Gunman Injures US Congressman, Others on Baseball Field

A gunman fired shots at United States lawmakers Wednesday morning as they prepared for a baseball game. The shooting took place just south of Washington, DC, in Alexandria, Virginia. The lawmakers all belong to the Republican Party. There were injuries in the attack. Police said five people were taken to hospitals for treatment. Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise was shot in the hip, according to other lawmakers. Scalise is part of the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives. Congressman Mo Brooks of Alabama said he was working out with about 20-25 other members of Congress when he heard shots. Brooks told CNN television that he saw the gunman for only a second. He said the man fired at least 50 shots from a fence behind the third-base position of a baseball field. “I see a rifle, and I see a little bit of a body and then I hear another bam and I realize there’s still an active shooter. At the same time I hear Steve Scalise over at second base scream — he was shot,” Brooks said on CNN. The gunman was taken down by shots from security officers, one of whom continued firing after being injured, Brooks said. Police said the suspect is being treated for injuries. Brooks said he knew that if he could see the gunman’s face, “the shooter could see me.” He also said that Scalise was shot in the hip, and slowly moved into the baseball field’s outfield to get away from the shooter. “There is not a whole lot you can do,” Brooks told CNN. “It was emotional to know the position he was in.” Scalise’s office said doctors operated on the congressman at a Washington hospital. It said he is in stable condition. “Prior to entering surgery, (Scalise) was in good spirits and spoke to his wife by phone,” his office said. The Trump administration released a statement from President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. “We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected.” Later, Trump tweeted about Scalise’s injury. “Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a true friend and patriot, was badly injured but will fully recover. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.”   The Republican lawmakers were preparing for a baseball game Thursday against congressional Democrats. The two sides use the game to raise money for charity. I’m Jill Robbins.    Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. His story was based on information from VOA News, the Associated Press, Reuters and other sources. George Grow 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   according – adv. as stated by or in work out – v. to exercise rifle - n. a gun that has a long barrel and that is held against your shoulder when you shoot it stable – adj. firmly established; not changing staff – n. the people responsible for the operations of an organization or business responder – n. a member of an emergency rescue crew charity – n. a goodwill gift for public purposes  

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Shakespeare Play with Trump-Looking Julius Caesar Draws Criticism

  The Public Theater’s production of “Julius Caesar” in New York uses the words written by playwright William Shakespeare 400 years ago. The difference is the actor playing Julius Caesar looks a lot like President Donald Trump. And, as anyone familiar with Shakespeare’s play knows, Caesar is killed in Act 3 by senators who fear he had become too power hungry. Laura Sheaffer has attended Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare plays in New York City’s Central Park for years. But she objected to seeing a character looking like Trump covered with blood in the assassination scene. As he dies, the actor delivers one of Shakespeare’s most famous lines, “Et Tu, Brute” -- meant to show Caesar’s surprise that his good friend Brutus joined his killing. Sheaffer says, “I don’t love President Trump, but he’s the president. You can’t assassinate him on a stage.” Her comments on a radio program brought more criticism to the play. Two Public Theater sponsors, Delta Airlines and Bank of America, responded by cutting funds to support the Public Theater. “No matter what your political stance may be, the graphic staging of ‘Julius Caesar’ at this summer’s Free Shakespeare in the Park does not reflect Delta Air Lines’ values,” Delta says in a statement. The Public Theater, which began performing plays nearly 60 years ago, defends the production. It notes the play has led to “heated discussions.” But it says that is “exactly the goal” of public theater.   Charlotte Canning is a drama professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Canning says the criticism would be understandable if the play suggests violence is acceptable. “But what the play does is show how awful violence is,” she says. “And things don’t work out so well for those who carry out Caesar’s killing.” Act 5 ends with Brutus killing himself with his own sword. Canning also notes that a recent production of “Julius Caesar” in Minnesota included a Caesar character that looked like former President Barack Obama. But the play did not draw the same criticism as the New York production. Free speech is part of the U.S. Constitution Robert Thompson is a professor at Syracuse University and an expert on popular culture. He says the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment guarantee of free speech means critics of the “Julius Caesar” production cannot shut it down. But the issues raised by the production are “complicated.” Thompson wonders if the same message about the corrupting influences of power could be made without making Julius Caesar look like Donald Trump. In the play, Caesar’s wife speaks with a Slavic accent, just like Trump’s wife, Melania. On the other hand, Thompson says Shakespeare’s plays are sometimes difficult for modern theater audiences to understand. And making Caesar look like Trump makes the connections to political power more apparent. This isn’t children’s theater Laurence Maslon is the deputy director of New York University’s graduate acting program. He says no one should be surprised that a play by New York’s Public Theater might be controversial. Maslon says that one of Public Theater’s first shows, the rock musical “Hair” in 1967, drew heavy criticism. At issue were scenes with performers with no clothing and a scene in which young people burned draft cards to protest the Vietnam War. “The Public Theater is not the Little Red Riding Hood Children’s Theater,” Maslon says. In other words, the theater produces plays on serious issues for adults and not children. According to New York Times Theater critic Jesse Green, only three words were changed from Shakespeare’s original script in the Public Theater production. The production added three words: “On Fifth Avenue” to Shakespeare’s line “If Caesar had stabbed their mothers, they would have done no less.” That line goes back to Trump’s successful run for president, when he said: "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters." Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, tweeted his objections to the “Julius Caesar” production. “I wonder how much of this ‘art’ is funded by taxpayers? Serious question, when does ‘art’ become political speech & does that change things?   The National Endowment for the Arts, which Trump wants to eliminate under his budget proposal, says it did not fund the production. I'm Bryan Lynn.   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   familiar - adj. frequently seen, heard, or experienced assassinate - v. to kill someone, often a famous or important person, usually for political reasons stance - n. a person’s opinion on a matter graphic - adj. often referring to things shown in an unpleasant, shocking or violent way awful - adj. extremely bad or unpleasant complicated - adj. hard to understand, explain, or deal with apparent - adj. easy to see or understand stab - v. a wound made by a pointed weapon such as a knife eliminate - v. to remove all funding for something

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American Prisoner Released by North Korea

  U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says North Korea has released an American college student from prison. Otto Warmbier had been sentenced to a 15-year term on charges of attempted theft. The North Korean government said Warmbier had tried to steal a propaganda sign in January 2016. He was sentenced in March of that year. Tillerson said the 22-year-old Warmbier will be reunited with his family in Cincinnati, Ohio June 13. Warmbier is a student at the University of Virginia. Tillerson said: “At  the direction of the president, the Department of State has secured the release of Otto Warmbier from North Korea.” The Washington Post newspaper reported that Warmbier was in a coma when he left North Korea. It said he had been in that condition for a year. Warmbier’s father Fred told the newspaper that he is happy his son is coming home. “At the moment, we’re just treating this like he’s been in an accident. We get to see our son Otto tonight,” he told the newspaper. There is a chance that the return to North Korea of former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Dennis Rodman could help efforts to release the three other Americans being held there. Tillerson said the State Department continues to discuss the issue of the three Americans with North Korea. ​ Rodman spoke to reporters at the Beijing International Airport before leaving for Pyongyang. He said “I'm just trying to open the door.” U.S. Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon confirmed that Rodman was traveling to North Korea as a private citizen. Speaking in Tokyo, Shannon said “We wish him well. But we have issued travel warnings to Americans and suggested they not travel to North Korea for their own safety.” The 56-year-old former basketball star has visited North Korea at least four times. He has developed a friendship with its leader Kim Jong Un, who likes the NBA, especially the team Rodman played on in the 1990s. Rodman has called Kim an “awesome kid.” Observers worry that Kim will use Rodman to try to improve his own public image. Anthony Ruggiero is an expert on North Korea at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington. “With Dennis Rodman’s celebrity I think it is bringing attention to Kim Jong Un that he does not deserve and shouldn’t get,” he said. Ruggiero believes Rodman’s visit could harm international efforts to strengthen sanctions on North Korea. The sanctions are to punish North Korea for its continued nuclear and ballistic missiles programs and human rights violations. On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called North Korea’s improving missile and nuclear programs the “most urgent” threat to national security. Rodman may have played an important part in gaining the released of American missionary Kenneth Bae in 2014. Bae was charged with “hostile acts against the state” and was in a North Korean labor camp for two years. During Rodman’s last trip to North Korea in 2014, he took part in a basketball game with other NBA players and sang “happy birthday” to Kim, who attended the game. He later wrote to Kim Jong Un asking for Bae’s release. In his letter, Rodman called Kim his “friend for life,” and said he understood that Bae carried out crimes. Then, Rodman asked Kim to release the prisoner to show the U.S. how loving he is. In November, 2014, then-U.S. intelligence chief James Clapper visited Pyongyang and negotiated the release of Bae and Matthew Miller, another American. But Bae has since said Rodman was the reason he was released. I’m Caty Weaver. VOA Correspondent Brian Padden reported this story from Seoul. Youmi Kim contributed reporting. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. (Name) 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 propaganda - n. ideas or statements that are often false or exaggerated and that are spread in order to help a cause, a political leader, a government, etc. coma  - n. ​ a state in which a sick or injured person is unconscious for a long time​ accident  - n. ​a sudden event (such as a crash) that is not planned or intended and that causes damage or injury​ awesome - adj. causing feelings of fear and wonder​ celebrity  - n. ​a person who is famous​ sanctions  - n. ​an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country​ missionary  - n. ​a person who is sent to a foreign country to do religious work ​  

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Better Language Learning with Mobile Apps

  Since his students began using Quizlet, English teacher Tristan Thorne has noticed an improvement in their ability to learn – and use – new words. Quizlet is a learning app - a computer program you use on your mobile device. It can help users build and test their knowledge of English words and terms. Quizlet has word sets for millions of subjects. And, it is quickly becoming a useful mobile tool for language learners. Thorne teaches at Columbia University in New York City. Thanks to learning apps, Jeff Strack, another English teacher, has also noted improvement in his students' ability to remember information.   Strack teaches at Hostos Community College, also in New York. He and Thorne are part of a growing number of language educators adding mobile apps to their classes. Smartphones make smart students Strack and Thorne seem to agree that the days when teachers would not permit the use of mobile devices are gone. "…because smart phones are so common and because students want to use them and also because there are so many great apps and technology out there that can address language-learning objectives – I think those are all really good reasons for why instructors should at least attempt to use some apps." When they use apps, language learners interact with language differently than in a traditional classroom. Users act on or respond to something, instead of just listening to new information. Thorne believes that apps can help learners become more actively involved in learning. For example, each week, his students are required to add vocabulary words into Quizlet for others to use. He says some apps also make it easy for students to identify their language strengths and weaknesses. The biggest improvement Strack has seen in his students is their rate of participation. They are much more active in whole-class or small-group discussions, he notes. "Apps…involve all students in the activity," he says, "whether it's a presentation, game, quiz or practice activity." Something for everyone Many learning apps are designed for students of all ages and levels. Some are designed for group activities. Others support independent learning. Still others are ideal for homework. Thorne says he especially likes Quizlet and three other apps: QR Codes, Socrative and Evernote. QR Codes A QR Code is a kind of sign that a smartphone can read with its camera. When the phone recognizes the information, it takes the user to a website, image, video, or anything else you want to share. Thorne says QR Codes can help bring real-world materials into the classroom. For example, color printing can be costly, but QR Codes enable students to see color images or infographics, he notes. "…If we create a QR code of something like an infographic or an image that was used in this morning's NPR article, students can scan the QR Code and instantly bring that infographic to their phones and explore and click around." Evernote Evernote lets users store and share notes, images and recordings in one place. Teachers can also use Evernote to give homework. Thorne often asks his students to record their reaction to something from class. Then, he listens to their recordings and adds his response. He says the best reason to use Evernote is that it helps students to identify their language strengths and weaknesses. "Which, you know, is one of the first things instructors need to do is to…find ways to get students to notice the errors or the particular language challenges they have."​ Quizlet Thorne says Quizlet is a powerful tool because of the many ways it can improve a student’s vocabulary. The app uses flashcards, spelling quizzes and other methods to build and test learners’ vocabulary skills. And, learners can use Quizlet on their own. "…the usual or traditional method of vocabulary studying is to….write it down in a notebook and review for five or ten minutes a day just looking at it. But, you're not actually engaging with the form and the meaning and the use of the vocabulary." Socrative In Socrative, teachers can create timed learning games. Then in class, students compete individually or as part of a team against classmates. One game Thorne's students love is called Space Race. In this game, if a team answers a question correctly, their rocket moves forward. The team whose rocket gets to the end first wins. Also, teachers can use Socrative as an “exit ticket,” a question they can ask students about what they learned in that day's class. Students write their answers on their mobile devices. Then, the teacher can show the answers on a shared video screen. Technology with a purpose Thorne says that, when teachers do use apps, it should always support learning goals. "What it boils down to is: are we using technology for a real purpose? And is it something that we could not use it? Are we using technology just to use technology or is there an underlying reason behind it?" Experienced teachers know what works in the classroom and how technology might support the learning goals and class environment, he says. I'm Alice Bryant. And I'm Phil Dierking.   Alice Bryant wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.   Application What it Does Quizlet Quizlet.com Flashcards, spelling quizzes, and other vocabulary-building activities Socrative Socrative.com Timed in-class games and quizzes or exit tickets QR Codes qr-codegenerator.com/ qrstuff.com/ Take you directly to a webpage, image, video or other media Evernote Evernote.com Store and share notes, images and recordings. Pear Deck Peardeck.com View a presentation live and respond with words, drawings, multiple choice, et cetera Kahoot getkahoot.com/ Timed in-class games and quizzes   ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   mobile - adj. able to be moved; movable address - n. a place where someone or something can be reached quiz - n. a short test infographic - n. a sign or image representing information or knowledge scan - v. to use a machine or device to read or copy something into a computer error - n. something that is not correct; a wrong action or statement flashcard - n. a learning tool with words, numbers or pictures engage - v. to give serious attention to something boil down to (something) - expression. to be reduced to its main points

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Panama Changes Diplomatic Recognition to China From Taiwan

  Panama says it will switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China. The decision effectively expands China’s influence in Central America. Panamanian President Juan Carlos Verela made the announcement on Monday. He said China is the second most important user of the Panama Canal, the country’s important waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Varela said of the decision, “I’m convinced that this is the correct path for our country.” Taiwan reacted to Panama’s action by cutting formal ties with Panama and ending all aid. In a statement, it called the change “an extremely unfriendly act.”   Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen had visited Panama last year to strengthen ties. She attended a ceremony for the expansion of the Panama Canal. Tsai also offered Panama a donation of 3,000 boxes of flu medicine to fight an outbreak in Panama, according to the Central News Agency based in Taipei. Panama’s decision comes after several years of private talks between Chinese and Panamanian leaders. The Latin American news website El Universo says China is the second-biggest investor in the Panama Canal after the United States. It says China sends 19 percent of the goods that pass through the canal yearly. A China-supported project to build another canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Nicaragua has not started. China continues pressure on Taiwan’s government Taiwan left the United Nations in 1971 when China was admitted. The United States and Japan, however, continue to have strong informal relations with Taiwan. Currently, about 19 countries and the Vatican have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Many are small countries in Africa, Central America, and islands in the Caribbean Sea and the South Pacific Ocean. Under former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou, no allies switched sides. However, other Latin American and Caribbean countries have been considering formalizing relations with China. China considers Taiwan a rebel province and has threatened to use force if the island declares independence. It is expected to carefully seek to establish relations with more of Taiwan’s allies. Alex Chiang is a professor of international relations at National Chengchi University in Taipei. “I think China will be selective because they don’t want to embarrass Taiwan, so I think they will only try to go slowly and also give time to Taiwan to react,” said Chiang. Political scientists say Taiwan can have fewer than 10 allies if necessary. The island looks to those allies to speak up in the United Nations. I’m Mario Ritter. Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.​ _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   switch –v. to change from one to another selective –adj. permitting only a few embarrass –v. to cause to appear weak or foolish in public  

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Google Doodle Celebrates Cricket Tournament

  This is What’s Trending Today. The National Basketball Association season came to an end on Monday night. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA championship. But sports fans around the world have something else to cheer about this week. The 2017 International Cricket Council Champions Trophy tournament is taking place in the United Kingdom. Eight countries started the event on June 1. Four teams remain. On Wednesday, England plays Pakistan in one semifinal. In the second semifinal on Thursday, Bangladesh plays India. India won the last tournament, in 2013. The semifinal winners meet for the championship on Sunday at the cricket ground known as The Oval in London. To celebrate the competition, the search engine Google launched an interactive cricket “doodle” on its homepage. While it was seen in many countries earlier this month, the doodle first appeared on the U.S. homepage on Tuesday. Internet users can click on the doodle to play a cricket game between crickets and snails. The crickets are at bat and the snails are fielding and bowling. Players control the batsman with a computer mouse. The ball may go straight to the snails in the field, or in the air and past the boundary for six runs. The game congratulates players every time they score 50 runs or hit a six. People seem to be enjoying the doodle. Some even wrote on Twitter that they cannot stop playing the game. One person called the game “addictive,” and another said she was “obsessed.” Others said the doodle helped them understand the rules of cricket. In a statement Tuesday, Google said that the cricket game was its smallest interactive doodle ever. It works well even in places with slower mobile networks.   And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. What is your highest score in the Google cricket match? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.   ______________________________________________________________   Words in This Story   tournament – n. a sports competition or series of contests that involves many players or teams and that usually continues for at least several days doodle – v. to draw something without thinking about what you are doing interactive – adj. designed to respond to the actions, commands, etc., of a user homepage – n. the part of a Web site that is seen first and that usually contains links to other parts of the site bat – v. to try to hit a ball with a bat in baseball, cricket, or a similar game field – v. to catch or stop and throw a ball bowl – v. to throw (a ball) to the batsman boundary – n. something (such as a river, a fence, or an imaginary line) that shows where an area ends and another area begins addictive – adj. very enjoyable in a way that makes you want to do or have something again obsess – v. to be the only thing that someone thinks or talks about  

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Some Countries Defy China’s Ban on South China Sea Fishing

China is enforcing new limits on fishing in the South China Sea, despite protests from countries with fishing operations in the disputed waterway. The Chinese government said it began a new fishing moratorium last month to protect fishing stocks. The moratorium lasts for three months, 30 days longer than in previous years. It also covers more fishing operations than previous moratoriums. Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines all claim control over waters within the area covered by the moratorium. Some fishing boat operators in those countries are defying the moratorium. The Vietnamese government criticized the moratorium, questioning its legality. The Philippines government has been working with China to resolve trade disputes and has not commented on the new fishing moratorium. Taiwan’s government gives awards to fishing boat operators who set their own fishing limits. The government said it would assist fishing operators affected by the new Chinese fishing rules. Taiwanese boats are known to follow blue-fish tuna in the South China Sea. Chiu Chui-cheng is an official with the Taiwan government’s Mainland Affairs Council. He said Taiwan officials are ready to order rescue missions “to protect the safety of fishing crews and their vessels.” “So we ask that our Taiwanese friends in the fishing industry relax,” he said. China has enforced previous South China Sea fishing moratoriums by arresting fishing boat operators. But analysts said many fishing operators know the best areas to fish to avoid drawing attention of Chinese officials. Murray Hiebert is an area expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He said China is likely to use different enforcement methods against violators of its fishing moratorium. They include taking control of fishing boats, arresting boat operators or sinking boats whose operators do not follow orders from Chinese authorities Hiebert said, “Some Vietnamese fishing boats will continue going out to fish and risk harassment or arrests. Others are likely to hang back to avoid trouble.” Earlier this month, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis praised China for working to limit North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. But he said the United States would not accept a Chinese military buildup on islands in the South China Sea. Mattis made the comments while attending a recent meeting in Singapore. Chinese Foreign Minister official Hua Chunying responded to Mattis by saying China will continue to “safeguard” its claims to the South China Sea. But Hua said China remains ready to “peacefully” resolve disputes to uphold the “peace and stability of the South China Sea.”   Ralph Jennings reported on this story for VOA News. Bruce Alpert adapted the story for 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   moratorium - n. a time when a particular activity is not allowed stock - n. supply of something that is available for use defy - v. to refuse to obey something blue-fish tuna - n. a large fish that lives in the ocean and is eaten as food relax - v. to become or to cause someone to become less tense, tight, or stiff harassment - n. to annoy or bother someone in a constant or repeated way resolve - v. to find a solution to a problem or issue

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Farmers Raising Bees Help Protect Zimbabwe’s Forests

  The forests in eastern Zimbabwe supply the country with wood and most of its fresh fruit. But the removal of large numbers of trees and use of fire to clear land have caused a lot of damage to the area. Officials say Zimbabwe lost more than 1.5 million hectares of forest in 2016. This is mostly because of local communities cutting the trees for firewood or setting fires in forested areas to make hunting easier. But now a non-profit group, called Environment Africa, is trying to improve the situation. Environment Africa is teaching farmers to raise bees. The group is working in the Mutasa district, near the country’s border with Mozambique. And it has already helped about 1,500 farmers. Benjamin Chatambura is one such farmer. He has set up about 250 beehives near his home. The insects live on structures called apiaries. Chatambura sells the honey the bees produce and uses the money to feed his family. He likes having bees on his land because the insects help him and the forest. “The trees provide us with flowers,” he says. “That is the food for the bees to produce the honey. If there were a way, I would like more land to plant more different types of trees. We used to have serious problems before we were trained in the importance of the forest.” Lawrence Nyagwande is with Environment Africa. He says some farmers are earning as much as $1,000 a month from selling honey. The average government worker in Zimbabwe earns just about $500 a month. Nyagwande said beekeeping is helping improve the country’s forests. “Now if you look around, the forest in Mutasa are now improving because the communities are also collaborating with the adjacent timber industries to try and fight the forest fires. And at the same time, the plantations which are adjacent, have also allowed communities to also put their hives in their plantations as a way of trying to keep (out) forest fires." Support for this project has helped bring attention to protecting the environment, and caught the attention of the government. Violet Makoto represents Zimbabwe’s Forestry Commission, a government agency that works to protect forests. She says the commission hopes local community leaders will take up beekeeping. She said officials also want to end the use of fire to clear land. “That can get us into a stage where we've totally eliminated the issue of field fires, because this has been responsible for the greater loss of the forests that we have been registering over the years.” Sustainable forest management does not only help the beekeepers. Officials say it protects the health of the timber industry and the businesses it supplies. I’m Jill Robbins.     Sebastian Mhofu reported this story for VOA News. Pete Musto adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. What are other ways industries can help protect the environment? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   bee(s) – n. a black and yellow flying insect that is often kept in hives for the honey that it produces, and can hurt someone by making a hole in or through the skin with a sharp, pointed part that usually contains poison beehive(s) – n. a place where bees live and usually lay eggs or take care of their young honey – n.  a thick, sweet substance made by bees, that people can eat timber – n. trees that are grown in order to produce wood sustainable – adj. involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources

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Lesson 20: What Can You Do?

Summary Anna meets her friend Pete in a coffee shop. Pete needs a job. Can Anna help him to find the right job for him? Speaking In this video, you can practice saying the new words and learn how to ask questions when you do not understand someone clearly. Pronunciation This video teaches about the shortened form of cannot and the two ways to pronounce can. Conversation Anna: Hi, there! Washington, D.C. is a great place to work. Many people here work in government and politics. But there are many other jobs. You can work at a hospital; a university. You can work in a coffee shop. Wait a minute, I think I see a friend of mine. Pete? Is that you? Pete: Hi, Anna. Anna: You look different. Your beard … is really big. Pete: You don’t like it, do you? Anna: No, no. You just look … different. (To server) Thank you. So, what’s wrong? You look sad. Pete: I don’t have a job. Anna: Sorry, I can’t hear you. Pete: I do not have a job! Anna: Oh. I’m sorry to hear that, Pete. Pete: I don’t have a skill. Anna: Everyone has a skill. You need to find yours. Pete: I don’t know, Anna. Anna: Pete, I am good at asking questions. Let me ask you some. Pete: Really, Anna? Can you help me? Anna: Yes, I can. Let me help. Pete: Sure, Anna. Maybe you can help. Anna: Can you write code? Pete: Sure, c-o-l-d. How is this going to help? Anna: No, not “cold.” Code; you know, for making phone apps, or websites. You can make tons of money writing code. Pete: Tons of money? But I can’t code. Anna: Next question. Can you drive? Pete: Do you mean drive a race car? It’s really hard to be a race car driver. First, you need a race car ... Anna: No, I mean drive a taxi or drive a bus. Pete: No, I always fall asleep when I drive. Anna: Oh, that’s not good. Next question. Can you teach? You can be a teacher in a school. Pete: No, I cannot teach. Anna: Can you cook? You can be a chef in a restaurant. Pete: No, I can’t code! I can’t teach! I can’t cook! Anna, I can’t do anything. This is sad. I’m gonna write about my feelings in my blog. Anna: You write a blog? Pete: Yeah, I write a blog. Anna: How many followers do you have? Pete: I don’t know … 59,538. Anna: Pete, that's a lot of followers! You can make money writing! Pete: Writing is easy. Everyone can write. Anna: Not everyone can write well. You can be a writer! Pete: I can be a writer. I can be a writer! I can be a writer! Thanks, Anna. Marsha: Hi, Pete. Hi, Anna. Pete: Hi, Marsha. Excuse me, I have to go. Marsha: Where are you going? Pete: I’m going to be a writer! Marsha: Good luck, Pete! (To Anna) He does know that it’s not easy to be a writer, doesn’t he? Anna: There are many different jobs you can have in Washington, D.C. Pete wants to be a writer. I wish him luck. Lots of luck. Until next time! Writing In this lesson, Anna is helping her friend Pete. He needs to find a new job. How do you try to help your friends? Write to us to tell us about the ways you help your friends. Send us an email or write in the Comments section. Use the Activity Sheet to practice talking about jobs and skills.     Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is identify problems​. When we are talking with someone in English it helps to identify problems in understanding and get the information we need to correct the problems.  In the video for this lesson, there are three problems. Here are two of them. 1. Anna identifies one problem. Pete is not talking loud enough. She tells Pete. "Sorry, I can’t hear you." Pete speaks more loudly so she can hear him. 2. Later, Pete does not understand Anna. He asks, "Do you mean drive a race car?" Anna explains that she means to "drive a taxi or drive a bus." Can you find another time in the video when Anna or Pete identifies a problem? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Listening Quiz ​Test your understanding by taking the listening quiz. Listen to the short video, then choose the best answer.​ ______________________________________________________________ New Words app - n. a computer program that performs a particular task (such as word processing) beard – n. the hair that grows on a man's cheeks and chin blog - n. a Web site on which someone writes about personal opinions, activities, and experiences chef - n. a professional cook who usually is in charge of a kitchen in a restaurant code - n. -  a set of instructions for a computer code - v. to change (information) into a set of letters, numbers, or symbols that can be read by a computer drive - v. to direct the movement of a vehicle such as a car, truck, or bus easy - adj. not hard to do follower - n. a person who likes and admires (someone or something) very much good luck - expression. used to say that you hope someone will succeed hard - adj. physically or mentally difficult lot(s) or a lot (informal) lots - n. a large amount hospital - n. a place where sick or injured people are given care or treatment and where children are often born school - n.   a place where children go to learn taxi - n.  a car that carries passengers to a place for an amount of money  teacher - n. a person or thing that teaches something university - n.   a school that offers courses leading to a degree and where research is done website - n.  a place on the World Wide Web that contains information about a person, organization, etc., and that usually consists of many Web pages joined by hyperlinks well - adv. -- in a skillful way ______________________________________________________________ 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 write the names of jobs and talk about what people do at work.  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: Expressing ability; Can & Can't; Contractions  Topics: Occupations and skills; Helping friends Learning Strategy: Identify Problems​ Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Asking clarification questions; Pronouncing can & can’t ______________________________________________________________ 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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June 13, 2017

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

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Explainer: Special Counsel

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