Smartphone Use May Lead to Addiction, Loneliness, Depression

  From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Nearly 2.4 billion people around the world used a smartphone in 2017. By the end of 2018, more than a third of the global population will be using a smartphone.  Those numbers -- from Mobile Marketing Magazine -- sound great, don’t they? More people will have more information at their fingertips. However, smartphone technology can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it sends us unlimited amounts of information. We don’t have to wait. Our devices ring, ping, vibrate and light up with the latest news from family, friends and around the world. On the other hand, this immediate access to information may become an addiction. And it may make some people feel lonely, anxious and depressed. These findings are from a 2018 study from San Francisco State University and have been published in NeuroRegulation. Erik Peper and Richard Harvey are both health education professors at the university. They led the study. In a statement to the press, the two professors claim that “overuse of smart phones is just like any other type of substance abuse.” Peper explains that smartphone addiction forms connections in the brain that are similar to drug addiction. And these connections form slowly over time. Also, addiction to social media may affect our emotional state. The two professors asked 135 university students about their smartphone use and their feelings. They found that “students who used their phones the most reported higher levels of feeling…lonely, depressed and anxious.” Peper and Harvey do not blame users for their technology addiction. They blame the “tech industry’s desire to increase corporate profits.” As Peper writes, “More eyeballs, more clicks, more money.” The researchers warn that workers in the technology industry know how to manipulate our brains and turn us into addicts. But the researchers also suggest ways to fight back. They say that we can train our brains to be less addicted to our phones and computers. Erik Peper suggests turning off push notifications and other such alerts on our phones. These instant announcements excite the same pathways in our brains that once warned us of dangers in our environment. But instead of warning us of a large predator looking for dinner, we are alerted to a sale on shoes or the fact that a friend from high school is eating a hamburger in Las Vegas. More often than not, our devices share unimportant information as if our lives depended on it. Our brains see the notices the same way. And that is a problem. So, just turn them off. The researchers also suggest taking control of when and where you answer a text or email. You do not need to answer them all. And you certainly don’t need to answer them as soon as you get them. They also suggest setting limits on the time you spend on social media. If you want to catch up with friends on Facebook, set aside a small amount of time to it. Schedule periods of the day to focus on important tasks and do not allow technology to interfere. Two of Erik Peper’s students share ways they have changed their use of technology. One student, Khari McKendell, closed his social media accounts. He says he still calls and texts people. But he adds that he wants to spend most of his time with his friends in person, not online. Another student, Sierra Hinkle, says she has stopped wearing headphones while she is out. She says this makes her more aware of her surroundings. And when she is with friends at a bar or restaurant, they all put their phones in the center of the table. The first one to touch a phone buys everyone a drink. Hinkle says that she and her friends aim to use technology in ways that are useful, but that don’t “take away from real-life experiences.” And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo.   How you use technology. Do you feel your use of technology is healthy and balanced? Or do you feel it is becoming an addiction? Let us know, in the Comments Section, Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly edited it. _______________________________________________________________ QUIZ ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   double-edged sword – n. something that has both good and bad parts or results ping – n. computer term to send a usually brief message (such as a text message) or notification to a person's phone vibrate – n. to move back and forth or from side to side with very short, quick movements access – n. a way of being able to use or get something addiction – n. a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble) anxious – adj. afraid or nervous especially about what may happen neurological – n. the scientific study of the nervous system and the diseases that affect it alert – v. to make (someone) aware of something   push notification – n. computer term A push notification is a message that pops up on a mobile device. App publishers can send them at any time; users don't have to be in the app or using their devices to receive them. clicks – n. computer term the act of selecting something on a computer screen by pressing a button on a mouse or some other device manipulate – v. to deal with or control (someone or something) in a clever and usually unfair or selfish way excite – v. to increase the activity of (something, such as nerve tissue) : a chemical that excites [=stimulates] the nerve cells in the brain

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US: No Room for Asylum Seekers at Border Crossing

  A group of nearly 200 Central Americans was stopped on the Mexican side of the United States border on Sunday. Their month-long march across Mexico was suspended when border inspectors announced they do not have enough space to house the marchers. The Central American migrants are seeking asylum in the U.S. But President Donald Trump promised to “stop” them from entering the country. The asylum-seekers arrived close to Tijuana, along the coast, where a steel fence stretching into the Pacific Ocean blocked their path. They sang the Honduran national anthem as supporters on the U.S side of the fence waved a Honduran flag. Some migrants were permitted through an opening controlled by Mexican officials. But they were stopped on the other side at the entrance to the U.S. inspection center. Another 50 or so set up a camp on the Mexican side of the San Ysidro border crossing. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said the border crossing had “reached capacity” for people without legal documents. He added asylum-seekers might need to wait in Mexico temporarily. Trump has often spoken about the caravan of migrants since it began forming on March 25 near the Guatemalan border. His administration wants to end the policy known as “catch-and-release.” The policy permits those seeking asylum to be detained and released into the U.S. while waiting for their court hearing – a process that can take years. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has called the caravan “a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws.” Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said asylum claims will be resolved and warned that anyone making false claims could be tried. Nicole Ramos is providing legal assistance to the marchers. She said the U.S. government has known that the migrants would arrive at the border to seek asylum. She blamed U.S. officials for their failure to prepare and to get more agents to the inspection center. Ramos said, “We can build a base in Iraq in under a week. We can’t process 200 refugees. I don’t believe it.” The caravan grew over the last month to more than 1,000 migrants. Some have sought asylum in Mexico. But many wanted to continue to the U.S. At San Ysidro border crossing, U.S. officials can consider about 50 asylum requests a day. And the inspection center can hold up to 300 people. Wendi Yaneri Garcia is seeking asylum with her 2-year-old son, who has been sick. She said police in her hometown in Honduras, jailed her for protesting work on a hydroelectric plant. Garcia said she also received death threats after being released. She added, “All I want is a place where I can work and raise my son." Elin Orrellana of El Salvador is 23-years-old and pregnant. She said the MS-13 gang had killed her older sister. She is attempting to join other family members in the Kansas City area. The Trump administration has targeted the criminal group because of its killings in U.S. communities. She said, “Fighting on is worth it.”  I'm Jonathan Evans.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on AP news reports. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   migrant - n. a person who goes from one place to another to find work anthem - n. an contry's official song capacity - n. the ability to hold or contain people caravan - n. a group of people traveling together deliberate - adj. done or said on purpose undermine - v. to make something weaker or less effective plant - n. a building or factory where something is made gang - n. a group of criminals  

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Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Kabul Bombings

The Islamic State (IS) militant group has claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul. The Associated Press reports that the suicide bombers killed at least 25 people, including nine Afghan journalists. At least 45 other people were reported wounded. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said three of its journalists were among those killed. The Afghan Journalist Safety Committee, a local group, strongly condemned the bombings. They are being described as the deadliest attacks ever on media workers in Afghanistan. Afghan officials and witnesses said the first bomb exploded in central Kabul during the early morning hours, when many people were going to work. They said a bomber riding a motorbike caused the explosion near an office of the National Directorate of Security, the country’s intelligence agency. When rescue workers and media crews gathered in the area minutes later, a second attacker who looked like a journalist caused his bomb to explode. A Kabul police official told VOA that the second explosion caused most of the casualties. “We condemn in the strongest terms possible the cowardly attacks in Kabul by two suicide bombers that killed and injured Afghan forces and innocent Afghan citizens,” said American General John Nicholson. He commands United States forces and NATO’s non-combatant operations in the country. Hours after the attack in Kabul, unknown gunmen killed an Afghan journalist working for the British Broadcasting Corporation in the border city of Khost. A short time later, the Afghan Taliban released a statement. The group denied involvement in the attacks in both cities. Media workers coming under attack Worsening security conditions across Afghanistan have added to the difficulties facing journalists. At least 15 journalists were killed there in 2017, many in targeted attacks on the media. In a report last week, the group Reporters Without Borders accused the Taliban and Islamic State militants of using terror to create what it called “information black holes.” In some parts of Afghanistan, it said, the Taliban forced the media to pay taxes that were likened to payments made to free kidnap victims from captivity. The report said, “Many governors and local officials are meanwhile unable to accept the principle of media independence, and the police and military have been implicated in several cases of violence against journalists."  In other news, Afghan officials said a suicide car bombing killed at least 11 people in southern Kandahar province. That attack wounded 16 others, including five Romanian soldiers. An area police spokesman told VOA the attack targeted foreign forces. He added that those killed were all students at a nearby religious school. NATO later confirmed the vehicle-born explosive device wounded eight of its service members. In addition, several Afghan police and Afghan civilians were either killed or wounded in the explosion, the alliance said in a statement. American General John Nicholson was reported as saying, "Our thoughts and prayers are with those wounded, and with the innocent Afghans whose lives were needlessly taken from them by the enemies of Afghanistan." I’m Jonathan Evans.   Ayaz Gul reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted his report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   journalist – n. a writer or reporter of the news casualty – n. someone who is hurt or killed during an attack or incident cowardly – adj. lacking bravery; of or involving being afraid combatant – n. fighter; attacker principle – n. a goal or ideal implicate – v. to link; to suggest We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.  

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Mystery Solved: Macron's White House Tree Is in Quarantine

  This is What’s Trending Today… A days-long mystery at the White House has been solved. It involved the disappearance of a small tree. French President Emmanuel Macron and American President Donald Trump planted it last week on the grounds of the White House. Macron presented Trump with the tree as a gift during his state visit to the United States. The sapling carries special meaning: it came from an oak tree that grew on a World War I battle site. About 2,000 American soldiers died in the June 1918 Battle of Belleau Wood, fighting a German offensive. Last Monday, Members of the media took videos and photos as the two leaders planted the sapling. By the end of last week, though, the tree was nowhere to be found. People questioned why Trump or White House officials would have dug up the tree. The tree mystery quickly became a trending discussion on social media. After a weekend of wondering, people got their answer Monday. The missing tree was put in quarantine, like other plants or animals brought into U.S. territory. Quarantine is a period in which something that has arrived from another country or place is kept away from others to prevent a possible spread of disease. An official in Macron’s office said Monday that Trump wanted to hold a symbolic planting ceremony with Macron. Both leaders knew that the tree would later go into quarantine. A French official said the tree “has returned to quarantine and will soon be replanted" in the White House garden. The official added, “Don’t worry, the tree is doing very well.” And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Ashley Thompson. The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.  ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story sapling - n. a young tree​ symbolic - adj. expressing or representing an idea or quality without using words garden - n. an area of ground where plants (such as flowers or vegetables) are grown

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Badlands National Park

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New Plastic-Eating Substance May Help Fight Against Pollution

  Scientists in Britain and the United States have designed a substance that eats plastic. They believe that, in the future, it could help reduce pollution. The enzyme is able to break down polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. This form of plastic was patented in the 1940s. It is now used in millions of metric tons of plastic bottles. PET plastics can remain in the environment for hundreds of years. The plastics pollute large areas of land and water around the world. Researchers from Britain’s University of Portsmouth and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory made the discovery. They did so while examining the structure of a natural enzyme that is thought to have evolved in a waste recycling center in Japan. John McGeehan, a professor at Portsmouth, co-led the work. He said the researchers found that the natural enzyme was helping a bacteria break down PET plastic. So, the researchers decided to make small changes to its structure by adding some amino acids. This led to a valuable change in the enzyme’s actions. It made the enzyme’s plastic-eating abilities work more quickly. “We’ve made an improved version of the enzyme better than the natural one already,” McGeehan told the Reuters news service. He added that it may be possible for them to make more improvements to it in the future. The journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published the team’s findings earlier this month. The team is now trying to make it possible for the enzyme to be able to break down much larger amounts of PET plastics. McGeehan said, “It’s well within the possibility that, in the coming years, we will see an industrially viable process to turn PET, and potentially other (plastics), back into their original building blocks so that they can be sustainably recycled.” Independent scientists not directly involved with the research said the discovery was interesting. But they warned that the enzyme’s development as a possible solution for pollution was still in the early stages. Oliver Jones is a chemistry expert at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University. He told Reuters that enzymes are not harmful to humans and other animals. They easily break down in natural conditions. Also, extremely small organisms can produce them in large amounts. “There is strong potential to use enzyme technology to help with society’s growing waste problem by breaking down some of the most commonly used plastics,” Jones said. Douglas Kell is a professor of biological science at Manchester University. He said further rounds of work “should be expected to improve the enzyme yet further.” He added that the discovery brings the goal of creating manmade, sustainably recyclable chemical substances much closer to reality. I’m ­Pete Musto.   Kate Kelland, Stuart McDill and Gareth Jones reported this story for the Reuters news service. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson 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   enzyme – n. a chemical substance in animals and plants that helps to cause natural processes patent(ed) – v. to get an official document for something that gives a person or company the right to be the only one that makes or sells that thing for a certain period of time evolve(d) – v. to change or develop slowly often into a better, more complex, or more advanced state recycling – n. the process of making something new from something that has been used before amino acid(s) – n. any one of many acids that occur naturally in living things and that include some which form proteins journal – n. a magazine that reports on things of special interest to a particular group of people viable – adj. able to be done or used potentially – adv. able to become real sustainably – adv. done in a way so that something is able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed

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Las Vegas Museum Lets Visitors Play Police Officer

A home invader is holding a woman hostage in her bedroom. A police officer immediately starts shouting commands, ordering the man to let the woman go. But the invader refuses and uses a weapon in his hand to attack the police officer. The officer then raises her gun and shoots the man. The officer in this training exercise was a British woman on a visit to Las Vegas, Nevada. The imaginary victim and criminal were on a life-size video image inside the city’s Mob Museum. The visitor was taking part in a new hands-on exhibit. Museum workers arm visitors with a gun that shoots plastic balls and put them in situations similar to those police face in real life. New interactive exhibits The Mob Museum opened in 2012. Its official name is the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement. For years, the courthouse-turned museum has told about organized crime and criminal groups, like the American Mafia, also called the mob. But visitors now can also learn about the complexity of the decisions that police officers face when they react to real life situations. Some crises may require the use of deadly force. Parts of the Mob Museum were recently remodeled. The building now has an interactive crime laboratory and even a speakeasy area. Almost a century ago, sales of alcohol were barred across the United States. A speakeasy was a place where alcoholic drinks were sold illegally during this period, a time known as Prohibition. The use-of-force exhibit walks visitors through video and live role-playing events, including a meeting with a suspicious person played by an actor. Museum goers are given a police duty belt and a gun that is as heavy as one police officers carry. Visitors first watch a video presentation by a Las Vegas police officer and are then invited to a brief target-shooting exercise. Museum workers tell about gun safety, rules for use-of-force and methods used by police. Visitors learn to keep a distance from a suspect, not to keep their finger on the gun’s trigger and not to shoot someone who does not appear to be a threat. Visitor Lesley Morris of London said, “It did feel real. It was the first time I ever held a gun. It was really informative. We don’t have guns or anything like that in England.” Morris added that her heart rate went up as she walked through the exhibit. Home invasion In the case of the home invasion, visitors see a video. It shows when a homeowner informs police that someone has entered the home. Visitors at that point start acting like the officer and begin to see the inside of a home. “Police,” they are told to shout to announce themselves. The video then shows the bedroom with a man holding a woman. Pictures hanging outside the exhibit explain the use-of-force policies and methods used by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. They also provide an official count of deaths resulting from police use of force nationwide. Las Vegas police Captain Robert Plummer says he hopes the exhibit will educate and change some people’s ideas on what police face when it comes to using deadly force. Plummer told the Associated Press, “A lot of people wonder ’Why didn’t you shoot the gun out of his hand or shoot him in the ankle?’” If you visit the exhibit, he added, you will learn that it is nearly impossible to do because there are so many issues to consider. You have to understand your situation. So, if you miss shooting at the elbow, what is behind it, he asked? Is it an innocent citizen standing back there, is it a child or is it someone else? Experiencing crime scenes In another part of the Mob Museum, visitors try to identify bullets that were fired from the same gun. They also can see pictures of a real crime scene from 2016 and things that would be collected at a scene. People can play the role of medical examiner. A video screen shows images of bodies, and visitors are told to answer a series of questions to try to identify the cause of death. The cases are based on the deaths of famous mobsters. And below it all, people interested in learning more about Prohibition or just looking to have fun, can visit a working speakeasy in the museum. The exhibit explains in detail how organized crime took steps to make, move and sell alcohol during the 1920s. People can test a number of current and Prohibition-era drinks. Museum goers can easily visit the speakeasy as part of their trip. “People want experiences,” said Jonathan Ullman, museum president and CEO. “This allows us to take them back in time.” I'm Caty Weaver.   Regina Garcia Cano reported this story for The Associated Press. George Grow adapted her report for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   exhibit – n. an object or collection of objects shown to the public belt – n. a material usually worn around the waist as a piece of clothing or to carry something role – n. a part that someone has in a play or a situation trigger – n. a moveable part of a gun that you pull to fire the gun ankle – n. the joint between the foot and the leg elbow – n. the joint of the human arm scene – n. the place of an action; a sight allow – v. to permit or let We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.  

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Irrawaddy Dolphin Numbers Increase on Mekong River

  The number of Irrawaddy dolphins in one part of the Mekong River has increased for the first time tin 20 years. The dolphins, however, still face serious threats to their survival. They are considered critically endangered marine mammals in their native Southeast Asia. The Cambodian government and a major wildlife group reported the population increase earlier this week. Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released results of a 2017 count of freshwater dolphins along a 190-kilometer part of the Mekong. The survey area stretches from Kratie in Cambodia to the Khone Falls in Laos. Observers reported finding about 90 dolphins. That is a 15 percent increase over an estimate of 80 made in 2015. The dolphins are found in only two other freshwater rivers: the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar and the Mahakam River on the Indonesian part of Borneo Island. Eng Cheasan is the director-general of Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration. He described the dolphins as a “living national treasure.” He added that efforts to save the rare animals would continue. “We will continue our conservation efforts to rebuild its population by eliminating all threats to the survival of the species,” he said. Although the increase during the latest count is good news, the number reported in the Mekong is only half of the 200 found during the first population count in 1997. Surveys are carried out every two to three years. Seng Teak is the WWF director for Cambodia. He told reporters in Phnom Penh that the dolphins still face threats from illegal fishing methods, increasing boat traffic and new dam projects. He said the biggest threat for the marine mammals is to get caught in gillnets, large traps which are held in place through the use of floats and weights. Seng Teak said several thousand meters of illegal fishing nets had been seized and many fishermen arrested. The most recent survey showed hopeful signs for the long-term survival of the dolphins. More baby dolphins, called calves, have been reported and deaths are down. The study found that 32 dolphins have been born in the area during the past three years. Seng Teak said efforts by the WWF, the government, the tourism industries and local communities have made a difference. “After years of hard work, we finally have reason to believe that these iconic dolphins can be protected against extinction,” he said. The WWF says the dolphin is an important sign of the health of the Mekong River environment. Dolphin watching and ecotourism is an important business for communities on the river. Some people living in Cambodia and Laos consider the animals holy. I’m Mario Ritter.   Mario Ritter adapted this AP story for VOA Learning English with additional material from the WWF. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   marine –adj. having to do with the sea mammal – n. a warm-blooded animals that provides milk to its young conservation –n. describing activities related to the protection of plants, animals and natural resources species –n. a specific kind of plant, animal or other life that is able to reproduce itself eliminate – v. to end; to remove from consideration survey –n. an activity involving gathering information, usually from people, about something tourism –n. traveling to a place for pleasure, the industry of providing for people who do this iconic –adj. something that is a symbol, or sign that represents something larger We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Technology Is Reshaping Fashion Industry

  Technology is changing almost every industry, including fashion. Imagine wearing a computer in the form of clothing, like a jacket. Now it is possible. The clothing manufacturer Levi Strauss & Co. partnered with technology company Google to create what is being called a “smart” jacket. The word smart is often used to describe actions controlled by a computer. What makes this jacket “smart” is washable technology added to the cuff -- the cloth encircling the wrist. Ivan Poupyrev heads the smart clothing project for Google. "When somebody calls you, your jacket vibrates and gives you lights and [you] know somebody is calling you." A touch on the cuff can provide directions for helping you get to where you need to go. The jacket also can play music when combined with a mobile phone, headphones and a small piece of removable computer hardware. "You get the most important features of the phone without taking your eyes off the road," said Paul Dillinger of Levi Strauss & Co. The Levi's smart jacket can be purchased on the internet for $350. It is just one step to smarter clothing. Poupyrev explained that Google plans to use the technology for any kind of clothing. He added that the company is working with other partners in the fashion industry “to help to make their products connected." New patterns and materials From how clothes are used to how they are made, computing power is reshaping the fashion industry. Designers can create structures and designs that have never existed before current technology. New technologies are also being used to make bioengineered materials made with yeast cells in a laboratory. Suzanne Lee is chief creative officer of Modern Meadow. She explained how her company creates leather-like material from yeast cells. She said, "We engineer them to produce collagen which is the same natural protein that you find in your skin or an animal skin. Then we really grow billions of those cells, make a lot of collagen, purify it and then assemble it into whatever kinds of materials...the designers that we're working with would like to see." Lee added that these bioengineered materials can be described as both natural and man-made. Technology is also changing popular fashion. The rise of social media means it is not just designers who decide the latest looks in fashion. Artificial intelligence can now collect information from social media and the internet to help designers understand what the public likes. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Elizabeth Lee reported this story for VOA News. Jonathan Evans adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fashion – n. the business of creating and selling clothes in new styles; a popular way of dressing during a particular time or among a particular group of people hardware – n. equipment used for a particular purpose vibrate – v. to move back and forth or from side to side with very short, quick movements feature – n. an interesting or important part, quality, ability, etc. complicated – adj. hard to understand, explain, or deal with yeast – n. a type of fungus that is used in making alcoholic drinks and in baking to help make dough rise assemble – v. to connect or put together the parts of (something, such as a toy or machine collagen – n. a substance that occurs naturally in the bodies of people and animals and is often put into creams and other products that are sold to make a person's skin smoother and less wrinkled

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Former Sudanese 'Lost Boy' Helps Other Refugees

A cup of coffee is a good way for many people to start their day. But, it can also do much greater good. Manyang Kher is a former Sudanese child refugee. When he was three years old, his village was attacked and burned during his country’s civil war in the 1980s.                               He was separated from his parents. He never saw them again.              Kher is one of the so-called Lost Boys of Sudan – one of 20,000 young Sudanese who escaped from their villages and made the 1,600-kilometer walk to Ethiopia. Kher lived in a refugee camp in Ethiopia’s Gambella region for 13 years. When he was 16, Kher came to the United States as an unaccompanied minor refugee. While he was in college in the American state of Virginia, he started Humanity Helping Sudan to raise awareness of the refugees. Today, Kher is an American citizen. He is owner and founder of a coffee company called 734. It is part of his larger Humanity Helping Sudan project.  The coffee company’s name is meaningful. It comes from the geographical coordinates of the Gambella area: 7 degrees north and 34 degrees east.  The company helps the more than 200,000 refugees living in the Gambella area. Kher said, “I know the struggle those refugees face every day. You see kids die from hunger because they don’t have enough food. You see kids dying of cholera. You see kids dying of a disease. You see kids just running away from the refugee camp, just want to go to a place to be home but they die there on the way.”                     Eighty percent of Kher’s profits from 734 coffee goes toward the refugees. Profits go toward buying school supplies and sending more of the children to school. And, as Kher explains, the money helps “refugees help themselves.” A cup of 734 coffee, for example, can also buy one fishing net for a refugee. This helps them become self-sufficient, Kher explains.              “That’s why we give fishing nets because they can go to river and fish for themselves. If you build more community gardens they can grow their own food.” Kher operates 734 Coffee from two warehouses in Virginia. But the coffee beans come from African owned and operated farms in Gambella. The beans are roasted by local coffee roasters in the U.S.                                   Kher sells the coffee online, at events and to coffee stores. Megan Murphy owns a bakery near Washington, D.C. She serves 734 Coffee to her customers. “The customers love it,” she says. “Whenever they find out about the project, about the mission, they connect right with it. The coffee tastes delicious, so it’s a win-win on both sides. You get to enjoy coffee and at the same time be part of the bigger project.” I’m Jonathan Evans.   June Soh reported this story for VOA. Rei Goto adapted her report for Learning English. Ashley Thompson 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   refugee –n. a person who has been forced to flee because of unjust treatment, danger or war coordinate –n. any of a set of numbers used in specifying the location of a point on a line, on a surface, or in space warehouse –n. a structure or room for the storage of merchandise or commodities roast –v. to dry and parch by exposure to heat customer – n. one that purchases a commodity or service delicious –adj. appealing to one of the bodily senses especially of taste or smell

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Everyday Grammar: Tell, Say, Speak, Talk

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