Bison Help Restore Natural Habitat

Bison are large animals with big heavy brown fur. Also called buffalo, they are the largest mammals in North America. They stand about 1.83 meters at the shoulder and weigh up to just over 900 kilograms. In 2016, the American bison was officially named the national mammal of the U.S. Bison once numbered in the millions. Since prehistoric times, they moved around from the Appalachian to the Rocky Mountains in the United States. In the 19th century, people hunted them for meat and hides — people used the skin and fur to make products. They were down to only a few hundred animals by the late 1880s, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. Now their numbers are growing. There are an estimated 500,000 bison living in North America. They are increasing in part because they are helping restore lands in the U.S. Fewer than 30,000 wild bison live in conservation herds. But in Indiana, bison are helping undo more than a hundred years of environmental damage. Ted Anchor is the program manager for the Northwest Indiana Nature Conservancy Program. Standing outside on a windy day, he spoke about the project. "By creating this large-scale restoration project, we’ve been able to harbor all those species that were just barely hanging on." Anchor says the 429-hectare reserve used to be the largest lake in Indiana. But in the 19th century, the water was removed and the land was used for agriculture. They cannot bring back the lake, but they can bring back the prairie, or grass covered areas. Bringing in bison helps both the animals and the land. Bison eat grasses. "And bison are a really easy way to get short grass prairie. Just by living and doing what bison do which is mostly eat grasses and make little bison—they create the short grass prairie for us." Now it is a sea of tall dried grass, with some small pieces of spring green. For 20 years, the Indiana chapter of the Nature Conservancy has been working to bring back the prairie at Kankakee Sands Nature Reserve. Late last year they took the last step. They brought in 23 bison, including 16 which were pregnant. It is the thirteenth herd that the Nature Conservancy owns. They have herds from Mexico all the way up to North Dakota. In some parts of the U.S. bison are raised for food. But these animals on the reserve will not be raised for meat, but just to manage the environment. The wild herds, or groups, take care of themselves without much help from humans. What the bison do The bison’s work is not limited to grazing, or eating the prairie grasses.  But when they do, it allows wildflowers to grow. That provides habitats, or housing for rare birds. The bison also roll around on the ground, which creates low areas. These fill up with rainwater, and attract small animals. It is expected that the Kankakee Sands herd will grow to about 75 animals. Supporters say the land should go back to looking like it did when thousands of bison lived there, long ago. I’m Anne Ball.   Erika Celeste wrote this story for VOA news. Anne Ball adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   prehistoric - adj. of, relating to, or existing in the time before people could write hide – n. the skin of an animal herd – n. a large group of animals that live or are kept together large-scale – adj. covering or involving a large area prairie – n. a large, mostly flat area of land in North America that has few trees and is covered in grasses

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Irish Beach Gets its Sand Back After 33 Years

  This is What’s Trending Today. Many people on an island in western Ireland are excited. They are celebrating a new beach. But actually, it is the return of an old beach. The people live in Dooagh, a small community on Achill Island. Older residents of Dooagh remember traveling down to the coastline and walking on the sand. But during a storm in the 1980s, the beach washed away. All that remained were rocks, seaweed and small pools of water. In recent weeks, the beach returned. Sean Molloy works for the Achill Island tourist office. He told reporters that the sand began returning to Dooagh Bay last year. He said the water seemed brighter because there was more sand below. Then this year, after a series of storms in April when the wind was blowing hard, the sand appeared along the coastline. Residents woke up one morning after low tide to see 300 meters of soft sand. A local restaurant owner told The Guardian newspaper that people heard about the beach’s return and are visiting Dooagh to take a look. “We have a beautiful little village as it is, but it is great to look out and see this beautiful beach instead of just rocks,” the man said. Achill Island is one of the western-most parts of Europe. A bridge connects the island with the rest of Ireland. On Facebook, many people are posting videos and photographs of what Dooagh looked like for the past 33 years next to photos of what it looks like today. People are talking about “the power of nature.” One Canadian tourist called Dooagh his “home away from home.” He was excited to see the changes.    A college professor in New Zealand called the Dooagh Beach story “a spectacular example of the way beaches change over time.” He said the loss of the sand was a product of changing weather conditions and erosion. Sometimes the sand moves up the coastline. Other times, it moves out to sea. The Achill tourist office is happy to have new visitors. It is now busy releasing photos of crowds coming to see the returned beach.  Sean Molloy said he hopes the beach becomes the sixth Blue Flag beach on Achill Island. That means the areas must meet high standards for being clean, well-managed and environmentally friendly. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. His report was based on information from The Irish Times, The Guardian and the BBC. George Grow was the editor. Do you have a beach where you live that disappeared but is now back? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tide – n. the regular upward and downward movement of sea levels spectacular – adj. causing wonder erosion – n. the gradual destruction of something by natural forces, such as water, wind, or ice; the process by which something is washed or worn away beach – n. a coastal areas covered by sand or rock particles resident – n. someone living in a place for a length of time standard – n. something established as a model or example  

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Lesson 5: Where Are You?

Summary Anna visits Marsha at a friend's house. Anna and Marsha see many rooms in the house. They talk about what people do in each room.   Speaking Watch the video and practice talking about locations. You can also download the worksheet and practice talking about the rooms in a house with a friend. Pronunciation Learn two different ways to ask questions in this video.  Conversation      Anna: Hello, everyone! Today my friend Marsha is at her friend's house. She says it is beautiful. I want to see this house! Here we are! Anna: Marsha, I am in the kitchen! It is a beautiful kitchen! Marsha: It is beautiful. We cook in the kitchen. Anna: I eat in the kitchen. Marsha:  We relax in the living room. Anna:  I relax in the living room. Marsha, let’s go upstairs! Marsha: Anna? Where are you? Anna: Marsha, I am in the bathroom! I wash in the bathroom. Marsha: I am in the bedroom. We sleep in the bedroom. Anna: I sleep in the bedroom!   Writing What are some of the rooms in your house? Write to us in the Comments section. Tell us what you do in the rooms.  You can also download the worksheet. Practice writing the names of rooms in a house.   Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. Plan to Learn is an important learning strategy because it helps you arrange your best learning conditions. You organize the resources and tools you need to study well. Here is an example of how to use this strategy.  Oluchi knows she needs to have a quiet place to study. She takes her English homework to a quiet corner of her home, and turns off her phone and radio. She brings a cup of coffee to help her stay awake. She makes sure her dictionary is near and that she has pencils and paper to write notes. When she begins studying, everything she needs is in easy reach. Her full attention can focus on what she wants to learn. How about you? What conditions help you to study better? Some people like a little background noise, like in a cafe. Others need a very quiet place. Do you have a favorite chair or place in your home where you study well? Do you work better when you study with a friend or in a small group?  Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email about your best learning conditions. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.   Listening Quiz See how well you understand the lesson by taking this quiz. Each question has a video. Play the video and choose the correct answer. New Words bathroom - n. a room with a sink and toilet and usually a bathtub or shower beautiful - adj. very good or pleasing; having beauty bedroom - n. a room used for sleeping eat - v. to take food into your mouth and swallow it house - n. a building in which a family lives kitchen - n. a room in which food is cooked living room - n. a room in a house for general family use relax - v. to spend time resting or doing something enjoyable sleep - v. to rest your mind and body by closing your eyes upstairs - adv. on or to a higher floor of a building wash - v. to clean (something) with water and usually soap ______________________________________________________________ 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 writing the names of rooms in a house. 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 focus: BE + location Topics: Asking about location; Naming places and activities _______________________________________________________________ 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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The Blue Hotel by Stephen Crane, Part Three

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Telework: The Pros and Cons

  From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Technology has changed the way we live and especially the way we work. For many jobs, workers no longer need to be in a fixed office building. People can telework: they can work from home or anyplace where they can access the necessary technology. For example, I wrote this story on a backyard porch in the mountains of West Virginia. A 2015 survey from the company Gallup found that 37 percent of Americans worked from home. In 1995, that number was only 9 percent. It is easy to think that this freedom to work whenever or wherever is good for workers and for families. As it turns out, teleworking is both good and bad. A new report warns that some forms of teleworking may blur the line between our personal and professional lives. In other words, some teleworkers may have a hard time keeping their personal life separate from their professional life. This report claims that this “blurring” may have negative effects on the health and well-being of teleworkers. The report, titled, "Working anytime, anywhere: The effects on the world of work," is a combined effort by the International Labor Organization and the research institute, Eurofound. It looks at the pros and cons -- or the advantages and disadvantages -- of teleworking from home. The report looked at 15 countries including Argentina, Brazil, India, Japan, the United States and 10 European nations. Oscar Vargas is with Eurofound and Jon Messenger is from the International Labor Organization. The two co-wrote the report. They say in the findings of the study are unclear and, in some cases, contradictory. For example, the researchers found that on the one hand, teleworkers "report reduced commuting time, more time for their families and a better balance between work and personal life; on the other hand, they also report an increase in working hours, a blurring of the boundaries between paid work and personal life and more work-life interference.” For some people, teleworking adds more family-work conflict, for others teleworking lowers family-work conflicts. For some people, teleworking lowered stress; for others it lead to higher levels of stress and other health problems such as sleep disorders. Vargas explains that some of the pros are less commuting time and greater freedom, or as he says, autonomy. One of the cons is working longer hours. “Among the positive effects, we find the reduction of commuting time leading, greater work autonomy leading to more flexibility, better overall work-life balance and higher productivity. There are also disadvantages. For example, these workers tend to work longer.” How teleworking affects the health and lifestyle of the workers seems to depend on how much and what type of teleworking they are doing. The study puts teleworkers into three categories: those who work commonly from home, those who work from several locations outside an office, and those who work both in an office and off-site. Vargas notes the study found that 20 percent of people in Europe who worked in an office reported high levels of stress. Compare this to 40 percent of stressed-out people in Europe engaged in high-intensity work at home. He said the findings were similar for those who suffer from sleep disorders.   The report also states that teleworkers who are out of the office too often say they feel isolated, or separate from their colleagues and the work environment. Messenger told VOA that always working away from the employer's work-site seems to be more negative. One of the downsides is this isolation. He calls this a “disconnect from co-workers and from the organization as well. “This constant work outside the employer’s premises seems to be more negative. And one of the downsides is this isolation, this disconnect from co-workers and of course from the organization as well.” Also, the high-intensity teleworkers that we talked about earlier may have a difficult turning off their work. Part time telework = the sweet spot Vargas explains that there are upsides for those who telework part-time, or not all the time. He said this was good not only for the workers, but also for employers and companies. “The findings show that if workers do it on a part-time basis -- this way of working can be associated to positive outcomes both for workers but also for employers and companies.” Messenger adds that "two or three days seems to be the sweet spot,” or the most effective balance. Half the time in the office and half the time outside the office seems to help avoid these “isolation and disconnect issues." “Two or three days a week seems to be the sweet spot. So, half your time in the office and half your time outside the office and that helps to avoid these isolation and disconnect issues.” Messenger explains that many organizations have developed policies to overcome this problem. They set maximum numbers of days per week during which people can work outside the employer's work-site. Usually, employees are able to telework two or three days a week. Authors of the report urge policymakers to pass legislation that addresses telework issues. These issues include such things as extra work, which is often viewed as "unpaid overtime." They said employers should pay teleworkers for the extra work they do at home. The report also recommends measures, such as shutting down computer servers outside working hours and not sending employees e-mails when they are on holiday. The researchers suggest that turning off all electronic devices and rest periods for teleworkers will also help avoid negative effects on workers' health and well-being. And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo.   Do you telework? For you, does teleworking have more pros or cons, upsides or downsides? How do you or how would you make teleworking work best for you? Anna Matteo wrote this story for Learning English with additional reporting from Lisa Schlein and ILO-EuroFound report. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Now, test your understanding with this short quiz.​ ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   blur – v. to become unclear contradictory – adj. involving or having information that disagrees with other information positive – adj. good or useful (also; pro, advantage, upside) negative – adj. harmful or bad (also; con, disadvantage, downside) flexibility – adj. characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements off-site – adj. not located or occurring at the site of a particular activity part-time – adj. working or involving fewer hours than is considered normal or standard basis – n. a fixed pattern or system for doing something — used with on < He visits his grandmother on a regular basis. premises – n. plural a building and the area of land that it is on intensity – n. the quality or state of being intense; especially :  extreme degree of strength, force, energy, or feeling isolate – v.  to put or keep (someone or something) in a place or situation that is separate from others sweet spot – informal n. an area or range that is most effective or beneficial  

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Virtual Reality Puts Music Lovers in Center of the Action

  Many musicians are turning to new forms of technology to reach more people through their smartphone and electronic devices. Performers are using virtual reality (VR), 360-degree cameras and other tools in hopes of providing the best musical experience possible. A 360-degree camera can take a video or still photograph of everything in its line of sight. Some music experts believe VR could greatly change our musical experiences in the future. One form of the technology can let users attend virtual concerts, where they become part of the action. These performances seem to come to life through video and VR glasses. Members of the rock band Queen created one such concert last year in cooperation with Google’s online store, Google Play. The project recreated the famous Queen song “Bohemian Rhapsody” in a music video. The group first released the song more than 40 years ago. A computer program or app can let people experience different parts of the music video by moving around and touching things in virtual reality. The interactive experience results from a combination of computer animation, 3D images, and 360-degree video technology. Some musicians and groups are now using VR as part of their live performances. American country music singer Eric Church has launched a full VR concert experience that was recorded during an actual performance last year. People can buy the experience and view it on their personal devices with the help of VR headsets. Church said it was his first time using VR technology to provide a 360-degree view of a live show. "There was a camera between me and my drummer, and you can kind of turn around and see the drummer and turn back around and see me," he said. "It's like you're in the middle of everything." The rock group Young the Giant recently shot a live performance in Los Angeles with 360-degree cameras above, below and throughout the crowd. The performance was made into a music video for the song “Silvertongue.” The video shows the band’s members and other people painted in bright colors as they dance to the music. Band member Payam Doostzadeh said it is not easy recreating a real concert for somebody watching the experience on a smartphone. "You're viewing it on a smaller screen, and maybe you don't have headphones on, so you're not hearing the full sound," he said. YouTube is currently one of the biggest providers of music videos on the internet. The website says about 60 percent of YouTube viewing now happens on devices – not computers or televisions. To make these experiences better and more exciting, music artists are turning to mobile-friendly tools.  Pop singer Ingrid Michaelson made a music video using only Snapchat filters. The video, called “Hell No,” is filmed in phone-style view as a way to connect with Snapchat users. The electronic band Gorillaz released a six-minute VR music video that became the most successful VR video debut on YouTube. It was seen more than three-million times in 48 hours. Another band, Saint Motel, is creating music videos with what it calls a "virtualizer.” This method combines lyric and live performance videos and images in a 360-degree video environment. Band member AJ Jackson said Saint Motel does not plan to stop creating traditional music videos. But he added that smartphones have provided many exciting ways to experiment, create and find new fans. “It's a lot of people's first VR experience," Jackson said. "You've got to take it slow and you've got to make sure everyone's first experience is great.” I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. His report was based on information from the Associated Press and other sources. George Grow 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   virtual reality – n. photographic images, sound or video created by a computer to seem like reality interactive - adj. enabling people to talk with each other or do things together animation – n. way of making a movie by using a series of drawings, photographs or pictures drummer – n. person who plays the drums in a music group filter – n. something placed over something to change its appearance lyric – n. the words of a song graphics – n. relating the artistic use of pictures, shapes or words debut – n. the first appearance or performance of something  

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China to Create its Own Version of Wikipedia

  The Chinese government is creating its own version of the online source of information, Wikipedia. China’s version is expected to be released next year. It will include around 300,000 entries on subjects including science, literature, history and politics.  The government chose professors and experts to write the entries.  Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that is edited almost completely by the public. The Chinese version will be written by experts chosen by the government. The writers say truth is their guiding light, and their editing process will be demanding. Zhang Baichun is chief editor of the history of science and technology section. He said that if there are any differences of opinion about facts, a committee will try to solve the problem. He told the Associated Press, "Of course, science does not come from democratic votes, to convince others you will have to present the most convincing proof." This project is led by the Communist Party's central propaganda department.  It tries to form public opinion through instructions to China's media, internet companies and publishing industry.  It also oversees education. The department has instructed the Encyclopedia of China Publishing House to produce the project.   Managing information The Chinese government attempts to control what information is shared on the internet.  However, citizens comment on news or post photos on social media all the time. Chinese censors then try to remove unwanted posts or block some messages from being searched. China also regularly blocks overseas sites, including Facebook and Twitter.  It also has blocked Wikipedia's English and Chinese versions at times. Jiang Lijun is a top editor at the Encyclopedia of China Publishing House. She said that her group plans to write entries on political leaders, the history of the Communist Party, and subjects including virtual reality, artificial intelligence and the European Union. Jiang also said the encyclopedia will write entries about subjects that are less likely to change, or with academic value, rather than current events. However, she said they will try to “strike a balance between…being timely and what people are searching for." Jiang chose not to comment on how the website would present events that are politically sensitive in China. These include the Cultural Revolution and the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. “Quite different” from Wikipedia Qiao Mu is an independent media analyst in Beijing. He said the Chinese Encyclopedia would be "quite different" from Wikipedia.  It will have to follow rules on presenting disputed information. "If it's not blocked in China, the publisher must accept censorship, either self-censorship or censored by authorities," he said.   He said the encyclopedia would probably only present one official version of sensitive historical events. It will likely not include items like the Tiananmen Square protests or the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual group.  Currently, these items cannot be found on the internet in China. Jiang said that the encyclopedia will only be in the Chinese language at first.  However, her group is researching if a version in English would be possible.  She also said they met with a team from Wikipedia to learn from their experience creating the online encyclopedia. Wikipedia is edited by hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the world.  The site has more than 40 million articles, and is available in nearly 300 languages. More than 900,000 entries are in Chinese, compared with more than 5 million in English. Jiang says, "there is Chinese content on Wikipedia too, but sometimes it is not as accurate as it could be.” Encyclopedia editor Zhang Baichun also is a professor of the history of science and technology. He said the online version will make it easier to reach more and younger readers. Zhang said there is a process to create entries for sections like the history of science and technology. He said first the professors from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Natural Sciences hold meetings with experienced and young experts in their fields to form a committee. The committee then finds the most knowledgeable person on a topic to write a version of the article. The version is then reviewed by a section chief editor, and finally by the committee. "If there is a difference of opinion, all deputy and chief editors should participate in the discussion and figure it out together," Zhang said. "We will reason things out with the author until we reach an agreement, or change the author." I’m Jill Robbins.  And I'm Phil Dierking.  ­­­­­­­­­­­­This story was originally written for Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   censor - n. a person who examines books, movies, letters, etc., and removes things that are considered to be offensive, immoral, harmful to society, etc.​ controversial - adj. relating to or causing much discussion, disagreement, or argument : likely to produce controversy​ encyclopedia - n.  a reference work that contains information about many different subjects or a lot of information about a particular subject​ edit - adj.  to make changes, correct mistakes, etc. entry - n. the act of entering something in a book, list, etc.​ participate - v. to be involved with others in doing something : to take part in an activity or event with others​

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North Korea Holding 4th US Citizen in Detention

North Korean media says the government is holding another United States citizen. The official Korean Central News Agency said Kim Hak Song was detained on Saturday for suspected “hostile acts.” Kim worked at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. He is the second university instructor to be arrested in the past two months. Last month, North Korean officials detained Pyongyang University accounting professor Kim Sang Dok. The government said he was arrested for “committing criminal acts. He was accused of “acts of hostility aimed to overturn” the rule of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In a statement, the U.S. State Department said it knows about the latest detention. It said “The security of U.S. citizens is one of the department’s highest priorities. When a U.S. citizen is reported to be detained in North Korea, we work with the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang” to try to secure their freedom. Kim’s detention comes as tensions between the two countries increase over North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs. The United States has sent an aircraft carrier strike group to waters off the Korean coast as a warning to North Korea to cut back on its military activities. In the past, North Korea has detained U.S. citizens to use as bargaining chips in negotiations with the U.S. government. Last year, North Korea sentenced Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, to 15 years of hard labor. The sentence was announced after he admitted he tried to steal a propaganda sign. And Kim Dong Chul is serving 10 years of hard labor after being jailed on subversion charges. Kim was born in South Korea, but is believed to have U.S. citizenship. I’m Jonathan Evans. ________________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   bargaining chip – n. something that can be used when you are trying to make a deal priorities – n. goals or objectives; the things that someone cares about and thinks are important instructor – n. someone who teaches, like a college teacher

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Syrian Refugee Family in Canada Names Baby After Trudeau

  This is What’s Trending Today. In December 2015, a Canadian military plane landed in Toronto with 163 Syrian refugees on board. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was at the airport to welcome them to their new country. Their arrival was part of Canada’s promise to accept 25,000 refugees forced out of Syria because of the civil war. The 25,000th refugee arrived in early 2016. Now there are many thousands more. Baby Trudeau A Syrian family living in the Canadian province of Alberta has named their new baby after Trudeau. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Toronto Star reported that Justin-Trudeau Adam Bilal was born last Thursday. He weighed about 3.5 kilograms. The baby’s parents, Afraa Hajj Hammoud and Mohammed Belal, have two other young children. They said they started thinking about naming their baby after Trudeau two months ago. The CBC wrote that Belal asked his wife if she would consider the name. Hammoud said she smiled “a small smile” and said it would be “no problem. It will be like a small thank you for Justin Trudeau.” Hammoud said her family left Syria and lived in Lebanon for three years before coming to Canada. They had to adjust to speaking English and the cold weather, but their lives, she said, “are getting better every day.” The story of baby Justin-Trudeau spread on Facebook. By Monday morning, it was a trending topic. The new Justin-Trudeau is not the first immigrant baby named after the Canadian prime minister. The CBC reported last November that another Syrian family in Alberta named its son Justin. That child’s father said Trudeau has “a deep sense of humanity.” Trudeau called the family’s gesture “touching.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English based on reporting from The Star and CBC. Ashley Thompson was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   gesture – n. something said or done to show a particular feeling or attitude touching – adj. having a strong emotional effect : causing feelings of sadness or sympathy humanity – n. the quality or state of being kind to other people or to animals

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May 8, 2017

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

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France Elects a Pro-European Union President

Observers are saying Emmanuel Macron’s election as president of France is a victory for Europe. The election was not close. Macron received 66 percent of the vote compared to Marine Le Pen’s 34 percent. The president of the European Commission congratulated Macron on Twitter. “Happy that the French have chosen a European future,” he tweeted. A spokesman for Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel called the result a “victory for a strong and united Europe”. Le Pen, the National Front candidate, had said during the campaign that she would withdraw France from the European Union. She also opposed open immigration policies and called for tough measures against terrorism and crime. The final, run-off election took place two weeks after 11 candidates competed in the first round of the presidential election. For the first time, none of France’s traditional parties were represented in the final vote. Socialist President Francois Hollande chose not to seek another term in office. Macron served in Hollande’s Socialist administration. But he started his own movement called En Marche! last year. Ben Haddad, a French analyst with the Hudson Institute in Washington D.C., says the 39-year-old president-elect represents a number of firsts for France. “This is the youngest French president ever who was virtually unknown three years ago, created his own movement from scratch just a year ago, and is winning in (a) landslide with an optimistic, reform-oriented, pro-European, liberal message.” Haddad told VOA that the election showed that the two main political parties in France did not find public support in this election. He said French voters are expecting something new. Macron has called for reforms to France’s economy including its job market to deal with the country’s high unemployment. He also called for reform of the EU. However, he will need to build support in the French legislature where his movement currently has no representation. Macron has no experience as an elected official. France stays pro-Europe Macron, however, has strongly supported the EU. European officials considered the French election very important because of Britain’s vote to leave the EU in June 2016. France is a founding member of the European Union and is the second largest country remaining in it after Germany. If France left the EU, it might signal the end of the huge multinational organization. The vote brought to an end one of France’s most divisive presidential campaigns. Marine Le Pen quickly conceded the election on Sunday. But, she promised to continue efforts to get voters to fight globalization and an open immigration policy. She promised to oppose the new president’s policies in the upcoming elections for the legislature in June. Le Pen led the National Front, a conservative party started by her father. In Sunday’s vote, she received a little more than one third of the votes cast. However, she received a much higher percentage than her father Jean-Marie Le Pen who ran for president in 2002. Marine Le Pen ousted her father from the National Front because of his extreme views. During the campaign she stepped down as party leader in an effort to increase her appeal. Fewer voters took part in the election than expected, possibly because of anger over the combative campaign and traditional politics. French officials said 4 million people submitted blank votes. Although Macron has won a big victory, he still faces critics both inside and outside the country. Britain’s Nigel Farage led the campaign to leave the EU in his country. He said Macron’s victory will guarantee that Le Pen will win in the next election in 2022. He said the French are not ready to leave the EU, but one day they will. I’m Mario Ritter.   Jamie Dettmer reported this story for VOA News with additional material from Victor Beattie. Mario Ritter adapted it with additional materials from AP. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   run-off election –n. a second election between the top vote-getters after an election in which no candidate received a majority virtually –adv. very nearly, almost completely from scratch –idiom from nothing landslide –n. overwhelming, blank –adj. without writing We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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