Understanding Adverbs: Always

  The film “Casablanca” is one of the most famous American movies of all time. At the end of the film, the actor Humphrey Bogart says a heartbreaking farewell to the woman he loves. Bergman: But what about us? Bogart: We'll always have Paris. Besides affecting one’s emotions, this movie scene can teach you a lot about English grammar. It can show you how English speakers use adverbs in a sentence. In our program today, we explore a single word: always. We will discover why Bogart said his famous line the way he did. Do not worry. Unlike the ending of “Casablanca,” we will not leave you in tears! Adverbs and Movability In other Everyday Grammar stories, we explored adverbs. Adverbs are words that change the meaning of a verb, adjective, or sentence. They are often used to show time, place, or a way of doing things. Adverbs are often movable. They can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Consider these examples: Occasionally I eat seafood. I occasionally eat seafood. I eat seafood occasionally. In this example, the adverb occasionally appears in three different places in the sentence. The placement of the adverb does not change the meaning. All three sentences have the same meaning. Most English speakers would not think it strange if you used any one of these sentences. Always is not as movable What about the adverb always? In general, the adverb always is not as movable as other kinds of adverbs – like the word occasionally. You will not often hear an English speaker use always at the beginning or the end of a sentence. Most often, you will hear always in the middle of the sentence, before the verb it is modifying. In some cases, you might hear it at the beginning of a sentence – when giving an order or command, for example.* Or you might hear it at the end of a sentence, but usually only in an artistic setting: a poetry reading or a musical performance, for example. But the central point is this: in speaking and in writing, always does not move its position as often as other adverbs. So, if you were to take our example sentence, "I eat seafood," and use the adverb always, you could say, "I always eat seafood." Always generally is found after “BE” verbs and auxiliary verbs, but before other verbs. You will find this structure in many popular films. Consider this famous line from “A Streetcar Named Desire:” "Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." A Streetcar Named Desire, 1951 In the example, always appears after the auxiliary verb, have, and just before the main verb, depended. This same idea is true of Bogart's famous line from “Casablanca,” "We'll always have Paris." "We'll" is a short way to say, "we will." Always appears after the auxiliary verb, will, and before the main verb, have. Emphasized always You might think that our story about the word always ends here, but it does not! English speakers can also change the meaning of always. When you hear or read the adverb always in its usual position, before the verb it is modifying. It generally has the meaning of habitually. However, sometimes you will hear English speakers emphasize the word always. In this case, the meaning of the sentence has changed. Think back to our example sentence: "I always eat seafood." This sentence means that you usually eat seafood – perhaps when you go to a restaurant. If the speaker says, "I ALWAYS eat seafood," with the emphasis on the word "always," then the speaker is expressing annoyance. Perhaps the speaker is angry that another person – a close friend, for example – did not remember they like to eat seafood when they go out to dinner. Here is another example: you hear a child say, "My father always works late on Thursdays." This sentence uses the adverb always to express a habitual or common action. However, if you hear the child say, "My dad ALWAYS works late on Thursdays," then you know that the child is unhappy with the father's work schedule. What can you do? So, now you know that if Bogart had used the emphasized always in the film Casablanca, the ending of the film would have been very different. The next time you are listening or speaking, try to pay attention to the placement of the word always. Then, try to identify if it is emphasized or not. This will help you understand the speaker's feelings. Remember: English does not always communicate meaning through grammar. Emphasis plays an important role in showing the meaning of a sentence. With practice, you, too, will be able to use always like a native speaker! I’m Pete Musto. And I'm John Russell.  John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. *Always can begin imperative sentences. Here is an example: Always wear your seatbelt.  _______________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   farewell – n. an act of leaving adverb – n. a word that describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a sentence and that is often used to show time, manner, place, or degree occasionally – adv. sometimes but not often emphasize – v. to place emphasis on (something) auxiliary verb – n. a verb (such as have, be, may, do, shall, will, can, or must) that is used with another verb to show the verb's tense, to form a question, etc.​ modify – v. to limit or describe the meaning of (a word or group of words)​ scene – n. a part of a play, movie, story, etc., in which a particular action or activity occurs​

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US Suspects Listening Devices in Washington

  The United States has acknowledged that it suspects that cellphone spying devices exist in Washington. It says the devices could be permitting foreign spies and criminals to follow an individual’s movements, secretly listen to calls, and read text messages. The devices are called cellphone-site simulators. American intelligence and law enforcement agencies use the equipment themselves. However, they have been quiet about the issue of such equipment being used against the U.S. Ron Wyden is a Democratic Party lawmaker from Oregon. Last year he requested information about simulators in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security. Last week, the DHS answered Senator Wyden by letter. It said the DHS had identified suspected illegal cellphone-site simulators in the nation's capital. The letter said the agency did not know the kind of devices in use or who might have been operating them. It did not give more details. The Associated Press got the agency’s answer from Wyden’s office. It suggests little has been done about such equipment, called Stingrays by U.S. police departments. The Federal Communications Commission formed a committee to deal with the subject four years ago. However, it has never produced a report and no longer meets on a usual basis. Stingrays trick cellphones into connecting through them instead of through legal cell systems. Other devices force cellphones to connect through lower level technology that does not prevent access by others. Some of these devices can attach malware to a system. The devices can cost from $1,000 to about $200,000. They are commonly the size of a briefcase, but some are as small as a cellphone. Thousands of members of the military, intelligence and federal law enforcement services live and work in the Washington area. Many have special security measures on their cell phones. But average citizens could become victims of stingray users. DHS official Christopher Krebs signed the letter to Wyden. It said that the agency had seen "anomalous activity" possibly from Stingrays in the Washington area. A DHS official added that the devices were found in a 90-day trial that began in January 2017 with equipment from a Las Vegas-based DHS contractor, ESD America. Krebs is the top official in the department's National Protection and Programs Directorate. He wrote that the agency lacks the equipment and money to detect Stingrays. And he called the use of such devices against the U.S., “a real and growing risk.” Legislators have been worried about the use of Stingrays in the capital since at least 2014 when suspected illegal devices were found near the White House, the Supreme Court, the Commerce Department and the Pentagon. Wyden said in a statement Tuesday that "leaving security to the phone companies has proven to be disastrous." He added that the FCC has refused to force phone companies to act. After the 2014 news reports about Stingrays in Washington, Representative Alan Grayson of Florida wrote to the FCC about the report. Then-FCC chairman Tom Wheeler answered that the agency had created a committee to fight illegal use of the devices. That committee appears to have done little. A former adviser to Wheeler, Gigi Sohn, said there was no political desire to stop Stingrays because the intelligence agencies and local police forces were using them so often. “The FCC is not doing its job," said Laura Moy of the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown University. The agency, she said, should be enforcing its rules and demanding companies protect their network. FCC spokesman Neil Grace, however, said the agency does not have that power. I’m Susan Shand. Susan Shand adapted this Associated Press story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   acknowledge --v. to admit, to say simulator – n. an object that gives a false location for a cellphone malware – n. Software that harms a computer briefcase - n. a flat, rectangular container, typically made of leather, for carrying books and papers. countermeasure- n. an action or device that is intended to stop or prevent something bad or dangerous anomalous – adj. not expected or usual detect - v. to notice or to find anonymous – adj. not named or identified  

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Bollywood’s Salman Khan Found Guilty in Poaching Case

  This is What’s Trending Today… Bollywood star Salman Khan was found guilty Thursday of illegally killing rare deer in a wildlife refuge in 1998. An Indian court sentenced the actor to five years in prison.   Salman Khan denies he shot two blackbuck deer 20 years ago in a western India nature preserve. The blackbuck is an endangered animal protected under the Indian Wildlife Act. On Thursday, Khan heard the ruling in court in the western city of Jodhpur. News of the sentencing made the actor a popular topic on social media. The hashtag #BlackBuckPoachingCase trended worldwide Thursday on Twitter. In India, the hashtag #WeLoveYouSalmanKhan was another top trend. Some Bollywood performers expressed their support for Khan. Actor Arjun Rampal said on Twitter, “My heart goes out….I feel this is too harsh.” Khan, who is 52 years old, has starred in more than 90 Hindi-language films. They include “Sultan,” “Ek Tha Tiger,” and “Tiger Zinda Hai,” which was released last year. The court ruled that four other Bollywood stars also accused in the case were innocent. They were in the car that Khan was said to be driving during the hunt. The actor had been sentenced to prison in other poaching cases in the past. However, each time he has been acquitted by appeals courts for lack of evidence. He was also acquitted in 2014 in a drunken-driving case. Salman Khan spent a total of 18 days in prison in 1998, 2006 and 2007 in the poaching cases. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Susan Shand.   The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted the report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story    topic - n. someone or something that people talk or write about harsh - adj. ​severe or cruel : not kind poach - v. ​to hunt or fish illegally : to catch or kill an animal illegally​ acquit - v. ​to decide that someone is not guilty of a crime​    

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Scientists: Bowhead Whales Are 'Jazz Singers of the Arctic'

  Bowhead whales have many unusual qualities. They can live for 200 years. They have the largest mouths of any living animal, yet only eat very small ocean creatures through a filter-feeding process. They have the thickest blubber, or fat covering, of any whale. Another interesting quality? Their underwater communication style has scientists comparing them to “jazz” artists. Researchers this week published findings of an intensive study of the vocalizations, or whale singing, of about 300 bowhead whales. The population they studied lived in waters east of Greenland. The researchers made the recordings from 2010 to 2014. They used an underwater microphone to gather the largest-ever collection of bowhead sounds. The recordings show many kinds of vocal sounds that changed often. The researchers identified 184 different songs within the population.  Whales use sound to get around, communicate, hunt for food and find mates.  Sound travels easily underwater. Among the world’s whales, only bowhead and humpback whales produce a wide variety of songs. Other filter-feeding baleen whales, like the blue, fin and minke whales, produce much simpler songs. And their songs stay nearly the same each year.Kate Stafford is an oceanographer at the University of Washington. She described humpback songs as very orderly, like classical music. But the songs of bowhead whales are freer, she said. They do not appear to follow a clear set of rules. Stafford and other scientists compared the bowheads’ songs to jazz music. “Bowhead whales are the jazz singers of the Arctic. You don’t know what they’re going to do,” she told the Associated Press. Scientists think only male bowhead whales sing and that they are singing to find a mate.  And the males “improvise” their songs to attract females. Improvisation in jazz means to perform a part of a song without preparation.  Kit Kovacs is a scientist with the Norwegian Polar Institute and Norway’s University Centre in Svalbard. She said whales sing to show “readiness to mate.” “The song is usually only performed by males to communicate both with other males – ‘I am bigger, stronger, et cetera…— and to females — ‘I am big, strong and highly motivated,’” Kovacs told the Reuters news agency. Kovacs described the bowheads’ sounds as “highly varied.” Some sound “haunting,” she said. Others sound “wild.” The research was published Wednesday in Biology Letters.  It confirmed that bowheads’ songs changed completely within and between years, Stafford said. Stafford admits that the whales’ jazzy sounds are not for everyone. “I find the songs to be quite beautiful, but some people compare them to fingernails on a chalkboard,” Stafford told the AP. One of Stafford’s favorite bowhead songs has repeated sounds of “woo-woo-woo.” Sometimes, the scientist said, she will listen to the songs through her cell phone just to enjoy them. “They’re quite funny,” Stafford said. I’m Phil Dierking. Phil Dierking adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reports from Reuters and the Associated Press. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Do you have whales in your country?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story filter - v.  to pass (something, such as a gas or liquid) through a filter to remove something unwanted​ vocalizations - n. to express (something) by speaking words baleen - n. whalebone. jazz - n.  a type of American music with lively rhythms and melodies that are often made up by musicians as they play​ microphone - n. a device into which people speak or sing in order to record their voices or to make them sound louder​ motivated - adj. to have a lot of reason to do something fingernails on a chalkboard - idiom. referring to an extremely annoying, unpleasant uncomfortably loud sound or noise.​ variety - n. a number or collection of different things or people​  

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Brazil High Court Rejects Lula Appeal to Stay Out of Jail

  Brazil’s highest court rejected former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s request Thursday to not go to prison. He is appealing a corruption conviction. He faces a 12-year sentence for accepting bribes. He may be jailed within one week. Lula is still Brazil’s most popular politician. He served as president from 2003 to 2011. He is now leading in all public opinion studies for the presidential election this October. But his conviction will likely prevent him from running. The decision against Lula may seriously affect the future political career of Brazil’s first working-class president. Lula rose from working in a factory to the highest political office in the country. But corruption charges have strongly influenced the political environment in Brazil, especially Lula’s Workers Party. The party held power from 2003 to 2016. Lula’s conviction was upheld on a first appeal. Under Brazilian law, a candidate is not permitted to run for elected office for eight years once found guilty of a crime. Some exceptions have been made in the past. But the final decision in Lula’s case would be made by the top electoral court if he officially files to be a candidate. He has said he wants to run for the presidency again in October. Lula oversaw years of strong economic growth in Brazil. His supporters see the conviction as an attempt to stop him from returning to power.   Lula was found guilty of corruption in August 2017. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for accepting bribes worth $1 million from the engineering company OAS. Prosecutors said the money was spent on an apartment for Lula. In return, Lula helped OAS establish business agreements with the state-run oil company Petrobras. In January, all the members of an appeals court upheld his conviction. The court increased the prison sentence from 10 years to 12 years. I’m Jonathan Evans. Anthony Boadle reported this story for the Associated Press. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story bribe – n. something valuable such as money that is given in order to get someone to do something conviction – n. the act of proving that a person is guilty of a crime in a court of law working-class – adj. the class of people who earn money by doing usually physical work and who are not rich or powerful

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News Words: Expulsion

Expulsion is a severe measure, often meant as a punishment.

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New Facebook Tool Provides Information About News Publishers

  Facebook has released a new tool that the company says will make it easier for users to evaluate news stories and publishers. The changes to Facebook’s News Feed were launched Tuesday for all users in the United States.  The social media service says the tool aims to provide “more context” for people to decide for themselves “what to read, trust and share.” The tool is based on research that identified the kinds of information that can be most helpful in deciding whether a news story is credible and trustworthy, Facebook said. It says users should have as much information as possible about publishers to help them recognize accurate news sources. U.S. users can now click a button in News Feed that pulls up a window called “About This Article.” In this window, Facebook provides more information about the news article and publisher. For example, a user can read basic information about the source of the article. People can also see whether the publisher is listed on Wikipedia. In addition, users can look at other recent stories posted by the publisher and can follow that company’s Facebook page. The tool shows users how many people shared the article on Facebook, and where they are. A user can also see which Facebook friends shared the story. Facebook says the new features were designed with suggestions from “a diverse set of people and publishers.” They included people from the company’s Facebook Journalism Project. The project was created last year with the goal of strengthening ties between Facebook and news publishers. The company also announced it was beginning a test with a group of Facebook users. People involved in the test will be able to click on the name of an article’s author to get more information about them. The information provided about the author will be very similar to the information on articles and publishers. Facebook says the goal will be to see whether people find it easier to decide on the credibility of an article when they have more information about the author. Facebook says it has been testing the News Feed changes in other countries and is considering international launches in the future. The new tool is the latest in a series of moves by Facebook to answer its critics. Some people say the company has not done enough to stop misinformation from spreading on its service. Founder Mark Zuckerberg has promised to take steps to prevent the spread of false news on Facebook. The company also found evidence that false Facebook accounts created in Russia and other nations were used to try to influence American voters in the 2016 election. Facebook says it has taken steps to limit these activities. The most recent criticism of the company came last month, when Facebook admitted it made mistakes in dealing with the private information of its users. Zuckerberg apologized for the mistakes. His apology came after news reports said a British research company was able to secretly collect private information on more than 50 million Facebook users. Zuckerberg said the company was continuing to investigate the incident.  Several U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern about Facebook’s privacy policies. On Wednesday, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee announced it had called Zuckerberg to appear before the committee on April 11 to discuss privacy issues. I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Quiz _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   evaluate – v. judge the value or condition of something context – n. words used with a certain word or phrase to help explain the meaning credible – adj. able to be believed accurate – adj. correct or exact source – n. where something comes from diverse – adj. including many different types  

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Presidents of Russia, Turkey, Iran Meet on Syria

  The leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey have promised to increase efforts to end unrest in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Ankara on Wednesday. A joint statement by the three countries said they wanted to “speed up their efforts to ensure calm on the ground” in Syria. The three also promised that they would work towards “the achievement of a lasting ceasefire” there. Trump considers withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria The meeting came a day after United States President Donald Trump announced that a decision on withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria will be made soon. About 2,000 American ground troops are helping Kurdish fighters in the country’s north. Their goal is to defeat supporters of the Islamic State (IS) militant group. IS forces once controlled large areas in Syria and Northern Iraq. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said the goal of defeating the Islamic State in Syria has largely been reached. He said his administration would be making a decision on the troop deployment soon “in coordination with others in the area.” Trump said the United States sent troops to the Middle East 17 years ago, and that it was time to bring them home. He said the military operation has been “very costly for our country,” costing about $7 trillion. Trump added that the mission has helped other countries more than the U.S. On Tuesday, the leader of the U.S. Central Command, Army General Joseph Votel, spoke at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington. He said that the IS forces in Syria had mainly been defeated. But, he said the difficult part was still ahead. “And that is stabilizing these areas, consolidating our gains, getting people back into their homes, addressing the long term issues of reconstruction and other things that will have to be done.” The Associated Press reports that some officials close to the president have advised against a speedy troop withdrawal. They include Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo, who has been nominated to be secretary of state. The president’s comments have raised questions about the future of millions of dollars in aid to U.S. allies in the Middle East. Turkey, Russia, Iran continue their talks The three countries meeting in Ankara also met last year during negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan. The AFP news agency reports that Erdogan said the meeting Wednesday and the Astana talks were not an “alternative” to a United Nations peace process for Syria. The Turkish president told reporters that those at the talks were looking to get something done. “We must get results,” he added. Russia, Turkey and Iran have been working together in recent months, although each side has different goals in Syria. Russia and Iran have supported the leadership of Syrian President Assad while Turkey has called for his removal. Turkey has supported Syrian opposition fighters in their efforts to overthrow the Assad government. Turkey strongly opposes armed ethnic Kurdish groups operating in Syria. The United States has provided support to those groups in their fight against the Islamic State. Turkey’s military has carried out an operation to force Kurdish militia fighters from the city of Afrin after launching an offensive inside Syria in January. Turkish officials say the Syrian Kurds have ties to Kurdish organizations banned in Turkey. The Reuters news agency reports that Iranian President Rouhani said that U.S. forces had “failed to topple the Syrian government.” He blamed the U.S. for causing “insecurity” in the area. Rouhani also said he believed U.S. forces would remain in Syria. The conflict in Syria started after anti-government protests in March of 2011. It is estimated that 350,000 people have died since the start of fighting. Millions more have fled to become refugees in neighboring Turkey or sought asylum in western countries. I’m Mario Ritter.   Mario Ritter wrote this story for VOA Learning English. His story was based on reports from Agence France Presse, the Associated Press, the Reuters news agency and VOANews.com. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   stability – n. the quality of not changing easily achievement – n. something that has been done through effort or hard work coordination – n. organizing people and resources so they work correctly together consolidating – adj. related to combining or joining together to improve something alternative – n. something that offers a choice or another way of doing something topple – v. to bring down, to throw out of power mission – n. a campaign or military operation We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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China Answers US With $50 Billion in Tariffs

  Tensions between the United States and China are increasing over trade issues. On Wednesday, China announced plans to increase taxes on $50 billion of U.S. goods. The Chinese measures would increase tariffs by 25 percent on 106 products, such as soybeans, airplanes and cars. The Associated Press said the list includes the biggest U.S. exports to China. China’s announcement answers U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to increase tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods. The U.S. list, released Tuesday, strikes at China’s high-technology industries. Chinese officials did not say when the tariff increase on U.S. imports would take effect. They say the timing will depend on what the Trump administration does. Why the clash? On the U.S. side, the tensions between the two countries is tied to Trump’s promise to reduce a trade deficit with China. Last year, the deficit was more than $375 billion. On the Chinese side, the ruling Communist Party is trying to develop the country’s economy, especially high-tech companies. But foreign business people say Chinese rules limit competition and sometimes require them to help Chinese businesses improve their products. Chinese officials say their government does not discriminate against foreign businesses. And the deputy commerce minister told reporters that China had not planned to increase taxes on U.S. imports. “It must be said, we have been forced into taking this action,” he said. What could happen next? Many officials in both countries are urging the two sides to negotiate. However, a small but active group of people in China are already calling for a boycott of U.S. products. Internet commenters have noted the power of Chinese citizens. Last year, Chinese consumers informally boycotted South Korean goods after South Korea accepted a U.S.-made anti-missile system. Their boycott was estimated to have reduced South Korea’s economic growth last year by .4 percentage points. As yet, observers do not see any signs of an organized campaign in China to reject U.S. goods. But they noted the danger of creating a negative image around American products. Wine expert Jim Boyce lives in Beijing and writes a blog called Grapewallofchina. He said additional taxes on wine could have an effect, but that cost was not the only issue of concern. “Are we going to see people in China worried about drinking American wine because of politics?” he said. “That’s the bigger problem.” I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.   Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Her story includes information reported by the Reuters news agency and the Associated Press. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   informally - adv. not officially negative - adj. harmful or bad blog - n. Web site on which someone writes about personal opinions, activities, and experiences

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NASA's Juno Spacecraft Shows the Makeup of Jupiter

  Scientists are finding that the inside of Jupiter is just as interesting as the part of the planet’s atmosphere that we can see. At the center of the planet is a liquid mixture of the elements hydrogen and helium. Scientists say large atmospheric jet streams and unusual gravitational qualities also exist. Scientists have been closely studying information sent back to Earth from NASA’s Juno spacecraft. It has been orbiting the solar system’s largest planet since 2016. Juno is providing researchers with what they called a new understanding of Jupiter’s structure. Until now, scientists have had little information about what is below Jupiter’s thick red, brown, yellow and white clouds.  “Juno is designed to look beneath these clouds,” said Yohai Kaspi. He is a planetary science professor with the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Kaspi led part of the research using Juno’s new measurements of Jupiter’s gravity.  Luciano Iess is an aerospace engineering professor at Sapienza University of Rome. He also led part of the research. “On Jupiter, a gaseous planet without a solid surface, we can only gather information from orbit,” he said. Jupiter is called a gas giant planet. Unlike Earth and Mars which are rocky planets, Jupiter is about 99 percent hydrogen and helium. Information sent by Juno showed that deeper under the surface, Jupiter’s gas turns into a hot, dense metallic liquid.  The scientists said Jupiter’s jet streams form stripes around the planet moving about 3,000 km below the cloud tops. Deep inside, the planet is made of a liquid hydrogen and helium mixture that turns as if it were a solid body.  Planetary scientist Tristan Guillot of the Université Côte d’Azur in Nice said the very center may be made of high-pressure and high-temperature rocks and perhaps water. He added, “but it is believed to be fluid as well, not solid,” Juno showed a small but important asymmetry between the gravitational field of Jupiter’s northern and southern halves. Kaspi said this difference is driven by the large jet streams. The deeper the jet streams go, the more mass they contain, causing a strong effect on Jupiter’s gravitational field, he said.  The research was published in the journal Nature.  Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, is much larger than the solar system’s other planets, measuring about 143,000 kilometers around at its equator. The planet is big enough for 1,300 Earths to fit inside.  I’m Susan Shand.   Reuters reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   jet stream – n.  a strong current of fast winds high above the Earth's surface  solar system - n. our sun and the planets that move around it giant – n. a thing that is very large, powerful, ionize – v. to make an atom or group of atoms that has a positive or negative electric charge from losing or gaining one or more electrons symmetry – n. the quality of something that has two sides or halves that are the same or very close in size, shape, and position hemisphere – n.  half of the Earth equator – n. an imaginary circle around the middle of the Earth 

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April 4, 2018

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

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