‘Hobbit’ Ancestor Bones Found

  Small human-like creatures lived in Indonesia 50,000 years ago, and a recent study found evidence of their much older ancestors. Scientists working in Indonesia say they found several teeth and part of a jawbone that date back 700,000 years. The scientists are with the Research Center of Human Evolution at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. Two reports describing the findings appears this month in the journal Nature. The researchers said the teeth and bones are from small creatures, or similar ones, that lived before what they call “hobbit” hominin. The name hobbit comes from the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. It is used to describe members of an imaginary race. In Tolkien’s stories, hobbits are similar to human beings, only smaller.  Scientists have used the term hobbit to describe ancient human-like creatures, measuring only about a meter high. Not only were hobbits small in height, they also had small heads. But their feet and toes were big for their size. The hobbits are hominins — a group that includes modern humans and human species that no longer exist. The newly discovered fossils belong to an adult and two children. The older hobbit was about the same size as its much younger relative. The remains were found in 2014 on the Indonesian island of Flores. They were discovered about 70 kilometers from an opening in the ground where scientists found the first hobbit fossils over 10 years ago. Scientists named these creatures “homo floresiensis.” That first fossil discovery created much talk about what these small creatures are, and how they got to Flores. The new fossils are from a bigger species that arrived on the island about a million years ago. The Australian researchers say the creature began to shrink over time in a process called “island dwarfism.” According to Nature, supporters of this idea think that the creature became dwarfed — or smaller -- in just a few hundred thousand years because of a lack of food or other resources on Flores. Island dwarfism is something well known among animals. Some animals are up to six times smaller than their ancestors because of a lack of resources. There was just less to go around on an island. For example, at one time, Flores was home to a very small elephant-like animal. The new finding put an end to the idea that hobbits were just sick or underfed homo sapiens -- the scientific name for humans. “The hobbit was real,” archeologist Adam Brumm told AFP. “It was an ancient human species that is separate to ours and that no longer exists on the planet today.” Brumm was lead writer of one of the studies published in Nature. He works at Griffith University’s Research Center of Human Evolution. But there is still debate as to what the hobbits really are, and from where they came. Scientists hope that the new fossils can help researchers decide what the older species was, and how the hobbits came to be their small size. One possibility is that hobbits are a dwarfed version of homo erectus—the first human-like creature to leave Africa. Other scientists have also studied hobbits. They say qualities like the creature’s long, flat feet could mean that it came from a smaller, more primitive human relative. Such possibilities include Homo habilis or Australopithecus, known only from remains in Africa. Researcher Gerrit van den Bergh is with the University of Wollongong in Australia. He spent four years looking for the hobbit’s ancestors. In 2014, he was about to give up at the end of the year. “We had given up hope we would find anything, then it was ‘bingo!’,”  van den Bergh told Nature. He said they had a huge party with dancing and food to celebrate the discovery. I’m Anne Ball.   This story appeared on VOANews.com. Anne Ball adapted the story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and find us on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fossil – n. something (such as a leaf, skeleton, or footprint) that is from a plant or animal which lived in ancient times and that you can see in some rocks dwarfism – n. the condition that causes a person, or creature, to stop growing before reaching normal adult size primitive – adj. of, belonging to, or seeming to come from an early time in the very ancient past bingo – expression.  A word used to announce a successful result that is quick or unexpected  

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How Can US Successfully Fight Terrorism?

  This is the third article in a three-part VOA series on Islamist extremism in the United States.   In 2003, not long after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the New York City police department began spying on Muslims. Officers in regular clothes visited Muslim businesses, student associations, charities and religious centers, called mosques. They believed a terrorist would be able to hide easily in those areas. Then, the officers created a database about neighborhoods where people of 28 so-called “ancestries of interest” lived. The database included pictures, maps and information about the personal habits of Muslims in New York City. When the public learned about the unit eight years later, many people objected. Some activists said the unit violated Muslims’ civil rights. Objectors even filed two lawsuits against the unit, saying the police had discriminated against them. In addition, the unit seemed not to work. Officers never used any of the information they gathered to identify someone who was likely to make an attack.   In 2014, shortly after he was elected mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio ordered the unit to be closed. But not everyone believes surveillance of Muslims in the U.S. should stop. After Islamic State (IS) terrorist group attacks in Paris last November, and the release of a video suggesting New York would be attacked next, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump suggested the city should restart the program. This month, after a gunman who said he supported IS killed 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, Trump again talked about surveilling mosques and Muslim communities. Communities, not spying But none of the experts VOA interviewed for this report believed police should watch Muslims without a reason. They said law enforcement officials should become involved only when they suspect a crime is going to be committed.   These experts believe Muslim communities can police themselves. In other words, they say strong communities and families can help stop other Muslims from making mistakes. And, they say professional police surveillance, such as the unit in New York City, actually makes Muslim communities and families weaker because it creates fear and mistrust.   Faiza Patel works at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School. She told VOA that mosques have always welcomed strangers. Now, Patel said, guests and newcomers are often treated with suspicion. And many Muslims are nervous about being followed. She said people have stopped using mosques as the center of the community. Instead, she said, “They will go in and they will fulfill their religious obligation, but then won’t hang around. They go home.” Patel said that, as a result, the Muslim community is losing its ability to stop other Muslims from committing crimes or terrorist attacks. Families Seth Jones is a terrorism expert at the RAND Corporation, a research group. He adds that families are a critical part of stopping people from extremist thinking and violence.  For example, the wife of Omar Mateen – the killer in Orlando this month – knew what he was planning to do. She was reportedly with him as he looked for possible targets, including Disney World and a shopping mall. Mateen’s father also said he was worried about what his son might do. But when the FBI investigated Mateen over the last three years, they found no clues he would walk into a nightclub and kill 49 people. The FBI says Mateen’s case is typical. About half the time, a family member knows a relative is becoming radicalized but does not know what to do about it.   Anne Speckhard is a research psychologist. She is the director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism. She said people specially trained in fighting extremism and radicalization can help families and communities. For example, parents might not want to call the police and report their child. But they might call a special number and ask for help.  “Why would you call the FBI if they knew you were going to set up a sting operation?” Speckhard asked. “But you might call a hotline if you know they were going to send over a psychologist or an imam to talk to your kid and say, 'You know what? You really got Islam wrong here.’” I’m Jonathan Evans.   VOA'sJeff Swicord reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it 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 ancestry – n. a person’s ancestors; the people who were in your family in past times commit – v. to do (something that is illegal or harmful) fulfill – v. to do what is required by (something, such as a promise or a contract) obligation – n. something that you must do because of a law, rule, promise, etc. hang around – phrasal verb, informal to be or stay in a place for a period of time without doing much typical – adj. normal for a person, thing, or group; average or usual sting operation – n. a complicated and clever plan that is meant to deceive someone especially in order to catch criminals hotline – n. a telephone service for the public to use to get help -- sometimes, but not always, in emergencies psychologist – n. a scientist who specializes in the study and treatment of the mind and behavior; a specialist in psychology imam – n. a Muslim religious leader

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US Continues to Lead in Weapons Exports

The United States continues to export more arms than any other country in the world, according to a defense advisory service. It says U.S. arms manufacturers exported tens of billions of dollars in weapons last year. The advisory service IHS Jane’s released its Global Defense Trade Report on Sunday. The report shows the international defense market increased by $6.6 billion in 2015 to $65 billion. The U.S. exported nearly $23 billion in weapons to other countries, especially to the Middle East. That represents an increase of $10 billion since 2009, the report says. “The global defense trade market has never seen an increase as large as the one we saw between 2014 and 2015,” says Ben Moores, who works for IHS Jane’s. He adds that “2015 was a record-breaking year.” Weapons sales from French companies last year were more than two times the total in 2014 -- increasing from $8 billion to $18 billion. The report said if that rate of increase continues, France will pass Russia as the second-largest weapons exporter by 2018. The increase in arms sales last year was mainly the result of increased demand from Middle Eastern countries. They got about $21.6 billion worth of weapons, including $8.8 billion from the United States. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates bought about half of the weapons sold to Middle Eastern countries. They got about 17.5 percent of all global defense imports, or $11.4 billion. Saudi Arabia was the single largest weapons importer last year. It bought several kinds of aircraft, precision-guided weapons, and intelligence-gathering equipment. Saudi Arabia is fighting rebels in Yemen and trying to stay competitive with Iran. Iran is growing stronger because Western nations have eased restrictions as part of an agreement Iran signed to limit its nuclear activities. Iran is buying new equipment for its air force, and is likely to increase trade with Russia. The IHS report says in years to come, Iran could spend between $40 billion and $60 billion replacing its older airplanes. Egypt has sharply increased the amount of money it spends on defense. It spent up to $2.3 billion last year. It is now the world’s fourth-largest weapons importer.  Countries around the South China Sea have increased their defense spending by 71 percent since 2009 as they try to limit China’s influence in the area. The report predicts the weapons trade will continue to increase worldwide. It says arms spending will total about $69 billion this year. I’m Jill Robbins.   Joshua Fatzick reported this story for VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. George Grow 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   global – adj. involving the entire world precision – adj. designed for very accurate measurement or operation

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UNICEF: Increase in Refugee Children Fleeing to Europe

  A large number of young refugees and migrants face many risks trying to reach Europe. So says a new UNICEF report called “Danger Every Step of the Way.” It reports that more than 7,000 unaccompanied children traveled the central Mediterranean Sea to escape from North Africa to Italy this year. That is twice as many during the same period in 2015. Unaccompanied means they traveled without adult supervision. The central Mediterranean travel path is full of risks and dangers, the report says.  Aimamo and his brother are 16 years old. Their journey from Gambia through Africa led them to a farm in Libya. There, they worked to pay smugglers. “If you run, they shoot you and you die. If you stop working, they beat you,” Aimamo told UNICEF officials. Social workers in Italy said some of the unaccompanied children became victims of sexual violence. The report says some girls had been raped and were pregnant when they arrived in Italy. UNICEF officials say it is not clear how many refugees are killed, missing or detained during their travels. But the report says more than 90 percent of all refugee children are travelling without parents or guardians. UNICEF based its numbers on information from the International Organization for Migration. The IOM reports of almost 3000 migrant deaths along the Mediterranean path reported from January to June this year. In all of 2015, a total of 3,770 refugees died on the same path. Many were children. Youths' stories The UNICEF report includes Peace’s story. She is a 17-year-old girl from Nigeria. Both her parents are dead. She was living with her aunt, who was very poor. The aunt forced Peace to marry a 40-year-old man. Peace said, “This man took me to his house and made me his house girl.” She told UNICEF if she did not marry the man, her aunt would have poisoned her. Peace decided to escape. She was going to travel alone. Smugglers took Peace across the Sahara Desert to Libya. She reported seeing bodies of the dead as she crossed the desert. In Sabratha, Libya, she was held for weeks in a house without windows. She heard gunshots. She heard people fighting. Peace said the Libyans in charge of her escape would not let her out of the house. She said there was no water, no extra clothes and little food. Peace was able to travel by boat to Italy. She said some people fell off the ship and drowned. Others died on the ship. “I wish my friend had told me how difficult this is. I would have continued suffering in Nigeria,” she said. Peace is waiting for an asylum hearing in Italy. Almost 96,000 children traveling alone asked for asylum in Europe last year. There were a total of 1.4 million asylum requests, the UNICEF report says. Protecting children UNICEF has urged the European Union to make laws to protect young refugees. Marie-Pierre Poirier is UNICEF’s special coordinator for the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe. She said children have every right to a better life. She told VOA children are experiencing and escaping from wars. They travel far and long to reach safety. But they still need protection, education, health care and guidance, she said. UNICEF also called for countries to stop the refugee crisis. The U.N. wants nations to find solutions for children in search of better lives. I’m Dorothy Gundy.   Aline Barros wrote this story for VOA News. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver 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   aunt – n. the sister of your father or mother smuggler – n. a person who moves someone or something from one country into another illegally and secretly coordinator - n. a person who organizes people or groups so that they work together properly and well​ guardian- n. someone who takes care of another person or of another person's property

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Australian Spider May be World’s Fastest

  Australia is home to many unknown species. Researchers now say that it may be home to the world’s fastest lunging predator. The karaops spider is a small and flat spider found only in Australia. The spider is a predator that gets its food by killing and eating other insects. It has eight legs and usually creates a web of sticky threads to catch insects for food. Sarah Crews, 38, is a researcher at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. She spent two months in the Australian Outback, collecting 100 karaops spiders. Crews told the Australian Broadcasting Company, or ABC, that collecting the spiders was not easy. They usually hide under loose bark, often on eucalyptus trees. She and her research assistant spent a lot of time turning over rocks to find and catch the speedy spiders. “I’ve worked on these spiders, this family, for about 15 years now and I just don’t really care about other spiders at all anymore,” Crews told ABC. “I just like these guys.” The spiders will be examined with high-definition cameras at the Academy of Sciences. Linda Rayor is an expert on insect behavior, including spiders, at Cornell University in New York. She said Crews appears to be onto something about the unusual speed of karaops. “I’ve tried catching some of these spiders and they are ridiculously fast,” Rayor told VOA. “I study Aussie huntsman spiders, which are also very, very fast.” The karaops spiders are “even zippier,” she said. By that, she means faster. Robert Raven is the senior curator of spiders at the Queensland Museum in Australia. He says karaops are skilled hunters. The website spiders.us says that most spiders eat insects and other spiders. Spiders larger than karaops have been known to eat small animals, such as rodents, the website reports. The website tries to offer information it hopes will show some fears people have of spiders are not based on facts. Rayor, the Cornell University insect expert, said the huntsman spiders she researches are more social than most. “I am interested in the behavior and physiology that makes living in groups of cannibals possible,” she said. “On a broader scale, spiders are so damned interesting and understudied that they are a behavioral researchers dream.” Australia is home to about 10,000 species of spiders. Only a third of the species have been identified so far. I'm Dan Friedell.   Phil Mercer 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 and share your views on our Facebook Page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   lunging – adj. to move or reach forward in a sudden, forceful way thread – n. a long thin line of something eucalyptus tree – n. there are 700 varieties of these very tall trees high-definition – adj. having a very clear picture and a wide screen ridiculously – adv. extremely or unreasonably rodent – n. a small animal, such as a mouse, rat, squirrel, or beaver, that has sharp front teeth physiology – n. a science that deals with the ways that living things function cannibal – n. an animal that eats its own kind broader – adj. wide in range or amount

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Lesson 19: When Do I Start?

Summary Anna has to walk to work because the Metro is closed. She calls to tell her boss she is late. Ms. Weaver wants her to come and talk about a new assignment. What will Anna do?   Speaking Learn to pronounce the new words for this lesson and the months of the year. Learn about using which for offering choices and every or next with time words. Pronunciation In this video, learn how English speakers say the second month of the year. Conversation   Anna: Hi there! Summer in Washington, D.C. is hot and sunny. I always ride the Metro to work. Riding the Metro is cool and fast. But today it’s closed. So, I am walking to work.  (On the phone) Ms. Weaver, I am late this morning. The Metro is closed. So, I am walking to work.  Caty: That’s too bad. It’s really hot today. Anna: Yes it is. Caty: When you arrive, please come to my office. I have important news to tell you. Anna: Of course. Good-bye. My boss has news for me. The question is: Is it good news or bad news? (At work) Anna: Hello, Ms. Weaver. Caty: Anna, I have good news and I have bad news. Which do you want to hear first? Anna: The good news. No … okay, the bad news. Caty: The bad news is you are not good at reading the news. Anna: Oh. I am very sorry to hear that. Caty: So, starting next month you will not read the news. Anna: Next month is July. You are firing me in July. Caty: No. I am not firing you in July … or in August or in September. That is the good news. Anna: Okay. You are not firing me. I am not reading the news. What will I be doing? Caty: Well, you are good at asking questions. You are good at talking to people. You are good at showing your feelings. And you are great at being silly. Anna: Thank you, Ms. Weaver. But what does all that mean? Caty: I have a new assignment for you! Your skills are perfect for a new show … a children’s show. Anna: A children’s show ... That is awesome! When do I start? Caty: You start next month. Start thinking of ideas for the show. Anna: I have tons of ideas! I can show children what it’s like in outer space ... Caty: Great … Anna: … or in the deep, dark ocean … Caty: Those are great ideas, Anna. Please go think of more … at your desk. Anna: Yes. What other things can I show them? Mt. Everest!  Everyone has different skills. You have skills. I have skills. The important thing is to know what you are good at. Until next time!   Writing What are your skills? Do you use them at work or at school? Tell us about a couple of skills you have. Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet and practice with a friend.   Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Summarize. In this week's video, you hear Ms. Weaver tell Anna, "Well, you are good at asking questions. You are good at talking to people. You are good at showing your feelings. And you are great at being silly." Anna does not understand why Ms. Weaver is telling her about her skills. She asks, "But what does all that mean?" In answering the question, Ms. Weaver summarizes, "I have a new assignment for you! Your skills are perfect for a new show … a children’s show." When we summarize we tell a story or report on information in fewer words. We tell the most important information and do not include many details. Summarizing helps us remember new information and practice using new words.    How do you summarize when learning English? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.   Quiz ​Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ______________________________________________________________ New Words arrive - v. to come to or reach a place after traveling assignment - n. a job or duty that is given to someone  child - n. a young person (plural: children) closed - adj. not operating or open to the public deep - adj. having a large distance to the bottom from the surface or highest point everyone - pron. every person; everybody fire - v.  to dismiss (someone) from a job idea - n. a thought, plan, or suggestion about what to do mean - v.  to cause or result in (something) month - n. any one of the 12 parts into which the year is divided Mt. Everest - n. a mountain in Asia; it is the highest mountain in the world ocean - n. the salt water that covers much of the Earth's surface other - adj. used to refer to the one person or thing that remains or that has not been mentioned outer space - n. the region beyond the Earth's atmosphere in which there are stars and planets perfect - adj. having all the qualities you want in that kind of person or situation silly - adj. playful or funny skill - n. an ability to do something that comes from training, experience, or practice ton n. informal: a large amount; in the US, a ton is a unit for measuring weight that equals 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) ______________________________________________________________ Free Materials   Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice describing people.     For Teachers See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Which as an adjective alone and with pronouns; Adjectives next and every Topics: Saying the months of the year; Talking about seasons and activities​ Learning Strategy: Summarize Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Using which and which one to offer a choice; using every and next with time expressions; Pronunciation of February ______________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson. Special request to teachers and English learners: As you see in this lesson's video, Anna is going to have a new children's program. What should she call the program? Let us know in the Comments section or by email. We'll send a special thank you to the person who suggests the best name.

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Everyday Grammar: Little vs. A Little, Few vs. A Few

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Young Arabs Support Separation of Islam and Government

  Some young Arabs want Islam, the religion of Muslims, to be separated from politics and governments in Middle Eastern countries. Faisal Saeed Al-Mutar is a writer and humanist. He is a former refugee from Iraq. He created the Global Secular Humanist Movement in 2009 to support human interests and the worth of individuals without relying on religion. He recently spoke to VOA about the importance of supporting those who want religion to be separated from government. “There is a growing number of Arab millennials between 20 and 30 who are advocating for human rights and secular liberal values,” Faisal said. “I think that the United States and the West should stand in solidarity with these people.” Faisal says politics in the Middle East is a problem. He notes that in many Arab countries homosexuals can be executed. He does not believe Islam will accept homosexuality. He says both the Islamic State and Al-Qaida terror groups use their religious beliefs to justify killing homosexuals by throwing them from tall buildings. On his Facebook page, Faisal said if religions do not change to accept homosexual and women’s rights, “then religions need to die, not people.” I’m John Russell.   VOA Correspondent Esha Sarai reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do 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   humanist – adj. a person who believes in a system of values and beliefs that is based on the idea that people are basically good and that problems can be solved using reason instead of religion secular – adj. not spiritual; of or relating to the physical world and not the spiritual world secular humanism – n. humanism viewed as a system of values and beliefs that are opposed to the values and beliefs of traditional religions millennial – adj. a person reaching young adulthood around the year 2000 advocate – v. to support or argue for (a cause, policy, etc.) solidarity – n. a feeling of unity between people who have the same interests, goals, etc. justify – v. to provide a good reason for the actions of (someone)      

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Growing Tensions in Rebel Village in China

  Officials in southern China this week publicly embarrassed the chief of the village of Wukan before he was to face charges of corruption. At a news conference, the officials showed a video of a confession by Lin Zulian. He is the popular, democratically-elected chief of the fishing village. Lin appears to be reading a statement although his confession was said not to be forced. Lin said, “Given my thin understanding and ignorance of the law, I’ve received huge kickbacks from various infrastructure projects.” He also said he had received payments from property deals. The video was shown to villagers on social media and later broadcast to the public. Lin was sitting in a chair in front of two unnamed people in a padded room. Lin’s wife and other villagers dismissed the confession. She said Lin had been forced to read the statement. “This is to deceive people,” she said, “he is innocent.” Sources in Wukan told VOA that Lin’s wife is seeking help from a lawyer. But it is not clear who might agree to help him. China is said to use confessions to publicly shame people before they face charges in court. Many people in China, and rights activists, believe officials use these videos when they do not have evidence to prove a person’s guilt. Officials also may have other reasons for targeting the person. Lin’s grandson was also questioned. He was released shortly before the confession was released. Rights activists have recorded many examples of Chinese officials using family members to force people to make false confessions. Online commenters voice angers Villagers in Wukan were not the only people who criticized the actions of Chinese officials in the case. Almost 200,000 comments were made on a story about the confession on the popular Chinese online site NetEase. Many of the comments criticized the actions of officials. They questioned the charges and the officials’ use of videotape. One online commentator wrote: “In order to maintain your own supremacy, you (officials) totally ignore law and order and treat it as if it’s nothing and in turn lose all public credibility.” Another person wrote: “Once they say you are guilty, you are guilty.” Tensions in the village increase Villagers had planned to protest at a local government office earlier this week. But the protest was delayed. Officials have continued to arrest members of the village committee. A reporter from Hong Kong was also arrested. Sources told VOA that schoolchildren in Wukan were kept at school until early Tuesday night. Some believe the children -- even the younger ones -- had to sign a document about Lin’s  crimes. One non-governmental worker in Wukan said, “when (they) were contacted by schoolchildren, some villagers went to pick up their kids from school and realized that some students were asked to sign some kind of papers.” The person said, “Many of them refused to sign. Some even burst into tears in class.” Officials have not commented about the reports involving schoolchildren. But officials have said that they will answer any concerns of people in Wukan. They said they will follow the law and will not protect anyone or avoid any investigation. In 2011, people in Wukan stopped anyone from entering the village, and forced local Communist Party leaders to leave. They were angry about what they said was an attempt by officials to steal land. The following year, the Communist government permitted the village to hold elections for the village chief and council. Lin was among those elected. The land dispute has not been resolved. Villagers said Lin’s arrest took place one day before people in Wukan were to gather to talk about the dispute and demand that local officials help them. The city government of Lufeng oversees Wukan. It has promised to resolve the dispute. But it said villagers will have to ask the courts to decide the issue if its efforts do not succeed. I’m Jill Robbins. Correspondents Bill Ide and Joyce Huang reported this story from Beijing. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter 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   Kickbacks –n. a dishonest payment resulting from a business deal Infrastructure –n. the structures and systems needed for a society to work such as roads, ports, electricity systems, etc. Padded –adj. covered in a soft material often to avoid causing injury Shame –v. to disgrace someone to others or publicly Supremacy –n. the state of having power over someone or something Credibility –n. the state of being believable

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Summit Aids Foreign Investment in US

  American Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker says now is a great time to invest in the United States.   She made the comment earlier this week in a speech to an international business gathering in Washington, D.C. Business owners and investors from around the world attend the SelectUSA Investment Summit. Pritzker said the U.S. economy is almost 15 percent larger than it was in 2009. She said 14.5 million more people are now employed. And she said the U.S. economy is growing faster than that of any other nation. President Barack Obama also spoke at the conference Monday. Obama said America leads the world in “cutting-edge manufacturing.” He also said “no other country is home to more foreign direct investment than the United States.” But investing in the U.S. is not always easy. Small and medium-size businesses can find investing in America difficult. Felicia Pullam is the director of outreach for SelectUSA. “When they look at the United States, they see you've got 50 states, plus the territories, and so sometimes they just don’t know where to start. And you know, whenever you invest in a new  country, it's a new country, so it's a foreign system and you need to learn about it. So that's why SelectUSA was created -- to help people understand the system." Pullam said companies can find all the resources about America in one room. One of those companies is 85°C Bakery Café. Gloria Gorden is its human resources director. "The company started in 2004 in Taiwan. As of now we have more than 900 stores in Asia, primarily Taiwan and China. We have 19 stores, as of last Friday, in the U.S., all of which are in California. We are looking to expand out of state toward the end of this year..." Gorden said her company wants to open restaurants in the states of Texas and Washington, as well as in Washington D.C. and New York City. She said opening in California was hard because of its many business rules. She said she wished the company had done more research about starting a business there. Taner Basaga is the general manager of flooring manufacturer Yildiz Entegre USA. He said his company has been in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Alabama for about six years. He said it hopes to build more factories in other parts of America. Basaga said getting started in the United States was easy for his company. He said “we came with capital, [and] we did a …study.” Basaga had advice for companies wishing to come to America. In his words, “spend a lot of time and try to understand the country first.” Not every company that attended the conference is established in the U.S. Xanga and InnovAir is a real estate, marketing and development company based in Hungary. Nándor Nagy told VOA that his company wants to open offices in the U.S. He described America as “a big market with great possibilities and strong rule of law.” He said that, after the conference, he was going to search for places to establish a factory in the U.S. The “unbeatable” South Many foreign investors go to the better-known U.S. cities, such as New York, Washington, Chicago and San Francisco. Gene Stinson is president of the Southern Economic Development Council. He was at the meeting to sell the “unbeatable potential” of doing business in 17 southern U.S. states. "All of the critical components of doing business: transportation costs, energy, labor, all of those, as a rule, are less in our region than in other parts of the U.S." This was the third SelectUSA Investment Summit. The number of foreign investors in attendance has increased each year. American business people from every state and two territories also attended.   The Commerce Department reports that, as of 2013, American affiliates of foreign companies directly employed 6.1 million people in the U.S. I’m Caty Weaver.   Mariama Diallo wrote this story for VOA News. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver 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   cutting-edge – n. the newest and most advanced area of activity in an art, business or science outreach – n. the activity or process of bringing information or services to people capital – n. money and property that is used to start or operate a business potential – n. an ability that someone has that can be developed to help that person become successful affiliate – n. an organization that is a member of a larger organization

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The Real McCoy

  Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories. Each week, we tell the story of words and expressions used in American English. Our expression today is “the real McCoy.” If a person tells you that something is "the real McCoy,” they are telling you that it is the real thing. It is not a copy or replacement. There is nothing false about “the real McCoy.” And, not only is it the real thing, it is the best version that exists. As usual, word experts do not agree on how this expression came into common use. A popular belief is that it is connected to Charles “Kid” McCoy, a famous boxer of the past. During the 1800s, he was a one-time world champion. His real name was Norman Selby. Word historians also cannot agree on which Selby story is the origin of “the real McCoy.” One explanation goes like this: McCoy was having a drink in a bar with a woman friend. As the story goes, a man at the bar insulted McCoy by calling him a liar. He said he was not the famous prize-fighter. So, McCoy knocked him out with one hit. When the man came to his senses he called out, “That was the real McCoy!” The second version of the Kid McCoy story is much less flattering to the boxer.   McCoy was accused of throwing many fights. To throw a fight means to lose on purpose for money. So, sportswriters would ask, “Who is going to show up for the boxing match? The boxer who throws the fight or the real McCoy?” However, there are other explanations for “the real McCoy.” One story takes us back to the days of Prohibition in the United States (1920-1933). During this time, it was illegal to sell alcohol. That, however, did not stop people from selling it. And many people sold low quality alcohol. As this story goes, there was one dealer who was honest. His name was Bill -- you guessed it -- McCoy. He refused to sell bad alcohol. Over time, his product became recognized as the best. It was called “the real McCoy.” The expression made it through the days of Prohibition and soon became a general term. But not so fast. Yet another possible explanation is from Canada. Canadian inventor Elijah McCoy made a successful machine for keeping train engines running smoothly. He patented his design in 1872. But that did not stop others from copying it. These copies were all inferior, or not as good. So, railroad engineers would request the patented design by name. They wanted “the real McCoy” system for their trains.  Similar expressions include “the real deal” and the “genuine article.” The adjective honest-to-goodness means the same thing. Now, let’s hear these expression used in a short dialogue. "Wow, is your computer the new Banana Book Pro 5000?" "You bet it is. It is the real McCoy. And it should be. I paid enough for it!" "I’m afraid to ask … but how much did it cost?" "More than $2,000." "That is a lot of money. But like you said it’s the genuine article." "Yep, you get what you pay for. There are many copies out there. So, you have to be careful." "Absolutely. The only way to really buy the Banana Book Pro is at the Banana store. That is where you bought it, isn’t it?" "No. I bought it from a guy selling them out of his car. But he promised that it was an honest-to-goodness Banana Book Pro. He showed me the paperwork and everything." "Well, then. I’m sure it’s the real deal. Do you mind if I see the … uh oh, sorry, the logo just fell off. It’s a good thing you have the paperwork."   Is the Banana Book Pro the real McCoy? We may never know. And we may never know which story, if any of them, truly explains “the real McCoy.” But from the Real McCoy of English learning media, I’m Anna Matteo, VOA Learning English.   Which is your favorite explanation for the phrase “the real McCoy”? Do you have a similar expression in your language? Let us know in the Comments Section. We look forward to hearing from you! Anna Matteo wrote this story. Caty Weaver was the editor. The song at the end is Frank Sinatra singing, "At Long Last Love."  _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   to knock out – v. to defeat (a boxing opponent) by a knockout came to his senses – v. to recover consciousness; idiomatic phrase to begin to think in a sensible or correct way after being foolish or wrong flattering – v. to show as favorably (in a good light) as possible patented – v. to possess the legal right to be the only one to make or sell an invention inferior – adj. of poor quality; low or lower in quality authentic – adj. real; not copied or false genuine article – phrase a person or thing considered to be an authentic and excellent example of their kind logo – n. a symbol or sign that is used to identify a company and that appears on its products

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