Solar Plant to Launch at Chernobyl Nuclear Site

  Thirty years after the world’s worst nuclear disaster, Chernobyl is about to become a solar farm. Officials in Ukraine plan to build a solar energy plant at the Chernobyl nuclear site. The announcement comes during the week of the 31st anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The Chernobyl accident occurred on April 26, 1986. The incident would become the world's worst nuclear accident.  32 people died and dozens of others suffered painful radiation burns. Until recently, the government of Ukraine has largely ignored the area. Ostap Semerak is Ukraine’s minister of ecology. He spoke with VOA about the planned solar project. "Today, almost a year after we have started the work, I can announce the first private investment project working in the Chernobyl zone to build a small solar energy plant.” Semerak says more than 50 national and international companies have expressed interest in building the solar plant. He adds that when completed, the project will produce about half the power produced by the Chernobyl nuclear plant. "We have received over 50 applications from companies of various sizes. Cumulatively, those would be enough to produce 2.5 gigawatts of power, which would be 2,500 megawatts. This is comparable to the output by two units of a nuclear power plant. This is about half the capacity which the Chernobyl power plant had before the disaster." Officials expect to complete the solar plant project in May. I’m Jonathan Evans. Oksana Ligostova and Ruslan Deynychencko reported this story for VOA. Jonathan Evans adapted the report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in this Story capacity – n. the amount of something that can be produced or managed by a factory, company, etc. ecology – n. a science that deals with the relationships between groups of living things and their environments

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United Airlines Announces New Policies After Multiple Problems

  This is What’s Trending Today. David Dao, a doctor from Kentucky, was dragged off a United Airlines flight earlier this month. Videos taken by other passengers showed blood coming from his mouth, and the news of the incident made headlines around the world.  Then, just this week, a large rabbit died after being flown from Heathrow Airport in London to Chicago. The rabbit was only 10 months old, in good health, and almost one meter long. Its father is certified by the Guinness World Records as the world’s longest at 1.22 meters. A farmer from the U.S. state of Iowa purchased the rabbit and hoped to show it off at the upcoming state fair. He thought the young rabbit might grow larger than its father.  In late March, United also received some bad publicity when two girls were stopped from getting on a plane. The airline said they were not wearing clothes the airline considered suitable. Now, the airline has created or updated new policies, which could prevent some of the problems from happening in the future. United’s CEO, Oscar Munoz, said “our policies got in the way of our values” and that “procedures” prevented employees from “doing what’s right.” After Dao was injured while being taken off the plane, many airline industry experts said the problem could have been prevented if United had offered passengers more money to leave their seats. One of the new policies is that United can offer people up to $10,000 to leave their seat if the flight has too many passengers. In the past, the incentive was based on the value of the ticket. United also said it will not prevent people from flying if they are already seated on the plane. Security or police officers will only be used if the passenger is creating a safety or security problem. Other parts of the plan include allowing airline workers to solve problems in the moment instead of relying on strict guidelines. The workers will be trained to deal with difficult situations like the one they faced on the flight from Chicago to Kentucky. In addition, the airline will give passengers whose bags have been permanently lost, $1,500 without asking for details of the contents. The man who bought the large rabbit, however, said he has not been offered money for his loss. Many people think the moves will be good for the airline. Reuters news agency reports Dao “applauds” the airline for the changes. On Thursday he also accepted a settlement with the airline for his treatment earlier this month. That means he and his lawyer will not pursue a public lawsuit. Others on social media are now saying they might just buy a ticket on a United flight if they might receive $10,000 for leaving a flight. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Anna Mateo.   Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on reports by the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor.   ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   fair – n. a large public event at which there are various kinds of competitions, games, rides, and entertainment publicity – n. attention that is given to someone or something by newspapers, magazines, television news programs, etc. procedure – n. a series of actions that are done in a certain way or order : an established or accepted way of doing something incentive – n. something that encourages a person to do something or to work harder applause – n. show of approval or appreciation at a play, speech, sporting event, etc., in which people strike their hands together over and over settlement – n. a formal agreement or decision that ends an argument or dispute  

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Who Are the Civilians Living in Refugee Camps?

American researcher Kenneth Miller has been working with victims of war for more than 25 years. Miller is a trained psychologist. In school, he studied the mind and human behavior. He says most of what has been written about war over the years tells about soldiers and their experiences. But very little, he thought, was ever written about civilians. So he decided to write a book. His book, War Torn: Stories of Courage, Love and Resilience, describes the experiences of several civilians, including refugees. Miller wrote about people like 31-year-old Mustafa Hamed, a Syrian refugee who today lives in Germany. Hamed tried to cross the border between Syria and Turkey eight times, but was always stopped and sent home. On the ninth try, he made it. Now, Hamed is working hard to make a life for himself in Germany, but it is not easy. “The most important thing is you are lost here. You have to find a new job, new friends and you have to find a new life. So this is a new start for me.” His dream is to get a job in the news media. But first, he has to overcome some of the bad memories he has of living in Aleppo, one of the cities most affected by the war in Syria. Hamed has bad dreams, and remembers bombs exploding nearby. “You can imagine it was daily, and you can hear every night, bombing someplace near you — maybe for just two kilometers [away]. The electricity was cut down for a long time. So, you have to wait for seven or eight hours just to charge your mobile phone.” The new book also tells about an Afghan man named Samad Khan. He was a refugee in the 1980s. At the time, Afghanistan was in the middle of a conflict involving pro-government fighters, forces from the Soviet Union, and rebels known as mujahedeen. While driving on a mountain road, Khan had a terrible accident. Many members of his family died in the crash. Khan felt guilty about the traffic accident for a long time. But many years later he felt better. He became a leader in his community and seemed happy. Khan told Kenneth Miller about the accident during a counseling session. Miller could not believe Khan had recovered so well from such a bad experience. He said that his family, friends and belief in God helped him get better. Miller said he included Khan’s story because it seemed to have a lot in common with other refugees from around the world. “We are more alike than we are different. And his story also captures something we see in a lot of refugee communities. Which is, war, of course, can be devastating, but we are also built to heal. If the conditions are supportive and safe and stable, people have a remarkable capacity to be resilient and to heal." Miller also wrote about a young man, Emilio, who settled in Canada. He was forced out of Guatemala because of fighting in a village close to where he grew up. He and his family fled the country and went to a refugee camp in Mexico. Emilio now works as a musician, and is “doing wonderfully well” because of the support he received from his family, Miller said. Along with family support, Miller identified ways to help refugees feel comfortable in their new surroundings. He said the refugees need to feel welcome, be offered training in the local language and be given financial support or a chance to work. If they face discrimination, it will be harder for them to become part of a new society. "The more people feel marginalized and discriminated (against), of course the harder it is for them to integrate and the harder it is for them to heal." I’m Dan Friedell. Faiza Elmasry wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Would you like to learn more stories about refugees and migrants? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story psychologist – n. a specialist in the mind and behavior courage – n. the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous resilience – n. the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens devastate – v. to destroy much or most of (something); to cause great damage or harm to (something) remarkable – adj. unusual or surprising; likely to be noticed comfortable – adj. not causing any physically unpleasant feelings; producing physical comfort session – n. a meeting or series of meetings; a period set aside for an activity  

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Holocaust Artifacts and Stories Preserved at New Center

Louise Lawrence-Israels did not own many things during the three years she spent hiding from Nazis in Amsterdam, but she did possess a small toy chair.  It was a gift for her second birthday, and it meant everything to Lawrence-Israels. She kept it her entire time in hiding, not far from the house where Anne Frank wrote in her diary. Now, this chair is joining thousands of other artifacts at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's new conservation and research center.  The center opened on Monday, the annual Memorial Day for the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany during World War II. Donating the chair was not easy for Lawrence-Israels, who is now 75 years old.  "It was a big thing for me to actually give the chair,” she said.  "A lot of people can look at it and see how it was for a little child in hiding." More than 20 other Holocaust survivors joined Lawrence-Israels for the center's opening. The David and Fela Shapell Family Collections, Conservation and Research Center is in Washington, D.C.  It is a large, modern building with space for documents and artifacts, and a lot of room to grow. The artifacts at the center are kept in eight climate-controlled rooms in a building designed to survive weather storms. The collection includes many artifacts of everyday objects, from children's toys and clothes to sewing machines used in concentration camps. Travis Roxlau, director of collections services, said center officials have spent 25 years gathering the items. "We collect stories, and all of the objects that go along with those stories, because as the surviving generation passes on, these are going to be the objects that are left to help us tell the history of the Holocaust," Roxlau said. For the survivors, they feel that protecting this collection of artifacts is important for preserving the reality of the Holocaust. "I think the most important thing is to make sure that the memory of the Holocaust isn't forgotten," said 75-year-old Alfred Munzer.  Munzer donated a silver teething ring, which was with him at the age of nine months, when he was hiding with a Dutch-Indonesian family in the Netherlands in 1942. He also donated two small pictures of him that his mother kept hidden while she was in concentration camps. According to Munzer, who currently lives in Washington, D.C., the center and its artifacts will serve "as a lesson to the world as to where hate can lead to." The other Holocaust survivors are “not going to be here forever,” said Lawrence-Israels.  “Once we're not here anymore the museum and this institution will speak for us.” She added, “This is the only evidence that we leave behind, and with the climate today it's important that people see that this was real," she said. Researchers will be able to use the materials in the center. A reading room will open in the next year. The museum also is in the process of making documents and images available online. I’m Phil Dierking.   ­­­­­­­­­­­­This story was originally written for Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. Do you think people’s artifacts should be preserved in a museum, or should they stay with the owner?  We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________ Words in This Story artifact – n. a simple object, such as a tool or weapon, that was made by people in the past​ concentration camps – n.  a type of prison where large numbers of people who are not soldiers are kept during a war and are usually forced to live in very bad conditions​ climate-controlled – adj. another term for air conditioning​ diary – n. a book in which you write down your personal experiences and thoughts each day​ holocaust – n. the killing of millions of Jews and other people by the Nazis during World War II​ institution – n. an established organization​ preserve – v.  to keep something in its original state or in good condition​

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News Words: Euphoria

Learn the meaning of euphoria in this week's News Words!

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April 27, 2017

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

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31 Years Later, Chernobyl Disaster Remembered

Thirty-one years ago this week, the world eyes focused on the Ukrainian city of Chornobyl, where the world's worst nuclear accident was contaminating large swaths of what was then called the Soviet Union. Three years ago, VOA's Steve Herman visited the area, photographing monuments and artifacts near the Chernobyl reactor site.

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America's President - James Polk

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Short Supply of Drug Leads to Hurried Executions in Arkansas

  The U.S. state of Arkansas has put three people to death in less than a week and another execution is planned for Thursday. Two of the prisoners were executed Monday – the first double execution to be carried out in the southern U.S. state in 17 years.   Officials in Arkansas recently announced plans to execute eight inmates over the course of four days by the end of April. Four of the planned executions have been blocked by legal action. The reason for so many executions in a short time is the state is running out of a drug used to carry out death sentences. The shelf life of the drug, called midazolam, is set to end at the end of April. Midazolam is one of three drugs used in a combination to carry out lethal injections in Arkansas. The drug is usually used by doctors to relax people and treat anxiety. In executions, it is used for the same purpose and is the first drug administered. The second drug, pancuronium bromide, is used to paralyze the body and stop breathing, while a third, potassium chloride, is given to stop the heart. State officials have said it is unclear when they would be able to replace the current supply of the drug for future executions. Megan McCracken is a lawyer and lethal injection expert at the Death Penalty Clinic at the University of California at Berkeley Law School. She says planning so many executions in such a short time opens up many possibilities for dangerous mistakes to happen. “To schedule two executions back-to-back four times in a very short amount of time just loads all the pressure into this very tight time frame. Really increasing the risk of mistakes and errors, and needlessly upping all of that pressure and risk.” McCracken noted that the last time a state tried to execute two prisoners on the same night, one of the attempts ended up in a botched procedure. That execution involved the use of midazolam during a lethal injection execution in the state of Oklahoma in 2014. Officials admitted later that people performing the execution felt hurried in the procedure to get it done quickly and made mistakes. McCracken said she does not think Arkansas state officials had a good reason to plan eight executions over a period of a few days. “The schedule was made based on the expiration date of the drug, which should not be the driving force for planning.” The main reason for a shortage of execution drugs in Arkansas – as well as many other states - is because most manufacturers do not want their drugs used to kill people. Many companies have requested that states do not use their drugs for this purpose. Some have even taken legal action in a bid to force states not to use their drugs for executions. McCracken says some states have passed laws keeping their source of execution drugs secret in order to avoid protests by companies and the public. She said the problem with this is that it “takes away a level of oversight and accountability.” She added that a problem with the three-drug method is that it creates a paralyzed state in which prisoners cannot really show any signs of trouble during the execution process. “Once that prisoner is paralyzed, it’s impossible to see if he or she is conscious, suffering, struggling, in pain, etc. So no matter what, everything is going to look like it is going fine.” Lethal injection is by far the most common method of execution in the United States. Some states also use electrocution, gas chamber, hanging or firing squad.  Overall, the number of executions and level of support for the death penalty has dropped greatly over the past two decades. There were 20 executions carried out in the United States in 2016, the lowest level recorded in any year since 1991. This is half the number in 1996, and nearly five times lower than in 1999. Robert Dunham is the executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington. He said a drop in support for executions has been seen among all demographics, as well as across political and religious groups. However, public opinion surveys have shown that about 49 percent of Americans still favor the death penalty, while 42 percent oppose it. Dunham added that since 1973, 158 people have been released from death sentences after new evidence proved they were wrongly convicted. He said most research does not show clear evidence that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder. America’s death penalty has been criticized by some countries and international activist groups for being a violation of human rights. Dunham said this can lead U.S. diplomats to face questions on the issue when in discussions with other countries. “When the United States has sought to get other countries to address human rights violations in their borders, the response that diplomats have frequently received is, ‘Well when you stop executing people, we will maybe listen to you.” I’m Bryan Lynn.   Bryan Lynn reported this story for VOA Learning English, with additional material from VOA News, the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on the death penalty and the methods used to carry it out? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   shelf-life – n. length of time something remains usable lethal injection – n. shot administered as a means of carrying out the death penalty  anxiety – n. feeling of nervousness or worry botch – v. do something badly due to carelessness of lack of skill accountability – n. required to be responsible for something paralyzed – adj. unable to move or feel part of the body conscious – adj. to be awake and aware of things around you electrocution – n. method of killing by electric shock chamber – n. room used for a specific purpose deterrent – n. something that makes someone decided not to do something  

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Facebook Developer Conference: Improving on Reality

Last week, we reported about Facebook’s efforts to develop a system to permit people to type “directly with their brains.” Such technology could help hundreds of millions of people who cannot read or write get their thoughts in print. It could also make communication easier for people with limited movement ability. The possibility is interesting. But it is far from the only plan announced last week at the Facebook’s developers' conference, or F8. Facebook officials also offered similarly wild ideas. How about technology that permits you to hear with your skin instead of your ears, for example. Or maybe you would be more into a system that lets you playing games and visiting your friends in augmented and virtual reality. Facebook says it plans to make these activities a reality within the next 10 years. Or not. Not every Facebook venture is a success. You do not see many Facebook phone users, for example. Hearing with your skin Some day we may tell our grandchildren that we used to hear through our ears. That is because Facebook might make it possible for use to hear through our skin. This technology could help people with limited or no hearing ability. Facebook hopes to have your skin hear the same way your ears hear. The company says one test subject was able to hear nine words through her skin. Facebook augmented reality Facebook wants to improve your reality by adding to it through the use of special glasses. The glasses are designed to show users things that are not physically present. You could be sitting in your living room, looking at an empty table, then put on Facebook glasses and see a chess set on that table. You and a friend could play chess on that set using Facebook glasses, as if you were sitting across the table from each other.             You could also control what your friends are seeing when you live stream video to them on Facebook Live. Add an image of a cup of coffee to your table. Make it steaming hot. Then, add a second cup so you do not look as if you are alone.                           Facebook says you will be able to add frames, sports equipment, drawings and more to your videos and photos. It says you could even create your own frames to share. Facebook Spaces - Virtual Reality Facebook Spaces is a new virtual reality tool designed to let users hang out with their friends around the world, as if they are together in the same place. Spaces will use avatars people create from a photo of themselves on Facebook. These avatars will appear in Spaces so you can hang out with kind of a cartoon version of your friends.               You view Spaces through a virtual reality viewer and can invite others via Facebook Messenger. Spaces lets you visit with your friends in virtual places around the world. A video shows how Spaces lets friends get together in virtual worlds. I’m Caty Weaver. Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Catherine Kelly Weaver was the editor. Would you like to type using your mind instead of your hands or voice? Would you try hearing with your skin? Would you like to hang out with your friends in augmented or virtual reality? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   augmented reality - n. an enhanced version of reality created by the use of technology to add digital information on an image of something virtual reality - n. the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment​ venture - n. a new activity, project, business, etc., that typically involves risk​ implant - n. something placed in a person's body by means of surgery​ scan - v. to look at the inside of (something) by using a special machine​ convenience - n. something (such as a device) that makes you more comfortable or allows you to do things more easily random - adj. chosen, done, etc., without a particular plan or pattern decode - v. to change signals for a radio, television, etc., to a form that can be heard or seen correctly grandchild - n. a child of your son or daughter​ glasses - n. a pair of glass or plastic lenses set into a frame and worn over the eyes to help a person see​ chess set - n. a chess board and a set of chess pieces live stream - v. transmit or receive live video and audio coverage of (an event) over the Internet avatar - n. a small picture that represents a computer user in a game, on the Internet, etc.​ cartoon - n. a design, drawing, or painting made by an artist of a model, often in a humorous way​

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Small Businesses in US Struggle to Find Workers

In many areas of the United States, tourist season lasts less than half the year. Businesses that operate only a few months out of the year say they make most of their profit when tourists visit, called “peak season.” The owners of many of these businesses say they are unable to get Americans to work for them. That is probably because the wages are low and the work is temporary and mostly unskilled. Many of these jobs are in restaurants and hotels. Many years ago, American teenagers filled these positions. But fewer do so now and they are only available for three months during the summer. In many tourist areas of the country, there also are few young people. Many people have retired and do not want to work anymore. So these businesses depend on foreign workers. These workers are permitted to come to the United States and work using an H2B temporary visa. This year, however, the limit on H2B visas has been reached. And some employers are worried that they will not be able to continue operations. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said the H2B program hurts the “wages and job opportunities of American workers.” However, before he was president, Donald Trump employed H2B workers at his golf club in Florida. VOA recently went to the coast of the eastern state of Massachusetts, where spring and summer arrive later than in other parts of the country. Jane Nichols Bishop operates an employment company. She helps business owners find workers from places such as Jamaica and the Philippines. She says without these workers, it is difficult for some companies to care for their customers. “Who’s going to make the beds, clean the bathrooms, serve the food, cook the food, do the dishes? There isn’t anyone here to do it -- not enough, anyway.” Bishop submitted 171 applications for businesses for H2B workers. Only 24 were approved before the limit on the number of such visas was reached. She says, she is bringing just 300 H2B workers to the area instead of 3,000. Allen Sylvester operates American Tent and Table, a company owned by his family. He says the company earns 80 to 90 percent of its profits in five months during the spring and summer. That is when many outdoor weddings take place. He employs 7 to 8 Americans and 13 H2B visa workers. He says it is difficult to find Americans willing to work for just five months of the year. He says the lack of American workers, and the lower number of H2B visa holders, may cause his yearly revenue to fall by up to 20 percent. He says it is difficult to hire foreign workers. “There’s a stack of paperwork like this you have to fill out. It’s nothing anyone would do -- I would say anyone who’s smart enough to own their own business wouldn’t be dumb enough to use the H2B program to fill their employees if there was another way to do it.” Before companies can hire foreign workers using the H2B visa program, they must show that they have first tried to hire Americans. Jim Underdah is the general manager of the Coonamessett Inn. He says problems with the system has caused a delay in the arrival of the workers. As a result, he says businesses like his have decided to employ full-time workers even when travelers are not visiting. Businesses call this the off-season. “I don’t want to lose those employees, so I have people in the kitchen that we work 40 hours for the winter, so they’re not going to leave me. They’re gonna say ‘Hey, they’re treating us good.’ They’re going to be here this spring. They’re going to get me through.” If the businesses are not able to find more workers, they may have to open later, reduce services or change the way they operate. Businesses in the state of Maine, just north of Massachusetts, are also having problems finding workers. The state, which calls itself “Vacationland,” needs thousands of foreign workers every summer. Greg Dugal is the president of the Maine Innkeepers and Restaurants Association. He told WCSH-TV that businesses in the state may only get one-third of the 3,000 workers with H2B visas that they have asked for. Businesses hope Congress will make changes to the H2B program to expand the number of foreign workers permitted before April 28th as part of federal budget legislation. Currently, the program permits 66,000 foreign workers to come to the U.S. with H2B visas. The limit was reached in March. Some bills being proposed would permit workers who are returning to some jobs to not be counted in the 66,000 worker limit. If the legislation is approved, as many as 264,000 H2B workers could be filling jobs in the U.S. this year. I’m Jonathan Evans.   VOA Correspondent Ramon Taylor reported this story from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for VOA 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   tourist season – n. a time of year in which people travel to a place to have fun and enjoy themselves peak – adj. the highest point, the period with the most of something tourist – n. a person who travels for pleasure customers – n. people who buy goods or services applications – n. a formal written request for something such as a permit, job or admission to a school revenue – n. money paid to a business or organization stack – n. an orderly pile of something such as papers or other things

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