usually (adverb)

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Getting to Know Gerunds and Infinitives

Welcome to another episode of Everyday Grammar on VOA Learning English. English learners have difficulty with gerunds and infinitives. A gerund is the –ing form of a verb that functions the same as a noun. For example, “Running is fun.” In this sentence, “running” is the gerund. It acts just like a noun. The infinitive form of a verb appears either as the basic form (with no marking) or with the word “to.” For example, you can say “I might run to the store” or  “I like to run.” In this sentence, “to run” is the infinitive. It is difficult for English learners to know whether to use a gerund or an infinitive after a verb. Here’s an example. Which sentence is correct? Sentence One: I suggested going to dinner. Sentence Two: I suggested to go to dinner. Sentence One, with the gerund, is correct. “I suggested going to dinner.” Why? You can only use a gerund after the verb “suggest.” Let’s take the word “like.” You can say “I like" running” or “I like to run.” Both sentences have the same meaning. You can use either a gerund or an infinitive after “like.” Now let’s try “enjoy.” We can say, “I enjoy running.” But we cannot say, “I enjoy to run.” Why? Only a gerund can follow the verb “enjoy.” Are you confused yet? You’re not alone. Gerunds and infinitives confuse even very advanced English learners. Basically, some verbs are followed by gerunds, some verbs are followed by infinitives, and some verbs can be followed by gerunds or infinitives. Native speakers do not think about the difference. But English learners have to memorize the hundreds of different verb combinations. Here are a few tips. Tip Number 1: you almost always find a gerund after a preposition. For example, “She is afraid of flying.” In this sentence “of” is the preposition and “flying” is the gerund. You cannot say “She is afraid of to fly.” An infinitive cannot be the object of a preposition, only a gerund can. You could say, “She is afraid to fly,” but in this sentence, the preposition “of” is gone. Tip Number 2: When you are talking about an activity, you usually use a gerund. For example, “I stopped smoking.” You can describe many activities by using “go” before a gerund. “Let’s go shopping,” or “We went skiing.” Let’s see how much you know. Try to complete these sentences using the verb “study.” Ready? I’ll read the first part of the sentence and you finish it. I enjoy … (studying) I considered … (studying) I managed … (to study) I hope … (to study) I suggested … (studying) I like… … (studying) or … (to study) This is only a simple introduction to a complicated grammar topic. There is no quick and easy way to learn gerunds and infinitives. It takes years of practice and familiarity with the English language. Next time you read or listen to a VOA Learning English story, pay attention to use of gerunds and infinitives. Over time, you will begin to hear the right verb combination. Below is a helpful reference list for using gerunds and infinitives. I’m Jonathan Evans. And I’m Ashley Thompson. Adam Brock wrote this story for Learning English. Dr. Jill Robbins was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   gerund  - n. an English noun formed from a verb by adding -ing infinitive - n. the basic form of a verb; usually used with to except with modal verbs like should and could and certain other verbs like see and hear preposition - n.  a word or group of words that is used with a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show direction, location, or time, or to introduce an object Now it’s your turn. In the Comments section, write one sentence that uses a verb followed by a gerund or an infinitive. We’ll respond with feedback about your usage. _____________________________________________________________ Only a gerund can follow these verbs: admit, advise, avoid, be used to, can’t help, can’t stand, consider, deny, discuss, dislike, end up, enjoy, feel like, finish, forget, get used to, give up, go on, have difficulty, have problems, have trouble, imagine, it’s no use, it’s worthwhile, keep, look forward to, mention, mind, miss, recommend, remember, quit, spend time, stop, suggest, understand, waste time, work at Either a gerund or an infinitive can follow these verbs, and there is no change in meaning begin, continue, hate, intend, like, love, prefer, start Either a gerund or an infinitive can follow these verbs, but the meaning may change: forget, remember, stop An infinitive follows these verbs: afford, agree, appear, arrange, ask, care, decide, demand, expect, fail, forget, hope, learn, manage, mean, offer, plan, prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, remember, seem, stop, volunteer, wait, want, wish A noun or pronoun and an infinitive follow these verbs advise, allow, ask, cause, challenge, command, convince, expect, forbid, force, hire, instruct, invite, order, pay, permit, program, remind, teach, tell, urge, want, warn

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Adele US Concert Tickets Sell in Minutes

In several hundred seconds, thousands of Adele concert tickets were bought throughout North America. An estimated 10 million people went online or stood in line last week for the opportunity to purchase tickets to Adele’s 2016 North American tour, according to Entertainment Weekly. A total of 440,000 tickets were available for the 56-date tour through the United States and Mexico. Some fans keeping track of the sale said all tickets were sold in 120 seconds. “Adele tickets sold out in two minutes, and I am heartbroken,” Sammi Steger wrote via social media. Fans reported getting stuck online for 45 minutes or more on ticketing websites. Many of those fans came away with no tickets. Adele’s manager told Rolling Stone magazine that the singer’s team has “done everything within our power to get as many tickets as possible in the hands of the fans.” Ticketing resale websites like Stubhub and EBay posted Adele tickets minutes following the public sale. The asking prices from the these sites ranged from close to $10,000 for tickets near the stage at Madison Square Garden to $300 for upper deck seating. The official ticket prices ranged from $40 to $750.  The North American portion of the tour starts in St. Paul, Minnesota in July and ends in Mexico City on November 15. Tickets for the singer’s UK and European concert tour also sold out within minutes when they went on sale earlier this month. I'm Kathleen Struck. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Are you an Adele fan? How much would you pay for tickets to hear her? Write to us in the Comments section or visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   concert – n. a public performance of music

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Hockey Fans Throw Teddy Bears at Players

It is exciting enough to score a goal in a hockey game. But it is another thing to trigger a cascade of 28,000 teddy bears from the stands onto the ice. That is what happened when Jordy Stallard scored a goal for the Calgary Hitmen hockey team in early December. When the puck entered the net, all those teddy bears flew from the stands onto the rink. Stallard’s goal came on Teddy Bear Toss night against the Swift Current Broncos. The toss is a tradition for Canadian minor league hockey teams like the Hitmen. All the bears are collected and donated to charity. Stallard is an 18-year-old player who can be drafted by an NHL team in 2016. “Yeah, it felt incredible to get it. The fans were absolutely outstanding out there. And to top it off, it’s for a great cause, so it felt good.” The cascade of bears caused a 37-minute delay as players celebrated and rink attendants gathered up the toys. There were almost 20,000 fans at the game, and they threw 28,815 bears, which broke the record from 2007. Mark French is the Hitmen coach. “I mean, it’s funny. You hear the older guys trying to explain it to the first-year players. What to expect. And it’s always understated, because you know the magnitude is hard to explain. So, I think the event has taken a life upon itself. It’s my second. And it’s certainly something we highlight on the calendar.” The first Teddy Bear Toss came in 1995 and almost 300,000 bears have been collected by the Calgary team alone. Some of the players took bears to a local children’s hospital after they returned from a road trip. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English based on reporting from the Calgary Herald. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Does your favorite sports team have a fun holiday tradition? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   cascade – v. to flow or hang down in large amounts understated – v. to say that (something) is smaller, less important, etc., than it really is magnitude – n. the size, extent, or importance of something drafted – v. to choose (someone) to play on a professional sports team

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Soldier Does One Last Good Deed

This is What’s Trending Today. Army veteran donates organs The video shows a long walk down a hospital hallway. A man on the hospital bed is unconscious. The sound of a machine is heard in the background. The machine is keeping him alive. People line the hallway. A man in a uniform leads the group. Many salute the patient, Army Sergeant Matthew Whalen. Many cry. A woman says, “I love you,” before she chokes on her tears. Whelan, 35, suffered a brain hemorrhage on Saturday. That means an artery in his brain broke and flooded that area with blood. The blood killed his brain cells, and doctors said Whalen would never recover. When this happens, a person is considered what is called “brain dead.” The body can no longer breathe on its own. But other organs can be saved while the body is attached to a respirator. Whelan’s family decided to donate his organs to veterans who need them. Those organs will be transplanted into the bodies of veterans who would die without them. Whelan served four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. His wife, Hannah, is also a veteran. They have three young children. An honor guard led the walk down the hospital hallway to the operating room. Whalen’s story and the video of him being moved to surgery received more than 6 million views after it was posted on Facebook on Tuesday.   A friend posted the video on Facebook and said: “In his final act on Earth, it is only fitting that he gave his life and in return saved two others.” Other people are trying to raise money to help the family. So far, they've raised more than $40,000 in donations in just the first day. One-Armed college basketball player scores Zach Hodskins is a basketball player at the University of Florida. He is not a big star. He probably won’t play in the NBA. And most of the time, he does not get to play in games for the university’s team. But on Tuesday night, the Gators had a big lead late in the game. That is when the back-up players like Hodskins usually get into the game. That is normal. But what is different about Hodskins is that he was born without most of his lower arm on his left side. Hodskins got into the game with less than 50 seconds to play. With 35 seconds to go, he drove toward the basket and scored the first basket of his college career. Today, everyone is trying to find out more about Zach Hodskins. One Twitter post about Hodskins by the sports network ESPN received almost 40,000 tweets and favorites. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Kathleen Struck.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Did you see the video of the veteran being wheeled into surgery in the hospital? How did it make you feel? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   hemorrhage – n. a condition in which a person bleeds too much and cannot stop the flow of blood artery – n. any one of the tubes that carry blood from the heart to all parts of the body respirator – n. a medical device that helps people breathe transplant – v. a medical operation in which an organ or other part is removed from the body of one person and put into the body of another person unconscious – adj. not awake especially because of an injury, drug, etc.

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Kenyan Muslims Protect Christians from Terrorist Attack

Muslims risked their lives to protect Christians against militant gunmen on a bus in Kenya on Monday. The gunmen boarded a crowded bus in Mandera and demanded that Muslim passengers leave the bus. That would have left the Christian travelers behind.   But the Muslim passengers refused. Some gave Christian women passengers their hijabs, or head coverings, CNN reported. They helped others hide behind bags. Two people were killed in the attack. But more would have died if the Muslim passengers had obeyed the militants’ order and left the Christian passengers behind on the bus. CNN quoted passenger Abdqafar Teno saying: “They told them (the militants) ‘If you want to kill us, then kill us. There are no Christians here.’” BBC reported that some Muslim passengers told the attackers “to kill them together or leave them alone.” Authorities said the gunmen left the bus after the passengers refused to separate based on religion. Some passengers warned that police were following the bus, Kenya’s Standard newspaper reported. But that was not true. The police car assigned to protect the bus had broken down, Kenyan officials said. One hundred passengers, mostly women, were on the bus at the time of the attack, according to Kenyan officials. Kenyan officials praised the courage of the passengers. “We are all Kenyans, we are not separated by religion,” said Joseph Nkaissery, Kenya’s Interior Cabinet Secretary. Terrorism has been a major problem in the area. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack. It has tried to turn Somalia into a fundamentalist Islamic state. Al-Shabab has launched attacks in Kenya after Kenyan forces went to Somalia to fight the militants. Last April, al-Shabab militants killed 148 people in an attack on Garissa University College. In that attack, the militants killed Christians, while sparing many Muslims. The college is expected to reopen in January. In 2014, a bus was attacked near Mandera by al-Shabab militants. Twenty eight non-Muslims were killed in that attack. These terrorist attacks and others have led 2,000 foreign teachers and many non-Muslim health workers to leave the area, according to BBC. The area where Monday’s attack took place is near the border with Somalia, al-Shabab’s home base. BBC said the passengers who refused to tell their religions showed courage. But they also might have acted out of frustration, BBC said. While the terrorist attacks have targeted non-Muslims, many Muslims have been hurt by the departure of foreign teachers and health workers, BBC said. According to government officials, the bus targeted in Monday’s attack was traveling from the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to Mandera. Mandera is near the border with Somalia and Ethiopia. The buses generally travel with a police escort because of the threat of terrorist attacks. But the police car assigned to protect the bus broke down, according to Nkaissery, Kenya’s Interior Cabinet secretary. He said that the bus driver continued on the trip without police protection. I'm Christopher Jones-Cruise   Bruce Alpert adapted this story from VOA News for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   assign – v. to give someone a particular job or duty fundamentalist – n. a person who strictly and literally follows a set of rules and laws especially about religion sparing – v. keeping from harm courage – n. the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous frustration – n. a feeling of anger or annoyance caused by being unable to do something departure – n. the act of leaving a place especially to start a journey generally – adv. in a way that is not detailed or specific We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page.

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Tracking Santa with Technology

Technology can bring magic to the Christmas season and some fun too! Internet users can find out if they are naughty or nice, follow Santa's journey, and play fun Christmas games. Portable North Pole People can make online videos with a personal Santa message in English, Spanish or French at Portable North Pole, or PNP. Santa will say the names of users, show photos and talk about the user’s good behavior this year. Go to the Portable North Pole website and sign up with an email address, Facebook or Google account. There will be questions to answer to make the video personal. Users can add a photo of the person to whom the video will be sent. They can also add a picture of themselves as senders of the video. The PNP video can be shared through social media and email. It is free but you can also pay to put in additional photos, make a longer video or to download the video. NORAD tracks Santa NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, follows Santa as he travels across the planet. It is the 60th anniversary of the Santa Tracker. It can be found on the NORAD website and free NORAD Santa apps. The website is available in eight languages. It includes games, movies and other activities. Then, on Christmas Eve, visitors can watch as Santa makes his way around the world. ​ NORAD Tracks Santa for iPhone and iPad NORAD Tracks Santa Android Google Santa Tracker Google also follows Santa on Christmas Eve at the Google Santa Tracker website and through apps. Visit Santa's Village, learn about holiday traditions around the world, play games, watch videos, and more, all on on the Google Santa Tracker website.  To track Santa, use the website or the free Google Santa Tracker App for Android and Google Santa Tracker app for iPhone and iPad. A call from Santa! Parents can help their children behave with the app ‘A Call From Santa!' This app gives unlimited free calls from Santa. Santa will praise a child for being nice or scold a naughty child. The app plays recorded voice messages from Santa. Children can also leave their Christmas wish list and a message for Santa. A video shows how 'A Call from Santa!' works: The free version of the app has advertisements. But users can pay a fee to remove the ads. A Call from Santa! for iPhone A Call from Santa! Android ElfYourself The ElfYourself app permits users to see themselves as elves. They can also make dancing elf videos. After the app creates the dance video, it can be shared on social media or email. ElfYourself is also free. But users can pay if they want additional dance videos. ElfYourself for iPhone and iPad ElfYourself for Android Hungry Santa How did Santa get so plump? By eating lots of sweets! Hungry Santa is a game that lets users fill up Santa with sweets and treats. They can move Santa around so he can eat cookies, candy and other sugary foods. Santa does not seem interested in healthful choices. The free app keeps score so users can compare their scores with others around the world. There is a Hungry Santa app for Android, iPhone and iPad. Hungry Santa for iPhone and iPad Hungry Santa for Android   I’m Caty Weaver. Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Have you ever used these fun tech tools at Christmas? Which are your favorites? Do you have any suggestions for fun ways to celebrate the holiday? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   magic - n. a very pleasant, attractive, or exciting quality naughty - adj. behaving badly — used especially to describe a child who does not behave properly or obey a parent, teacher, etc. personal - adj. belonging or relating to a particular person aerospace - n. n industry that deals with travel in and above the Earth's atmosphere and with the production of vehicles used in such travel​ app – n. computers : a computer program that performs a particular task  tradition - n. a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time scold - v. to speak in an angry or critical way to (someone who has done something wrong) elf - n. a small creature in stories usually with pointed ears and magical powers plump - adj. having a full, rounded shape cookie - n. a sweet baked food that is usually small, flat, and round and is made from flour and sugar candy - n. a sweet food made with sugar or chocolate ​

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SpaceX Celebrates Historic Rocket Launch, Landing

The video of the massive SpaceX rocket landing safely back on Earth was like the take-off, but in reverse. The rocket is called Falcon 9. And the safe landing is a big deal. It means that space travel could become a lot easier in the future. Normally rockets deliver their payload – a satellite, for example, or supplies – and then burn up on their way back to Earth. What the SpaceX mission proved Monday night is that a rocket may be able to safely return to Earth and be used again. The successful landing is even more notable considering a similar rocket failed when it launched six months ago. The way it works is that the entire rocket unit leaves Earth’s atmosphere, and then the 15-story-tall rocket booster separates, flips and comes back to a landing zone six miles away. If the rocket booster can be used again it means the cost of entering space can be significantly reduced. For example, similar boosters cost $60 million to build, but are only used once. If SpaceX is a success, it will cost $60 million once, and then future missions will only include the cost of repairs and fuel. The owner of SpaceX is businessman Elon Musk. He also owns the Tesla electric car company. A company called OrbComm hired SpaceX to deploy 11 satellites. That part of the mission was a success, too. Musk says the success of this week’s launch and return is exciting, but his real goal is to send a human mission to Mars. “This was a critical step along the way to being able to establish a city on Mars. That’s what all this is about.” The rocket launch and landing took place in Cape Canaveral, Florida, a city famous for many other successful rocket launches, but none where the booster returned in one piece. Observers say the test will have to be repeated several times to prove that it is possible to reuse space rockets. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English based on reporting from the Associated Press. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you think humans will be able to live on Mars? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   booster – n. part of a rocket that provides force for the launch and the first part of the flight massive – adj. very large and heavy payload – n. the amount of goods or material that is carried by a vehicle (such as a truck) story – n. a group of rooms or an area that forms one floor level of a building

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Florida’s Key West: Close to Perfect, Far From Normal

If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, don’t go to Key West. As winter spreads over the northern United States, tourists and retired “snowbirds” are heading south for warmer weather. Key West, Florida, with its tropical weather, white sand beaches, and lively nightlife, is a popular escape. The island’s motto is “close to perfect” and “far from normal.” Key West is part of the Florida Keys, a string of tropical islands off the southern tip of Florida. It is about a three-hour drive or 30 minute flight from Miami. Key West is the end of the road, in geography and in spirit. It is connected the mainland of the United States by a series of bridges called the Overseas Highway. The island is known for its liberal and tolerant culture. It has long attracted artists and writers, along with people who want to escape mainstream American culture. Conch Republic The local people, known as “conchs”, have a spirit of independence. A conch is a type of sea shell that has become a symbol of the Florida Keys. In 1982, the U.S. government set up a roadblock on the Overseas Highway. Federal police stopped cars, looking for drugs and illegal immigrants. Island residents were angry because the roadblock made travel difficult and hurt tourism.   To protest, the Florida Keys declared their “independence” on April 23, 1982. Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow declared himself the prime minister of the new Conch Republic. Part joke and part protest, Wardlow declared “war” on the United States. He surrendered after one minute. Today, the flag of the Conch Republic flies all over the Florida Keys next to the American flag. Although they were never independent, residents of the Florida Keys celebrate their “independence day” every April 23rd. The roadblock is gone. Trouble in Paradise Key West might seem like paradise, but it has problems like anywhere else. “This is truly the end of the road,” local resident Katherine Baxter said. “People come here to get away from things.” Baxter, a case manager at the local hospital, sees a side of Key West that tourists rarely see. Drug and alcohol abuse are serious problems here. Monroe County, where Key West is located, has the highest suicide rate in Florida.  The extremely high cost of housing has left some people homeless. A modest one-story house here can easily sell for $1 million. But most of the jobs in Key West are low-paying jobs in hotels and restaurants. Some longtime residents are leaving the island, fed up with drunk tourists, low wages, and high living costs. Ernest Hemingway House Key West’s most famous resident was the brilliant but troubled writer Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway is one of the most important American writers of the 20th century. Ernest and his wife, Pauline, lived in Key West from 1931 to 1939. The house, a Spanish style mansion, was a wedding gift from Pauline’s father. In this house, Hemingway wrote some of his most famous stories, including “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” and “To Have and Have Not.” Hemingway had a cat with six toes named Snow White. Today, about 50 of Snow White’s descendants live on the grounds of the Hemingway house. Some of the cats have six toes. Key Lime Pie No trip to Key West is complete without trying its famous dessert: Key lime pie. Key limes, which grow in Florida, are smaller less sweet than Persian limes. Key lime pie is made with Key lime juice, egg yolks, and condensed milk on a graham cracker crust. The dessert is topped with cream made from egg whites. These days it is popular to serve Key lime pie frozen on a stick, dipped in chocolate. You can find Key lime pie just about anywhere in the Florida Keys. Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shoppe on Elizabeth Street is the most famous. In 2006, the Florida state legislature named Key lime pie the official pie of Florida. Southernmost Point A short walk from the Ernest Hemingway house is the most photographed site in Key West. It is a marker showing the southernmost point in the United States. Tourists wait in long lines to take pictures in front the monument. It reads “90 miles to Cuba.” In fact, Key West is closer to Havana than Miami. The Southernmost Point reminds Americans that Cuba is so close, but so far away. There have been no direct transport connections between Key West and Cuba since the 1950s. Relations between the U.S. and Cuba have improved in recent months. In March, the U.S. government gave permits to four companies to run ferries from Key West to Havana. But ferry service cannot start until new customs and immigration facilities are built. For now, the Southernmost Point of Key West is as close as most Americans can get to Cuba. [music: Dire Straits "The Sultan of Swing"] Thank you good night and now it's time to go home And he makes it fast with just one more thing We are the sultans We are the sultans of swing   I’m Jonathan Evans. Adam Brock wrote and produced this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.   Words in This Story snowbird – n. a northerner who moves to a warmer southern state in the winter motto – n. a short sentence or phrase that expresses a rule guiding the behavior of a particular person or group tolerant – adj. willing to accept feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own mainstream – adj. the thoughts, beliefs, and choices that are accepted by the largest number of people snail – n. a small animal that lives in a shell that it carries on its back, that moves very slowly, and that can live in water or on land roadblock – n. a place where police or military officers stop drivers especially in order to examine vehicles modest – adj. simple, not fancy fed up with – phrasal verb. to be angry about something brilliant – adj. showing extreme intelligence : extremely clever mansion – n. a large and impressive house : the large house of a wealthy person descendent – n. a plant or animal that is related to a particular plant or animal that lived long ago egg yolk – n. the yellow part in the center of an egg graham cracker – n. a popular American snack food made with bleached flour ferry - n. to carry or move (someone or something) on a vehicle (such as a boat or a car) usually for a short distance between two places    

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FIFA Bans Blatter, European Soccer Chief

The International Football Association’s ethics committee banned its president, Sepp Blatter, from the organization for eight years on Monday. The association is known as FIFA. Also getting an eight-year ban was Michel Platini, the head of the European soccer federation, UEFA. The ruling came because of a $2 million payment from FIFA to Platini in 2011. The two men called it salary for advising the president. But according to the Associated Press news service, Platini had no such contract with FIFA at the time. The payment is also being investigated by authorities in Switzerland. Blatter was already serving a provisional ban over the scandal earlier this year when 14 FIFA officials were arrested on corruption charges. The organization will elect a new president in February. For many years, it was anticipated that Platini would take over for Blatter. That is not likely after the news of his eight-year ban. Also, Platini is not on the list of candidates for the upcoming election. Blatter promised to fight the ban in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He denied doing anything wrong by authorizing payments to Platini, calling the lack of a contract an administrative error. Blatter said “I am now suspended eight years, suspended eight years. But, I will fight. I will fight for me and I will fight for FIFA.” Blatter has been the president of FIFA since 1998.   I’m Dan Friedell.   Lisa Schlein wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English with more reporting from the Associated Press. Kathleen Struck was the editor. How can FIFA recover from this ethics breach? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   anticipated – v. to expect or look ahead to (something) with pleasure : to look forward to (something) arbitration – n. a process of settling an argument or disagreement in which the people or groups on both sides present their opinions and ideas to a third person or group authorize – v. to give legal or official approval to or for (something) ethics– n. rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad provisional – adj. existing or accepted for the present time but likely to be changed scandal – n. an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong

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Indonesian Police Arrest Nine Terror Suspects

Indonesian police have arrested nine people they believe were planning suicide attacks in the capital of Jakarta. The attacks were allegedly planned for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.  Police say the Islamic militant suspects were linked to two terrorist networks. They say one of the networks was linked to the Islamic State terror group. A police official said books on jihad were found in the house of one of the suspects, along with bomb-making supplies. There was also a map of Jakarta.  Information about the alleged planning was given to Indonesian police by American and Australian law enforcement agencies. The arrests took place in five cities on the island of Java.  Police say they are searching for more suspected terrorists. An Indonesian news website reported that the country’s military chief said he plans to deploy more than 150,000 security forces to guard churches and public places during the holidays. I’m Dan Friedell.  VOANews.com reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it into VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   suicide – n. of or relating to killing oneself; used especially to describe something that is done by a person who plans and expects to be killed while doing it jihad – n. a war fought by Muslims to defend or spread their beliefs  

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