America's Presidents - Barack Obama

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2017: A Year Marked by Disaster, Violence

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College Admissions: Searching for Financial Support

  Higher education in the United States has never been more costly. The College Board is an independent organization that supports the growth of higher education in the U.S. It says that the average cost to attend a public, four-year American college or university has increased more than 300 percent in the last 30 years. Most American colleges and universities do offer some form of financial assistance to their students. However, not all schools offer aid in the same way, and not all students are able receive the same kind of aid, says Loutfi Jarari. He is the associate dean of academic life and director of international recruitment at DePauw University, a private liberal arts college in Indiana. Jirari says there are several types of financial assistance that colleges and universities offer students. There is aid that schools award to students with strong academic records. Schools also give special awards to students who are especially skilled at a sport, musical instrument, or other activity. Jarari says the financial aid process can be complex, no matter what kind of assistance a student is seeking. It demands just as much attention as any other part of the college application process. Students should consider several things before sending in any aid application materials, Jarari says. For example, there are two main types of colleges and universities in the United States: public and private. Public universities are controlled by the states in which they are located. Private schools are independently operated. What does this mean in terms of applying for financial aid? For both domestic and international students, Jarari says, there is a world of difference. He should know; he was once an international student himself. Born in Morocco, Jarari attended one year of college in his home country before finishing his higher education at Southern Illinois University, a public research university. He says most public American universities do not offer any financial aid to international students. That is because those schools have special responsibilities to students living in-state. “State universities have to serve the needs of the students in the state and the students in the U.S. first and foremost,” Jarari told VOA. “They are, of course, very, very open to having international students. But they are not able to give financial aid because they just don’t have that … for international students…Private universities don’t have to follow everything that is dictated by the states.” So, Jarari says, the first step for both domestic and international students should be to ask what a school offers. He suggests contacting schools’ financial aid offices directly. Applicants can get answers to questions they may have about the school’s financial aid availability. Jarari also notes that financial aid offices and admissions offices often work together. Any time an applicant contacts and communicates with a school directly, the school sees it as a good sign.    “When they ask questions…we give them points,” Jarari said. “That is a sign that the student cares about the university, and for us, we use those points to decide admission and also to decide scholarships.” Jirari says that students usually apply for financial aid from a university at the same time that they apply for admission. This is typically in the fall term of their final year of high school. American citizens can apply for financial aid from both the U.S. government and their college or university of choice. They do so by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. International students must apply for financial aid through one of two other methods. They can use the College Board’s College Scholarship Service, or CSS, Profile. They can also use the International Student Financial Aid Application. Almost all U.S. colleges and universities use at least one of these methods to determine how much aid they will give to students, Jirari says. The main difference between the two is that the CSS Profile costs about $25 for the first school students apply to, and about $16 for each additional school. The International Student Financial Aid Application is free. But Jirari says that neither method is necessarily better than the other. He says that the FAFSA, the CSS Profile and the International Student Financial Aid Application all ask for the same kind of information. That information includes detailed proof of how much money, property and other assets a student’s family possesses. They also ask students to report the number of siblings a student has so schools know if their family is supporting more than one college student. Jirari notes that completing these application materials correctly is very important. For example, students must make sure that all their family’s financial information is reported using the value in American dollars. Otherwise the student risks making it appear that their family is wealthier than they actually are. Also, he says, students must make sure all the documents they provide the school match the ones they use in their visa application. If a student does not tell the full truth on every part of their application, the school can and will find out. That can create serious problems. “I’ve seen so many instances for both domestic and international students where students might try to hide an asset, thinking they will get more scholarship,” he said “But what that causes is for us to see that student is being untruthful. And in a lot of instances we will deny that student.” In the end, schools do not want money to be a barrier to getting an education. They will give as much aid as they feel is reasonable, Jirari says. But students must fully understand how much a college or university costs. He notes that some schools only list their basic costs of attending classes on their websites without including other costs, such as housing. That is another reason why student should ask financial aid officers questions during every step of the process. The student can then compare how much a college or university truly costs to how much aid they are offering.   I’m ­Pete Musto. And I’m Dorothy Gundy.   Pete Musto wrote this report for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. How common is it for colleges and universities in your country to offer financial aid? What is the process of applying for financial aid like? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education recruitment – n. to find people with the qualities that are right, needed, or appropriate for a company, school, organization, or the armed forces and get them to join application – n. a formal and usually written request for something, such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan domestic – adj. of, relating to, or made in your own country world of difference – idm. a big difference dictate(d) – v. to make something necessary admissions – n. the act or process of accepting someone as a student at a school scholarship(s) – n. an amount of money that is given by a school or an organization, to a student to help pay for the student's education asset(s) – n. something that is owned by a person or company sibling(s) – n. a brother or sister instance(s) – n. a brother or sister

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How Will You 'Ring in the New Year?'

Hello and welcome to the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories. Everyone around the world celebrates the New Year differently and at different times. Most people in the U.S. celebrate it on January 1. But they may also observe New Year traditions from other religions or cultures. For example, many Asian cultures celebrate the Lunar New Year. This date changes from year to year. The date of the Islamic New Year also changes from year to year. And in India, each religious group has its own date for the beginning of the year. For example, the Hindu New Year comes in April or May. No matter when you celebrate the New Year, it usually involves thinking about the past year and planning for the year ahead. People have many different ways of ringing out the old and ringing in the new. But why are bells linked to the calendar change? In the Christian and Buddhist religions, bells are often connected with the New Year. The website CatholicCulture.org explains that "bells serve as a beautiful symbol introducing a new year to be spent together as a community of families ..." Another website describes how bells are used in Japan on New Year's Eve. "As midnight approaches, Buddhist temples around the country begin ringing out the old year, sounding the temple bell 108 times." Each ring of the bell stands for each of the earthly desires a Buddhist must try to overcome -- all 108 of them! Even those who aren't religious but are a little superstitious, may ring bells at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve to scare off bad luck. These age-old traditions have given us the phrase "to ring out the old and ring in the new." The English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) made the phrase popular with his poem “In Memoriam [Ring Out, Wild Bells].” In this poem, Tennyson rings out, or says farewell to, the bad, and he rings in, or says hello, to the good. Tennyson wrote this poem for Arthur Henry Hallam. The two students met at Cambridge University and quickly became best friends, both showing great promise as writers. Hallam helped Tennyson publish volumes of his poetry in 1830 and 1832. The friends almost became family when Hallam became engaged to the poet’s sister, Emily. However, before they could wed, Hallam died of a brain hemorrhage. He was only twenty-two years old. To remember his good friend, Tennyson wrote the poem “In Memoriam.” He also named one of his two sons Hallam. Here is Jonathan Evans reading the first part of that poem. Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,    The flying cloud, the frosty light:    The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in the new,    Ring, happy bells, across the snow:    The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out the grief that saps the mind    For those that here we see no more;    Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind. Ring out a slowly dying cause,    And ancient forms of party strife;    Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws. Thanks, Jonathan. And thank you, our listeners, for the time you have spent reading and listening to Words and Their Stories these past twelve months. We here at VOA Learning English wish all of you a happy start to the New Year.   For the New Year, what do you plan to ring out and what do you plan to ring in? Also in the coming New Year, what words, expressions or phrases would you like to learn more about? Let us know in the Comments Sections. I'm Anna Matteo.   All of those who are hither and yonder With love in our hearts We grow fonder and fonder Hail to those who we hold so dear And hail to those who are gathered here And a happy new year to all that is living To all that is gentle, young, and forgiving Raise your glass and we'll have a cheer My dear acquaintance, a happy new year Happy new year   Anna Matteo wrote this story. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. At the end of the story, Regina Spektor sings “My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year).” _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   desire – n. the feeling of wanting something superstitious – adj. of, relating to, or influenced by superstition superstition – n. a belief or way of behaving that is based on fear of the unknown and faith in magic or luck : a belief that certain events or things will bring good or bad luck stroke – n. the sound of a bell being struck (The bell rung at the stroke of twelve.) hemorrhage – n. a condition in which a person bleeds too much and cannot stop the flow of blood frosty – adj. cold enough to produce frost sap – v. to use up the supply of (something, such as a person's courage, energy, strength, etc.) feud – n. a long and angry fight or quarrel between two people or two groups redress – v. to correct (something that is unfair or wrong) noble – adj. having, showing, or coming from personal qualities that people admire (such as honesty, generosity, courage, etc.) mode – n. a particular form or type of something (such as transportation or behavior) manner – n. behavior while with other people

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2017: A Year Marked by Disaster, Violence

  The year 2017 has been a good year for bad news. Media personality Marian Salzman called it a year of “disruption, despair and dumpster fires.” In other words, it has been a difficult year, marked by violence, natural disasters and political disagreement. Gun violence, attacks claim lives around the world The year started off with bad news; a gunman attacked a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey, during a New Year’s celebration. Thirty-nine people were killed and many more were injured. Vehicles were used as weapons in several major attacks this year. A truck bombing in the Somali capital, Mogadishu claimed hundreds of lives. In June, a truck was also used in an attack in Westminster and London Bridge in London, killing eight people. Similar attacks took place in Stockholm, Sweden, Barcelona, Spain and New York City. In each case, extremists were blamed. Terrorists targeted Egyptian Coptic Christians in two attacks in April. Then, in November over 300 people were killed in an attack on a Muslim place of worship in continuing religious violence in Egypt. In Britain, a suicide attack killed 22 people in a bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester. Shooting violence again left a mark of tragedy in the United States. In November, a man opened fire in a church in rural Texas, killing 25 people. In Las Vegas, Nevada, a gunman aimed at a nearby music concert from a tall hotel building, killing 58 people. The attack was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Storms, fires, quakes leave costly damage Natural disasters were also notable. Three powerful storms struck the Caribbean Sea and the southern United States in a short period of time.   Hurricane Harvey struck the city of Houston, Texas, in August, causing widespread flooding and damage. Two other hurricanes, Irma and Maria, struck Caribbean islands, the state of Florida and the southern U.S. More than three months later, tens of thousands remain without power on the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Powerful storms also struck the Philippines and Vietnam, bringing with them damage and heavy loss of life. Wildfires proved to be costly and dangerous events. Fires burned large areas in Portugal as well as in the central and southern parts of the state of California. Paths of danger for civilians, refugees Migration and refugees fleeing violence remained a major problem in 2017. Amnesty International estimates that 73,000 refugees from Africa and the Middle East tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. Two thousand refugees are believed to have died along the way.   News stories brought attention to the situation of ethnic Rohingya people in Myanmar. It is believed that 626,000 people have fled to Bangladesh to escape ethnic violence involving the military in Myanmar. Civil war in Yemen has brought hunger, disease and poor conditions to millions in the country. Saudi Arabia put in place -- and then promised to ease -- a blockade on the country’s seaports and airports. The blockade prevents humanitarian aid from getting to Yemen. Political crisis and change The political crisis in Venezuela continues, as those opposed to President Nicolas Maduro have taken to the streets in protest. Large numbers have fled South America’s most troubled economy in search of jobs in other countries, including neighboring Brazil. In Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe was ousted in November after leading one of Africa’s most economically troubled nations for 37 years.   In Spain, efforts by Catalonians to seek independence led to new elections and the ouster of the autonomous area’s president. Pro-independence groups gained a narrow majority in the latest elections. A similar vote for independence by the Kurdish area of Iraq resulted in the central government seizing oil producing areas. The Kurdish president resigned and the area government withdrew the results of the vote. Sharp changes in policies The election of Donald Trump in 2016 brought with it many policy changes for the United States. Trump ordered strong restrictions on immigration from several Muslim-majority countries. He pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement with Pacific area nations. And in June, he said the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, a non-binding deal to limit the rise in world temperatures.   Japan has sought to change its pacifist constitution to permit an expanded military. And South Korea permitted the deployment of the THAD anti-missile system over China’s objection. North Korea has raised tensions on the Korean Peninsula to a new level, with several long-range missile tests and a suspected hydrogen bomb underground explosion. In late November, North Korea tested a missile that is believed to be able to reach any part of the U.S. Sexual wrongdoing accusations top AP’s 2017 news list The Associated Press says the biggest story of 2017 was the wave of well-known and powerful men accused of sexual wrongdoing.   The New York Times published sexual abuse allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein in October. In the weeks since, women and some men have publicly accused others in Hollywood, news media executives, politicians and more of sexual assault or harassment. Among the accused were Kevin Spacey, Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer. Millions of people around the world also used the hashtag #MeToo to tell of their sexual abuse experiences. Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore were accused of wrongdoing, each by many women. Franken announced his resignation from the Senate while Moore lost the election. Other U.S. congressmen were also accused; some decided not to seek reelection. And some good news too…   There was cause to celebrate this year in Nigeria, when more than 80 of the young women known as the Chibok girls were released. They had been held for more than three years by the country’s Boko Haram Islamic extremist group. Many of them have renewed their studies by attending the American University of Nigeria. The girls are said to be under the care of the Nigerian government. Other positive developments include the collapse of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. And the U.S. economy continued to grow more quickly than expected. Joblessness fell to its lowest level in many years. The good news has many people hoping for a better 2018. You heard from Lucija Milonig, Jill Robbins, Jonathan Evans and Dorothy Gundy. I’m Mario Ritter. T he Associated Press reported this story. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English using additional materials. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Dorothy Gundy produced the video. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   disruption –n. something that prevents some activity from going on in the normal way dumpster fires –idiom a very bad situation migration –n. to move from one country or place to another to live without intending to return blockade –n. the act of militarily blocking off a place, city or country to prevent people or supplies from entering or leaving autonomous –adj. having the right to self-government non-binding –adj. not required by law pacifist –adj. not accepting war as a possible solution   hydrogen bomb –n. an atomic bomb that uses hydrogen to increase the power of the explosion assault –n. the crime of trying to or threatening to harm someone physically harassment –n. to annoy or bother in a repeated way  

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Creator of ‘Me Too’ to Start Ball Drop in Times Square

  Around the world in 2017, women and some men used the social media hashtag #MeToo to tell their stories of sexual abuse. To ring in 2018, the creator of “Me Too” will press the button that releases the ball drop in Times Square in New York City. Activist Tarana Burke first used “Me Too” in this way, back in 2006.  More than 10 years later, following the first media reports of sexual abuse by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, American actor Alyssa Milano wrote a message on Twitter. She asked her Twitter followers to write #MeToo if they had experienced sexual assault or harassment. The tweet spread worldwide. A movement was born, one that has seen more people coming forward with their abuse experiences than ever before. Well-known and powerful men in Hollywood, politics, news media and other industries have been accused of sexual wrongdoing. Many have lost their jobs and ended their careers. Milano was quick to give Burke credit for the phrase. And when Time magazine chose the sexual abuse “Silence Breakers” as its 2017 Person of the Year, Milano and Burke appeared together on American television.   Organizers of the Times Square New Year’s Eve event say they chose Burke after looking at some of the year’s major social and political changes. In a statement, Burke said she was “delighted” to take part in the event. “I think it’s fitting to honor the Me Too movement as we close a historic year and set our intentions for 2018,” Burke said. The Times Square New Year’s Eve party is the one of the oldest, biggest and most famous New Year’s celebration in America. The first New Year’s Eve celebration there took place in 1904. The owners of a building on Times Square held that first party on the roof of their building. Three years later, a New Year’s ball joined the celebration. I’m Ashley Thompson. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   hashtag- n. a word or phrase that starts with the symbol # and that briefly indicates what a message (such as a tweet) is about sexual assault - n.  the crime of touching someone in an unwanted sexual way harassment - n. the act of bothering someone in a repeated way delighted - adj. made very happy : full of great pleasure or satisfaction  

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English in a Minute: Off the Grid

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2017 in Arts and Culture: A Woman's Place

  One theme dominated the year in arts and culture: women. Tens of millions of women around the world started the year with protest marches on January 21. The demonstrators called for equal rights and demanded action to end sexism and violence against women. Many of them, especially in the United States, also marched to protest Donald Trump, who had been sworn in as president one day earlier.  ​ The demonstrations took place on every continent on Earth, in hundreds of cities and towns: Paris, France, Belgrade, Serbia; Kolkata, India; Bangkok, Thailand; Lima, Peru and Irbil, Iraq, to name just a few. #Metoo Later in the year, the #metoo movement exploded on social media. First started by activist Tarana Burke 10 years ago, and reignited by actor Alyssa Milano in October, #metoo was a call for women to post about their experiences with sexual harassment, abuse and assault on Twitter, Facebook and other sites. The movement followed accusations of sexual wrongdoing against Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein. He was dismissed from the company he founded as a result. Accusations against other many other powerful men in entertainment, music, news media, politics and business followed. So did job dismissals and other punishment. The continuing actions are popularly referred to as “The Reckoning.” Earlier this month, Time magazine honored the women of the #metoo movement. It named the so-called “Silence Breakers” the Time Person of the Year. Time praised the women for giving “voice to open secrets, for moving whisper networks onto social media, for pushing us all to stop accepting the unacceptable.” Women star in film and television Women and women’s stories moved to the front of film and television, too. In June, the movie Wonder Woman was released. Parents were eager to take their little girls and boys to see a female action hero in a big-budget movie, one that was also directed by a woman. Director Patty Jenkins delivered: Wonder Woman made more than $400 million in ticket sales in the United States. In fact, it was the third-biggest money-maker among the year’s movies. Jenkins was one of many female directors of 2017. Women were in charge of more than 60 films, including Before I Fall, Lady Bird, and Battle of the Sexes. There was also a flood of women on television. In April, the streaming service Hulu offered The Handmaid’s Tale. The television series is based on the novel by Canadian writer and feminist Margaret Atwood. The book describes a dystopian future in which women are forced into single, narrow roles, such as childbearers, wives or cooks. The female rage represented in the show seemed well timed amid the real-world cultural climate women were facing. The HBO show Big Little Lies is a mystery focusing on the lives and interactions of five women in Monterey, California. She’s Gotta Have It, on Netflix, centers on Nola Darling, a sexually free artist living in Brooklyn. Female characters are also leads in HBO’s The Deuce, the CW’s Supergirl and Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Word of the Year Every December, the Merriam-Webster online dictionary names a word of the year, based on the highest number of searches. Merriam-Webster’s 2017 Word of the Year is "feminism.” Online searches for “feminism” increased 70 percent from 2016 to 2017. There were large increases in searches following the Women’s March, during the broadcast of The Handmaid’s Tale and after the release of Wonder Woman. Searches also rose with reports of sex abuse in Hollywood and elsewhere. Merriam-Webster defines feminism as the “theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes” and “organized activities on behalf of women’s rights and interests.”   I’m Ashley Thompson. And I'm Caty Weaver.   Caty Weaver wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   theme – n. a particular subject or issue that is discussed often or repeatedly​ dominate – v.  to be the most important part of (something)​; to have control of or power over​ harassment – n. the act of of annoying or bothering (someone) in a constant or repeated way​ assault – n. the crime of hurting someone physically​ reignite - v. to give new life or energy to (someone or something) reckoning - n. the time when your actions are judged as good or bad and you are rewarded or punished​ whisper networks – n. a space where unofficial discussion or report of wrongdoing can take place dystopian – adj. referring to an imaginary place where people are unhappy and usually afraid because they are not treated fairly​ childbearer – n. one who carries and gives birth to a baby  

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'Feathertop,' by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Our story today is called “Feathertop.” It was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Lawan Davis adapted it for VOA Learning English. Here is Shep O’Neal with the story.  The long cold winter was gone at last.  At first the cold nights went away slowly. Then suddenly, the warm days of spring started to come. There was new life again in the earth. Things started to grow and come up. For the first time, green corn plants began to show. They pushed through the soil and could now be seen above the ground. After the long winter months, the crows, the big black birds, were hungry. And when they saw the little green plants, they flew down to eat them. Old Mother Rigby tried to make the noisy and hungry birds go away. They made her very angry. She did not want the black birds to eat her corn. But the birds would not go away. So, early one morning, just as the sun started to rise, Mother Rigby jumped out of bed. She had a plan to stop those black birds from eating her corn. Mother Rigby could do anything. She was a witch, a woman with strange powers. She could make water run uphill, or change a beautiful woman into a white horse. Many nights when the moon was full and bright, she could be seen flying over the tops of the houses in the village, sitting on a long wooden stick. It was a broomstick, and it helped her to do all sorts of strange tricks. Mother Rigby ate a quick breakfast and then started to work on her broomstick. She was planning to make something that would look like a man. It would fill the birds with fear, and scare them from eating her corn, the way most farmers protect themselves from those black, pesky birds. Mother Rigby worked quickly. She held her magic broomstick straight, and then tied another piece of wood across it. And already, it began to look like a man with arms. Then she made the head. She put a pumpkin, a vegetable the size of a football, on top of the broomstick. She made two small holes in the pumpkin for eyes, and made another cut lower down that looked just like a mouth. At last, there he was. He seemed ready to go to work for Mother Rigby and stop those old birds from eating her corn. But, Mother Rigby was not happy with what she made. She wanted to make her scarecrow look better and better, for she was a good worker. She made a purple coat and put it around her scarecrow, and dressed it in white silk stockings. She covered him with false hair and an old hat.  And in that hat, she stuck the feather of a bird. She examined him closely, and decided she liked him much better now, dressed up in a beautiful coat, with a fine feather on top of his hat. And, she named him Feathertop. She looked at Feathertop and laughed with happiness. He is a beauty, she thought. “Now what?” she thought, feeling troubled again.  She felt that Feathertop looked too good to be a scarecrow. “He can do something better,” she thought, “than just stand near the corn all summer and scare the crows.” And she decided on another plan for Feathertop. She took the pipe of tobacco she was smoking and put it into the mouth of Feathertop. “Puff, darling, puff,” she said to Feathertop. “Puff away, my fine fellow.” It is your life.” Smoke started to rise from Feathertop’s mouth. At first, it was just a little smoke, but Feathertop worked hard, blowing and puffing. And, more and more smoke came out of him. “Puff away, my pet,” Mother Rigby said, with happiness. “Puff away, my pretty one. Puff for your life, I tell you.” Mother Rigby then ordered Feathertop to walk. “Go forward,” she said. “You have a world before you.” Feathertop put one hand out in front of him, trying to find something for support. At the same time he pushed one foot forward with great difficulty. But Mother Rigby shouted and ordered him on, and soon he began to go forward. Then she said, “you look like a man, and you walk like a man. Now I order you to talk like a man.” Feathertop gasped, struggled, and at last said in a small whisper, “Mother, I want to speak, but I have no brain. What can I say?” “Ah, you can speak,” Mother Rigby answered. “What shall you say? Have no fear. When you go out into the world, you will say a thousand things, and say them a thousand times…and saying them a thousand times again and again, you still will be saying nothing. So just talk, babble like a bird. Certainly you have enough of a brain for that.” Mother Rigby gave Feathertop much money and said “Now you are as good as any of them and can hold your head high with importance.” But she told Feathertop that he must never lose his pipe and must never let it stop smoking. She warned him that if his pipe ever stopped smoking, he would fall down and become just a bundle of sticks again. “Have no fear, Mother,” Feathertop said in a big voice and blew a big cloud of smoke out of his mouth. “On your way,” Mother Rigby said, pushing Feathertop out the door. “The world is yours. And if anybody asks you for your name, just say Feathertop. For you have a feather in your hat and a handful of feathers in your empty head.” Feathertop found the streets in town, and many people started to look at him. They looked at his beautiful purple coat and his white silk stockings, and at the pipe he carried in his left hand, which he put back into his mouth every five steps he walked. They thought he was a visitor of great importance. “What a fine, noble face” one man said. “He surely is somebody,” said another. “A great leader of men.” As Feathertop walked along one of the quieter streets near the edge of town, he saw a very pretty girl standing in front of a small red brick house. A little boy was standing next to her. The pretty girl smiled at Feathertop, and love entered her heart. It made her whole face bright with sunlight. Feathertop looked at her and had a feeling he never knew before. Suddenly, everything seemed a little different to him. The air was filled with a strange excitement. The sunlight glowed along the road, and people seemed to dance as they moved through the streets. Feathertop could not stop himself, and walked toward the pretty smiling young girl. As he got closer, the little boy at her side pointed his finger at Feathertop and said, “Look, Polly! The man has no face. It is a pumpkin.” Feathertop moved no closer, but turned around and hurried through the streets of the town toward his home. When Mother Rigby opened the door, she saw Feathertop shaking with emotion.  He was puffing on his pipe with great difficulty and making sounds like the clatter of sticks, or the rattling of bones. “What’s wrong?” Mother Rigby asked. “I am nothing, Mother. I am not a man. I am just a puff of smoke. I want to be something more than just a puff of smoke.” And Feathertop took his pipe, and with all his strength smashed it against the floor. He fell down and became a bundle of sticks as his pumpkin face rolled toward the wall. “Poor Feathertop,” Mother Rigby said, looking at the heap on the floor. “He was too good to be a scarecrow. And he was too good to be a man. But he will be happier, standing near the corn all summer and protecting it from the birds. So I will make him a scarecrow again.” Download activities to help you understand this story here. We want to hear from you. Have you ever met someone that later turned to be different from how you first thought of them? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ QUIZ _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   broomstick - n. the handle of a broom pesky - adj. making someone annoyed or irritated pumpkin - n. a large, round, orange vegetable used as food and sometimes as a decoration — often used before another noun scarecrow - n. an object that looks like a person and that is placed in a field to scare birds away from crops puff - v. to breathe smoke from a cigarette, pipe, etc., in and out of the lungs  

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Those We Said Goodbye to in 2017

They made you cry and they made you laugh. Some united a country and others divided its people. Here is a look at some of the well-known people who died in the past year: Chuck Berry and Fats Domino were known as founding fathers of rock ‘n’ roll. Musicians Tom Petty and Greg Allman led their musical groups to the top of popular music charts. Glen Campbell was known for country music and Al Jarreau for jazz. They also were among the well-known musicians who died in 2017, leaving a void in music. Jerry Lewis, Don Rickles and Dick Gregory left their own mark on comedy. But the story of the 1960s could not be told without Hugh Hefner and Charles Manson. Hefner founded Playboy magazine and was credited with helping to start the sexual revolution in the 1960s. The decade ended with Manson becoming the face of evil across America. He directed his followers to kill several people in Los Angeles, including American actress Sharon Tate. Notable political figures also died this year. Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl reunited East and West Germany, a country divided by the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. He helped put Germany at the heart of the European Union. Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega who was ousted by a U.S. military action also died in 2017. Ali Abdullah Saleh was Yemen’s president for 33 years. He stepped down in 2012 during the Arab Spring uprisings that swept through the Middle East. He was killed by the Houthie rebels this year. And Cardinal Bernard Law, the former archbishop of Boston, died at age 86. His failure to stop sexual abuse of children by religious workers brought a serious crisis to the American Catholic church. Fans said goodbye to film and television stars in 2017. Mary Tyler Moore changed how women appeared on television in her popular program “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”  Roger Moore was known for playing James Bond and Adam West played the first “batman” on television. Haruo Nakajima played the role of Godzilla in the original 1954 classic movie. Godzilla has gone on to star in movies for more than 60 years. Other notable people who died in 2017 include: Zhou Youguang, a Chinese language expert who died at age 111. Zhou is considered the father of modern China’s Pinyin writing system. The system uses the Roman alphabet to represent Chinese characters based on their pronunciation. Sumiteru Taniguchi spent his life seeking to stop nuclear weapons. He was burned severely in 1945 when an atomic bomb was used on his hometown of Nagasaki, Japan.   Norma McCorvey was the “Jane Roe” in the famous U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, known as Roe versus Wade. She later became an opponent of abortion. Carl Clark was awarded a medal of honor some sixty years after his bravery during World War II. Clark died at age 100. And Otto Warmbier was an American college student who was jailed in North Korea for more than one year. Warmbier fell into a coma and was released by North Korean officials. He died shortly after his return to the U.S. at the age of 22. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on an Associated Press report. Mario Ritter was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   void –n. an empty space abortion –n. medically ending a pregnancy coma –n. a condition in which a sick or injured person cannot wake up for a long time

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S. Korean President Calls Sex Slave Deal with Japan Problematic

  South Korean President Moon Jae-In said Thursday the country’s 2015 agreement with Japan to settle the issue of sexual slavery during World War II is problematic.   Historians say tens of thousands of women from around Asia -- many of them Korean -- were sent to military brothels to provide sex to Japanese soldiers during the war. In his statement, Moon promised to take measures to meet the victims’ demands. This may put the future of the deal in question, two years after both countries called it “final and irreversible.” Moon’s statement came one day after a state-appointed team found that Seoul’s government at the time did not communicate well with the victims before reaching the deal. The team also said parts of the deal were not made public. That includes Japan’s demand that the South Korean government avoid using the term “sexual slavery.” Japan also wants South Korea to provide a plan to remove a statue representing the sex slaves. The statue sits in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. South Korea agreed to officially describe the victims as “victims of Japanese military comfort stations,” but did not make any clear promise about the statue, the team said. “It has been confirmed that the 2015 comfort women negotiation between South Korea had serious flaws, both in process and content,” Moon said in a statement read by his representative. Even though the past deal was an official promise between the two governments, he is declaring that the deal does not resolve issues over the comfort women. His comments suggest that Seoul may seek a new negotiation of the deal. This would anger the Japanese government. Moon also said that issues over history shouldn’t affect efforts to build relations between the countries today or in the future. Some experts say Moon’s government is not likely to launch a diplomatic dispute with Japan by throwing out the deal. They say this is especially true at a time when the two countries must display unity against North Korea’s growing nuclear threat. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said on Wednesday that Japan stands by the deal. He said any attempt to change it would make relations between the countries “unmanageable” and “unacceptable.” When asked whether Moon’s statement means a renegotiation may be needed, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry representative Noh Kyu-duk did not give a clear answer. He said only that his government will seek “sincere and practical” measures quickly to again bring honor to the victims. Under the deal, Japan agreed to provide 1 billion yen, or $8.8 million in payments to the surviving victims. South Korea said it would try to resolve Japan’s complaint about the statue in front of the embassy. The deal received sharp criticism in South Korea, where many thought the government settled for too little. Japan has been angry that South Korea hasn’t taken steps to remove the statue and similar monuments in other parts of the country. It said the countries had a clear understanding on the matter. The deal was negotiated under former president Park Geun-hye, who was removed from office and arrested in March on charges of corruption. Moon promised to redo the deal during his presidential campaign. But he has avoided specific details about renegotiations since taking office in May. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said government officials will hold discussions with victims and experts before deciding whether to try to revise the deal. I’m Alice Bryant. And I’m Jill Robbins   The Associated Press reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   brothel – n. a building in which prostitutes are available irreversible - adj. impossible to change back to a previous condition or state comfort - n. a state or feeling of being less worried, upset, frightened, etc., during a time of trouble or emotional pain flaw – n. a small fault or weakness unmanageable - adj. difficult to deal with or control sincere - adj. genuine or real practical - adj. logical and reasonable in a particular situation monument – n. a building or statue that honors a person or event

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