Kenya’s President Named Winner of Disputed Election

  Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission says President Uhuru Kenyatta has been re-elected. The commission says 98 percent of Kenyans who marked ballots in the presidential election last week voted for Kenyatta. He received 7.4 million votes. Six weeks ago, Kenya’s Supreme Court cancelled Kenyatta’s victory in elections held in August. The court ruled that the commission did not follow the constitution and law. It ordered a new vote. About 80 percent of registered voters marked ballots in the August elections. But only 38 percent voted last Thursday. Opposition leader Raila Odinga withdrew as a presidential candidate about a month ago. He said the commission was not ready for a repeat vote. And he urged his supporters not to vote in the election. Odinga comes from Kisumu in western Kenya. Many people there support him. Eric Otieno says he cannot accept the result of the repeat election. “I have just seen disaster in this country because you cannot tell anyone that the way forward, we have had elections, and so we have a president. To me, we don’t have a validly elected president. Recognizing Uhuru as president, my president, no way…” Many people in the area where Kenyatta was born and in the Rift Valley area voted for the governing Jubilee party. The Rift Valley is home to deputy president William Ruto. The electoral commission canceled the vote in four counties for security reasons. The four are Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya and Migori. Opposition supporters have been protesting in some parts of the country. They are calling for electoral reforms. Some political observers question the legitimacy of the latest election because 12 million registered voters did not mark ballots. Kamissa Camara is one such expert. She works for PartnersGlobal, an organization that works for peaceful and democratic change. “Odinga did boycott the election as well as most of his supporters. So only one third of registered voters actually went to vote in this rerun. So that will cause a great question and a great challenge for the legitimacy of President Uhuru Kenyatta.” On Tuesday, Odinga made his first public comments since Kenyatta was declared the winner. He described the vote last week as “a sham election that must not be allowed to stand.” Odinga announced the creation of what he called a “People’s Assembly,” through which the opposition would “exercise the solemn duty of restoring democracy, constitutionalism, and the rule of law.” Chris Hennemeyer follows politics in Africa. He says Kenyatta will have to change the way he talks about his victory if he is to be able to govern his divided country. “Now it’s up to him to decide whether he wants to sound like a conciliatory leader who’s attempting to bring Kenyans together or whether that’s not the route he chooses to go on and from his initial remarks today, it does not sound like he’s willing to speak to Raila to try and find some common ground and move the country forward.” Chris Hennemeyer says he does not believe the election will stop Kenya from playing an important role in East Africa. “He understands that business must go on so I don’t see Kenya turning into a failed state or dysfunctional country." John Tomaszewski is with the International Republican Institute, an organization that works to spread democracy. He was in Kenya during the elections. He says this has been a difficult time for the country. “We’ve seen a very tough election cycle and I think what’s happened today is one more step in a process that won’t end today. I think, while the Jubilee government would like to move on, you know, the NASA coalition has dug in and I think we’ll continue to see more and more of this discussion in the weeks ahead...” Kenyan business and religious leaders have called for calm. At least nine people have died from election-related violence since Thursday.  I’m Anne Ball.   Correspondent Mohammed Yusuf reported this story from Kisumu, Kenya. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his report for VOA Learning English. His story contains information from a report by VOA’s Mariama Diallo. 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   valid – adj. acceptable according to the law legitimate – adj. real, accepted or official rerun – n. an occurrence in which something happens or is done again sham - adj. not true or real conciliatory – adj. intended to make someone less angry dysfunctional – adj. the condition of having poor and unhealthy behaviors and attitudes within a group of people cycle – n. a set of events or actions that happen again and again in the same order; a repeating series of events or actions NASA – n. acronym for National Super Alliance – the name of the political opposition in Kenya dug in – phrasal verb to dig a trench and take position inside it (used figuratively)  

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India Sending Wheat through Iran to Afghanistan

India has begun using a new trade route to Afghanistan. India sent its first shipment of wheat to Afghanistan by way of the Iranian port of Chabahar. The shipment will not pass through Pakistan, which lies directly between the two countries. The Pakistani government refuses to let India transport goods to Afghanistan through Pakistani territory. The new sea route is an important step in expanding trade between India and Afghanistan. Indian officials described the first shipment as a "landmark moment." India plans to send six more shipments, representing 1.1 million tons of wheat, in the coming months. They will be sent from the port of Kandla, in western India, to Chabahar. From there, they will be taken by road to the Afghan capital, Kabul.  The shipment comes days after a top United States official, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, visited New Delhi. He spoke about President Donald Trump’s decision to decertify the international nuclear agreement with Iran. Tillerson attempted to ease concerns that U.S. officials could stop India’s plans to develop the Iranian port. Easier connectivity to Afghanistan is necessary for India to increase its economic links with Afghanistan and countries in Central Asia. The port of Chabahar is the centerpiece of an effort to improve trade in the area. India is investing $500 million to develop ports and new transport centers, as well as connecting road and railroad lines. Indian leaders expressed hope about the project. Sushma Swaraj is India’s foreign minister. She called the new trade link the starting point of an effort that would lead to the unrestricted flow of trade throughout South Asia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter that the launch of the trade route "marks a new chapter in regional cooperation and connectivity." The sea route through the Iranian port is the second step taken by India to increase connectivity with Afghanistan. In June, India opened an air freight route to provide more Afghan goods for the Indian market. The Chabahar project was proposed almost 15 years ago. But plans were delayed for years because of U.S.-led actions to punish Iran for its nuclear activities. The easing of those sanctions led India to sign an agreement with Iran and Afghanistan last year to develop the port. The shortest and most cost-effective land routes between India and Afghanistan lie through Pakistan. But a long rivalry between the two countries has prevented India from sending exports through Pakistani territory. Afghanistan is only permitted to send a limited amount of goods to India through Pakistan.  I’m Jonathan Evans.   Anjana Pasricha reported this story for VOANews.com from New Delhi. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   rivalry – n. a state or situation in which people or groups are competing with each other freight – adj. of or related to goods to be shipped chapter – n. a part or division of a book decertify – v. to state officially that something fails to meet requirements landmark – adj. related to a development that marks a turning point route – n. a line of travel

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October 30, 2017

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

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Former Trump Campaign Aides Charged

  United States officials have announced the first charges resulting from an investigation of Russian efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election last year. A federal grand jury indicted Paul Manafort and Rick Gates on Monday. Manafort served briefly as chairman of Donald Trump’s election campaign. Gates is his business partner, who also worked for the Trump campaign. The two men were charged with 12 criminal counts. These include conspiring against the United States, acting as unregistered foreign agents, and other charges related to hiding tens of millions of dollars overseas. Both Manafort and Gates pled not guilty in federal court. These are the first charges Special Counsel Robert Mueller has made public in his five-month investigation, but the indictments did not relate directly to the U.S. election. Officials say Manafort and Gates worked for years as political advisers and lobbyists. They were charged in connection with their work for the government of Ukraine, two Ukrainian political parties, and former president Viktor Yanukovych. The indictments came on same day that Mueller announced that a former Trump campaign aide pled guilty earlier this month to lying to federal agents. In court papers, George Papadopoulos admitted lying about his contacts with “foreign nationals” who he thought had close ties to Russian officials. Papadopoulos once served as a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign. He is said to be cooperating with investigators. Court papers show that Papadopoulos was told about the Russians possessing “dirt” on Hillary Clinton in the form of “thousands of emails” on April 26, 2016. This was before it became public that the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta’s emails had been hacked. Podesta served as chairman of Clinton’s presidential election campaign. At the White House, presidential spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mueller’s announcement had nothing to do with the Trump campaign. Papadopoulos, she noted, was a volunteer. “It has nothing to do with the activities of the campaign. It has to do with his failure to tell the truth. That doesn’t have anything to do with the campaign or the campaign’s activities.” She added that the investigation should look into Clinton’s election campaign. Earlier on Monday, President Trump also said investigators should be looking at his former opponent. And he tweeted that the Manafort indictment was related to events that took place before the 2016 campaign. “Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????," he tweeted. The president added, “Also, there is NO COLLUSION!” Collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia is what Mueller has been investigating since he was named Special Counsel last May. Manafort joined Trump’s election campaign in March 2016. Trump pushed him out in August because of reports about Manafort’s foreign consulting work. The indictment accuses Manafort and Gates of nearly 10 years of secretly plotting to work for Ukrainian interests. It says more than $75 million passed through financial accounts outside the United States, and that Manafort hid more than $18 million. Manafort and Gates worked for pro-Russian groups in Ukraine between 2006 and 2015. That investigation is now also part of Mueller’s larger investigation. I’m Anne Ball. Anne Ball wrote this story for VOA Learning English. The editor was George Grow. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   grand jury - n. ​a group of people who look at the evidence against someone who has been accused of a crime in order to decide if there should be a trial​ indict - v. to formally decide that someone should be put on trial for a crime conspire - v. to secretly plan with someone to do something that is harmful or illegal plead - v. to say in court that you are either guilty or not guilty of a crime : to make a plea investigator - n.  someone who works as a detective and who is not a member of a police force lobbyist  - n.​ a person who works together to influence government decisions that relate to a particular industry, issue, etc.​ hack  - v. to secretly get access to the files on a computer or network in order to get information, cause damage, etc. focus - n. ​a subject that is being discussed or studied : the subject on which people's attention is focused​ collusion - n. secret cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose

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One Method for Controlling Emotions, Stress

  From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Fear, anger, hate and sadness: These are four emotions that can affect how we think and how we act. When we are under pressure -- mental or physical -- our emotions are even more difficult to control. But what if there was a quick and easy plan for dealing with your emotions every time you faced a stressful situation? Well, there may be such a plan. And it involves a grammatical term: third person singular. Teachers use this term when talking about verbs and the form they take with the third person pronouns “he,” “she” or “it.” Now, an American researcher thinks he may have found a way to help control stress: talk to yourself in the third-person. Jason Moser is a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist. He serves as an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University. Moser says that talking to yourself in the third-person seems to put a kind of psychological distance between you and your emotions. He thinks this distance is all some people need to control how they react to stress.   “’Jason’ doesn’t just refer to myself. ‘Jason’ is the name of lots of other Jasons I’ve met before, and it has many other references. Whereas, ‘I’ and ‘me’ can only refer to the self, Jason can refer to others. And I think that distance from the self towards others gives people different perspectives. It allows them to manage stress better.” Talking to yourself in the third-person is like giving yourself advice. Moser uses himself in an example. He does not like flying, but he must fly often for his work. So, when he is feeling nervous or afraid during a flight, he talks to himself -- only silently. “And what I find myself doing, if I use third-person self-talk, is that I then start kind of giving myself advice. I start saying, ‘Well, you know, Jason knows air travel is very safe. And Jason’s been on thousands of flights before with no issue.’ And so this little bit of psychological distance you gain by using your own name – it’s almost as if you’re giving advice to somebody else even though it really does end up being you you're giving advice to.” Moser admits that talking out loud to yourself could look and sound strange to other people. So, he suggests using your brain and having that discussion inside your head. Thinking through that dialogue enables you to use this strategy anytime, anywhere. This strategy is easy and quick Moser’s research came from his desire as a mental health expert to help patients. Moser felt helpless when his patients were unable to use strategies he would suggest to them. He wanted to find a method that people could easily use to control their emotions. “I’m looking for easy and quick strategies people can use to manage negative emotions. In doing therapy with my clients one of the things that’s really frustrating is that many times it’s hard to get clients to adopt strategies you want them to adopt. And in large part because  they’re difficult. And they’re not exactly easy or intuitive in the moment.” Moser says that simply telling people suffering from depression to think differently is not enough. Brain imaging tests show that it takes great effort for these people to change their way of thinking. “And when you ask people who are anxious or depressed, for instance, to do that -- you see that it’s really difficult for them to do that. Their brain activity show you that it’s effortful for them. And so, I’m always looking for something that’s easier and quicker for people to do in the moment.” The two studies Moser performed two experiments with other researchers at Michigan State University and psychologists at the University of Michigan. He says they used two kinds of stimuli and looked at brain activity in the participants using two different imaging techniques. “Yeah, so, our main goal with these two studies was to show that third-person self-talk can be an effortless form of emotion regulation.” In the first study, Moser and his team showed the test subjects troubling pictures. They asked them to think about the pictures, using either first-person pronouns or third-person self-talk. Then the researchers examined the brain activity of both groups using an electroencephalogram or EEG. This is a test that recognizes electrical activity in a person’s brain. In the second study, researchers asked the subjects to think of difficult memories, again using both first-person pronouns or third-person self-talk. But this time, they looked at the brain activity with a different kind of technology, fMRI. Moser says that in both studies, the subjects who used third-person self-talk had a big reduction of emotional response in brain wave activity. The two tests also showed that these participants did not experience higher activity in other parts of the brain. Moser says this shows that the strategy needs no additional effort and happens without any thought or effort. “They had reduced emotional experiences but no extra effort or extra processing somewhere else in the brain. It seemed to be automatic and effortless.” Moser says he and his team used both imaging tests to give a more complete picture of how the brain reacts to third-person self-talk. EEG measures electrical activity during a short period of time. And fMRI measures blood flow over a longer period. The researchers decided to use two different stimuli in the separate studies for the same reason. One study looked at the strategy used on immediate reactions to a troubling picture. The other study explored the effect of third-person self-talk on bad memories. “In the EEG, we showed them pictures and wanted to see, 'Can they use third-person self-talk in the moment?' Whereas in the fMRI scanner we wanted to see, "Can we get the same sort of effect using memories about the past?' ” Moser says this provides a strong case that third-person self-talk is an effective way to control emotions in any situation. He says the most exciting thing he learned from this research is that third-person self-talk is effortless. The brain imaging shows it does not require any added effort, planning or thinking. And people can use it when dealing with immediate stress or when dealing with painful memories that have long since passed.  “This is not hard to do. People can do this and they can do it quickly within the first second of seeing an emotional picture. And they can do it reflecting back on painful experiences. And that it’s really easy and quick to do. And that was really, I think, the kinda main point that we wanted to make with these studies.” Who shouldn’t use this technique? Moser warns that this strategy may not be good for everyone. People with a severe mental disorder and who already have too much distance from their feelings should probably not use third-person self-talk. But he believes most other people can use the technique when dealing with stress, depression, anxiety or anger. Critics Moser admits that the strategy does have its share of critics in the world of psychology. He notes that some may call third-person self-talk silly. However, he adds that this strategy for controlling stress and emotion is not new, but the research is. With the information he and his colleagues have collected, third-person self-talk may be used by more people and in more situations. And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo.   Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Quiz Now, test your understanding by taking this short quiz. ​______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   grammatical – adj. of or relating to grammar : grammar – n. the set of rules that explain how words are used in a language clinical psychologist – n. a psychologist who works with patients neuroscientist – n. one who studies the nerves and especially of how nerves affect learning and behavior refer – v. refer to (something) : to have a direct connection or relationship to (something) : reference – n. negative – adj. harmful or bad : not wanted strategy – n. a plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time adopt – v. to begin to use or have (a different manner, method, etc.) intuitive – adj. readily learned or understood anxious – adj. afraid or nervous especially about what may happen : feeling anxiety stimuli – n. something that causes a change or a reaction : an  influence that acts usually from outside the body to partly change bodily activity (as by exciting a receptor or sense organ) regulation – n. the act of regulating something : regulate – v. to set or adjust the amount, degree, or rate of (something) electroencephalogram – n. medical the tracing of brain waves made by an electroencephalograph : electroencephalograph – n. medical : an apparatus for detecting and recording brain waves silly – adj. having or showing a lack of thought, understanding, or good judgment : foolish or stupid : not serious, meaningful, or important 

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Spain Seeks Charges Against Catalan Leaders

  Spanish prosecutors say they will seek rebellion charges against the leaders of Catalonia’s ousted government. The move follows Catalonia’s declaration of independence from Spain last week. Spain considers Catalonia’s moves to create an independent state a violation of the country's constitution. Chief prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza said Catalan leaders would also be charged with inciting people to rebel and misuse of public money. He accused the leaders of causing “an institutional crisis” by leading efforts to separate Catalonia from Spain. Maza did not name the individuals facing charges. But they reportedly include Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, as well as members of his cabinet and legislative leaders in Catalonia. A Spanish government official told the Associated Press that Puigdemont had traveled to Brussels, Belgium. Over the weekend, a Belgian official said it would not be “unrealistic” for Puigdemont to request asylum in the country. Catalonia’s parliament declared independence from Spain Friday. Hours later, Spain’s Senate voted to give the Spanish government the authority to take over direct rule of the northeastern area.   Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy then ordered the dismissal of Catalonia’s government and removed senior Catalan police officials. He also called for new elections to be held December 21. Despite the charges sought against Catalonia’s leaders, the region’s major secessionist parties said Monday they planned to take part in the elections. Political observers said this decision signaled unspoken acceptance by pro-independence parties of Spain’s latest moves toward direct rule. On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of anti-independence demonstrators took to the streets of Barcelona to voice their opposition to Catalonia’s declaration. On Monday, most employees in Catalonia showed up for work, ignoring calls by some pro-independence groups for civil disobedience protests. Catalonia – a wealthy region with its own language and culture - has long sought independence from Spain. Catalan leaders held an independence referendum on October 1. They said the results gave them clear authority to declare independence. Spain’s government and Constitutional Court declared the referendum illegal. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from VOA News, the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Hai Do 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   authority – n. official power to give orders or make decisions referendum – n. election in which people in an area vote for or against an issue of public concern  

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Women Land in Japan after 6 Months Lost at Sea

This is What’s Trending today. Two women landed in Japan Monday after their rescue from a damaged sailboat floating aimlessly in the Pacific Ocean. Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiava and their two dogs had been lost at sea for almost six months. The Navy ship USS Ashland rescued them about 1,450 kilometers southeast of Japan. Appel and Fuiava left Honolulu on May 3 sailing Appel’s 15-meter boat, the Sea Nymph. They had planned for an 18-day trip to Tahiti. However, storms flooded the engine, destroyed the boat’s starter and severely damaged the mast. The women could not use the sails effectively, as a result. They tried to return to Hawaii. In June, they got within 1,345 kilometers of Oahu, Appel said. “We knew we weren’t going to make it,” she said. “So that’s when we started making distress calls. We were hoping that one of our friends who likes to go deep sea fishing and taking people out might have gone past the 400-mile mark and might have cruised near where we would be.” The women said they floated aimlessly and sent unanswered distress calls for 98 straight days. The women said they ran out of food for the dogs, Zeus and Valentine, and began sharing their own with the animals. They were thousands of miles in the wrong direction when a Taiwanese fishing boat found them. Appel said she paddled on a surfboard to the Taiwanese boat and made an emergency call. The USS Ashland happened to be in the area at the time to avoid a storm. The ship’s commanding officer Steven Wasson said the Ashland traveled 160 kilometers and found the women the next day. Appel told reporters on Friday that they were beginning to feel hopeless when they saw the U.S. Navy ship coming toward them. “When I saw the gray ship on the horizon, I was just shaking,” she said. “I was ready to cry, I was so happy. I knew we were going to live.” The U.S. Navy decided the Sea Nymph needed too many repairs to make it sea worthy. So, the sailboat was left at sea. The women still hope it will be found and they can repair it. If not, Appel said they wanted to build an “unsinkable and unbreakable boat” and set out for Tahiti again. “We still never got to see the 20,000 islands, so I think that would be the most fantastic trip for May of next spring,” she said. And that’s What’s Trending today. I’m Caty Weaver. The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   dock – n. to bring a ship or boat into a dock​ mast – n. a long pole that supports the sails of a boat or ship ​ distress – n. of a boat, airplane, etc.: a state of danger or desperate need​ horizon – n.  the line where the earth or sea seems to meet the sky​ fantastic – adj. extremely good​   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Kurdish President Offers to Step Down

  Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani has announced that he will step down as president on November 1. Barzani made the announcement on television Sunday. The autonomous Kurdish Regional Government has faced strong criticism after it held an independence referendum last month. A number of Barzani’s supporters forced themselves into the parliament building as lawmakers met to approve the president’s request. They attacked lawmakers and reporters while a crowd outside parliament waved Kurdish flags. Barzani said he wants the position of the president to be dissolved and its duties spread between the Kurdish area prime minister, parliament and the judiciary. During his speech, Barzani said the Iraqi central government has used the Kurdish vote in September as “an excuse” to retake territory. Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and coalition forces had controlled the territory in northern Iraq for years after they pushed out Islamic State, or IS, militants. IS fighters had overrun large areas of northern Iraq in 2014. Reactions to Barzani’s decision Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is calling for calm and respect for the law after Barzani’s announcement. Abadi said he was following developments in the Kurdish area closely. He said the central government in Baghdad wants to establish safe conditions in every province and protect the interests of every citizen. The United States called Barzani’s decision “an act of statesmanship during a difficult period.” In a statement on Monday, the State Department praised Barzani as “a historic figure and courageous leader of his people, most recently in our common fight to destroy ISIS.” James Jeffery is with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a former diplomat. He told VOA that Barzani’s move could ease concerns of the Baghdad government and of Turkey, Iran and other countries opposed to Kurdish independence. “If he steps down then that will open the door to the step of annulling the referendum vote because that is the demand of both the Abadi government and all of the neighbors.” Independence vote led to clashes with Iraqi forces The referendum in September resulted in 92 percent of Kurds voting for independence from Iraq. Barzani said the vote was meant to provide a way to find a peaceful solution to the governing of the Kurdish area. He said any separation from the central government in Baghdad would be put off for years. Kurdish leaders had offered to suspend the referendum results and to start talks with the central government but Abadi rejected the offer. He has said he would accept only a cancellation of the referendum and respect for the country’s constitution. As a result of the vote, Iraqi central government forces took control of the city of Kirkuk and surrounding areas from Kurdish forces. The two sides are currently negotiating control of border posts including areas where an important oil pipeline crosses into Turkey. Masoud Barzani has been president of the Kurdish Regional Government since 2005. However, his second term ended in 2013. It was extended because of fighting with the Islamic State militant group, but parliament had not acted on a further extension in recent years. I’m Mario Ritter.   Chris Hannas, Esha Sarai and Victor Beattie reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English with additional materials from Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   referendum –n. a vote by the general public on one or a few important issues statesmanship –n. the act of showing wise, diplomatic leadership in a government figure –n.  a person We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Pollution Is the World’s Number One Killer

  A new study has identified pollution as the world’s No. 1 killer. Study organizers say pollution is responsible for more premature deaths than war, terrorism, natural disasters, smoking and disease. By premature death, the researchers mean dying before the average age of death within a population group. Many of these deaths can be prevented. A report on the study was published in the medical journal Lancet. The researchers looked at pollution levels, both inside enclosed buildings and in the world around us. They estimated that pollution killed about 9 million people in 2015. That would represent one of every six deaths worldwide. Karti Sandilya helped to prepare the report. He said “Pollution threatens fundamental human rights, such as the right to life, health, well-being, safe work as well as protections of children and the most vulnerable.” The report said the large majority of pollution-related deaths take place in developing countries. The researchers say leaders in those countries are more concerned about building their economies and public services than environmental controls. Some of the most affected countries are Bangladesh, China, Haiti, India, Pakistan, North Korea and South Sudan. But Richard Fuller, another writer of the report, said pollution is tied to slow economic development in both rich and poor nations. He said “There is this myth that finance ministers still live by, that you have to let industry pollute or else you won’t develop. What people don’t realize ... people who are sick or dead cannot contribute to the economy. They need to be looked after.” The report said that 9 million premature deaths a year is only a conservative estimate. It says the actual number is likely to be much higher. A separate study by the World Bank said reducing pollution must be a top goal. It says that solving this problem would lead to solutions to other crises, including malnutrition and rising temperatures on Earth’s surface. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Kenneth Schwartz reported this story for VOANews.com. Jonathan Evans adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   malnutrition – n. the unhealthy condition that results from not eating enough food or not eating enough healthy food : poor nutrition myth – n. an idea or story that is believed by many people but that is not true contribute – v. to supply or provide; to have a share in something premature – adj. happening or arriving before the usual or expected time

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Unit 8: Visual Literacy

​Welcome to Let's Teach English. This series offers free online training for English language educators worldwide. Voice of America and the University of Oregon are partners on this project.    Summary This lesson teaches students to work with a timeline graphic to show events in time order. They base the timeline on the hopes and dreams they remember from different periods of their lives.  Creating timelines helps students develop visual literacy for academic charts and graphics. Then, they play a game called ‘Wheel of Futures.’ This lets students try out different future plans and possibilities and explain why or why not they may want to do these things.  The game format makes learning fun  and helps students  think about their plans from a new perspective. It may also help reduce stress or anxiety around talking about possible future options.   Teacher Preparation Video Transcript This episode shows a model of teaching using a timeline and talking about plans for the future. Click on the image below to download a pdf of the transcript. Women Teaching Women English Text Click on the image below to download a pdf of the student text and teacher manual. At the end of the ten-unit course, the whole book will be available for download.​ This file contains the teacher manual and the graphics shown in the video for the timeline and the wheel of futures. ​Women Teaching Women English Listening These audio files go with Unit 8 of Women Teaching Women English. Click on the "Direct Link" button to the right of the player to download them. Conversation: Prize Winner   Reading: Girls Ride to School on Bicycles   What Do You Think? Let us know what you think about this course. Email us or write your comment in the comments section below.   Poll

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'It Was a Dark and Stormy Night'

  During the Halloween season, one popular activity is to visit a haunted house. As a child, some of my earliest and most frightening memories happened in a haunted house at Halloween. So, let me take you inside a real haunted house. This short story also gives you vocabulary and idioms for describing something scary. We begin as many scary stories have: It is a dark and stormy night. You walk alone down a desolate street. The rain has been falling steadily all night and is only getting worse. You are soaked to the bone and need to get out of the rain. Then you see a house. “Thank heavens!” you say out loud. But at second glance, your relief is chilled by the look of the place. It's dark. Only a lone street lamp casts a dim, yellow light on the sad features of the house. It looks as if no one has lived here for many years. The windows are broken. An old, ripped curtain blows from a third-story window. Now, you remember where you are.This house is from your childhood. Neighborhood kids talked of ghosts, from a family long dead, walking through the house at night.   The front yard is tangled with overgrown weeds and vines. A pathway lined with broken stones leads to an old house. You follow it. As you walk down the sidewalk, tree branches seem to lean into your path. They grab at your hair and clothes. Spider webs stretched across the branches get caught in your eyes and mouth. As you wipe them away, you hear something behind you. What is it?! You turn around. Nothing. It was probably just a cat, you tell yourself. Although, you don’t believe it. Just as you step onto the sagging front porch, the door creaks open. Suddenly, two bony hands push you inside. The door slams shut! From the shadows, things start to come toward you! You can't see anything, but you can hear them coming closer. You run, but running only takes you farther into the nightmare. Your heart beats wildly. Hoping to hide, you open a door, but a skeleton falls into your face. Screaming, you fight with the bones as they entangle your arms and legs! Finally, you break free and run for your life down a hallway. For a moment, you think you're safe. Then a deathly white hand reaches out from under a table, grabbing at your ankles! You run faster, this time up a flight of stairs. But a half-human, half-bat creature hangs from the ceiling. It flies toward your neck with blood dripping from its razor-sharp teeth. As you try to escape, you trip down some stairs and fall into a cold, dark basement. From a small window you look outside and see a crazed man holding an axe. He's looking right at you, laughing. Fear takes over your whole body, as you run out of the house only to find ... ... a bowl of candy. If you're lucky, maybe a plate of cupcakes, too. You dig your hands into the candy bowl and fill your pockets with sweets. You deserve it. You made it out alive! That is exactly how I remember the first haunted house my parents took me to. To this day, the thought of it still sends shivers down my spine. And I still love being scared out of my wits! I’m Anna Matteo   Do you remember a time when you were scared out of your wits? Practice using the words and expressions you heard in this story by describing it in the Comments Section. Anna Matteo wrote and produced this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.  ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   haunt – v. to visit or inhabit as a ghost desolate – adj. lacking the people, plants, animals, etc., that make people feel welcome in a place soaked to the bone – idiomatic expression : to be extremely or completely wet, especially through the clothing glance – n. a quick look chill – v. to become cold weed – n. a plant that tends to grow where not wanted and to prevent the growth of more desirable plants usually by taking up space vine – n. a plant whose stem requires support and which climbs by tendrils or twining or creeps along the ground dim – adj. not bright or clear creak – v. to make a long, high sound : to make a sound like the sound made by an old door when it opens or closes shadow – n. a dark shape that appears on a surface when someone or something moves between the surface and a source of light nightmare – n. a frightening dream that usually awakens the sleeper : something (such as an experience, situation, or object) having the monstrous character of a nightmare or producing a feeling of anxiety or terror skeleton – n. the structure of bones that supports the body of a person or animal scream – n. a sudden sharp loud cry : v. to voice a sudden sharp loud cry entangle – v. to wrap or twist together run for your life – idiomatic expression : to run very fast because you are in danger razor-sharp – adj. very sharp sends shivers down my spine – idiomatic expression : to cause an intense feeling of fear, nervousness, exhilaration, or excitement in someone scared out of my wits – idiomatic expression : suggests one is frightened enough to lose one's mind

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