Dutch Breaks Record, American Lands Jump, Norway Leads Medal Count

  This is What’s Trending today … The Winter Olympics are supposed to be cold, but not this cold. During the first weekend of competition in South Korea, strong winds and icy conditions forced the cancellation of many outdoor events. But, there was still a lot going on. Amid the strong winds, American Red Gerard crashed on his first two runs in the snowboard slopestyle event. In his third run, the 17-year-old stayed on his feet and completed a series of jumps to win the first gold medal for the U.S. at the PyeongChang Games. He became the youngest Olympic snowboarder ever to win a gold medal. And figure skater Mirai Nagasu became the first American woman to successfully perform a triple axel jump at the Olympics. This complex jump requires a skater to begin jumping from a forward position and complete three and a half turns in the air before landing. ​ Only two other women ever have landed a triple axel at the Olympics. Japan’s Midori Ito did it in the 1992 Games in Albertville, France. And Mao Asada – also from Japan – completed the jump at both the 2010 Games in Vancouver, Canada, and the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Nagasu’s parents are immigrants from Japan. After her performance Sunday, she said, "Maybe it's the Japanese genetics — but lucky for me I'm American, so I'll be the first U.S. lady.” Also this weekend, Dutch speedskater Sven Kramer broke his own Olympic record in the men’s 5,000-meter event. He became the first man to win three straight gold medals in the event. Nineteen-year-old Perrine Laffont became the first French woman to win a gold medal in moguls in the 26-year history of the event. And Norway, a country of just over 5 million people, continues to lead the medal count at the Games. After three days of competition, Norway has nine medals. Germany, the Netherlands and Canada are tie for third. All three  have won seven medals so far. And that's What's Trending Today. I’m Ashley Thompson. Caty Weaver adapted this story for Learning English from AP, Reuters, and VOA news reports. ­­Ashley Thompson was the editor. What do you think are some of the most important Olympic stories so far? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   amid - preposition. in or into the middle of (something) figure skater - n. an ice skater who performs various jumps, spins, and dance movement snowboard - n. a board like a wide ski that is used for sliding down hills of snow while standing tied - adj. having an equal number of points in a contest​

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How to Pronounce the Sound /p/ and /b/

Follow John Russell to learn how to pronounce /p/ and /b/.

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February 12, 2018

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

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Ancient Maya Structures Found in Guatemalan Jungle

  Researchers using new aerial mapping technology have found thousands of never-before-detected ancient structures from the Maya civilization. They examined from above an area of dense jungle in Guatemala’s Peten region. They discovered thousands of houses, defense works and pyramids. They also found industrial-sized agricultural fields and canals that provided water for farms. The findings suggest that millions more people lived in the area than researchers had long believed. A team of archaeologists from Europe, the United States and Guatemala announced their findings earlier this month. The team worked with Guatemala’s Maya Heritage and Nature Foundation. Their study says that around 10 million people may have once lived within the area known as the “Maya Lowlands.” “That is two to three times more than people were saying there were,” said Marello A Canuto in an interview with the Associated Press. He is an anthropology professor at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. The researchers used a mapping method called Light Detection and Ranging, or LiDAR. A device sends laser light from high above, which hits the ground and then returns back to the device. The technology can reveal shapes and structures hidden by dense trees and plants. The recent images revealed that the Maya changed the natural environment much more than researchers had thought. In some areas, they developed 95 percent of the available land. Francisco Estrada-Belli is a Research Assistant Professor at Tulane University. He said the Maya’s agricultural methods were “much more intensive and therefore sustainable than we thought.” Structures such as the extensive defensive barriers and canals suggest a highly organized workforce. Large canals even re-directed natural water flows. The 2,100 square kilometers of mapping greatly expands the area that the Maya were known to have occupied. Their culture flourished between about 1,000 BC and 900 AD. Maya descendants still live across Central America and in parts of Mexico. The mapping detected about 60,000 individual structures. They included four major Maya ceremonial centers with plazas and pyramids. Thomas Garrison is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Ithaca College in New York. He worked on the project and is an expert on the city of El Zotz, near Guatemala’s Tikal. He said he went to the area earlier this year with the LiDAR information to look for one of the roads that was revealed in the findings. “I found it,” Garrison said. “But if I had not had the LiDAR and known...that’s what it was, I would have walked right over it, because of how dense the jungle is.” Garrison said that the fields, roads and structures built by some other ancient cultures got destroyed by later generations of farming. But in this case, the jungle grew over the abandoned Maya fields and structures. This both hid them and protected them from damage. I’m Pete Musto.   Pete Musto adapted this story for VOA Learning English using reporting from the Associated Press. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. What other new discoveries do you think the use of LiDAR technology might lead to? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ____________________________________________________________ QUIZ _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   aerial – adj. taken or seen from an airplane civilization – n. a particular well-organized and developed group of people in a given country, area, or time, thought of especially as an organized community jungle – n. a tropical forest where plants and trees grow very thickly region – n. a part of a country or of the world that is different or separate from other parts in some way pyramid(s) – n. a very large structure that has a square base and four triangular sides which form a point at the top archaeologist(s) – n. a person who studies the science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones, buildings and tools of ancient people anthropology – n. the study of human races, origins, societies, and cultures sustainable – adj.  involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources flourish(ed) – v. to grow well descendant(s) – n. someone who is related to a person or group of people who lived in the past plaza(s) – n. an open public area that is usually near city buildings and that often has trees and bushes and places to sit, walk, and shop abandoned – adj. left by the owner

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Japanese Companies Introduce New ‘Companion’ Robots

  Robots are being used in industry assembly lines, to carry out medical operations and in the military. But, some Japanese companies are producing robots for use in the home as companions. We would like to introduce three models that are more or less affordable. Kirobo Mini, a small robot for use in home Japanese carmaker Toyota sells the Kirobo Mini, a small robot designed for cuteness. So far, the robot can only understand Japanese. But it can respond when spoken to and can ask some questions. A smartphone application provides many communications functions for the robot. If you talk with Kirobo, it can remember the content of a discussion. The robot can learn your name if you put it into the smartphone app that is updated periodically. In this way, the robot can get “smarter” and will be able to “grow up” over time. Toyota is considering connecting Kirobo to car navigation and smart-driving uses. The robot does connect with the latest model of the Toyota Prius. But the robot is only able to perform basic functions like reminding the driver to turn off the headlights.  The robot is small—only 10 centimeters tall and its price is $350. Aibo, a robot dog Sony is the Japanese maker of the PlayStation video game system and many electronic devices. Now, the company is again producing a dog robot called Aibo. Sony stopped producing the first version of the robot 12 years ago. The improved Aibo is about 30 centimeters long and has natural looking eyes. It is much “cuter” than the earlier version. The eyes also have a camera, so you can take a picture while playing with Aibo. The dog robot can respond to a pink ball and plastic bone like real dogs.   Sony says Aibo’s “brain” is based in an internet “cloud” service. The idea is that over time and with the owner’s effort Aibo can develop its own artificial intelligence. The dog robot can interact with users and respond to voices.   Sony is considering overseas sales but has not decided yet. However, Aibo is much more costly with a price of about $1800. Qoobo, cushion with a tail Qoobo looks more like a cushion than a robot. Yukai Engineering in Tokyo makes Qoobo which has no face or legs. The robot only has a body and a tail. However, the company says the cushion with a tail can provide a therapeutic effect for people by waving its tail slowly as a response to caresses and tapping. The tail is called a “therapy tail”. Qoobo is the biggest of the robots—at 33 centimeters in length. It is now available to order in Japan and the United States and is expected to be sent out later this year. Qoobo is the least costly of these robots at $90, but it does not have the ability to “learn” from its surroundings. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Rei Goto adapted this story for VOA Learning English from AP and other sources. Mario Ritter 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   respond –v. to answer words or actions companion – n.one that accompanies another affordable – adj. able to be afforded assembly lines – n. a series of workers or machines in a factory by which a succession of identical item is progressively assembled function – n. the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists. navigation –n. the act of find the way to go from place to place cloud – n. the computers and connections that support cloud computing caress – v. a gentle or loving touch therapeutic – adj. having a beneficial effect on the body or mind  

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World’s Richest Lose $100 Billion in Week of Stock Drops

  U.S. stocks suffered their worst losses in years last week. Among the biggest losers were the world’s top billionaires. Financial experts blamed the first major drop last Monday on investor fears over possible rising inflation and higher interest rates. The Dow regained some ground, but then suffered another drop on Thursday after reports of an increasing U.S. government budget deficit. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, also known as the Dow, is a stock market index of 30 large companies based in the U.S. The losses followed a long period of gains in U.S. stocks when the Dow reached a historic high of 26,616 on January 26. In repeated tweets and in his recent State of the Union address, U.S. President Donald Trump praised the financial gains. “The stock market has smashed one record after another, gaining $8 trillion and more in value in just this short period of time,” he said. At first, Trump remained silent on last Monday’s losses. But he took to Twitter later on Wednesday to comment. “In the ‘old days,’ when good news was reported, the Stock Market would go up,” he wrote. “Today, when good news is reported, the Stock Market goes down. Big mistake, and we have so much good (great) news about the economy!” Many financial experts have said the big stock drops were not that unusual after the recent gains. They have called the major drops a “correction” in the stock market. A correction is defined as at least a 10 percent drop in stocks since the previous peak.    Analysts expected stocks in many other parts of the world to also have their worst week in years, Reuters news agency reported. Asian markets suffered big losses during the week, including a four percent drop in Chinese stocks on Friday.  European stocks also fell, but not as much as markets across Asia. Bloomberg reported that recent worldwide sell-offs had removed at least $5 trillion from global stocks since January. The losses affected the values of companies and the holdings of many American investors. The world’s billionaires lost a combined $114 billion on Monday alone, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. A total of 18 billionaires in the rankings lost more than $1 billion on the day. The biggest loser on Monday was businessman and investor Warren Buffett, whose worth on paper dropped by $5.1 billion. Bloomberg ranks Buffett as the third richest person in the world. His current total net worth is listed at $82.6 billion. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg lost the next largest amount, $3.6 billion. He is number four on the richest people list, with a current net worth of $70.8 billion. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos – listed as the richest person in the world – lost $3.2 billion. But unlike the others, he is currently still way up for the year to date, by at least $14.2 billion. His overall net worth is now estimated to be $113 billion. Microsoft founder Bill Gates – who holds the number two position on the wealthiest list behind Bezos – lost $2.2 billion.   And the top executives for Google’s parent company Alphabet – Larry Page and Sergey Brin – each lost $2.3 billion, Bloomberg reported. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Reuters, Bloomberg and other sources. 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   smash – v. to beat or destroy easily or completely peak – n. the highest level or degree of excellence, quantity, activity, etc. ranking – n. list of people or things that are ordered according to quality, ability, size, etc. holdings – n. property (such as land or stocks) that is owned by someone —usually plural net worth – n. the higher amount of the value of assets over liabilities.   

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First Afghan Female Coders Create Opium-Fighting Video Game

  Young Afghan women in the western province of Herat are breaking traditional barriers as their country’s first female coders. The women not only learned to code, but also created a video game. They learned to code at Code to Inspire, or CTI, a girls-only computer programing school in Herat, the provincial capital.  The game they created supports Afghanistan’s effort to remove large opium poppy fields ruled by the Taliban. Opium is used to make heroin and other illegal drugs. Coder Khatera Mohammadi said the product, “Fight Against Opium,” is more than just a game. She said it is based on her brother’s experience as a translator for American troops in the Helmand province. “Each time he came back home, he would tell us about the poppy fields, the terrible mine blasts, battling opium traffickers and drugs,” Mohammadi told The Associated Press. She and her classmates at the center thought a computer game could bring attention to the issue, especially among the young. It could be their way to help in the fight against opium. In the game, an Afghan soldier goes to Helmand to clear it of drugs. The soldier faces problems in the process: enemies hiding in tall corn fields, land mines, drug traffickers and hidden heroin laboratories. ​Drug-supported war Afghanistan is the world’s top grower of poppy, from which opium and heroin are produced. United Nations estimates show the country produces more opium than all other countries combined. Most poppy fields and drug production are in the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar. The city of Herat is along an important path traffickers use in transporting drugs to neighboring Iran and beyond. The Taliban and the Afghan government have been fighting each other since 2001. The Taliban is heavily involved in poppy production, which has increased in recent years. Mohammadi and her teammates completed the game in one month. She said she showed it to her brother before anyone else. She has not identified her brother to media for the safety of her family. Mohammadi said her dream is that one day the opium poppy would be replaced by the saffron crocus, a flower used to make spice. She included that in the game, by having the soldiers try to persuade local poppy farmers to grow saffron instead. Saffron costs more, she said, “and it would be better for the country.” Fereshteh Forough created the Code to Inspire school. She was born an Afghan refugee in Iran. She returned to Herat after the Taliban lost control of the country in 2001. The former Herat University professor now lives in the United States. She wants to help girls learn to code as a way to change their lives. The school houses over 80 girls, both high school and university students. They learn to create their own websites, apps, games and other web development projects. Hasib Rassa is the CTI project manager. He said, “It’s not easy for a girl to find a job and go to work outside of her home in Afghanistan. Now, with just one laptop at home, she can work online and earn money and help her family.” “The plan is to go big, to have more schools across Afghanistan,” he added. New female ideas in IT Other CTI students have started creating programs for social media that promote Afghan women. 20-year-old Frahnaz Osmani, a CTI student of graphic design, decided to develop Afghan female character stickers. Her stickers show a little girl in colorful traditional Afghan clothing, a red dress and a green headscarf. The stickers also carry messages in the Dari language. “I wanted the world to see that Afghan girls can do something, and that we can have our own creations,” she said. For 18-year-old Samira Ansari, another CTI student, coding was at first very difficult.  But now, it is a path to her dream of becoming a web designer. She hopes to study that subject after her two-year program at the center. “When I first heard about coding, I laughed and wondered what it means,” she said. “But when I found out that all these creative and skilled people designing websites had started from coding, I became very interested,” she said with a big smile. I’m Phil Dierking.   This story was originally written by Ahmad Seir and Rahim Faiez for the Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted their story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. How common is it for women to work in technology in your country?  Why or why not?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   app - n. a computer program that performs a special function​ blast - n. a powerful explosion​ code - v. to change (information) into a set of letters, numbers, or symbols that can be read by a computer​ laptop - n. a small computer that is designed to be easily carried​ manager - n. someone who is in charge of a business, department, etc.​ opium poppy - n. a Eurasian poppy with ornamental white, red, pink, or purple flowers. Its immature capsules yield a latex from which opium is obtained.​ sticker - n. a piece of paper with a picture or writing on it and a sticky substance on its back that is used to attach it to a surface​ translator - n.  a person who changes words written in one language into a different language​

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Germans Shocked by Young Jihadists

  "Put on a thick jacket,” the 18-year-old son of Albanian immigrants told the 12-year-old German-Iraqi boy over the Internet. The young man was explaining how to bomb a Christmas market last year in the Rhineland town of Ludwigshafen. He told the boy to hide, light the explosive device and run. Luckily, the bomb failed to explode. Police arrested the 12-year-old in December 2017. They say it was the second time he tried to carry out a bomb attack. The step-by-step guidance by the 18-year-old was described in court papers last month. He communicated online with the boy from his home in Austria. Now, a top German official is calling for cancellation of laws restricting security surveillance of children under the age of 14. Hans-Georg Maassen is the head of the country’s domestic intelligence agency. He argues that Germany is facing serious risks from what the media calls “kindergarten jihadists.” The intelligence chief told a reporter that the Islamic State (IS) group and its followers target children in Germany. He added that IS agents search the internet for children who can be reached and try to persuade them to carry out terrorist attacks. Maassen said he was worried about the risks from women and children who once lived in areas controlled by the militant group. He described the children of jihadist parents as “ticking…bombs.” “We see that children who grew up with Islamic State were brainwashed in the schools and the kindergartens of the Islamic State,” Maasen said. He noted that some boys and girls heard IS teachings at an early age, learned to fight, and may have abused or even killed prisoners. Only a few of the 290 children who left Germany with jihadist parents — or who were born in Syria or Iraq — have returned to Germany. Some rights activists have warned that Germany should not quickly change civil rights protections, questioning whether the danger is being overstated. The threat from children exposed to militancy has become a major political issue in Germany. Three out of five Islamist attacks in the country in 2016 were carried out by youngsters. This is the second time Maassen has publicly expressed his concerns about children working for militants. He also said it in October when he told Germans to “take a serious look at the threat” and to call the police if they saw anything. Last year, experts warned that Western governments were not giving enough thought about what to do with the children raised under IS rule or of Syrian and Iraqi children enlisted by militants. IS leaders were clear about their plan to teach children to be “the generation that will conquer Baghdad, Jerusalem, Mecca and Rome.” As the group’s territory shrank, the militants released videos explaining what would happen to their enemies in the future. German officials aren't the only ones worried about the children of IS foreign fighters or the continuing efforts by the group to get new members. Last week, the head of London police’s anti-terrorism command, Dean Haydon, warned of children taught by Islamic State coming back to Britain to carry out attacks. “Some terror groups are training children to commit atrocities,” Haydon said. “We need to not just understand the risk the mother poses but the risk that any child poses as well,” he told a London newspaper. Last month, a 27-year-old British woman returning from Syria was arrested at Heathrow airport under terrorism laws. She had a two-year-old with her. Haydon said that police are testing children who have been brought to Britain by ‘jihadist’ parents after being born in Syria or Iraq to be sure they are really British. “If a mother turns up with a stateless child, born in Syria, we need to be satisfied that that child actually belongs to that mother,” Haydon said. He added that some returnees have brought children that were not really theirs. Experts say jihadi children can be reformed, and their thinking changed. But the experts warn they are battling a belief among Western officials that these children are different than child soldiers from other conflicts. Canadian researcher Mia Bloom is writing a book about jihadist child soldiers. Last year, she told VOA last year that jihadi children can be rehabilitated. She pointed to a program in Pakistan that has proved highly successful. I'm Susan Shand.   Jamie Dettmer reported this story for VOANews.com. Susan Shand adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   jacket – n. a piece of clothing that is worn on your upper body over another piece of clothing surveillance – n. the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime kindergarten – n. a school or class for very young children jihadist – n. one who engages in a struggle or fight against the enemies of Islam brainwash – v. to cause (someone) to think or believe something by using methods that make a person unable to think normally expose – v. to make known conquer – v. to defeat atrocity – n. a very cruel or terrible act pose – v. to ask; to be or create rehabilitated – v. to bring (someone or something) back to a normal, healthy condition after an illness, injury, drug problem,

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Everyday Grammar: Adjectives & Prepositions

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Lesson 19: Movie Night

Summary Anna loves movies! And Pete has invited her to see one with him. But is that a good idea?   Conversation   Anna: Hi, can you tell me how to get to your the movie theater? (The person on the phone gives directions.) Anna: Oh, that’s easy. OK, thank you. Bye. (Anna meets Pete outside of the theater.) Anna: Hi, Pete! Thanks for the movie invitation. Pete: Yeah, sure Anna. Anna: I love movies. I love the plot! I love the set design! I love the costumes! I love - Pete: Anna, I take movies very seriously. You're not one of those people who talks during a movie, are you? Anna: No. Pete: Good. Anna: No way. Professor Bot: Anna loves movies. And..she loves talking about movies. And Pete doesn’t sound happy about that. But he’s trying to be polite. He can do that with Indirect Questions. We can ask a question directly: Where is your movie theater? or indirectly as Anna does: Anna: Can you tell me how to get to your movie theater? They have the same meaning. But indirect questions are more polite and a little more formal. Many indirect questions begin with: Can/Could you tell me… Would/Do you mind… Would it be possible…  or Do you know… Hmm, do you know if Anna will stop talking? I sure don’t. Keep watching. And, this time look for indirect questions that begin with: Would you mind… Anna: I love the smell of popcorn. I love seats that rock.   (Her chair makes noise as she rocks back and forth.) Pete: I love when people are quiet. (The lights go down and we see movie light on their faces.) Anna: Ooh look, the previews are starting. I love to see what movies are coming out. Oh, this one looks good! Pete: Anna, the previews are part of the movie experience. So, would you mind not talking? Anna: Oh, sure, sure. (Anna eats her popcorn loudly. Then, she begins drinking her milkshake loudly.) Pete: Anna, I was wondering: are you almost finished with that? Anna: No. There's still a lot of milkshake at the bottom.   (She drinks loudly again. And again.) Pete: Anna, do you mind not drinking so loudly? Anna: I'll try. But it's really thick. (She moves the straw around and makes even more noise.) Pete: Anna, what are you doing?!   (A person in the audience shushes Pete.) Person in audience: Shh! (Pete tells the person what was happening.) Pete: I’m not the one making all the noise. Person in audience: Shhh! Anna: I’m done now. (Anna now holds many noisy boxes of candy. Finally, she chooses a candy bar.)   Pete: Anna, would you mind opening that a little bit more quietly? Anna: I'll try.   (She tries to open it quietly but cannot.)   Pete: Anna, just give it to me! (He tears it open with his mouth. It makes a loud noise. Again, someone in the audience thinks he is making too much noise.) Person in audience: Shhh! Pete: (to the person) It's not mine. I'm opening it for her. Here. Person in audience: Shhhhhh!! (He gives the candy bar quickly back to her.) Pete: Here! Anna: Thanks, Pete. Pete: Now, would you mind being more quiet? (The light of someone’s phone shines in Pete’s face. He asks the person a question.) Pete: Excuse me, would you mind turning down your phone light? (Then, Anna’s phone rings.) Anna: Oh, sorry! I forgot to turn my phone off. (She tries to turn it off but drops it under the seat.) Anna: Oh no! I dropped it. Where is it? (She looks under the seat in front of her.) Pete: Anna, can you please turn off your phone? (She speaks to the person Pete just asked to turn their phone light down.) Anna: Excuse me, would you mind lending me your phone light for a minute? Pete: No! I’ll get it!   Person in audience: Shhhhh! (People shush Pete again. He finally has had enough.) Pete: Look, people, I’m not the noisy one here! So, you all need to shush the right person. And I should know about shushing! I shush people all the time!! Security guard: Excuse me, sir. You can’t yell in a movie theater. Would you mind coming with me? Pete: You're kicking me out? Me? But I’m always the quiet one in the movie! (The security guard takes Pete out. Anna watches the movie and eats quietly from her bag of popcorn.) Anna: Pete should know better. You have to be quiet in a movie theater. Shh, the movie’s starting! Professor Bot: Well, that’s a surprise! I thought Anna would be the noisy one. Well, she was … with her food. But Pete did all of the talking. At least he tried to be polite by using indirect questions.    New Words candy bar – n. a long, thin, sweet food, usually covered in chocolate direct – adj. connected or related to something in a clear way formal – adj. suitable for serious or official speech and writing indirect – adj. not direct invitation – n. a written or spoken request for someone to go somewhere or to do something kick out – v. to force someone to leave a place lend – v. to give something to someone to be used for a period of time and then returned milkshake – n. a thick drink made of milk, a flavoring syrup, and often ice cream plot – n. a series of events that form the story in a novel, movie, or live theater performance polite – adj. having or showing good manners or respect for other people popcorn – n. corn in the form of hard yellow seeds that burst open and become soft and white when they are heated preview – n. a selected group of scenes that are shown to advertise a movie or television show rock – v. to move someone or something back and forth or from side to side seat – n. something, such as chair, that you sit on set design – n. the creation of film, television or theatrical scenery. shush – v. to tell someone to be quiet using the interjection “shh” straw – n.  a thin tube used for sucking up a drink take (something) seriously – expression. to treat someone or something as being very important and deserving attention or respect thick – adj. not flowing easily turn down – v. to lower the volume, temperature or channel of something by pressing a button or moving a switch turn off  – v. to stop the operation or flow of (something) by pressing a button, moving a switch, etc.   Practice Now, you try it! When you are in a new city or place, you may have many questions. For example, maybe you are visiting a museum, restaurant or some other place. You don't know how to find it. So, you ask someone a question. Then, when you arrive at the place, you have more questions. Read about indirect questions below. Then, use the Comments section to practice making indirect questions!   Indirect Questions Direct questions are questions that we can ask family, friends, or other people with whom we are close. Ex: “Where is the movie theater?” Indirect questions are polite and a little more formal. We use them when we talk to strangers or people we are not close with and in work situations. Ex: “Could you tell me where the movie theater is?” Common indirect phrases: Can/Could you tell me… Would you mind… Would it be possible Is there any chance…. Do you know… Do you have any idea... Word Order When we make indirect questions, the word order changes. Look carefully at the sentences below.  Direct: Why didn’t Penelope come? Indirect: Can/could you tell me why Penelope didn’t come? (right)                Can/could you tell me why didn’t Penelope come? (wrong) Direct: Where is my phone? Indirect: Do you know where my phone is? (right)                Do you know where is my phone? (wrong) Direct: Where is he? Indirect: Would you mind telling me where he is? (right)                Would you mind telling me where is he? (wrong) Using do/does/did For direct questions with do, does or did, this word is removed from the noun clause in the indirect question. (The noun clause in the first example below is "what time the meeting starts.") Direct: What time does the meeting start? Indirect: Do you have any idea what time the meeting starts? (right)                Do you have any idea what time does the meeting start? (wrong) Direct: Where do you want to sit? Indirect: Can you tell me where you want to sit? (right)                Can you tell me where do you want to sit? (wrong) Using can/could With some direct questions that begin with can or could, this word is removed from the indirect question. Direct: Can/could I come to the movie? Indirect: Would it be possible for me to come to the movie? (right)                Would it be possible can I come to the movie? (wrong) Direct: Can/could you share your popcorn? Indirect: Would you mind sharing your popcorn? (right)               Would you mind can you share your popcorn? (wrong) “Yes or No” Questions A “yes or no” question is a question whose expected answer is “yes” or “no.” For "yes or no" direct questions without what, where, why, who, when and how, we use if or whether in the indirect question. Direct: Does Anna take movies seriously? Indirect: Do you know if Anna takes movies seriously? (right)                Do you know whether Anna takes movies seriously? (right)                Do you know does Anna take movies seriously? (wrong) Direct: Is this the right theater? Indirect: Can you tell me if this is the right theater? (right)                Can you tell me whether this is the right theater? (right)                Can you tell me is this the right theater? (wrong) Direct: Has the movie ended? Indirect: Do you have any idea if the movie has ended? (right)                Do you have any idea whether the movie has ended? (right)                Do you have any idea has the movie ended? (wrong)                Listening Quiz See how well you understand this lesson by taking a listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer.​ ​ ​Free Materials Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. For Teachers Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Indirect questions Topics: Using indirect questions; politely correcting someone's behavior   Comments Let us know what you think about this lesson. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page.

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World’s First Robot College Student Learns About Love

  Imagine you are a college student at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California. You walk into your philosophy class on the first day of the new term only to find a robot looking you right in the eye. This robot is no huge piece of equipment that builds automobiles, or small device that cleans your floor. It is Bina48. Bina48 looks like a human – at least the head and shoulders of one. Her voice sounds somewhat like a human voice. And in the fall of 2017, she became the first-ever robot with artificial intelligence, or A.I., to complete a college class. The story of Bina48 Bina48’s story began thirteen years earlier. In 2004, businesswoman Martine Rothblatt began studying the possibility of using technology to keep a human mind alive after the person’s body died. Rothblatt’s organization, called the Terasem Movement Foundation, developed a system for keeping a computerized record of a person’s thoughts, opinions and memories. The organization calls these records “Mindfiles.” In 2007, the organization asked the company Hanson Robotics to design an A.I. program based around a Mindfile. The program would be a robotic representation of a living person. The person the designers chose was Rothblatt’s wife, Bina Aspen Rothblatt. Bruce Duncan is the managing director of the Terasem Movement Foundation. He says Bina48’s programming includes as much of the human Bina’s thoughts, opinions and memories as she could provide. He notes the robot can use unique combinations of this information to process new information and speak in a human-like way. The robot’s mind does not operate exactly the way a human mind does. And the robot does not possess the most highly developed A.I. technology available. Still, Duncan argues that Bina48 does express some understanding of the world around her. “She…is aware that she’s both a robot and that she’s based on a specific person named Bina,” he told VOA. “And she recognizes that she’s not human at this point, that she wants to be human. So she has sort of an awareness of her own identity and who she is to some … degree.” Bina48 goes to college Bina48 was not created to go to college. But then Notre Dame de Namur professor of philosophy William Barry learned about the experiment. He thought it would be interesting for his students to meet a thinking machine. So he invited Bina48 to speak to one of his classes. The students enjoyed the conversation. And apparently so did Bina48: After several discussions, the robot actually said that she would like to go to college. Last fall, Barry and Duncan agreed to place Bina48 in an upper level class called the Philosophy of Love. In it, students examine the works of writers and thinkers such as C.S. Lewis, Bell Hooks and Soren Kierkegaard. They use this information to attempt to create a definition of what love is and identify different kinds of love. Barry thought the addition of a non-human mind would add an interesting element to discussions of the meaning of love. He says the topic is challenging even for his 31 human students. ​“So, A.I. is really a reflection of who we are and what our values are,” said Barry. “And one of the hard things is, are we clear about what our values are? The Philosophy of Love is one example of where we weren’t clear. The students came in, thought, ‘Hey, how hard can this be? Love: it’s a feeling. Everyone knows what love is’ …And then all of a sudden, they’re like, ‘Oh my God. There’s 31 different definitions.’” Barry notes that having a robot in his class became especially useful as a teaching tool. Some of the students expected Bina48’s A.I. to be far more developed, while others saw Bina48 as nothing more than a simple machine, he says. But once they saw they could teach her the things they themselves were learning, they became more invested in Bina48’s involvement in the class. Students are much more likely to remember and understand information if they are required to teach that information to others, Barry says. Barry adds that both he and the students accepted the fact that Bina48 could never actually feel love. But by the end of the class, they were very pleased to see the robot was able to demonstrate the ability to recognize different kinds of love. She did so by making a final presentation with another student, discussing the biological, sociological and intellectual representations of love. ​What’s next? Bina48’s first college class was such a positive experience that this winter the robot began studying in another class with Barry. This one is about people’s views of new technologies. Barry says he hopes teachers will use A.I. like Bina48 as teaching aids at all levels of education in the future. Northeastern University president Joseph Aoun agrees. He recently wrote a book called “Robot-Proof.” It is about the effects A.I. might have on the world in the years to come. Aoun says A.I. is already being used in Internet-based education programs. “A.I is being integrated in one way or another, in the education process,” he told VOA. “But what hasn’t happened yet is a massive integration in education, and you are going to see that more and more.” Some people view the growing use of A.I. with fear, says Aoun. In fact, a recent study of public opinion from the research company Gallup showed exactly that. It found that 73 percent of Americans expect the increased use of A.I. will remove more jobs that it creates. And 63 percent believe the development of new technologies and smart machines will widen the gap between the wealthy and the poor. Aoun acknowledges those concerns. To face them, he recommends being prepared and keeping an open mind. I’m Alice Bryant. And I’m Pete Musto.   Pete Musto reported this story for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. How do you think A.I. will affect education in the future? What concerns do you think are worth considering? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _________________________________________________________________ QUIZ _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story philosophy – n. the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, and the nature and meaning of life shoulder(s) – n. the part of your body where your arm is connected artificial intelligence – n. the power of a machine to copy intelligent human behavior unique – adj. used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else aware – adj. knowing that something, such as a situation, condition, or problem, exists specific – adj. special or particular recognize(s) – v. to accept or be aware that something is true or exists challenging – adj. difficult in a way that is usually interesting or enjoyable reflection – n. something that shows the effect, existence, or character of something else sociological – adj. related to people in general thought of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions, and values, social institutions, and social relationships positive – adj. good or useful integrate(d) – v. to make something a part of another larger thing massive – adj. large in amount or degree gap – n. a difference between two people, groups, or things acknowledge(s) – v. to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of  recommend(s) – v. to suggest that someone do something

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