1600 UTC Hourly Newscast for April 27, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Sara Williams reporting. After months of campaigning in the U.S. presidential race, Republican front-runner Donald Trump and Democratic leader Hillary Clinton are close to squaring off against each other in the November national election after a string of convincing wins Tuesday in party nominating contests. Of the two, Trump's nomination by the Republican Party is the less certain, but the billionaire real estate mogul said he considers himself the "presumptive nominee." But this one’s a diverse victory, I mean you go Rhode Island, then you go Maryland, and you go Connecticut, and you go Pennsylvania, and, you go…you know the whole thing…Delaware. And every one of them was conclusive. Trump now needs to win just half of the remaining available delegates to July's Republican national nominating convention in the last 10 state contests in order to claim the nomination on the first ballot. Meanwhile Clinton, a former U.S. Secretary of State, captured victories in four states: “With your help we’re going to come back to Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention, with the most votes and the most pledged delegates.” The next key nominating contest for Trump and his remaining challengers, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich, is May 3 in Indiana. Nearly six months after the Paris attacks, top surviving suspect Salah Abdeslam appeared at a courthouse in the French capital, just hours after his extradition from Belgium. A 26-year-old Frenchman who lived Brussels, Abdeslam had been on the run since the November 13 bombings and shootings around Paris.  This is VOA News. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story front-runner –n. the leader in a race or competition squaring off –v. to compete with in a sport or campaign string –n. a list of mogul –n. a powerful and important person presumptive –adj. assumed to be when further information is lacking diverse –adj. different from others conclusive –adj. showing that something is clear pledge –v. to promise challenger –n. someone competing to win a contest extradition –n. the process of being sent from one country to another for trial

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China Launches New Anti-Spying Campaign

  China recently released an unusual comic strip. The comic – which tells a story in words and drawings – appears to be about a romantic relationship between a western student and a Chinese woman. But the comic is really part of China's new anti-spying campaign. In the comic, a western student named David meets a Chinese woman named Xiao-Li. David brings Xiao-Li flowers, he buys her dinner, and he takes her for walks in the park. Then he asks Xiao-Li for secret documents. The comic, or cartoon, warns citizens against helping people who might be spies. China has also released a phone number citizens can call if they are suspicious about foreign spies and Chinese citizens who might be helping them. China's anti-spying effort comes at a time when two high-profile criminal cases are making headlines. Just last week, the Chinese government sentenced to death a computer technician for helping foreign spies. The computer technician's name is Huang Yu. He was accused of taking $700,000 over the course of almost 10 years to pass confidential information to a foreign country. His mother and brother-in-law were also punished for helping him. Huang appeared on national television with a message: turn yourself in if you are spying for a foreign country. “It’s better for your family and for you,” he said. The Chinese government prosecuted another man for stealing state secrets. He was a Canadian who operated a café near China’s border with North Korea. There are several points of view about the anti-spying campaign. One view, according to analysts in China, is that it makes sense to be worried about citizens passing secret information to foreigners. “Any responsible government should be concerned,” says Shen Dingli, an international relations professor at Fudan University. But others say the anti-spying campaign makes the average Chinese person more afraid of foreigners. They warn it also makes citizens more accepting of government restrictions on press and social media. Eva Pils is a legal scholar from Kings College in London. She says China’s campaign against spying “helps the government explain the need for … [the] repression of civil society.” I’m Dan Friedell.   Shannon Van Sant wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted the report for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. What do you think of China’s campaign against spying? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   cartoon – n. a series of drawings that tell a story prosecute – v. to hold a trial against a person who is accused of a crime to see if that person is guilty confidential – adj. secret or private

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Silicon Valley Start-Ups Fueled by Immigrants

  The area in northern California between San Francisco and San Jose is known as Silicon Valley. Some of the world’s most famous technology companies have headquarters there. Apple and Facebook are two big ones. Besides established companies, there are many small companies trying to get started. These businesses are known as start-ups. Some of the people behind the start-ups are immigrants from countries like Sri Lanka, Taiwan and China.  One of those start-ups is called Cloud of Goods. It is an online business that links local residents who have things to rent with  tourists who need those things. People who need car seats, strollers, bicycles or camping equipment can use the service to rent these goods. Punsri Abeywickrema is the founder of Cloud of Goods. He is from Sri Lanka. He says he has based his business on the fact that we all buy goods that we do not use all the time. When they are not being used, they can be rented to someone else. “The idea was, you know, there's a lot of resources that we all (have) accumulated in our homes, in our garages, in our closets, that (are) sitting idle, and how can we use this to make it better for everyone?” The company just opened for business. Workers at the company recently celebrated its first $500 of income with a drink of sparkling wine. There are computer programmers working on Cloud of Goods’ website in Sri Lanka. But in California, there are 10 unpaid employees trying to build the company. Stacy Tran is part of the start-up. She says the company is trying to start small and then expand. “Similar to how Amazon did it with books,” she says. Gee Chuang founded Listia with James Fong. They are Chinese-Americans who met at Cornell University in the state of New York. Listia is an online marketplace where people can trade in used items for credit. Then they can use the credit to “buy” other items, like collectible coins, video games or cell phones. Listia has been in business since 2009 and has 9 million users. The founders overcame some problems two years ago. The U.S. Department of Labor investigated the business. The founders were required to pay wages to the website moderators who should have been considered employees. Now, 18 people work at their office in Santa Clara, California. Chuang says it is very important to hire “people that know more than you” to start a successful business. Neal Gorenflo is a business analyst for a site called Shareable that tracks what is called the sharing economy. He says it is hard for businesses like Listia and Cloud of Goods to find out what it takes to be successful. But that is not because there are not enough smart and motivated people looking to work in new businesses. Abeywickrema says Silicon Valley provides the perfect mix of people with skills and opportunities. “All that, you know, different expertise, different skill sets, different talents mix here together, and that is the right recipe for a, you know, successful company.” I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise. VOA Correspondent Mike O’Sullivan reported this story. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. What qualities would you bring to Silicon Valley? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   talent – n. a special ability that allows someone to do something well moderator – n. someone who leads a discussion in a group and tells each person when to speak; someone who moderates a meeting or discussion overcome – v. to successfully deal with or gain control of (something difficult) resource– n. a place or thing that provides something useful accumulate – v. to gather or acquire (something) gradually as time passes idle – adj. not working, active, or being used founder – n. a person who creates or establishes something that is meant to last for a long time (such as a business or school); a person who founds something rent – v. to pay money in return for being able to use (something that belongs to someone else) tourist – n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure start-up – n. a new business  

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'Ten Years' Film Gains Praise and Criticism in Hong Kong

The film "Ten Years" imagines life in Hong Kong under Chinese rule in the year 2025. It shows a protester self-immolating in front of Chinese government offices, and Mandarin replacing the use of the local Cantonese language. China’s central government blocks any mention of the film on the Internet. But in Hong Kong, the film has been attracting big audiences. The film was released in December 2015. This month, the film’s producers officially released the film online. The film’s Executive Producer, Andrew Choi, said he hopes audiences take the film as a warning of Hong Kong’s possible future. He also said he hopes the film inspires people to do something.                                         "The film gives....the audience, a chance to reflect that if we don’t want to see a future like 'Ten Years,' in ten years’ time, what can we do today to preserve some of the things that we used to enjoy in Hong Kong,” he said. Earlier this month, "Ten Years" won the top prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Chinese television channels on the mainland usually broadcast the ceremony. But this year, they did not broadcast the awards show. Some people criticized the award given to "Ten Years." Hong Kong businessman Peter Lam said awards shows are becoming too political. He said the award given to "Ten Years" was “unfortunate for the Hong Kong film industry,” and that the decision was based mostly on the political message in the film. Lam is chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and owner of the Hong Kong-based Media Asia Film. "Ten Years" has five short stories. Each story was filmed by a different director. Each one imagines what life in Hong Kong may be like under Beijing’s central government in 2025. Hong Kong resident Alex Lau said the movie represents many people’s fears that local Hong Kong culture is slowly disappearing, along with political freedoms. “We don’t want Hong Kong people to change and be like Chinese people. So we worry about this,” Lau said. When the film was first released in Hong Kong, some theaters refused to show the film. But many people have watched the film during community screenings throughout the city. Pro-democracy activist Joseph Cheung said the movie’s popularity comes from the concerns of Hong Kong’s citizens. “The political appeal, the political messages, of course are the ones that have been attracting the audience, and that is a bit surprising, and that also reflects the worry and the political concerns of Hong Kong people today,” Cheung said. "Ten Years" cost just $64,000 to make. It has earned nearly $800,000 in ticket sales since its release last December. I'm Ashley Thompson.    VOA News reporter Shannon Van Sant reported this story from Hong Kong. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   self-immolate - v. the act of killing oneself as a sacrifice  attract - v. to cause (someone) to choose to do or be involved in something inspire - v.  to make (someone) want to do something preserve - v. to keep (something) safe from harm or loss screening - n. a showing of a movie, video, or television program. reflect - v. to show (something) 

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Education Tips: Ask Questions

  In the Education Tips series, education experts in the United States give you tips about how to improve your English skills. This week, Suzanne Meyer, the assistant director at the English Language Institute at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, discusses question-asking and the development of critical thinking skills. For VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report. Suzanne Meyer, the assistant director of the English Language Institute at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, says that many students need to develop critical thinking skills. In other words, students need to learn how to collect information, and then evaluate the information and apply it to a new context. She says: "We need to get students actively engaged in inquiry, from the beginning levels on, into those levels where they really are close to professional and university contexts." One way to develop critical thinking skills, Meyer says, is to teach students to be creative about the types of questions that they ask. Benefits of question-asking for English learners Meyer says that there are many benefits to using question-asking activities with English learners. Question-asking activities help students to become better language learners. She says: "Question-asking overall helps students be better language learners. Not for the obvious, because you ask a question you get an answer. Often, questions are the first point of contact. And so if my question is not good, then that's going to direct the level of our conversation. And I could have a very proficient speaker who has very little experience asking questions, and then all of a sudden somebody is talking to them in a patronizing way because they didn't start on that level… where they are really able to interact." Meyer also says that question-asking may help develop critical thinking skills by allowing for more interactions: "People who can ask questions are very confident. And when you are confident, you can have more interaction. That extra interaction might lead to critical thinking. Because you are more likely to actually integrate in some fashion into a new setting if you are in an ESL scenario. So, I think overall, just the whole question-asking idea has so many benefits." How can you practice asking questions? There are many strategies to improve question-asking and develop critical thinking skills. One possible strategy, says Meyer, is to use question-asking patterns that start with concrete questions and move to abstract questions.   SOURCE: SUZANNE MEYER So, for example, if students were reading a new text, they would design a series of questions using three different steps. In the first step, students create questions about information in the text that they are reading. In the second step, students create questions about how the information in the text connects to their own life. In the third step, students create questions about abstract ideas – ideas that came up in the questions about themselves. If students follow these three steps, they have not only practiced creative ways to ask questions, they have also started practicing critical thinking. Example of a question-asking activity Meyer gave an example of what this activity could look like: SOURCE: SUZANNE MEYER In the activity, students read part of a story. In this case, the story is about how different foods affect a person. In the first column there are questions about information in the text. One example of a question is this: How can food help a person's performance? In the second column, there are questions about how the information in the story connects to students' lives. For example, "how do I feel and act when I don't eat well?" In the third column, there are questions about abstract ideas that build on questions in the second column. The question "Even though people know some foods are unhealthy, why do they eat them?" is one example. These questions, and other questions listed in the table, are examples of how to develop questions. You should, of course, create your own questions! Practical Tips: Meyer says that when teachers tell students which questions to answer, students are less likely to be creative about the types of questions that they ask. So, practice developing your own questions! Try making a list of questions that go from concrete to abstract, like the steps outlined above. Check with your teacher to make sure that your grammar is correct, and try to practice in the classroom. You can also write us your questions about this story in the comments section, or on our Facebook page. Give question-asking a try, and let us know how it works for you! I'm John Russell.  John Russell reported this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   critical – adj. using or involving careful judgment about the good and bad parts of something evaluate – v. to judge the value or condition of (someone or something) in a careful and thoughtful way context – n. the group of conditions that exist where and when something happens inquiry – n. the act of asking questions in order to gather or collect information benefits – n. a good or helpful result or effect interaction – n. talking with other people strategy – n. a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time concrete – adj. relating to or involving specific people, things, or actions rather than general ideas or qualities abstract – adj. relating to or involving general ideas or qualities rather than specific people, objects, or actions

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Parents of Missing Mexican Students Criticize Government

  The parents of 43 Mexican students missing since 2014 said the government lied to them. The parents made their claim a day after a group of international experts issued a report criticizing the way the Mexican government handled the case. One parent said “the government started lying to us from the start.” The Mexican government said the students were training to be teachers at a small college when they were kidnapped. They said corrupt local police officers turned the students over to a drug gang. The government said the students were killed and their bodies were burned in a mass grave in the southern part of Mexico. Experts from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights studied the case and said there are problems with the way the Mexican government presented the case’s timeline. There are also problems with the way they studied the bones left at the mass grave. Experts also said the government provided information from suspects who were tortured by police and military personnel. The torture led to confessions that will not be allowed in court by Mexican judges. The report also said any information that did not support the government’s original description of the case was not taken seriously. The Mexican president, Enrique Pena Nieto, wrote a message on Twitter saying the government “will analyze the whole report.” In spite of the new report, there is no new information about the students, who have been missing since September 2014. When the report was presented at a news conference on Sunday, parents chanted: “They took them away alive, we want them back alive!” I’m Mario Ritter.   Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on reports by the Associated Press. Hai Do was the editor. What do you think happened to the Mexican students two years ago? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   confession – n. a written or spoken statement in which you say that you have done something wrong or committed a crime

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Gorilla at Prague Zoo Has Surprise Baby

This is What’s Trending Today Shinda is a 24-year-old gorilla that lives at the Prague Zoo, in the Czech Republic. She is a bit overweight. The gorilla had never given birth. Several times she became pregnant, but the pregnancies ended early, without a baby. Zookeepers did not expect her to ever be able to give birth. In fact, nobody noticed that she, once again, was pregnant. But on April 23, Shinda delivered a healthy baby gorilla. It shocked everyone at the zoo. The director of the Prague Zoo told the media, “I can’t even imagine what could surprise me more. Not only did we not know about Shinda’s pregnancy, but, to begin with, over time we’ve lost hope she could have a baby anymore.” People on social media reacted to the unexpected birth, too. The term “Prague Zoo” has been trending on Facebook and Twitter. Photos and video of the mother and baby gorilla have gone viral. One video of Shinda holding her new baby has more than 2 million views. One Facebook user wrote, “just simply amazing how they are so much like humans. Look how she’s holding and feeding this baby.” ​ But, others reacted with concern that zookeepers did not even know Shinda was pregnant. One social media user asked how “this could...be called care if they didn’t even know she was pregnant. Add the fact [that] she went on display within 24 hours.”   ​The zoo has already permitted visitors to see mother and baby. The gorillas are among the most popular animals at the Prague Zoo. Tens of thousands of people watched the birth of another gorilla -- online -- back in 2007. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I'm Ashley Thompson.  ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   trend - v. to be the subject of many posts on a social media website within a short period of time. viral - adj. relating to an image or video that is spread quickly and widely on the Internet. amazing - adj. causing great surprise or wonder on display - n. put somewhere for people to see

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Why It's Harder to Sleep in New Place

Have you ever had trouble sleeping in a new place? Lots of people do. And now researchers from Brown University in Rhode Island think they know why. They found that one-half of the brain “remains more awake” than the other half when people are trying to sleep in a new place. This appears a case of the brain keeping people ready for trouble in a new place, the researchers said. The sleep findings were reported in Current Biology and by Brown University. In their report, the researchers said many people report they have a harder time sleeping the first night at a hotel or other places outside their home.  They call it, “first-night effect.” “In Japan they say, ‘if you change your pillow, you can’t sleep,’’’ said Yuka Sasaki, one of the report’s authors. “You don’t sleep very well in a new place. We all know about it.” The researchers measured brain waves for 35 volunteers over two nights in a laboratory. The two nights were a week apart. They found during the first night the left hemisphere of the brain was more active than the right hemisphere. This was during the first deep-sleep period, the researchers said. Sasaki said a lot of questions remain. Researchers did not keep measuring brain waves all night long. So, they don’t know if the left hemisphere keeps “watch” all night. Or whether it “works in shifts” with the right hemisphere later in the night. They also do not know why the extra brain activity, at least during the first phase of deep sleep, is always on the left hemisphere. For some, this research may be calming. It is good to know that our brain is “looking out for us,” in a new place. But it may not help with sleep. That extra brain activity, at least according to this new research, makes it harder to get the sleep people need to wake up well rested in the morning.   VOA News reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share our “sleep” experiences with us on our Facebook Page. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   pillow – n. a bag filled with soft material that is used as a cushion usually for the head of a person who is lying down hemisphere – n. either of the two halves of the brain active – adj. doing things that require energy shift – n. work done in a period of time

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El Nino Could Cause Famine to Return in Somalia

The weather changer known as El Nino has left countries in east Africa in danger of famine, according to a group of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The Somalia NGO Consortium said Tuesday that El Nino is creating drought and food shortages. The group released the statement to coincide with a United Nations meeting on humanitarian needs related to the effects of El Nino. El Nino is the natural warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean that changes weather worldwide. El Nino occurs every several years and lasts close to a year, according to the Associated Press. El Nino impacts weather systems around the globe. For example, some places receive more rain, while others receive no rain or snow. Last year, El Nino mostly helped conditions in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania by creating more rainfall. But this year, El Nino has severely reduced rainfall in Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti. As a result, close to 19 million people in the Horn of Africa region face food shortages, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Cash, cash vouchers and food have already been issued to Somalians. But the Somalia NGO Consortium says more help is needed. The Consortium is calling for “urgent humanitarian action.” Somalia suffered a deadly famine from 2010 to 2012. More than 250,000 people died because of drought and food shortages. NGOs are hoping to avoid a similar – or even larger – disaster this year. I’m Jim Dresbach.   The staff at VOA News wrote this story. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   El Nino – n. the natural warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean that changes weather worldwide famine – n. a situation in which many people do not have enough food to eat consortium – n. a group of people or companies that agree to work together drought – n. a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain shortage – n. a state in which there is not enough of something that is needed voucher – n. a document that gives you the right to get something, such as a product or service, without paying for it

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April 25, 2016

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

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Chernobyl, Risky Still, Thirty Years Later

  Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, the world’s worst nuclear accident. The effects of the disaster are still felt today. On April 26, 1986, a reactor exploded at a nuclear power center in the town of Chernobyl, in what was then the Soviet republic of Ukraine. The reactor caught fire, and it released huge amounts of radiation. Many emergency workers died. Soviet officials ordered 116,000 people living around the power plant to leave the area. Another 220,000 were forced to leave later as the “death zone” -- the nuclear contamination area -- expanded.     Recently, Associated Press reporters visited the edge of the contamination zone in Belarus. They found that milk from a dairy farm there contains radioactive isotopes. The isotopes give off radiation -- and can harm people and other living things. Tests found that the milk contains radioactive isotope levels at least 10 times higher than the country’s food safety limits. The farm was about 45 kilometers north of the former Chernobyl nuclear plant. The dairy farmer said his cows produce milk for a local factory, called Milkavita. It produces Parmesan cheese that is sold mostly in Russia. Milkavita officials rejected the AP laboratory results as “impossible.” They said their own tests show that radioactive isotopes in their milk supply are well below safety limits. Belarus President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said Monday that cleaning up the radioactive fallout from the nuclear accident has been a “major and pressing task” for his country for 30 years. Possible danger is nearby Scientists are warning that it is possible a new disaster could be hiding in forests around the closed power plant. Canadian scientist Timothy Mousseau is a leading expert on the Chernobyl disaster. He told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that forest fires could send clouds of toxic radioactive material up into the skies over Europe. Mousseau said two acts of suspected arson caused “large fires” around Chernobyl over the past year. The fires burned a long time, but they “weren’t particularly hazardous in terms of radioactivity.” He added that a third fire last year burned through part of the ‘red forest,’ which was the most contaminated part of the area. This fire was small, and contained quickly. But, he said, it is the kind that can “do serious harm if it had spread much more.” Mousseau explained that the radioactivity in the woods would go back up into the atmosphere. Depending on which way the wind was blowing, and whether it was raining or not, it could land somewhere else. His and other research into the Chernobyl accident suggests that the toxic cloud from a major fire could carry different kinds of radioactive materials across Europe.  At the time of the accident 30 years ago, he said, a huge cloud from the fire at Chernobyl rose into the atmosphere. This allowed radioactive material, in his words, “to be transported for thousands of miles.” Now the risk has increased, partly because of rising temperatures on Earth’s surface. In addition, dead leaves from plants, fallen logs or dry grass could catch on fire.   "This dead organic matter on the surface of the soil is highly radioactive," Mousseau said. When it dries out, it becomes a possible fire threat, and provides the fuel for large and dangerous forest fires. While it has been 30 years since the Chernobyl nuclear accident, it has been only five years since Japan’s deadly Fukushima-1 plant disaster. Other nuclear disasters The first big hit to nuclear power came at the end of March 1979. That is when a new reactor in the American state of Pennsylvania partially melted down. There was no evidence of health issues tied to the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant. But it started the debate about the safety of nuclear energy that continues around the world today. People ask whether splitting atoms to create energy is a safe, effective and economical way to get electricity to our cities. There are about 400 reactors working in 31 countries. More than 60 are being built in 15 countries. The Fukushima disaster will take a century to cleanup and cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Nuclear power was not used in Japan for nearly two years, but two reactors were restarted there last year. The debate over nuclear power continues in the island nation. Japan depends on imports for about 90 percent of its main energy needs. Those against nuclear power usually support the use of “green” power, like wind and solar power. But the supporters of nuclear power say it is safe, and more effective than wind or solar. Adding to peoples’ concerns over nuclear power is the fact that experts still do not agree on how many people lost, or will lose, their lives because of the Chernobyl accident. Fewer than 100 emergency workers died from the radiation. The World Health Organization warned years ago that Chernobyl would cause 4,000 additional deaths. But the environmental group Greenpeace ordered a study that shows, in the end, 93,000 people could die. The town of Chernobyl still is home to about 3,000 people. They continue to work on decommissioning, or closing down, the plant. They are only permitted to stay in the area for 14 days to reduce their risk of radiation exposure. Scientists say the nuclear exclusion zone will not be safe enough for humans to live there for another 20,000 years. Yet in one part of the area, a few hundred people who were evacuated have come back to live. Many of the residents are older adults. Ukrainian officials quietly let them stay there. The residents grow their own food, even with the warnings that food could be affected by the radioactive material. It appears some people who were sent away after the accident just wanted to be back home. I’m Anne Ball. Anne Ball adapted this story for Learning English based on reports from VOA’s Steve Herman, Henry Ridgwell, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Associated Press and the Reuters news service. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on Facebook. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   contamination –n. made unfit for use by undesirable elements radioactive isotopes –n. any one of different forms in which the atoms of a chemical element can occur—that have been exposed to radiation fallout – n. the radioactive particles that are produced by a nuclear explosion and fall through the atmosphere task – n. a job for someone to do toxic – adj. containing poisonous substances arson -n. when a person sets a fire to cause damage

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