Scientists Strike Gold With Cosmic Crash

  Witnessing a neutron star violently crash into another has helped astronomers uncover secrets of the universe — including how gold was created. Neutron stars are the collapsed centers of stars. These two neutron stars circled each other at a very fast rate, getting closer and closer. Then they crashed into each other in an event called a kilonova.   This collision created a burst of gamma rays, or electromagnetic energy, and gravitational waves, which make a weak signal when they reach Earth. Vicky Kalogera is an astrophysicist with Northwestern University near Chicago. She explains what the astronomers heard and saw two months ago. "So this is the first time that we hear the death spiral of two neutron stars. And we also see the fireworks that came from the final merger." What they saw was a bright, blue light. The colliding stars released very hot wreckage. All that material, the light and heavy elements, is now speeding through the universe in different directions. This is an artist's animation of what it looked like when the two neutron stars crashed, with gravitational waves and gamma ray bursts (pink or magenta) shot out. Debris was sent out too. Credit: NASA Goddard.   Some of the material joined together to form metals, like gold, platinum and uranium. Scientists had thought neutron star collisions had enough power to create heavy elements, but they had not been sure until they observed it. David Reitze is with the California Institute of Technology and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, or LIGO. At a press conference last week in Washington D.C., he held up his great grandfather’s gold watch. "It's about 100 years old. The gold in this watch was very likely produced in the collision of two neutron stars approximately billions of years ago. We don't know exactly when. So this is really an amazing discovery." ​ Gravitational waves are very small ripples, or movements, through space time in the universe. Albert Einstein was the first person to suggest the existence of such waves. Researchers were first able to observe them with the LIGO detectors in 2015. Earlier this month, three scientists won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work measuring gravitational waves. The first gravitational waves ever measured were produced by black holes, which do not let out any light. So, they were not seen. But they had been heard. This is what they sounded like. Listen for the “chirp” sound.   The signal arriving on August 17th was a different story. Around the world, astronomers reacted to the sign al quickly when they recognized it. They aimed telescopes on every continent, and even those orbiting Earth, on a distant spot in the sky. This time, there was plenty to see. What they saw was the long ago, and far away, crash of two neutron stars. They were so dense that a teaspoon of their matter would weigh 1 billion tons. It took the signal 130 million light years to reach Earth — a distance of 9.5 trillion kilometers. The sound and light from the crash told the story of one of the most violent acts in the universe. The ability to see the light from gravitational waves was just one of the mysteries solved, noted Daniel Holz. He is an astrophysicist working at the University of Chicago, and one of the more than 4,000 scientists who witnessed the event. "Not only did we detect that but we detected this burst of gamma rays. That's also never been done before, so now we get to say when two neutron stars crash into each other, they create a gamma ray burst. We get to connect two very mysterious happenings in the universe together and that's a big deal." This is helpful information because gamma ray bursts release deadly radiation --  strong enough to destroy planets. Holz added that all the information collected from this event provided scientists with another important discovery. They now get a new measurement for the size of the universe and how quickly it is expanding. Astrophysicist Vicky Kalogera said the scientific community gained a lot from this one event. "So it's amazing to think that in one day, in a few hours and the weeks that followed, all these predictions were confirmed. So we solved a lot of mysteries. But at the same time, we also opened up a few questions, as Julie said. Not everything fits perfectly in the puzzle." Scientists say that this single kilonova event increased their understanding of the universe. They also say it marks the beginning of a new area of scientific study: gravitational wave astronomy. Julie McEnery, is an astrophysicist working at the American space agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. She told VOA “We’re able to combine dramatically different ways of viewing the universe, and I think our level of understanding is going to leap forward as a result.” I’m Anne Ball. Anne Ball wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Her story was based on reports from the Associated Press and the Reuters news agency. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Quiz Now, test your understanding with this short quiz. ​_______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   neutron star – n. a very dense object in space that consists of closely packed neutrons and is produced by the collapse of a much larger star gamma ray – n. a ray that is like an X-ray but of higher energy and that is given off especially by a radioactive substance gravitational wave – n. a very small ripple or movements through space time in the universe. spiral – n. a circular curving line that goes around a central point while getting closer to or farther away from it watch – n. a device that shows what time it is and that you wear on your wrist or carry in a pocket leap – v. to jump from a surface  

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Lesson 7: What Are You Doing?

Summary Anna is starting her work at The News. She goes around the office meeting her co-workers. She learns they are all busy. Speaking In this video, learn to say the new words. Also, learn how to use the Present Continuous tense and ask questions to clarify. You can also download the worksheet and practice with a friend. Pronunciation In this video, you  learn about how Americans shorten verbs in the Present Continuous tense. You will also learn a shorter for of the question phrase, "What are you doing?" Conversation Caty: Come in.  Caty: Well, Anna, welcome. Anna: Thank you. Caty: I am your boss, Caty Weaver. But, please call me Caty. Anna: Thank you, Ms. Weaver.  Caty: Just Caty. Anna: Sure thing, Ms. Weaver. Caty: Okay then. Are you excited? Anna: Yes, I am excited! Caty: So sorry, but I am busy. Please meet your co-workers. But remember, they are busy working. Anna: Sure. Thanks, Ms. Weaver. Anna: Hi there! I’m Anna. Anne: Hi, Anna. I’m Anne. Anna: Nice to meet you. What are you doing? Anne: Um, I’m writing. Anna: You are writing! You are writing a lot! Anna: (Spills papers) Oh! Oh dear. Anne: No! No! That's okay.  Anna: I am sorry! Anne: That’s okay. Really. Anna: I am sorry! Anne: Please. Please. Please stop. Please. Anna: Sorry. Sorry. Jonathan: (in the studio) “and people all around the world are waiting to hear news about the next president…” Anna: Jonathan, hi! Remember me? I live in your building. Jonathan: Oh. Uh. Hi, Anna. Anna: What are you doing? Jonathan: I am doing my show! Anna: Oh, sorry. Are you recording? Jonathan: Yes! And, now I have to record again! Anna: Sorry. Have a good show. Jonathan: Thank you. Anna: Sorry. Amelia: The word of the day is social. Social - Anna: Oh! Hi! Amelia: - is an adjective. Anna: Hi! I’m Anna! Amelia: Hi. I’m Amelia. Anna: Nice to meet you! Anna: What are you doing? Amelia: I’m reading. Anna: Are you reading the news? Hi! Amelia: No, I’m reading for my show. Amelia: (to camera person) Can I read again? Anna: Sorry. Anna: This day is not going well. Caty: Anna! Hi! What’re you doing? Anna: I am bothering people, Ms. Weaver. Caty: Let’s go to my office and talk. Anna: I like to talk with you, Ms. Weaver. Caty: It’s Caty. Anna: Right. Thanks ... Ms. Weaver   Writing What are you doing now? What are your friends doing? Here is an example: "I am reading and my friends are listening to music." Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section. You can also download the worksheet. Practice writing the activity words. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Ask to Clarify. In the video you see Anna ask Amelia: "What are you doing?" Amelia answers, "I’m reading." Then Anna asks a question to clarify: "Are you reading the news?  Asking a question to clarify is a very useful learning strategy, because it helps you get more information. You can also learn new words when someone explains more about what they said. Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email about how you ask questions to clarify what you want to know. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Listening Quiz See how well you understand the lesson by taking this quiz. Each question has a video. Play the video and choose the correct answer. (If the quiz does not work for you here please see the side column or use this link.) New Words boss – n. the person whose job is to tell other workers what to do  bother – v.  to annoy someone or to cause someone to feel annoyed busy – adj. actively doing something  excited – adj. very enthusiastic and eager about something  nervous – adj. having or showing feelings of being worried and afraid about what might happen  news – n. information that is reported in a newspaper, magazine, or a television news program  office – n. a building or room in which people work at desks doing business or professional activities  read – v. to look at and understand the meaning of letters, words, symbols, etc.  record – v. to store (something, such as sounds, music, images, etc.) on tape or on a disk so that it can be heard or seen later  show – n. a television or radio program  work – v. to do things as part of your job  write – v. to create (a book, poem, story, etc.) by writing words on paper or on a computer  ______________________________________________________________ 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 writing and using action verbs in the Present Continuous tense.   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: Present continuous tense; Questions for clarification Topics: Everyday activities; Checking understanding Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Asking questions to clarify; Shortened form of Present Continuous verbs. _______________________________________________________________ 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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Dwight Eisenhower: Cold Warrior

  VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. Today we are talking about Dwight Eisenhower. He took office in 1953 and was re-elected in 1956. ​Eisenhower was famous before he became president of the United States. He was a general in World War II, and led the Allied invasion of Europe. The attack began with the air and sea operation called D-Day. As president, Eisenhower became known for his efforts to keep peace. He tried to have good relations with the Soviet Union especially. He believed one of the best ways to do that was to build America’s military strength. When Americans think of Eisenhower, they often note the growth of the U.S. defense industry, and tensions with the Soviet Union. Those tensions became known as the Cold War, and lasted long after Eisenhower left office. Early life Dwight David Eisenhower was born in Texas, but raised in the state of Kansas. His parents had seven sons. The future president was the third. Eisenhower’s parents did not have much money. His father worked as a mechanic. His mother was a member of the Mennonite Church, which opposed war and violence for any reason. But young Dwight – who used the nickname “Ike” – enjoyed reading about military history and doing physical activities. He played football, and liked hunting and fishing. When he finished high school, Eisenhower earned a position at the U.S. Military Academy, better known as West Point. At first, he did not excel as a soldier. Eisenhower tested some of the Army’s traditional ideas. But in time, military leaders came to value Eisenhower’s ability to think independently and strategically. He accepted increasingly important positions. In only a few years, Eisenhower took command of Allied troops during World War II. He directed invasions in North Africa, Italy, and finally in Western Europe. His words “Okay, let’s go” launched the invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. Eisenhower’s personal life changed during his military years. He married a young woman named Mamie Doud in 1916. The following year they had a son named Doud Dwight; however, the boy became sick and died at the age of three. In 1922, the Eisenhowers had a second son, named John. Mamie and the boy spent many months separated from Dwight. And, even when the family was together, they were often moving from place to place. They moved nearly 30 times during Eisenhower’s military career. After he retired from active duty in the Army, Eisenhower accepted a position as president of Columbia University in New York. Then he returned to the military to lead NATO forces in Europe. In the early 1950s, Republican Party officials urged Eisenhower to be their candidate for president. Many Americans approved of Eisenhower’s war record, his efforts to contain communism, and his wide smile. They seemed to agree with his campaign slogan, “I like Ike,” and decisively elected him into office. His 1952 election brought an end to the Democratic Party’s 20-year control of the White House. Presidency Although he declared himself a Republican, Eisenhower was a political moderate in many of his ideas. He continued some of the domestic policies of former presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Eisenhower also wanted the government to invest in public works projects. Notably, he approved a bill to build more than 65,000 kilometers of roads. Today the U.S. highway system connects all parts of the country and supports the nation’s economy. Eisenhower also worked hard to have peaceful relations with other countries. In his first months as president, he signed the agreement that ended fighting in the Korean War. He also tried to ease tensions between the United States and Soviet Union. In 1952, the U.S. government tested the first hydrogen bomb. It was even more powerful than the atomic bomb. Soon, the Soviet Union carried out a hydrogen bomb test of its own. The two countries became actively involved in an arms race that made many people around the world very, very nervous. Eisenhower did not fully trust the Soviet leadership, but made some efforts to achieve an agreement on arms control. At the same time, he approved a plan for U.S. airplanes to fly secretly over the Soviet Union to gather information. In 1959, Eisenhower and the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, met in the American state of Maryland. Modern presidents use a mountain retreat there, which Eisenhower called Camp David, after his grandson. The U.S. and Soviet officials did not develop a treaty, but they did agree to meet again the following year. However, the agreement collapsed. In 1960, Soviet missiles brought down one of the American spy planes, called a U-2. The pilot was captured. At first, Eisenhower’s government denied that the plane was secretly gathering information. Officials said it was only a weather aircraft. But then the Soviets produced evidence that the U-2 was, in fact, a spy plane. Khrushchev said he could not trust Eisenhower and his government, and he ended talks on limiting or disarming nuclear weapons. During his two terms in office, Eisenhower tried many ways to avoid all-out war. He approved other secret actions, especially by the Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA  . Eisenhower sent U.S. Marines into Lebanon to try to end unrest there. And he decided against ordering air strikes on Vietminh forces when they surrounded French troops at Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam. In all these efforts, Eisenhower used the threat of U.S. military power to help achieve his foreign policy goals. But he warned Americans against letting businesses aiding the defense industry become too powerful. In his final speech as president, Eisenhower spoke of the dangers of what he called the military-industrial complex. He did not want the country to depend only on war to resolve conflicts. And, he did not want the U.S. government to spend so much on weapons that it could not provide other services to Americans. Shortly after that speech, Eisenhower retired to a home he and his wife had bought in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Many Americans were sad to see him go. Legacy Eisenhower’s presidency lasted most of the 1950s. During that time, the American economy was, for the most part, strong. Many Americans had enough money to buy homes and televisions. At the same time, Eisenhower’s presidency was a time of unease. Racial discrimination was intense. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that states could no longer have separate public schools for white and black students. Some whites strongly objected to the decision. They tried to block black students from entering schools, sometimes using violence. Eisenhower sent troops to enforce the federal law to desegregate public schools. Later, Eisenhower used the power of his office to enforce other desegregation and voting rights laws. But he did not speak up strongly in support of civil rights. He thought both those who blocked civil rights legislation and those who demanded it were extreme. Eisenhower also did not publicly criticize Senator Joseph McCarthy, who accused the U.S. government of protecting Soviet spies. Eisenhower strongly disliked McCarthy, but he permitted the “Red Scare” to continue until the lawmaker could discredit himself.   Finally, despite Eisenhower’s efforts, the Cold War did not end; in fact, tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union increased. Although Eisenhower succeeded in keeping the country out of war, many events during his presidency created the conditions for later conflicts. Nevertheless, Eisenhower was a popular president, both before, during, and after his time in office. During his final years, he wrote several books about his life, traveled, and advised later presidents. He had suffered a heart attack during his first term in office, and eventually suffered another one. He died at the age of 78 with his family by his side. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.  Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Listening Quiz See how well you understand the story by taking a listening quiz. Play each short video, then chose the best answer. ​_________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   strategically - adv. creating and using plans to reach a goal active duty - n. employment as a full-time member of the military slogan - n. a word or phrase that is easy to remember and is used to attract attention domestic - n. of, relating to, or made in your own country achieve - v. to get or reach (something) retreat - n. a place that is quiet and private desegregate - v. to end a policy that keeps people of different races apart  

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US Begins Collecting Social Media Information from Immigrants

  United States officials now have permission to collect usernames and other social media information from all immigrants seeking to enter the country. The new rule went into effect October 18 as an amendment to the U.S. Privacy Act. The Privacy Act establishes policies for how the government can collect and use information about individuals. The measure was enacted in 1974 after Richard M. Nixon resigned from the presidency. The new amendment gives the Department of Homeland Security permission to collect “social media handles, aliases, associated identifiable information and search results.” The rule affects both permanent U.S. residents and naturalized citizens. The collected information becomes part of the person’s immigration records. The amendment also gives the government rights to monitor information on relatives of immigrants and doctors who treat immigrants. It also includes monitoring of law enforcement officials involved in investigations of immigrants, and lawyers and others who help immigrants. The amendment says the information can be gathered “from the internet, public records, public institutions, interviewees or commercial data providers.” The Department of Homeland Security, DHS, has yet to announce specific collection or processing methods for personal information from social media. Joanne Talbot is a spokesperson for DHS. In a statement to media last month, she said the amendment “does not represent a new policy.” She said the agency has already been able to “monitor publicly available social media to protect the homeland.” Many privacy groups have criticized the collection of usernames and other social media information by U.S. border agents. They say such questioning fails to follow existing rules and violates the privacy rights of travelers. Seamus Hughes is with the Program on Extremism at George Washington University in Washington. He says one problem is the huge amount of social media data the government will collect. “Purely from a practical standpoint, I don’t see how DHS has the resources to implement this,” he said on Twitter. U.S. officials have defended information gathering as a way to prevent possibly dangerous people from entering the country. Some experts say there is evidence the information can be helpful to the government if it is used in the right way. Major General Charles J. Dunlap Jr. is head of the Center on Law, Ethics, and National Security at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. “I can’t think of any situations where this monitoring and record-collection has been used in an abusive way,” Dunlap said. However, he added that the program needs to be closely monitored and any abuses quickly investigated and fixed. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Paul Ross reported this story for Student Union. Bryan Lynn adapted his report for VOA Learning English. His story has information from the U.S. Federal Register. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   handle – n. a nickname alias – n. another name a person sometimes uses resident – n. someone who lives in an area for some length of time monitor – v. to watch, observe or check over something institution – n. an established organization commercial – adj. related to the buying and selling of goods and services practical – adj. relating to what is real rather than what is possible or imagined implement – v. to begin something or make it active  

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Taj Mahal Center of Political Dispute

  India's most famous attraction, the Taj Mahal, is under attack by some members of the country's ruling party. The most recent attack came from Sangeet Som, a lawmaker from the Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP. According to Som, the monument is "a blot on Indian culture" that was built by "traitors." This isn't the first time that India's Islamic past has come under attack by members of the BJP or other Hindu groups. In Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, the government removed the Taj Mahal from its official tourism booklet. The booklet was published earlier this month. The federal government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been accused of trying to change history textbooks – especially India's past of Muslim rulers. Som's comments drew criticism from federal lawmaker and Muslim leader Asaduddin Owaisi. He asked if the government would urge tourists not to visit the Taj Mahal and other monuments built by India's former Muslim rulers. The BJP distanced itself from Som's comments. The party's general secretary, Vijay Bahadur Pathak, said the Taj Mahal is part of Indian pride. "Whatever Som said is his personal view. BJP has nothing to do with it," he noted. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built between 1632 and 1654 for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. He planned on being buried with her.   The Taj Mahal complex has their graves as well as several other graves of lesser Mughal royalty. The monument is India's top tourist attraction. It draws some 3 million visitors every year. I'm John Russell.   Biswajeet Banerjee reported on this story for AP News. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story monument – n. a building or place that is important because of when it was built or because of something in history that happened there blot – n.  a mark of shame or dishonor populous – adj. having a large population

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Refugee Food Event Designed to Sweeten Way to People's Hearts

  The Swiss city of Geneva was a good place to be for food lovers earlier this month. Foodies enjoyed the tastes and smells of food from around the world at a Refugee Food Festival. The event gave refugees from five countries a chance to demonstrate their cooking skills. Local restaurants turned over their cooking spaces to chefs from Syria, Eritrea, Sri Lanka, Tibet and Nigeria. One of the refugee chefs was 29-year-old Nadeem Khadem Al Jamie from Syria. He says cooking is a driving force in his life. He told VOA he learned how to cook from his uncle. Nadeem Khadem Al Jamie worked in his family’s restaurant in Damascus before he was forced to leave Syria in 2015. He said that he traveled from Syria to Turkey, and then to Greece. From Greece, he walked all the way to Germany, and then to the Swiss border. His wife and two daughters eventually joined him through a family reunification program. He hopes his involvement with the Refugee Food Festival will lead to a job. Louis Martin is one of the founders of Food Sweet Food, a non-governmental organization. It started the Refugee Food Festival in 2016 in partnership with the United Nations’ refugee agency. Martin told VOA the festival has two main goals. “The first one was to change the way we look at refugees by showcasing their skills. The second was to create a professional accelerator for the refugee chefs participating… and we asked to every restaurant to recommend the chef to his network and then create professional opportunities for him.” Martin said he became concerned after the arrival of thousands of refugees to Europe in the summer of 2015. He said their images led him and his Food Sweet Food partner, Marine Mandrila, to create the festival. “So, we thought, how can we leverage food, how can we leverage all that we have learned through our travels and food documentaries … to create a better understanding between citizens and refugees.” Louis Martin and Marine Mandrila brought their idea to the UN refugee agency in Paris. Celine Schmitt works for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. She told VOA she immediately liked their idea. “Food is a great way to create connections. It is also a great way to change the way people see refugees because if someone eats well, he will maybe have another idea, perspective afterwards. But, also, it’s a way to integrate refugees." The festival offered food for people with different tastes and from different walks of life. Nadeem Khadem Al Jamie’s five-course Syrian meal cost about $90 at one of Geneva’s luxury hotels. People with less money to spend enjoyed tasty Nigerian or Ethiopian food at two other restaurants. Each of those meals cost about $20. Schmitt said one great part of the festival was the teamwork between the restaurant’s usual chef and the refugee chef. “The chefs who have invited the refugee chefs, they have all told us that they want to start again and that they learned something. And, they were so happy to be able to learn from another chef because food has always been inspired by different cultures and different spices, tastes.” I’m Jonathan Evans.   Lisa Schlein reported this story for VOANews.com. Jonathan Evans adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   accelerator – n. a method for increasing the progress of something recommend – v. to suggest or propose festival – n. a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something opportunity – n. a chance leverage – v. to use something valuable to achieve a desired result luxury – adj. a condition or situation of great comfort, ease, and wealth; something that is expensive and not necessary uncle – n. the brother of one’s father or mother

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Jane Goodall Documentary Shows Her Early Work with Chimpanzees

  For 50 years, the National Geographic Society has been holding 100 hours of film of Jane Goodall in storage. Now, those images of Goodall and her work with chimpanzees in the forests of Tanzania, have been made into a film documentary. Jane, the name of the new movie, begins in 1960 when Goodall was 26 years old. The film documents her early life working in a remote area, far from Tanzania’s major cities. Goodall never had a university education. Yet her untraditional ways of studying chimpanzees tested scientists’ beliefs about what it means to be a human being. Goodall spoke to VOA at a special showing of the film “Jane” in Los Angeles. “Well, more than any other documentary that's being made, it does take me back into the actual feeling I had when I was out there in the forest and so it's very moving.” Goodall made news by discovering that chimpanzees are intelligent, social animals who use tools to gather food. At the time, the scientific community believed only humans had that ability. "It's not quite family but, it's not quite like friends, but I'm part of their lives, they accept me. I can watch what they do. And, of course, in the time of the movie, we had a really close touching relationship, which we don't have anymore.” When asked whether she would have done anything differently in her research, Goodall said, "Everything worked out perfectly. Were mistakes made? Of course, but one learns from mistakes, and so I wouldn't have changed anything really." The music in the documentary is by Philip Glass. When Goodall saw the film with the music, she described it as "magical." Glass says he was moved when he saw images of Goodall sitting with chimpanzees who had accepted her. "The very intimacy is when she's sitting with them, and they're like children to her. She's combing their hair and she talks with them and they're just with her as if they've  accepted her totally.” The movie includes images of National Geographic filmmaker Hugo van Lawick, Goodall’s first husband. Director Brett Morgen watched the original footage. "Going through 100 hours of Hugo Van Lawick's footage is a dream. You know, Hugo's one of the greatest wildlife cinematographers in the history of filmmaking.” At the Los Angeles showing, Hollywood actor Jamie Lee Curtis described why she respects Goodall. "She has, just by doing what she loves, has brought us all along on the journey and that's a message if anything. Be uncompromising in your vision, uncompromising in your attack and attitude of what it is that you do.” Even in present day, Goodall continues to travel, speak about protecting chimpanzees and urge people to protect the natural world. I’m  Susan Shand. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   remote – adj. removed from something; outside; far away magical – adj. of or related to special or supernatural powers intimacy – n. something of a private or personal nature combing – v. cleaning and separating one’s hair cinematographer – n. a movie maker or photographer journey – n. trip vision – n. the act or power of seeing something attitude – n. a feeling or way of thinking; behavior We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Everyday Grammar: Anyone vs. Everybody

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Lesson 7: Tip Your Tour Guide

Summary Anna and Penelope are on a tour boat. A nice young man tells them many Fun Facts about Washington, D.C. But where are his parents?   Conversation Anna: Penelope, the Lincoln Memorial is coming up on your left! Boy: You’re going to love my Lincoln Memorial Fun Fact! Anna: Oh, please tell us! Boy: On a wall inside the memorial, the word “FUTURE” was carved wrong! They carved “EUTURE”! Anna: Well, we all make mistakes. Boy: Yeah, but this mistake was carved in stone! Anna: You’re right. That is pretty bad. Here’s another dollar! Penelope: More fun facts, please! (Crossing the river) I love riding over bridges! The water looks so pretty from here! Anna: Penelope, this is amazing! A minute ago, we were riding along the river, and now we’re riding in the river! Awesome. Penelope: Hey, we’re passing by the Pentagon on our right! Anna: Penelope, you love riding over the water on a bridge. But I love riding under a bridge in a boat!  Penelope: Anna, look! An airplane is flying right over our heads! Anna: Wow! This is the closest I’ve ever been to an airplane in flight. Well, I’ve been inside a flying airplane. But not outside of an airplane as it flies over my head! Penelope: And now we’re driving out of the water. I still can’t believe this thing drives and sails! Anna: I know. It’s amazing. Boy: After we ride along these railroad tracks, you’ll see my favorite part of the tour!  The U.S. Treasury where they make money! Penelope: Look, the U.S. Capitol is coming up! Boy: I have a great Fun Fact about the U.S. Capitol. Penelope: What is it? Boy: There are tunnels under the Capitol. They connect the Capitol and office buildings of lawmakers.  Anna: I bet they built them years ago for secret reasons! Boy: No. The lawmakers did not want to walk around outside in bad weather. Anna: Oh. Penelope: We’re back at Union Station! Boy: Do you want to know a creepy Fun Fact about Union Station? (he points to Union Station) Penelope: The creepier the better! Boy: Many years ago, inside Union Station, there was a funeral home! Anna: A funeral home?! You mean, for dead people?! Boy: Do you know another kind of funeral home? Anna: No! Boy: Well, I’ve gotta run! Anna: Thanks for giving us the great tour! Anna: Captain, that was awesome! And your son is a great tour guide! Captain: What son? Anna: Him. Captain: I’ve never seen that boy in my life! See ya, ladies! Professor Bot: I learned many new Fun Facts in this lesson. Did you learn about prepositions? Here’s a list of all the prepositions used in this lesson. Wow! That’s a lot! I know, let’s not read them. Let’s sing them! Hit it, boys! Take it away singers! since at through aboard behind to about by near across for of ahead from on around in until over like with   New Words carve - v. to make (something, such as a sculpture or design) by cutting off pieces of the material it is made of creepy - adj. strange, scary or causing people to feel nervous and afraid funeral home - n. a place where dead people are prepared for burial or cremation and where wakes and funerals are held security gate - n. the area in a place (such as an airport or building) where people are checked to make sure they are not carrying weapons or other illegal materials​ stone - n. a hard substance that comes from the ground and is used for building or carving tunnel - n. a passage that goes under the ground or through a hill   Prepositions aboard on or into (a train, ship, etc.) about used to indicate the object of a thought, feeling, or action across from one side to the other side of (something) around on all sides of (something or someone) at used to indicate the place where someone or something is behind in or to a place at the back of or to the rear of (someone or something) by close to or next to (something or someone) for used to indicate the thing that something is meant to be used with from used to indicate the starting point of a physical movement or action in (inside) used to indicate location or position within something out (outside) used to indicate that a person or animal is moving from the inside of a building, room, etc., to the outside like similar to (something or someone) near close to (something or someone) of belonging to, relating to, or connected with (someone or something) on  touching and being supported by the top surface of (something) over from, to, or at a place that is higher than (someone or something) through into one side and out the other side of (something) to used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward until up to (a particular time) — used to indicate the time when a particular situation, activity, or period ends with used to say that people or things are together in one place   Learning Strategy The learning strategy for this lesson is ​Use Background Knowledge. That means you can make connections to things you already know to help you learn new things. For example, you can use words that are in your own language sometimes to understand English words that come from a different language. In this lesson, the young man uses his background knowledge, the "Fun Facts" he remembers about famous places, to ​chat with Penelope and Anna. The three enjoy their tour as they learn more details. How about you? How do you use background knowledge ​while you are studying English? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email.    Listening Quiz See how well you understand this lesson by taking a listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer. Free Materials Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. For Teachers Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Prepositions Topics: Describing a place; Asking for & giving recommendations Learning Strategy: Use Background Knowledge   Comments 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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America's Presidents - Dwight Eisenhower

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College Admissions: Valuing More Than Just Test Scores

  ​"We’re not just thinking about the classroom experience for our students, but the four year student experience. And so we’re trying to build a community, and make sure that you have people to play sports and people to play music and people to be leaders on campus and people to do research and people to start conversations, and people to disagree with those conversations, and people to bring into those conversations that might not be well represented." Admissions officials almost always ask students to list the activities they are involved in outside of the classroom in their applications. Dewar says these activities can show that a student possesses the qualities they are looking for. This method of considering both academic success and non-academic skills is known as holistic admissions. Dewar argues that the more a school knows about a student’s interests, the more they understand the student. This is especially important for the top universities in the U.S. She notes that the best American universities receive thousands of applications from both inside and outside the country. For example, Wash U had over 30,000 applicants for the 2017 school year. But it only had room to accept about 16 percent of them. Schools with limited resources, Dewar says, are unable to spend as much time and money on holistic admissions as more competitive ones. They will often pay more attention to academics. But, every U.S. college and university uses extra information about applicants as a tool to build their communities. She says her school would not be able to do this if it just accepted the 16 percent of applicants with the highest test scores. And, she adds, students who only talk about their academic work in their applications all start to seem the same. Some young people might wonder how to choose activities. What would schools value more: playing basketball or singing in a musical group? Is it more important to spend weekends serving free food to homeless people or cleaning up a public park? Dewar says that thinking about holistic admissions in this way is not helpful. Instead of trying to figure out which activities are better than others, students should think about which activities serve them best as individuals. "What will give them experiences and ideas that will help them grow as young people?…You can do almost anything, as long as it’s legal and ethical…But it’s really about how a student talks about those experiences and what a student takes away from those experiences." Dewar says admissions officials want to be fair to students with fewer activities available to them. Some high schools may not be able to support student government organizations, for example. Also, involvement in groups may not come easily to some students. That does not make them worse candidates, Dewar says. "We’re really looking for evidence that a student is excited about learning, that they’re excited about ideas…And so, we want to see that…they’re going to…positively impact one of our campuses." A student could explain their interest in reading many books or even exploring their home city, Dewar says. Also, there are other places in an application where a student can describe their non-academic interests. Students, for example, can bring attention to their special qualities in the writing samples they provide, or in the letters they ask teachers to write in support of them. They can even use these parts of their application to explain things that prevented their involvement in other activities. This could be a lack of money or a need to work to support a sick family member. Students, Dewar notes, should trust that admissions officials will consider their personal history and what might have been available to them. The holistic method lets them pay more attention to the qualities they are looking for, not only academics. But, Dewar says  it is still up to the students to share all they can to make them stand out from the other candidates. I’m Lucija Milonig. And I’m Pete Musto.   Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. What sorts of non-academic activities or groups do high school students in your country commonly get involved in? How much do high schools and parents support these kinds of things? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   grade(s) – n. a number or letter that indicates how a student performed in a class or on a test undergraduate – adj. used to describe a student at a college or university who has not yet earned a degree academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education campus – n. the area and buildings around a university, college, or school application(s) – n. a formal and usually written request for something, such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan holistic – adj. relating to or concerned with complete systems rather than with individual parts ethical – adj. following accepted rules of behavior positively – adv. in a way that is good or useful impact – v. to have a strong effect on something or someone

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