New Year's Traditions Around the World

Barack Obama: African-American

  VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. Today we are talking about Barack Obama. He first took office in 2009 and was re-elected in 2012. Because his presidency is so recent, this program will not try to offer a historical perspective. But one part of his legacy is already clear. Obama is the United States’ first African-American president. His father was a black man from Kenya; his mother was a white American from the Midwestern state of Kansas. For many Americans, Obama’s presidency was an important symbol in a country that permitted black people to be enslaved. And, even after the U.S. Constitution officially banned slavery in 1865, African-Americans have been extremely under-represented in the U.S. government.  By 2009, only five African-Americans had ever served in the U.S. Senate – and Obama was one of them. Even many people who did not vote for Obama said his election to the country’s highest office made them proud or hopeful. A public opinion survey immediately after Election Day found that two-thirds of Americans believed that the country’s racial conflicts could be resolved. Early life Obama’s parents met as students at the University of Hawaii. His father had won a scholarship to study economics. His mother went on to earn a degree in math there, as well as a graduate degree. The two married and had a son, whom they named after his father: Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. But the couple soon separated. The older Barack Obama returned to Kenya, where he later died in a car accident. Barack’s mother went on to marry another man. He was from Indonesia. The family moved to Jakarta, and the couple had a daughter named Maya. When Barack was 10, his mother sent him back to Hawaii to live with her parents. She wanted him to get a good education. Barack finished high school in Hawaii, then went on to Occidental College in Los Angeles. After two years, he transferred to Columbia University in New York. There, he completed a degree in political science. But Obama said the best education he received was in one of his first jobs. He worked as a community organizer in Chicago. He helped people who lived in public housing put pressure on the city government to improve their conditions. Obama later said the work showed him how important it was to understand the legal process. So he entered Harvard Law School. Over the next years, Obama worked as a lawyer, wrote a book about his experience as a person of mixed race, and married Michelle Robinson, a woman he worked with at a law firm. She and Barack Obama settled in Chicago and had two daughters, Malia and Sasha. When he was in his mid-30s, Obama began his political career. He was elected three times to the Illinois state senate. After 10 years there, he won a seat in the U.S. Senate in a landslide victory. That same year, Obama attended the Democratic National Convention – the meeting where the party officially nominates a presidential candidate. Obama was not one of the candidates. But the Democrats asked him to make an important speech. In it, Obama famously talked about how his life story was an American story. He said he was confident the U.S. could overcome its divisions and achieve unity. “There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America,” he said. “…There’s not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America. There’s a United States of America.” Only four years later, Obama would be elected its 44th president. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly. Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Listening Quiz   See how well you understand the story by taking this listening quiz. Play each video, then choose the best answer. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   perspective - n. a way of thinking about and understanding something firm - n. a business organization liberal - adj. believing that government should be active in supporting social and political change conservative - adj. believing in the value of established and traditional practices in politics and society

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World's First Nuclear Fusion Reactor 50 Percent Complete

At the Geneva Superpower Summit in November 1985, American President Ronald Reagan met with the Soviet Union's General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. The two leaders discussed international diplomacy and the arms race.  Gorbachev proposed to Reagan an idea for an international project to develop fusion energy for peaceful purposes  One year later, international leaders reached an agreement: the Soviet Union, Japan, the U.S., and the European Union would work together to design a large international fusion center. Later, other countries joined the agreement. Some 30 years after Gorbachev and Reagan's meeting, the project is continuing. The facility, named the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, or ITER, is often called the most complicated scientific instrument in the world. ITER is being built in southern France. And now, the director of the ITER project says the facility is 50% complete and on track to produce low-cost energy. This energy will come from what is basically a very small star at ITER’s core. Although small, it will burn 10 times hotter than the Sun. Fission and fusion All of the nuclear reactors in the world depend on nuclear fission to create energy. Nuclear fission uses the splitting of uranium atoms to create a lot of heat. The process creates a lot of energy but also dangerous radiation. ITER is different. It aims to use the power of nuclear fusion – the forceful joining of hydrogen atoms to create helium atoms. The fusion process releases a lot of heat but very little radiation. The biggest problem is that nuclear fusion requires conditions similar to the core of a star – although on a much smaller scale. Bernard Bigot is the director of ITER. He describes the extreme conditions scientists must create for fusion to take place: "The plasma will be at 150 million degrees. Very little quantity, very small quantity of matter, only 2 grams of hydrogen but with very high temperature. And we need to confine this plasma in order that is could fuse, which means collide and produce new atoms." Scientists are building electromagnets nearly 300 thousand times stronger than earth's magnetic field. These electromagnets will help keep the superhot plasma in the center of a tube. The job of building ITER is so huge that it requires the cooperation of 36 countries. The European Union is covering 45 percent of the cost. The final price will likely be more than $26 billion. The U.S. covers about nine percent of the total cost. But, proposed budget cuts would reduce U.S. financing by half. However, President Donald Trump has asked his administration to reconsider the budget cuts. If financing is not reduced, the first plasma ignition at ITER may happen as soon as 2025. The current plan is for full power production by 2035. I'm John Russell.   George Putic reported on this story for VOA News. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Quiz Now, test your understanding by taking this short quiz. ​ ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fission – n. a process in which the nucleus of a heavy atom is split apart plasma – n. a substance that is similar to a gas but that can carry electricity electromagnet – n. a piece of metal that becomes magnetic when an electric current is passed through or near it

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Restaurants to Offer Free Food from Leftovers

  Massimo Bottura is an Italian chef, with plans to open two new restaurants in Paris and Naples next year. But wealthy diners will not be welcome. The food will be free, made from marketplace leftovers and served only to the poor. Bottura’s Refettorio Ambrosiano restaurant in Milan already feeds the poor and homeless.  The restaurant is in an old theater in the outskirts of the city. Chefs at Refettorio cook free meals with leftovers from local shops. They use recipes created by Bottura and other famous cooks. Bottura told the Reuters news agency that he never thought leftover foods were a waste. “Bread crumbs, some overripe tomatoes, brown bananas…they are just opportunities for us…to show what we can do with our creativity.” Bottura started the project to reuse leftovers from the eateries of Milan’s international Expo in 2015. The project receives support from the church foundation Caritas Ambrosiana. Unlike traditional soup kitchens, the guests do not have to wait in a line to receive food. Everyone gets served at tables. This limits the number of daily guests to 96.  But Bottura says the experience can help his guests regain confidence and take back control of their lives. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says about one-third of the food produced worldwide each year is wasted or lost. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Francesca Landini and Agnieszka Flak reported this story for the Reuters news agency. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   confidence – n. a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something creativity – n. the ability to make new things or think of new ideas foundation – n. an organization that is created and supported with money that people give in order to do something that helps society outskirts – n. the parts of a city or town that are far from the center soup kitchen – n. a place that gives food, such as soup and bread to poor people

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New Year Celebrations Around the World

New Zealand, Australia, and surrounding Pacific Islands were among the first places to ring in 2018 with fireworks displays, parties, and other festivities. Nearly 1.5 million people gathered to watch a rainbow fireworks display above Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge and opera house.

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Everyday Grammar: Sign up, Sign in

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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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