Abraham Lincoln: Martyr (Part Two)

  VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. Today we are continuing our story about Abraham Lincoln. He led the United States during the Civil War, which lasted from 1861-1865. In that conflict, the Southern Confederacy battled the Union – the states that supported the federal government. Southern states wanted to make their own laws, including those that protected slavery. They were afraid that President Lincoln would use the power of the federal government to ban slavery in their states, as well as in other areas. So 11 Southern states withdrew from the rest of the country. They stopped recognizing the power of the central government. President Lincoln did not think states had the right to withdraw. He said he was fighting to reunite the country. But in time, he accepted that the Civil War would also be a fight to end slavery. Commander-in-chief Lincoln is known for several qualities as a wartime president. One was how he led the military campaign. As president, Lincoln worked with top military officials to create a plan. They realized that the Union had more resources and more men who could fight than the Confederate forces. So, they planned to surround the Southern states, cut off their supplies, and prevent foreign powers from helping the Confederacy. Lincoln hoped the Union’s generals could execute the plan quickly and end the war as soon as possible. But the generals were guarded. They did not want to harm their soldiers if they did not have to. They also knew the Confederacy had a skilled commander in General Robert E. Lee. Troops under another Confederate general, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, also defeated the Union army in several early battles. Lincoln was frustrated with the war effort. He wanted generals who would not only win battles, but chase after the opposing forces and destroy them so they could not fight again. In one famous telegram, he wrote to his top general, George McClellan. Lincoln said, “If General McClellan does not want to use the Army, I would like to borrow it for a time…” Finally, Lincoln replaced McClellan. Then he replaced McClellan’s replacements. Executive power Lincoln changed the presidency by being actively involved as a commander-in-chief of the military. He also greatly expanded the powers of the chief executive. Lincoln believed that, during war, the president had powers that were greater than those of Congress and the Supreme Court. As a result, he took many actions that critics – and even some supporters – considered illegal under the U.S. Constitution. For example, Lincoln spent millions of dollars in federal money without getting permission from Congress. He also limited freedom of the press, restricted mail service, and declared martial law in some places, even when the situation did not require military action. Most notably, Lincoln temporarily suspended the writ of habeas corpus. Habeas corpus is an important right in the American legal tradition. It means that people who are under arrest have the right to appear personally in court. But, at some periods, Lincoln ignored that right.  He said the Confederacy’s “rebellion” justified his actions. And, he said, extreme measures were necessary to re-unite the country. Emancipation Proclamation One of Lincoln’s most important legacies relates to slavery. The issue was at the heart of the American Civil War. For most of his career, Lincoln spoke against slavery. But he did not try to bar the custom in states where it already existed. He agreed to leave slavery in the South alone. Lincoln also did not really believe in racial equality. And he worried that if slavery ended in the United States, blacks and whites would not be able to live peacefully together. But as the war continued, Lincoln changed his mind about how to deal with the issue. For one thing, anti-slavery activists were urging Lincoln to end slavery for moral reasons. Lincoln also considered tactical reasons -- those related to the war. He saw that enslaved people in the South were escaping to join Union armies in the North. Their actions helped the Union effort. Lincoln also wanted to prevent England or France from helping the South. The Southern states were important trading partners for Europe. But the English and French people had rejected slavery. Lincoln hoped that if the Union also rejected slavery, European countries would support the North – or at least not support the South.    So Lincoln waited until the Union won a major battle in Antietam, Maryland. Then he announced that he was using his power as a wartime president to order the end of slavery in the Confederate states. He produced a document called the Emancipation Proclamation. It said that enslaved people in the rebelling states were “forever free.” Historians note that the act was important and revolutionary. But it was mostly symbolic. The federal government was not able to enforce the order at the time. And it did not deal with enslaved people in other areas. But the Emancipation Proclamation was the beginning of the end of legal slavery in the country. During the rest of his presidency, Lincoln worked in support of an anti-slavery amendment to the Constitution. That amendment – the Thirteenth – was approved in 1865. It officially outlawed slavery across the country. Next week we will finish the story of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.   Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Listening Quiz See how well you understand the story by taking this listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   resources - n. a supply of something (such as money) that someone has and can use when it is needed frustrated - adj.  very angry, discouraged, or upset because of being unable to do or complete something martial law - adj. control of an area by military forces rather than by the police legacies - n. things that come from someone in the past symbolic - adj.  expressing or representing an idea or quality

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2rkNXyM
via IFTTT

Muslim Fraternities Offer Chance to ‘Share Values’

The first fraternity at an American university started in 1776 at the University of William and Mary in Virginia. Fraternities, which have all male members, and sororities, all female members, are often described on college websites this way: places to develop friendships, loyalty and knowledge, as well as providing services to the college and beyond. But fraternities have also become known for less helpful behavior, like heavy drinking. No drinking at these fraternities One fraternity, Alpha Lambda Mu, is made up of Muslim members and non-Muslims who share Muslim ideals.  And that means no drinking. “We have fun, but we don’t have the drinking and the drugs and don’t do co-ed parties,” said Bilal Ayub, president of Alpha Lambda Mu at the University of Texas at Dallas. The Texas school was where the first Muslim-inspired fraternity started four years ago. Ayub said Alpha Lambda Mu follows some important traditions of other fraternities -- mainly helping members develop new friendships and providing community service on and off campus. At Penn State University, one of America’s largest public universities, the Alpha Lambda Mu President is Zico Khayat. He is a senior and a science major. He said it is important for Muslim students to have a place where they can socialize with fellow Muslims and others with similar values. Reaching out to non-Muslims But fraternity members are not looking to stay separate from non-Muslims. It is quite the opposite, Khayat said. “We do events like free pizza Friday once a month -- open to everyone on campus." Khayat said the fraternity, which now has 10 members, permits him and other members to explore both sides of their identity --  American and Muslim. During meetings, members can share their Muslim beliefs. He adds that relationships with non-Muslims are also important. And for him, some of those relationships are formed on the school’s basketball courts and soccer fields. But in one important way, Alpha Lambda Mu stands out among Penn State fraternities. Last month, Penn State officials closed the Beta Theta Pi fraternity after 18 of the members were arrested. The fraternity members were accused of waiting 12 hours to ask for medical help for a badly injured member.  According to the police, the member fell down a flight of stairs in February after he and other new members were forced to drink many alcoholic drinks. The student, Timothy Piazza later died. Khayat said Muslim students have not joined other fraternities, in part, because of “peer pressure to drink.” But he praises the school and its administrators for reaching out to Muslim students. “We feel at home here,” he said. Brian Robert Calfano is an assistant political science and journalism professor at the University of Cincinnati. He is an expert on fraternities. He noted that the addition of new Muslim-inspired fraternities comes at a time when anti-Muslim comments are on the rise. But Calfano said Muslim students are following in the tradition of other groups, including African-Americans, Catholics and Jews. Those groups all formed their own fraternities in the past, partly because they did not feel accepted at other fraternities. Fraternities carry Greek names Most fraternities have Greek names, such as Pi Kappa Alpha. Sometimes fraternity activity at colleges is described as “Greek Life.” Alpha Lambda Mu, which formed in 2013 at the University of Texas at Dallas, describes its purpose on its website: A young man, can do a lot, but young men working together can “change society forever.” At Cornell University in New York, an Alpha Lambda Mu chapter recently won approval from the college’s Interfraternity Council. The approval means the fraternity can join other fraternities and sororities in the “rush” process -- a period in which fraternities sign up new members. Rashaad Ahmad, 20, is Cornell’s Alpha Lambda Mu fraternity president. He said, “Cornell had a Muslim student organization, but it has limitations. The primary goal was religious and we wanted something to bond over and get to know each other socially.” Andrew Lord is president of Cornell’s Interfraternity Council. He said the school’s 2,200 fraternity members welcomed Alpha Lambda Mu. He said that one of the reasons he likes Cornell’s fraternities is that people of all races and religions are welcome. Besides Cornell, Penn State and the University of Texas at Dallas, there are Alpha Lambda Mu chapters at University of California at San Diego, the University of Toledo, San Diego State University and University of Texas at Arlington. I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.  And I'm Jonathan Evans.    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   co-ed- adj. involving both men and women inspired - adj. very good or clever pizza - n. a food made from flat, usually round bread that is topped with usually tomato sauce and cheese and often with meat or vegetables basketball court - n. where a game is played in which two teams of five players bounce a ball and try to score points by throwing the ball through one of the raised nets at each end soccer - n. a game played between two teams of 11 players in which a round ball is moved toward a goal usually by kicking peer pressure - phrase, when people in your group or school put pressure on you to do something purpose - n. the aim or intention of something bond - v. to form a close relationship with someone

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2sclRdc
via IFTTT

China's Factories Break Air Pollution Rules

  Chinese government environmental inspectors say they found a shockingly high number of air pollution violations in recent months. A Ministry of Environmental Protection, or MEP, statement says two-thirds of the companies inspected since April violated rules about pollutive gas releases. The findings raise questions about the ability of the local and central government to deal with polluters. Inspections Environmental inspections began last November in reaction to a smog crisis in northern Chinese cities. The burning of coal, bad weather conditions and pollutive gas releases from factories may have created the environmental crisis. Since then, the government has increased the number of inspection teams it deploys. In March, the MEP said that 3,119 businesses of about 8,500 visited had falsely reported the gas waste they were releasing. In many cases, inspectors found polluters had restarted operations after being ordered to shut down. Last month, state media reported that 5,594 businesses, or 66.2 percent of those examined by May 2, did not meet environmental requirements. The businesses were in 28 northern cities, across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The government’s Xinhua news agency reported that small businesses and factories made up more than a third of the violators. It said this made enforcement difficult. Some companies would not permit inspections. In one case on March 12, four law enforcement officers were attacked while investigating illegal production at a textile factory in eastern Anhui province, the MEP said. Central government and local authorities The years of enforcement efforts, growing protests over smog and months of warnings about inspections have led to a question: Why do companies continue to violate the rules? Some observers say the central government has yet to make air quality a campaign issue. Philip Andrews-Speed is an expert with the Energy Studies Institute of the National University of Singapore. He noted the success of China’s five-year energy efficiency campaign that ended in 2010.  He says there must be a similar campaign on air quality. Fines and compliance Xinhua has reported conflicting information about enforcement efforts. On May 12, it reported that MEP inspection teams have been ordering fines directly. Weeks later, Xinhua reported the ministry had asked local governments to halt the production of, or close, businesses that violated pollution rules. But Andrews-Speed said local officials are unlikely to take such action. He said they have long been rewarded for favoring economic interest over environmental interest. They probably will not enforce the rules unless they believe their jobs are at risk as a result, he said. I'm John Russell.   Michael Lelyveld wrote this story for Radio Free Asia. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   smog – n.  fog mixed with smoke : a cloud of dirty air from cars, factories, etc., that is usually found in cities textile – n. a fabric that is woven or knit efficiency – n. the ability to do something or produce something without wasting materials, time, or energy : the quality or degree of being efficient reward – v. to give money or another kind of payment to (someone

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2s0l1yc
via IFTTT

US Cities, States Step up for Climate Change

  Many American states, cities and businesses say they will work to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement. This comes after President Donald Trump announced he was pulling the U.S. out of the international agreement. More than a dozen governors have signed new climate change pledges since Trump made the announcement. Their states represent nearly 40 percent of the U.S. economy. Democrats govern most of those states. Trump is a Republican. Kate Brown is the democratic governor of Oregon. She said Tuesday, “Our coalition wants to let the world know that absent leadership from our federal government,'' the country will keep cutting fossil fuel emissions. Mayors’ actions So far, over 270 mayors have agreed to “adopt, honor and uphold the commitments to the goals” of the Paris agreement.  This includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing investments in renewable energies. Leaders of large businesses such as Amazon, Apple and Target have also signed pledges to continue to reduce their fossil-fuel emissions. Experts say it is unclear whether such efforts from states and individuals can fill in the hole left by Trump’s decision to leave the agreement. Stephen Benjamin, mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, told VOA that they will try. “If the president follows through on his commitment to withdraw from the Paris agreement, mayors will stand in the gap.” Benjamin is vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He hopes the group will pass a resolution urging city governments to get all of their energy from renewable sources by 2035. States’ actions The state of Hawaii passed a law last week to document sea-level rise, and to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Governor David Ige said it is the first state to pass a law carrying out parts of the Paris climate agreement. He signed another bill to reduce carbon emissions in agriculture. Last Tuesday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed an agreement with China to work together on reducing emissions. They will work on so-called green technologies. The deals call for investments in low-carbon energy sources, cooperation on climate research and commercialization of cleaner technologies. Brown warned that “disaster still looms” without urgent action. He was attending an international clean energy conference in Beijing. Brown also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The governors’ office said the two pledged to expand trade between California and China, two of the world’s largest economies. Brown spoke with the Reuters news agency: “It's highly significant that the governor of California can meet with the president of China, talk about very specific issues, on the foremost challenge of our time, namely climate change, and commit to taking the kind of steps that are needed to further this process of energy transformation.” Bloomberg and America’s Pledge European leaders have also been meeting with local American leaders. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently met with French leaders in Paris. Bloomberg is the United Nations Secretary General’s special envoy for cities and climate change. He said he was not there to criticize Trump’s action. But he said the U.S. “will meet our Paris commitment,” even without federal support. "Over the past decade, the United States has led the world on emission reductions – and our federal government has had very little to do with it. It happened because of leadership from cities, public opposition to coal plants and market forces that have made cleaner sources of energy – including solar and wind – cheaper than coal.” While in Paris, Bloomberg announced a new group called America’s Pledge. It will give the U.N. a plan for how the U.S. will meet its Paris commitment even without the federal government. So far, three states, 30 cities and 300 companies have signed on to the group, said Carl Pope, an adviser to Bloomberg. Trump administration response White House spokesman Sean Spicer said states and local governments should feel free to follow their own plans. "We believe in states' rights," Spicer said. "If a locality, municipality or state wants to enact a policy that their voters or their citizens believe in, then that's what they should do." The Trump administration, however, also wants to cut energy programs at the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA administrator Scott Pruitt called the president’s decision to withdraw from the agreement courageous.  He urged Americans not to apologize for the decision. He said the president heard “many voices” about climate change, and was “thoughtful” about making his decision. Like Trump, Pruitt said the agreement put the U.S. “at an economic disadvantage.” As a presidential candidate, Trump called climate change “a hoax,” or not true. However, Pruitt would not say whether Trump has changed his position on global warming. Most scientists agree that climate change, and the warming of the planet, is caused by human activity. Pruitt said the president will continue to study the issue. He said Trump will either “re-enter” the Paris agreement, or “engage in a discussion around a new deal” that would put America first. I'm Bryan Lynn. And I’m Anne Ball.   Steve Baragona wrote this story for VOA News.com. Anne Ball adapted his report for Learning English with additional material from Reuters and the Associated Press. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. Listening Quiz See how well you understand this story by taking a listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   pledge – v. to formally promise to give or do (something) absent – adj. not present at a usual or expected place greenhouse gas – n. carbon dioxide and other gases that scientists have linked to rising temperatures in Earth’s atmosphere renewable energies – n. any naturally occurring source of energy like solar, wind, biomass, tidal and hydroelectric power that is not taken from nuclear or fossil fuel. emission – n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source stand in the gap – expression to take the place of a person who has fallen (sometimes a religious expression) commercialization – n. to make something available to customers looms – v. hangs over enact – v. to make (a bill or other legislation) officially become part of the law courageous – adj. very brave : having or showing courage  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2taqC4t
via IFTTT

US Veterans Selling Spice from Afghanistan, Where They Served

Saffron is one of the costliest spices in the world. It is sometimes considered as valuable as money, and has been used as such in history. Saffron comes from a flower that grows mostly in parts of Europe, Iran and India. Now, a company in the United States is developing new markets for saffron grown in Afghanistan.  At Café Ba-Ba-Reeba in Chicago saffron is very important to Executive Chef Matt Holmes’s menu. “We feature it in our paellas, which are our signature dish here at Café Bar Ba Reeba, as well as use it in a dessert and some other dishes as well. So, it’s incredibly important to have high-quality saffron.” Cooks throughout Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea use saffron, but few cooks in the United States know about the spice.   The company Rumi Spice, which sells saffron to Holmes, is working to change that. Kimberly Jung is a founder of Rumi Spice. She says the company takes its name from Jalaluddin Rumi, a 13th-century poet and thinker born in what is now Afghanistan. “One of his famous sayings is ‘Where there is ruin, there is hope for treasure.’” Keith Alaniz is another of the founders of the company, along with Emily Miller. They are all former U.S. military members who served in Afghanistan. Alaniz says they returned with more than just battle experience. “I was never able to resolve just going to Afghanistan, and spending time; leaving and never thinking about the place again -- especially when you form relationships with people who live there and you understand them and you know their families.” So, Jung and Alaniz began to sell saffron produced by Afghan farmers they met in Herat province. There is not much demand for saffron in Afghanistan, so farmers must export it. Alaniz says Afghanistan has basically “been cut off from the international market for 30 years.” He says farmers there are producing a great product. But he says they cannot get a fair value for their goods because they are not able to export it. Conflict and insecurity in Afghanistan is not the only difficulty in getting Afghan saffron to market. Abdullah Faiz is the head of the country’s Herat University. He says Afghanistan has been producing saffron for many years but still has no process that guarantees the spice’s quality. So, Herat University is working with Purdue University in Indiana to create a department of food technology for Afghan saffron farmers. Faiz says the department will help train farmers to produce saffron that is pure and safe. Rumi carries out its own careful testing process on its product. Matt Holmes says it was the quality and taste of Rumi’s saffron that convinced him to buy it. But he also likes the company’s support for Afghanistan. “And you are kind of doing double duty with the program that they have with helping farmers in Afghanistan and helping women and being a positive influence besides just selling a product, so you really get the best of both worlds.” Investors have noticed the company’s success. Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban invested $250,000 after the company competed on the television show “Shark Tank.” I’m Jill Robbins.   VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reported this story from Chicago. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Do you like cooking with saffron? What dishes do you put it in? Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   spice – n. a substance (such as pepper or nutmeg) that is used in cooking to add flavor to food and that comes from a dried plant and is usually a powder or seed paella – n. a Spanish dish of rice, meat, seafood, vegetables, and spices signature – adj. closely associated with someone or something; making a person or thing easy to recognize dessert – n. sweet food eaten after the main part of a meal dish – n. the food served in a dish; food that is prepared in a particular way

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2sRHmOk
via IFTTT

Everyday Grammar: Polite Offers & Simple Past Tense

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2si3LHC
via IFTTT

Moving Out of Your ‘Comfort Zone’ at Yale University

Editor's Note: This story is part of a continuing series about international student life at colleges and universities across the United States. Please join us over the next several weeks as we bring you stories about international students and the American higher education system as a whole.   Wissem Gamra felt very different from other students when he began studying at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Gamra was born in Sousse, Tunisia. He lived there until he was 17 years old. But in his third year of high school, he learned of a chance to study an at organization called the African Leadership Academy. The African Leadership Academy is a special school in Johannesburg, South Africa. It trains students from across the continent to become future leaders who work to solve problems in Africa. It also helps students find money so they can pay for an education at top universities around the world. So in 2012, Gamra went to Johannesburg to complete his high school education. Then he sought admission to Yale University to study electrical engineering. Yale is a private research university, created in 1701. It is also an Ivy League school, meaning it is one of eight private colleges and universities in the northeastern United States. The eight are widely considered to be some of the best schools in the world. Five former U.S. presidents completed study programs at Yale University. Ivy League schools only accept a small number of students from among the thousands who seek admission. When Yale accepted Gamra in 2014, he became its first ever undergraduate student from Tunisia. Gamra says he felt it was his responsibility to represent his country as best he could. "I don’t really feel that people treated me differently. It’s just that sometimes people, when I tell them where I’m from, people would not where it is. And I take that as a good teaching opportunity for them, so that I teach them more about Tunisia." However, Gamra says he faced some difficulties in dealing with the cultural differences between his homeland and the United States. For example, drinking alcohol at parties is common for many American college students. But many Tunisians are Muslim, and Islam has strong rules against drinking alcohol. Also, Gamra says some Americans have misunderstandings about developing countries. For example, during his first year at Yale, Gamra went to dinner with the parents of one of his American friends. After the meal, his friend’s mother told Gamra how sad it was that people in the U.S. waste so much food while people living in other countries starve. Then she gave him the leftover food from their meal. Gamra thought she did this because she thought he did not have enough money for food, which he found a little insulting. Yet Gamra says this was just one bad example. He worked hard to make more American friends and share greater understanding of his culture. He did so by joining different student organizations at Yale. He is a member of Bulldogs Racing. This group of students spends an entire year building a race car to compete against teams from other universities. Also, Gamra joined Bulldog Productions. This is a Yale undergraduate student-operated film and theater production group. Gamra says he never did anything involving theater before coming to the United States. But he started designing theater sets when he joined Bulldog Productions in his first year. And in fall 2016, he was the lead producer of a musical production called “Drakorian.” Gamra says he is doing things he never would have dreamed of doing at a university in his home country. In Tunisia, an electrical engineering student attends classes in electrical engineering, but usually does little else. Melissa Castera says she chose Yale University because of the opportunities it provides to students outside their main field of study. She began working toward a master’s degree in environmental management in 2015. Castera is from the town of Santo, Uruguay. She earned her undergraduate degree in civil engineering from the University of the Republic in Montevideo in 2008. Several years later, she decided she wanted to have an international experience to expand her understanding of the world. So Castera decided to seek a Fulbright scholarship. This is a program supported by the U.S. Department of State. It gives money to American students and professors to study and teach in other countries. It also gives money to international students and professors who want to study and teach at American colleges or universities. Studying overseas is not common for students from Uruguay, Castera says. So when she received her scholarship and learned Yale had accepted her, many of her friends were shocked. "They were like, ‘What? Where are you going? Like, how come? Like, when did you decide that? They were all very surprised that this was happening. But also, like, when I would say ‘Yale,’ they’d say, ‘Wow. How did you get into that? Like, we are coming from a so small country. Do they know where is Uruguay?’" Since she began studying at Yale, Castera says she has welcomed the difficulty of the work. She already had learned a lot about planning cities and development from her undergraduate studies. She chose to study environmental management because she wanted to learn more about how to protect water resources. But her program at Yale has forced her to learn about so much more, including politics and economics. Castera says that by examining other fields of study, she has had to think in ways she never had to before. And the ways in which she has had to use that knowledge, including public speaking, have pushed her out of her comfort zone. Now she feels she can express herself more in English and in Spanish. Yale has also provided Castera with the chance to see the world as she had not seen it before. As part of her program, the school required her to serve as an intern. So last summer, she joined the World Resources Institute to research water usage in Brazil. And in the spring of 2017, she went on a school trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories to study how they deal with water disputes. After completing her education, Castera says she wants to work to solve problems related to climate change. This is an issue she says she never knew much or thought about before coming to Yale. I’m Pete Musto. And I'm Dorothy Gundy.   Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. Lucija Milonig produced the video. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. How do universities in your country help you to explore subjects and activities you do not know much about? What other opportunities do you think you would find at a university in the U.S.? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   admission – n. the act or process of accepting someone as a student at a school undergraduate – adj. used to describe a student at a college or university who has not yet earned a degree opportunity – n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done leftover – adj. used to describe food that has not been finished at a meal and that is often served at another meal set(s) – n. the rooms, painted backgrounds and furniture that are used for a scene in a movie, television program, or play master’s degree – n. a degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after one or two years of additional study following a bachelor's degree scholarship – n. an amount of money that is given by a school or organization to a student to help pay for the student's education comfort zone – n. a place, situation, or level where someone feels that they can do something well or succeed at something and has no worries, difficulty, or uncertainty intern – n. a student or recent graduate who works for a period of time at a job in order to get experience

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2r67Sm8
via IFTTT

Peru, Indonesia Put Their Fishing Information Online

  Peru became only the second country in the world to make their fishing boat data available to the public. The information will appear on the website of Global Fishing Watch, a non-profit organization. Indonesia was the first country to share its fishing data with the group. Officials from both countries announced their new policy at the United Nations Ocean Conference in New York City on Wednesday. Indonesia said its data is available now while Peru promised to share its information in the near future. Global fishing watch The data will appear on Global Fishing Watch's website. The website has a map that is a tool for environmentalists, journalists, governments and citizens. Global Fishing Watch uses satellites and receivers to follow 60,000 commercial and private fishing boats around the world. This information appears on an interactive map. The organization hopes the information it provides will permit citizens to see how fisheries are managed. Global Fishing Watch’s website says seafood suppliers can find information on the boats from which they buy seafood and fishermen can show they are following the law. Why is it difficult to monitor fishing? Jackie Savitz is the vice president of the Oceana conservation group. The organization is one of the partners of Global Fishing Watch. She told VOA that once fishing boats leave a port, it is difficult to know what the ships are doing. They may be fishing in protected parts of the sea or sailing into another country's waters. Savitz says she likes the strong leadership Peru and Indonesia have shown by permitting anyone to follow their fishing boats online. "With more eyes on the ocean, there are fewer places for illegal fishers to hide," she said. Savitz says she hopes other countries will follow Indonesia and Peru by helping to provide the public with information. Similar actions by other governments would give environmentalists, and buyers and sellers of seafood, a clearer understanding of where their favorite seafood comes from. I'm John Russell.   Kenneth Schwartz wrote this story for VOA News. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   data – n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something satellite – n. a machine that is sent into space and that moves around the earth, moon, sun, or a planet receiver – n. radio or television equipment that changes signals into sound and pictures seafood – n. fish and shellfish that live in the ocean and are used for food conservation – n. the protection of animals, plants, and natural resources

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2sfuUed
via IFTTT

'African' Dinosaur Discovered in Morocco

  Evidence of one of the last dinosaurs to live in Africa has been discovered in Morocco. A fossilized dinosaur jawbone was recovered at a mine, which is about 100 kilometers west of the city of Marrakesh. Researchers say the bone belonged to a creature they are calling Chenanisaurus Barbaricus. Dinosaurs lived between about 230 and 65 million years ago. Then they died out. Scientists think an asteroid -- a huge rock from space – struck the Earth’s surface 66 million years ago. They believe this event led to the disappearance of dinosaurs on our planet. This marked the end of the time period known as the Cretaceous Period. Nick Longrich identified the new dinosaur species. Longrich is a paleontologist at the University of Bath. He says what is important about the discovery is that it shows how Africa had its own dinosaurs. "We have a pretty good picture of the dinosaurs from North America for this time period. For example, Triceratops and T. Rex are part of this fauna, this sort of twilight fauna of the last dinosaurs on Earth. But we don't have a good picture of what's going on in the rest of the world and we know almost nothing about the African dinosaurs from this time period." Nick Longrich thinks the Chenanisaurus was similar in appearance to the larger Tyrannosaurus Rex, also called T. Rex. But there were differences. The Chenanisaurus had a shorter snout than the T. Rex.  The area around its nose and mouth were not as big. Longrich suspects that the T. Rex probably had feathers like a bird, but the Chenanisaurus did not. He also thinks the Chenanisaurus was less intelligent than the T. Rex because it had a smaller brain. Longrich said researchers know the fossil comes from a dinosaur bone because of the teeth. Dinosaur teeth are usually serrated, pressured from side to side. In addition, the edges of the teeth were rounded, as if they bit into bone. This suggests that the Chenanisaurus, like the T. Rex, hunted for its food. For Longrich, the fossil discovery in Morocco is evidence for the theory of mass extinction of the dinosaurs. "It's interesting to see evidence confirming that dinosaurs remained successful and the fauna stayed pretty stable up until the end of the Cretaceous period in Africa. So I think there is no evidence as far as I'm concerned of a decline in dinosaur diversity approaching the extinction, and if it hadn't been for this asteroid, we'd probably still have dinosaurs here today." I’m Phil Dierking.   ­­­­­­­­­­­­Faith Lapidus reported on this story for VOA News. Phil Dierking adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Do you think there were dinosaurs in your part of the world?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   dinosaur - n. one of many reptiles that lived on Earth millions of years ago​ extinction - n.  the state or situation that results when something such as a plant or animal species has died out completely​ fauna - n. all the animals that live in a particular area, time period, or environment​ fossil - n. something such as a leaf, skeleton, or footprint that is from a plant or animal which lived in ancient times and that you can see in some rocks​ snout - n. the long nose of some animals paleontologist - n.  a scientist that deals with the fossils of animals and plants that lived very long ago especially in the time of dinosaurs​ serrated - adj. having a row of small points or teeth along the side like a saw​

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2rdIYov
via IFTTT

Which Came First -- the Chicken or the Egg?

  Now, the VOA Learning English program, Words and Their Stories. In the English language, some animals have come to represent human characteristics. Lions are brave. Foxes are tricky. And elephants are loyal, just to name a few. Then there are chickens. The English language has many chicken idioms and expressions. And, for the most part, none of them represent anything good. For example, a chicken can describe someone who is scared or afraid. Children commonly tease each other about being chicken. They often use actual chicken noises to make the teasing even more descriptive. The phrasal verb chicken out has a similar meaning. If you “chicken out,” you decide not to do something because you are too scared. For example, let’s say you and your friends are at a party. They dare you to go on stage and sing with the band that is playing. “No problem,” you say. You’re not chicken, you tell yourself. But as you walk toward the stage, sweat starts dripping down your back. Your heart beats faster. Without realizing it, you are backing away from the stage and running toward the restroom. You have chickened out. There are other ways in English to insult someone using chicken expressions. If you are running around like a chicken with its head cut off you are acting in a crazy way. You don’t seem in control of your mind or body. This comes from the gruesome fact that sometimes when a chicken’s head is cut off, its body can still run around before it dies. You can use this expression in many situations. To use another party example, let’s say you are planning a big party for a friend. You are in charge of inviting guests, choosing the food and drinks, decorations and entertainment. So, you are in charge of everything! You have a lot to do. So, you ask your best friend, Christopher, to help. But he’s not a big help. All he can think about is who he’s inviting to the party. You see, his girlfriend is out of town. So, he invites a woman he’s been dating secretly, Liza. You warn him that this could backfire. But he doesn’t care. The day of the party comes. And things start going wrong almost immediately. The florist sends funeral flowers instead of the bright party flowers you ordered. The food you ordered is frozen and will not be ready for at least another day. The drinks are warm because you don’t have enough ice. And the lead singer of the band is sick. You run around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to fix all the problems. When the food delivery man hands you a bill for the food no one can eat yet, you tell him you can’t read it. His handwriting is like chicken scratch. If someone is a really messy writer, you can compare their handwriting to the markings that chickens make on the ground with their feet -- we call that chicken scratch. Finally, you calm down. You ask a friend to buy more ice for you. You ask another friend to order some pizzas. And then you ask your Uncle Fred to sing with the rock band. He’s older than they are, but he still sings really well. “Well, I’m no spring chicken,” he says, “but I’ll do my best!” If someone is old, we can say they are no spring chicken. This expression is informal and could be insulting. So, use it with care. Most importantly, we always use this expression in the negative. You would not call someone who is young “a spring chicken.” This leads us to another chicken idiom. This one is not an insult, but it does describe a bad situation. What happens when your chickens come home to roost?   First, what is to roost? To roost means to settle down for rest or sleep. We usually use it when talking about birds. Chickens usually return to their homes to rest. When we say your chickens have come home to roost, we are saying that your past wrongdoings have returned to negatively affect you. In this expression, the chickens represent the things you did wrong in your past. For this idiom, let’s use your best friend Christopher. One of his “chickens” is that he’s been secretly dating Liza. In fact, this “chicken” comes to the party. And so does his girlfriend -- the girlfriend he thought was out of town. She sees Christopher and Liza dancing closely together and demands to know what is going on! His girlfriend yells at him. Then Liza yells at him. Then they both yell at him. It’s awful. You could say to Christopher, “Well, I warned you. And now your chickens have come home to roost!” But you don’t say this. He’s your friend. And nobody likes to hear, “I told you so.” Like we said earlier, we usually use “chicken” in a negative way -- well, except with this last example. You may have heard people ask: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? We ask this question when talking about a cause-and-effect relationship between two things where we don’t know which happened first. What is the cause and what is the effect? We often shorten it to simply chicken-and-egg. You can call something a chicken-and-egg situation or a chicken-and-egg problem. Here is how to use it. Let’s say you don’t like math. You don’t do very well in the subject at school. You could say, it’s a chicken-and-egg kind of thing. You don’t know which came first. Do you dislike math because you’re not good at it? Or are not good at math because you don’t like it? This is a classic chicken-and-egg situation. So, back to the party. People are enjoying the pizza, the drinks are cold and Uncle Fred is rocking out with the band. People are even having fun taking their picture with the “R.I.P.” ribbons in the funeral flowers. Everyone is having a good time. Well, everyone but Christopher. He’s still busy dealing with his roosting chickens. That’s the end of this Words and Their Stories. What does the chicken represent in your language? Do they represent good things, bad or both? Let us know in the Comments Section! I’m Jonathan Evans … … and I’m Anna Matteo.   Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   tease – v. to laugh at and criticize (someone) in a way that is either friendly and playful or cruel and unkind gruesome – adj. causing horror or disgust : extremely disturbing florist – n. a person who sells or grows for sale flowers and ornamental plants backfire – v. to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect their plans backfired rocking out – phrasal verb to play music in a loud or energetic way < The band rocks out on their new album. >  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2t7em4t
via IFTTT

Naturalists Use Phones to 'Capture' Animals

  A smartphone program is helping scientists learn about changes taking place in nature. More than 100,000 citizen-scientists around the world are taking pictures of many kinds of plants and animals using a program called iNaturalist. The program gives researchers large amounts of information about where plants and animals live, and how a growing human population is changing plant and animal life. In Arlington, Virginia, experts and volunteers are making a record of the plants and animals that live in the heavily populated area. VOA followed them as they worked on a recent day. Alonso Abugattas is the local government’s natural resources manager. He works to protect and improve Arlington’s natural spaces. “Everyone knows that if you want to protect something, you’ve got to know what you have.” The group is using the iNaturalist smartphone program to record its observations. Then iNaturalist users throughout the world can look at the images and try to help identify it. The program records where and when the picture was taken. This lets experts like Abugattas and others create maps that show where plants and animals are living, and how that changes because of development and climate change. “Are some things that we had then no longer here? Are some things that we never knew we had now popping back up? And that will give us a gauge of how good or how poorly we’re doing as far as being stewards.” That is important in Arlington and around the world. Scott Loarie is co-director of iNaturalist. He spoke to VOA on Skype. He said species are dying at a faster rate than ever, and the mix of life on Earth is threatened. “And we’ve only begun to understand exactly how those ecosystems contribute to our food system, or human health -- all these things that we depend on.” Loarie says iNaturalist lets citizen-scientists help professional scientists gather data. More than 100,000 iNaturalist observers on all seven continents have made more than four-and-a-half million observations. The information has been used in studies of monarch butterflies, bats that may carry Ebola, and other animals. Alonso Abugattas says the group in Arlington recorded more than 450 kinds of animals and plants. “If you just open up your eyes to the natural world, you’d be amazed at what’s out there.” I’m Lucija Millonig.   VOA Science and Agriculture Correspondent Steve Baragona reported this story from Arlington, Virginia. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. Caty Weaver 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   smartphone – n. a mobile telephone that can be used to send and receive e-mail, connect to the Internet, take photographs, etc. pop up – v. re-appear; to appear in usually a sudden or unexpected way gauge – v. to make a judgment about (something); to measure (something) steward – n. someone who protects or is responsible for money, property, etc. contribute – v. to help to cause something to happen amaze – adj. feeling or showing great surprise

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2rY2ylG
via IFTTT