Smoking Rates Around the World

  From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. “Tobacco is the only legal drug that kills many of its users when used exactly as intended by manufacturers.” That is the first sentence of the World Health Organization’s 2015 global report on smoking trends around the world.   Smoking around the world       On its website, the World Health Organization says that in 2015, over 1.1 billion people smoked tobacco. The organization also states that while tobacco use is decreasing in many countries, it “appears to be increasing in WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region and the African Region.” The WHO lists on its websites these three important facts about tobacco use: Tobacco kills up to half of its users. Tobacco kills more than 7 million people each year. More than 6 million of those deaths are from direct tobacco use. Around 890, 000 non-smokers die from second-hand smoke. Nearly 80% of the world's more than 1 billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries. In 2016, the World Bank report “The global state of smoking in 5 charts,” said that from 2000 to 2015 smoking rates went up in 27 countries. The report said most of them were low and middle-income countries. The report added that in Indonesia, the rate went up by almost 30 percent. It said more than 70 million people smoke in Indonesia. The WHO says there is a “tobacco crisis.” Experts say that if we do nothing to change this trend, the number of people who die from tobacco each year worldwide will rise to 8 million by 2030. The article also states that in every country, the smoking rates for men are much higher than those for women. U.S. smoking rates at historic low The American Lung Association (ALA) says fewer Americans smoke cigarettes now than before tobacco control policies were established. In its yearly report, the ALA says smoking rates among adults and teens are at historic lows. It says a little more than 15.5 percent of American adults, and eight percent of high school students, smoke cigarettes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. also researches smoking rates. It says the rates in the U.S. decreased from 20.9 percent in 2005 to 15.5 percent in 2016. Connie Graffunder is director of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health. She says "more people are quitting, and those who continue to smoke are smoking less." However, CDC research also shows that almost 38 million American adults still smoke. And the American Lung Association says tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke affects some groups and areas of the United States more than others. Thomas Carr is the Director of National Policy for the American Lung Association and writer of its 2018 report, The State of Tobacco Control. Carr says smoking rates are close to 30 percent or higher among poor people, less educated people, Native Americans and some other ethnic groups. Carr says that "the tobacco industry advertises more to some of these groups." He adds that often there are more tobacco products available in stores in low-income areas. Teenagers are more likely to smoke if their friends or parents smoke. Studies show that most people who smoke start before they are 18. Some start as young as age 11, according to The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Carr calls it a childhood disease. "It starts in your teens and then once you're hooked, you can't get off of it." What can countries do to stop people from smoking? The American Lung Association advocates for the U.S. government to make buying tobacco products for those under age 21 illegal. The group says this would lead to a drop in the number of young smokers. The ALA says if middle and high school students cannot get cigarettes, they are less likely to start smoking. To date, five states in the U.S. -- California, Oregon, Maine, Hawaii and New Jersey -- have raised the age to 21. The WHO says that there are other things countries can do to limit tobacco use. Experts at the WHO experts say studies show that anti-tobacco advertisements can reduce the number of children who smoke. This is especially true if the advertising uses picture warnings on the packaging. The WHO adds that bans on tobacco advertising can reduce the use of tobacco products. Higher taxes can also lower the number of people who use tobacco. This is especially true with young and poor people. The CDC says smokers die, on average, 10 years earlier than non-smokers. And that's the Health & Lifestyle report, I'm Anna Matteo.   Anna Matteo wrote this story for Learning English with additional reporting from Carol Pearson. Caty Weaver was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ QUIZ __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   intend – v. to have in mind as a purpose or goal manufacturer – n. a company that makes a product second-hand smoke – n. tobacco smoke that is exhaled by smokers or is given off by burning tobacco and is inhaled by persons nearby income – n. money that is earned from work, investments, business, etc. trend – n. a general direction of change : a way of behaving, proceeding, etc., that is developing and becoming more common exposure – n. the fact or condition of being affected by something or experiencing something : the condition of being exposed to something advertise – v. to make the public aware of something (such as a product) that is being sold hooked – v. addicted to a drug : usually used with “on” : She is hooked on cigarettes. advocate – v. to support or argue for (a cause, policy, etc.)

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Turkish President Goes to Africa in Latest Effort to Expand Influence

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is on a five-day trip to Northern and Western Africa. The trip will take him to four countries: Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, and Mali.  His visit is the latest effort by Turkey to project its influence across the continent and strengthen its presence worldwide. Since 2005, as then-prime minister, Erdogan has been working to deepen ties with Africa. Emre Caliskan is with the Department of Politics and International Relations at Oxford University in Britain. He says Erdogan has been to Africa 12 times since becoming president in 2009. He notes his trips had several objectives, such as economic growth, expanding Turkey’s influence in the world and the use of Islam. Earlier this month, Turkey welcomed a group of African ministers for a week of meetings. Such gatherings are part of a Turkish effort to improve contacts with African leaders. Over the past 10 years, Turkey has tripled the number of embassies across Africa. Even with all the Turkish investments, the economic returns have been less than what the government expected. And that has led Turkey to reconsider its priorities, says Mehmet Arda. He studies Africa for the Istanbul-based public policy center Edam. "When you look at the Turkish trade with Africa, it’s basically the same as it was about 10 years ago. So it is more a way of projecting itself as a power in the world. Moreover, Turkey puts itself as the friend, at least, of the countries which are left behind, the destitute and all that. So I think from that point of view, as well, it fits with that the model of Turkey projecting itself on the world stage." ​Islamic influence In his recent visits to Africa, President Erdogan has added Islamic subjects to his message. His speeches have sometimes been colored with criticism of the West and talk of its colonial past. At one time, the Turkish Ottoman Empire also extended to Africa. Caliskan says that appealing to African Muslims offers Turkey a chance for important diplomatic gains, as well as risks. "Fifty percent of African countries come from Muslim backgrounds and this gives leverage for Turkey in the eyes of Europe, in the eyes of the West, and in the eyes of Africa.” But he notes a competition among Islamic groups and countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Historically, he says, these nations are very influential among Africa’s Muslim communities. Caliskan describes Turkey as a new comer, and says the country wants to expand its influence. Last September, Turkey opened its largest overseas military base in Somalia. Some observers say the opening of the base is a sign that Turkish officials have aspirations for the area. The Turkish navy is expanding, with the government planning to build an aircraft carrier. Egypt has expressed concern about Turkey’s agreement with Sudan to redevelop the Sudanese island of Suakin. The island was once home to the Ottoman Empire’s main naval base. The Turkish government says it has no plans to develop Suakin for military purposes. But Caliskan says such denials will do little to reduce tensions given the level of mistrust between Erdogan and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el Sissi. Observers warn the competition in the Middle East is already spilling into Africa. They say this process is likely to continue because of Turkey’s growing commitment to the continent and its effort to become a global player. I'm Jonathan Evans.   Dorian Jones reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted his report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   triple – v. to make three times as big; to increase by 200 percent priority – n. a goal; something that is more important than other things destitute – adj. lacking possessions or what is needed background – n. the ground that is behind an object leverage – n. influence or effectiveness aspiration – n. a strong desire to do something commitment – n. an agreement or promise to do something global – adj. of or involving the whole world We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.  

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Korean Company Announces Oil Discovery in South China Sea

  A South Korean company has discovered oil in the South China Sea, an area claimed by six governments. SK Innovation Co. announced last week that it had found crude oil in a Chinese area in the South China Sea. The case suggests a way in which countries can cooperate in the area. Countries without a territorial claim in the resource-rich sea can agree on contracts with governments that have claims. Experts say governments normally rent areas of their 370-kilometer-wide exclusive economic zones. They say claims beyond the economic zones are more likely to cause conflict. Oh Ei Sun teaches international studies at Singapore Nanyang University. He said, “This is not uncommon, but of course whenever there is a discovery, the people would raise their eyebrows…” Oh added this is especially the case today when claims to areas of the South China Sea have intensified. Many companies from non-claimant countries involved Six governments claim parts of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea. They are Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. The disputes have increased partly because of claims to undersea gas and oil. The U.S. Energy Information Agency estimates that 11 billion barrels of oil and large amounts of natural gas are under the sea. China claims about 90 percent of the sea. It has built the most landforms in the sea upsetting countries that also have claims. India and Spain have worked with Vietnam to find undersea oil since 2016. The Philippines worked with U.S.-based Forum Energy to explore for oil in 2012. And in 2014, the oil company Shell and a Malaysian company found natural gas. In the recent announcement, SK Innovation said it drilled for oil in December and found a supply that, it said, tested up to 3,750 barrels of oil per day. The company said it plans additional wells to find out more about the supply. The company has been exploring the area since 2015 in partnership with the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation. Alan Chong is an associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He said that countries with South China Sea claims are quietly setting aside politics in an effort to make economic gains. However, the claims and business deals are not simple. “The complexity is just tangled,” he said. A way to spread exploration costs, gains Most exploration contracts take place when a country offers an area of ocean territory to outside companies. The areas usually are within the country’s exclusive economic zone to avoid disputes. Song Seng Wun is an economist with CIMB bank in Singapore. He said the areas have mostly been in places where there is less risk of conflict. “I think it’s pretty straight forward on that side,” he said. “It’s quite well regulated.” However, disputes over the extent of exclusive economic zones can still lead to disputes. In 2017, a Spanish company stopped looking for oil in an area controlled by Vietnam, but disputed by China. Political experts said, at the time, that China had pressured Vietnam to stop the project. However, Oh notes that oil companies that work in the Middle East have experience with political risks. What they fear most is finding no fuel after spending billions of dollars exploring. I’m Mario Ritter.   Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   contract –n. a legal agreement between people, companies or other groups rent –v. money paid in order to use a property or living place zones –n. an area set apart from others for special use or treatment raise their eyebrows –v. idiom to bring attention to We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Turkish Arms Industry Aiding Military Operation in Syria

  Turkey’s offensive against a Kurdish militia in Syria shows the growing expertise of Turkish arms manufacturers. In recent years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sought to reduce his country’s dependency on imported arms. Erdogan spoke recently about the military operation in the Afrin area of northwestern Syria. “Almost all of the armored carriers ((operating)) in Afrin are domestically produced. I thank our friends who produced them,” he said. The Turkish military is working with Syrian rebels to seize Afrin from a Kurdish militia that Turkey calls a terrorist group. Turkish officials say its fighters are linked to Kurdish separatists in Turkey. ​ Erdogan also blamed the deaths of Turkish soldiers in Afrin on countries that did not sell Turkey complex weapons, including armed drones. He did not name any countries. Last year, Erdogan took direct control of Turkey’s arms industry. The government has invested billions of dollars in the defense industry. Further investments are planned. “A total of 55 projects worth $9.4 billion were evaluated,” said a presidential statement in January at a meeting of Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defense Industries. Atilla Yesilada watches Turkey for Global Source Partners, a business advisory service. He says the defense industry has grown in large part because of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party, the AKP. Yesilada said, “In the past there was no money, but now there is a lot of money slushing around, and the AKP has the vision to realize this project."  "This is a success story of the AKP,” he added. He said that Turkey once bought 80 percent of its weapons from overseas. Today, Turkey manufactures its own rifles, simple drones and armored vehicles.   Reducing dependency on imported arms is a goal of the government. The current Afrin operation shows Turkish officials the problem of depending on other countries. Germany is currently blocking improvements to Turkish-owned, German-made Leopard tanks because of their use in the Afrin operation. But the Afrin campaign is also showcasing Turkey’s armaments industry. “There are many new military technologies,” noted defense expert Metin Gurcan, who once served in the Turkish military. “Turkey has developed armed drones, helicopters, smart  munitions and for the first time, they are all being tested in action abroad,” he added. Along with developing arms independence, the Turkish government has an eye on the often profitable international arms market. Experts suggest Turkey is unlikely to try to compete with the world's major players, but instead will try to find an area of specialization. Gurcan said, “Turkey has been trying to become a very important player in the arms exports market, in the region of the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa.” He noted that the government is using close diplomatic ties, with central Asian countries and Qatar, to secure several arms agreements.  I'm Caty Weaver. Dorian Jones reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted his report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   domestic – adj. of or relating to a country, especially one’s own country evaluate – v. to consider the condition or value of something vision – n. something seen in a dream; a thought or idea abroad – adj. or adv. overseas; to or in a foreign country We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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How to Pronounce the Sound /er/

Follow John Russell to learn how to pronounce /er/ in comparison.

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China to Drop Presidential Term Limit, Letting Xi Stay in Power

Chinese media say the Communist Party has proposed lifting term limits for the office of president from China’s Constitution. Under the proposal, party leader Xi Jinping could continue serving as president after the year 2023. China’s official Xinhua news agency published a report on the “proposed constitutional amendment package” Sunday. It said the Communist Party of China (CPC) supported plans to drop the “two consecutive terms" limit to the offices of the President and Vice-President. Term limits have been part of the constitution since 1982. The communist party also proposed adding “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” to the Constitution. This will make Xi the third Chinese leader to have such an honor. In the past, the constitution was amended to include Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory. Xi is expected to be elected to a second five-year term as president at a meeting of the National People’s Congress. The proposals will likely be approved at that meeting, which opens on March 5. Willy Lam is with the Chinese University in Hong Kong. He told the Associated Press, “Xi Jinping has finally achieved his ultimate goal when he first embarked on Chinese politics — that is, to be the Mao Zedong of the 21st century.” In 2012, Xi became general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, chairman of the Politburo Standing Committee, and head of the country’s armed forces. He was elected to his first five-year term as president in March 2013. Shortly after his election, Xi said, “I believe that realizing the great revival of the Chinese nation is the greatest dream of the Chinese nation in modern times.” As China’s leader, Xi launched an anti-corruption campaign targeting powerful officials. He has increased defense spending and claimed sovereignty over a large part of the South China Sea. He also started the “Belt and Road” development program to build infrastructure-related projects in Asia, Africa and Europe. China’s Communist Party has required leaders who are 68 or older to leave office. But the party has yet to name a successor to the 64-year-old “core leader” – another title given to Xi in 2016. At the 19th Communist Party Congress last October, Xi promised that China would become a modern socialist country by 2035. He also said by 2050, it would be a leading world power. Willy Lam suggested the party’s justification for removing term limits is that “China requires a visionary, capable leader to see China through this multi-decade grand plan.” Hu Xingdou is a Beijing-based political commentator. He said while Xi Jinping might need an extra five-year term or two to carry out his plans, China is unlikely to return to lifetime tenure for heads of state. Hu added that China has learned “lessons” from the unrest of the Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong. I’m Mario Ritter.   Hai Do wrote this for Learning English with additional report from the AP. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   ultimate – adj. the most extreme or best of its kind embark - v. to make a start; to begin a trip politburo – n. the main policy-making committee of a Communist party revival – n. a return of strength or importance sovereignty – n. unlimited power over an area; the right of an to govern itself infrastructure – n. the system of public works; the personnel, buildings or equipment required for an activity visionary – n. someone having an imagination or ideas grand – adj. very large or great tenure – n. the amount of time that a person holds a job or office lesson – n. a reading or other exercise for a student; something learned by experience We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.    

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Scientists Grow First Fully Developed Human Eggs in Laboratory

  For the first time ever, scientists have succeeded in growing human eggs from the earliest stages to full maturity in a laboratory. Before now, scientists had only succeeded in doing so with the eggs of mice, maturing those eggs to the stage where they produced living babies. They had also grown human eggs from a later stage of development. Scientists at two research hospitals in Edinburgh, Scotland and the Center for Human Reproduction in New York completed this latest experiment. They published the results of their research in the journal Molecular Human Reproduction in early February. They said this research could one day help in developing medicines and new treatments for people who are unable to produce children. Normally, microscopic eggs develop in the part of the female reproductive system called ovaries. However, this is the first time human eggs have been developed outside the human body from their earliest stage to full maturity. Evelyn Telfer is a co-leader of the research. She told the Reuters news service, “Being able to fully develop human eggs in the [laboratory] could widen the scope of available fertility treatments. We are now working on optimizing the conditions that support egg development in this way and studying how healthy they are.” Independent experts not directly involved in this work supported it by calling it important. But they also warned that there is much more to do before laboratory-grown human eggs could be safely made ready for reproduction with sperm. Ali Abbara is a medical expert at Imperial College London. He said this latest research suggests it may be possible to fully combine human eggs and sperm outside the body in the future. “[But] the technology remains at an early stage,” he added. “And much more work is needed to make sure that the technique is safe and optimized before we ascertain whether these eggs remain normal during the process, and can…form embryos that could lead to healthy babies.” Darren Griffin is a genetics professor at Kent University in the United Kingdom. He called the work a surprising technical success. If success and safety rates were improved, it could help future cancer patients receiving chemotherapy treatment protect their fertility, said Griffin. It could also improve fertility treatments, and deepen scientific understanding of the biology of the earliest stages of human life. I’m Pete Musto. Kate Kelland reported this story for the Reuters news service. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ QUIZ   ​ ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story maturity – n. the state of being fully developed in the body or the mind journal – n. a magazine that reports on things of special interest to a particular group of people ovaries – n. the organs in women and female animals that produce eggs and female hormones scope – n. space or opportunity for action and thought fertility – n. the ability to produce young optimizing – v. making something as good or as effective as possible sperm – n. a cell that is produced by the male sexual organs and that combines with the female's egg in reproduction technique – n. a way of doing something by using special knowledge or skill ascertain – v. to learn or find out something, such as information or the truth chemotherapy – n. the use of chemicals to treat or control a disease, such as cancer

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New Program Helps Speed Up Children’s Understanding of Language

  Learning to read provides a foundation for future learning in all areas of study. But reading is more than just sounding out words. Students need to understand what those words mean. And experts say students need to have a working knowledge of 10,000 words. Now, a new vocabulary program claims to greatly speed up a child's understanding of language. The program is called Mrs Wordsmith. The teaching system uses pictures and short word exercises to improve a student’s performance on tests. Sofia Fenichell created the system. She worked with researchers from Cambridge University in Britain to develop the list of words. "We call it the 10,000 word journey and we believe that children can master these words from the age of seven to 17, and then not have to cram. And these words are typically the words they find in the books they read, in newspapers, in adult conversation. We're accelerating their ability to communicate, but also to improve their reading and writing age." Each word in the Mrs Wordsmith system of teaching has a child-friendly definition and a picture showing how the word is used. For example, the word shriveled is defined as "wrinkled, like hippo skin that's been the in bath too long." Underneath the definition is a drawing of a very wet, somewhat shrunken hippopotamus.   "The words are illustrated by the same award winning artist that did Madagascar, Hotel Transylvania and all these Hollywood hits, so they want more of it and moms and teachers love it because they know that there's real research backing and data behind it. It's not random." There are also exercises to help strengthen the student’s understanding. Fenichell spoke at a recent education technology show in London. She said the Mrs Wordsmith system has been popular in schools across Britain. "The teachers are reporting back that the kids love it. They want to do more, they're putting it in their writing, they're learning more words and it's so easy to teach them the vocabulary. Little children are using words like: ‘The brazen attitude of the British in World War Two’, and teachers are writing us and saying they can't believe how much their writing has improved." Mrs Wordsmith is now set to expand into schools in other countries, including the United States. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Faith Lapidus reported this story for VOANews.com. Jonathan Evans adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _________________________________________________________________ Words in this Story brazen – adj. acting or done in a very open and shocking way cram – v. to prepare for a test by learning a lot of information quickly  kid – n. children random – adj. lacking a plan; unpredictable illustrate – v. to show or explain with pictures accelerate – v. to speed up conversation – n. a talk involving two or more people master – v. to learn completely vocabulary – n. a list of words or expressions foundation – n. a basis; something that provides support for something else

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American to Fight Twitter over Social Media Ban

  A white nationalist is taking Twitter to court for banning his account with the social networking service. The case comes at the same time when social networks are trying to stop hateful and abusive content without appearing to block unpopular opinions. Jared Taylor launched the case Tuesday in California, at a state court in San Francisco. The Associated Press (AP) described it as the latest legal action by right-wing groups and people banned from social media websites. Taylor is the founder of the Virginia-based New Century Foundation. For tax purposes, the Internal Revenue Service lists the foundation as a charity. The group operates an online magazine, called American Renaissance. The magazine supports a belief that it is "entirely normal" for white people to want to be a majority race. Social media under pressure Social media sites are facing public pressure to quickly identify and ban material considered to be abusive or hateful. The AP reports that Twitter suspended the accounts of well-known white nationalists in December. At the time, the company said it was enforcing new rules to reduce abusive content. Twitter's new policy targets hateful images or signs, including those appearing with user profiles. The company said it now looks at hateful imagery in the same way as strong violence and adult content, which Twitter has banned since its creation. Taylor said Twitter informed him in an email on Dec.18 that it was suspending his account and one in the name of American Renaissance. He said Twitter claimed that the accounts violated the company's user agreement, which bars ties with "a violent extremist group." Twitter did not name the extremist group, he said. Taylor denies that he and his organization support violence or have ties with groups that do. His case seeks unspecified damages and the restarting of Taylor's accounts. White conservatives fighting bans Similar cases have been brought in California. Charles Johnson brought a case against Twitter in a Fresno court after he was banned in 2015. The Associated Press describes Johnson as a conservative activist. The court has yet to rule on his case. The nonprofit Prager University has brought legal action against Google in a Los Angeles federal court. The school claims YouTube wrongfully blocked some of its politically conservative content. Some of those who have been banned report that social networks are unfairly blocking free speech and limiting their public communication. Taylor claimed in his case that Twitter's ban has hurt efforts by the New Century Foundation to raise money. Politically conservative Twitter users filled social media sites on Wednesday with claims that they lost thousands of followers after a "purge" of suspected Russian bots. "TwitterLockOut" became a top trending story in the United States for several hours. Richard Spencer, a white nationalist with more than 80,000 followers, tweeted that he's "lost close to 1,000" of them over the past few hours. He added that there was a "major purge underway." But some hours later, he reported that his followers were slowly returning to social media. Last Friday, U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller charged 13 Russians in a plot to interfere in the 2016 presidential election through social media propaganda. In a statement, Twitter said its tools are not political. “We enforce our rules without political bias,” it added. The company estimates that about 5 percent of its accounts are unwanted emails or bots, programs that can infect computers. Twitter uses both human workers and computer programs to remove harmful accounts. However, they said it can be difficult because new accounts are easy to create. I’m Phil Dierking.   Barbara Ortutay originally wrote this story for VOAnews.com. Phil Dierking adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What do you think the difference is between hateful content and strong beliefs?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   Bot - n. a device or piece of software that can execute commands, reply to messages, or perform routine tasks, as online searches, either automatically or with minimal human intervention Bias - n. a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly​ Charity - n. an organization that helps people who are poor, sick, etc.​ Content - n.  the ideas, facts, or images that are in a book, article, speech, movie, etc.​ Purge - v.  to remove people from an area, country, organization, etc., often in a violent and sudden way​ Right-wing - adj. the part of a political group that consists of people who support conservative or traditional ideas and policies​ Unspecified - adj. not named or mentioned​  

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Student Activist: 'We Are Going to Make a Serious Difference'

The recent school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, claimed the lives of 17 students and teachers. It also started a wave of protests among young people across the country. These student activists are calling for stronger gun laws in America. They have held demonstrations and gone on day strikes from school. They have spoken on television, used social media to spread their message and met with President Donald Trump and other elected officials. Sofia Hidalgo is one of those students. She is 15 years old and a student at Albert Einstein High School in the state of Maryland. She sat down with VOA Learning English’s Bryan Lynn to discuss her generation’s new sense of activism following the Parkland shooting. Bryan:  First of all, [if] I could get you just to say your name and your school and what you’ve been up to for the past week? Sofia: My name is Sofia Hidalgo. I go to Albert Einstein High School, and this week we have participated...in a school walkout on Wednesday to march for the need of gun control. Bryan: So, with all of this activism that now seems to be coming out and driven in large part by students and young people, what do you think trigger that? Sofia: I think specifically because the Florida shooting was in a school, that triggered the activism in other students in high schools around the country…realizing that this happened at that school [and] it could happen at my school, as well. So I think that once we realized that this could happen to us, as well, that it was time for us to make our voices heard to ensure that it never happens again, because this is a serious tragedy. Bryan: And there have been a lot of school shootings in the past, unfortunately. Why was this one different, and specifically with you, how did this one affect you different from the other ones that have happened? Sofia: Well the other school shootings in the past, I was a lot younger. It happened before I had gotten into politics, into activism. I had started getting involved when we did a school walkout when Trump won the presidency. And my school and the schools around me did a massive school walkout for that. And then the women’s march. And those two -- that walkout and that march -- is what triggered me and the people in my community, as well, to start being active.  ...Especially when we are younger, parents seemed to sugarcoat things that are going on. I know that I never used to watch the news and I did not have a Twitter before and I did not have a Facebook before. So I didn’t see anything expect for mere rumors of ‘oh a shooting happened’ but then that was it. And it was definitely sugarcoated by adults. And so now that I have social media and now that I was a big part in the women’s march and was very active in the school walkout…I understand more about what had happened. Bryan: Have you personally felt unsafe in your own school? Sofia: Sometimes. I think about it, but we actually have armed police at our school as a lot of other schools in this area…I trust my community and I trust the policeman and we also always have drills once a month of what to do in serious situations. So I know what I need to be doing and how to stay safe in those situations. Bryan: One of the proposals that has come up from the administration is to arm teachers, to try to prevent mass shootings like this. What’s your feeling on that? Sofia: Well, I think that proposed solution is an excuse to give more money to the NRA [National Rifle Association]. By arming the teachers you’re just distributing even more guns. And this is not the solution that we need. We need to be restricting the sale of guns not increasing them.  And by arming the teachers you're trying fight fire with fire and that’s not a solution. That is maybe a temporary one, but you need to attack the problems at the root and not build on top of it, and by arming teachers you’re just simply building on top of a problem. And the teachers are not there to defend the lives of us…they’re there to teach and we’re there to learn. We’re not there to expect that it’s going to be our last day. We’re there to say ‘I’m going to come here in the morning, I’m going to learn, I’m going to go home and do my homework and do it again tomorrow.’ Not [think] ‘what if today there’s a school shooter and my teacher needs to pull out their gun?’ Bryan: And at your school do they do any metal detectors or anything like that? Sofia: No. Not at my school.  [I] heard an argument once that was talking about their school that had a metal detector and they said, like, ‘why do we have new metal detectors and old school books from like the 1990s; that we should be putting more of the money into the arts and into our textbooks and into getting us access to computers than we should into arming the teachers or arming the people at our school or trying to like claim that the kids are carrying illegal things with them. We need to be funding the schools and not funding, like, giving more money to the NRA. Bryan: There's been a lot of talk over the years about gun control and, you know, there are very strong sides in the U.S. on both sides of the issue, obviously. And there's a lot of money involved and lobbying and all of that kind of stuff. What do you hope to accomplish -- you and other students, other friends of yours -- through these marches, and the activism that's coming up now? Even though this has taken place in the past, do you think it’s a different time now? Sofia: By these marches, we’re hoping to accomplish, like, a change in mentality, so that people realize that we do have a voice, and even though we cannot vote yet, that we’re going to still - that we’re going to keep pushing so that people who do vote, can vote in a way that will protect all of us when we grow up. And that they understand that my generation is pushing really hard, and that when we are able to vote that things are definitely going to be changing. My generation is incredibly active and even though we cannot vote yet, when we can we are going to make a serious difference. Bryan: Well thanks so much for coming to Learning English. Good luck with your efforts from here. Sofia: Thank you.  

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Cambodian Rice Organization Facing Own Problems

  In a report last month, the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) warned the country's market for exports could be destroyed by secret or unlawful sales of rice. The report gave a long list of problems within the organization and the rice industry as a whole. It showed the deep problems and weaknesses in an industry that occupies a central place in Cambodia's society and economy. The CRF was founded in 2014 as part of an effort to strengthen and expand the country’s rice industry. Cambodia was exporting much less rice than its neighbors Thailand and Vietnam, reports showed. Last year, Cambodia exported about 700,000 tons of rice, a 17.3 percent increase over 2016 rice levels. Yet it exports less than Vietnam, which exported 6 million tons, and Thailand, which sold more than 11 million tons to overseas buyers over the same period. The reasons for Cambodia’s low export numbers are complex, the CRF report said. It raised concerns over a number of issues, such as price manipulation, conflicts of interest among the CRF’s leadership, favoritism and mistrust. The report also noted the issue of Vietnamese rice smuggling, which was once a taboo subject. In 2013, when the problem was discussed openly, Cambodian officials denied it existed. But in this report, the CRF said Vietnamese smuggling was a threat to the World Trade Organization and trade rules of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The report said the smuggling made it difficult to follow the rules of origin since some rice reportedly was re-exported to a third country. It warned that this could damage Cambodia’s entire export market. Rules governing origination are different from one country to the next. For Cambodia, the biggest concern would be if smuggling would lead to cancellation of its preferential trade position within the European Union (EU). Cambodia says 43.54 percent of its rice exports last year went to EU member countries. A European Commission spokesperson told VOA that reports of wrongdoing involving a preferential market “need, of course, to be taken very seriously.” The spokesperson also said that Cambodia has to be sure that “the rice exported to the EU is fully homegrown.” In 2014, the CRF established a Cambodia Code of Conduct. Its rules barred businesses from exporting low cost rice from neighboring countries. Two years later the CRF said it was tightening border controls on illegal imports. It is not clear how effective the Code of Conduct has been. CRF deputy president Seu Rany said the CRF did not have any hard numbers on the amount of Vietnamese rice being smuggled into Cambodia but noted it remains a serious problem. "(Those) who smuggle the rice do not tell us through which gateway they do it so it's all secret," he said. The rice federation board is influenced by wealthy and politically connected business leaders at the top of the industry. It is led by Sok Puthyvuth, owner of the SOMA group, one of the biggest rice export companies.  Chhong Sophal is an officer with an independent national group of farmers associations called Farmer and Nature Net. He criticizes Cambodian rice farmers for lacking organization. He said the farmers were not able to establish a common price for their rice, so they often lost money. The rice federation’s report said the CRF leadership also appeared to have trouble recognizing differences between their official duties and business activities. It said the members attended meetings based on whether or not their interests would be affected. And it said they made "no clear effort to gather information about issues members are facing. Seu Rany said change would take time. He added that the CRF is a growing organization with a lot of work expected in the years to come.  "It is best to sit down and talk out individual problems and solve them along the way,” he said. That way, the farmer will survive and so will the rice millers and exporters." I'm Susan Shand.   David Boyle and Nem Sopheakpanha reported this story for VOANews.com. Susan Shand adapted the 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   Manipulation – n. to deal with or control by artful or unfair activities Smuggle – v. to move (someone or something) from one country into another secretly or unlawfully Taboo – n. not acceptable to talk about or do Origin – n. beginning or creation of something Preferential – adj. helping a person or group of people Gateway – n. an opening

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