South Korea Calls for Talks with North to Reduce Tensions

South Korea’s government proposed on Monday to hold military talks with North Korea to reduce tensions between the two countries. The South Korean defense ministry offered to hold a meeting Friday at the truce village of Panmunjom. The village sits along the border between the two sides. South Korea’s vice defense minister said the talks would seek “to stop all hostile actions which (heighten) military tensions at the border.” The meeting would be the first between Korean officials since December 2015. North Korea has not yet answered the proposal. In another development, the South Korean Red Cross has proposed to hold a meeting with North Korean officials on August 1. It also offered to hold the meeting at Panmunjom. The purpose of that meeting would be to discuss restarting reunions for families separated by the Korean War. An estimated 60,000 South Koreans have sought to take part in the exchanges. North Korea has called for the return of 12 North Korean female restaurant workers who fled to South Korea last year before family reunions can begin again. South Korea, however, says the workers fled of their own free will. Two track policy seeks talks while supporting restrictions Efforts to restart military talks and family meetings follow South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s attempts to develop a two-track policy. South Korea’s Unification Ministry says the latest proposals are consistent with Moon’s policy. “There is no change in our position that we will put forth effort to (persuade) North Korea to come out for denuclearization by using all possible measures such as sanctions and talks,” South Korea’s unification minister said. Moon has supported a policy of engagement with the North Korean government. He is seeking to open talks with the North Korean government while supporting U.S.-led restrictions on North Korea. The U.S. and United Nations Security Council have placed sanctions on the North for its long-range missile tests and nuclear weapons program. North Korea’s most recent missile test took place on July 4. Experts have said the missile could reach the U.S. state of Alaska. Daniel Pinkston is a North Korea expert with Troy University in Seoul. He said South Korea may be willing to take steps like suspending loudspeaker broadcasts across the border, which North Korea opposes. “Once that is established, then both sides can understand what the other is seeking. They can signal to the other side what they want, what problems or issues they have with the other side,” Pinkston said. I’m Mario Ritter.   Chris Hannas and Brian Padden reported this story for VOA News with contributions from Youmi Kim. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   Reunion –n. to meet again with family or people who share close ties after a long separation two track –adj. using two policies to reach a goal sanctions –n. measures taken against a country to cause it to obey international laws or requirements consistent –adj. continuing to do things in a certain way, not changing We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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James Garfield: Assassinated

  VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. Today we are talking about James Garfield. He was the 20th president of the United States. Garfield is not one of the best-known presidents. He served only 100 days before he was shot. Eleven weeks later, he died from his wounds. But even during Garfield’s short time in office, historians say his presidency had problems. Early life Like the president before him, Rutherford B. Hayes, Garfield was from the state of Ohio. Garfield’s father died when he was very young. The future president was raised largely by his mother, two older sisters and a brother. Among all the presidents, Garfield probably was the most poor in his early years. Growing up, he worked as a farmer, a sailor, a carpenter, a teacher and a janitor. Finally, he earned a position as a student at Williams College in western Massachusetts. Garfield loved learning. He eventually taught at a school called the Eclectic Institute. Later, he became its president. Garfield married one of his students at the Eclectic Institute, Lucretia Rudolph. She became a teacher, too. The future president and his wife went on to have seven children. Four sons and a daughter survived to adulthood.   In time, Garfield moved out of education and into law and politics. He was an anti-slavery activist who did not think the Southern states had a right to withdraw from the Union. When the Civil War came, Garfield welcomed it. During the war, Garfield served in the military as an officer. He won awards for his bravery. While still a young man, he was appointed to the position of major general. His image as a war hero was so great that Garfield did not have to campaign for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected on his name alone. Congress Garfield’s way of thinking changed while he was in Congress. He began as one of the most extreme Radical Republicans. He wanted to punish former Confederate officers severely. But, in time, Garfield softened his positions. He learned to compromise with other groups in order to achieve results for his state. But he did not always represent the interests of workers or farmers in Ohio. Garfield supported business interests that wanted to limit the country’s money supply. He opposed labor unions and cooperative farm programs, called the Grange. Garfield also became linked to a corruption case. He accepted stock shares in a company that was building a railroad across the country. In exchange, Garfield and other top officials eased government rules so businessman could earn higher profits for their work. Although Garfield’s political career sometimes drew criticism, he continued to rise in government. Presidency When Garfield became president in March 1881, he did not have what Americans call a mandate – the approval of a large part of the population. Instead, he needed to make compromises with lawmakers to help win their support. As a result, the first weeks of his presidency were a political struggle to appoint members to his cabinet of advisors. Garfield also clashed with a powerful senator from New York State. The senator wanted to continue the tradition of permitting senators to choose who got government jobs in their states. But President Garfield wanted to put someone who shared his own beliefs in some of the top positions in New York. Finally, the senator resigned in protest. But the issue set the tone for Garfield’s short time in office. Elected officials battled each other for advantages and financial gain. Officials in Garfield’s party were accused of corruption and wrongdoing. And before Garfield could really suggest any ideas for government reform, he was shot by someone seeking a government job in exchange for his political support. Assassination On July 2, 1881 – fewer than four months after he took office – Garfield was leaving for a short trip with two of his sons. They were going to take a train to Williams, the college Garfield had attended and loved. The president was supposed to give a speech there. But as he walked through the train station, a man with a gun stepped behind Garfield and shot the president twice. One bullet touched Garfield’s arm. The other went into his lower back. Garfield did not die immediately. Instead, he was taken back to the White House, where doctors tried to remove the bullet. One of the men who tried was Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. Bell tried to find the bullet by using a device like a metal detector that he had invented. But the springs on Garfield’s bed interfered. Neither Bell nor the doctors were able to remove the bullet. And, some historians say, their efforts may have made the situation worse. Garfield suffered for more than two more months. At one point, he seemed to be recovering. But on September 19, he finally died. He was 49 years old. As for the gunman, he was captured shortly after the shooting. His name was Charles Guiteau. Guiteau was a lawyer with little money, but many mental problems. During the election of 1880, he had first supported the candidacy of former president Ulysses S. Grant. When Garfield won the Republican nomination instead, Guiteau supported him. Guiteau did not have an official role in the election campaign, and Garfield did not know him. But over time, Guiteau came to believe that he was responsible for Garfield winning the presidency. As a result, Guiteau thought Garfield owed him a government job. Guiteau wrote the president several letters requesting positions as a diplomat in Europe. When Garfield did not write back, Guiteau grew angry. He believed Garfield was ruining the Republican Party and destroying the country. For weeks, Guiteau followed the president and plotted to kill him. When he succeeded in shooting Garfield, Guiteau believed he had performed a great service. At his trial, a jury decided that Guiteau was sane – in other words, he was not too mentally unbalanced to be responsible for his crime. Almost a year after he shot the president, Guiteau himself was hanged. Thus the most dramatic event in James Garfield’s presidency came to an end.   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. ​______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   carpenter - n. a person whose job is to make or fix wooden objects or wooden parts of buildings janitor - n. a person who cleans a building and makes minor repairs achieve - v. to get or reach (something) by working hard drew - v. caused to come tone - n. the general quality of a situation advantages - n. something (such as a good position or condition) that helps to make someone or something better or more likely to succeed than others detector - n.  a device that can tell if a substance or object is present : a device that detects the presence of something thus -  adv. in this way or manner : like this dramatic - adj.  attracting attention : causing people to carefully listen and look We want to hear from you. 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Who Tips More, Men or Women

  A new study explores the custom of tipping in the United States. Many Americans give tips to people who perform a job for them, especially workers in the service industry. They pay a little extra to people cutting their hair, driving them across town or serving them a meal at a restaurant. The new survey was done for the website CreditCards.com. Princeton Survey Research Associates questioned over 1,000 individuals. The subjects were asked about how and when they offer tips. The researchers found that men give bigger tips to restaurant workers than women. It also found people allied with the Republican Party give bigger tips than supporters of the Democratic Party. And people who live in the northern U.S. are more generous with tips than those living in the South. The survey found that people who earn $50,000 or more a year give bigger tips than those who earn less than $50,000. One likely reason: the wealthier Americans have more money to spend. The report also said that when getting a haircut, 67 percent always tip the person doing the cutting, while 12 percent never do. In a coffee shop, 29 percent always tip the person preparing their coffee, while 30 percent never do. And when staying at a hotel, 27 percent always tip the housekeeping crew and 31 percent never do. Michael Lynn is a professor of consumer behavior and marketing at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in New York. In other words, he knows a lot about the issue of tipping. In earlier surveys, Lynn said, he found mixed results on the generosity of men and women when it comes to tipping. In some studies, men gave bigger tips than women. In others, women gave more money. Lynn’s own research found that men give bigger tips when the restaurant server is a woman and women give more when the server is a man. Lynn said that in any survey dealing with human generosity, people can say they give more than they really do. There is no way of finding out if people answering a researcher’s questions are telling the truth. Creditcards.com spoke to one server at a restaurant in Virginia. She said, “All of the really big tips I’ve gotten have been from men, and some of the really bad ones have been from groups of women. I think sometimes men tip more because they’re trying to impress someone.” Tipping is important to service workers Tips are very important to service employees. People who work at restaurants often get most of their earnings from tips. Nationwide, Americans generally tip between 15 to 20 percent at restaurants and leave from $2 to $10 a day for the people who clean their hotel rooms. Tips of 15 percent are also common for people who drive taxis. Tipping differs across the world In 2015, Conde Nast Traveler magazine published a report on tipping around the world. Here are some of its findings about restaurants: In Nigeria, a 10 percent tip is enough if a service charge has not already been added to the cost of a restaurant meal. In Brazil, no tip is required because a 10 percent service charge is generally added on restaurant bills. In Cambodia, add $1 US dollar for the server. In Indonesia, a 10 percent tip is added to the bill. But diners often leave a little extra money. In Vietnam, a service charge is not usually added to the restaurant bill. If that’s the case, you should add a 10 percent tip, and more if you use a credit card. But here is something to keep in mind. If you are able to give the person serving you a tip or a bigger one than what is expected, your generosity will be welcome. Many service workers do not make much money, and even an extra dollar or two can make a difference in their lives. I'm Bruce Alpert. And I'm Lucija Milonig.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. What’s your experience? Do you tip? How often? All the time? Once in a while? Never? If you provide services, how often do you get tips? ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   survey - n. an activity in which people are asked questions in order to gather information about what most people think about something restaurant - n. a place where you can buy and eat a meal generous - adj. freely giving or sharing money and other valuable things impress - v. to cause someone to feel admiration or interest consumer – n. someone who buys goods and services impress – v. to affect strongly or deeply bill – n. a record of goods sold or services performed

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Uganda Public Workers Resist New Dress Code

  Ugandans are reacting to new clothing requirements for government employees. Women in a government job are no longer permitted to wear a short skirt or large earrings. And male civil servants must wear a jacket and necktie in the office. The Ministry of Public Service released the requirements on “decent dressing” last week. The new rules have angered some civil servants. Women activists say the rules get Ugandans thinking about things other than the real issues facing the country. Perry Aritua is head of the Women’s Democracy Network. “When a girl is dressed a certain way, that doesn’t mean she’s calling for your attention. Let us focus on the real issues that Ugandans are grappling with -- the theft of our public resources, the inefficiency in service delivery, the absenteeism in public service, the capacity needs that public service has.” The directive bars female public employees from wearing tight clothing, open-toed shoes and skirts or dresses above the knees. Bright-colored nail polish, hair extensions and “exaggerated make-up” are also on the banned list. Male public servants must wear dark pants but they cannot be too tight around the legs. And men may only wear closed-toe black or brown shoes. Adah Muwanga is the human resource manager at the Ministry of Public Service. “People in Uganda have a perception of what a public officer should look like and this is the image we are trying to protect and preserve. We are saying not above the knee, and for one reason, above the knee you know what it means, it can also [be] tantamount to sexual harassment, because when you sit you are exposing your thighs, which is not generally accepted and it can distract others from work.” Rights groups say earlier guidance to civil servants was enough. A 2010 public order required clothing to be neat and practical for one’s job. Ugandans have written to local newspapers about the new rules. One lawyer noted that “rights aren’t taken away overnight. They are taken away in small bits.” A reporter working for VOA spoke to a government employee who did not want to tell her name. “Me I think, my bright nails cannot distract someone, so the government should not discuss about that.” The punishments for disobeying the new rules are unclear. The order said violations would be reported to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Service. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Halima Athumani reported this story from Kampala for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report 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   grapple – v. to try to solve a problem; to deal with a problem (usually + with) inefficiency – n. the lack of ability to do something or produce something without wasting materials, time, or energy; the quality or state of being inefficient capacity – n. the ability to do something; a mental, emotional or physical ability exaggerate – v. to make (something) larger or greater than normal perception – n. the way you think about or understand someone or something thigh – n. the part of your leg that is above the knee distract – v. to cause (someone) to stop thinking about or paying attention to someone or something and to think about or pay attention to someone or something else instead bit – n. small steps or amounts    

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Liberal Portland Deals with Racism

  Portland, Oregon, has long been known as a politically liberal city – and a place that is open to progressive ideas and lifestyles. A common expression about the northwestern American city is “Keep Portland Weird.” But recent events, including violent crimes and protests, are bringing attention to the city’s history with racism. A liberal city with a racist past Today, the cityis a city of 600,000 people. About 72 percent of its residents are non-Hispanic whites, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. By comparison, about 64 percent of the U.S. population is non-Hispanic white. In the 1800s, the city adopted laws aimed at discouraging African Americans from moving there. In the early 1920s, Portland was home to some 9,000 members of the white supremacist group Ku Klux Klan. And in the 1980s and 1990s, neo-Nazi hate groups formed in the city. In recent years, Portland has seen few acts of racial violence. But in May, a suspected white nationalist stabbed and killed two men on a train, after they tried to defend two teenage girls he was harassing. One of the girls was wearing a hijab. Both of the men were white. The attack shocked much of the city -- and the nation. Walidah Imarisha is an expert of black history in Oregon. She told VOA that communities of color were likely less shocked by the train attack. “Being able to be surprised is an incredibly huge privilege that people of color in Portland have never had the luxury of,” Imarisha told VOA. She said that many of Portland’s institutions, including its housing, education, and criminal justice system, have long favored white Americans. Recent racism Djimet Dogo is a Portland resident. He came to the United States from Chad 18 years ago. He arrived as a guest of the U.S. Department of State to speak on African democracy, and was later given asylum. He is now the Africa House Director at Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO). Not long after Donald Trump was sworn-in as president, Dogo says, he and his three young children were eating at a restaurant in Springfield, Oregon. During the meal, an older white man walked up to Dogo and his family. “[He] said, ‘You know what I like about black people? When they smile, you see a white thing in their face,’ and just walked away.” A worker at the restaurant came over to his table in a hurry. ‘“That’s not fair. Sir, are you okay?’” Dogo says she asked him. “I said, ‘Oh, I’m fine. I’m used to those kinds of things.’" Today, about 10 percent of Oregon residents were born outside of the United States. Dogo says his and other immigrants’ sense of “home” is complex. “We, either as refugees or immigrants, come here because you are scared from certain kinds of hate, and then you come here and see a different kind of hate,” he said. “You don’t know what to do.” Opening old wounds After the train stabbings in May, Dogo says fear among immigrant families in the area has risen. “I was talking to a family days ago, and they said, ‘Well, if they can kill two white people, imagine what they are going to do to us.’” Randy Blazak is a criminologist – an expert in the study of crimes and criminals.  He told VOA that Oregon has seen a rise in hate incidents. He says he believes Portland has experienced a pushback as a result of the city slowly becoming less white. In 1980, about 85 percent of Portland residents were non-Hispanic white, compared to 72 percent by 2010. “There is a wound that has been there for a very long time and it heals a little bit, and then an incident like this comes along and sort of rips it off, and we are reminded of all this anger and pain that has always been there,” Blazak said. The anger was in full view during last month’s “Trump Free Speech” rally and anti-hate counter-rallies in Portland. The “Trump Free Speech” supporters protested their right to freedom of speech – no matter who it upsets or offends. Many of them were white men. Some wore army fatigues, and put an American flag over them. They gathered on a federally controlled site. The “anti-hate” protest groups gathered across the street. One of the groups was named “No Nazis On Our Streets.” They were protesting against the language and actions they saw as hateful toward minorities. The two crowds of mostly peaceful protesters were separated by a thin line of armed police forces.  They shouted opposing remarks, like: “Black Lives Matter,” or “All Lives Matter.” Portland local David Willis was in the streets protesting as a “free speecher.” He denounced the train attack, but said he believed the mostly pro-Trump supporters still had a right to express their opinions. “This is something I never felt was safe to do in Portland before, and now that there are others like me, I feel like I can come out and actually do this,” Willis said. Taking their own steps Some Portland residents are taking their own steps to address racism. They are attending a weekly group called The Bridge Project PDX. The group meets to discuss social issues centered on racism. Teresa Floyd helped start the project after the Women’s March in January. She moved to Portland from New Jersey six years ago. She says she found a growing interest among white liberal women in the city to learn how to become better racial justice allies. The Bridge Project PDX quickly grew to more than 580 women. Floyd says changing people’s attitudes about racism involves communication. That includes, she says, communicating with family members or others in your life who you may not agree with. “The change starts with us. It starts with families,” she said. I’m Phil Dierking. And I'm Olivia Liu.   Ramon Taylor reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted her report for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. What do you think can help divided people find compromise?? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   allies - n. a person or group that gives help to another person or group​ criminologist - n. someone who  studies crime, criminals, and the punishment of criminals​ fatigue - n.  the uniform that soldiers wear when they are doing physical work​ hijab - n. the traditional covering for the hair and neck that is worn by Muslim women​ institution - n. an established organization​ non-Hispanic - adj. someone who does not come originally from an area where Spanish is spoken or from Latin America luxury - n. a condition or situation of great comfort, ease, and wealth​ offend - v. to cause (a person or group) to feel hurt, angry, or upset by something said or done​ privilege - n. a right or benefit that is given to some people and not to others​ progressive - adj. gfd pushback - n. a negative or unfavorable response.​ weird - adj. unusual or strange wound - n. an injury that is caused when a knife, bullet, etc., cuts or breaks the skin​

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China Moves to Sharply Limit Outside Internet Availability

  China has asked the country’s three top internet providers to prevent cell phone users from getting access to online material that it does not control. Reports say the telecommunications companies China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom have been told about the policy. The goal appears to be to keep the companies from permitting access to content not approved by the government. This month, the Chinese government reportedly shut down a popular virtual private network service, Green VPN. Virtual private networks, or VPNs, permit users to send secure information over an open internet connection. They are popular ways for internet users in China to get access to internet content outside of China. The move was seen as part of a government campaign to license only companies that it trusted. However, China’s Ministry of Information has denied that it licensed the company, Chuanglian VPN, to sell its services. It went on to note that, “The company involved has never received a telecommunications business license from either the Ministry of Information Industry or the Ministry of Communications.” Efforts to control internet growing? In January, China increased efforts to control the internet by banning unauthorized internet connections. Such connections can include those provided by VPNs. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said the government has set a goal of doing this by the end of March according to the state-run Global Times. Many Chinese internet users are able to use software and services to avoid Chinese government censorship of online material. One blogger, known as “Zola,” who is a free-speech activist said it is not clear if all VPN activity will be banned from the beginning of February. Zola said the government could do this, but it would be costly to carry out such a ban. “If the authorities really want to shut down all VPNs, so that only protocol ports it trusted were able to get online, and all the others were blocked…this would be very difficult, and it would cost a lot of money,” he said. Zola doubted that the government would want to harm the economy by closing down VPNs completely. Another internet used, who did not want to be named, said, “It seems as if everything’s going to get a whole lot stricter from Feb. 1 next year.” The user added, “This will affect our ability to visit overseas websites, because right now they can only be viewed with VPN.” I’m Mario Ritter.   Ding Wenqi reported this story for Radio Free Asia. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   access –v. to be able to get or use something licensed –adj. to have official permission to do something unauthorized –adj. not permitted by a group or government censorship –n. to block or remove material such as writings, film, videos which are not approved by the government protocol –n. the set of rules for sending information over the internet ports –n. entry points for sending information over the internet We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Everyday Grammar: Oxford Comma

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Biodegradable Microbeads Could Help Earth’s Oceans

  Microbeads are tiny pieces of plastic used in many products to help clean skin or teeth. They are a kind of microplastic, which are pieces of plastic less than 5 millimeters in size. They are found in many kinds of exfoliants. In skin and beauty products, the microbeads help to remove dead skin cells and make skin smoother. But these very small pieces of plastic go right into the ocean. Janet Scott is a chemist and researcher at England’s University of Bath. "If you were washing yourself once a day with the microbead containing formulation to give you that nice smooth glow that you get when you use an abrasive formulation, you would be putting something like 80 to 100,000 microbeads down the drain every time you did that..." After going down the drain, those thousands of plastic microbeads go into the ocean. They are too small to be captured in waste water treatment plants. They then become part of the more than 8 million tons of plastic that end up in the oceans every year. The microbeads may absorb, or take on, poisons in the water. This hurts fish that eat the plastic, thinking it is food. Those fish may later end up being in a human’s meal. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that oceans are not the only waters affected. The Great Lakes, rivers and estuaries also contain microbeads and other microplastics. In 2015, the United States banned the use of plastic microbeads in products like soap and toothpaste. Several other countries -- mostly in Europe -- have also called for banning their use. Now, British researchers are using cellulose to create microbeads. Cellulose is a substance found in plants. It is biodegradable. Unlike plastic, it will naturally break down — or degrade -- over time. Janet Scott explains. "Because of the ways cellulose degrades, it should degrade in the waste water treatment plant. It shouldn't even make it into the oceans..." Researchers make the microbeads by pushing the cellulose through a very small steel membrane. Davide Mattia, a chemical engineer with the University of Bath, describes just how small the membrane is. "With this project, we use a relatively small membrane. This is about one centimeter in diameter, roughly 10 centimeters of active area. This membrane itself contains millions of pores, meaning we're making millions of droplets, millions of microbeads..." While that may sound like a lot of microbeads, it is not nearly enough to meet the demand. The team is working to increase production. Mattia explains. "This is too small for an industrial-scale process, and there are two ways to make more beads. One: use a bigger membrane, so this is double the length, so you're making double the amount of product. Or you can also have more than one membrane, and so that's called numbering up. So the more membranes you have the more products you have..." The researchers are working with a British firm called Micropore Technologies. They will help take the production of cellulose microbeads to an industrial level. Other natural products are also being used in place of plastic. They include the pit, or center, of apricot fruits and the shells of nuts. The pits and shells are ground up and are rough enough to be exfoliants. They – along with jojoba beads – have been used for years by cosmetics manufacturers. So has pumice – a lightweight stone formed by volcanic activity. It has long been used in many kinds of exfoliating and cleaning products. I’m Anne Ball. Kevin Enochs wrote this story for VOA News. Anne Ball adapted this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Now, test your understanding with this short quiz. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   exfoliant – n. a mechanical or chemical agent to remove dead cells from the skin’s surface glow – v. to have a warm reddish color from exercise or emotion, to look happy and healthy abrasive – adj. having a rough quality or used for rubbing something to make it smooth absorb – v. to take something in estuary – n. an area where a river flows into the sea biodegradable – adj. capable of being slowly destroyed and broken down into very small parts by natural processes, bacteria, etc. membrane – n. a thin sheet or layer pore – n. a very small opening on the surface of something industrial scale – adj. a large size for commercial use

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'The World Is Your Oyster!'

Looking to the Future at Boston University

Editor's Note: This report is part of a continuing series about international student life at colleges and universities across the United States. Join us over the next several weeks as we bring you stories about international students and the American higher education system as a whole.   Growing up in Hong Kong, Jasmine Lee always planned on going overseas for her higher education needs. Lee attended the Hong Kong International School, a private Christian school. It offers an American-style education from kindergarten classes all the way through high school. The Hong Kong International School teaches both Hong Kong natives and foreigners who live in the former British territory. Almost all of the school’s classes are taught in English. So Lee improved her English skills and learned about the rest of the world at an early age. When Lee finished high school in 2015, she already knew she wanted to go to a university in the United States. But even before then, she had one school in mind. Her older brother started taking classes at Boston University in the American state of Massachusetts in 2012. He loved his experience at the school, she says, so it became her first choice. Boston University, or BU, is a private research university with about 30,000 students. It was officially established in 1869, but it is even older. The school that would become BU was set up 30 years earlier as a religious college in Vermont. Ever since moving to Massachusetts, the school has had a long history of producing world leaders and important thinkers. For example, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone while working in one of its laboratories in 1876. Lee liked the feeling of openness her brother described as part of his experience at BU. Many colleges and universities require students to choose a specific field of study before their first year of classes. But BU admitted Lee’s brother under its general studies program, which let him delay his decision on a field of study. This made Lee so sure she wanted to attend BU that it was the only school to which she applied for admission. She even applied under the university’s early decision program. Usually, American students seek admission to more than one college in the late winter of their final year of high school. They learn which schools have accepted them by spring. But the early decision process is for students who are very interested in attending a specific college or university. Schools with early decision policies let interested students apply earlier. And requesting early decision can help a student’s chances by showing schools just how much a student wants to study there. Lee moved to the United States and began her studies at BU in 2015. She is hoping to complete a bachelor’s degree program in early childhood education. From very early on, the 19-year-old says she enjoyed her newfound independence. On weekends, she explores the city and goes to stores and restaurants with her friends. Boston is a city with a lot of history, especially events related to the American Revolution against Britain. Several parts of the city still have buildings and streets that date back hundreds of years. But the past really is not what concerns Lee. She says she likes to make plans for the future and sets difficult goals for herself. Luckily, she has been able to establish personal connections with her professors at Boston University. Those ties will most likely help her reach her goals after college, she says. "If your professor is in your field … I think you get to build that network with your professor. They can sort of guide you towards your career in the future." For Luka Miladinovic, preparing for the future and life after college has never been more important. Miladinovic is from Belgrade, Serbia’s capital. He began attending BU in 2013. He just completed a bachelor’s degree program in finance. But that was not what he planned on doing four years ago. Miladinovic was at one point listed among some of the best rowers in the world. In fact, he competed in the world championships of rowing in 2011. At that time, Miladinovic was completing his high school education and considering universities to attend both in and outside of Serbia. He wanted to find a school with a top rowing team. After the 2011 world championships, several schools in the United States offered him large amounts of financial assistance if he agreed to join their rowing team. At first, Miladinovic liked the University of Washington, which he says has the best college rowing team in the country. But as soon as he agreed to attend the university, the BU rowing team contacted him. Its coach told the young man he was coming to Belgrade to meet with him in person. When they met, the BU coach said that Miladinovic could join the best team in the country and work to continue its success if he liked. But an even greater test lay in helping a weaker team improve, the coach argued. Miladinovic says he did not agree with that argument at first. But after thinking about what they discussed for several days, he did think the coach might be right. So Miladinovic decided to attend Boston University instead. In the end, Miladinovic says he made the right decision. BU completely covered the costs of his studies in exchange for being on the rowing team. It is common for American universities with the biggest and best sports teams to do so. And he notes the way the coach led his team taught him a lot about how to value the team’s rowers and not be too critical of others. This is a skill Miladinovic says he knows is very important outside the world of sports. "Right now, I believe I can talk to whoever about whatever topic and I’m not going to be judging right away, because I know that so many reasons that stand behind any decision people made in their lives. And that helped me the most, I believe." As his studies at Boston University came to an end, Miladinovic noted that his rowing career will likely end as well. That is why he is thankful he was not just interested in sports when he was considering which school to attend. He says he placed equal value on study programs. Miladinovic says his classes were difficult, but satisfying. He is also happy that he was able to find a job with the university, working in the office responsible for paying BU’s employees. Most student visas do not let students work more than a few hours a week. But Miladinovic says even his short time working in the office greatly improved his communication skills. These are skills he knows he will need for his next big steps in life. I’m Pete Musto. And I'm Alice Bryant.   Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. Lucija Milonig produced the video. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. How do colleges and universities in your prepare students for life after they complete their studies? What are some things you think they could do to improve how they prepare students? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   kindergarten – n. a school or class for very young children class(es) – n. a series of meetings in which students are taught a particular subject or activity specific – adj. special or particular applied – v. asked formally for something, such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan, usually in writing admission – n. the act or process of accepting someone as a student at a school bachelor’s degree – n. a degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after four years of study network – n. a group of people or organizations that are closely connected and that work with each other rower(s) – n. a person who participates in the sport of racing in long, narrow boats that are moved by using oars financial – adj. relating to money coach – n. a person who teaches and trains the members of a sports team and makes decisions about how the team plays during games topic – n. someone or something that people talk or write about 

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China: We Explore the Deep Seas Only for Science

  Chinese scientists say their research in the South China Sea is for scientific purposes only.  And it will not be used to support China’s claims to the disputed territory. Lin Qi is a researcher at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies in Hainan province. The organization is controlled by the government. Lin said the scientists are gathering information on the world’s deepest seas to learn about minerals there. “You could say to some extent that helps protect our sovereignty claim, but actually the goal of these projects’ designs is not mainly one to show the country’s claim,” Lin told VOA in an interview. Researchers from state-operated organizations often express the same political positions as the Chinese government. China claims more than 90 percent of the South China Sea. Some of the sea is also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Both Japan and China claim parts of the East China Sea.   What is China looking for in the seas? Earlier this year, the Chinese government’s China Oceanic Information Network said devices would gather information about the seabed and explore its chemistry, physics and biology. Lin said research devices were deployed in disputed waters because the Yellow Sea and Bohai Gulf near China are not as deep as some other parts of the South China Sea. He said the research will someday be “very helpful” for finding minerals. But he does not think it will help find oil. That is because oil and gas usually come from under continental shelves and slopes rather than ocean floors. China needs to find new natural resources for its 1.37 billion people and for its economy, which depends on manufacturing for its growth. Experts say China’s economy will grow 6.7 percent this year. China needs cleaner-burning fuel to help it reduce the air pollution from the burning of coal. Lin also told VOA that information gathered by the researchers would not be used to strengthen the military. China’s military operates mostly in secret. It has been increasing its control of some small islands in the South China Sea. China has angered other countries that claim parts of the sea by creating artificial islands for military use. It also sails coast guard ships through the areas China says it controls.   Outside observers question China’s aim Observers outside China believe the research is a way for China to strengthen its claim over the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea. Oh Ei Sun, an international studies instructor at Singapore Nanyang University, says “there is an economic aim” to China’s research.  Oh adds that China’s research to “is an act of exhibiting sovereignty.” Fabrizio Bozzato is an expert in Asian politics at the Taiwan Strategy Research Association. He agrees that the deep-sea research is a way for China “to enhance its soft power” and also to mark its territory in the disputed waters. I’m Anne Ball.   Ralph Jennings reported this story from Taipei. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. Hai Do 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   to some extent – expression used to indicate the degree to which something exists, happens, or is true sovereign – n. a country’s independent authority and the right to govern itself exhibit – v. to show or reveal (something) enhance – v. to increase or improve (something) soft power – expression a persuasive approach to international relations, typically involving the use of economic or cultural influence.

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