Americans Confused By Declaration of Independence Tweets

This is What’s Trending Today. Every July 4th, Americans celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The document expressed the desire of the American colonies to separate from Great Britain. It contains about 1,300 words. On the July 4th holiday, the American media organization National Public Radio (NPR) broadcasts a reading of the Declaration of Independence over the air. This year, NPR decided to extend that tradition to Twitter. It posted the entire Declaration, line-by-line, in a series of tweets. The first tweet on Tuesday read: “In Congress, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America…” A few minutes later, NPR tweeted: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” That is perhaps the most famous line in the document. The Declaration of Independence presents a number of reasons why the American colonies wanted to break off from England. For example, it says those running the government should be there only because the people “consented.” It says if the government becomes “destructive,” it is the “Right of the people to alter or abolish it.” And it mentions that any changes to long-established ideas should be made for a good reason.  The Declaration also writes that the British king, King George III, has a “tyranny” over the states. One line of the document says, “A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a freer people.” Many social media users became confused by NPR’s Independence Day Twitter messages, however. They did not recognize the lines of the historical document, and probably had not seen NPR’s earlier tweets. Some mistook the Declaration’s words about King George III for negative opinions about the presidency of Donald Trump. Twitter users began accusing NPR of trying to get people to fight against Trump. One Twitter user believed that NPR must have been “hacked,” because the tweets did not make sense to her. Another accused NPR of encouraging violence “while trying to sound patriotic.” The NPR Twitter confusion soon became a trending topic. The confused Twitter users soon realized their mistake. Many of them deleted their original tweets. Some even deleted their entire Twitter accounts. Writer Parker Molloy noticed the negative tweets before they were deleted, however. And he posted a number of screen shots of the messages to Twitter. NPR has been broadcasting its reading of the Declaration of Independence for 29 years now. This was its first year to post the entire document on Twitter. NPR spokeswoman Allyssa Pollard said the tweets were shared by thousands of people and created a “lively conversation.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for VOA Learning English, with some reporting from the Associated Press. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Would you have recognized the Declaration of Independence tweets? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   unanimous – adj. agreed to by everyone confuse – v. to make (someone) uncertain or unable to understand something consent – v. to agree to do or allow something : to give permission for something to happen or be done alter – v. to change something abolish – v. to officially end or stop (something, such as a law) : to completely do away with (something) tyranny – n. cruel and unfair treatment by people with power over others delete – v. to remove (something, such as words, pictures, or computer files) from a document, recording, computer, etc. hack – v. to secretly get access to the files on a computer or network in order to get information, cause damage, etc. encourage – v. to tell or advise (someone) to do something lively – adj. very active and energetic

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July 5, 2017

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

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Premature Births in US Increase for Second Year

  A new report shows the number of babies born prematurely has been increasing in the United States since 2014. The report by the National Center for Health Statistics says preterm births have increased by 2 percent in 2016 and 1.6 percent in 2015 after seven years of decreases. A baby is considered preterm if born before the 37th week of pregnancy. Stacey Stewart is president of the nonprofit March of Dimes. The group works to end preterm birth and other birth defects. She says the increase is “an alarming indication that the health of pregnant women and babies in our country is heading in the wrong direction.” Stewart calls on members of the U.S. Congress to increase access to quality prenatal care. She also wants government officials to promote proven ways to help reduce the risk of preterm birth. She notes that the U.S. Senate is considering a health care bill that many Americans believe would change coverage for maternity and newborn care. Stewart says now “is not the time to make it harder for women to get the care they need to have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.” About 400,000 babies in the United States are born preterm each year. The World Health Organization estimates that 15 million babies are born preterm each year around the world. No one knows all the causes of preterm birth. But researchers have discovered that even late-term premature babies face developmental challenges that full-term babies do not. Studies show that health problems related to preterm births continue through adult life. These problems include chronic lung disease, developmental handicaps and vision and hearing losses. The National Center for Health Statistics report shows that preterm rates rose in 17 of the 50 U.S. states. None of the states reported a decrease. The incidence of low birth weight, a risk factor for some serious health problems, also rose for a second straight year in 2016. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Carol Pearson wrote this story for VOANews. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   chronic – adj. continuing or occurring again and again for a long time defect – n.  a physical problem that causes something to be less valuable, effective, healthy, etc. premature – adj. born before the normal time prenatal – adj. relating to pregnant women and their unborn babies

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US Denies Visas for Gambian, Afghan Robotics Teams

The United States has denied visas to a team of Gambian students to attend a major international robotics competition. The event takes place in Washington, D.C. later this month. Mucktarr M.Y. Darboe is the Gambian team's leader and a government official in education. He told the Associated Press (AP) that the students were not given a reason for the visa denials. He called the decision “disappointing and unfair.” The Gambia team is not alone. A few days ago, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan also denied visas for an all-girls robotics team. The Afghan team was also not given a reason. Fatoumata Ceesay is a member of the Gambian robotics team. She said, "It's very disappointing knowing that we are the only two countries that aren't going to take part in the competition." The robotics of the two teams will still be part of the competition. But the teams can only watch the event over Skype after spending months working on their projects. "It would be an experience to see and discover other robots and ask questions and exchange ideas with others. It's more than 160 countries so we'd have the chance to mingle," Ceesay said. The Gambian and Afghan students are especially confused because teams from Iran and Sudan, and a group of Syrian refugees, received visas. All three Muslim-majority countries are on President Donald Trump's travel ban. Afghanistan and Gambia are not. Lida Azizi is a 17-year old from Herat, Afghanistan. She calls the visa rejection "a clear insult for the people of Afghanistan." The U.S. embassies in Afghanistan and the Gambia and the State Department say they cannot discuss visa requests. The Associated Press reported that the Gambia’s government has provided money for a second round of U.S. visa applications for the team. It costs more than $160 for each student to travel and apply for the visa interview. The students were scheduled to have these visa interviews on Wednesday. “We will go for an interview and hope for the best,” Darboe told AP. I'm Alice Bryant. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story disappointing – adj. making someone unhappy by not being as good as expected or by not doing something that was hoped for or expected mingle – v. to move around during a meeting, event, or party and talk informally with different people contaminant – n. something that makes a place or a substance (such as water, air, or food) no longer suitable for use

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Many Americans Regret Their College Choices

  A majority of Americans say they would change their choice of college, degree or field of study, if they could do it over again. Gallup, an American research-based company, and the Strada Education Network reported in June that 51 percent of Americans regret one of their college education choices. The study also found that 36 percent of Americans said they would change their major if they could. Twenty-eight percent of Americans said they would choose a different college or university. And 12 percent said they would choose a different degree program. Precious A. Smith is the Deputy Director for the Center for Academic Excellence at Howard University. Smith does not want people to think that 51 percent of American college graduates are unhappy with what they are currently doing. She says the students “might have just made different choices if they had different information at the time they were picking a major or picking an institution to graduate from.” Students often end up choosing between a career that will make them happy and a career that will make a lot of money, she says. Many students therefore end up picking a major that they are not very satisfied with. Beth Davis is a graduate of the University of Maryland. She says, “I went to college because everybody else was going to college.” Davis says her degree in history and English has nothing to do with her current job. She never took a business class in college but she now runs a successful construction business. She believes that on the job training may be a better option for many people. “The things that I am interested in, I always would have learned about anyway. I didn’t need a college degree to do that,” she says. STEM and technical students have fewer regrets The poll found that there were two groups of students that were more satisfied with their educational decisions. One included students who completed trade, technical or work-related study programs. And the other included students who specialized in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, an area known in American education as STEM. The poll also found that individuals with higher student loan debt are more likely to say they would change at least one educational decision. Smith of Howard University says that some former students “probably didn’t realize how much that loan debt was going to affect their current lifestyle.” She advises students to be flexible with their career goals. She says students need to understand that “your career goal at the end of high school and your career goal at the end of college are going to look a little bit different.” Ashley Riley is a developmental specialist at Early Intervention, a service that works with children who have developmental delays. Riley wishes that she had more information about other majors and career options when she attended college. Riley said it was her current job at Early Intervention that, in her words, “opened my eyes up to all of these other majors that I have never really been exposed to in my college career.” If she could go back to college again, Riley said she would have majored in occupational therapy or speech therapy instead of education and psychology. The poll also showed that a person’s desire to change their educational decisions is related to the kind of college or university they attended. About half of students at public or state universities, which receive government money, would change at least one of their educational decisions. The number is higher for private and for-profit schools. The research was part of a three-year study to help colleges and students complete education with a purpose. The researchers collected information from June 29, 2016 through March 26, 2017. They spoke by telephone with over 89,000 people throughout the United States, including the District of Columbia. I’m Mario Ritter. And I’m Olivia Liu.   Olivia Liu reported this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Do you regret any of your education decisions? Let us know in the comments section. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   major – n. a subject chosen as a field of specialization degree – n. an honor given to a student after his or her completion of a study program technical – adj. related to a job specific skill flexible – adj. willing or able to change occupational therapy – n. a type of treatment for those recovering from illness  

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Turkey Bans the Teaching of Evolution in Public Schools

  Turkey has historically prided itself on being a secular state. Amendments to the constitution during the 1920s and 1930s separated religion and government policy. Since that time, debates about the role of religion in public life have continued in the Muslim-majority country. Evolution in Turkish schools In a recent decision, the government banned the teaching of evolution in high school. This action means that Turkish students entering high school will no longer learn about the theory of evolution. The theory comes from the work of Charles Darwin, the famed British naturalist. His ideas are considered to be the basis for the scientific study of life on Earth. The government said its decision was not about teaching Islam. Instead, officials said high school students "don't have the necessary scientific background and information-based context” to understand the theory of evolution. Alpaslan Durmus is the head of the education ministry's curriculum board. Durmus said members of the board thought the theory should be taught to higher-level students. "We tried to leave out some of the controversial issues from our students' agenda," Durmus added. Critics of the decision Critics of the decision say that Turkish children will not get the education they need. Scholar Alaattin Dincer told VOA "The Turkish education system is very weak concerning the fundamental sciences. Both in domestic and international exams; be it math, physics, chemistry and biology, our students have very low passing grade percentages. It is actually terribly low." Dincer added that the next generation of Turkish students should learn about evolution and Darwin. "If you raise them [students] without learning those subjects, how can you argue that we are a scientifically enlightened country that can produce the scientists of the future?" Dincer asked. This week, Turkey's main teachers' union, Egitim Sen, said it was taking the issue to court. Mehmet Balik is the chairperson of Egitim Sen. He criticized the decision to ban the teaching of evolution and a new policy that requires schools to have a prayer room. These actions "destroy the principle of secularism and the scientific principles of education," he said. Other critics say the government's ban on teaching evolution is part of a plan by President Erdogan to push an Islamic identity onto Turkish society. International perspectives on the teaching of evolution Similar debates about the teaching of evolution have taken place in other countries, including the United States. In the late 1990s, the state of Kansas famously banned the teaching of evolution in public schools. The School Board reversed its decision in early 2001 amid public criticism. In the mid-2000s, at least 16 U.S. states were considering changes to the teaching of evolution in schools. Religion and science Although critics say religion and science are at odds, some Islamic theologians say evolution and Islam can exist together quite easily. Ihsan Eliacik is a Muslim theologian. He told VOA, "If evolution is scientific truth that exists in nature, nobody can stand against it…Besides, by my religious faith, scientific truth means religious truth. The two are not contradictory." I'm Jonathan Evans. Kevin Enochs reported on this story for VOA News. John Russell adapted the story with additional materials for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story secular – adj. not overtly or specifically religious evolution – n. the process by which changes in plants and animals happen over time naturalist – n. a person who studies plants and animals as they live in nature curriculum -- n. the courses that are taught by a school, college, etc. fundamental – adj. forming or relating to the most important part of something controversial – adj. relating to or causing much discussion, disagreement, or argument: likely to produce controversy theologian -- n. a person who is an expert on theology

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People Worry About Being Alone with Co-workers of Opposite Sex

  Long before he became vice president, Mike Pence told a reporter that he does not eat alone with any woman who is not his wife. A new poll shows that many men, and women, share the same concerns as Pence about private meetings or meals with members of the opposite sex. The poll was done for the New York Times by the research group, Morning Consult. It found that nearly two thirds of people believe extra care should be taken with members of the opposite sex at work. It also found a majority of women and nearly half of men believe it is unacceptable to have dinner or drinks with anyone of the opposite sex who is not their spouse. But it also found that majorities of people believe it is acceptable to have a private meeting at work with a member of the opposite sex. Women who are concerned about having dinner or other meetings with employees of the opposite sex worry about sexual harassment, The New York Times reported. Male supervisors worry that people might see private meetings with women employees as sexual harassment. Pence was a member of Congress when he told The Hill newspaper in 2002 that he did not go out to meals with a woman, unless his wife was present. He went on to serve as governor of Indiana before being elected vice president with fellow Republican Donald Trump in last November’s election. Women at a disadvantage Terri Boyer is executive director of the Center for Women and Work at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations. She said concerns about private meetings with members of the opposite sex work to the disadvantage of women. That is because a majority of management positions are held by men, meaning women employees would seem to have fewer chances to meet with “the boss” than male employees. Boyer also said the fact that male bosses are worried about having private meetings with female employees shows they may think of them first as women, ahead of their individual qualities. That in itself can limit opportunities for women employees, she said. Boyer said the findings of the new poll are “somewhat surprising and somewhat not surprising.” “There should be more of an understanding by now that workplace equality is important,” Boyer said. On the other hand, she said it should not come as a total surprise because experts have been discussing how many people are uncomfortable meeting with members of the opposite sex for some time. She notes that a Glass Ceiling study in the 1990s found that a lack of meetings between male bosses and female employees limits opportunities for women. A glass ceiling means fewer chances to rise to top positions within a company or government by women and minorities. A 2016 report by the U.S. Labor Department found that women hold about 40 percent of the 17 million management positions in the United States. I'm Bruce Alpert. Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do  was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Do you feel you have been held back at work or school because of your sex? ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   poll - n. an activity in which several or many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to get information about what most people think about something spouse - n. the person to whom you are married to, a husband or a wife boss - n. the person in charge of a workplace sexual harassment - n. harassment, usually of women, in a workplace or other professional setting that involves unwanted sexual advances management - n. the act or skill of controlling and making decisions about a business, department, sports team opportunity - n. a chance to do something like move up at a company or government agency

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Latest North Korean Missile Launch Adds to Pressure on China

  North Korea said it successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, on Tuesday. The North Korean government considers the launch an important step in developing its nuclear weapons and missile programs. The government continues to test missiles although there have been repeated warnings from other countries. The North Korean military launched the missile from an airport near its border with China. It landed in the sea in an area claimed by Japan as its special economic zone. The launch shocked the Japanese government. It raised questions about China’s ability to influence North Korea. North Korea claims the missile can “hit anywhere in the world.” Pressure on China increases The launch puts pressure on the Chinese government to put stronger sanctions on North Korea. But how China will answer is still unclear. China’s Foreign Ministry representative Geng Shuang spoke at a press conference Tuesday. He said China has made many efforts to solve the problems on the Korean Peninsula. He added that China plays an important part in the relations between North Korea and other Asian nations. He also asked all parties involved to use restraint to solve the dispute quickly. Geng said China urges North Korea not to violate U.N. Security Council resolutions. He asks the country to “create necessary conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiations.” United States President Donald Trump has been trying to get China to do more to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. But late last month, Trump said that while he “greatly appreciated” China’s help, “It has not worked out.” He added, “At least I know China tried!” On Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the latest missile test shows that the threat from North Korea has increased. Later this week, the U.S., South Korea and Japan will hold a meeting, while the leaders of those countries attend the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. After the missile launch on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would work with Chinese President Xi Jinping to halt North Korea’s weapons program. Putin proposed a plan in which North Korea freezes its nuclear program while the United States and South Korea freeze their large joint military exercises. Cheng Xiaohe is a political science professor at Beijing's Renmin University. He said it is unclear whether the United Nations will answer by only condemning the launch or by starting new sanctions. Cheng said if new sanctions are put in place, it could include a ban on tourism to North Korea and North Korean produced petrochemical products.   “All of these are possible [actions] the Security Council could discuss,” he said. Cheng noted that more research about the launch is needed. During the test, the missile climbed 2,800 kilometers before crashing into the sea. David Wright is a physicist and co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists. He wrote on a website that if reports are correct, the same missile could fly as far as about 6,700 kilometers on a normal flight path. He said the missile could not “reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii.” However, he said it could reach Alaska. I’m Pete Musto.   Bill Ide, Saibal Dasgupta and Joyce Huang first reported this story for VOA News. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. What actions should China take when responding to North Korea? How should the U.S., South Korea and Japan respond? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   intercontinental – adj. capable of traveling from one continent to another ballistic missile – n. a weapon that is shot through the sky over a great distance and then falls to the ground and explodes sanction(s) – 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, or by not allowing economic aid for that country resuming – v. beginning again after stopping dialogue – n. a discussion or series of discussions that two groups or countries have in order to end a disagreement negotiation(s) – n. a formal discussion between people who are trying to reach an agreement appreciated – v. to understand the worth or importance of something or someone summit – n. a meeting or series of meetings between the leaders of two or more governments tourism – n. the activity of traveling to a place for pleasure petrochemical  - n. a chemical that is made from petroleum or natural gas

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Trying to Make High-Tech, Low-Cost Farming a Reality

Researchers are hoping to bring technology to small farms in developing countries. Ranveer Chandra works for Microsoft Corporation, the American technology company. Chandra grew up in India. He remembers spending four months a year on his family's farm. "There was no water,” he said. “No electricity. No toilets.” Animals pulled plowing equipment through fields, as they have for centuries. Now, Chandra – like many other researchers - wants to bring technology to small farms. Their goal is this: to feed the world without destroying the planet. What is precision farming? Precision agriculture is a method of growing crops. Farmers use technology to collect very precise or exact measurements about their land. It tells farmers how they planted seeds, used fertilizers and chemical pesticides, and so on. The main idea of precision farming, notes the Crop Society of America (CSA), is that there are natural differences in the soil – even in the same field. Farmers who understand these differences are better able to produce crops. Precision farming is fairly new in the United States, says the CSA. It began in the 1990s. At that time, Global Positioning System (GPS) technology became available to the public. GPS technology is able to show your exact positions on earth. GPS information can tell farmers where they planted seeds, used fertilizers, chemical pesticides, and so on. Large scale and small scale farming In many areas, farmers do not use high-tech equipment. Often in those places, crop production levels are low. Now, high-tech tools are bringing a new level of precision to large-scale agriculture. Farm equipment can plant different amounts of seeds and leave different amounts of fertilizer in different parts of a field. Water measuring equipment can tell farmers how much water their plants are getting. Some of this technology is too costly for small farmers, especially in developing countries. Artificial intelligence on the farm Ranveer Chandra, the Microsoft researcher from India, is working to develop low-cost, high-tech tools for farmers. Chandra developed a system that connects soil sensors to other sensing equipment through unused television (TV) channels. These unused TV signals, known as "white space" frequencies, can provide broadband internet connection over long distances. Some hospitals and schools in rural areas are already online with white-space connections, Chandra noted. Each soil sensor provides information about conditions on the farm. To connect all the areas into a big picture, a drone aircraft takes photographs from high in the air. Artificial intelligence (AI) compares these aerial photos to the sensor data. AI then can create maps of where the soil is too acidic or needs more water. Similar technology can also help farmers watch their animals. Webcams can help farmers identify sick cattle, for example. Fertile business Chandra hopes to bring the cost of a simple system under $100. He notes the existence of low-cost replacements for the drones. A balloon tied to a mobile phone can serve the same purpose. He added that Microsoft is considering different business models. Farmers could share a system, or a local farm business could rent systems to farmers. Microsoft is just one company that sees agriculture as an area of growth for technology. Google invested in a small company that gathers farmers' data on how different crops perform from farm to farm and year to year. Many other companies are trying to enter the high-tech farm business, notes John Fulton of Ohio State University. Fulton himself has helped develop a free phone app for farmers. The software program helps them compare different field management techniques. "Everyone's trying to figure out how they play in agriculture," he said. "We're really at an early stage of this digital agriculture revolution." Uncertain future Demands on agriculture are increasing. As the world’s population grows, farmers will need to make more food without cutting down more forests or polluting the land and water. To do that, existing farms need to produce more crops. Chandra says that what farmers need is more information, so they can give the land what it needs. "Like, apply water only where it is needed,” he said. Apply fertilizer only where it is needed. Apply pesticide only where it's needed.” However, the level and speed at which new farming techniques and technologies will spread remains unclear. Bruce Erickson is a precision farming expert at Purdue University in Indiana. He told the CSA that one problem faced by any new farming technology is getting people to use it with their existing methods. Different countries have different farming methods and different ways of doing business. "It takes people to implement new farming practices," Erickson said. I'm John Russell. And I'm Caty Weaver.   Steve Baragona wrote this story for VOA News. John Russell adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   precision – n. exactness; the quality of being exact toilet – n. a device for removing waste fluids and body waste from the home large-scale – adj. of or related to a large area; involving many people or things pesticide – n. a chemical that is used to kill harmful insects or animals channel – n. frequencies used by a single radio or television station to broadcast broadband – adj. of or related to a high speed communications network acidic – adj. containing acid; having a sharp taste drone – n. a small aircraft that flies without a pilot implement – v. to begin to do or use (something, such as a plan); to make (something) active or effective

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Explainer: CarbonDioxide and Climate Change

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Lesson 28: I Passed It!

Summary Anna tells her roommate, Marsha, about the problems she had in her driving test. Then Anna says she wants to drive to a special place in Washington, D.C. Where will she drive? Speaking Learn to pronounce the new words for this lesson. You can also learn about the imperative verb form. ​ Pronunciation Use this video to learn about how people say "well" to give bad news, or an answer someone does not expect. Conversation   Anna: Hello! Guess what this is? This is my driver’s license! I passed my driving test! Today, I rented a car so I can drive around Washington, D.C. You can see more of the city this way. Marsha! Marsha: Anna, did you get your driver’s license? Anna: I did! But it was not easy. Marsha: Why? What happened? Anna: Well, you know, I can drive farm equipment really well. But I was really nervous driving in Washington, D.C. traffic! Marsha: Did you pass the test the first time? Anna: Well…no. But I did pass the second time. Marsha: What happened during the first test? Anna: It started fine. John: Okay … Anna. Is your seatbelt buckled? Anna: Yes, sir! John: Great. Please start the car. Anna: (to herself) Okay, Anna, start the car.Started the car. Good job, Anna. John: Why are you talking to yourself? Anna: I am a little nervous. When I’m nervous, I talk to myself. John: You don't need to be nervous. Anna: Listen to that engine! John: Please, stop pushing the gas pedal! Anna: Sorry. John: Okay, when you are ready, turn. Anna: Great! John: Not now! You almost hit that car! Anna: You said “turn!” John: Look first! There were cars in the street. Anna: Please don’t yell at me! John: I’m sorry! I was afraid. Anna: You were yelling. John: Look out for that car! Brake! Brake!! Anna and John: Ahhh! Anna: Why is everyone honking at us? John: You were driving too slow! Anna, stay on the street! John: Hands on the wheel, Anna. Anna: What’s that sound? John: That, Anna, is the police. Marsha: That sounds awful. Anna: Yes, it did not go well. But, I practiced and passed the second time! Marsha: Do you know where you want to take your first drive in Washington, D.C.? Anna: Yes! Let’s go! Anna: There it is … the White House! Marsha: Anna, you do know you can’t drive up to the White House, don’t you? Anna: Yes. No. I didn’t know. I guess we walk from here! Anna: Sometimes you can see more of Washington, D.C. in a car. If you want to see the White House, you need to walk. Until next time … ! Writing Do you know how to drive a car? Were you nervous when you first learned? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice using imperative verbs with a friend. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Self-Talk . When we need to be more confident, we can use Self-Talk. In this lesson, Anna uses Self-Talk. Notice that John asks her about it. John: Why are you talking to yourself? Anna: I am a little nervous. When I’m nervous, I talk to myself. John: You don't need to be nervous. Talking to yourself in English can have two benefits. It may help you relax and do better. It can also give you more chance to practice using English. How about you? Do you sometimes talk to yourself?  Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan  for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ______________________________________________________________ New Words afraid - adj. feeling fear brake - v. to use the brake on a vehicle - n. a device for slowing or stopping something (such as a wheel or vehicle) buckle - v. to fasten (something, such as a belt) with a buckle equipment - n. supplies or tools needed for a special purpose gas pedal - n. a pedal in a vehicle that is pressed down to make the vehicle go faster Guess what? - expression. a phrase used to build anticipation pass / passed - v. to complete a test or a class successfully police - n. the people or the department of people who enforce laws, investigate crimes, and make arrests seat belt - n. a strap on a vehicle's seat that holds a person in the seat if there is an accident tractor - n. a short, heavy truck that is designed to pull a large trailer traffic - n. all the vehicles driving along a certain road or in a certain area turn - v. to move in a particular direction and especially toward the left or right turn signal - n. one of the lights on a vehicle that flash to indicate that the vehicle is turning left or right White House - n. the place in Washington, D.C., where the U.S. President lives yell - v. to say (something) very loudly especially because you are angry, surprised, or are trying to get someone's attention ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials   Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice using the imperative verb form. 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:  Imperative verb forms, Past tense of BE Topics: Giving a reason or excuse,  Apologizing  Learning Strategy: Self Talk Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Imperative verbs, Extending the word "well" ______________________________________________________________ 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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