Let's Learn English - Level 2 - Lesson 5: Greatest Vacation of All Time

Anna goes to a travel agent to find the Best Vacation Ever! But does she? Dan the Con Man wants to sell her the Most Expensive Vacation Ever. But does he? See the whole lesson at: http://ift.tt/2g2dCJQ

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Website Helps Students Hoping to Attend College

Website Helps Students Hoping to Attend College

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Syrian Children in Lebanon Work to Feed Their Families

  Child labor was a problem in Lebanon before the arrival of Syrian refugees Now, it's worse. As money for humanitarian aid begins to run out, some observers fear child labor could become even more widespread in Lebanon. Refugee families often depend on the money their children earn. So there are no easy answers. Non-governmental organizations are working to bring children into the Lebanese education system. And the United Nations has developed guidance that it hopes will help young people reclaim their childhood. Children are often paid just three or four dollars for a day of work. Yasmine Deeb is a refugee from Syria. "Why should mama work on her own? I’d get upset. I wanted to help my mother, also sometime when she’s ill, she also can’t work.” The 12-year-old girl and her family are preparing garlic for restaurants because they need the money. Before that, they did very physical work: gathering potatoes from the ground. Kalima Deeb, Yasmine’s mother, says that before the war in Syria, her family worked in farming. Back then, she remembers, she and her husband earned enough money to send their children to school. “You know every child has their own dreams and ambitions. I didn’t imagine that they would come out of school and be subjected to such work and fatigue.” Thousands of Lebanese and Syrian children are working in the agriculture and on the streets. Many people fear the problem will worsen. Syrian refugees are receiving less humanitarian aid now compared to one or two years ago. They are being forced to pay fees for living in Lebanon, and the government restricts what jobs they can take. Two UN organizations -- the International Labor Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization -- have launched campaigns to help tell about the danger of some jobs for children. Dr. Rana al-Barati Tabbana is a public health specialist. “Child labor affects all those facets in growth and development of children, and has very serious detrimental effects on their quality of life, health and well-being -- both in the short term and in the long term.” A local non-governmental organization called Beyond Association is helping Yasmine and her three sisters. They are among 450 children in the area who are being educated in the morning before they go to work. The organization hopes the children will one day attend school and not be part of the workforce. Layla Assi works at Beyond Association. “We’re trying to work with those children step-by-step to let them go out from work, and when they come here, their dream is to have education. Now they dream to be a lawyer, to be a doctor..." Because some children work to provide food for their families, ending child labor is not easy. The young people in the Beyond Association program are just a small percentage of those who are working. But as they return to their home, Yasmine and her sisters are given the chance to see a better future. I’m Caty Weaver.   John Owens reported this story from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for VOA 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 upset – adj. angry or unhappy ill – adj. not well or healthy; sick or unhealthy ambition – n. a particular goal or aim; something that a person hopes to do or achieve fatigue – n. the state of being very tired; extreme weariness facet – n. a part or element of something detrimental – adj. causing damage or injury impact – n. a powerful or major influence or effect

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UN Study: Government Action a Main Cause of Extremism in Africa

  Several African leaders recently spoke to the United Nations General Assembly about the growing threat of violent extremism in Africa. The leaders called on the international community to help better support anti-terror forces across Africa. They noted the importance of strengthening such forces at a time when the Islamic State, or IS, group has been losing strength and territory in the Middle East. They predicted that many defeated IS fighters will return to their home countries in Africa. “We want an Africa in peace and security,” said Macky Sall, president of Senegal. Sall told the General Assembly last week that the goal is “an Africa that does not serve as a sanctuary for terrorist groups fought and defeated elsewhere.” But a new study has found that measures taken by African governments to prevent terrorism may actually make more people join violent groups. The United Nations’ Development Program, or UNDP, organized the two-year long study. It is called Journey to Extremism. More than 700 people were questioned for the study. Nearly 600 of them were voluntary or forced recruits of extremist groups in six African countries. The countries are Kenya, Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan, Cameroon and Niger. The study noted a lack of a strong family structure, lack of education and poverty as reasons why people turn to violence and extremism. State violence and abuse of power provide, what the study called, a “final tipping point” for the people to join extremist groups. The report noted that many African countries have used anti-terror measures to limit political opposition and to suppress civil society and the media. The study suggests that good governance by African governments will be a more effective tool for stopping terrorism and extremism. Religion not a reason The U.N. study found that religion was less important than other reasons for joining an extremist group. It said that more than average religious schooling appeared to create opposition to extremism. The report said, “These findings challenge rising Islamophobic rhetoric that has intensified in response to violent extremism globally.”  The report went on to say that creating “greater understanding of religion, through methods that enable students to question and engage critically with teachings, is a key resource for [preventing violent extremism].” The 2016 Global Terrorism Index suggests that the areas most affected by terrorist groups are the Middle East, North Africa and countries south of the Sahara Desert. The report identified the most active extremist groups in Africa as Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); the Movement for the Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO); Boko Haram, in Nigeria; Al-Shabab, in East Africa; and the Lord’s Resistance Army, in Central Africa. Those groups are reportedly spreading their activities across national borders. They are also urging more groups and people to support their ideology and carry out violent attacks. The U.N. estimates that violent extremism has killed more than 33,000 people in Africa over the past six years In northeast Nigeria, an estimated 20,000 people have been killed since 2009, the year when Boko Haram became active. More than 2.6 million people have been displaced during this period. Threat to development The U.N. has said the terror threat could overturn development gains made in sub-Saharan Africa and harm development for years to come. It said insecurity caused by terror groups has affected tourism and trade in countries such as Nigeria and Kenya. The threat has persuaded some countries to strengthen their anti-terrorism efforts at home and cooperate on stopping cross-border violence. Earlier this year, five African countries established an international force of about 5,000 troops with the help of France and the United Nations. The five are Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. Yet, human rights organizations have criticized some governments for using severe measures to fight terrorism. Amnesty International has accused the Nigerian military of torture, harsh military detention and forcibly expelling people from their homes in its fight against Boko Haram. And Human Right Watch noted the killing, disappearances, torture and beating of individuals suspected of links with Al-Shabab has worsened in Kenya.   Rikar Hussein and Nisan Ahmado reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted their report for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   sanctuary – n. a place of refuge or protection recruit – n. a newcomer to an activity challenge – n. a difficult test or problem Islamophobic – adj. relating to a fear or discrimination against Islam or followers of Islam rhetoric – n. the art of speaking or writing effectively resource – n. a supply of something; an object or place that proves useful   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Cambodian-Americans Compete in Local Elections

  This November, Lowell, Massachusetts will hold city council elections. Lowell is home to the second-largest Cambodian population in the United States. Four Cambodian-Americans are competing for positions on the city council. Since 1999, only four candidates from Asian or Hispanic communities have been elected to the City Council. And voters have never chosen a minority candidate for the Lowell School Committee. Last May, a group of residents of Lowell brought legal action against the city. The group accused the city of discrimination against minorities in its electoral system. Elections for all council seats are city wide. The group says the system favors white candidates. A major issue currently before the city council is whether to move Lowell High School or remodel it in place. Residents have strong feelings for and against moving the school. Sokhary Chau is one of four Cambodian-American candidates. He called the election “crucial.” “The good thing is a lot of people are going to get involved in this election. The bad is the city is dividing,” he said. Vesna Noun is another of the Cambodian-American candidates. He won a council seat in 2010 but lost two reelection efforts.   Noun agrees that the high school is an issue of serious debate. But, he said there is also still serious public division over the issue of minority representation and the legal action brought in May. He said the council needs to settle that privately. “It will affect the reputation of the city, if this matter is handled at the federal court,” he said. Candidate Sokhary Chau agrees. “It is better to change from the inside,” he said. Chau, and others, are calling for a change in the government leadership. There is "a lot of dissatisfaction and disconnection to the local government,” Chau said. “I hope to bring diversity and new ideas, pretty much new faces to the city.” Mathew LeLacheur, a white candidate for City Council, said he wants to see minority involvement at all levels of government. LeLacheur said he would like to see more Cambodian-Americans on the local boards and commissions. I'm John Russell.   Sosreinith Ten reported on this story for VOA News. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   resident – n. someone who lives in a particular place crucial – adj. extremely important reputation – n.  the way in which people think of someone or something board – n. a group of people who manage or direct a company or organization diversity – n. the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization commission – n. a group of people who have been given the official job of finding information about something or controlling something

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Don't Get 'Boxed in a Corner!'

  Now, it’s time for the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories. On this show we explore the origins, meanings and usage of common expressions in everyday English. Today we talk about a very common place – a corner. This word has many uses and we use it in many expressions. The most common definition of a corner is where two lines, edges, or sides of something meet. For example, squares have four corners. And unless they are round, rooms have corners. Home decorators have advice related to corners: If you are painting a floor, start with the inside corners and work your way to the door. Otherwise, you will paint yourself in a corner. You will be stuck there, with no way to walk out without stepping on your newly painted floor! As an expression, “painting yourself in a corner” means you have trapped yourself in a bad situation. You have not given yourself a good way out. Okay, most rooms have corners and so do neighborhoods. A corner is where two streets meet. So, it’s a word we often use when giving directions. For example, I can tell my friend to meet me at the corner of Main Street and Pine Avenue. If your friends are looking for the corner store near your house, you can tell them, “You can’t miss it. Just go down the street and turn left. It’s right around the corner.” However, you should know that when we are not giving directions, right around the corner has a meaning that is not related to space. It’s related to time. “Right around the corner” can mean that something will be happening soon. So, if your birthday is right around the corner, you will be celebrating it soon. In conversation, to turn the corner also means much more than telling someone how to get somewhere. When we “turn the corner,” we have passed a difficult part of some process. Let’s say your boss gives you big project at work. But she doesn’t give you enough resources. So, the start is very rough. You struggle through many weeks of not knowing if the project will be successful. But then finally, you achieve the project’s first major goal. You can say you finally turned the corner. You have gotten through the tough part, and now, everything will be fine. We also call the sides of our eyes and mouths the corners. So, if you’re on a date eating messy pizza, make sure to wipe the corners of your mouth. That’s usually where the sauce collects. Now, when we talk about the eye, corners get a little more interesting. Seeing something out of the corner of the eye means you see something quickly and unclearly. So, if the police question you after a traffic accident, you could say, “Sorry, officer. I didn’t see much. I simply caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye.” We also use this expression to describe something we see in a secretive, suspenseful or romantic way. For example, “Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her -- the woman of his dreams! His heart began to pound in his chest.” Some other definitions of corner are also secretive and romantic. A corner can be a place that few people know about or visit or a place that is very far away. For example, if you know a man who lives very far away from you in a very private place, you can say he lives in a remote corner of the world. Your other friend is quite the opposite. She loves to travel and has visited every corner of the world!   Now, a corner doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you can cut. But you can – at least in conversation. When you cut corners you do something in a cheaper or easier way. For example, when my friends got married, they didn’t have much money. So, they cut corners on the music and photography. Instead of hiring a band, the bride asked her brother to play the guitar. And instead of paying a lot of money for a professional photographer, the couple gave all the guests inexpensive cameras and asked them to shoot candid photos. Cutting corners on music and a photographer allowed my friends to spend more money on food and drinks. So, it was a good idea. However, cutting corners on expenses like childcare and healthcare is, most likely, not a good idea. Some word experts suspect the phrase “cut corners” comes from taking a shorter route by taking a diagonal path. Moving diagonally allows you to literally cut out the corners. Now, let’s talk about a type of corner found in sports. In boxing, boxers fight in a four-cornered square called a ring. The corners of a boxing ring give us several expressions. During a boxing match, the most dangerous place to be is in a corner. If a boxer gets trapped in a corner, he or she is unable to move right or left. This leaves them open to an attack. So, if you are boxed in a corner, or in a tight corner, or backed into a corner you are trapped and do not have a good way to get out. Here are some examples. “My girlfriend has me backed into a corner. She says I don’t take her out to dinner enough. But when I take her out to dinner, she says I spend too much money!” “Look, I know you don’t agree with Neil’s ideas. But don’t box him into a corner. If he feels trapped, he will take his investment money elsewhere.” “Stephanie is one of my oldest and dearest friends. But she’s really put me in a tight corner. She won’t come to my birthday party if Daniel comes. But Daniel is my close friend too!” So, if someone boxes you into a corner, that person has control over you. In fact, the verb “corner” means to control something. It is used a couple of ways. If you force someone to talk to you, you have cornered them. Here are two examples: “The fan cornered the famous actress and demanded her autograph.” “The reporter cornered the politician outside his office with a series of difficult questions.” “To corner” can also mean you have physically blocked someone’s path. If the police chase a criminal into a dark alley and there is no escape, they have trapped the criminal! The police may yell, “Give up! It’s no use trying to escape! We’ve got you cornered!” We also use the verb "corner" this way in business. If you control the buying and selling of a product or service, you have cornered it. We often use “corner” this way in the phrase to corner the market. For example, when it comes to freshly baked bread in the city, one business has cornered the market. No other bakery can compete. With this phrase, you can also add what type of market is being cornered. The owners of the bakery have cornered the city’s homemade bread market. Now, we use many of these corner expressions in bad situations, such as when we are trapped, stuck by someone or surrounded by police. Let’s end on a happy note. When we say someone is in your corner, it means they are on your side. They are fighting for you. This expression also comes from the boxing world. The trainer is the person who comes to the boxer’s corner between rounds to give water, advice and medical help, if needed. So, if my friend says to me that she is in my corner, I know she is there to help me. In other words, she has my back. And that’s the end of this Words and Their Stories. When it comes to improving your English, you can rest easy knowing that everyone here at Learning English is in your corner! I’m Anna Matteo. And I'm Bryan Lynn. Anna Matteo wrote this for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. The song at the end of the program is Creedence Clearwater Rival singing "Down on the Corner." ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   glimpse – n. a brief or quick view or look : also – v. to look at or see (something or someone) for a very short time suspenseful – adj. a feeling or state of nervousness or excitement caused by wondering what will happen romantic – adj. of, relating to, or involving love between two people candid – adj. photography : showing people acting in a natural way because they do not know that they are being photographed route – n. a way to get from one place to another place diagonal – adj. joining two opposite corners of a shape (such as a square or rectangle) especially by crossing the center point of the shape literally – adv. with the meaning of each individual word given exactly: in a completely accurate way digress – v. to speak or write about something that is different from the main subject being discussed

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English in a Minute: Taste of One's Own Medicine

Are Jonathan and Anna trying to give each other medicine? The answer is no. But find out how to use this expression in this week's EIM!

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Western Schools Lead Reuters List of World's Top 100 Universities

  Western countries again top Reuters’ yearly list of the World’s Most Innovative Universities. The media group ranks educational centers based on scientific gains, invention of new technologies and success in new markets and industries. Reuters says Asian countries will definitely be a powerful force in the future world economy. But, it says Western countries still produce the most influential research leading to the most useful technologies. This year’s top 100 Stanford University is number one on Reuters’ list for the third straight year. The private school is found in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, and not by chance. The university played a big part in creating the area. Stanford is known for leading technology development, especially related to the internet.  It was a Stanford professor who designed the internet’s basic communication system. In addition, former Stanford students have founded some of the biggest tech companies in the world, including Google, Intel, Hewlett-Packard and Netflix. Other results from this year’s list The top ten on the list is much the same as last year. Nine universities return to the highest positions. Most are large, well-established universities located in the United States. The second and third highest-ranked schools are MIT and Harvard. Like Stanford, they have also held the same ranking for the past three years. In fourth place is the University of Pennsylvania, which climbed four spots from number eight last year. Two of the top ten are outside the U.S. Belgium’s KU Leuven comes at number five. The almost 600-year-old university is one of the largest independent research and development organizations on the planet. A South Korean university, KAIST, comes next. The South Korean government established the school in 1971. Officials modeled KAIST after engineering schools in the United States. Most classes are taught in English. And, the United States Agency for International Development provided a multimillion-dollar loan to help get KAIST started. The top 100 positions on the list are filled by 51 universities in North America, 26 in Europe, 20 in Asia and three in the Middle East. The fall and rise of Asian institutions Why are there so few Asian universities on the list? One reason is because Japanese universities, traditionally the strongest research schools in Asia, depend heavily on government support. Japan’s economic growth has slowed over the last 20 years, providing less money for research as a result. The index service Web of Science found a recent drop in publication of Japanese research. The organization says Japanese researchers were responsible for 8.4% of all scientific papers published in 2005. In 2015, the percentage had dropped to 5.2%. Reuters’ 2017 rankings reflect that decline in research and development. The University of Tokyo, for example, fell five places to number 21 on the list. Osaka University is now number 24. Last year it was 11th. And, Keio University went from 53rd in 2016 to 78th this year. Kyushu University, at 68th place, was Japan’s only school to rise on the list. Last year, it ranked 79th. China’s representation on the list has grown. In 2015, only one Chinese university was ranked. Last year, two made it. Now there are three. The two Chinese universities returning to the list also saw their positions rise. Tsinghua University climbed 15 spots to number 51 and Peking University went from 70th to 60th.  Zhejiang University appears on the list for the first time at number 100. Creating the list The 100 schools were chosen after examining each candidate on different metrics, including academic papers and patent filings. They were ranked based on their performance. The ranking system groups all departments in a university together. This means extremely innovative individual departments or programs could be overlooked. And, remember, even the lowest ranked university on Reuters is a member of a highly exclusive group. I’m Phil Dierking.   David Ewalt wrote this story for Reuters. Phil Dierking adapted this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. Are any universities from your country on this list?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   academia - n.  the life, community, or world of teachers, schools, and education​ data - n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something​ innovate - v.  to do something in a new way ​ metrics - n. a method of measuring something or the results from the method patent - n. an official document that gives a person or company the right to be the only one that makes or sells a product for a certain period of time​  

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Indian Holiday Diwali Lights Up America, Too

  More and more people in America are celebrating the Indian holiday Diwali. Diwali is Hindi for “row of lights.” It is the most important holiday in India. Although it began as a Hindu observance, almost everyone in the country celebrates the Festival of Lights. Many people around the world are beginning to as well. The United States is one of the places where the festival is becoming more common. Diwali celebrations can now be found at American landmarks like Disneyland in California and New York City’s Times Square. They are also held in many parks and museums. Neeta Bhasin established the Times Square event. She said Indian immigrants have found great success in America. But, she said, many Americans still do not know much about India. So, she decided to act. “I felt it’s about time that we should take India to mainstream America and showcase India’s rich culture, heritage, arts and diversity to the world,” she said. “And I couldn’t find a better place than the center of the universe: Times Square.” Bhasin came to the United States from India 40 years ago. She is president of ASB Communications, the marketing firm behind Diwali at Times Square. Tens of thousands of people attend the event, now in its fourth year. The 2017 celebration takes place October 7. There will be dance performances, Bollywood singers, a marketplace for Indian food and goods, and, of course, a lighting ceremony. More Diwali celebrations in the U.S. In India, Diwali is a five-day harvest festival held just before the Hindu New Year. The exact dates change from year to year but Diwali is always in the fall. Celebrations include lighting oil lamps or candles called diyas. The lights represent, in Bhasin’s words, “a victory of knowledge over ignorance, light over darkness, good over evil.” A Diwali celebration will light up Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim this year. Visitors can watch performances of traditional Indian dances and take part in a Bollywood dance party. The event is part of a Festival of Holidays program at the theme park to show cultural traditions from around the world. The program takes place November 10th through January 7th. San Antonio, Texas, also holds a Diwali celebration. And it is one of the nation’s largest, with more than 15,000 people in attendance each year. The 2017 festival takes place November 4 at La Villita, a historic arts village. It will be the city’s ninth Diwali celebration. Visitors can enjoy Indian dance, food, and fireworks. Organizers also plan to float hundreds of lighted candles in the San Antonio River, along the city’s famous River Walk. I’m Caty Weaver.   Caty Weaver wrote this story for Learning English with information from the Associated Press. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   row - n​. a straight line of people or things that are next to each other festival - n. a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something landmark - n. an object or structure on land that is easy to see and recognize​ mainstream - n.​ the thoughts, beliefs, and choices that are accepted by the largest number of people​ Bollywood - n. the Indian movie industry​ lamp - n.  a device that produces light​ ignorance - n​.​ a lack of knowledge, understanding, or education​

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'The Murders in the Rue Morgue,' by Edgar Allen Poe, Part Three

We present the third of five parts of the short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," by Edgar Allen Poe. The story was originally adapted and recorded by VOA Learning English. My housemate in Paris, August Dupin, was an interesting young man with a busy, forceful mind. This mind could, it seemed, look right through a man’s body into his deepest soul. After reading in the newspaper about the terrible murder of a woman and her daughter, Dupin was consumed with the mystery. He questioned the ability of the Paris police to solve the crime. I told Dupin that it seemed to me that it was not possible to explain the strange details surrounding the killings. “No, no. I think you are wrong. A mystery it is, yes. But there must be an answer. There must! Let us go to the house where it happened and see what we can see. I know the head of the police, and he will permit our visit. It will be interesting and give us some pleasure.” I thought it strange that Dupin thought the activity would give us pleasure. But I said nothing. It was late in the afternoon when we reached the house on the Rue Morgue. It was easily found, for there were still many persons — in fact, a crowd, standing there looking at it. Before going in, we walked all around it, and Dupin carefully looked at the neighboring houses as well. I could not understand the reason for such great care. Finally, we entered the house. We went up the stairs to the room where the daughter’s body was found. Both bodies were in the room now. The police had left the room as they had found it in every other way. I saw nothing beyond what the newspaper had told us. Dupin looked with great care at everything, at the bodies, the walls, the fireplace, the windows. Then we went home. Dupin said nothing. I could see the cold look in his eyes, which told me that his mind was working, working busily, quickly. Dupin said nothing about our exploration until the next morning when he suddenly asked me a question. “Did you not notice something especially strange about what we saw at the house on the Rue Morgue?” “Nothing more than what we both read in the newspaper, which was unusual indeed. How shall we explain the horrible force, the unusual strength used in these murders? And whose were the voices that were heard? No one was found except the dead women; yet there was no way for anyone to escape. And the wild condition of the room; the body which was found head-down in the chimney; the terrible broken appearance of the body of the old lady, with its head cut off-- these are all so far from what might be expected that the police are standing still; they don’t know where to begin.” “These things are unusual, indeed, but they are not deep mysteries. We should not ask, ‘What has happened?’ but ‘What has happened that has never happened before?’ In fact, the very things that the police think cannot possibly be explained are the things which will lead me to the answer. Indeed, I believe they have already led me to the answer.” I was so surprised that I could not say a word. Dupin looked quickly at the door. “I am now waiting for a person who will know something about these murders, these wild killings. I do not think he did them himself. But I think he will know the killer. I hope I am right about this. If I am, then I expect to find the whole answer, today. I expect the man here — in this room — at any moment. It is true that he may not come, but he probably will.” “But who is this person? How did you find him?” “I’ll tell you. While we wait for this man we do not know — for I have never met him — while we wait, I will tell you how my thoughts went.” Dupin began to talk. But it did not seem that he was trying to explain to me what he had thought. It seemed that he was talking to himself. He looked not at me, but at the wall. “It has been fully proved that the voices heard by the neighbors were not the voices of the women who were killed. Someone else was in the room. It is therefore certain that the old woman did not first kill her daughter and then kill herself. She would not have been strong enough to put her daughter’s body where it was found. And the manner of the old lady’s death shows that she could not have caused it herself. A person can kill himself with a knife, yes. But he surely cannot cut his own head almost off, then drop the knife on the floor and jump out the window. It was murder, then, done by some third person — or persons. And the voices heard were the voices of these persons. Let us now think carefully about the things people said about those voices. Did you notice anything especially strange in what was told about them?”  “Well, yes. Everybody agreed that the low voice was the voice of a Frenchman, but they could not agree about the high voice.” “Ah! That was what they said, yes, but that was not what was so strange about what they said. You say you have noticed nothing that makes their stories very different from what might have been expected. Yet there was something. All these persons, as you say, agreed about the low voice, but not about the high hard voice. The strange thing here is that when an Italian, an Englishman, a Spaniard, and a Frenchman tried to tell what the voice was like, each one said it sounded like the voice of a foreigner. How strangely unusual that voice really must have been! Here are four men from four big countries, and not one of them could understand what the voice said; each one gave it a different name. “Now, I know that there are other countries in the world. You will say that perhaps it was the voice of someone from one of those other lands — Russia, perhaps. But remember, not one of these people heard anything that sounded like a separate word. Here, Dupin turned and looked into my eyes. “This is what we have learned from the newspaper. I don’t know what I have led you to think. But I believe that in this much of the story there are enough facts to lead us in the one and only direction to the right answer. What this answer is, I will not say…not yet. But I want you to keep in mind that this much was enough to tell me what I must look for when we were in that house on the Rue Morgue. And I found it! “What did I first look for? The path of escape, of course. I mean, we agree the killers were not ghosts; they could not move through walls. So, how did they escape? “At first I saw no way out. It had been necessary for the neighbors to break down the door in order to enter the room. There was no other door. The opening above the fireplace is too narrow for even a child to go through. That leaves only the windows. We must make that exit somehow possible. “Remember, there are two windows in the room. Both of them, you will remember, are made of two parts; to open the window one must lift up the bottom half. One of these windows is easily seen; the lower part of the other is out of sight behind the big bed. I looked carefully at the first of these windows. It was firmly closed, fastened, like the door, on the inside. To keep the window closed, to fasten it, someone had put a strong iron nail into the wood at the side of the window in such a way that the window could not be raised. At least it seemed that the nail held the window closed. The nail was easy to see. There it was. And the people who discovered the killings used their greatest strength and could not raise the window. I, too, tried to raise the window and could not. “I went to the second window and looked behind the bed at the lower half of the window. There was a nail here, too, which held the window closed. Without moving the bed, I tried to open this window also, and again I could not do so. But I did not stop looking for an answer there.”   Download activities to help you understand this story here. Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. What kinds of skills do you possess that might help the police solve crimes? Should private citizens help the police, or should the police alone work to solve crimes? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   housemate – n. a person who lives in the same house with another person but is not a part of that person's family consume(d) – v. to take all of a person's attention, energy or time neighboring – adj. near or next to something or someone moment – n. a very short period of time certain – adj. used with it to say that something is known to be true or correct notice – v. to become aware of something or someone by seeing or hearing it perhaps – adv. possibly but not certainly ghost(s) – n. the soul of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as appearing to living people fasten(ed) – v. to attach something or join two things or two parts of something especially by using a pin, nail or something else nail – n. a long, thin piece of metal that is sharp at one end and flat at the other end and that is used chiefly to attach things to wood

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Iraq's Government Moves to Punish Iraqi Kurdistan for Vote

  The Iraqi government has placed a ban on international flights to airports in the country’s Kurdish area. The flight ban is the clearest evidence of increased tensions between Iraq’s central government and the Kurdish area. On Monday, Iraqi Kurds approved a referendum on independence which the central government strongly opposes. The Kurds have ruled an autonomous area within Iraq since a United States-led coalition ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003. In the referendum on Monday, 92.7 percent of voters supported a measure proposing creation of an independent Kurdish state. The results are not binding, but they are the first step in a process that leads to independence. Two days later, Iraq’s parliament called the referendum vote ‘unconstitutional.’ The lawmakers asked Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to send troops to Kurdish-held Kirkuk to take control of its oil fields. They also urged him to enforce a decision to dismiss Kirkuk’s governor for holding the vote. The Iraqi parliament told the 34 countries with diplomatic offices in Kurdistan to close them down. It also called for the deployment of forces to areas that had been under Iraqi government control before Islamic State (IS) forces captured Mosul in June 2014. “We will enforce federal authority in the Kurdistan region, and we already have started doing that,” the prime minister said. The Iraqi government had given the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) until 1800 hours, local time, to surrender control of its international airports at Irbil and Sulaimaniya. But KRG officials said they would not obey the order. The Reuters news agency reports that at least two European carriers, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines, will be cancelling flights to Irbil this weekend. But the Associated Press reports that the director of Irbil airport said military, humanitarian and diplomatic flights from the airport will continue. Humanitarian workers say the flight cancellations could harm the area’s 1.6 million refugees and displaced people. In a statement, Abadi said central government control of air and land ports in the area is not meant to starve and prevent the delivery of supplies to the Kurds. In recent days, the prime minister has said he received calls from leaders from Britain, France, Iran and Turkey. His Twitter account said they all expressed support for Iraqi unity. Turkey faces armed opposition from Kurdish separatists at home. The Turkish government has threatened to restrict oil sales to the Kurdish area, a move that could hurt its economy. The United States has said the Kurdish movement in Iraq could destabilize the area and hurt the war effort against IS forces. I’m Susan Shand.   This story first appeared on VOANews.com. Susan Shand and George Grow adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow and Mario Ritter were the editors. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   authority – n. having the power to control something or someone destabilize – v. to cause something to be unable to continue to work or to exist autonomous – adj. having the power or right to govern itself. referendum – n. an election in which the people in an area vote for or against an issue of public concern delivery – n. the act of taking something to a person or place binding – adj. requiring someone to do something  

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