Scottish Researchers Closer to Turning Whisky Waste into Fuel

Whisky has grown popular around the world in the last 10 years. New distilleries are opening, and old distilleries are trying to produce more whisky. But as people make more whisky, they are also making more whisky waste – huge amounts of leftover grain and liquid. Distillers do not have many options for what to do with this material. Some give it away to farms to feed animals. Others pay over $300,000 per year to dispose of it. And now, a company in Edinburgh, Scotland called Celtic Renewables is trying to make fuel with it. What is draff anyway? To understand whisky waste, you have to understand how whisky is made. First, distillers take barley, corn or rye and turn the grain into mash. Then they combine the mixture with yeast. The yeast causes fermentation and creates alcohol. Distillers heat the mash, create steam and then cool it down quickly. Alcohol vapor turns into liquid, ages, and eventually becomes whisky. The used grain and water remain. In Scotland, the leftovers are called “draff” and “pot ale.” Waste to biofuel In 2015, Celtic Renewables received money from the Scottish government for their idea to turn draff and pot ale into fuel. The money has allowed the company to create a factory able to produce 500,000 liters of biofuel each year. The company hopes to open the factory next year. Martin Tangney is the president of Celtic Renewables. He thinks Scotland alone has enough raw materials from the whisky industry to produce 50 million liters of biofuel right away. Tangney recently drove a car powered by his company’s fuel around a university in Scotland. “It's quite fitting to use a Ford for this historic drive as the original Model-T Ford ran on biofuel, and the fermentation that we've developed to put the fuel in this car is a hundred years old, proven at large scale.” The goal is not to replace gasoline completely. It is to reduce gasoline consumption and figure out what to do with the leftover material from distilling whisky. Tangney said his product can make up to 15 percent of commercial gasoline without drivers having to modify their engines. "The whisky industry will now have a sustainable and reliable way of disposing of their residue,” Tangney said. "Plus we’ll create a brand new industry out of something that has no value whatsoever." I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English based on reporting by VOANews.com and Reuters. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. Would you drive a car powered by biofuel made from grain? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   distillery – n. a place where alcohol like whisky or vodka is produced mash – n. a wet mixture of crushed malt or grain that is used in making alcoholic drinks (such as beer and whiskey) yeast – n. a type of fungus that is used in making alcoholic drinks (such as beer and wine) and in baking to help make dough rise fermentation – n. a chemical process that results in the production of alcohol steam – n. the hot gas that is created when water is boiled biofuel – n. fuel that can power vehicles or engines made from natural substances instead of oil reliable – adj. able to be trusted to do or provide what is needed : able to be relied on residue – n. a usually small amount of something that remains after a process has been completed or a thing has been removed

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More Than 200 Uyghur Students Detained in Egypt

  Officials in Egypt continue to detain and send ethnic Uyghur students to China. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports the students were studying at Al-Azhar Islamic University in Cairo. RFA and VOA are each part of the United States government-supported Broadcasting Board of Governors. Uyghurs are a mostly Muslim ethnic group in China and Central Asia. Most live in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China. RFA reported in May that Chinese officials had begun ordering Uyghurs studying outside of China to return to their hometowns. A Uyghur student at Al-Azhar told RFA at the time that classmates who had returned to China seem to have disappeared. “We haven’t been able to contact any of them,” the student said. More than 200 Uyghurs, many of them religious students, have been detained in Egypt since July 4. Some were seized in restaurants or at their homes. Others were stopped at airports while trying to flee to safer countries, sources told RFA. The Middle East Monitor reported that as many as 80 Uyghur students may have been seized on Wednesday. They were arrested for alleged problems with their Egyptian residency papers, the Monitor said in its report. Criticism of China's treatment of Uyghurs Human rights and Uyghur exile groups have condemned China for violating the rights of the Uyghurs and for breaking a United Nations treaty. The agreement bars forced repatriations. Sandra Jolley is with the United States Commission on International Religious Freedoms. She told RFA that the Egyptian government’s actions violate international rules against torture. Such rules protect people who may face “imprisonment, torture and death should they be deported to their homes,” Jolley said. She and others are urging the Grand Imam at Cairo’s Al-Azhar Islamic University to help stop the forced repatriations of Uyghurs. Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb currently serves as the school’s Grand Imam. “He has a powerful voice. He leads Al-Azhar, and he should accept some role in protecting the students who attend this very prestigious university,” Jolley said. Call for protection A group of Uyghur students living in Cairo have also appealed to El-Tayeb. In a letter, they asked him to prevent future deportations. “Our only sin is that we want to learn and study religion,” the students said. The Arabic-language news service HuffPost Arabi received a copy of the letter. Last week, Al-Azhar said in a statement that no Uyghur students had been arrested on the university’s grounds or while in any buildings connected with the school.   I'm John Russell.  Radio Free Asia reported this story, and VOA Learning English adapted it. George Grow was the editor.  __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   source - n. a person, book, etc., that gives information alleged - adj. said to have happened but not yet proven repatriation - n. the return of (someone) to his or her own country sin - n.  an action that is considered to be wrong according to religious or moral law residency - n. the state or fact of living in a place prestigious - adj. respected and admired

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English @ the Movies: 'See Fit'

On English at the Movies we are talking about the saying "see fit." This comes from the film "The Circle." A young woman works for a powerful technology company, but something is not right there. Watch the video and take the quiz. See if you know what "see fit" means.

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More Than 200 Uyghur Students Detained in Egypt

    Officials in Egypt continue to detain and send ethnic Uyghur students to China. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports the students were studying at Al-Azhar Islamic University in Cairo. RFA and VOA are each part of the United States government-supported Broadcasting Board of Governors. Uyghurs are a mostly Muslim ethnic group in China and Central Asia. Most live in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China. RFA reported in May that Chinese officials had begun ordering Uyghur studying outside of China to return to their hometowns. A Uyghur student at Al-Azhar told RFA at the time that classmates who had returned to China seem to have disappeared. “We haven’t been able to contact any of them,” the student said. More than 200 Uyghurs, many of them religious students, have been detained in Egypt since July 4. Some were seized in restaurants or at their homes. Others were stopped at airports while trying to flee to safer countries, sources told RFA. The Middle East Monitor reported that as many as 80 Uyghur students may have been seized on Wednesday. They were arrested for alleged problems with their Egyptian residency papers, the Monitor said in its report.   Appeals to stop forced expulsions Human rights and Uyghur exile groups have condemned China for violating the rights of the Uyghurs and for breaking a United Nations treaty. The agreement bars forced repatriations. Sandra Jolley is with the United States Commission on International Religious Freedoms. She told RFA that the Egyptian government’s actions violate international rules against torture. Such rules protect people who may face “imprisonment, torture and death should they be deported to their homes,” Jolly said. She and others are urging the Grand Imam at Cairo’s Al-Azhar Islamic University to help stop the forced repatriations of Uyghurs. Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb currently serves as the school’s Grand Imam. “He has a powerful voice. He leads Al-Azhar, and he should accept some role in protecting the students who attend this very prestigious university,” Jolley said.   Call for protection A group of Uyghur students living in Cairo have also appealed to El-Tayeb. In a letter, they asked him to prevent future deportations. “Our only sin is that we want to learn and study religion,” the students said. The Arabic-language news service HuffPost Arabi received a copy of the letter. Last week, Al-Azhar said in a statement that no Uyghur students had been arrested on the university’s grounds or while in any buildings connected with the school. I'm John Russell.   The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted the report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _________________________________________________________-- Words in This Story   (tk)

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Lesson 32: Welcome to the Treehouse!

Summary Anna introduces her new partner, MINDY. They are working together on the new children's show: "The Time Traveling Treehouse." Then, some coworkers watch the show. What will they think of the show? Will they like it? Speaking In this video, learn to say the new words for this lesson. You can also learn about direct and indirect objects. Pronunciation Use this video to learn about pronouncing two interjections: "Aw, man!" and "Woo-hoo!" Conversation Anna: Hello! Today is a big day. My first children’s show is on television! Woo-hoo! I’m excited and nervous. Ms. Weaver: Hello, Anna. Anna: Hello, Ms. Weaver! Ms. Weaver: Some people are going to watch your children’s show. After they watch it, they’ll tell me what they liked, and what they didn’t like. Anna: Oh, dear. Ms. Weaver: They’re in the conference room. They’re in the conference room. Anna: Hello, everyone. I’m Anna, and thanks for coming! Coworker 2: What is the show about? Anna: It’s a children’s show. Coworker 1: But we are not children! Anna: This children's show is different. I hope. Coworker 3: I don’t really like children's shows. Anna: Shhh, please. The show is starting! Anna: Oh, hi! Just give me one minute ….oops! Oh well. I can fix that later. Anna: Hello, I’m Anna! Welcome to “The Time Traveling Treehouse!” This is not a usual treehouse. It can time travel! That is why it’s called "The Time Traveling Treehouse." MINDY: Anna, do not forget me. Anna: Of course not! This is my partner, MINDY! MINDY: My name means Massive Information Navigation Device, for You! Anna: That means we can travel to many places and learn many things. Kids from all over the world ask us questions. We find them answers! MINDY: Woo-hoo! That is right, Anna. Anna: MINDY, what is our first question? MINDY: Layla asks us this question. Layla: Hello, Anna! Hello, MINDY! I'd like to know -- how do you play baseball? Anna: That is a great question! MINDY, we need to find her an answer! MINDY: I know that we can find it, Anna! Anna: Where am I now? MINDY, now I am on a snowy mountain! MINDY: That is a good place to learn how to ski. Anna: Yes, MINDY, but it cannot teach us about baseball! And I don’t know how to ski! MINDY: Sorry, Anna. Let’s try again. Anna: Where I am now!? MINDY, I am in the ocean! An ocean cannot teach us about baseball! MINDY: Please don’t yell, Anna. The ocean can teach us about surfing. Anna: Yes, MINDY, it can teach us about surfing … and sharks! Ahhh! MINDY: Anna, please wait. I need to fix my navigation device Anna: MINDY, please fix it faster. And get me out of here … now! Announcer: Whoa! Is Anna going to be lost forever? Next week, you can watch part two of “The Time Traveling Treehouse!” Coworker 1: Aw, man! Will the shark eat her? Coworker 2: Will Anna find the answer? Coworker 3: Please tell me the ending! Anna: So, you liked it? Coworkers: Yes! Anna: Well, you can watch the ending next week! Coworkers: Noooooo! Anna: Don’t forget to watch next week! Writing What do you think of Anna's new show? Does it remind you of a children's show you watched? Tell us about your opinion of Anna's show and suggest other questions for Anna to answer.  Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice using interjections 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 Monitor.  Monitor means to notice how well you are understanding or bring understood. It can also mean identifying problems in communication. This strategy helps us learn, because after we find a communication problem, we can decide how to solve it. In this week's video, Anna monitors what MINDY is doing. She finds that there is a problem: she is not going to a place where she can learn about baseball. She tells MINDY, "It cannot teach us about baseball!"  Can you find an example in the lesson of MINDY monitoring, or finding out about a problem? Write to us about it 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 INTERJECTIONS aw- interjection. used to express mild disappointment or sympathy man - interjection. used to express frustration oops - interjection. used to express surprise or distress or to say in a mild way that you are sorry about having done or said something wrong shhh - interjection. used to tell someone to be quiet whoa - interjection. used to tell someone to slow down or stop and think about something woo-hoo- interjection. used to express excitement GENERAL VOCABULARY answer - n. something you say or write when someone asks you a question ask - v. to say or write something to someone as a way of gaining information device - n. an object, machine, or piece of equipment that has been made for some special purpose ending - n. the final part of something fix to make (something) whole or able to work properly againorto repair (something) information - n. knowledge that you get about someone or something such asfacts or details about a subject massive - adj. very large and heavy mountain- n. an area of land that rises very high above the land around it and that is higher than a hill navigation - n. the act, activity, or process of finding the way to get to a place when you are traveling in a ship, airplane or car partner - n. one of two or more people or businesses that work together or do business together shark- n. a large and often dangerous sea fish with very sharp teeth ski- v. to move or glide on a pair of long narrow pieces of wood over snow or water surf - v. to ride on ocean waves using a special board (called a surfboard) travel- v. to go to a place that is far away treehouse- n. a small house that is built among the branches of a tree for children to play in ______________________________________________________________ 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 interjections and monitoring. 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: Direct and indirect objects; Interjections​ Topics:  Requesting help or information; Talking about technology; Politely disagreeing Learning Strategy: Monitor​ / Identify Problems Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Indirect objects; Interjections  _ ____________________________________________________________ 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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Expletives Are Not Always Bad Words

Many Americans consider Red House, a song by Jimi Hendrix, to be a great piece of Rock and Roll music. "There's a red house over yonder (baby)..." Today we will show you how one line from this song can give you a large amount of grammatical information. It can also help you say words and expressions correctly. We will explore the strange case of expletives – words that have a grammatical purpose, but no real meaning. Message from a teacher After a recent Everyday Grammar story, we received a question from a teacher. The teacher asked about the grammatical structure of an Ernest Hemingway quote. The line has the words, "there are shadows of the leaves." The teacher wrote: "My students often ask about sentences such as Hemingway's "there are shadows of the leaves" with the expletive "there." What are your thoughts on "there" sentences that don't include an adverbial? How can we analyze them?" Now, you might be asking yourself about the relationship between the teacher's question and Hendrix's song Red House. It turns out that Hemingway and Hendrix have something in common. But before we tell you how, we need to give you some definitions. Explanation of an expletive The word expletive has two meanings. It can mean something that people say when they are angry or in pain. These are called swear words. We are not talking about them today. Instead, we will be talking about expletives in grammar. They are words that have a grammatical purpose but do not carry meaning. One common place you will find expletives are in expressions called "Existential-there sentences." Do not worry about the difficult name. Existential-there sentences are common in American English. Consider the statement "Mice are in the house." The sentence has the subject, "mice," the verb BE, and an adverb phrase, "in the house." The sentence could be changed to say, "There are mice in the house." This is an example of an "existential-there sentence." The word there takes a place in the sentence, but it has no meaning. Here is one way to look at the sentence. There is the grammatical subject. It is taking the position that a noun phrase usually does. But, it is neither a noun nor a pronoun! It is an expletive. In the sentence, "There are mice in the house," the word there becomes the grammatical subject. "Mice" becomes the logical subject, and the adverb phrase, "in the house" remains the same. This structure is common in speaking and writing. Think back to the famous lines from Jimi Hendrix's rock song, Red House. "There's a red house over yonder (baby)..." The lines "There's a red house over yonder" have the same structure as the sentence about the mouse. ​ Now you might be asking yourself a question: What is the purpose of there? It fills a grammatical slot, but does not have meaning. Why would writers, musicians, and other people use it? While we may never know the exact reason that Hemingway or Hendrix used there, we suspect it sounded better to their ears. Martha Kolln is an English grammar expert. She notes that English speakers make their voices go up and down while they are talking. They often say the first word or two of a sentence quietly, then raise their voice. She calls this idea "end focus." By using there at the beginning of the sentence, the subject moves to a spot later in the sentence – where the voice places stress on it. Listen to the rock song again. Notice how Hendrix uses there to direct the listener’s attention to the logical subject of the sentence: red house. "There's a red house over yonder (baby)..." Hendrix could have said, "A red house is over yonder." The sentence would have had a similar meaning to the lines of the song. But it does not sound nearly as good. Back to the teacher's question Why wouldn't a speaker or writer include an adverbial phrase, such as "over yonder" or "in the house?" First, they may have made a stylistic choice. Adverbials can appear at different places in a sentence. In other words, they are movable. Second, sometimes writers and speakers will not use an adverb phrase when the location is known. Hemingway wrote "…there are shadows of the leaves" after he had already made it clear he was writing about a café. Hemingway did not write "there are shadows of the leaves on the sidewalk next to the café," for example. Why not? Hemingway made a stylistic decision. Sometimes stylistic choices do not follow traditional grammar rules or analysis. Expletives and Style English has expletives other than there. These include words such as it and do, writes English grammar expert Max Morenberg. We will not study these expletives today. However, we will leave you with some advice. You should be careful about how you use expletives. In general, one should not use sentences that begin with the expletive there too often. The overuse of there often creates unclear – or perhaps uninteresting – writing. Remember that the expletive there does not have a meaning. If your goal is to be brief with wording, then you may not want to use the expletive there. That said, try to listen and look for example of how speakers use expletives. Ask yourself how they build their sentences, and if they could have produced a sentence with the same meaning. There are reasons to use expletives. Sometimes you should use them; sometimes you should not. We will leave you with words from the musical, West Side Story.​ There's a time for us,  Some day a time for us,  I'm Pete Musto. And I'm John Russell.   John Russell wrote this story 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   grammatical – adj. of or relating to words and how they are used analyze – v. to study (something) closely and carefully adverb – n. a word that is often used to show a relationship or some level of quality, time, place or number phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence logical – adj. of or related to reasoning or using reason shadow – n. a dark shape; an area of darkness leaves – n. parts of a tree or plant sentence – n. a declaration verb – n. a word that expresses an action stylistic – adj. of or related to the methods of creating something location – n. the position or placement of something  

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Trump Gives Afghan Robotic Team OK to Compete in US

  President Donald Trump gave a team of female Afghan students permission to travel to the United States for a worldwide robotics competition. The three-day competition begins Sunday in Washington D.C. The U.S. embassy in Kabul had twice denied visas for the Afghan team. It gave no reasons for the rejections. After word that the team had been denied permission to travel to the U.S., some protested on social media. Some members of the U.S. Congress asked the Trump administration to allow the students into the country. VOA White House bureau chief, Steve Herman, reported that Trump gave the Afghan team what is known as a “parole.” It allows the team’s six teen-age members to visit the U.S. for 20 days. Robotics competition Joe Sestak, a former U.S. Navy admiral and congressman, is president of First Global, the organizer for the robotics competition. Sestak praised the Trump administration for finding a way to admit teams from Afghanistan, as well as Gambia, Yemen, Libya, and Vanuatu. He said, “I truly believe our greatest power is the power to convene, to bring nations together where people find what they have in common is greater than their differences.” It took a lot just to get the Afghan team members to the competition. Many girls in Afghanistan are denied the chance to go to school. The team members worked for six months on their robot, often seven days a week. Their robot sorts balls, and can recognize orange and blue colors, the Associated Press reported. They traveled 800 kilometers from their homes to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul twice to apply for visas. That in itself could be dangerous. On March 31, a car bomb exploded near the embassy. The explosion killed more than 150 people and injured 400 others. The girls arrived in Kabul Thursday for the long airplane trip to the United States. The team members were excited. "I am very happy. This is such an important trip for us," said team member, Lida Azizi. Sestak said teams from Iraq, Sudan and Cuba are competing, as well as teams from rural areas of Latin America. Teams from 40 Muslim majority countries are also expected to compete, he said. In all, high school teams from 157 nations are expected at the competition. First Global hopes to make it a yearly event.   Kenneth Schwartz and Steven Herman reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted this 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. Do you think competitions are helpful? Have you ever tried to build a robot? ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   robotics - n. technology that is used to design, build, and operate robots visa - n. an official mark or stamp on a passport that allows someone to enter or leave a country usually for a particular reason inspire - v. to make someone want to do something admiral - n. a high-ranking officer in the navy convene - v. to come together in a group for a meeting sort - v. to identify a group of things that have some shared quality

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Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Captured Close-up

For nearly 200 years, scientists have wondered about the Giant Red Spot on Jupiter. This week, pictures of the planet show dark clouds moving around, and through, a large red oval center.             These are the closest images humans have ever seen of the spot, on the giant gas planet. America’s space agency NASA, sent the Juno spacecraft to Jupiter to gather scientific data on the solar system’s biggest planet. On Monday Juno flew over the Giant Red Spot, which is a storm larger than our planet Earth. First observed in 1830, scientists think it may be more than 350 years old. The storm measures 16,350 kilometers wide and appears to be getting smaller. "For hundreds of years scientists have been observing, wondering and theorizing about Jupiter's Great Red Spot," said Scott Bolton. He is the Juno principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. Bolton said it will take time for the scientists to process the information Juno is sending back to Earth. "Now we have the best pictures ever of this iconic storm. It will take us some time to analyze all the data from not only JunoCam, but Juno's eight science instruments, to shed some new light on the past, present and future of the Great Red Spot." NASA hopes the information will also tell them what is underneath the storm. James O’Donoghue is a scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center near Washington DC.  He told VOA Learning English in an email that scientists could see “more detail than we ever have before” in these new images. He said, “What we are finding is that the closer we look, the more wild it looks!” O’Donoghue explained that this storm is “a great deal more complex” than a regular storm system, with smaller storms inside itself. “There are rich colors that indicate a complex three-dimensional sense,” he added. That is because “some parts of the storm are towering above others, much like storms at Earth tower above the surface.” Juno was launched on August 5, 2011 from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The spacecraft will continue flybys to get more information for scientists to learn about the planet. I’m Anne Ball.   Anne Ball wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   iconic – adj. widely known shed – v. give off three-dimensional – adj. having or seeming to have length, width, and depth  

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Third Vietnamese Hostage Killed in Philippines

A third Vietnamese hostage held by Islamic militants in the Philippines has been killed. Filipino General Cirilito Sobejana confirmed Thursday that troops found the body of Viet Van Tran after a weekend battle between troops and Abu Sayyaf militants. The fighting also left four militants and a soldier dead. The body was found in the southern island province of Sulu. News reports quoted Sobejana as saying the victim had suffered “multiple gunshot wounds.” He said it was not known whether the hostage was killed during fighting or was shot by his captors.   The victim was the latest Vietnamese hostage to be killed while in custody of the Abu Sayyaf group. Last week, two Vietnamese hostages were found beheaded on the southern island of Basilan. Another Vietnamese hostage was shot by the captors earlier this year. All victims were working as crew members aboard two cargo ships when they were captured by Abu Sayyaf militants. One incident happened last February, the other in November 2016. One of the Vietnamese hostages escaped captivity in Basilan last month. But seven others are still being held by the militant group. Abu Sayyaf is currently holding a total of 21 hostages, including 15 foreigners, according to Philippine military officials. Abu Sayyaf was formed in the 1990s with financial assistance from al Qaeda. It split into a collection of factions in the mid-2000s and is now believed to include about 400 members. Several factions have declared allegiance to the Islamic State in recent years. The Counter Extremism Project says Abu Sayyaf operates from the Sulu Sea islands in the mostly Muslim southern Philippines. It seeks to set up an independent Islamic state in the region. Philippine troops have been battling Muslim rebels with ties to Abu Sayyaf in the country’s south for the past two months. The troops are searching for Isnilon Totoni Hapilon, a top leader of the Abu Sayyaf group for the past 20 years. Hapilon is on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list. The search for him has been centered in the town of Marawi, on the island of Mindanao.   More than 400 people have been killed in the fighting in Marawi since late May. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced and about 20 percent of the town has been destroyed. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn adapted this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Radio Free Asia’s Vietnamese Service, the Associated Press and Reuters. 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   custody – n. state of being held in captivity or jail faction – n. group within a larger group that has different views and opinions than the rest  

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‘See You Again’ Passes ‘Gangnam Style,’ Breaks YouTube Record

This is What's Trending Today... Five years ago this week, South Korean music artist Psy put his official “Gangnam Style” music video on Youtube.  It went on to become the most-played YouTube video of all time. The quirky music video got more views than YouTube’s maximum possible view count; the company had to change its coding method. As of Thursday, more than 2.89 billion people had watched it. But, just days before “Gangnam Style’s” five-year YouTube anniversary, another music video finally passed its view count. Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s video for “See You Again” has now been viewed more than 2.9 billion times. The song “See You Again” was written for the movie “Furious 7.” The music video honored “Fast and Furious” star Paul Walker, who died in a car crash in late 2013. It was published on YouTube in April 2015. Wiz Khalifa said in a statement that he is happy his song has been able to “inspire and impact so many lives.” Charlie Puth wrote on Twitter that he joined YouTube in 2007. His hope then was to make a video that would get 10,000 views. “Just heard about See You Again...wow,” Puth wrote. “Gangnam Style” is now the second-most played video ever. Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” is in third place. “Uptown Funk,” by Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars, is in fourth place. In fifth place is this year’s viral hit “Despacito,” by Luis Fonsi with Daddy Yankee. The music video was published this January, and has already been played more than 2.5 billion times. And that’s What’s Trending Today.   I’m Dan Friedell. ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   quirky - adj. unusual especially in an interesting or appealing way maximum  - n. the highest number or amount that is possible or allowed — usually singular inspire - v. : to make (someone) want to do something : to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create viral - adj. : spreading very quickly to many people especially through the Internet

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Remembering Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo

  Human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo died Thursday after a battle with liver cancer. He was 61 years old. Liu spent his last eight years in prison. He died at a hospital in the city of Shenyang, where he had been moved after doctors learned of his condition. Chinese officials listed the cause of death as “multiple organ failure.” His final days were marked by a public dispute over his medical care. The Chinese government refused a family request that he be sent to the United States or Germany for treatment. Hospital officials said he was too sick to travel. A dissident known around the world Liu Xiaobo was one of China’s most famous dissidents.  In his early years, Liu worked as a teacher and became a popular writer. He was known for his criticism of traditional Chinese culture. He called on Chinese intellectuals to show more individualism.  In 1989, he cut short a visiting scholarship at Columbia University in New York City to return to China. There, he joined student-led protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. After the Chinese military crushed the protests, Liu was jailed. The government began calling him a “black hand” for his part in the demonstrations. He was released from detention in 1991. He continued to call for political reforms, but was later arrested. He was sentenced to three years in a labor camp. In 2008, Liu and other dissidents released a document known as Charter 08. It called for China to end one-party rule and establish a new republic made up of a “federation” of areas and political communities. Liu knew the document might lead to his imprisonment once again. He told reporters from Hong Kong: “For those of us in the opposition movement under dictatorships, part of our job is confronting police, and spending time in prison.  So, a dissident not only needs to learn how to oppose oppression, but also how to face the crackdowns, and time in prison.” Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison for his part in the Charter 08 movement and other “subversive” activities. However, worldwide fame came a short time later when he was named the winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Liu “for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.” Liu learned of the honor from his wife during one of the limited prison visits she was permitted. He told her that the prize should be dedicated to those who died in the 1989 mass protests and the government’s campaign against dissidents. Liu supported changing China through reasoned, non-violent methods. Shortly before being sentenced in 2009, Liu praised parts of the country’s legal system. He praised the polite treatment he received in jail, in a speech called “I have no enemies.” Doctors identify cancer Liu had three years remaining of his prison term when he died in the First Hospital of China Medical University in Shenyang. Two doctors -- one German and one American -- were permitted to see him during his last days. They reported that he, days before his death, had clearly communicated his wish to leave China for treatment. Liu Xiaobo is survived by a son and his wife of 21 years, Liu Xia. She is reported to have said that she was sure of her decision to marry the "enemy of the state."  Thinking back on their lives in a poem, she said: “I like to draw trees; why? I like the image of it standing. A life spent standing must be tiresome, you say; I answer, yes, but still I must.” I’m Mario Ritter. Natalie Liu reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   multiple –adj. more than one intellectuals –n. educated people whose opinions are considered smart or thoughtful scholarship –n. an opportunity to study that is paid for by a university or other group confront –v. to face, to deal with crackdown –n. a campaign by the government to suppress or stop a movement fundamental –adj. very basic dedicated –adj. done in honor of polite –adj. observing good manners  

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2vi8GWJ
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