voa英语
VOA特别英语1500词汇
A.accept - v. to aGREe to receive 接受accident - n. something that happens by chance or mistake; an unplanned event 事故accuse - v. to say a person is responsible for an act or crime; to make a statementagainst someone 指责activist - n. one who seeks change through action 激进分⼦administration - n. the executive part of a government, usually headed by apresident or prime minister 政府admit - v. to accept ("admitted to the United Nations"); to express one's guilt or responsibility ("He admitted that what he did was wrong.") 承认adult - n. a grown person 成⼈advise - v. to help with information, knowledge or ideas in making a decision 建议affect - v. to produce an effect on; to influence ("A lack of sleep affected the singer's performance.") 影响agency - n. an organization that is part of a larger group ("an agency of the United Nations") 机构agGREssion - n. an attack against a person or country; the violation of a country'sborders 侵略agriculture - n. farming 农业air force - n. a military organization using airplanes 空军album - n. a collection of recorded music 歌集alcohol - n. a strong, colorless liquid, usually made from grain, used as a drug or in industrial products 酒精ally - n. a nation or person joined with another for a special purpose 联合体ambassador - n. a nation's highest diplomatic representative (to anothergovernment) ⼤使amend - v. to add to or to change (a proposal or law) 修正ammunition - n. the bullets or shells fired from guns 弹药anarchy - n. a lack of order; lawlessness ⽆政府状态ancestor - n. a family member from the past 祖先ancient - ad. very old; long ago 远古的anniversary - n. a yearly celebration or observance of an event that happened in thepast 周年announce - v. to make known publicly; to declare officially 宣布apologize - v. to express reGREt for a mistake or accident for which one accepts responsibility 致歉appeal - v. to take to a higher court, person or group for a decision; to call onsomebody for help 上诉；呼吁appear - v. to show oneself; to come into sight; to seem 出现appoint - v. to name; to choose ("appoint a judge") 任命approve - v. to aGREe with; to agree to support 赞成archeology - n. the scientific study of past human life and activities 考古学argue - v. to offer reasons for or against something; to dispute; to disaGREe 争论arms - n. military equipment; weapons 兵器arrest - v. to seize a person for legal action; to take as a prisoner 逮捕artillery - n. big guns 炮assist - v. to help 帮助astronaut - n. a person who travels in space 宇航员astronomy - n. the scientific study of stars and the universe 天⽂学asylum - n. political protection given by a government to a person from anothercountry 政治庇护atmosphere - n. the gases surrounding any star or planet ⼤⽓层attach - v. to tie together; to connect 系上；连接attack - n. a violent attempt to damage, injure or kill; v. to start a fight 袭击attempt - v. to work toward something; to try; to make an effort 尝试attend - v. to be present at 出席automobile - n. a vehicle with wheels used to carry people; a car 汽车average - n. something (a number) representing the middle; ad. common; normal 平均，平常avoid - v. to stay away from 避免award - n. an honor or prize for an act or service 奖励Bbalance - v. to make two sides or forces equal 平衡balloon - n. a device of strong, light material that rises when filled with gas lighterthan air ⽓球ballot - n. a piece of paper used for voting 选票ban - v. to not permit; to stop; n. an official restriction 禁⽌bar - v. to prevent or block 禁⽌，阻碍barrier - n. anything that blocks or makes an action difficult 障碍base - n. a military center 军营 ; v. to establish as a fact 基于 ("Her research was based on experiments.") battle - n. a fight between opposing armed forces 战⽃beat - v. to hit again and again 击打betray - v. to turn against; to be false to 背叛bill - n. a legislative proposal 议案biology - n. the scientific study of life or living things in all their forms ⽣物学blame - v. to accuse; to hold responsible 责备block - v. to stop something from being done; to prevent movement 堵塞，阻碍bomb - n. a device that explodes with GREat force 炸弹 ; v. to attack or destroy with bombs 炸弹袭击border - n. a dividing line between nations 边界boycott - v. to refuse to take part in or deal with 联合抵制brief - ad. short; not long 简短的broadcast - v. to send information, stories or music by radio or television; n. a radioor television program ⼴播brown - ad. having the color like that of coffee 褐⾊的budget - n. a spending plan 预算bullet - n. a small piece of metal shot from a gun ⼦弹burst - v. to break open suddenly 爆裂business - n. one's work; buying and selling to earn money; trade ⼯作，商业Ccabinet - n. a group of ministers that helps lead a government 内阁camp - n. a place with temporary housing 露营campaign - n. a competition by opposing political candidates seeking support from voters; a connected series of military actions during a war 活动cancel - v. to end; to stop 取消cancer - n. a disease in which dangerous cells grow quickly and destroy parts of the body 癌症candidate - n. a person who seeks or is nominated for an office or an honor 候选⼈capitalism - n. an economic system in which the production of most goods andservices is owned and operated for profit by private citizens or companies 资本主义capture - v. to make a person or animal a prisoner; to seize or take by force; to get control of 捕获case (court) - n. a legal action 案例case (medical) - n. an incident of disease ("There was only one case of chicken poxat the school.") 病例cause - v. to make happen; n. the thing or person that produces a result 导致ceasefire - n. a halt in fighting, usually by aGREement 停⽕协议celebrate - v. to honor a person or event with special activities 庆祝ceremony - n. an act or series of acts done in a special way established by tradition 仪式chairman - n. a person leading a meeting or an organized group 主席champion - n. the best; the winner 冠军charge - v. to accuse someone of something, usually a crime 控诉 ; n. a statement in which someone is accused of something 指控chase - v. to run or go after someone or something 追逐cheer - v. to shout approval or praise 欢呼chemicals - n. elements found in nature or made by people; substances used in the science of chemistry 化学物质chemistry - n. the scientific study of substances, what they are made of, how theyact under different conditions, and how they form other substances 化学chief - n. the head or leader of a group ⾸领 ; ad. leading; most important 主要的civilian - ad. not military 平民civil rights - n. the political, economic and social rights given equally to all people ofa nation 公民权⼒claim - v. to say something as a fact 声明clash - n. a battle 冲突 ; v. to fight or oppose 发⽣冲突clergy - n. a body of officials within a religious organization 神职⼈员climate - n. the normal weather conditions of a place ⽓候coal - n. a solid black substance used as fuel 煤coalition - n. forces, groups or nations joined together 联盟coast - n. land on the edge of the ocean 海岸colony - n. land controlled by another country or government 殖民地combine - v. to mix or bring together 联合，结合command - v. to order; to have power over something 命令comment - v. to say something about; to express an opinion about something 评论committee - n. a group of people given special work 委员会communicate - v. to tell; to give or exchange information 交流，通信community - n. a group of people living together in one place or area 社区compare - v. to examine what is different or similar 对⽐compete - v. to try to do as well as, or better than, another or others 竞争complex - ad. of or having many parts that are difficult to understand; not simple 复杂的compromise - n. the settlement of an argument where each side aGREes to acceptless than first demanded 折衷concern - n. interest, worry ("express concern about") ; v. to fear ("to be concerned") 关注，关⼼condemn - v. to say a person or action is wrong or bad 遣责condition - n. something declared necessary to complete an aGREement 条件 ; a person's health ⾝体状况conference - n. a meeting 会议confirm - v. to approve; to say that something is true 确定conflict - n. a fight; a battle, especially a long one 冲突congratulate - v. to praise a person or to express pleasure for success or good luck 祝贺ConGREss - n. the organization of people elected to make the laws of the UnitedStates (the House of Representatives and the Senate); a similar organization inother countries 议会conservative - n. one who usually supports tradition and opposes GREat change 保守派constitution - n. the written general laws and ideas that form a nation's system of government 宪法contain - v. to hold; to include 包容container - n. a box, bottle or can used to hold something 容器continent - n. any of the seven GREat land areas of the world ⼤陆control - v. to direct; to have power over 控制convention - n. a large meeting for a special purpose ⼤会cooperate - v. to act or work together 合作court - n. where trials take place; where judges make decisions about law 法院crash - v. to fall violently; to hit with GREat force 碰撞，坠毁create - v. to make; to give life or form to 创造creature - n. any living being; any animal or human ⽣物credit - n. an aGREement that payments will be made at a later time 信⽤crew - n. a group of people working together 全体⼈员crime - n. an act that violates a law 罪⾏。
如何听懂VOA新闻英语
如何听懂VOA新闻英语（From环球网校）很多学英语的同学都喜欢收听VOA、BBC、CNN等英语新闻广播，想以此来提高听力和口语水平，于是每天早上都能看到一些同学拿着收音机在校园里边走边听，有的怕信号不好，还用手把收音机举起来，像个自由女神一样。
其刻苦学习英语的态度令人敬佩，但很多同学都跟我说基本上听不懂，也不知道该怎么听。
这是个非常普遍的问题，也是个比较棘手的问题，有的同学甚至由此产生了对学英语的恐惧。
我认为大可不必这样，其实这些新闻广播是有一些特点的，我们只要掌握这些特点和一些收听技巧，还是能够听懂这些新闻的。
下面我就来具体的谈谈这些特点和技巧。
一、采用主动的、积极的听力方法。
听力分两种方法。
一种是消极的、被动的（passive）听力，这是很多同学都采用的方法，就是试图去听懂每一个单词，采用这种听法最后只有两种可能：要不就是每个单词都听懂了，但是不明白句子的意思，要不就是在一个生词上耽搁太长的时间，导致后面的几句都没有听清楚。
这实际上是一种效果很差的听力方法。
而我给大家推荐的是另一种听力方法，就是主动的、积极的（positive）听力。
这种方法就是要注意把握句子的结构，听懂关键词。
我们来看这样一个句子：Part of the pressure on lawmakers to put stronger protections in defined-contribution and savings plans comes from retiree-advocacy groups such as the American Association of Retired Persons. 这个句子没有什么生僻的单词，但是如果我们试图去听懂每一个单词，而不去把握句子的结构的话，就不能听懂这句话的意思的。
而如果我们找到这个句子的主干：pressure comes from retiree-advocacy groups，就很容易明白这句话的意思了，因为其他的部分都是修饰成分。
voa慢速英语听力原文
美国劳动之歌Most of the world observes Labor Day on May 1. Butthe United States has its workers holiday on the firstMonday in September. Steve Ember and BarbaraKlein have a few songs from the history of theAmerican labor movement.Labor songs are traditionally stories of struggle and pride, of timeless demands for respect and the hopefor a better life.Sometimes they represent old songs with new words. One example is "We Shall Not Be Moved."It uses the music and many of the same words of an old religious song.Here is folksinger Pete Seeger with "We Shall Not Be Moved."Many classic American labor songs came from workers in the coal mines of the South. Mineowners bitterly opposed unions. In some cases, there was open war between labor activistsand coal mine operators.Once, in Harlan County, Kentucky, company police searched for union leaders. They went to oneman's home but could not find him there. So they wai ted outsi de for several days.The coal miner's wife, Florence Reece, remained inside with her children. She wrote this song, "Which Side Are Y ou On?"Again, here is Pete Seeger.Probably the most famous labor songwriter in America was Joe Hill. He was born in Sweden andcame to the United States in the early 1900s. H e worked as an unskilled lab orer.Joe Hill joined the Industrial Workers of the World, known as the Wobblies. More than any otherunion, they used music in their campaigns, urgi ng members to "si ng and fi ght."One of Joe Hill's best-known songs is "Casey Jones." It uses the music from a song about atrain engineer. In the old song, Casey Jones is a hero. He bravely keeps his train running in verydifficult conditions.In Joe Hill's version, Casey Jones is no hero. His train is unsafe. Y et he stays on the job afterother workers have called a strike against the railroad company.Pete Seeger and the Song Swappers sing "Casey Jones (The Union Scab)."Another American labor song is called "Bread and Roses." That term was connected with thewomen's labor movement.The song was based on a poem called "Bread and Roses" by James Oppenheim. The poem waspublished in The American Magazine in December of 1911.The following month there was a famous strike by textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts.They won higher pay and better working conditions. Oppenheim's poem gainedmore attention.At that time, conditions in factories were already a national issue. In 1911, a fire at a clothingfactory in New Y ork had taken the lives of 146 people. The victims were mostly immigrantwomen.Here is Pat Humphries with "Bread and Roses."Union activists know that labor songs can unite and help people feel strong. This can be trueeven when the music has nothing to do with unions."De Colores" is a popular Spanish folksong. It talks about fields in the spring, little birds,rainbows and the great loves of many colors.This song is popular with supporters of the United Farm Workers union. We listen as BaldemarV elasquez leads the band Aguila Negra in "De Colores."For many years, folksinger Joe Glazer was a union activist with a guitar. He was also a laborhistorian. Labor's Troubadour was the name of a book he about his life. He believed in organized labor and preserving the musical history of the American labor movement. JoeGlazer died in 2006 at the age of 88.Here is Joe Glazer with "Solidarity Forever," written by Ralph Chaplin.From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
VOALearningEnglish英语学习笔记时政短文
1 FromVOA L earni ng En glish, thi s isthe A gricu lture Repo rt.这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
On W orldEnvir onmen t Day in J une,the U nited Nati ons r eport ed at leas t one thir d ofall f ood p roduc ed is wast ed. T he re portcameat atimewhenmanypeopl e are conc erned abou t how to f eed a grow ing w orldpopul ation.联合国在6月的世界环境日报告声称生产出来的食物至少有三分之一被浪费。
报告出台之际正值许多人都在关注如何养活日益增长的世界人口。
In t he Un itedState s, Fa rmers whoare s trugg lingto ea rn mo ney f ind t he si tuati on di fficu lt to deal with. The Unit ed St atesDepar tment of A gricu lture foun d tha t mor e tha n hal f ofthe s mallfarms in C alifo rniado no t mak e a p rofit.在美国，竭力赚钱的农民发现这一情况很难处理。
美国农业部发现，加利福尼亚州一半以上的小型农场赚不到钱。
On e Cal iforn ia fa rm fa milyis us ing s ocial medi a inan ef fortto ch angethe s ituat ion a nd re ducewaste d foo d. Ni ck Pa padop oulos is g enera l man agerof Bl oomfi eld F armsinSo nomaCount y. It wasdiffi cultfor h im to watc h his empl oyees retu rning fromseve ral w eeken d far mer's mark ets w ith t op qu ality unso ld pr oduce.加利福尼亚州一个农场家庭正使用社交媒体，以试图改变这一状况并减少食品浪费。
voa标准英语短波频率
voa标准英语短波频率VOA Standard English Shortwave Frequencies。
VOA, or the Voice of America, is a well-known international broadcaster that provides news and information in a variety of languages. For English speakers around the world, VOA's standard English broadcasts on shortwave frequencies are a valuable source of news, culture, and language learning. In this document, we will explore the standard English shortwave frequencies used by VOA and the importance of these broadcasts for global audiences.Shortwave radio is a popular medium for international broadcasting because it allows signals to travel long distances, making it possible for listeners in different parts of the world to tune in to the same broadcast. VOA's standard English shortwave frequencies are carefully chosen to reach a wide audience and provide reliable reception in various regions.The frequencies used by VOA for its standard English broadcasts on shortwave are as follows:6030 kHz。
VOA慢速英语听力长文
最新VOA慢速英语听力长文现在，使用VOA慢速来练习英语听力的人较多，尤其是英语初学者，认为VOA慢速英语听力材料对于听力英语听力有较大的好处。
接下来，为大家送上一篇最新VOA慢速英语听力长文，希望对大家有用。
In developing countries, attending school can be adaily struggle for some children.They may walk several kilometers to school becausetheir families do not have money to send them on buses or other forms of transportation.With schools far away, and little money to pay for transport costs, parents worry about the safety of their children walking to school.So, a number of parents keep their children at home. Or the child drops out of school: they leave without pleting their studies.These and other barriers to school attendance are the reality for many girls in poor countries.But now, programs in two developing countries are helping to change that. The programs are giving girls “pedal power” -- transportation in the form of bicycles.Power of the pedalRural areas of poor countries often have few secondary schools. So, it is mon for students there to travel great distances to attend classes.Bihar is the poorest state in India. Niy percent of the state’s population lives in rural areas.Until xx, too many teenage girls in Bihar were dropping out of school. For Nahid Farzana, her home was 6 kilometers from school. And, her father did not have money for bus fare, she told the Associated Press.But, that same year, the state government beganoffering bicycles to girls to help them get to school. The program has been so effective that three nearby states are now doing the same.And the results are measurable. A xx study found that giving bicycles to teenage girls in India increased their secondary school enrollment by 30 percent. It also helped many of them stay in school long enough to take their final exams.Western Kenya is experiencing suess with a similar program. Until recently, there was a high risk of localgirls dropping out of school and then being pregnant.Loise Luseno is a 16-year-old girl from Kakamega, Kenya. In the past, she had to walk about 10 kilometers to reach school. Last year, she dropped out temporarily because ofthe distance.Members of her family work as subsistence farmers. They earn just about $30 a month -- not nearly enough for food, school costs and transport.But, a few months ago, Luseno went back to school –this time on a bicycle. Her new form of transportation was provided by World Bicycle Relief, an American-based group.Hurdles for girlsChristina Kwauk is an expert on girls’ education atthe Brookings Institution, a research organization in Washington, D.C.Kwauk recently told VOA that, in many countries, girls face a long list of barriers to school attendance.Sometimes, the issue is that a society has firm ideas about what girls “can and shouldn’t do as they bee young women,” including whether they should receive an education.Luseno experienced this. When girls in her munitywalked to school, motorbike riders would stop them on the road. They would offer the girls rides to school. Then,they would try to persuade the girls to drop out.Kwuak says another reason girls may not attend schoolis their family. Parents might believe that losingchildren’s help at home can cause the family to lose money.For example, a poor farming family grows less food without the help of children. Girls are often expected todo this work. In many cases, those household duties include taking care of younger brothers and sisters.There are also direct financial barriers, says Kwauk, such as school fees, books, and meals. So, in places wherefamilies value boys more than girls, and parents havelittle money, the boys are sent to school.The ups and downsEven with the suess of the bicycles programs, there are still problems.Ainea Ambulwa teaches at the Bukhaywa secondary school in Kakamega, Kenya. He belongs to a bicycle supervisory mittee at the school. He makes sure that the riders are keeping their vehicles in good condition.Ambulwa says defeating poverty remains a difficult issue.He says that some families will put heavy things on the bicycles and then they break down. Because the family lacks the money to have the bike repaired, the girl can no longer get to school.World Bicycle Relief is based in Chicago, Illinois. It provides bicycles through another group: World Vision.In xx, the two groups launched a bicycle production factory in Kisumu, Kenya. The cost of the bicycle is around $180. That is too much money for most families in rural Kenya.But with the help of donors, the program has given away about 7,000 bicycles throughout the country. Most of the people receiving the bikes are girls.Bicycles decrease the safety risks for girls because the girls get to school quicker, Kwauk explains. It also helps parents not to lose work time taking their girls to school.Peter Wechuli, the head of the program in Kenya, says the bikes have improved children's lives. But, he says, the factory was built around 100 kilometers from Kakamega. So, getting the bicycles to needy families can be a problem.Yet Kwauk calls the bicycle programs “very promising” and a low-cost solution. She says many organizations in wealthier countries would be happy to provide this kind of resource.。
VOA慢速英语
How many people died in Sunday's plane crash?
All 157 people on board died
American President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States would ground all Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 planes "effective immediately." The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (or FAA) said in a statement that it "made the decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analyzed today." The agency added, "This evidence, together with newly refined satellite data available to FAA this morning, led to this decision." ground vi. 着陆；搁浅 effective immediately即时生效 refined adj.精确的；site n. 地点；位置；场所 aviation n. 航空；飞行术 Administrationn. 管理；行政；实施；行政机构
VOA英语文本
Top News Stories of Two-Thousand-Four 01-01I'm Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.This week we tell about some of the biggest news stories of two thousand four. We start in Asia, with what is being described as one of the worst natural disasters ever.Last Sunday, huge waves moved across the Indian Ocean and flooded coastal areas across southern and southeast Asia to East Africa. The waves were caused by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, measuring nine on the Richter Scale.The countries hardest hit were Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. More than one hundred thousand people are reported dead. Millions of people have been left homeless.Two thousand four was also filled with news about the war in Iraq and daily reports of violence in the country. Militants increased their attacks against American soldiers, Iraqi police officers and civilians working with the United States. American-led forces battled militants in the cities of Fallujah and Najaf. In May, news organizations around the world reported about the mistreatment of Iraqis by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison.More than one thousand American soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the war began almost two years ago. And the number of Iraqis killed is reportedly many times higher.Terrorism was a top story in other parts of the world. In March, suspected Islamic militants exploded bombs on crowded passenger trains in Madrid, Spain. About two hundred people were killed. Days later, Spanish voters defeated the country's conservative government, which had supported the American-led war in Iraq.In September, armed Chechen militants seized more than one thousand children, parents and teachers in a school in Beslan, Russia. The seizure ended in gunfire and explosions after days of negotiations. More than three hundred people were killed, most of them children.The African nation of Sudan was in the news because of a major humanitarian crisis in the Darfur area. Reports said government-supported Arab militants killed more than seventy thousand people in a two-yearcampaign of violence against black tribal farmers. More than one million people have been displaced from their homes.Two thousand four was also a year of historic political elections. In Afghanistan, voters elected Hamid Karzai in the country's first presidential election. Voters in the United States re-elected George W. Bush after a hard fought presidential campaign against the Democratic Party candidate, John Kerry.And a political crisis eased in Ukraine after the Supreme Court cancelled the election victory of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. The court decided there had been widespread cheating and ordered a new presidential election. Opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko won that election on Sunday and has promised democratic changes in Ukraine.In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Steve Ember.Aid for Tsunami Victims 01--02I'm Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.Kofi Annan says helping survivors of the earthquake and killer waves in the Indian Ocean last week is a race against time. The United Nations secretary-general says countries that have offered aid must hurry and provide it. The offers add up to around four thousand million dollars. United Nations officials say one-fourth of that is needed during the next six months. The concern about offers of international aid is based on history. For example, the earthquake in Bam, Iran, in December of two thousand three killed more than twenty-six thousand people. Countries and groups offered hundreds of millions of dollars worth of assistance. The United Nations says it has confirmed only about seventeen million dollars in aid received so far. Governments and organizations that offered help dispute that, however.On Thursday Mister Annan met with world leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia to discuss aid for victims of the tsunami. The leaders discussed and welcomed the idea of suspending some debt owed by affected nations. But the leaders did not say they would do so. Some said that making direct payments to survivors would be more helpful.The top U.N. aid official, Jan Egeland, has said the number of dead will be "much bigger" than one hundred fifty thousand. The World Health Organization says about a half-million people are injured. Millions more are homeless. TheW.H.O. has called for clean water along with food and medicines needed to help prevent the spread of disease.Australia has offered eight hundred ten million dollars in aid. The European Union says it will provide four hundred sixty-six million dollars in aid. Germany, Japan and the United States follow in their amounts offered. American military forces are also providing services.Representatives of twenty-six countries and international organizations attended the meeting in Jakarta. Officials say they will cooperate to develop a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.A small group of countries including the United States began to direct aid efforts after the events of December twenty-sixth. Now American officials say the group is being suspended so the United Nations can start to take control. The earthquake measured nine on the Richter scale. The quake and resulting waves proved most deadly on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. More than one hundred thousand people are reported dead there.On Friday, American Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed shock at the destruction caused by the earthquake and waves. The same day, Kofi Annan flew by helicopter over western Sumatra and visited Meulaboh. About four thousand bodies were discovered in that town Friday. Mister Annan said he had never seen such destruction as he saw on Sumatra. In his words, "Where are the people?"In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.Middle East Peace Prospects 01--03I'm Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.A Palestinian attack on Israelis at a border crossing has added to the pressures Mahmoud Abbas will face in his new job. The attack came two days before the swearing-in ceremony for the next president of the Palestinian Authority.A truck bomb exploded Thursday at the Karni crossing between Israel and Gaza. Then gunmen killed six Israeli civilians and seriously wounded five others. Three groups took responsibility: Hamas, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and the Popular Resistance Committees.Later, Israeli helicopters raided a target in Gaza linked to militants. Goods enter Gaza through the Karni crossing. After the militant attack, Israel closed all border crossings with Gaza.On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered that all communication with the Palestinian Authority be cut. He said communications would stop until the new Palestinian President controls militants and halts attacks. The announcement came hours before Mahmoud Abbas was to be sworn-in.Yasser Arafat was Palestinian Authority president until his death in November. Israel and the United States had refused to negotiate with him as attacks against Israel continued.The peace plan known as the road map calls for Israel and the Palestinians to take steps toward an independent Palestine. The plan is meant to end more than four years of most recent violence.World leaders say the election Sunday of Mister Abbas offers new possibilities for peace. He received sixty-two percent of the vote. He defeated independent candidate Mustafa Barghouti and five others.The Israeli Prime Minister congratulated Mister Abbas. Both sides expressed support for a meeting, but did not set a date. President Bush said he would welcome the new Palestinian leader to Washington if he wants to come. Israeli lawmakers this week narrowly approved a new government. Most cabinet members support the plan by Israel to withdraw from Gaza and part of the West Bank this year.Mister Abbas has said attacks against Israel make life harder for Palestinians. He also says he would not use force against militants, but would try to negotiate a truce.A Hamas official told the Associated Press that Egypt has renewed a proposal for a one-year suspension of attacks. Hamas boycotted the presidential election, but may join legislative elections in July.After the Karni attack, Reuters news agency reported that several thousand marchers celebrated in the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza.But the head of a Palestinian research group says the majority of people, especially in Gaza, support Mister Abbas. Mahdi Abdel Hadi says the people are tired of violence. In his words, "They are looking for this small window of fresh air and warm sun to come through the Palestinian election."In the News in VOA Special English was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.Iraqi Elections 01--04This is Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.On Sunday, for the first time in almost fifty years, Iraq will hold parliamentary elections with more than one party competing. Some Iraqis have already been voting in other countries.Around fourteen million names are on voter lists in Iraq. Voters face threats of violence from groups like the one that calls itself al-Qaida in Iraq. On Friday, Iraqi officials announced the arrests of three top aides to its Jordanian-born leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.Iraqi soldiers and police will guard voting centers. United States officials say American troops will be prepared to assist.The election is to choose two hundred seventy-five members for what is called a Transitional National Assembly.One of the duties of this temporary assembly will be to name a three-member presidency council. Another duty is to write a constitution. If Iraqis approve the constitution in October, then they will elect a new government at the end of the year.On Sunday, Iraqis will vote from a single national ballot. They will choose lists of candidates representing parties or coalitions. Seats will be divided in the National Assembly based on the share of votes that a list receives. A goal is to have women in at least one-fourth of the seats.Many political groups are competing. Commentators say the United Iraqi Alliance appears to have the strongest support. A Shiite Muslim leader, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, heads the candidate list.The alliance wants Iraq to be an Islamic state with a federal government. The alliance has the support of the highest religious leader in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Its candidate list is mainly Shiite. Iraq is about sixty percent Shiite. But the list also contains other religious and ethnic groups including Iraqi Kurds and ethnic Turkmens.Another group of candidates that may do well in the voting is called the Iraqi List. Its candidates are Shiite and Sunni. Iyad Allawi, now the temporary prime minister of Iraq, heads this list.About twenty percent of Iraqis are Sunni. Some Sunnis have called for a boycott of the voting. Their Iraqi Islamic Party withdrew its candidate list from the election. Members said the security situation was too threatening.President Bush has urged Iraqis to vote. So has the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai. On Friday he urged Iraqis to follow the example of the Afghan people. Mister Karzai called the election a necessary risk to bring order to Iraq.And, in Washington, Condoleezza Rice was sworn in Friday as secretary of state. She was national security adviser to the president. Miz Rice replaces Colin Powell who resigned.At her confirmation hearings, some Democratic senators condemned her handling of the war in Iraq. They said she used bad judgment and misled the public about the reasons for going to war. On Wednesday the Senate voted eighty-five to thirteen to confirm Miz Rice as secretary of state.In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.Bush Discusses Middle East Policy in 01--05State of the Union SpeechThis is Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders before those leaders hold talks next week. Her trip is part of the Middle East peace efforts that President Bush discussed this week in his State of the Union speech.Miz Rice is to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem on Sunday. She visits Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank on Monday.Then, on Tuesday, Mister Abbas and Mister Sharon are to meet in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt. It will be the first time Israeli and Palestinian leaders have met in more than four years. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is holding the talks. King Abdullah of Jordan also is expected to take part.President Bush announced that he will ask Congress for three hundred fifty million dollars for the Palestinians. He said the money would go for political, security and other reforms. In his words: "The goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace is within reach – and America will help them achieve that goal."In his speech Wednesday night in Congress, Mister Bush also called for greater freedoms in other parts of the Middle East. He said reform is already taking hold from Morocco to Jordan to Bahrain.He called on Saudi Arabia to give its people more power to decide their future. And he spoke of Egypt, another American ally, which he called "a great and proud nation." He said, "Egypt, which showed the way toward peace in the Middle East, can now show the way toward democracy in the Middle East."In much stronger language, Mister Bush said that Syria still permits its territory and parts of Lebanon to be used by terrorists. And he said Iran remains the world's main state supporter of terrorism. He said Iran is seeking nuclear weapons while denying its people freedom. The president had a message for Iranians. "As you stand for your own liberty," he said, "American stands with you."In London Friday, reporters asked Secretary Rice if the United States might ever attack Iran. In her words: "The question is simply not on the agenda at this point." She said diplomatic steps remain. Miz Rice is on her first trip as top American diplomat. London was the first stop among European capitals.In his State of the Union speech, the president praised the Iraqi people for voting in elections. He said terrorists are trying to destroy the hope that Iraqis expressed. Millions of people voted Sunday for a new Transitional National Assembly.Leaders of the opposition Democrats in Congress criticized Mister Bush for not saying when American troops will leave Iraq.The president introduced an Iraqi human rights activist whose father was killed by the Saddam Hussein government. Safia Taleb al-Souhail shared an emotional hug with another guest, Janet Norwood, the mother of a United States Marine killed in battle in Iraq.In the News in VOA Special English was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.Israeli-Palestinian Truce; 01--06Historic Elections in Saudi ArabiaI'm Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met in Egypt this week and declared a cease-fire. The meeting Tuesday was the first in more than four years between leaders of the two sides. The current violence between Palestinians and Israelis began in September of two thousand.Both men spoke of increased chances for peace. But violence resurfaced on Thursday. Members of Hamas fired shells and rockets at Jewish settlements in Gaza, although no one was hurt.Mister Abbas had deployed a large security force in the area to prevent attacks on Israelis. After the shelling, he dismissed three top security officials. Israel praised the action. But cabinet members said Israel would have to act if the Palestinians cannot control the situation.Hamas said it was not trying to break the cease-fire. It said the attack was in answer to the killing of a Palestinian in Gaza on Wednesday.Israel has been urging Mister Abbas to disarm militant groups. On Friday he went to Gaza to demand that they observe the truce announced in Sharm el-Sheikh. Earlier he sent a representative to meet with Hezbollah officials in Lebanon, where that group is based. Palestinian and Israeli officials have both accused Hezbollah of plotting to wreck the cease-fire.In return for Palestinian promises to control violence, Israel said it would free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners within weeks. Israeli also promised to withdraw troops from five West Bank towns.President Bush recently said he would ask Congress for three hundred fifty million dollars for the Palestinians. The money would be used to help them develop an independent state.Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met separately with Mister Sharon and Mister Abbas this week. Secretary Rice said the United States would give the Palestinians forty million dollars immediately.In other news this week in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia held its first openelections. Candidates competed for half the seats on local councils in the Riyadh area. The national government will choose the other half.Close to two thousand men competed for one hundred twenty-seven seats. Women could not be candidates. They also could not vote. The government said it did not have enough time to set up separate voting stations for them.Still, many voters said the local elections marked the beginning of democratic reforms. The ruling family is under pressure to give Saudis more political power.About one hundred fifty thousand men in and around the capital signed up to vote. Up to six hundred thousand could have registered.Unofficial results were announced Friday. News agencies said Islamist candidates supported by clergy appeared to have won in Riyadh.Elections are set for March and April in other parts of the kingdom.In the News in VOA Special English was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.Syria, Lebanon and the Killing of Rafik Hariri 01--07I'm Doug Johnson with In the News in VOA Special English.President Bush says the United States supports the international investigation that will take place to identify the killers of Rafik Hariri. The former prime minister of Lebanon died Monday in a powerful bomb explosion along a street in Beirut. At least fourteen other people were also killed.Recently Mister Hariri had opposed the large part that Syria takes in Lebanese politics. He called for the withdrawal of Syrian troops. Syria has at least fourteen thousand troops in Lebanon. Syria borders Lebanon on the north and east.Mister Hariri, a Sunni, was a very wealthy builder. He resigned as prime minister last October. He did so after Syria extended the term of the Lebanese president. But Mister Hariri had been expected to run in elections planned this May.His family and the Lebanese political opposition link Syria to the car bombing. Syria denies any involvement. President Bashar al-Assad condemned the murders.Lebanese President Emil Lahoud, a Christian allied with Syria, promised a full investigation. His government says it has asked for help from Swiss and other foreign experts.On Wednesday, an estimated two hundred thousand people attended the funeral for Mister Hariri. His family told President Lahoud and cabinet members not to attend. Protesters shouted "Syria out!" The Beirut newspaper An-Nahar called the funeral "a huge vote for unity and sovereignty."On Friday Lebanese opposition leaders called for a peaceful "uprising for independence." And Lebanon's tourism minister resigned. He said the government was unable to solve what he called the "dangerous situation in the country."On Thursday, President Bush said Syria must honor a United Nations Security Council resolution passed last year. Resolution fifteen-fifty-nine calls for foreign troops to leave Lebanon. Mister Bush described Syria as "out of step" with progress in the Middle East. Syria is not "moving with the democratic movement," in his words.The United States recalled its ambassador to Syria, Margaret Scobey, after the killing of Mister Hariri.His murder comes after years of relative calm in Lebanon. Civil war between Christians and Muslims began in nineteen seventy-five. An Arab force led by Syrian troops intervened in nineteen seventy-six in an effort to end the war. Later, Israel occupied southern Lebanon, staying until two thousand. The civil war was complex and lasted fifteen years.Syria and Lebanon reached a cooperation agreement in nineteen ninety-one. Since the war, the Lebanese have kept a political balance by dividing leadership positions among different religious groups.Rafik Hariri was popular for his efforts to rebuild Lebanon after the war. There are worries that violence could return now that he is gone.In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Doug Johnson.Bush Trip to Europe 01-08I'm Steve Ember with In the News, in VOA Special English.President Bush was in Europe this week for the first time since his re-election in November.On Thursday he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. They discussed Russian democracy and the fight against terrorism. The two leaders also said Iran and North Korea should not have nuclear weapons. On Friday Mister Putin told reporters that he is satisfied with the meeting.Bratislava was the last city visited by Mister Bush on his five-day trip to Europe. In addition to Slovakia, he visited Belgium and Germany.President Bush said he placed importance on a free press and observance of the rule of law during his talks with Mister Putin. Mister Putin rejected any suggestions that Russia is restricting democracy. In his words, "There can be no return to what we had before." The Russian leader also says he and Mister Bush are "very close" on a number of issues such as Iraq, Iran and North Korea.They called for speeding up negotiations for Russian entry into the World Trade Organization. They also said they would work together on international ways to improve the safekeeping of nuclear material.An agreement calls for Russia and the United States to share information about improving nuclear security. They are to jointly develop emergency plans to fight nuclear and radiological attacks. And they are to work together to develop a replacement for highly enriched uranium fuel used in research reactors. The goal is to prevent the uranium from being used to make nuclear weapons.On Wednesday, Mister Bush met in Mainz, Germany, with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. The German leader had strongly opposed the war in Iraq. But Mister Schroeder says Iraq's future is what is important now.Mister Bush called Europe "America's closest ally." And, he said, "in order for us to have good relations with Europe we have to have good relations with Germany."The two leaders agreed to cooperate on environmental issues, even though the United States is not part of the Kyoto treaty. The United States and Germany are to increase efforts to develop cleaner energy technologies. The aim is to reduce pollution and the industrial gases blamed for atmospheric warming, without limiting economic growth.Several thousand demonstrators marched in Mainz to protest the visit by Mister Bush. There were also protests earlier in Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union and NATO. There, the president met with European Union leaders. And the North Atlantic Treaty Organization announced that all twenty-six of its members would help train Iraqi security forces. But several nations, including Germany, say they only want to do training outside Iraq.In The News, in VOA Special English, was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.I.R.A. Ties Put Pressure on Sinn Fein in 01-09Northern Ireland Peace EffortsThis is Steve Ember with In the News, in VOA Special English.This year is the one hundredth anniversary of Sinn Fein, the main political party for Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland. But these days there is little to celebrate.Sinn Fein serves as the political organization of the Irish Republican Army. And the I.R.A. is being widely condemned over recent cases of robbery and murder. The Irish Republican Army began in nineteen nineteen. This week the American diplomat for Northern Ireland said it is time to "go out of business."On Thursday, the British House of Commons voted to take away the right of parliamentary pay for Sinn Fein members. The party holds four seats in the British Parliament. The European Parliament is considering similar action.Next Thursday is Saint Patrick's Day, an Irish celebration. Gerry Adams, the leader of Sinn Fein, was not invited this year to join President Bush for the traditional observance at the White House. The heads of other political parties in Northern Ireland were not invited either. But White House officials have invited the five sisters of a truck driver killed in January by the I.R.A.In the Gaelic language, Sinn Fein means "we ourselves" or "ourselves alone." The group started in nineteen oh five as a loose coalition of labor organizations. At that time, Britain ruled all of Ireland. Sinn Fein supporters wanted at least some independence from the British.Today the territory is separated into the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. Most Irish citizens are Roman Catholic. But Northern Ireland is a British province, and the population is mostly Protestant.Years of violence between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland began in nineteen sixty-nine. Bombings were common. In nineteenninety-seven, the Irish Republican Army declared a ceasefire. Peace talks led to a power-sharing agreement in April of the following year, on the Christian observance of Good Friday.But political troubles continued. In October of two thousand two, British Prime Minister Tony Blair suspended the administration of Roman Catholics and Protestants. Sinn Fein wants a place in any renewed government. But political observers say its efforts are hurt by evidence against the Irish Republican Army.In December, robbers stole up to fifty million dollars from a Belfast bank. Hostages were taken. Investigators found the I.R.A. responsible, which the group denies. The I.R.A. was ordered to pay a large fine.Then, in January of this year, I.R.A. members killed a Roman Catholic truck driver. His name was Robert McCartney. It happened after a dispute at a drinking place in Belfast.In reaction, the I.R.A. expelled some of its members. It also offered to shoot the men who killed Robert McCartney. But his family wants the killers to face justice. In the words of a family member, "Only in a court will the truth come out."In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.Wolfowitz and the World Bank 01-10I'm Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.President Bush this week nominated Paul Wolfowitz to become president ofthe World Bank. The current head of the bank, James Wolfensohn, has held that position for ten years. His second term ends May thirty-first.Mister Wolfensohn announced in January that he would not seek a third term as leader of the development bank. It provides loans, policy advice and other assistance to help countries reduce poverty.Paul Wolfowitz has served in both the State Department and the Defense Department. For the last four years he has been deputy defense secretary under Donald Rumsfeld. Mister Wolfowitz was a major planner of the invasion of Iraq two years ago. He is often called the "architect" of the war.Some aid groups and others criticized the choice of an official so closely linked to the Iraq war to lead the World Bank. European reaction was mixed. Japan welcomed the nomination.Mister Wolfowitz recently traveled to South Asia to see the damage from the earthquake and tsunami waves in December. He helped plan American military assistance to the area.His nomination must be approved by the twenty-four directors of the World Bank. They represent one hundred eighty-four member countries. Traditionally, an American leads the World Bank while a European heads the International Monetary Fund.Paul Wolfowitz has taught at Yale and Johns Hopkins universities. During the late nineteen eighties, he served as ambassador to Indonesia. He won praise as a diplomat.Later, Mister Wolfowitz served as undersecretary of defense for policy under the first President Bush. As such, he developed policy during the Persian Gulf War after Iraq invaded Kuwait in nineteen ninety.In two thousand one he was a leading supporter of military strikes against al Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan. That was after the September eleventh terrorist attacks on the United States.Each year, the World Bank provides thousands of millions of dollars to developing countries. Education and health programs often receive money. But critics of the World Bank say programs for the poor are often cut as a result of financial reforms required to get loans. They say rich countries get richer, while poor countries struggle to repay.。
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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
Every few years, two groups do a study of how many Americans wash their hands
after using the toilet. These groups are the American Society for Microbiology and
the American Cleaning Institute, formerly the Soap and Detergent Association.
There was good news in the latest study. Researchers found that eighty-five
percent of adults washed their hands in public restrooms last month. That was the
most yet since the studies began in nineteen ninety-six.
Researchers visited restrooms at a baseball park in Atlanta and a science museum
and aquarium in Chicago. They also visited two train stations in New York City and
a large farmers market in San Francisco. In all, they observed about six thousand
adults.
The researchers found that seventy-seven percent of men and ninety-three percent
of women washed their hands. That was up from sixty-six percent of men and
eighty-eight percent of women in the last study three years ago.
The lowest rate of hand washing among men was at Turner Field, home of the
Atlanta Braves baseball team. Only sixty-five percent of men washed their hands,
compared to all but two percent of women.
Chicago and San Francisco had the most hand washers -- eighty-nine percent of
adults. Atlanta followed at eighty-two percent. New York had the lowest rate, at
seventy-nine percent of the adults observed at Grand Central Station and Penn
Station.
The findings of the observational study conflicted with the findings of a separate
telephone survey of about one thousand people. Ninety-six percent of them said
they always wash their hands after using public restrooms.
Almost nine out of ten also said they always wash after using the bathroom at
home.
Hand washing can help prevent the spread of many different infections.
To clean your hands well, wet them first and rub in soap for at least twenty seconds,
including between the fingers and under the nails.
Then rinse under running water. In a public restroom, if you dry your hands with a
paper towel, you should also use the towel to shut off the water and open the door.
Hand washing is also important when preparing food and after changing a baby's
diaper. You should also wash if you cough or sneeze into your hands.
If you use an alcohol-based product instead of soap and water, make sure it
contains at least sixty percent alcohol.
And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. I'm Bob
Doughty