News Words: Impact

What does it mean to have an impact on something? Find out in this week's News Words.

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America's Presidents - Theodore Roosevelt

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Lesson 46: May I Borrow That?

Summary Anna finds out it's Marsha's birthday. She wants to give her a present. But she does not have much money. What will she do? Speaking In this video, learn how to say the new words. Then learn how to talk about borrowing or lending.​ Pronunciation Use this video to practice the pronunciation of words that end with an "r" sound in American English. Conversation   Anna: Have a nice day at work Marsha! Marsha: You too, Anna. Oh, wait. Do you have pen and paper I can borrow? Anna: Of course. Marsha: We are meeting at this restaurant tonight. Anna: What is happening tonight? Marsha: Today is my birthday. We are celebrating at 7pm tonight. Did you forget? Anna: Sorry, Marsha! I gotta go! See you later! Marsha: Don't forget! Tonight … 7pm! Anna: I forgot Marsha’s birthday! And I don’t get my paycheck until next week. I know. I'll make her a gift. I’ll just have to borrow a couple of things. Anna: Amelia, may I borrow your stapler? Amelia: Sure. I can lend you my stapler, Anna. But please return it. It’s my favorite stapler. Anna: You can trust me. I understand. One time, I loaned my stapler to the wrong person. Anna: Thanks, Amelia. Amelia: Don’t mention it. Bye, stapler! Anna: Jonathan! Can I borrow your scissors? Jonathan: Oh! Hi, Anna! What’re you doing? Anna: Can I borrow your scissors? Sorry to bother you. Jonathan: Yes, I can lend them to you, but you must return them. These scissors -- they are the sharpest scissors in the office. Watch. Anna: Wow, those are sharp. I will be very careful. Jonathan: Okay. Anna: And I’ll bring them back tomorrow. Jonathan: Good. Anna: Thank you. Jonathan: You're welcome. Anna: Happy Birthday, Marsha! (gives Marsha a gift) Marsha: Thanks, Anna! I love birthday gifts! Anna, it is … interesting. What is it? Anna: Well, I know you love hats. And you need office supplies. So, this is your own office supply hat! Marsha: Wow! That is a lot of office supplies! Anna: Many people loaned or shared their supplies with me. Some people really love their office supplies. It has paper, pens, tape, erasers, rubber bands, binder clips, paper clips, and a light! Marsha: What is the balloon for? Anna: The balloon will help your friends find you. Let’s try it! You get a seat in the restaurant - I will find you! Anna: Sometimes all the money in the world can’t buy the perfect gift. Until next time!   Writing In this lesson, Anna makes a gift for her friend Marsha. Did you ever make a gift for a friend or a family member? What was it? How did you make 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 borrowing and lending office supplies. You can now fill in the activity sheet on the computer!   Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Act it Out. When we act out something, using our body instead of using words, we are finding another way to communicate our meaning.  That helps when we do not know a word, or when it is too loud to talk. We can also use this strategy to build stronger memories of the things we are learning. In this lesson, Anna wants to ask Jonathan if she can borrow his scissors. But he is listening to loud music, so she acts out using scissors. He understands that she wants to use his scissors easily before he hears her question. Do you ever act out the new words you are learning in English? Try it with the new words for office supplies in this lesson. Say each word and make an action with your hands as if you are holding or using that thing. Does it help you learn the new words? 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   borrow - v. to take and use (something that belongs to someone else) for a period of time before returning it bring back - phrasal verb. to return with (something or someone) celebrate - v. to do something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion or holiday gift - n. something that is given to another person lend - v. to give (something) to (someone) to be used for a period of time and then returned loan - v. to give (something) to (someone) for a period of time mention - v. to talk or write about something or someone in a brief way don't mention it -used to answer someone who has just thanked you for something paycheck - n. the money that you regularly earn sharp - adj. having a thin edge that is able to cut things supplies - n. [plural] : things (such as food, equipment, fuel, and so on) that are needed for a particular purpose   Office Supplies ​______________________________________________________ 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 borrowing and lending things. For Teachers ​ Grammar: Verbs lend, borrow, and loan Topics: Asking for permission Learning Strategy: Act It Out Pronunciation: Words that end in "r" in American English 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. ____________________________________________________________ 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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August 16, 2017

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

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Facebook Offers New Video Service

  Last week, Facebook announced its newest service: Facebook Watch, which lets you watch original videos on Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook announced on his Facebook page that the service will be coming soon. Facebook Watch is a streaming video service, like Netflix. Facebook Watch also is similar to traditional television in that shows will be scheduled. You can watch shows as they are added each week at a certain day and time, just like traditional TV. This video from Facebook introduces Facebook Watch: Facebook Watch is free. Some shows will have advertisements, however. What you can watch on Facebook Watch Facebook Watch will include news, entertainment, sports, cooking and reality programs. Some shows will be broadcast live while others will be recorded. Facebook plans to have hundreds of shows available at first; up to thousands of shows later. Major League Baseball will be showing one game a week on Facebook Watch. Other shows will come from sites such as A&E, Mashable, National Public Radio (NPR), NASA, and National Geographic. One example of a new Facebook Watch show is Returning the Favor with Mike Rowe. Rowe will visit towns where people are doing extraordinary things. Then he will do something extraordinary for them, in return. You can suggest people to be included on the show by posting on Mike Rowe's Facebook page. ​Facebook Watch is social Unlike other streaming media or traditional TV, Facebook Watch has social features that can help users connect with others. Mark Zuckerberg said, "It can be a chance to share an experience and bring people together who care about the same things." Users will be able to add comments on Facebook as they watch. They can discuss a show with their friends as it is broadcast. Shows on Facebook Watch will include fan groups that Facebook users can join. In the groups, users can share their thoughts and connect with others to discuss the show. Finding shows to watch Facebook has added several ways to make it easy to find shows that interest you. Facebook Watch has a watchlist so you can remember to watch your favorite shows as soon as they become available. There is also a Discover section to help find shows that might interest you. Facebook Watch will suggest videos that your Facebook friends like. You will find them in the fittingly titled “What Your Friends Are Watching” section. Additionally, users will see suggestions for videos popular across Facebook, in sections such as “Most Talked About” or “What's Making People Laugh.” How to watch Facebook Watch Facebook Watch is now available to a small group of Facebook users in the United States. The group is helping to test for any problems in the service. When ready, Facebook Watch will become available to all users in the country. Later, it will be released to the entire Facebook world. Facebook Watch can be used through Facebook's mobile app and website. Look for a TV icon on Facebook to see whether you have Facebook Watch. I’m Caty Weaver.   Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Do you have Facebook Watch yet? Are you looking forward to watching shows on Facebook Watch? What would you like to watch on Facebook Watch? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   original - adj. made or produced first : not a copy, translation, etc. streaming  - adj. playing continuously as data is sent to a computer over the Internet schedule - n. a list of the television or radio programs that are on a particular channel and the times that they begin certain - adj. known for sure; established beyond doubt. extraordinary - adj. extremely good or impressive​ watchlist - n. a list of things to be monitored  

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Americans Preparing for Total Eclipse of the Sun

  On Monday, August 21, the sun, moon and Earth will line up perfectly over many parts of the United States. This event, called a total solar eclipse, will turn day into night for a few minutes. Then the skies will slowly lighten again. For the first time in nearly 100 years, the total solar eclipse will be visible from the U.S. West Coast to the East Coast. The total eclipse can be seen along a path about 110 kilometers wide and reach across 14 states. Many areas near the main path should notice some darkness in the sky. A partial eclipse will extend up through Canada and down through Central America and the top of South America. This eclipse is expected to be the most ever studied and celebrated. Many places have organized events or are offering special products to celebrate the total solar eclipse. For example, you can find such products at the Eclipse Kitchen, a restaurant in Makanda, Illinois. It is selling eclipse t-shirts, safety glasses and even eclipse burgers. Scientists are also very excited about this eclipse. “This is a really amazing chance to just open the public’s eyes to wonder,” says Angela Des Jardins of Montana State University. Des Jardins, a physicist, is leading an eclipse balloon project for NASA, the U.S. space agency. On August 21, students will launch balloons equipped with cameras into the sky. The cameras will send back video of the eclipse along the way. Powerful satellites and telescopes on the ground will also be pointed at the sun and the moon’s shadow. Astronauts will do the same with cameras on the International Space Station. Ships and airplanes will also catch the action. Thomas Zurbuchen is the head of NASA’s science mission office. He said, “It’s going to be hard to beat, frankly." At the same time, researchers will watch how animals and plants react to the darkness. It will be like nightfall, with temperatures expected to drop. NASA will also present a special eclipse program on television and the internet from Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston will be the most eastern viewing point in the U.S. for the total eclipse. The eclipse will last just 1.5 hours as the moon's shadow moves from coast to coast at speeds faster than 2,400 kilometers an hour. The sun’s crown — its normally invisible outer atmosphere known as the corona — will shine in a circle around the eclipse. It is true that full solar eclipses happen every one, two or three years, when the moon positions itself between the sun and Earth. But they are often only visible in the middle of the ocean, or near the less-populated North or South Poles. In no other country but the U.S. will the total eclipse be visible from one end of the country to the other. But the full path of the eclipse is much longer. It starts in the North Pacific Ocean, ends in the Atlantic, and covers 13,800 kilometers. Twenty-one U.S. National Park locations and seven national historic trails will be in the eclipse's path. Looking at the sun with unprotected eyes is always dangerous, except during the few minutes when the sun, moon and Earth are fully in line. But eye protection is needed before and after the full eclipse. About 200 million Americans live within one day’s drive of the main path, and huge crowds are expected. Transportation officials are already warning travelers to be patient. Kevin Van Horn is an astronomy lover from a town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He plans to make the 8.5-hour drive to Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Cindy. Nashville is the largest city along the eclipse’s main path. Without the trip, Van Horn noted, “It would be like going to the Super Bowl and sitting outside the stadium rather than being inside and watching it.” But this will be the 13th total solar eclipse for Rick Fienberg, a representative of the American Astronomical Society. He will be traveling to Oregon for the event. “Going through life without ever experiencing totality,” Fienberg said, “is like going through life without ever falling in love.” To give everyone a chance to see the eclipse, many U.S. schools are canceling classes. And, some workplaces plan to take a break or close for the day. I'm Alice Bryant. And I'm Bryan Lynn.   The Associated Press' Marcia Dunn reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   visible – adj. able to be seen vineyard – n. a field where wine grapes are grown t-shirt – n. a shirt that has short sleeves and no collar and that is usually made of cotton be hard to beat – expression. to be the best; to be better than other things of its kind trail – n. a path through a forest, field, or mountain range that is used for hiking and seeing plants and animals Super Bowl – n. the yearly championship game of the National Football League shadow – n. a dark area or shape made by an object blocking rays of light burger – n. short for hamburger, a sandwich made of ground beef

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Ice Cream, Research Supplies Reach Space Station

  The International Space Station, or ISS, received some interesting supplies Wednesday: ice cream and live mice. The SpaceX Dragon capsule connected with the ISS after a two-day flight from Cape Canaveral, Florida. American astronaut Jack Fisher used the space station’s robotic arm to capture the Dragon capsule. At the time, they were traveling 400 kilometers above the Pacific Ocean, near New Zealand. Most of the 3-ton load is for research. But the capsule also brought a sweet treat. The United States space agency, NASA, added vanilla, chocolate and birthday cake ice cream to the food supplies. That last flavor came just in time to celebrate American astronaut Randolph Bresnik’s birthday. He recently reached the ISS, and turns 50 next month. Bresnik’s crewmate Peggy Whitson will also probably enjoy the treats. She has been on the ISS since November. “Congratulations on a job well done,” Mission Control radioed from Houston. “You guys have just won yourselves some fresh food.” Science experiments The Dragon also brought an extra-large science cargo. Among the supplies is an instrument to find cosmic rays. Cosmic rays are particles that hit the Earth from anywhere beyond its atmosphere. The U.S. Army also put a small satellite on board to be released from the station this fall. It has low-cost cameras and telescopes. The military wants to see how small satellites like this might help ground operations. The 20 live mice shipped to the station will be used in a study of an eye problem. Some male astronauts have suffered this problem in space. Scientists will study the pressure in the animals’ eyes and how fluid moves in their brains. Florida State University’s Michael Delp is leading the experiment. He says thirty days in space for mice is similar to three years for humans. Sometimes the vision problem lasts long after spaceflight. Delp says the study may help explain why female astronauts do not experience the problem. Also on the space station are protein crystals that may provide information about Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson's is a chronic brain and nervous system disease that affects people’s movement. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is a partner in the experiment. Fox is an actor who suffers from the disease. SpaceX is one of NASA’s two main shippers for station supplies. Orbital ATK is the other. The company is set to transport supplies to the station in November from the state of Virginia. The two companies took over transporting cargo after NASA retired the space shuttles. The Space X Dragon is the only supply ship that can return cargo to Earth. Its reusable rocket landed back at Cape Canaveral shortly after sending the Dragon into space. “The crew stands ready to rock the science like a boss,” Fischer said, talking about the research supplies from the Dragon. He said it is enough for more than 250 experiments in the coming months. The three astronauts along with Italian crewmember Paolo Nespoli will carry out the research. “Need to get back to work. We’ve got a Dragon to unload,” Fischer told Mission Control. The other current ISS crewmembers are Georgian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin Russian cosmonaut Sergei Nikolaevich. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Anne Ball wrote this story for Learning English with information from the Associated Press. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   capsule – n. a small pressurized vehicle for space flight cargo – n. something that is carried from one place to another by boat, airplane, etc. vision – n.​ the ability to see : sight or eyesight​ rock – v. to be very enjoyable, pleasing, or effective boss – adj. great or excellent

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Scientists Identify New Search Area for Missing Malaysian Plane

Scientists say they have identified a new, smaller search area for a Malaysian passenger airplane, which went missing in 2014. The scientists are with the Australian government’s main scientific agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. They released a report about the missing plane on Wednesday. The agency said it believed with great “precision and certainty” that Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. It said scientists believe the plane, a Boeing 777, came down in waters northeast of an area that once was thought to be its final resting place. Two years of searches failed to find evidence of the aircraft or the 239 people it was carrying. The plane disappeared on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, to Beijing on March 8, 2014.  The new report identified a 25,000-square-kilometer area off the coast of Western Australia as a likely crash site. The scientific agency said its finding was based on satellite images taken two weeks after Flight MH370 went missing. The scientists said the images - provided by France’s military intelligence service - showed about 70 objects floating in the water. They described some of the debris as “probably” man-made.   The agency said it thinks the new findings could now make it possible “to identify a most-likely location of the aircraft.” The two-year search operation was a joint effort of Australia, China and Malaysia. The operation was called off in January. About $160 million was spent on the search efforts. It was not clear whether the new report would lead to any new search efforts. The Australian government reacted cautiously to the new report. The Transport Safety Bureau said in a statement the scientists had not proven that objects seen in the images came from the Malaysian plane.  Oceanographer David Griffin helped to prepare the report. He admitted the scientists cannot be totally sure that objects seen in the images are actual pieces of the plane. However, he said this still may be “a really good clue” to find new evidence. “If you are going to search, then you'd be silly to ignore this potential clue,” he said.  The disappearance of Flight MH370 has become one of the world's greatest flight mysteries. The plane is thought to have gone thousands of kilometers off course before crashing in the Indian Ocean. So far, only three large pieces of debris that washed ashore from the ocean have been confirmed as coming from the missing plane. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English based on reports from VOANews, Reuters and the Associated Press. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Do you think the search should continue for the missing plane? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   precision – n. quality of exactness or accuracy certainty – n. surety, not in doubt debris – n. pieces left over from something that was destroyed cautiously – adj. acting extremely carefully, avoiding risks clue – n. something that helps a person solve a mystery silly – adj. not serious, meaningful or important potential – adj. capable of becoming something in the future  

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China Answers Trump's Call for Trade Investigation

China says it will “resolutely safeguard” its economic interests if the United States investigates China’s possible theft of American intellectual property. Intellectual property includes inventions that are creatively produced, such as designs or technology. U.S. President Donald Trump signed what is called a presidential memorandum about the issue on Monday. The document directs the Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to investigate whether China has been illegally taking American intellectual property. The investigation will take as long as one year. On Tuesday, China’s Ministry of Commerce warned the United States that China will not “sit by and watch” if the United States ignores international trade rules. Trump wants trade officials to look into the Chinese requirements for American companies to do business in China. He said the United States will “stand up to any country that unlawfully forces American companies to transfer their valuable technology” in order to do business there. Intellectual property owners have the right to sell their inventions to make money and competitors are barred from copying those inventions. However, if that intellectual property is stolen, the owners can lose money because other companies can make illegal versions of their product. “For too long this wealth has been drained from our country while Washington has done nothing,” Trump said. “As president of the United States, it is my duty and responsibility to protect the American worker’s technology and industry from unfair and abusive actions.” If the United States finds wrongdoing, it could ask the World Trade Organization to punish China or look for other solutions. Patrick Chovanec is the chief strategist at Silvercrest Asset Management, which is based in New York. He said the theft of international property by China has been happening for a long time. He said, in the past, China was unwilling to negotiate about intellectual property theft. However, Trump will need to decide, after the investigation ends, if he wants to seek trade restrictions. Chovanec said that, in the past, sanctions have caused China to react with similar measures. Before Trump signed the order, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying released a warning on Monday. Hua said Trump’s action could lead to a trade war in which “both sides will be the losers.” Trump has criticized the U.S. trade deficit with China, which was $347 billion in 2016. Trump has suggested that he would reduce criticism of China if the country did more to control North Korea and its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. China said on Monday that it is banning imports of coal, iron ore, seafood and other products from North Korea. The move is required by new United Nations Security Council sanctions. The sanctions are aimed at cutting North Korea’s yearly export income by $1 billion. I'm Mario Ritter. And I'm Olivia Liu.   Ken Bredemeier reported this story for VOA News. Olivia Liu adapted this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   resolutely – adv. firmly, with resolve transfer –v. to cause something to be moved from one place to another drained – v. to slowly disappear sanctions – n. punishment meant to force a country to obey international law ballistic missile – n. a missile able to strike targets at great distances We want to hear from you. Write to us in the comments section below.

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Obama Tweet on Charlottesville Breaks Twitter Record

  This is What’s Trending Today… Barack Obama was the first president of the United States to be active on social media. When Obama left office in January, many people wondered if he would continue using services like Facebook and Twitter. It turns out, he tweets only a few times a month. After Donald Trump became president, Obama used Twitter to say some goodbyes and share memories from his eight years in the White House. He wished everyone a happy Valentine’s Day on February 14. In March, he tweeted about International Women’s Day, the death of singer Chuck Berry and a terrorist attack in London. In May, he tweeted about the bomb that killed over 20 people after American singer Ariana Grande performed in Manchester, England. In June, Obama wrote that of all the many things he has done, he was most proud to be the father of daughters Sasha and Malia. And he wished everyone a happy Father’s Day. Since then, he went on social media to write about health care, as the U.S. Senate debated the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. And he wished Senator John McCain a speedy recovery after tests showed McCain has a form of brain cancer. But it was Obama’s tweet from last weekend that has received the most attention. In fact, it is now the most-liked tweet of all time, with over 3.3 million likes in just a few days. Obama user Twitter to quote former South African president Nelson Mandela after deadly violence in the American city of Charlottesville, Virginia. His tweet came after a day in which white nationalists gathered to protest the city’s decision to move the statue of a Civil War general. Other protesters also gathered to denounce the group. One woman was killed and more than 20 others injured when a man drove a car into the counter-protesters. Obama wrote: “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. …” The former president included a photograph of himself looking through a window at three children of different races. The Mandela quote continued to two more tweets, but the first one got the most attention. The tweet surpassed a tweet from Ariana Grande that expressed sympathy for those hurt by the bomb that exploded after her show. By Wednesday morning, Obama’s tweet was the fifth-most re-tweeted of all time, according to the website Favstar.fm. And that's What's Trending Today. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.   Dan Friedell reported on this story for VOA Learning English. His report was based on information from VOANews.com and The Washington Post. George Grow was the editor. Did you like or re-tweet Obama’s tweet? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   goodbye – n. a message given before a person leaves proud – adj. very pleased because of something you have done quote – n. the act of repeating someone’s actual comments surpass– v. to become lower in amount or worse in condition according – adv. as stated by or in

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Explainer: Freedom of Assembly

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