Poland’s President Vetoes Changes to Judicial System

Poland’s president has vetoed two of three laws designed to change the country’s judicial system. Opponents of the laws have argued that they will harm the independence of the judicial system. Supporters say the country’s judicial system is slow and needs to reform. Andrzej Duda announced his decision on national television. Duda said, “I have decided to send back to the parliament, which means I will veto, the law on the Supreme Court, as well as the one about the National Council of the Judiciary.” His decision followed more than a week of street protests across the country. Law would give ruling party too much power, critics said The first law would permit the justice minister to choose Supreme Court justices. The justice minister also serves as the top lawyer for the government or the prosecutor general. Under Poland’s political system, the bill would have put the Supreme Court under the control of the ruling political party. The president said the prosecutor general has not traditionally had such powers and that he could not permit them now. A second law would give lawmakers the power to choose who sits on the National Judiciary Council. That council nominates Supreme Court Judges. The vetoes appeared to surprise members of the ruling Law and Justice Party. Duda has been considered an ally of the ruling Law and Justice Party although he ended his membership in it when he took office. There had been unconfirmed reports of conflict between the president and party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Duda said he would sign a third law which would change how judges in lower courts are appointed. American and European officials expressed concerns about the laws after the full legislature approved them. At the time, the U.S. State Department urged all sides to make sure such reforms would not violate Poland’s constitution or international laws. It also said the reforms should respect the ideas of judicial independence and separation of powers. The European Union threatened to start the process of ending Poland’s EU voting rights if the laws were passed. Earlier, European Council President Donald Tusk said that he was “disappointed” that Duda had not accepted an invitation to discuss the laws with him before they were passed. Tusk is a former prime minister of Poland. The Associated Press reported that Duda said he would present new versions of laws reforming the Supreme Court and the National Council of the Judiciary within two months. He said he would discuss the changes with experts. The legislature could reject the veto but only with support from minority parties. The Polish president said he did not discuss the legislation with either the ruling party leader or the prime minister. He said a former leading anti-communist activist, Zofia Romaszewska, most influenced his decision to veto. Duda said the activist told him, “Mr. President, I lived in a state where the prosecutors general had an unbelievably powerful position and could practically do everything. I would not like to go back to such a state.” The Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Polish president Lech Walesa called Duda’s move “a difficult and a courageous decision.” I’m Caty Weaver. And I’m Mario Ritter.   Isabela Cocoli reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English with additional material from AP. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   judiciary – n. The branch of government that includes courts of law and judges prosecutor – n. a lawyer who represents the side in a court case that accuses a person of a crime and who tries to prove that the person is guilty disappointed – adj. feeling sad, unhappy, or displeased because something was not as good as expected or because something you hoped for or expected did not happen practically – adv. nearly   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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English in a Minute: Let it Slide

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Lesson 36: I Can Fix This!

Summary Anna bought the wrong foods for the dinner she and Marsha planned for some friends. They are coming in thirty minutes. What will Anna make with the unusual ingredients she bought? Speaking Use this video to practice saying the new words and learn some prepositions of location: in, on, under, and inside. Pronunciation Use this video to learn how to change your intonation when saying compound nouns like pancake mix, shopping list, and peanut butter. Conversation Anna: Last time on Let’s Learn English, Marsha and I invited friends to a dinner party but I shopped with the wrong list. Guests are coming soon. Marsha is worried but I have a plan. Let’s see what it is. Anna: I just need a couple of ingredients. Marsha, please hand me the flour. Marsha: Anna, where is the flour? It's not in the cabinets. Anna: I put the flour inside the refrigerator. Marsha: Why? Anna: It’s cold and dry in the refrigerator. See, it says: “Put in a cold, dry place.” Okay, now, Marsha, please hand me the eggs. Marsha: Anna, where are the eggs? Anna: The eggs are inside the cabinet under the sink. Marsha: Anna, why are the eggs in here? Anna: On the farm, we always put the eggs there. How else can the chickens see them? Okay. You clean the living room. I will make dinner. Marsha: What are you going to make with these ingredients? Anna: I have a plan. Marsha: Okay, the apartment is clean. The kitchen is not. What are you cooking? Anna: I made my favorite recipe: peanut-butter-banana pancakes! Marsha: You made breakfast. Anna: Yes! I call it let’s-eat-breakfast-for-dinner dinner! Marsha: Anna! Mmm! Hey, this tastes good! Anna, you made it work! Anna: That’s our guests! Marsha: I’ll answer the door. Anna: I’ll finish here. Anna: Like I said, sometimes Marsha worries too much. When something goes wrong with your plan, just change the plan! Till next time! Writing What is your favorite recipe? Is it an easy food to cook? Tell us about it. Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice talking about location​s in the kitchen. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Substitute.  That means using one thing instead of another. In using English, if you can't think of a word, you can use a phrase that means the same thing. Let's say you cannot remember the word "huge." You can say "very, very big" instead and communicate the same meaning. Or, you can use a gesture with your arms out to your side. Gestures are another way to substitute when communicating in your second language. In this lesson, after Anna makes pancakes for dinner, she says, "Yes! I call it let’s-eat-breakfast-for-dinner dinner!" She substitutes a breakfast food for a dinner food. Marsha agrees with Anna's substitution. She says, "Anna, you made it work! How about you? Do you ever substitute in speaking English? 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 breakfast - n. the first meal of the day cabinet - n.  a piece of furniture that is used for storing things and usually has doors and shelves dry - adj. having no or very little water or liquid egg - n. a hard-shelled oval thing from which a young bird is born flour - n. powder made from a grain (especially wheat) that is used in cooking for making bread or cakes inside - p.  in or into the inner part of  (something or someone) recipe - n. a set of instructions for making food refrigerator - n. a device or room that is used to keep things (such as food and drinks) cold sink - n. a wide bowl that has a faucet for water and a drain at the bottom and is usually positioned in a counter taste - v. to have a particular flavor under - p. in or to a lower place than (something)  ______________________________________________________________ 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 talking about locations in the kitchen. 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: Prepositions of location Topics: Asking the location of items; Names of locations in the kitchen Learning Strategy: Substitute Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Intonation patterns of compound nouns ____________________________________________________________ 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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Chester A. Arthur: Surprisingly Good

VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. Today we are talking about Chester A. Arthur. (The letter “A” is for Alan, his middle name.) Arthur took office because because of an unexpected event. He was sworn in as Vice President in March 1881 under James Garfield. But only 100 days into Garfield’s term, the president was shot. He suffered for months. Arthur was not close to Garfield. The two men belonged to the same party, but they had different ideas on the issues of the day. They publicly disagreed on a number of subjects. If Garfield lived, Arthur would probably not have much power in his administration. But Garfield eventually died. By this time, it was well-established that if the president of the United States dies in office, the vice president becomes the president. So, in September 1881, Arthur became the country’s chief executive. He served the remaining three and a half years of Garfield’s term. Historians say that, for the most part, Arthur performed ably and well. ​ Early life Chester Arthur was raised in the northeastern states of Vermont and New York. He was one of eight children in his family. Their father was a religious leader and anti-slavery activist. Arthur attended college in New York, then taught school and studied law. But he never wanted to stay in a small town and live modestly. He wanted to live in New York City, work as a lawyer and public official, become wealthy, and enjoy the lifestyle of a gentleman. And that is what he did. Arthur advanced from an entry-level job in a law office, to a leadership position in the military during the Civil War. After the fighting stopped, he worked in a good-paying job as a lawyer, and then accepted a top position in the government. For seven years, Arthur served as the collector of the port of New York. His job involved supervising 1,300 people. They collected large amounts of money that came from taxes on imported goods. The job had a political element, too. It was under the control of a U.S. senator from New York, Roscoe Conkling. Conkling was known as a Republican Party chief, who traded political support for financial and other benefits. Arthur was never found guilty of accepting money or gifts in exchange for the help of his office. But he was closely linked to Conkling’s political machine.  When Rutherford B. Hayes became president in 1878, he tried to fight corruption in government jobs. He targeted Conkling and Arthur. Election of 1880 Arthur’s position as the collector of the port of New York was one of the issues in the election of 1880. President Hayes had suspended Arthur from the job. To get it back, Arthur and Conkling supported an effort to re-elect former president Ulysses S. Grant. But another candidate won the Republican Party’s presidential nomination: James Garfield. Garfield and Arthur were not natural allies. Although they were both Republicans, they represented different points of view. Political leaders hoped to unite the party. So, when Garfield was chosen as the presidential candidate, they added Arthur as the vice presidential nominee. The effort to unite the party worked well enough to win the election. But relations between the two men were uneasy. One of Garfield’s first acts was to appoint someone for Arthur’s old job in New York. The new president wanted someone who was not loyal to Conkling. So he gave the position to one of his supporters, instead. In protest, Conkling resigned from the Senate. But then events took an unexpected turn. Garfield was shot by a mentally unbalanced man who believed the president owed him a government job. And Chester A. Arthur became president. Presidency When Arthur took office, he had the public image of being an experienced political operator. Most people believed he cared only about supporting the aims of a small part of the Republican Party. Instead, President Arthur took an independent position on several issues. In opposition to most of his party, Arthur supported legislation to reform the country’s civil service. It aimed to clean up corruption in government and took away some of the ability of politicians to give government jobs to their supporters. (To be fair, in the short term, the act helped Arthur’s party.) Arthur also broke with the Republican Party leadership to support a reduction in tariffs. And he strongly argued to limit spending federal money on projects that helped only a few areas or businesses. Instead, he wanted to cut taxes so more people would profit from the government’s surplus.   Finally, Arthur vetoed an anti-immigration act from Congress. The measure proposed banning Chinese immigrants for 20 years. Arthur argued that the Chinese had improved the American economy by helping build a railroad across the country. He also did not want to hurt potential trade with China. However, when Congress offered to ban Chinese immigrants for only 10 years, Arthur agreed. In addition, his administration banned immigrants who were considered poor, criminal, or mentally insane.  Perhaps Arthur’s most memorable act as president, however, was to re-decorate the White House. He did not like its appearance inside. So he asked one of New York’s top designers, Louis Tiffany, to make the home brighter and more stylish. In the newly remodeled rooms, Arthur held parties, with fine food and drink, for elite guests. He was known as “The Gentleman Boss.” Legacy   Observers then and now say that Arthur served well as president. He was a solid leader after the difficult years of the Civil War and Reconstruction.   But Arthur did not live much beyond his presidency. Shortly into his term, he learned he had a serious kidney disease that would likely kill him. As a result, he did not try hard to get re-elected. Instead, after finishing his term he returned to his home in New York. Arthur tried to work as a lawyer, but he soon became too sick. His wife had died of malaria before he became president. And he liked to spend his free time fishing or with friends instead of with his children. But, in his last months, he could not enjoy those activities either. He died at home at the age of 57. 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 this story by taking a listening quiz. Play each video clip and then choose the best answer. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   chief executive - n. the president of a country modestly - adv. not very large in size or amount advanced - v.  moved forward element - n. a particular part of something benefits - n. a good or helpful result or effect tariffs - n. taxes on goods coming into or leaving a country stylish - adj. following the popular style: fashionable elite - adj. the people who have the most wealth and status in a society Reconstruction - n. the period from 1867 to 1877 when the southern states joined the northern states again after the American Civil War We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. 

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US Face Scanning Program Concerns Privacy Groups

U.S. officials want to scan the faces of all air travelers, including American citizens, leaving the country. The Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, says it is the only way to successfully track non-immigrant foreigners. But privacy activists say it takes surveillance of innocent citizens to a new level. DHS wants to expand face scan program Since 2004, visitors to the U.S. have been required to submit to biometric identity scans. Currently, fingerprints and photographs are collected before entry into the country. DHS now says it is ready to use face scans. The agency says the goal is to better follow people who overstay their visas and to strengthen security. The agency says nearly 700,000 people overstayed their visas in 2016. That includes people who left the country one day late, or those for whom there is no departure record. In May, DHS said in a privacy study of its Traveler Verification Service that it has been working on a biometric system for departing travelers since 2013. The agency has carried out tests at six U.S. airports in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, New York City and Washington, DC. During the tests, passengers were permitted not to take part. But the DHS report says that will not always be the case. “The only way for an individual to ensure he or she is not subject to collection of biometric information when traveling internationally is to refrain from traveling,” the report says. John Wagner is head of the program. He told the Associated Press that U.S. citizens leaving the country will have to submit to face scans. Wagner says the agency has no plan to keep the biometric information longer than 14 days. However, that could change in the future with “privacy reviews and approvals.” Jennifer Gabris is a spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection. She says officials have not examined if laws need to be changed to permit keeping the information longer. Democratic Senator of Massachusetts Edward Markey said U.S. citizens should be able to choose to have their face scanned. In an email message to the AP, Markey said he will closely watch the program. He wants to ensure that Americans can choose if they want to be subject to it. Privacy activists concerned about the system Alvaro Bedoya is the executive director of the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown University. He says the government is ignoring privacy rules. He said, “Congress authorized scans for foreign nationals. DHS heard that and decided to scan everyone. That’s not how a democracy is supposed to work.” The Center on Privacy and Technology notes that many state and local law enforcement agencies in the U.S. have used face-recognition searches. Last year, half of all American adults, more than 117 million people had their information stored in a face recognition network. Several federal agencies have had access to some of the face recognition network. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, has already collected 30 million pictures in one database. Dan Stein is president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. His group supports greater immigration restrictions. He said privacy concerns or concerns about the technology should not prevent the government from moving ahead with the program. U.S. citizens have already sacrificed much of their privacy as the price of fighting terrorists, he said. Scanning all those faces is very complicated The Department of Homeland Security’s program to scan faces of people leaving the country is expected to cost billions of dollars. And airports do not have a system to separate Americans from foreign visitors as they prepare to take flights out of the country. Customs and Border Protection, part of DHS, says it is not practical to have separate boarding systems for citizens and non-citizens. It also says that combining U.S. citizen’s passports with face scans will ensure that no one travels on a passport that is not their own. Face recognition technology, however, is not perfect. Different expressions on people’s faces could cause mistakes. Anil Jain is a computer science professor at Michigan State University. He has said the most accurate systems fail 5 to 10 percent of the time. Some experts say such a high rate of failure would cause big problems for airlines. Australia offers facial recognition for travelers as an option for avoiding regular immigration controls for arriving and departing air travelers. The European Union also is seeking limited use of face scans and fingerprint collection for some departing foreigners. I’m Ashley Thompson. And I'm Mario Ritter.   Frank Bajak and David Koenig reported this story for AP. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English with some additional materials. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   surveillance –n. the act of watching people or developments often for law enforcement purposes biometric –adj. involving the use or study of biological measurements such as appearance, height, weight, etc. scans –n. the act of taking a digital picture of something with detailed information that can be shared fingerprints –n. the impression of a person’s fingertips used for identification authorize –v. to permit database –n. a collection of information, usually digital, that can be searched and studied hacking –n. secretly accessing digital information to take it or cause damage option –n. to opportunity to choose between two or more possibilities We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Conservation Farming Means Healthy Soil and Profits

  Agriculture experts have a message for farmers worldwide: Take care of your soil, and your soil will take care of you. By using the techniques of “conservation agriculture”, they say farmers can save their land and save money, at the same time. This is becoming more important as the world’s population grows.  More people means more food needs to be grown to feed them. Most modern agriculture looks like long rows of green crops covering large areas of land. They have neat rows of single kinds of plants with uncovered soil in between. Trey Hill’s farm in the U.S. state of Maryland does not look anything like that. Instead, there are green plants mixed in with what is left from other plants. Together they cover the soil. "If you don't like your fields to look like a mess -- It has to kind-of grow on you. Yet, I have a lot of other owners and peers that are, like, 'Wow, what you're doing is really exciting.'" So, what is farmer Hill doing that is different? He is going against farming practices that are thousands of years old. Most farmers around the world till their fields. That means they turn over and break up the soil before every planting. In modern times they use mechanical equipment to do the work. In addition to tilling their fields, most farmers leave the soil bare, or uncovered, in the off-season. That is when they are not growing a crop. And many plant the same crop year after year. All three of these methods can wear out the soil, however. Some experts are backing the so-called conservation agriculture used by farmers like Hill. David Montgomery is a professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. His newest book is called Growing a Revolution.  He spoke to VOA by Skype. "These principles of conservation agriculture flip all three of those ideas on their head. So, it's a completely different philosophy to not till, to always have the ground covered with either a commercial crop or a cover crop, and to grow a much more diverse rotation." Farmer Hill plants his crops into what is left of the crop before—without tilling the soil. In the off-season he covers his fields with different crops.  They hold onto the soil, and help prevent erosion, when water and wind remove soil. The cover crop is not meant to be harvested. Instead, it feeds the soil. University of Maryland soil scientist Ray Weil says these fields will do better in times of extreme dryness. "This kind of cover, whether it's standing or down here, is going to drastically increase the amount of rain that soaks into the soil." And, Hill says, this kind of farming is more profitable. Less tilling means using less fuel for his farm equipment. He buys less fertilizer – which are substances added to the soil-- because his cover crops feed the soil.  Hill, however is not an organic farmer.  He kills his cover crops with chemicals. But Weil says healthy soils do not have to be organic. "These soils are full of life. And I bet you could go into even a certified organic field, if it's been tilled, you'll never find these things crawling around." Of course, this is not a perfect solution. Hill says some of these methods create new problems for him. "Actually, this field was planted twice because slugs ate the beans the first time. Obviously, not very cost-effective. Seed's expensive. Planter's expensive. Diesel's expensive. So, it cost us a lot of money to learn. But we view it all as a learning process." Experts are working to help farmers in the developing world, as climate change and rising populations increasingly challenge the world's food growers. I’m Anne Ball.   Steve Baragona wrote this story for VOA News.  Anne Ball adapted this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Quiz  See how well you understand the story by taking this quiz. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   conservation – n. the protection of animals, plants and natural resources peer – n. a person in the same social or age group practice – n. method till – v. to turn over and break up the soil before planting a new crop wear out – v. to make something tired, it is less useful flip – v. to turn something over quickly cover crop – n. crops planted not for harvest but to keep down weeds, build better soil and help control harmful creatures and diseases diverse rotation – n. planting different kinds of crops in different years drastically – adv. extreme in action and effect organic – adj. grown or made without artificial chemicals slug – n. a kind of creature that eats and damages crops  

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Women Discuss Inequality, Sexual Harassment in Silicon Valley

  In recent months, reports of sexual bias and harassment have shaken California’s Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley is famous as a center for start-up businesses and high-technology companies. Many of its products are popular across the United States and around the world. But some women working there say they have been mistreated. They talk about men making unwanted sexual comments in an office environment. And a number of male business leaders have left their companies. They include Travis Kalanick, the former head of Uber. He resigned from the company after women criticized the culture of the ride-sharing service. Recently, more than 30 women took part in an indoor cycling event to try to increase understanding of one issue: how male investors treat women who create startup businesses and female employees. Tim Draper, a well-known investor, owns Draper Associates and Draper University. He organized the event in San Mateo, California. “This is an exciting time for women and I’m all for it. Let’s go. Let’s start businesses. There’s no glass ceiling if you start your own business.” Pearly Chen is the top aide to a woman heading a technology company. “I think men have to be very important champions for women empowerment, because the reality is that most decision-makers today on the top -- political, business leaders -- are men, so they have to be part of the change.” Many women have begun telling stories about the discrimination and harassment they faced when proposing ideas to male investors.   Wendy Dent is the founder of Cinemmerse, a tech company. “You pitch your idea and they go, ‘Oh, that’s really interesting.’ And it was more like they were just setting up dates.” Dent once worked as a fashion model. She is now a businesswoman. She says she faced harassment when she met with a would-be adviser. “What was I going to do, go to the police?” Instead, Dent worked on her company, which makes an app for computers. “I fell deeply into a hole and didn’t know what to do. And I learned to code. I decided he’s not gonna win.”  As more women talk about the problem publicly and on social media, they are having an effect on the industry. Kate Mitchell is an investor in high-tech companies. “You can use things like social media now, and other many outlets we have, not just the courts, to communicate what we’re all seeing within the industry. And I think that’s one of the biggest changes.” I’m Jonathan Evans.   VOA Silicon Valley Correspondents Deana Mitchell and Michelle Quinn reported this story from San Mateo, California. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted their 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   bias – n. the act of having a strong and often unfair influence on (someone or something) harassment – n. to annoy or bother (someone) in a constant or repeated way glass ceiling – n. an unfair system or set of attitudes that prevents some people (such as women or people of a certain race) from getting the most powerful jobs pitch – v. to talk about or describe (something) in a favorable way so that people will want to buy it, accept it, etc. code – n. to change (information) into a set of letters, numbers or symbols that can be read by a computer impact – n. to have a strong and often bad effect on (something or someone) outlet – n. something that people use to express their emotions or talents

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Study: Boss Paid 271 Times More than Average Worker

The chief executive officers of America's largest companies were paid an average of $15.6 million in 2016 says a recent study by an economic research group. The Economic Policy Institute published the report written by Lawrence Mischel and Jessica Schieder. They say the average business leader’s pay was 271 times what an average worker earns at the companies they studied. This chief executive-to-worker pay ratio is smaller than it has been in the past few years. In 2014, the ratio was 299-to-1, according to the report. However, it is still much higher than the 20-to-1 ratio between chief executives and workers in 1965. In 1989, that difference was 59-to-1. In the last 30 years, the salaries of chief executive officers, or CEOs, has grown much faster than the pay of the average worker at the companies they oversee. In addition, CEO’s pay has increased much faster than the value of stock shares in the companies they lead.  To get their results, the researchers added up employees’ pay, special rights to buy stock at lower than market prices, and bonuses. The Economic Policy Institute is a research organization that studies the concerns of low- and middle-income workers. According to the website Salary.com, CEOs are paid very high salaries because their skills and responsibilities are "extreme." They say there is only a limited number of people who can perform these job duties. The report also noted the earnings of low-paid workers. The lowest paid full-time U.S. workers earn a minimum wage of about $15,000 a year. The minimum wage is the lowest amount of hourly pay a company can legally pay its employee. Most workers in the U.S. earn more than the minimum wage, and many states have a higher minimum wage than the federal limit. However, workers who earn the least amount of money in the study earn about one 1,000th the pay of the highest earning CEOs. The U.S. federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. It has not been increased in eight years. According to the group Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, the buying power of that amount has decreased by about 15% because of inflation. The issue of raising the federal minimum wage has been controversial.  Many businesses say that raising the minimum wage will result in fewer low-paying jobs. The group Business for a Fair Minimum Wage disagrees. It said that raising the minimum wage for the lowest-paid workers could help the economy by increasing the amount of money people have to spend. I’m Phil Dierking.   Jim Randle reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted his report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. What do think the ratio of boss-to-worker pay is in your country? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   bonus - n. an extra amount of money that is given to an employee​ controversial - adj.  relating to or causing much discussion, disagreement, or argument​ ratio - n.  the relationship that exists between the size, number, or amount of two things and that is often represented by two numbers​ salary - n.  an amount of money that an employee is paid each year​

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Everyday Grammar: Dying Grammar Rules

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Children, Displaced by Boko Haram, Listen to Radio Lessons

The militant group Boko Haram has prevented many children in parts of North Africa from attending school. But The United Nations children's agency (UNICEF) says tens of thousands of children in the Lake Chad area are learning from educational radio broadcasts. The radio broadcasts provide lessons on reading, mathematics, and how to stay safe during the violence. UNICEF said the broadcasts reach about 200,000 displaced and out-of-school children in the Far North area of Cameroon and southern Niger. Patrick Rose is a UNICEF spokesman. He told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that “the level of boredom among children in camps for the displaced is tremendous." He added that "with this radio education program, children will receive lessons in a structured way that keeps them in a rhythm... so that when they go back to school they won't be so far behind." The project is supported by the European Union and the governments of Cameroon and Niger. About 150 lessons are being broadcast in both French and local languages, UNICEF said. UNICEF also have trained local school teachers to identify and deal with security threats to protect children from Boko Haram. The organization wants to provide affected children with psychological support. UNICEF says Boko Haram has killed more than 600 teachers and forced over 1,200 schools to close in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad. The militants have killed more than 20,000 people since 2009 and forced about 2.7 million others to flee. Opposing forces have pushed Boko Haram out of most of the territory it held in early 2015.  But the group continues to attack in northeast Nigeria, as well as in Cameroon and Niger. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Kieran Guilbert reported this story for Thompson Reuters Foundation. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   boredom – n. the state of being bored psychological – adj. of or relating to the mind; mental rhythm – n. a regular, repeated pattern of events, changes, activities, etc. tremendous – adj. very large or great

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US College Leadership Lacks Diversity

Renu Khator, the president of the University of Houston, is unlike most presidents of colleges and universities in the United States. For one thing, she was born in India. And she did not speak any English when she arrived in the U.S. at the age of 18. Khator came to the American state of Indiana in 1974. At that time, her husband was earning a doctoral degree from Purdue University. But Khator says she was not satisfied simply waiting for her husband to complete his education. She completed her own doctoral degree at Purdue in 1985 and began teaching political science at the University of South Florida. In 2008, Khator was appointed president of the University of Houston and chancellor of the University of Houston System. The system is made up of four universities. With the appointment, Khator became the first Indian immigrant to lead a major research university in the U.S. She also became the first female leader of the University of Houston System. Throughout her career, Khator says she has faced some difficulties making the same progress as others in her field because of her race and gender. "I had to fight a little bit harder. And I don’t mind that because I think that built my character. But as I moved up, I made sure that other people who are coming behind me don’t have to fight those similar kinds of situations." The American Council on Education (or ACE) studies issues of higher education. The organization says only three out of ten college presidents in the U.S. are women. And only about two out of ten are ethnic or racial minorities. The information came from its study of 1,500 university and college presidents, released in June. Lorelle Espinosa is a researcher and one of the lead writers of the ACE report. She says this lack of diversity is a major problem considering how diverse the students at U.S. colleges have become. In 2016, the U.S. Department of Education reported that more than half of the 20.5 million college students in the U.S. were female. Also, the number of African American college students increased from 11.7 to 14.1 percent between 2000 and 2015. The number of Hispanic students grew from 9.9 to 17.3 percent in that same time. Espinosa argues that university leadership can best serve this increasingly diverse population when they represent the kinds of students they are serving. Women and minority presidents would have a better understanding of the needs of students who are like them. But schools continue to favor older white men for president positions, she says. The ACE study shows the average age of an American college president is 62. About 25 percent have also been president of another college before accepting their current position. Espinosa notes that when schools only look for candidates with years of experience in administration, they are going to keep choosing the same types of people. But having years of experience does not necessarily mean a person will have the skills to deal with new issues in higher education, she says. "What we have to do is take, actually, a larger step back and think about, ‘What does experience mean and are we defining experience in the right way?’ … As the student body has evolved, and even as technology evolves … we’re getting into a lot of new spaces that require different types of experience. It’s not just, ‘You’ve been a president before.’" Rod McDavis works with AGB Search, a company that helps colleges and universities identify presidential candidates. He was also the president of Ohio University for 13 years. As an African American man, he says the lack of diversity in college leadership is troubling. But he says it is also not fair to blame schools for wanting someone who is familiar with the responsibilities of running a school. "It’s hard to fault a board for wanting … a sufficient amount of experience. ... You have to look at what a person has done within the time he or she has served in a particular office." McDavis admits that the way schools identify candidates can be limiting. First a school’s governing board must decide the qualities it wants in a president. Then the board creates a search committee, including professors, administrators and both current and former students. The committee then creates a list of possible candidates who possess the desired qualities. The majority of candidates on these lists are usually deans or provosts, McDavis says. Schools most often choose professors to fill these roles based on their records of research publication and service to the school as a whole. McDavis argues that many schools do not do enough to support women and minority faculty in moving their careers forward. So, search committees often find fewer women and minority candidates with leadership experience. That is why Diana Natalicio says it is important for more colleges and universities to create policies and plans to support diversity. Natalicio became the first female president of the University of Texas at El Paso in 1988 and has served in that role ever since. Natalicio says young people need to see diverse leaders in order to believe they can reach those positions one day. “These individuals send a signal to all students … [that] they too can [hope] to be in these roles,” Natalicio says. “If everyone who is an administrator at the highest level at universities around the country is a white male … [that’s not] the kind of role model that [women and minorities] need to see in order to … [reach] higher.” Natalicio suggests that schools need to actively choose to diversify their lists of presidential candidates. Also, schools must work with younger, inexperienced faculty. They must guide them in making choices in areas like research and service work that will advance their careers. Otherwise college leadership will stay as the same, Natalicio adds, even while the students continue to change. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly. And I’m Pete Musto.   Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. What does the leadership at colleges and universities in your country look like? How might having a more diverse leadership affect the way colleges and universities in your country operate? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   doctoral degree – n. the highest degree that is given by a university chancellor – n. the head of some U.S. universities character – n. the good qualities of a person that usually include moral or emotional strength, honesty, and fairness diversity – n. the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization evolve(d) – v. to change or develop slowly often into a better, more complex, or more advanced state fault – v. to blame or criticize someone board – n. a group of people who manage or direct a company or organization sufficient – adj. having or providing as much as is needed particular – adj. used to indicate that one specific person or thing is being referred to and no others dean – n. a person who is in charge of one of the parts of a university  provost – n. an official of high rank at a university role(s) – n. the part that someone has in a family, society, or other group advance – v. to move forward

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