Old Nuclear Bunker Has One of the Largest Film, TV Collections

During the 20th century, the United States built many bunkers – underground shelters that could save people during a nuclear war or other crisis. Now, the U.S. government is using one of those shelters for a happier purpose: storing movies, television shows, and audio recordings for future generations. Bunker in Culpepper, Virginia The bunker was once under the control of America’s central bank, the Federal Reserve. It stored money and other materials in the case of a crisis. About 10 years ago, the Library of Congress began using the underground space, which is about 120 kilometers from Washington, D.C. Architects designed new rooms and buildings that workers added to the existing structure. The bunker is currently known as the Library of Congress' Packard Campus. The Packard Campus covers an area of about 38,000 square meters, with more than 140 kilometers of shelving for storing the many recordings. It has 35 climate controlled areas and 124 individual storage rooms for flammable films. The collection now has over six million movies, TV shows, and audio programs. Some of these films, such "The Great Train Robbery," are over 100 years old. Preserving films for future generations George Wileman has been working for the Library of Congress for over 30 years. Wileman says he has spent the past 10 years working in the underground film archives. "My greatest love has always been early films - silent films. And here I was working with one of the largest collections of early film in the world. And I was like: "Well, maybe this isn't just an accident. Maybe this is where I'm supposed to be." When films arrive at the Packard Campus, employees examine the recordings and make digital versions. Some movies are damaged because they have been in contact with heat and moist, sticky air. Wileman adds to the list of collected movies every day. He notes that the center even has some films you would not expect the government to save. Hollywood remains at the center of the international film industry, and a sign of American culture. Its protection is important work for the Library of Congress. I'm John Russell.   Karina Bafradzhian reported on this story for VOANews. John Russell adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   architect – n. someone who designs buildings and supervises building projects shelving – n. a structure or place where things are kept flammable – adj. capable of being set on fire and of burning quickly archive – n. a place where public records or historical objects are stored digital – adj. relating to an audio recording method in which sound waves are represented as numerical digits

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Lesson 8: The Best Barbecue

Summary Anna goes to a barbecue battle in Washington, D.C. She learns that there are secret ingredients in the sauces. And people are VERY loyal to their favorite kind of barbecue.   Conversation   Anna: Thanks for meeting me. Kelly: Sure. Anna: I’d like to get your advice on my latest project. Kelly: Of course. I heard you were sent to cover a big food festival that has all kinds of barbecue. So, how did it go? Anna: Well, things started out great! But then, well, maybe you should watch it yourself. Prof. Bot: Hi English learners! Your lesson today is about my favorite food -- barbecue! Your assignment is to find passive sentences. What are those, you might ask? In passive sentences the subject receives the action!  For example, “Anna was sent to cover a food festival.” Passive sentences have a form of the BE verb + the past participle of the main verb. This lesson is LOADED with passive sentences.  Hey! That’s a passive sentence, too! Okay, now, it’s Barbecue Time! Anna: Today, a Barbecue Battle is being held in Washington, D.C.  This festival, which is known as one of the biggest food festivals in the United States, brings together barbecue lovers from all over the country! Barbecue is meat that is cooked over an open fire or on a grill. Chicken, pork and beef are all common meats to grill on a barbecue! No matter which meat you like to barbecue, the sauce is very important. Sauces are taken very seriously by chefs.  Most ingredients are kept secret! So, can you tell us what is in your barbecue sauce? Chef 1: No, I can’t tell you. Anna: So, tell us, what is the secret ingredient in your barbecue sauce? Chef 2: (says nothing.) Anna: Sauces are made by the barbecue chefs themselves. Most sauces are made with a tomato sauce, vinegar, and spices. Prof. Bot: How many passive sentences did you find? Here is one I found: Today, a Barbecue Battle is being held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Now you try. Turn this sentence from passive to active. Barbecue is loved by Prof. Bot. Professor Bot loves Barbecue! Good job! And yes, I do. Anna: There are some areas of the U.S. that are known for their tasty barbecue. The states of Texas, North and South Carolina and the cities of Memphis and Kansas City are known as the Barbecue Belt. People who are loyal to barbecue are really loyal to their favorite barbecue. That is why this festival is called a battle! Let’s ask a couple of people which barbecue is best. Person 1: Texas, of course! Person 2: Carolina barbecue is the very best. Person 3: Kansas City! Person 4: Memphis style! Person 3: Kansas City! Person 5: Texas! Person 3: Kansas! Person 5: Texas! Person 3: Kansas! Person 5: Texas! Person 3: I say Kansas. Person 5: Texas! Person 3: She keeps saying Texas, I say Kansas. Anna: This is Anna Matteo reporting. Anna: Kelly, people feel so strongly about barbecue. Unbelievable! So, what do you think of my project? Kelly: This is what I think. There is no way that Texas has the best barbecue. I am from Kansas City and we have THE best barbecue in the whole country. My mother and father owned a barbecue restaurant, which was really famous! So, I know barbecue! Anna, I know barbecue! I know barbecue! I know barbecue! Prof Bot: Oh my. Kelly knows a lot about barbecue! And you know more about passive sentences! Be sure you go to the website to learn even more! Ah! Now, if you excuse me .. I'm hungry   New Words barbecue - n. a flat metal frame that is used to cook food over hot coals or an open fire barbecue - v. to cook (food) on a barbecue or to broil or roast (meat, fish, etc.) over hot coals or an open fire battle - n. a fight between people or groups in which each side tries to win a contest (such as a game or an election)  brown sugar - n. a type of sugar that is brown because it contains a dark syrup (called molasses) chef - n. a professional cook who usually is in charge of a kitchen in a restaurant grill - n. a metal frame that is used to cook food over hot coals or an open fire - v. to cook (food) on a metal frame over fire loyal - adj. having or showing complete and constant support for someone or something molasses - n. a thick, brown, sweet liquid that is made from raw sugar sauce - n. a thick liquid that is eaten with or on food to add flavor to i spice - n. a substance (such as pepper or nutmeg) that is used in cooking to add flavor to food and that comes from a dried plant and is usually a powder or seed spicy - adj. of food. flavored with or containing strong spices and especially ones that cause a burning feeling in your mouth sweet - adj. containing a lot of sugar tasty - adj. having a good flavor tomato - n. a round, soft, red fruit that is eaten raw or cooked and that is often used in salads, sandwiches, sauces vinegar - n. a sour liquid that is used to flavor or preserve foods or to clean things   Learning Strategy The learning strategy for this lesson is Ask Questions. One of the best ways to learn is to ask many questions. In this lesson, Anna asks the barbecue chefs questions like, "Where does the best barbecue come from?" and "What is the secret ingredient in your sauce?" She gets many opinions on the best barbecue, but she never learns about the secret ingredient in the sauce. How about you? How often do you ask questions as you study English? When you are learning English, do you ask teachers, friends or classmates to help you by sharing their knowledge? 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:  Passive Voice Topics: Asking for and Giving Reasons​; U.S. Culture & Cuisine​ Learning Strategy: Ask Questions   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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Lesson 8: Are You Busy?

Summary Anna wants to apologize to her co-workers. She learns what they do at the same time every day.   Speaking In this video, learn to say the new words. Learn to talk about three times of the day. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice with a friend. Pronunciation ​In this video, you ​learn how Americans make hesitation noises, like um, to give themselves more time to think of an answer. You can also learn how to use emphasis when you apologize and accept an apology. Conversation Anna: Hello, everyone. Here I am at my new job! Yesterday at my first day of work … Well, let’s not talk about yesterday. Today is a new day! Today I want to apologize to my co-workers. Anna: Hi, Anne. Are you busy? Anne: Hi, Anna. Yes. At 10 a.m. I am writing. Every day I do my morning show. Sorry! Anna: Okay. See you later, maybe. Anne: Maybe I’ll see you later. Anna: Hi, Jonathan. Are you busy? Jonathan: Yes, I’m busy. When the studio light is on, I am recording my evening show. Anna: Right. Sorry about yesterday. Jonathan: No worries. Anna: May I see the studio? Jonathan: Um, maybe another time? Right now I am busy. Anna: Sure. Okay, ’bye. Jonathan: ‘Bye. Anna: Hi, Amelia! Are you busy? Amelia: I’m a little busy. Anna: I want to say I’m sorry for yesterday. Amelia: It’s okay, Anna. Anna: Well, I am sorry. Amelia: It’s okay, Anna. Come by this afternoon. Anna: Okay. Caty: Anna. Anna: Yes, Ms. Weaver. Caty: Are you busy? Anna: Yes, Ms. Weaver. I am busy.  Caty: My office. 5:00 p.m. Anna: 5:00 p.m. Caty: Come in. Co-Workers: Surprise! Anna: A party! Awesome! And I still have my job! Phew!* Until next time! * Phew! is a sound used to show that you are relieved, tired, or hot   Writing What do you do every morning? You can see some examples in the Activity Sheet. Click on the image to download it, and practice talking with a friend about when you are busy. Write to us in the Comments section. Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Use What You Know. We have knowledge about the world we use when learning a new language or a new skill. Here is an example. In this lesson's video, Anna learns that her co-workers do things at the same time each day. She understands this idea because she also has to do work at the same time every day. She uses what she knows and remembers not to bother her co-workers at the times they are busy.  How do you use what you know in studying English? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Listening Quiz Test your understanding by taking this listening quiz. Play the video, then choose the best answer. ​ New Words afternoon - n. the middle part of the day : the part of the day between noon and evening apologize - v. to express regret for doing or saying something wrong : to give or make an apology evening - n. the last part of the day and early part of the night job - n. the work that a person does regularly in order to earn money later - adj. happening near the end of a process, activity, series, life, etc. light - n. a source of light (such as an electric lamp) maybe - adv. possibly but not certainly morning - n. the early part of the day : the time of day from sunrise until noon now - adv. at the present time studio - n. the building or room where an artist works surprise - n. an unexpected event, piece of information, etc. yesterday - n. the day before today ______________________________________________________________ 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 a conversation about activities. 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: BE - Short answers; simple present tense to describe routine activities Topics: Times of day: morning, evening, afternoon​ Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Times of day; regular activities; hesitation noise "um;" apologizing with stress or intonation ______________________________________________________________ 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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Everyday Grammar: Because of & Due to

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America's Presidents - John F. Kennedy

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Changing Colleges in the US Is Complex, Costly

  Savannah College of Art and Design, or SCAD, is a private university in the American state of Georgia. In 2003, Sarah Luthans believed it would be the best place for her to study painting. But after two years there, Luthans found she wanted more creative freedom. She decided the Virginia Commonwealth University, or VCU, in Richmond, might be the right place for that. So Luthans decided to transfer to VCU before the start of her third year. That is when her difficulties started. Most students in the United States who transfer expect the class credits they have already earned to count at their new school as well. But this was not the case for Luthans. VCU and SCAD credit classes differently in some cases. When Luthans started at VCU in 2005, she learned that the school would not accept about 25 percent of her credits from SCAD. Less than a year later, Luthans decided to leave school completely. When she returned to her education, she went to SCAD. In 2009, she received her bachelor’s degree. She says she learned a hard lesson along the way. “I would not have transferred at all if I knew what it was going to be like personally. If I knew that I was going to lose what started off as one year, eventually three years, before going back and finishing my degree, I wouldn’t have done it.” Luthans is among many U.S. college students to have faced such difficulties. Increasingly, research shows that transferring schools is a complex process that costs many students time and money. The U.S. Government Accountability Office, or GAO, researches how different American institutions operate. In August, the GAO released a study of the student transfer process in higher education. The research found that of all the students attending a U.S. college or university between 2004 and 2009, about 35 percent transferred at least once. The study showed that, on average, schools receiving transfer students rejected about 43 percent of their academic credits. Melissa Emrey-Arras is the director of education, workforce and income security issues at the GAO. She says differences in academic requirements among schools is a main reason students lose credits. So students sometimes have to retake classes. “A college may say, ‘I see you’ve taken biology. We’re going to give you a general credit as having taken that class. But we’re not going to count it towards your biology major at our school because we don’t think that the class was very rigorous.’” Students transfer for many different reasons, Emrey-Arras notes. In some cases, they simply dislike the social or academic environment, like Sarah Luthans. Others might change for financial reasons. Emrey-Arras says it is especially difficult when students try to move between schools that do not have a transfer agreement. Such agreements let students move their credits from one school to another more easily. But, the GAO study found that many schools do not provide information about such agreements on their websites, or through other easily available resources. Emrey-Arras says this is of special concern for students facing financial difficulties. Students who depend on federal financial aid, for example, are limited in time. They are given only six years to complete their degree. At that point federal support ends. So, it is important they know exactly how many classes, if any, they will have to repeat. Leticia Bustillos is the director of policy research at the non-profit Campaign for College Opportunity. She argues that colleges and universities have a responsibility to support low-income students through the transfer process. But, she says many schools are stuck in the past. “Colleges, overall, still adhere to a very traditional model of higher education that no longer exists, because the population is different.” Bustillo notes that the new generation of U.S. college students include many who are the first in their families to seek higher education. Many of them depend on two-year programs at lower-cost community colleges as the first step towards a bachelor’s degree. For example, the state of California has one of the largest college student populations in the country. The Campaign for College Opportunity found that about 70 percent of all college students in California attended community colleges in 2015. Bustillos says that many of these students plan to transfer to four-year schools. That kind of student population has been growing for years. In fact, California passed a law in 2010 to help ease the transfer process because of its increasing popularity. The law lets students who earn 60 credits at California community colleges transfer to any school in the California State University, or CSU, system. They then need just 60 more credits to earn a bachelor’s degree. However, even with this program in place, transfer students still face problems says the Campaign for College Opportunity. Many of the community colleges lack the resources to offer all 60 credits-worth of classes students need to transfer. Also, not all schools within the University of California system accept all credits earned at community colleges. As a result, community college students generally spend more to get their four-year degrees  than students who begin at four-year colleges. The difference can be as much as $38,000. Faye Huie of the research group National Student Clearinghouse says such problems are not limited to California. In a recent study, her organization found that the complexity of the transfer process harms low-income students across the country. Huie says it is often because they are starting from a difficult financial position. “Low income students have limited resources. For example, they could be working in addition to trying to go to school. All students who want to transfer have to take time to look into the different schools that they want to transfer to. They need to do research on the transfer process. And low-income students may not have that additional time to put into their research.” That is why Emrey-Arras, Bustillos and Huie all urge for public and private universities to work harder to make the process simpler. And the GAO report supports their call. It suggests that the U.S. Department of Education officially require schools to clearly explain on their websites any transfer agreements they have. And the Campaign for College Opportunity wants California public universities to make their general education requirements more similar. I’m Pete Musto. And I’m Alice Bryant.   Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. How common is transferring between universities in country? How difficult is the transfer process? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   transfer – v. to stop going to one school and begin going to another credit(s) – n. a unit that measures a student's progress towards earning a degree in a school or college bachelor’s degree – n. a degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after four years of study eventually – adv. in the end institution(s) – n. an established organization academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education income – n. money that is earned from work, investments, or business major – n. the main subject studied by a college or university student rigorous – adj. very strict and demanding social – adj. relating to or involving activities in which people spend time talking to each other or doing enjoyable things with each other financial – adj. relating to money adhere to – p.v. to act in the way that is required by something, such as a rule, belief, or promise

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America's Uncivil War

  In the last few weeks, Americans heard their political leaders speak in a way that is not generally considered polite, kind, or professional – in other words, uncivil. One exchange has followed the death of an American soldier in Niger. President Trump called the soldier’s widow to offer his condolences. But a U.S. lawmaker, who heard the phone call, called the president’s remarks disrespectful. The president responded with a tweet saying the lawmaker was “wacky” and “gave a total lie.” The president’s chief of staff, John Kelly, defended Trump and his positive intentions. He said the lawmaker should not have listened to the call, and added that she was an “empty barrel” who just made noise. This example of the negative tone in the current public conversation is a comparatively mild one. A reporter for the Washington Times newspaper wrote that a number of polls show media coverage about President Trump is overwhelmingly critical. The article quotes the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as saying, “This is a president who fights fire with fire.” In other words, he answers criticism with criticism. A Stanford professor who studies relationships at work notes that one negative exchange leads to others. Bob Sutton said in an interview with New York magazine, “Nasty behavior spreads much faster than nice behavior.” A single unkind remark can spread like a sickness, he said. One lawmaker recently tried to make a joke about the ugly tone of today’s political language. After a meeting of Republican senators with the president, Senator John Kennedy from the state of Louisiana reportedly said, “Nobody called anyone an ignorant slut.” The term “ignorant slut” refers to a skit from a popular, humorous television show. But the words are still considered strong language, and some political leaders are not laughing. Presidents, senators speak out In fact, former presidents have taken the unusual step of speaking out about the current political climate. George W. Bush, a Republican, cautioned Americans against “casual cruelty.” Barack Obama, a Democrat, warned against the “politics of division.” And then, in a dramatic speech on Tuesday, a Republican senator from Arizona announced that he would not seek re-election. One reason, he said, was because he could not support the president’s leadership. Jeff Flake said, “Mr. President, I rise today to say: Enough.” Flake accused the president of attacking people and institutions, often for no good reason. The president has criticized Flake in the past, calling him “toxic” and “weak.” Earlier, another Republican senator, Bob Corker, also said he was retiring and strongly spoke out against Trump. On Twitter, Corker called Trump “untruthful” and described the White House as “an adult daycare center.” In other words, Corker said the president and his staff could not take care of themselves and needed supervision. In answer to Flake and Corker, Trump pointed out that many voters supported him, but were highly unlikely to re-elect them. “Now act so hurt and wounded,” Trump added in a tweet. Commenters on the right and left have also pointed out that the retirement of these lawmakers strengthens Trump and those in his party who support him. A country divided The divisions within the country – and even within the Republican Party, which Bush, Flake and Corker share with Trump – are real. A report published this week found that even members of the same party see major issues differently. Pew researchers point out that they have found these divisions over the last 30 years of studying American beliefs. But two things may be different now, researchers found.   First, the Trump administration is calling attention to many of the issues that traditionally divide the Republican Party: immigration, America’s role in the world, and whether the U.S. economic system is fair to most people. Trump’s government is speaking about these topics and pressing hard on policies related to them. Second, Pew researchers found that the divide between Republicans and Democrats has grown larger. Republicans and Democrats are finding less and less common ground on issues such as race and how much the federal government should support people who need help. The researchers said that these divisions were wide under the government of Barack Obama. Now they are even wider. Personal attacks in American politics But what is not new to U.S. politics is strong, angry language and personal attacks on lawmakers. The campaign of 1800 between former friends John Adams and Thomas Jefferson is often held to be the most negative in U.S. history. The magazine Mental Floss writes, “Adams was labeled a fool, a hypocrite, a criminal, and a tyrant, while Jefferson was branded a weakling, an atheist, a libertine, and a coward.” The political conversation in the U.S. also suffered in the years before and after the Civil War. In one event, one lawmaker who supported slavery even used a cane to strike one who opposed it. The men were in the Senate chamber. They both became heroes to their supporters. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.   Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do edited it. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   condolences - n. a feeling or expression of sympathy and sadness especially when someone is suffering because of the death of a family member, a friend, etc. wacky - adj. amusing and very strange intentions - n. an aim or purpose ignorant - adj. lacking knowledge or information slut - n.  a woman who has many sexual partners skit - n. a short, funny story or performance toxic - adj. poisonous hypocrite - n. a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs libertine - n.  a person (especially a man) who leads an immoral life and is mainly interested in sexual pleasure

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Mogadishu Bombing Changes Somalis’ Ideas about Blood Donations

  Something unusual happened in Somalia after the bomb attack that killed 358 people on October 14: Many Somalis went quickly to hospitals to donate blood for the victims. There was a great need for blood to help people after the bombing in Mogadishu, the capital. Hundreds of people were wounded in the attack. But in Somalia, blood donations are not very common. Many Somalians do not want to give blood because they are afraid of sharp needles or concerned they might catch a disease. Others believe there might be religious restrictions on donating blood. For these reasons, Somalia has lacked blood banks for more than 20 years. This made it difficult for hospitals to treat victims who had lost large amounts of blood.  When the bomb exploded, doctors in Somalia immediately contacted hundreds of people who had pre-registered as blood donors. They also launched a social media campaign, including a Facebook page, to seek out new donors. Omar Habeeb completed medical school at Benadir University in Mogadishu. He says the Facebook page got over 500,000 views on the day of the bombing. “Then hundreds of people voluntarily poured into the hospitals to donate blood," he said. Many of the blood donors were sent home because hospitals were not prepared to store the blood they did not need right away, Habeeb said. But these would-be donors were registered to be contacted in the future when blood is needed. Najma Ali Moalim is another young doctor in the group. She was among the first medical workers to arrive at the site of the bombing. “The fact that the country has no blood bank, and that we have seen patients dying because of loss of blood - including children, pregnant women, and gunshot patients - we have decided to stand up and ask our people to donate,” she told VOA. Mohamed Aden Jama is a young medical student who was among the blood donors. She says blood is the most valuable thing a person can donate. “And for me it means saving a life, saving the life of a brother or sister,” Jama said. Religious leaders and health officials are also using information campaigns to tell Somalis there are no religious restrictions on giving blood. In addition to their work on blood donations, the doctors' group is supporting another social media campaign that is raising money for families of bombing victims. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Mohamed Olad Hassan and Sahra Abdi Ahmed reported this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted their report for Learning English. Additional information came from Reuters. 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   blood bank – n. a place where blood is stored for later use needle – n. a small, sharp object that is pushed through the skin to put something in or take something out of the body site – n. place; point of an event We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Wildlife Officials Find Evidence of Rare Australian Bird

  Indigenous wildlife officials in Australia have found new evidence of one of the country’s rarest and most mysterious birds. It is called the night parrot. The bird was thought to be extinct until a sighting in 2013. There have been very few sightings since. But wildlife workers say they have photographed one of the birds in the Kimberley area of Western Australia. The photograph is unclear: an object colored light green and yellow. But officials believe it suggests evidence of a new population of night parrots. They captured the image using a motion sensor camera in Western Australia’s Great Sandy Desert. Before 2013, scientists did not know what the birds sounded like. But then a night parrot was found in the state of Queensland. Until recently, the colorful bird had not been seen in Western Australia for more than 100 years. The night parrot lives near the ground and is only active at night. The bird was thought to have died as a result of loss of habitat, fires and attacks by wild cats. The cats threaten the survival of more than 100 species native to Australia. They are thought to have killed off many other birds and smaller mammals. Alexander Watson is a biologist at the animal conservation group WWF Australia. He has worked with Aboriginal wildlife workers in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia. He says it is an extraordinary discovery. “We’ve bought equipment like sensor cameras and bioacoustic devices that listen for the night parrots and extraordinarily, we’ve got a photo of a night parrot flying across one of the sensor cameras. It’s a small, green parrot with a yellow belly and large head. It could only be a night parrot. We’ve surveyed in areas that the traditional owners knew there were night parrots there.” The night parrot is sacred to Australia’s native population. Experts say Australia now has a second chance to save a bird that was once thought extinct. Officials are not telling the public exactly where the recent sightings happened to help protect the birds. Researchers hope that more night parrots will soon be found in other parts of Australia. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Phil Mercer reported this story for VOA News from Sydney. Jonathan Evans adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver edited it. _____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   extinct – n. no longer existing habitat - n. the place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or grows indigenous – adj. produced, living, or existing naturally in a particular region or environment sacred – adj. highly valued and important; deserving great respect survey - v. to look at and examine all parts of something

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This House Is Haunted!

  Now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English. In most parts of the United States, the month of October brings tasty foods such as pumpkin pie and apple cider. But it also brings scary creatures, such as witches and monsters! Some say those creatures appear on October 31, known as Halloween. For those who celebrate it, Halloween is the day to scare or be scared.   One popular activity is to go to a haunted house. A “haunt” means the spirit of a dead person – a ghost. Some people claim that their houses are haunted by people who used to live there. They say they hear mysterious footsteps on the stairs, or find objects in places where they did not leave them. On Halloween, some American towns also create haunted houses to frighten children and adults, alike. They are invited to enter a dark doorway, only to be terrified by people dressed as ghosts and vampires. This is considered entertaining.     The word "haunt" also has a non-scary meaning. As a noun, “haunt” is a place where you often go. In other words, it’s your hang out. This usage comes from an Old French word of the early 14th century (hanter) meaning “place frequently visited.” Now, if something comes back to haunt you, it causes trouble for you as time passes. For example, skipping school often comes back to haunt students. Skipping school will cause problems for the student later on. You can also say a bad thing you did or a bad decision you made comes back to bite you. Both phrases mean basically the same thing. Feel free to use “come back to haunt you” in any situation – either official or casual. However, save “come back to bite you” for a more informal situation.  Now, let’s get back to being haunted. When we think about something all the time in a way that makes us sad or upset, we can say we are haunted by that thought or image. Here is an example: For the rest of his days, he was haunted by the look on his lover’s face before she fell from the waterfall to her death in the raging river below. To use "haunt" in this way, the memory must be sad or upsetting. No one has ever been “haunted by" a happy memory. Let’s hear these words in an everyday conversation.   So, Magdalena, this restaurant is my favorite. I come here all the time. It's one of my haunts. If you like burgers, I would order the ... Are you okay? Yes, I'm fine. I’m fine. It's just that my ex-boyfriend loved burgers. Oh, I’m sorry. Then how about the Caesar Salad? Let me guess. He loved Caesar Salad too? No. No, his name is Caesar. Ricardo, please forgive me. You see, that's why I moved to Seattle from Brooklyn. I needed the distance. I’m running away from his ghost. A ghost? Oh, no. How did he die? Well, he didn’t actually die. I mean, our love died. He was the love of my life. But one night I made a bad decision. I kissed someone else – his best friend. Well, yeah, that was a really bad decision. Bad decisions like that one usually come back to haunt you. Did he find out? Every time I looked at him I thought about it! My guilt haunted me day and night. So I told him everything. I knew that he would forgive me. The thing I love most about him is that he is so forgiving. He broke up with you, didn’t he? Immediately. I mean, he left and never looked back. But not me. I could not even live in the same city. Every place I went, I was haunted by the memory of us -- the movie theater where we went on our first date; the store where we bought cat food for his cat; the bank where we cashed in our loose change every Saturday morning. Wow. That’s tough. Moving sure sounds like a good idea. You know what, forget about all the burgers and Caesar Salad. Let's order a big pizza! He worked in a pizza shop. Oh, for heaven's sake.   And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories. Have you ever been haunted by a memory? Tell us about it using these "haunt" expressions. Or practice writing a scary scene using “haunt.” You can do both in the Comments Section! I’m Anna Matteo.   Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly edited it. At the end of the program, Sade sings "Haunt Me" at the end. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   scary – adj. causing fear mysterious – adj. strange, unknown, or difficult to understand terrified – adj. extremely afraid vampire – n. a dead person who leaves the grave at night to bite and suck the blood of living people

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English in a Minute: All Ears

We all have two ears. So, what might the express "all ears" mean? Watch this week's EIM to find out!

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