New Jersey Governor Enjoying Beach Closed to Public

This is What’s Trending Today. Chris Christie is the governor of the state of New Jersey. He has held the position since 2010. He is a well-known politician, and was one of several candidates who ran for the Republican Party nomination for the presidency in 2016. He dropped out of the race in early 2016, however.  Right now, New Jersey is having trouble passing its budget for the next year. When state lawmakers could not agree on the budget by midnight on Friday, Christie closed the government. Lawmakers must vote on a budget and send it to Christie for his approval. Many people who work for the state cannot go to work until a budget is passed, because the government cannot pay them. Police stations, public transportation services and hospitals remain open. But many state services are closed, including state-operated beaches. Many New Jersey residents planned to spend the weekend before the American Independence Day enjoying the water and sand. They were upset they could not go to state beaches with their family and friends. On Friday and Saturday, newspapers across the state published photos of people who had been locked out of state beaches and parks. Some people who were already camping in state parks on Friday were told to leave. One newspaper photographer decided to take photos from a different angle. He got in an airplane and flew over the closed beaches. He flew close to the governor’s summer house. The house is owned by the state and paid for by taxes collected from residents. It sits along a state-owned beach that, because of the shutdown, was closed to the public. Andrew Mills is the photographer. He wrote about how he got the photos for the website NJ.com. He said that he and an airplane pilot predicted that Christie and his friends and family might be out enjoying the closed beach. They were right. As Mills wrote: “There Christie was, with family and friends, on a long and empty stretch of beach.” The photographer and pilot made two trips over the beach near the governor’s home. Mills took many pictures of the group. More than 20 of them were put online. People got angry when they saw the photos. They did not think it was a smart choice for a politician to be enjoying a beach that had been closed to the public. Chris Christie quickly became one of the top trending topics on Twitter. People on social media called Christie “corrupt.” Many congratulated Mills on his good work. One writer said on Twitter that Christie was a “fool” and should “apologize to New Jersey.” ​ Later on Sunday, Christie said that he was at his home on the beach, but that he did not get any sun. But, after the photos came out, the governor’s spokesman explained Christie’s earlier statement. He said Christie was not directly in the sun because he was wearing a hat. On Monday, Christie posted a Twitter message about New Jersey’s beaches. He reminded people that 190 of the state’s 210 kilometers of coastline remain open during the shutdown for the public to enjoy. 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. Do you think the governor should have gone to the beach? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   budget – n. an amount of money available for spending that is based on a plan for how it will be spent camp – v. to sleep outdoors, usually in a tent

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Ulysses S. Grant: Well-Meaning

VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. Today we are talking about Ulysses S. Grant. He took office in 1869. But his presidency is not what made him famous. Grant is best remembered for being the commander of Union forces at the end of the Civil War. He led the United States to victory over the Confederate States of America. Many Americans also remember Grant because of the unusual story about his middle initial. When the future 18th president was born, his parents named him Hiram Ulysses Grant. But the boy was known as Ulysses. When Grant was a young man, a member of Congress appointed him to a top college: the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. The congressman did not know Grant personally. He thought Grant used his mother’s family name, Simpson, as his middle name. So the congressman called him Ulysses S. Grant. The middle initial “S” became official. Years later, Grant joked that it did not mean anything. During the Civil War, however, Grant’s middle name did come to have a popular meaning. In a famous battle in the state of Tennessee, Grant’s army overpowered their opponents. The Confederate general sent a note asking for the terms of surrender -- in other words, what would the Union army require of them if they withdrew from the battle? General Grant replied: “No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender.” The answer did not please the Confederate general, but he agreed. In the North, people celebrated the victory. They began saying Grant’s first two initials stood for “Unconditional Surrender.” Early life Grant was born in the state of Ohio. He was the oldest of six children. Grant’s father worked as a tanner – a person who makes leather from animal skin. As a boy, Grant helped his father. But he did not like the work. He said he would not do it when he was an adult. So, when Grant was a young man, his father asked West Point officials to admit his son as a student. The Grants had little money to pay for the boy’s college education. But they knew he was intelligent and skilled, and West Point was free. In exchange for their education, West Point graduates serve in the military. Grant probably did not seem like a soldier. He was quiet and sensitive. He hated seeing men die in battle, and he questioned the value of war. But he turned out to be an excellent military leader. After he graduated from West Point, he fought in the Mexican War and earned medals for bravery. He was given more power and added responsibilities. However, Grant was lonely. Early in his career, he married Julia Dent, the sister of a college friend. He was devoted to Julia and their four children. But his family could not come with Grant on all his deployments for the military. They were separated for years at a time. Without his family nearby, Grant began having problems with money. Some people said he also drank too much alcohol. One day, Grant resigned from the army. He returned home to his family. At first, he tried to farm, but he could not make enough money. Then he tried other jobs. Finally, he asked his father for help. His father gave him a job, but it was the one the young Grant swore he never wanted: working in a leather shop. Civil War Then things took a surprising turn. The Civil War began. The Union needed experienced military leaders. Grant accepted a position leading a difficult group of troops. He was able to train them and earn their respect. Quickly, Grant’s public image as a military leader grew. He won major victories for the Union in battles at Fort Donelson, Tennessee, and Vicksburg, Mississippi. The president at the time, Abraham Lincoln, liked the way Grant planned the battles. He also liked that Grant did everything he could to win. Grant permitted so many of his soldiers to die that his critics gave him a nickname: The Butcher. Grant’s methods were harsh, but effective. The Civil War effectively ended when the famous Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. The following year, Grant was named general of the U.S. armies. The only other person to hold that position was the military leader during the Revolutionary War, George Washington. Presidency Like George Washington, Grant became president although he did not really seek the position. But Republican Party leaders realized that the former general was very popular. And they knew that Grant opposed the policies of the president at the time, Andrew Johnson. So the Republicans nominated Grant as their candidate in 1868. He won easily. But Grant’s popularity and ability as a military leader did not make him a successful president. Grant tried to work for the political and civil rights of African-Americans, many of whom had been enslaved. One of Grant’s most important acts was to support the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The measure gave African-American men the right to vote. At the same time, Grant tried to give states control over their own laws. So, sometimes he used the power of the federal government to protect the rights of African-Americans. And he sometimes let states use violence to prevent African-Americans from exercising their rights. Grant also spoke about treating Native Americans with greater respect. He used government resources to help native people become farmers. But other government policies helped white settlers continue to push tribes off their lands. Few Native Americans saw their lives really improve under Grant. Finally, his administration suffered because of corrupt government officials. Grant himself did not get rich from their actions. But he remained loyal to people who worked for him, even when they profited from their position. As a result of all this, many Americans lost interest in Reconstruction and lost faith in the federal government. But Grant himself remained popular. He won a second term more easily than the first. Shortly after, the country entered a bad economic depression. Grant tried to improve the situation by supporting the gold standard. But many Americans – of all backgrounds – continued to suffer. Legacy Because of the problems in his government, Grant is not remembered as one of the country’s best presidents. But he is remembered as a war hero and as a kind-hearted man with an interesting life. In his last months, Grant worked nearly nonstop on writing his memoirs. Final images show him, covered in a blanket and with a pen in his hand, diligently working. Grant died in 1885, a few days after the book was finished. It was a major success. It earned enough money to provide for his family for the rest of their lives. People across the country mourned the loss of Grant. More than a million and a half watched his funeral parade in New York City. He is buried there, along with his beloved wife, in a well-known memorial popularly called Grant’s Tomb. 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   initial - n. a first letter of a name graduate - n. a person who has earned a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university devoted - adj.  having strong love or loyalty for something or someone shop - n. a building or room where goods and services are sold resources - n. a supply of something (such as money) that someone has and can use when it is needed gold standard - n. a system in which a unit of money (such as the dollar) is equal to a particular amount of gold diligently - adv. working carefully and continuously

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World’s First Electric, Self-Driving Ship to Launch Next Year

  Driverless technology will soon enter another major global industry: shipping. Several companies recently announced plans to launch self-sailing ships to improve safety and efficiency. One of them is Norwegian chemical company Yara International. Yara has teamed up with another Norwegian company, Kongsberg, to build an autonomous cargo ship expected to launch next year. Kongsberg developed the ship’s electrical technology and autonomous control systems.    The ship is fully electric to reduce air pollution. It is designed to carry cargo containers normally transported by truck. This means the ship will also improve road safety by replacing about 40,000 truck trips a year, the company said.   The ships will be transporting shipments from Yara’s main production plant to two ports where its materials are shipped to cities around the world. The company plans to operate the ships by remote control beginning sometime next year. By 2020, the ships should be loading and sailing themselves. While Yara’s ships will be limited to Norway at first, the company plans to greatly expand its autonomous shipping operations in the coming years.    Another company putting a high priority on self-sailing ships is the world’s largest mining company, Australia’s BHP Billiton. The company’s Vice President of Freight, Rashpal Bhatti, recently spoke about the technology in a website post. Bhatti said he believes automation will be one of the biggest changes for shipping in the future. “Autonomous vessels offer significant opportunities to improve safety and provide better efficiency outcomes to the marine supply chain.” He added that self-sailing ships could become a reality within the next decade. Rolls-Royce, the British automobile and engine manufacturer, is also developing unmanned shipping technologies. Oskar Levander is the company’s head of marine operations. He told a conference last year, “This is happening. It’s not if, it’s when.” Levander said these autonomous ships could be controlled by remote operators from anywhere. He added that because these ships will be designed to be unmanned, they can be built smaller, more efficient and environmentally friendly. In Japan, several shipping companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to develop self-sailing ships expected to hit the high seas by 2025. These ships will be equipped with technology to collect weather and sea data. They will then use the data to plan out the safest, shortest and most fuel-efficient route.  Autonomous ships have also been developed for military use. Last year, the U.S. Navy introduced a warship that can direct itself and be used to hunt enemy submarines. The 40-meter-long vessel is called Sea Hunter. It is powered by two diesel engines and does not carry weapons. Sea Hunter can sail for two to three months without a crew. It can operate at a cost of between $15,000 and $20,000 per day, far less than the amount required to run manned ships. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote 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 visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Now, test your understanding with this short quiz. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   efficiency – n. capability to produce desired results without wasting materials, time, or energy cargo – n. something carried from one place to another remote – adj. happening from a distance priority – n. something more important than other things that needs to be done or dealt with first automation – n. running of something by machines, computers, etc, instead of people marine – adj. of or relating to the sea route – n. way to get from one place to another  

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Ancient Conditions Around the Dead Sea Could Signal a Drier Future

  The Dead Sea is losing about a meter of water each year. The sea is on the border of Israel and Jordan. It is the lowest place on Earth meaning its surface is farther below sea level than any other place. And the sea’s surface is getting lower because of below average rainfall in the area. Now, an international team of geologists is seeking to understand how climate changes, over 200,000 years, have affected the area. They also may have found that a severe drought deeply changed the Dead Sea thousands of years ago. The scientists have been studying soil sediment that shows dry seasons and wet seasons over thousands of years. Marwan al-Raggad studies hydrology, or how water moves on the Earth. He is a member of a team studying the Dead Sea area. He said the group is looking at rocks and soil to find evidence of the climate in the area thousands of years ago. He said he is trying to develop a clear idea of the current conditions in order to “forecast the future climate of the Dead Sea area.” Recently, the team gathered samples from the eastern shore of the Dead Sea and from rivers and streams that flow into it. Yael Kiro is a geochemist with the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York City. She says her group is seeking a better understanding of the area’s climate. “We want to learn what’s going on in the Dead Sea in terms of how much water [is coming] from the eastern side and what is the composition of water and what is the composition of sediments. We can’t understand without this, the changes that we see in the Dead Sea and therefore we can’t understand the climate without knowing what is going on here.” Members of the group said they are finding evidence of a huge drought thousands of years ago. The lack of rains was so severe that it dried up 80 percent of what today is a very salty lake. Stephen Goldstein also is with the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. He said understanding the past can help plan for the future. “What happened in the past tells us something about what's possible in the future. And what happened in the past in this area is that the water that people are using now and need now stopped running.” Scientists with the observatory say that the area may have faced two periods of extremely dry conditions. One was 120,000 years ago, the other as recent as 10,000 years ago. During those periods, rainfall dropped to one fifth of its current level. The area is already considered arid, or very dry. Kiro and Goldstein were among the authors of a study that provided evidence of past periods of extreme drought in the Dead Sea. The study was published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. The authors said their findings could be important as current climate models predict that the area may be in another historic dry period. I’m Mario Ritter. Faith Lapidus reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   drought –n. a severe lack of rain sediment –n. soil or rock that settles to form a layer in the earth forecast –n. a prediction composition –n. what makes up a material We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Show with Copies of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Masterpieces

  A new exhibit in New York City lets people get a close look at famous paintings by the artist Michelangelo. In the early 16th century, he painted many walls and ceilings at the Vatican. People can see more than 30 large reproductions of his paintings from the Sistine Chapel at the Oculus art center in the Westfield World Trade Center. The Westfield is an underground shopping center. “The Last Judgment” is one of the artist’s best-known paintings. Michelangelo worked on it for four years. It covers more than 160 square meters of a wall at the Vatican.  But, visitors are not given much time to look at the highly detailed painting. However, at the New York exhibit, people can look for as long as they want. Lynn Catterson, an art historian, was among the visitors to the Oculus. “It’s not crowded. The security guards aren’t yelling at you and you can actually take the time -- instead of trying to comprehend the whole ceiling as a very complex program, you can focus leisurely on motifs, different parts of it.” The reproductions are based on photographs by Austrian photographer Erich Lessing. They were transferred to cloth in Germany. Scott Sanders runs the Oculus art center. “This is a really unique exhibit because we’re giving people the opportunity to see Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel up close. When you go to the Vatican, when you go to the Sistine Chapel in Rome, the art is on the ceiling, you sort of move through it rather quickly.” Other paintings at the exhibit include “The Creation of Adam” and “The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden.” Catterson notes that she and other visitors can come as close to the paintings as Michelangelo did when he was creating them. “I think one of the things to take away is people can really appreciate how monumental the style of Michelangelo is. He is empowering these figures to be heroic, including the women, and I think that’s something we don’t see so well from the ground in the Sistine Chapel.” After a month at the Oculus, the exhibit will move to Los Angeles, Sacramento, Seattle, Chicago, Annapolis and San Diego. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.   VOA’s Zlatica Hoke reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it 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   comprehend – v. to understand the meaning of leisurely – adj. slowly or purposefully motif – n. a single or repeated design unique – adj. special; being without equal opportunity – n. a good chance or possibility for progress appreciate – v. to recognize with thanks; to understand the quality of meaning of  

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How US Lawmakers Get Involved in Immigration Cases

  The United States government may force Gurmukh Singh to leave the country. Singh works as a taxi driver in Southern California. The government denied his request for asylum 18 years ago. Since then, he has been trying to persuade U.S. immigration officials to overturn the expulsion order. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE detained Singh in early May. His wife and two daughters are American citizens. Alan Lowenthal represents a part of Southern California in the U.S. House of Representatives. Shortly after Singh’s detention, Lowenthal offered a private immigration bill to the House for consideration. If approved, the measure would give Singh the legal right to stay in the country. However, the Trump administration recently changed the way immigration officials deal with such cases. What is a private bill? Private bills are pieces of legislation that create a law that affects only one person or a small group of people. Private bills can stop a law from affecting someone, provide special help, or remove legal responsibility for some wrongful act. Often, members of Congress write private bills to help people who been unsuccessful in dealing with the U.S. immigration system. How often does this happen? Private bills are rare. Between 1986 and 2013, Congress approved such measures just 94 times. Jill Marie Bussey is the director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. She says about 300 private bills have been proposed in Congress since 2010. That number could fall because of changes in the way ICE deals with private bill cases. What are the changes to private bills? Until last month, ICE delayed expulsions of undocumented immigrants named in private bills in Congress. The agency says there were about 70 such cases over the past six years. But in May, ICE told Congress it would only delay expulsions for up to six months -- and only after receiving a written request from the chair of the House and Senate judiciary committee or one of their subcommittees. Committee chairs are usually members of the majority party. Republican lawmakers now control the House and Senate. ICE says most private bills are designed to give people permanent resident status by “circumventing the normal immigration law network.” Bussey says that private bills are only used when there is no other way to resolve the immigration case under current law. “This is not about circumventing,” she says. “This is about providing protection in very unique ways.” Robert Law is the director of government relations at the Federation for American Immigration Reform. He said the changes will help make the process fairer. But some members of Congress believe the changes give too much power to the president. Dianne Feinstein is the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Dick Durbin is the top Democrat on the Immigration Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee. In a joint statement, they described the change as “a mean-spirited action that tramples firm, longstanding practice between two co-equal branches of government.” Can members of Congress intervene at all? Members of Congress can also have an influence on immigration cases in other ways. Bussey says members can contact a local ICE office, or the State Department, when a case involves visa issues. “There’s human error in all of this stuff,” says Bussey. “Even doing everything the right way -- you know you’ve completed the forms properly, you know you’ve completed the case -- things can go wrong.” That is how Florida Representative Charlie Crist, a Democrat, was able to help the Huynh family. They are friends of his family and operate a jewelry store in his state. Crist told VOA that he entered the store a few months ago and saw that Mrs. Huynh was sad. “She was telling me about her daughter Kim who had gotten married a year prior and yet her husband wasn’t allowed to come to Vietnam to be with her in America,” he said.  Crist began to work with Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who was already making telephone calls about the case to the State Department. State Department workers met with Kim’s husband at his home in Vietnam. They saw a photograph of the lawmaker and asked if he was a family friend. Three days later, Kim’s husband was given a visa. What role can Congress play? Immigration powers are divided between Congress and the president. Finding a balance between them often means looking for areas where one of them has done something they are not permitted to do. Law says “there needs to be (a) clear line about what the letter of the law is and if there are problems with the law, then we have a legislative process to fix it.” Bussey says that when members of Congress get personally involved in immigration cases they learn more about what is happening in federal agencies and “what people are facing day to day and hopefully they can learn from that.” I’m Alice Bryant. And I'm Bryan Lynn.   VOA’s Katherine Gypson wrote this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   expel – v. to officially force (someone) to leave a place or organization resident – n. someone who lives in a particular place status – n. the current state of someone or something  circumvent – v. to avoid being stopped by (something, such as a law or rule); to get around (something) in a clever and sometimes dishonest way trample – v. to treat other people's rights, wishes or feelings as if they are worthless or not important practice – n. the action of doing or using something error – n. something that is not correct; a wrong action or statement stuff – n. informal used to speak in a general way about something that is talked about, written about, etc. allow – v. to permit (something) letter of the law – expression the specific meaning of a law  

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Everyday Grammar: But

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Gaining Greater Knowledge at Dartmouth College

  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.   Faith Rotich always thought she would stay in Kenya to seek a university education. Rotich is from Eldoret, a town of about 290,000 people in the western part of the country. After she completed high school in 2012, the University of Nairobi accepted her into an undergraduate program. However, Rotich says at that time there was limited space at Kenyan public universities. Many students had to wait a year or more after schools accepted them before they could begin studying. During her year of waiting, she began thinking about other possible choices. Rotich then learned of the Kenya Scholar-Athlete Project, or KenSAP. This program helps gifted high school graduates with little money gain admission to selective colleges in the United States and Canada. With the help of KenSAP, she applied to several schools, all in the northeastern part of the U.S. called New England. In 2014, Dartmouth College accepted Rotich to start her undergraduate studies in mathematics. Dartmouth is a private research university located in Hanover, a town of about 11,200 people in the northeastern state of New Hampshire. In 2016, more than half of the town residents were students at the school. Dartmouth is one of eight private colleges and universities in the Ivy League. The schools are widely considered to be some of the best in the world. From 2011 to 2013, Dartmouth earned the highest rating in the country for ‘Strong Commitment to Teaching’ from the website U.S. News & World Report. Dartmouth selected Rotich for its King Scholar Leadership Program. This program chooses students from developing nations and helps pay for and supports them in their education at the college. Upon graduation, they are expected to return to their home country to help fight poverty. When she arrived in fall of 2014, Rotich says she could not believe her eyes. She says she was surprised at how much the school and the town looked like pictures she had seen on the internet. "I felt some kind of happiness, that I want to explore this place, I want to know what it’s like. Then later on … I met some wonderful students who immediately made me feel like I really belong here." In her first year, Rotich started taking pictures for the university newspaper. As her interest in photography grew, the 22-year-old held special events to share her works with even more people. Rotich has also explored different ways of thinking. She says where she is from, people believe in a form of Christianity with strong, conservative rules. At Dartmouth, she took a religion class that asked her to question some of those beliefs. Her mother grew concerned that Rotich might lose respect or support for her own culture as a result, she says. But after Rotich explained that the purpose of classes like these was to improve her critical thinking, Rotich’s mother grew less worried. Her mother came to see the value in the respectful way professors teach these classes. Exploration has been a big part of Rotich’s experience at Dartmouth. Now she is even considering changing her subject of study from mathematics to economics and anthropology. Interest in research Gilbert Rahme is from Beirut, Lebanon. Like Rotich, he also had little money growing up. After completing his education at a Catholic high school, he had two choices: work as a bartender or attend the country’s only free public university - Lebanese University. He chose a university education and, in 2008, earned undergraduate degrees in biology and geology. In 2009, Rahme began a master’s degree program in biology at the American University of Beirut. It was there that his interest in scientific research began to grow. Rahme says he became increasingly interested in studying cancer and how to fight it. Halfway through the master’s program, he applied to several well-known research schools in the U.S. for his doctorate degree. Rahme was especially drawn to Dartmouth because he loves cold weather. The average winter temperature in Hanover, New Hampshire is between about -2 and -12 degrees Celsius. Students applying to almost any doctorate program in the U.S. have to go through an intensive interview process. But Rhame says the focus on academics and research and the difficult interview at Dartmouth excited him. Rhame says he received some support for his research into cancer biology while in Beirut. However, Dartmouth’s support for his research is like nothing he has seen before, Rahme says. "We had to deal with a very tough funding situation in American University of Beirut. So the research funding we had for a year [at American University in Beirut] was equivalent to what I spend here [at Dartmouth] in a week." Rahme says there are few problems he has faced in the last seven years at Dartmouth that he has not been able to solve. After the terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon in 2013, some Americans said insulting things about immigrants. But Rahme used that moment to explain how hurtful comments like that could be for immigrants like himself. He feels his experiences meeting different types of people at Dartmouth have been just another way of learning more. And he says the more knowledge he gains, the more he wants to share. I'm Caty Weaver. And I’m Pete Musto.   Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Lucija Milonig produced the video. We want to hear from you. What different kinds of knowledge do you think you might be able to gain while studying in a foreign country? How do you think that knowledge might help you in your daily life? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   undergraduate – adj. used to describe a degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after four years of study gifted – adj. having great natural ability selective – adj. careful to choose only the best people or things graduation – n. the act of receiving a diploma or degree from a school, college, or university wonderful – adj. extremely good 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 doctorate degree – n. the highest degree that is given by a university academics – n. courses of study taken at a school or college funding – n. the amount of money that is used for a special purpose equivalent – n. having the same value, use, or meaning

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South Sudan's Refugee Crisis Affects Ugandan Health System

  The huge increase in the number of refugees entering northern Uganda from South Sudan has affected the country’s already-weak health care system. VOA recently visited the Adjumani area in northern Uganda. Health centers there are also near refugee settlements for South Sudanese. But the health centers are unable to care for all of the pregnant women in the area. Experts estimate that Uganda has one doctor for every 24,000 of its citizens. It has about one nurse for every 11,000 people. Most health care workers are in cities. Because of war and violence in neighboring countries, the country now has 1.2 million refugees. The United Nations says more refugees entered Uganda than any other part of the world in 2016 as civilians fled conflict and hunger in South Sudan. The flow of refugees into Uganda has continued this year. Ester Ponne Charles is a refugee. She arrived in northern Uganda eight months ago. She also was pregnant. “If you do not have money, you may lose your life and the child too. Because there they want money. Without money, even medicine, you buy even the gloves yourself, everything in the hospital. So those are the challenges we are facing. Those ones who cannot even afford any coin, so they will just end up losing their life.” Aid agencies and the government have worked to set up temporary health centers in the refugee settlements to help women. One refugee settlement called Maaji now has 15,000 refugees. However, there are no doctors and only eight medical officers and nurses for the settlement. Tako Stephen provides medical care at health center three in Maaji. However, there are limits to what medical workers can do for pregnant women at the center. “We are unable to conduct planned deliveries here because of the setup of the place. The place is very small,” he said. “We only conduct emergency deliveries and yet there are very many pregnant mothers here. So they have to walk all the way from here up to Maaji Two for deliveries.” Some of the women are sent to another health center. Odaru Judith is a nursing officer at the center. She says the number of babies born at the center has increased from 29 to 75 a month. But, there is little space for patients, she says. “Our general ward is very small,” says Judith. “It has only 10 beds, but the number of deliveries we have in a day, the average is five, and when you take the labor room, it is so squeezed and small that it only fits one bed and at times you have three deliveries at a time, so making it very difficult. You will not even have a place where you can squeeze at least a carpet for a mother to deliver.” In January, the government and United Nations agencies promised to spend $1 million for women’s health in the refugee camps. But the U.N. Population Fund says the camps will need four times that amount. I’m Jill Robbins.   Correspondent Halima Athumani reported this story from Adjumani, Uganda. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her report for Learning English. Mario Ritter 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   coin – n. money conduct – v. to plan and do something deliveries – n. the act or process of giving birth to a baby ward – n. a section in a hospital squeezed – adj. to be small, not having enough room carpet – n. a kind of floor covering  

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Trail Offers Visitors Look at Harriet Tubman's Life

  A simple 19th-century house in eastern Maryland once served as a major stopping place along the Underground Railroad. The “railroad” was an informal path that helped escaped slaves reach free states before the American Civil War. Today, the house is open to visitors. Many who visit it are brought to tears, as they stand before a path where slaves once made their way to freedom. The Jacob and Hannah Leverton house is one of 36 sites along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, a 200-kilometer self-guided path. The byway is named for Harriet Tubman. She escaped slavery and became a leading abolitionist -- an anti-slavery activist.  She guided other escaped slaves north on the Underground Railroad. Tubman also served as a Union spy during the Civil War. A new $21 million visitors’ center along the byway tells about Tubman’s life. Kate Larson is an historian who has written books about Tubman’s life. She worked as a consultant on the byway project.  Larson told the Associated Press that many kinds of people can relate to Tubman’s life and struggles. “It’s hard to identify with George Washington, unless you’re an older white male. But when it comes to Tubman, there’s so many ways that people of all backgrounds and races ... can find something that they can see in themselves that she has carried forward,” Larson said. A long road The places and landscapes along the Tubman Byway offer a rich look into Tubman’s life and the experiences of slaves along the Underground Railroad. After 18 years of planning, the first sites along the byway were announced in 2013. That year marked the 100th anniversary of Tubman’s death. Victoria Jackson-Stanley is the mayor of Cambridge, Maryland. The town is not far from where Tubman was born and raised as a slave. Jackson-Stanley is its first black woman mayor. “This is just an opportunity for the world to know that Harriet has been a major part of our history in the United States of America,” Jackson-Stanley told the AP. “She’s a local home girl, as I like to say, but she’s an icon for freedom.” Renewed Attention Harriet Tubman has received a lot of attention in recent months for reasons other than the new visitors’ center. The U.S. Treasury Department announced last year that Tubman is set to appear on the redesigned $20 bill. No woman has been on U.S. paper money in the last 100 years.   Tubman’s story was recently presented on the show “Underground,” a television drama about the Underground Railroad. Actress Aisha Hinds played Tubman in the show. She said she feels Tubman’s story is a meaningful one in today’s divided America. A television movie with Viola Davis starring as Tubman is also being planned. The film will be based on Kate Larson’s book, “Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman: Portrait of an American Hero.” Refusal to Obey The site of Tubman’s first known act of defiance against slavery is one of the most popular stops on the Tubman byway. The Bucktown Village Store has been restored at a crossroads believed to be where Tubman refused a slave owner’s orders to help him detain another slave. When that other slave ran, the owner grabbed a one-kilogram weight and threw it at him. The weight struck Tubman on the head and caused an injury that would trouble her for the rest of her life. The inside of the store still looks like a 19th-century shop. The owners have some Tubman-related objects, including a newspaper advertising a reward for Tubman and two of her brothers. Susan Meredith and her husband own the store. She said more and more people have been stopping at the store since the opening of the visitors’ center. “We see people from all over the world that come to see and step in the place that she was in,” Meredith said. I'm Ashley Thompson.  And I'm Dorothy Gundy.   The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   informal - adj. done in a way that is not especially careful or scientific byway - n. a road that is not used very much icon  - n.​ a person who is very successful and admired​ portrait - n. a detailed description of something or someone​ crossroads  - n.​ a place where two or more roads cross​ defiance - n.​  a refusal to obey something or someone​

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Natural Burials Are Growing in Popularity

  Natural burials are increasing in popularity in the United States. The Associated Press reports that a small, but growing number of Americans support calls for more environmentally-friendly “green burials.” They are turning to places like Rhinebeck Cemetery, about 130 kilometers north of New York City. The cemetery welcomes the natural burial movement’s supporters and their loved ones. The purpose of green burials is to speed up the breakdown of human remains through natural processes. They are far different from what many Americans experience when they die. Comparing common American burials to green burials When a person dies, the remains are usually given to a funeral home, which washes the body and adds embalming fluid to help protect the appearance. The funeral home places the body in a coffin, and transports it to a cemetery for burial. The coffin is often lowered into a solid burial vault in the ground. The vault protects the box and everything inside from the weight of the earth. Rhinebeck Cemetery is different from most American cemeteries. Rhinebeck shuns the use of coffins, embalming fluid and burial vaults. It says they can slow the natural breakdown of the body in the ground.   The natural burial movement started more than 10 years ago. And its supporters say public attention is growing. Now, more cemeteries are changing their burial policies. Gina Walker Fox says she loves the idea of "just being wrapped up and going back into the ground." The 59-year-old bought a small piece of land at the cemetery near a tulip tree and wild berry plants. She imagines that, when she dies, her children will pick the berries when they visit her grave. In the United States, natural burials took place in the days before the Civil War. But, during the war, embalming bodies became popular as a way to protect the remains of soldiers who died in battle. Burial vaults became more common across the country after World War II. The vaults prevent coffins from sinking. And, they help keep the ground level so grass is easier to cut. But green burial supporters say the environment is healthier without the vaults and embalming fluids. They also say there is no need for fossil fuels used in cremation. Natural gas, for example, is often used to fuel hot fires necessary to destroy the remains. Changing ideas about burial types Of the thousands of cemeteries nationwide, only about 125 now offer green burials, notes Suzanne Kelly. She leads the Town of Rhinebeck Cemetery committee and wrote a book called “Greening Death.”   In Vermont, a law starting on July 1 will change how deep bodies can be buried. The current law requires a depth of at least 1.5 meters, but it will become one meter next month. Green burial supporters say the one-meter depth will help decompose of the remains and be safe from animals. Patrick Healy is president of the Vermont Cemetery Association. He wonders whether people understand how different green burials may be. He said, for example, that a body buried in cloth may have an unusual smell to it. He wonders about this and other possible issues. Alabama last year changed a law that restricted coffin sales to funeral directors with a special permit. The change came after a court case from a woman who wanted to sell decomposable coffins for her environmentally-friendly burial ground. Green burials can save people thousands of dollars in costs for a vault, coffin and grave marker. They have also helped grow a market for environmentally-safe products. Mary Lauren Fraser makes decomposable urns and coffins at her home in western Massachusetts. She often shows her products at local farmers markets. “I get all kinds of reactions,” she said. “Way more people coming in and saying, ‘Is that a coffin? Did you make that? Is green burial legal?’” State laws differ on the treatment of bodies. But green burial policies are legal across the nation, said Kate Kalanick. She is with the Green Burial Council in Ojai, California. It says untreated bodies are safe for public viewing before burial and do not pollute the soil. One family's story For some people, the cost and the environment are not the main concern. What's more important to them is what feels right during a difficult time. After their daughter died, Becky and Chris Mancuso hoped to bury her at Vale Cemetery in Schenectady, New York. Five generations of Becky's family are buried there. Chris couldn’t imagine injecting chemical fluids in his daughter, and the cemetery’s new natural burial area seemed to meet the beliefs of his Christian faith. So, he built a wooden burial box for his daughter. Their other daughter, who is six years old, chose wood that was golden, like heaven, Chris Mancuso said. He said his main purpose for making the burial box was to feel a connection with his dead daughter. He wanted to do anything he could for her. "That was very hard for us," he said. I'm Alice Bryant. And I'm Bryan Lynn.   The Associated Press' Michael Green reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   cemetery – n. a place where dead people are buried embalming – n. (gerund) the act of treating a dead body with chemicals to prevent it from decaying vault – n. a room or chamber in which a dead person is buried grave – n. a hole in the ground for burying a dead body cremation – n. the act of burning the body of a person who dies fossil fuel – n. a fuel, such as coal, oil, or natural gas, that is formed in the earth from dead plants or animals urn – n. a container that is often shaped like a vase with a closed top and that is used to hold the ashes of someone who has been cremated shun – v. to avoid on purpose; to ignore decompose – v. to cause something, such as dead plants and the bodies of dead animals, to be slowly destroyed and broken down by natural processes or chemicals viewing – n. an act of seeing, watching or looking at something

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