company to explore possible applications for brain interface technology.  Musk is the chief of electric carmaker Tesla and aerospace company SpaceX. He says his system would use implants to pick up brain signals that would go to computers and electronic devices. Musk has spoken about his fears that robots using artificial intelligence (AI) could get too much power over people and possibly threaten humanity. He said one way to prevent this would be to add another AI element to the human brain. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on material from Facebook and Reuters. Ashley Thompson 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   type – v. to write on a computer keyboard or other electronic device electrode – n. one of the two points through which electricity flows into or out of a battery or device  click – v. to press a button on a mouse or some other device implant – n. something put in a specific place, like the body sensor – n. device that detects or senses heat, light, sound, motion, etc. decode – v. find or understand a hidden meaning in something random – adj. chosen by chance application – n. computer program interface – n. system used for operating a computer artificial intelligence – n. the development of computers to perform intelligence-related tasks without human involvement  

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France Attack Leads To Increased Security Ahead of Weekend Election

  Security has been tightened across France, after a suspected terrorist attack killed a police officer ahead of the country’s presidential election on Sunday.   A gunman shot and killed a policeman and wounded two other officers in the attack Thursday night in Paris. Officials say the gunman opened fire with an automatic weapon on a police vehicle on the city’s famous Champs-Elysees. The gunman then fled and was killed by police in a gun battle that injured the two officers. A German tourist was also injured. Officials told the Associated Press the gunman was detained in February for threatening police, but was let go. He was also reportedly convicted in the past of attempted murder in the shootings of two police officers.   French President Francois Hollande called the attack "terrorist-related." The Islamic State (IS) terror group claimed that one of its "fighters" had carried out the attack. But the group identified the gunman as a Belgian national, while French officials believe he was a French citizen. The shooting was the latest in a series of attacks by Muslim extremists in France in recent years. The attacks have killed more than 230 people. The Paris attack came as the presidential campaign was coming to an end, with voting in the first round set to begin Sunday. President Hollande said the country’s security forces were committed to protecting the election process. "We shall be of the utmost vigilance," he said in a statement. Issues in the presidential campaign Terrorism and national security have been major issues throughout the presidential campaign. Candidates have also focused on France’s future in the European Union, a weakening economy and high unemployment. Four candidates have emerged as the top contenders. The two receiving the most votes will advance to a runoff election to be held May 7. One of the leading candidates is far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who has pushed anti-EU, anti-immigration measures. She said the Paris attack showed the current government is weak on national security. She promised to beat “Islamic terrorism.”   Le Pen, leader of the National Front party, urged the outgoing Socialist government to immediately re-establish border controls. French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve accused her of trying to politicize the Paris attack. Current opinion surveys show Le Pen is running a close second behind Emmanuel Macron, a former economy minister. He is seen as a centrist candidate, running without major party backing. In a video posted after the attack, Macron said the French people must not give in to fear, division and intimidation. He said the goal of terrorists was to “destabilize” the country. He added that it was the role of president and commander-in-chief to protect the French people from enemies and said, “I am ready.”   Macron has called for an increase in police and military forces to improve national security. He also wants to strengthen intelligence services and step up French military operations against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Conservative Francois Fillon and far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon each have about 20 percent support. A new opinion survey showed up to 30 percent of French voters were still undecided going into Sunday’s vote.   Fillon also spoke about the latest attack. He wants to continue a state of emergency put in place after a series of deadly attacks in November 2015. "The fight for the French people's freedom and security will be mine. This must be a priority," he said. Melenchon is running for president for the second time after finishing in fourth place five years ago. He has promised to tax the rich and renegotiate France's role in EU and international trade agreements. He also wants to give more power to parliament and stop the use of nuclear power, the source of nearly 80 percent of France’s electricity. I’m Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on material from the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. 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   utmost – adj. greatest or highest in degree vigilance – n. carefully watching for problems or signs of danger runoff – n. second or final election for the top candidates intimidation – n. intentional attempt to make someone afraid emerge - v. to become known or regarded as something​ step up - phrasal verb. to increase in amount or speed​ priority – n. something important to be dealt with before other things  

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Popular Vietnamese Song Again Permitted in Public

Hanoi’s decision to ban public performances of a popular Vietnamese anti-war song did not go over very well.

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