Study of Women's Health Proves a Headache for Doctors, Patients

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I’m Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Bob Doughty. This week: the findings of a fifteen-year study of women's health.

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VOICE ONE:

Results from the Women's Health Initiative, a huge project in the United States, seem to have created more questions than answers. Many doctors are now wondering what advice to give their patients, especially older women. And many patients are wondering what choices to make to improve their health.

The National Institutes of Health began the project in nineteen ninety-one. The goal was to learn more about how to prevent major causes of death and disability in older women. These are heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer and the bone-weakening disorder osteoporosis.

The studies involved more than one hundred sixty thousand women between the ages of fifty and seventy-nine.

VOICE TWO:

One of the major parts of the Women's Health Initiative was a clinical trial. This involved studies of diet, hormone therapy and treatment with calcium and vitamin D. In the end, doctors did not find much of what they had expected to find.

For example, doctors have urged people for years to eat a low-fat diet. Studies have suggested that a diet low in fats and high in fruits, vegetables and grains might lower the risk of heart disease. Yet the Women’s Health Initiative found no such link.

About fifty thousand women were involved in the diet part of the study. Almost twenty thousand of them were put on a low-fat diet. The others continued with the foods they usually ate.

The goal for the women who changed their eating was to meet a daily target of twenty percent energy from fat. But most of them met only about seventy percent of the desired reduction.

Researchers followed the progress of the women for an average of eight years. The study used a controlled research design to test the findings of earlier studies. Those studies used observational research. That leaves a greater chance for influences other than diet to affect the results.

The results of the new study appeared earlier this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

VOICE ONE:

The researchers say the low-fat diet did not reduce the risk of heart disease. Almost seven percent of the low-fat group suffered heart disease. That compared to just over seven percent of the group without a restricted diet. The difference was small enough that scientists say it could be explained by chance.

But the researchers note that the study was not designed to compare the effects of different kinds of fats. Still, they say the findings pointed toward a reduction in heart disease risk in women who decreased their saturated and trans fats the most.

VOICE TWO:

Both groups in the diet study had similar rates of colorectal cancer. So the low-fat diet did not appear to reduce the risk. The scientists note that this form of cancer can take a long time to develop, so a five-year follow-up study is being done.

The women who changed their diet had a nine percent lower rate of breast cancer that those who followed their usual diet. The reduction is considered small enough that it could have resulted from chance.

Yet the scientists say there are reasons to think it might not be the result of chance alone. For example, women who started with a higher level of fat in their diet, and did more to lower it, had greater reductions in breast cancer risk.

The researchers say it is too soon to know if exercise had any effect on the women in the study. The findings are still being examined. And the study does not answers questions about what effects dietary changes might have on younger women.

VOICE ONE:

The findings from the tests of added calcium and vitamin D in the diet also surprised many people. The study found that these supplements offered only limited bone improvements. And there was no effect on the risk of colorectal cancer.

Eighteen thousand women took calcium and vitamin D; eighteen thousand others took a placebo, an inactive substance. None of the women knew which one they received. The New England Journal of Medicine published the results.

VOICE TWO:

The results suggest that calcium and vitamin D might reduce the risk of a broken hip in some women, especially those over the age of sixty. But there was no evidence that the supplements prevented other broken bones.

The study found that the group that took the calcium and vitamin D had a greater risk of kidney stones. The women had a seventeen percent increase in kidney stones compared to the other group.

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VOICE ONE:

You are listening to SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English from Washington.

When a woman experiences menopause, her reproductive ability ends. The body produces less and less estrogen and other female hormones. The ovaries no longer release eggs into the uterus and monthly bleeding stops.

As a result of these changes, women can experience sweating and intense feelings of heat as they enter menopause. They might also get angry or sad easily. Some women feel extremely tired. Others go through times when they cannot sleep peacefully.

To deal with these effects, doctors sometimes treat women with female hormones. This is called hormone replacement therapy.

But three years ago the Women's Health Initiative had some bad news for women who took a combination of progestin and estrogen. The study showed that the women who took these two hormones had an increased risk of breast cancer. Researchers halted that part of the study early as a result.

VOICE TWO:

But even the shortened study provided other findings as well -- and more bad news than good. Researchers say the combined hormone treatment also increased the risk of heart disease and loss of mental abilities from dementia. Yet the women who took progestin and estrogen did show a reduced risk of osteoporosis and colorectal cancer.

Another part of the hormone study examined the use of estrogen alone. Estrogen taken alone can cause cancer of the uterus. So the estrogen-alone study only involved women who in the past had to have their uterus removed.

About ten thousand women took part in the study. One group took estrogen; another received a placebo.

Doctors followed the progress of the women for almost seven years. Overall, the doctors found an increased risk of stroke and blood clots. But they say the estrogen appeared to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. They found no effect on rates of colon cancer. The researchers say the effects on breast cancer were not clear.

VOICE ONE:

Some researchers noted that younger women in the group that took estrogen appeared to gain some protection from heart disease. For example, they were found to have a lower rate of heart bypass operations than the older women in the group.

These findings are from what is called a subgroup. Researchers sometimes question the value of results based on a group within a group. They say the findings might not be as scientifically strong as those based on the full study. Subgroup findings can still be informative, however, and lead to further research.

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VOICE TWO:

The United States government spent more than seven hundred million dollars on the Women’s Health Initiative.

People hoping for some simple advice to follow will not find it in the reports. The results are complex. Not all of the women did what they were supposed to do during all of the years of the studies. And some scientists have criticisms of the way the research was designed. Big is not always better, they say.

VOICE ONE:

Jacques Rossouw, the project officer for the Women's Health Initiative, agrees that the findings are not very clear. Doctor Rossouw has said he shares concerns about how people will understand them. He says the results do not mean that a high-fat diet is fine or that calcium supplements are not useful.

People might not like it when studies conflict with widely held beliefs. Yet scientists would argue that testing widely held beliefs is the very nature of scientific study. After all, proof is often a moving target.

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VOICE TWO:

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Caty Weaver and produced by Cynthia Kirk. I’m Bob Doughty.

VOICE ONE:

And I’m Faith Lapidus. Internet users can read and listen to our programs at voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

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Bird Flu: Composting the Remains of Farm Birds

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I’m Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

A government worker takes dead chickens to be burned on a farm outside Kano, Nigeria. Composting offers another way.

Farmers usually have to destroy all of their chickens and other birds if a case of bird flu is found. Then they face another difficult decision: What to do with the remains?

Some farmers choose composting. They avoid the danger of transporting infected birds, the cost of burning them and the risk that burial could pollute ground water.

Composting uses the natural action of microorganisms to break down organic materials. Many agricultural extension services explain ways to compost animal remains.

Composting must be carefully controlled. The balance of carbon and nitrogen is very important. A correct nutrient balance requires extra material like dry grass or pieces of wood. These materials are called bulking agents.

Also, the compost must hold the right amount of water. Too little, and bacteria cannot do their job; too much, and air will not reach all the compost. The mixture should reach temperatures between fifty-seven and about sixty-three degrees Celsius.

If the pile begins to smell bad, this could be a sign that ammonia is building up. Adding the chemical ferrous sulfate can help solve this problem.

Experts say a simple way to compost farm birds is to create a windrow. A windrow is simply a mass of material. It should be three to four meters wide and about two meters high. It can be as long as space permits.

A windrow this size should contain three levels of birds, placed between layers of bulking agent.

Windrows should not be near be homes, animal shelters or water resources.

Experts say one thousand birds weighing a little over one kilogram each would need about ten cubic meters of bulking material. The material should be placed loosely so air can pass through it.

The windrow should take about one week to reach a high temperature. After another week to ten days, the temperature will begin to drop. At this point, the windrow must be turned.

Turn all the material completely. If it is too dry, add water. If it is too wet, add more bulking agent. Completely bury any bird remains that might be uncovered.

Experts say that after about three to four weeks more, the compost should be ready to use as fertilizer.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. Read and hear our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. We also have a link to detailed information from the University of Maryland on composting poultry. I'm Steve Ember.

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Women Around the World Continue to Struggle for Their Rights

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VOICE ONE:

I’m Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

A woman votes in Uganda's elections on February 23

And I’m Steve Ember with Explorations in VOA Special English. Today we tell about efforts women are making around the world to gain equality.

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VOICE ONE:

In the past few months, women have been elected the leaders of Germany, Liberia and Chile. Throughout the world, women are taking steps to improve their rights and increase their freedom. Yet, they have also suffered problems in their struggle for equality.

In many parts of the world, women have almost no voice in politics and government. Their human rights are also denied. Sexual attack, violence in the home, even murder are crimes that women in many parts of the world face daily.

VOICE TWO:

The international community has taken steps to protect and enforce the rights of women. More than twenty-five years ago, the United Nations approved a treaty called the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The nineteen seventy-nine treaty is considered a bill of rights for women.

To date, one hundred eighty nations have approved the treaty. But, women in many of these countries are still treated as unequal citizens. The U.N. estimates half a million women die every year while having babies. The number of women and girls in the world infected with H.I.V. and AIDS is growing. Often this is the result of a sexual attack. And, violence against women, forced labor and human trafficking of young females continue.

VOICE ONE:

Janet Walsh is an official of the organization Human Rights Watch. She says many nations that approved the treaty accept mistreatment of women as normal. These governments, she says, see human rights violations against women as private family or cultural issues.

Experts point to Russia as one example. A report by the human rights group Amnesty International says about nine thousand women in Russia are killed each year by a husband, partner or other family member.

Amnesty International worker Friederike Behr says Russian officials are doing little to solve the problem. She says they do not recognize violence in the family as a serious crime. Mizz Behr says that Russia needs to pass criminal laws that recognize violence against women as a violation of human rights.

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VOICE TWO:

Kashmiri women reach out for aid three days after the powerful South Asia earthquake on October 11

Experts say violence against women in their homes is a serious problem in Pakistan as well. Such domestic violence is considered culturally acceptable and a personal issue. Human Rights Watch says that Pakistani women struggle in other ways as well. Girls are forced into marriages, young women are kept out of school, and men have complete control over their families.

Experts say hundreds of Pakistani women are murdered every year by their families. They are victims of so-called honor killings. They are suspected of doing something to dishonor their families, such as having a sexual relationship. The women are either killed or injured so severely that they are forced to leave their families.

VOICE ONE:

The Pakistani government has declared honor killings a crime punishable by death. It has also taken steps to protect women who marry against their parents’ wishes.

Human rights activists in Pakistan have also launched a campaign against a severe Islamic law known as the Hudood Ordinance. Under this law, women who fail to prove that they have been raped face criminal charges. Women’s rights activists say the law protects rapists and punishes victims.

They say the law has sent more than twenty thousand mostly innocent women to prison. However, religious groups in Pakistan oppose any changes to the law. They say it protects traditional Islamic values.

VOICE TWO:

Islamic traditions have influenced women’s rights in the Middle East as well. For example, Sheikha Yousef Hasan Al Gerifi was campaigning for city council in Qatar. Her family refused to let her put pictures of herself in campaign information. Most Qatari women cover themselves, including their faces, when they appear in public. But she won her election anyway.

However, most women in Arab nations have a very hard time getting elected. In Bahrain, for example, thirty-nine women ran for local and national office in two thousand two. Not a single woman was elected.

VOICE ONE:

Political scientist Hala Mustafa at the Al-Ahram Foundation in Egypt says few Arab countries have a sizeable number of women in government. But, small changes are beginning. In Egyptian parliamentary elections last year, only four female candidates were elected. President Hosni Mubarak increased the total number of women in parliament by giving them five of the ten appointed seats after the election.

In Kuwait, women were given the right to vote for the first time in May. Their first election will be next year. Women’s rights activists say they are excited that women’s voices will finally be heard through their votes. Yet, they say they do not expect much to come of it.

Change is also starting to happen in Jordan. Two years ago, the government approved a measure to guarantee that at least six women were elected to parliament. Morocco and Algeria have high numbers of women in parliament compared to other countries in the area.

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VOICE TWO:

The fight for a political voice and equal rights for women in Africa is also gaining strength. In January, Liberia swore in its first elected female leader. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says one of her goals is to guarantee that men who sexually attack women are punished. Liberia’s temporary parliament took steps in this direction recently by passing a rape law. It calls for sentences of between seven years and life in jail depending on the seriousness of the crime.

Rape is also a serious problem in refugee camps in other countries, including Ivory Coast. Women’s rights activists there say the camps are not secure. So women become victims of sexual crimes in the one place they are seeking safety.

VOICE ONE:

In Kenya and Uganda, the lives of women are linked to their husbands. Laws in these countries give women the right to own and control land and property. Yet, tradition and custom often prevent them from receiving what is rightfully theirs.

When a women’s husband dies, his relatives often seize the land and possessions. The woman is forced to leave her home. In cases when a marriage ends, joint property is not evenly divided. Often, the man claims everything.

Women’s activists in Africa are trying to change this.

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VOICE TWO:

Women in the United States have an easier time owning property. They also have more educational, professional and political choices than in the past. Yet, they still face struggles in the fight for equality.

Susan Scanlan heads the National Council of Women’s Organizations. She says the average American woman has a high school education but did not go to college. She owns a house with her husband and has a job to help support her family. In addition to working away from her home, she is also the main caregiver of children at home.

The average woman in the United States often cannot pay for health insurance. She is also concerned about having enough money to live after she retires. American women are generally paid less than men.

VOICE ONE:

Sociology Professor Robert Jackson of New York University has written on women’s issues. He says that American women have more legal rights and a better chance to succeed now than in the late nineteenth century. Considerable progress was made during the women’s movement in the nineteen sixties. At that time, more and more females entered college and started jobs. Professor Jackson believes that pressure from increasingly educated and skilled women now will lead to more equality in the United States.

But around the world, the struggle for women’s rights and equality is progressing slowly. Women are about half the population in the world. But experts wonder if they will ever have social, financial, legal, political and professional equality with men.

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VOICE TWO:

This program was written by Jill Moss. It was produced by Mario Ritter. I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I’m Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for Explorations in VOA Special English.

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W.H.O. Urges Action to Stop Counterfeit Medicines

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I'm Faith Lapidus with the VOA Special English Health Report.

A warning about street medicines

The World Health Organization says more effort is needed to stop the trade in counterfeit medicines. The United Nations health agency says countries must work together to fight the growing threat from drugs that are not what they seem.

W.H.O. officials discussed the problem during a recent high-level meeting in Rome. Delegates at the conference included representatives of government agencies, consumer groups and the drug industry.

Counterfeit medicines trick people into believing they are taking something that will make them well. Instead, it might make them sicker or even kill them.

The World Health Organization says counterfeit drugs are part of a wider problem of low-quality medicines. But it says the difference is that they are purposely misidentified. Some contain no active substances. Some contain dangerous substances. Counterfeit drugs can also add to the problem of drug resistance.

The World Health Organization says counterfeit medicines are present in all countries. They are thought to represent ten percent of drug sales worldwide.

A group in the United States estimates that profits from counterfeit drug sales will reach seventy-five thousand million dollars by two thousand ten. The Center for Medicines in the Public Interest estimated the profits last year at almost forty thousand million dollars.

Criminals often target high-demand drug such as antibiotics, malaria drugs and painkillers. Also, with recent fears about bird flu, there have been reports of counterfeiting of the antiviral drug Tamiflu. Experts say the counterfeit drug problem is worst in developing countries.

W.H.O. officials say identifying counterfeit medicines is getting more difficult. Criminals are improving their methods. Representatives at the meeting in Rome agreed to create an international expert group. Among its duties, the new group will try to strengthen national laws and establish better systems to identify counterfeit drugs.

Counterfeit medicines are often sold on the Internet. But the Internet can also be used to fight the problem. Last year, the W.H.O. set up a Web-based system to gather reports on what it calls "drug cheats" in the western Pacific area. It says this system should be expanded to all areas.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk. Read and hear our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Faith Lapidus.

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F-u-n With Broadway's 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'

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AA: I'm Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble, and this week on Wordmaster: a track from the original Broadway cast recording of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."

RS: The show is a musical satire of spelling competitions and the pressure to "go to Washington" – where, in real life, the best young spellers compete in the National Spelling Bee.

VOICE: Ms. Peretti. Please spell "syzygy."

RONA: S-y-z-y-g-y. Syzygy?

VOICE: We have a winner!

RONA: Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

CHIP: At the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
My parents keep on telling me
Just being here is winning.
Although
I know it isn't so.

RONA: But it's a very nice
Very, very nice ...

RONA, CHIP: Very, very nice
Very nice beginning.

RONA: Our winner here last year: Chip Tolentino.

SCHWARZY: Ms. Peretti!

RONA: And our youngest competitor, Logainne Schwarzandgrubeniere.

CONEYBEAR: At the 25th Annual
Putnam County Spelling game -- Bee!
I'll stand when they announce my
name:

RONA: Leaf Coneybear.

CONEYBEAR: And try and keep from shaking.

SCHWARZY: Alas
His shaking will not pass

CONEYBEAR/CHIP/RONA/SCHWARZY:
'Cause it's a very big,
Very fraught
Simple but it's not
It's a very big undertaking.

RONA: Returning after last year's tragic setback, William Barfee.

BARFEE: It's pronounced Barfee, there's an accent egue.

RONA: I'm not sure who this girl is.

MARCY: Marcy Park. Recent transfer.

SCHWARZY: Winner's destination: Washington, D.C.

CHIP/SCHWARZY: Plasma TV
In a fancy hotel.

MARCY/CHIP/SCHWARZY: Where they treat you well.

ALL: All because you love to spell.
We spell.

RONA: It's a marvelous memory
If you win the spelling bee.
One's life improves from A to Z
The minute you are crowned here.
I see a trophy held by me!
And when I won
Did I swell?
Oh the stories I could tell!
But braggarts don't do well
Around here.

OLIVE: Hi, I'm Olive Ostrovsky. Do you know where I check in?

BARFEE: Shut up!

CONEYBEAR: At the 25th Annual
We memorize the manual ...

ALL: About how to spell these words.
Words that require thought.
People think we're automatons.
But that is exactly what we're not.

MARCY: We hear the word.

SCHWARZY: We breathe.

CONEYBEAR: We wait.

ALL: Unlike idiots we ideate.

RONA: To ideate is to form an image or idea, to think

CONEYBEAR: At the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ...

SCHWARZY: We feel no animosity.

SCHWARZY/OLIVE: And yet our heads are spinning.

BARFEE: We are
The slightest bit bizarre.

MARCY: But since the time is now ...

CONEYBEAR: Holy cow!

SCHWARZY: We shall make a solemn vow
To concentrate on winning.

ALL: We concentrate on winning.
At the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
We speak so damn convincingly.

RONA: They're nervous but they're grinning.

GIRLS: It seems
We're living out our dreams.

BOYS: Which is a very nice
Very nice, very very very nice

ALL: Very nice, very nice
Very very very nice
Very nice
Beginning

RONA: 25th Annual

SPELLERS: 25th Annual

ALL: Putnam County Spelling Bee!

RS: "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is on stage in New York and San Francisco. A national tour is scheduled to begin later this year.

AA: And that's Wordmaster for this week -- online at voanews.com/wordmaster. Our e-mail address is word@voanews.com. With Rosanne Skirble, I'm Avi Arditti.

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An Olympic Winner Turns His Victory Into Child's Play

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I’m Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Development Report.

The twentieth Winter Olympics have just ended in Turin, Italy. But for some possible future Olympians, the games are about to begin with help from an American speed skater.

United States Joey Cheek, from Greensboro, N.C., holds an American national flag as he makes a victory lap during the Winter Olympics men's 500 meter speedskating sprint race in Turin, Italy, Monday, Feb. 13, 2006

Joey Cheek won a gold medal in the five hundred meter event. And he won a silver medal in the one thousand meter race. The United States Olympic Committee gave him forty thousand dollars in prize money. Twenty-five thousand dollars for his gold medal, and fifteen thousand for the silver.

Joey Cheek announced that he was giving the money to the international group Right to Play. This group is based in Toronto, Canada. It brings sports and play to children in developing countries. Olympic and professional athletes from around the world help support Right to Play with their time and money.

Right to Play uses athletes as ambassadors. It says star athletes are not only the heroes of children, they can also influence decision makers.

The group says well-designed sports and play programs help children develop physically, mentally and socially. Sports can help create connections between children and adults. They can also bring children together to learn teamwork, conflict resolution and cultural understanding. For example, Right to Play has programs in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

In parts of Africa, the group uses sports as a way to build community support for national health campaigns. It says a new project in Sri Lanka and Indonesia will work with people affected by the tsunami in December of two thousand four. Right to Play also has programs in Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Thailand.

Right to Play began as Olympic Aid. It started as a way to show support for people in areas of war and crisis and collect money for them. The Lillehammer Olympic Organizing Committee came up with the idea. That was in preparation for the nineteen ninety-four Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway.

The president and chief executive officer of Right to Play is Johann Olav Koss. He has four gold medals in speed skating, three of them from Lillehammer.

Right to Play says it reaches more than five hundred thousand children each week.

Its Web site is w-w-w dot righttoplay, all one word, dot com.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss. Read and listen to our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.

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Hollywood Presents a Serious Side in Oscar Hopefuls

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VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I’m Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember. Today, we tell about the seventy-eighth Academy Awards ceremony which takes place next Sunday in Los Angeles, California. For people who make movies and for people who love to watch them, it is the most exciting event of the year.

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VOICE ONE:

On March fifth, actors, directors, producers and other filmmakers will gather in Hollywood, the center of the American film industry. They will receive Academy Awards for the best acting, directing, writing, editing, music and other work on movies released last year.

The winners will receive an award called an Oscar. This statue is shaped like a man. It is made of several metals covered with gold. The Oscar is only about thirty-four centimeters tall. It weighs less than four kilograms. But the award can be priceless to the person who receives it.

Winning an Oscar can mean becoming much more famous. It can mean getting offers to work in the best movies. It also can mean earning much more money.

VOICE TWO:

Five films are nominated for best motion picture. They are “Brokeback Mountain,” “Good Night, and Good Luck,” “Crash,” “Capote” and “Munich.” The directors of these movies were also nominated for best director.

These five films are different from the ones that are often nominated for best picture. They are all realistic films for adults that deal with serious political or social issues. Four of the movies were mainly produced outside the major Hollywood movie studio system. They cost far less money to produce than most major Hollywood movies.

VOICE ONE:

“Brokeback Mountain” received eight nominations, the most of any movie this year. They include best director for Ang Lee and nominations for two actors and one actress in the film.

“Brokeback Mountain” is the story of two young cowboys in the western state of Wyoming. They fall in love during the nineteen sixties. They marry young women and have children. But the two men continue their secret relationship for twenty years.

VOICE TWO:

Two of the other films received six nominations each. “Good Night, and Good Luck” is about the television newsman Edward R. Murrow in the nineteen fifties. His broadcasts opposed the powerful Senator Joseph McCarthy.

George Clooney directed “Good Night, and Good Luck.” He also wrote the screenplay with Grant Heslov. And Clooney acts in the movie. Clooney was also nominated as best actor in a supporting role in another movie, “Syriana.” He plays a secret United States government agent in the Middle East.

Matt Dillon and Thandie Newton in 'Crash'

The film “Crash” also received six nominations. Paul Haggis wrote and directed the movie. “Crash” is about racial tensions among a group of people in Los Angeles. These strangers meet during thirty-six hours and are involved in car crashes and crimes.

VOICE ONE:

Bennett Miller directed “Capote," another nominee for best picture. It is a true story about the writer Truman Capote. It tells about his relationship with two men sentenced to be executed for killing a family in a small town in Kansas. Capote wrote about the killings in his famous book, “In Cold Blood.”

The last nominee for best picture is “Munich,” directed by Steven Spielberg. It is also based on true events. “Munich” deals with the killing of eleven Israeli athletes and coaches by Palestinian terrorists. That happened at the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, in nineteen seventy-two. The movie is about Israeli agents and their efforts to find and kill the men responsible for the deaths.

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VOICE TWO:

Five men were nominated for the best performance by an actor in a leading role. Three of them play famous American men during the nineteen fifties and sixties. The three actors changed their appearances and voices to look and sound like the real people.

David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow in 'Good Night and Good Luck'

David Strathairn plays Edward R. Murrow in “Good Night, and Good Luck.” Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Truman Capote in “Capote.” And Joaquin Phoenix plays the famous country singer Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line.”

Heath Ledger was nominated for his role as one of the gay cowboys in “Brokeback Mountain.”

And Terrence Howard was nominated for his role in the movie “Hustle and Flow.” He plays a man who tries to become a rap music singer in Memphis, Tennessee.

VOICE ONE:

Five women received nominations for best performance by an actress in a leading role. Judy Dench plays a women who owns a musical theater in London during World War Two. Her movie is called “Missus Henderson Presents.”

Keira Knightley plays a young woman in a family of five sisters who seek husbands in nineteenth-century England. The movie is based on the book called “Pride and Prejudice.”

Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash in 'Walk the Line'

Reese Witherspoon plays, and sings the songs of, the famous country music singer June Carter Cash in “Walk the Line.”

Charlize Theron was nominated for the movie “North Country.” She plays a woman who works in a mine. She takes legal action against the male workers who mistreat her.

And, in the most unusual role, Felicity Huffman was nominated for “Transamerica.” She plays a man about to have an operation to become a woman. The man discovers for the first time that he has a teenage son.

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VOICE TWO:

Five movies were nominated for best documentary, a movie showing real people and events. “Darwin’s Nightmare” is about the difficult life for the poor people of Tanzania. The movie shows how valuable fish from the country’s waters are sent to rich countries while the people of Tanzania are left hungry.

“March of the Penguins” is a French movie about the struggle for survival of emperor penguins in Antarctica. “Murderball” is about disabled American athletes who compete in specially designed wheelchairs in a sport called Quad Rugby.

VOICE ONE:

Another nominee for best documentary is “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.” It is about the top officials of the formerly powerful energy-trading company. The failure of the company affected the lives of its employees and American business. Two of those Enron officials are currently on trial on charges of plotting to cheat investors.

“Street Fight” is the fifth nominee. It is about a recent election for mayor in Newark, New Jersey. The film raises hard questions about American politics, democracy and race.

VOICE TWO:

More than twenty Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday. The people who designed the best costumes, makeup and special effects will receive awards. So will the people who wrote the best screenplays and did the best film and sound editing.

Songs from “Crash,” “Hustle and Flow” and “Transamerica” are nominated as best original song. Musical scores from five other movies are nominated for best original score.

VOICE ONE:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents the Oscars each year. Almost six thousand people who work in the movie industry belong to the organization.

Members of the Academy begin the process of choosing award winners. These people work in thirteen different professions. They nominate candidates for Academy Awards.

The members choose among people doing the same kind of work. For example, actors nominate actors. Directors nominate directors. Designers nominate designers.

All Academy members vote to choose the final winners.

VOICE TWO:

The awards are presented in the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Important people in the movie industry attend the Academy Awards ceremony. Crowds of people wait outside the theater. They watch the famous movie stars as they arrive for the ceremony.

The women wear beautiful dresses and costly jewelry provided by famous designers. Camera lights flash. The actors and actresses smile for the photographers and television cameras.

During the Academy Awards ceremony, famous actors and actresses announce the names of the nominees and the winners. Then the winners go up onto the stage to receive their Oscars. Their big moment has arrived. They thank all the people who helped them win the award.

Hundreds of millions of people in the United States and around the world will watch the Academy Awards show on television Sunday night. The American film industry will honor the best movies, actors and technicians. These winners will go home with a golden Oscar.

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VOICE ONE:

Our program was written by Shelley Gollust. It was produced by Caty Weaver. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA, in VOA Special English.

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Radio Pioneers Pulled Words, Music and World Events Out of Thin Air

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VOICE ONE:

I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember with People in America in VOA Special English. Today, we will tell about several men who influenced the development of radio.

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VOICE ONE:

Some people say radio was invented by Guglielmo [gu-lee-YER-mo) Marconi of Italy. Marconi sent the first radio communication signals through the air in eighteen ninety-five. In fact, no one person can be called the inventor of radio. Many people, including several Americans, helped to develop radio. You may not know their names. However, their work affected many people.

Over the years, radio has become one of the most important forms of communication. It can be used for two-way communication, such as between a ship and land. Scientists even use radio to communicate into space. And radio broadcasts let people send words, music and information to any part of the world.

VOICE TWO:

The first experimental radio broadcasts in the United States were made in the early nineteen hundreds. One of the first broadcasts came from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City in nineteen ten. It included music by the great singer Enrico Caruso. An American inventor, Lee De Forest, produced that broadcast.

Only a few people could hear the broadcast. Some were people in the New York area who had built radio receivers. Some ships at sea and military radio stations received the broadcast. Many newspapers of the day reported on the event. The name of Lee De Forest became part of broadcasting history.

Lee De Forest

VOICE ONE:

De Forest developed some of the technology used in early radio. During his lifetime, he invented hundreds of devices that were used in telephones, shortwave radio broadcasts, and similar technology.

His most famous invention was the vacuum tube, or electron tube. In nineteen-oh-six, the electron tube was considered the single most important development in electronics. The device made it possible to strengthen radio signals and to send them over long distances. It was a major reason for the fast growth of the electronics and communications industries in the early part of the twentieth century.

VOICE TWO:

Edwin Armstrong was another American inventor who was important in the development of electronics and radio communication. Armstrong developed technology that helped to improve radio reception. He discovered ways to limit unwanted radio signals.

Edwin Armstrong also was a leader in using radio to reproduce
sounds clearly. This process became known as frequency modulation, or FM radio. FM radio provided better sound reproduction and less noise or interference than traditional AM radio. Armstrong also developed radio receivers that became widely used.

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VOICE ONE:

Many experts say station KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was
the first American radio station. It broadcast results of the
American presidential election in November, nineteen twenty.
That is generally considered the start of professional radio
broadcasting in the United States.

Soon, radio stations began to appear in other areas. In nineteen twenty-two, two stations in New York State joined together to broadcast the championship game of American baseball. The stations were connected by telephone lines. This permitted them to share the same program. It was one of the first examples of a radio network.

VOICE TWO:

By the middle of the nineteen-twenties, there were two main radio networks in the United States. The National Broadcasting Corporation, NBC, was formed by the Radio Corporation of America. NBC became the first permanent national network.

The other network was the Columbia Broadcasting System, called CBS. The networks provided programs to radio stations across the country. Local stations created very few programs. What listeners heard in New York was often heard in Los Angeles, California and other cities.

VOICE ONE:

David Sarnoff was the man responsible for NBC. As a young man, Sarnoff had taught himself Morse code. He got a job with the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company where he worked as a telegraph operator. He was on duty when the passenger ship Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean in nineteen twelve. Sarnoff helped the rescue effort by informing other ships about the accident. He understood that someone using radio could affect many lives.

By nineteen twenty-one, Sarnoff was an official of the Radio Corporation of America. He pushed RCA to enter broadcasting. The company soon earned huge profits. Five years later, David Sarnoff helped create NBC. David Sarnoff developed the theory of broadcasting.

This was very different from the communication between two people speaking to each other on a telephone. Radio meant that someone could speak to millions of people.

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VOICE TWO:

William S. Paley developed another radio network. In nineteen twenty-eight, Paley left his family's business. He spent several hundred thousand dollars on several radio stations. These stations became known as the Columbia Broadcasting System. Paley's friends and advisers told him that he had made a huge mistake. They said his dream of building a large and important radio network would never come true.

William S. Paley

Paley did not listen to them. Instead, he went to see the heads of some of the largest American companies to get their financial support for his network.

Then, Paley searched for the best people he could find to produce the radio shows and news programming he wanted. He paid them well. William Paley was always looking for people with special skills.

One night, he attended a show by the popular Tommy Dorsey Band. A young man with the group sang during the performance. His name was Frank Sinatra. Sinatra soon had his own program with CBS, Paley's radio network.

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VOICE ONE:

Radio was extremely popular in the United States between the late
nineteen twenties and the early nineteen fifties. This period is
known as the Golden Age of Broadcasting.

During this period, families gathered in their living rooms every night to listen to radio shows. Children hurried from school to hear shows created for them. In the daytime, millions of women listened to radio plays called soap operas. They were called soap operas because companies that make soap paid for the shows.

VOICE TWO:

Radio influenced the way many people felt about their community and the world. It permitted them to sit at home and hear what was happening in other areas. During World War Two, people could hear the voices of world leaders, such as American President Franklin Roosevelt.

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VOICE ONE:

Listeners also could hear the voices of reporters covering World War Two. Edward R. Murrow became famous for reporting about the war. People sometimes could hear guns and bombs exploding during his report.

(SOUND)

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen thirty-seven, Edward R. Murrow was the only representative of CBS in Europe. Murrow built a team of news reporters whose names would become well known to listeners.

Edward R. Murrow

Murrow and reporter William Shirer made broadcasting history in nineteen thirty-eight. They organized a special broadcast with European reaction to the seizure of Austria by Nazi Germany. The show had reports from London, Berlin, Paris and Rome. It was a huge success.

VOICE ONE:

In the United States, the rise of television in the nineteen fifties ended the Golden Age of Radio Broadcasting. More and more people started to watch television. Most of the popular shows disappeared from radio.

Many people believed television would cause radio broadcasting to become unimportant. However, the number of radio listeners continues to grow. Most experts say radio will continue to be important during this century.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written by George Grow. It was produced by Caty Weaver. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Barbara Klein. Join us again next week for People in America in VOA Special English.

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Internet Business: Google Resists U.S. Demands, but Not China's

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I'm Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

In January, the United States Justice Department asked for millions of Internet search records. Its lawyers asked Google, Yahoo, American Online and Microsoft's MSN for one week of searches by their users.

Google refused. Last week the California company presented a twenty-five page legal answer. Google says the request would violate the privacy of its users and make its trade secrets public. Privacy activists have praised the company. It also argues that the list of search words would not mean much anyway.

The government says it does not want personal details about the users. It says it wants to better understand how people use the Internet. The lawyers say they are trying to show that children need more protection from sexual material and other dangers online.

The Justice Department is trying to defend a law called the Child Online Protection Act. The Supreme Court blocked enforcement in two thousand four.

The American Civil Liberties Union opposes the law, and supports Google. It says the government has not established a need for the information. A judge plans to hear arguments on March thirteenth.

As Google refuses to cooperate with the United States government, it is cooperating with the government of China. Google has the most popular search engine on the Internet. But Google is not the only Internet company competing for more than one hundred million Internet users in China. Others include Yahoo and Microsoft.

In doing so, they have cooperated with Chinese officials in different ways. For example, Yahoo provided information about the Internet activities of two Chinese citizens. The two have since been arrested and jailed.

The Chinese government says it is normal for countries to try to guide the "healthy and orderly" development of the Internet. But critics say American companies should not help suppress dissent, by blocking sites or restricting searches and e-mail. Just this month the American State Department announced a Global Internet Freedom Task Force.

Officials from Google and other companies faced heavy criticism before a congressional committee last week in Washington. Lawmakers said the companies have put profits before their duties as responsible world citizens.

A Google vice president said his company made a reasonable choice between honoring Chinese law and not operating in China. He said it is better for Chinese users that Google operates under legal restrictions than not at all.

This week, Chinese officials investigated Google's permit to operate its newly launched Web site for China. Some saw the investigation as a attempt to pressure Google to cooperate even more if it wants to do business in China. The findings were not immediately announced.

IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English was written by Nancy Steinbach. Read and listen to our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

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Are You Ready for Gyrotonics?

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week:

We play music by Roseanne Cash …

Answer a question about Asian food …

And report about a popular new kind of exercise.

Gyrotonics

An exercise method designed to stretch muscles and improve strength and balance is becoming popular in the United States. Faith Lapidus tells us more about Gyrotonics and the man who invented this special form of exercise.

FAITH LAPIDUS: Gyrotonics is a kind of exercise that combines the movements of dancing and swimming with the mental and physical practice called yoga. It helps lengthen muscles, improve balance, and exercise the joints, the parts of the body where bones are joined.

A Hungarian dancer named Juliu Horvath developed this special form of exercise. After he was injured dancing, Mister Horvath studied yoga intensely. In the nineteen eighties, he developed a new exercise method as a special kind of yoga to strengthen dancers.

Mister Horvath says that he based his method on the octopus, monkey and cat. He says these animals have no restrictions. They can move in any direction with control and strength. He designed the Gyrotonic movements to help the human body move more freely.

A special machine made of wood and weights helps guide the body through the many Gyrotonics exercises. You sit or lie on a flat board. You put your legs or hands through special cloth handles attached to a line with weights. With the tension created by the weights, you must try to move through the exercises.

Seven kinds of backbone movements form the base of Gyrotonics. For example, you can stretch your back to the left and right or forward and backward. While moving your back, you can also work on arm or leg motions. These movements must be done in a smooth way. Often the motions are circular.

When Juliu Horvath first developed Gyrotonics, he was the only teacher. He has since taught almost seventy master trainers. Now, there are more than eight hundred official schools in the world where you can learn Gyrotonics.

Ethnic Food

HOST: Our VOA listener question this week comes from Cambodia. Long Sothea asks if Americans enjoy eating in Chinese, Vietnamese and other Asian restaurants.

The simple answer to the question is yes. Americans do enjoy eating in restaurants

that serve foods of other nations. The American Restaurant Association says the popularity of ethnic food in the United States has greatly increased in the past ten years.

The Association says the three most popular kinds of ethnic foods in the United States are Chinese Cantonese, Italian and Mexican. Association officials say nine of every ten people in the United States have tried Chinese, Italian and Mexican food at least one time.

The most recent research about the number of restaurants offering ethnic food comes from the United States Economic Census of two thousand two. The census counted more than thirty-two thousand Chinese restaurants in the country. There were more than twenty-nine thousand Mexican restaurants. And there were more than twenty-two thousand Italian restaurants.

The American Restaurant Association says many ethnic foods are increasing in popularity. They include Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese sushi and Middle Eastern. American Restaurant Association research shows that fifty-three percent of Americans have eaten Japanese food. Twenty-six percent have tried Thai food. Nineteen percent have eaten Vietnamese food and sixteen percent of Americans have tried Korean food.

The Association says many people from these countries are settling in the United States and opening restaurants. And many older Americans are trying new kinds of foods they had not eaten before.

The Restaurant Association says Americans between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four are more likely than older people to eat ethnic food in restaurants quite often. It says younger people do not consider eating such foods to be different or experimental, just a normal part of what they usually eat.

Rosanne Cash

The singer and songwriter Rosanne Cash has been making music for more than twenty years. In her records she combines the sounds of country, rock and pop music. Her newest album is called “Black Cadillac.” It is an exploration of family memories, mourning, and letting go. Barbara Klein tells us more.

BARBARA KLEIN: Rosanne Cash has spent her life surrounded by music. Her father, Johnny Cash, and

stepmother, June Carter Cash, were famous country music singers. Recently, both of these family members as well as Rosanne’s mother died within two years of each other. This album represents Rosanne Cash’s expression of her sadness about losing these loved ones. Here is “House on the Lake”. In this song Cash remembers the sights and sounds of the house where she lived as a child. She thinks about the voice of her father and how it has gone away.

(MUSIC)

Rosanne Cash says that in making this album she had to show a degree of restraint. She had to find the right balance between expressing her sadness while also making enjoyable music. Critics say this is a rich and expertly made album. Some critics have even said it is the best record of her long musical career.

Here is “World without Sound.” Rosanne Cash sings about her desire for clear answers in a world that can be very unsure.

(MUSIC)

We leave you with “I Was Watching You”. This song expresses the way that families care for each other over many years. It tells how love can survive everything, even death.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today.

Our show was written by Dana Demange and Nancy Steinbach. Caty Weaver was our producer.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.

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Praise for Advanced Placement Classes, but Also Criticism

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I’m Doug Johnson with the VOA Special English Education Report.

The Advanced Placement program is fifty years old. As we reported last week, it was created to let high school students do college-level work. They can earn college credits if they do well on an exam.

In the United States, one-third of students who graduate from high school take at least one Advanced Placement course. Choices differ from school to school. Yet schools in poorer areas might offer few A.P. courses or none at all.

The program has many supporters. They point to studies that show that students with A.P. experience are better prepared for college. In fact, some arrive with enough credits to start at the second-year level. That saves money.

But the program also has critics. Some students and educators say A.P. classes often try to teach too much, so the learning is not very deep. And critics argue that classes can seem taught too much to the exam. Students and teachers might not have a lot of time to explore other areas.

Another issue has to do with the increasing competition for college. Some education experts say the fears of parents are helping to fuel the growth of A.P. classes. But a study by two economics professors suggests that the program might be expanding too fast to guarantee quality.

Kristin Klopfenstein and Kathleen Thomas compared the performance of students in Texas. They say A.P. students were no more likely than non-A.P. students to have higher grade point averages after their first semester at college. They also found that students with A.P. experience were generally no more likely than others to return for a second year of college.

Another researcher, Philip Sadler, presented a study last week at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This study involved students who got high marks on an A.P. science exam but still took a beginning-level science class in college. Mister Sadler says they did well, but not as well as many people might have expected.

The College Board, which administers the A.P. program, says the study was too small to mean much. It says other research shows that students who do well on Advanced Placement exams are likely to be more successful in college.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. Read and listen to our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Doug Johnson.

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Woodrow Wilson Wins 1912 Presidential Election

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VOICE ONE:

THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English.

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The first ten years of the twentieth century in America were shaped by the strong leadership of President Theodore Roosevelt. And in the second decade, Roosevelt returned to national politics to bring, once more, dramatic changes to the United States.

William Howard Taft

In nineteen twelve, he organized a new political party: the Progressives. Roosevelt created this new party after he failed to win the Republican presidential nomination. The Republican convention of nineteen twelve had been controlled by conservative supporters of President William Howard Taft. And they nominated Taft for four more years in the White House.

VOICE TWO:

As a result, Roosevelt broke with the Republicans. And he and his supporters held their own convention. They formed the Progressive Party and approved a platform that promised reforms. These reforms were proposed to make the government serve the people and carry out more fully their desire for social progress.

Woodrow Wilson

The Democratic Party also nominated a candidate who supported progressive ideas. The Democrats chose Governor Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey, a former president of Princeton University.

So, for the first time in many years, there were three major candidates for president. Wilson clearly had the best chance to win. He had the support of almost all the Democrats. The Republicans, however, were split. Some supported Taft. The others were for Roosevelt.

VOICE ONE:

Roosevelt refused to accept the idea of defeat. He campaigned hard, visiting many cities and towns, making speech after speech. Wilson also campaigned hard. He seemed to enjoy it as much as Roosevelt.

Taft did not like it at all. He refused to do much campaigning. He spent most of the time at his summer home.

It was a quiet election campaign. . . until the middle of October. Then, only three weeks before election day, Roosevelt was shot.

VOICE TWO:

Theodore Roosevelt

It happened in Milwaukee. Roosevelt had just left his hotel and climbed into the automobile that would carry him to the hall where he planned to make a speech. As he stood in the open car, an extremist named John Schrank ran up to him, pulled a gun from his coat, and fired a bullet into Roosevelt's chest.

The bullet knocked him down. Roosevelt said it felt as if he had been kicked by a mule. He jumped up and put his hand to the wound. The bullet had passed through the inside pocket of his coat. It struck a steel case that held his glasses, and went through the folded fifty pages of his written speech. These slowed the bullet, and it went only a few centimeters into his chest.

VOICE ONE:

Roosevelt did not know if he was seriously wounded. He put his hand to his mouth and coughed. No blood came. And he knew the shot had not damaged his lungs. Roosevelt ordered the crowd around to stop beating Schrank. "Bring him to me," he said. He looked down at the man. "You poor creature," said Roosevelt. Then he turned away.

Doctors arrived. They said Roosevelt must go at once to the hospital. But Roosevelt refused. He said he would go to the hall. "I will make this speech," he said, "or die. It will be one or the other." On his way to the hall, he told a friend: "It takes more than that to kill a Roosevelt. I do not care a rap about being shot. Not a rap."

VOICE TWO:

At the hall, he stood before the big crowd. His face was white. But he stood straight, without help. Someone announced that Roosevelt had been wounded, but still planned to speak.

Roosevelt's voice was very low, almost a whisper. "I Am going to ask you to be very quiet. And please excuse me from making a long speech. I will do the best I can. But there is a bullet in me." He paused and then continued. "It is nothing. I am not hurt badly. I have something to say. And I will say it as long as there is life in my body."

VOICE ONE:

Roosevelt's speech was not important. He said nothing that he had not already said many times before. What was important, however, was his cool courage. Men did not see his act as foolish or overly-dramatic. They saw it as the brave act of a strong man. To the public, he was a hero.

Roosevelt spoke for almost an hour. Finally, very weak, he let himself be helped from the hall. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors could examine the wound.

VOICE TWO:

The doctors found that the bullet had broken a rib, but caused no serious damage. They decided to leave the bullet where it was. The next day, Roosevelt made a statement from his hospital bed. "Tell the people not to worry about me. For if I go down, another will take my place."

President Taft and Woodrow Wilson sent messages of regret to Roosevelt. They announced that they would not campaign until Roosevelt was able to do so.

VOICE ONE:

Roosevelt's condition improved quickly. After two weeks of rest, he was ready to continue his campaign for the presidency. He made a speech to a big crowd at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Everyone was surprised to see how strong and healthy he seemed.

Wilson ended his campaign in New York City the next day. He told a cheering crowd of Democrats: "What the Democratic Party proposes to do is to go into power and do the things that the Republican Party has been talking about for sixteen years."

VOICE TWO:

On November fifth, the people voted. The winner was Woodrow Wilson. He received more than six million votes. Roosevelt was second with four million. Taft received only about three and a half million. Wilson's victory was even greater in the electoral vote. He got four hundred thirty-five. Roosevelt got only eighty-eight. And Taft received only the eight electoral votes of Utah and Vermont.

The Democrats won not only the White House, but also control of Congress. And a number of Democratic governors were elected in states formerly controlled by Republicans.

VOICE ONE:

The nineteen twelve campaign ended public life for Theodore Roosevelt. Soon after the election, a friend visited Roosevelt and talked of possible victory in nineteen sixteen.

"I thought you were a better politician," Roosevelt said. "The fight is over. We are beaten. There is only one thing to do. That is to go back to the Republican Party. You cannot hold a party like the Progressive Party together. There are no loaves and fishes. . . no financial support."

VOICE TWO:

War was soon to break out in Europe. The United States would enter the struggle in nineteen seventeen.

As always, Roosevelt was ready to join in a fight. He asked for permission to organize an American force and lead it into battle in France. President Wilson, however, turned down the request. Roosevelt was sure that it was a political decision. He never forgave Wilson for keeping him out of the war.

Although Roosevelt himself could not fight, four of his sons went into battle. One -- his youngest son Quentin -- did not return. When he received news of his son's death, Roosevelt wrote these words to honor him:

VOICE ONE:

"Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die. And none are fit to die who have shrunk from the joy of life. Both life and death are parts of the same great adventure. All of us who give service and stand ready for sacrifice are torch bearers. We run with the torches until we fall, satisfied if we can then pass them to the hands of other runners.

"The torches whose flame is brightest are carried by the brave men on the battlefield and by the brave women whose husbands, lovers, sons, and brothers struggle there. These are the torch bearers. These are they who have dared the great adventure."

VOICE TWO:

Roosevelt's own great adventure was itself coming to an end.

He suffered from painful attacks of inflammatory rheumatism and from a serious ear infection. He had difficulty in hearing and could not walk. But the old man was still cheerful. He spent his sixtieth birthday in the hospital. And to his family and friends, he said: "I am ahead of the game. Nobody ever packed more kinds of fun and interest into sixty years."

Death came to Roosevelt as he slept on the night of January sixth, nineteen nineteen. Said Vice President Thomas Marshall: "Death had to take him sleeping. For if Roosevelt had been awake, there would have been a fight."

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VOICE ONE:

You have been listening to the Special English program THE MAKING OF A NATION. Your narrators were Maurice Joyce and Leo Scully. Our program was written by Frank Beardsley.

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Legumes: Good for People and Soil

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I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Many different kinds of plants are part of the leguminosae group. They are called legumes. These plants can produce their own nitrogen. Beans are legumes. Peanuts are legumes. Alfalfa is a legume. There are also many different kinds of trees that are legumes.

As a food, beans are high in protein. Most beans also contain a lot of nutrients such as calcium, iron, phosphorus and niacin. Some beans contain amino acids and lysine.

The leaves of bean plants and other legumes also are high in nutrients. They are often fed to farm animals. Some farmers grow legumes especially for their animals. Cows, goats and other animals are permitted to eat the leaves on the plants in the fields.

Many farmers around the world know the value of growing legumes along with their main crops, or between harvests. The legumes replace nitrogen used by crops. They also provide a cover for the soil to help protect it from heavy rains and strong winds.

The roots of the legume plants hold the soil in place. This keeps the soil from being blown away by the wind or washed away by rain. The roots also loosen the soil. This lets the rain reach deep into the ground.

Legumes produce nitrogen through a process involving bacteria in the soil and nitrogen in the air. The bacteria form small growths on the plant roots. These growths are called nodules. They capture the atmospheric nitrogen that has entered the soil.

The nodules change the nitrogen into ammonia, a form of nitrogen that plants can use. The process is called nitrogen fixation. The bacteria needed for the process, rhizobia or frankia, are found in most soils. But if they are not present in the soil in a field, they can be "painted" on the legume seeds before the seeds are put in the ground. A local agriculture agent can show how to do this.

When planted next to fields, legume trees will add nitrogen to the soil. They provide shade and protect young crop plants from the heat of the sun. They provide firewood. And their wood can be used as building material. Some legume trees also provide medicines and chemicals for coloring cloth.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Bob Bowen. Read and listen to our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

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Providing Health Care for Native Communities in Mexico

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VOICE ONE:

I’m Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

A document showing traditional medicinal herbs. (University of New Mexico picture)

And I’m Steve Ember with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today we tell about an organization that is helping provide health care for native communities in Mexico.

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VOICE ONE:

Lack of good health care is an issue in many areas of the world. In industrial countries, the biggest problem is the cost of health care.

The issue is far more serious in developing areas of the world, especially for native groups. The indigenous people are usually among the poorest. They often live in mountains or areas far from the center of cities where most doctors and hospitals are found.

VOICE TWO:

For centuries, indigenous groups provided their own health care. They had their own doctors who were called healers, curanderos, or medicine women or men. They knew which plants growing in the area could be used to treat different sicknesses. The old healers taught their unwritten medical knowledge to chosen young people who went through a difficult training.

In recent years, many young people have moved to cities to find jobs. Others who remained in the villages were not interested in learning plant medicine and natural medical treatments. Through the years the old healers and traditional medicine experts died. Their knowledge died with them.

VOICE ONE:

International groups such as the World Health Organization recognize that indigenous groups throughout the world lack good health care. The director-general of the W.H.O. spoke about the problem on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People in two thousand four. He said governments should recognize the right of indigenous people to good health. He called for nations to provide for indigenous health needs while honoring traditional healing methods and knowledge.

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VOICE TWO:

An organization in Oaxaca, Mexico, is helping indigenous groups learn to provide for their own health care. Oaxaca is one of thirty-two Mexican states. Oaxaca is also the name of the capital city. Indigenous groups in Oaxaca state speak sixteen different languages. Many indigenous villages are very far from any doctors or hospitals.

In nineteen ninety-one, Roman Catholic Archbishop Bartolome Carrasco Briceno began a campaign to improve health care for the poor in Oaxaca. He wanted indigenous people to re-learn the use of natural medicines. Doctors were brought into Oaxaca to teach many of the natural medical techniques used by indigenous cultures for centuries.

When the doctors left, an organization, PROSA, was created to continue the teaching of natural medicine. PROSA means Promoters of Health in Defense of the Life of the Community.

VOICE ONE:

Isabelle Harmon has been working with PROSA since she arrived in Oaxaca in

Sister Isabelle Harmon of Medical Mission Sisters works with PROSA.

nineteen ninety-three. She is a nurse and a member of the Medical Mission Sisters, a Roman Catholic organization that provides health care for people in developing countries.

Sister Isabelle helps teach poor families how to make their own medicines from locally grown plants. She says the goal is to have indigenous people use their own traditional herbal medicines to provide for their own health. She helped PROSA produce a book, “Medicinal Plants”, in both English and Spanish. It includes drawings of medicinal plants found in Oaxaca with an explanation of how to use them.

Magda Pittaro is a Medical Mission Sister from Italy. She has been in Oaxaca for several years helping PROSA by doing massages that ease tension in the muscles of the body. Mary Hicken is with Maryknoll Mission. She helps PROSA find financial support.

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VOICE TWO:

Three indigenous women from the Oaxaca area now are officers of PROSA. Veronica Estaban is president. Soledad Rendon is coordinator and Lurdes Rendon is treasurer. They are experts in natural healing methods. They prepare the herbal medicines sold in the PROSA office. And they travel to distant villages to help train community representatives as health promoters.

PROSA has an office in Oaxaca city. It includes a room where natural medicines are made and kept and some small rooms for treatments. PROSA is in a building that has offices for other groups that provide services for poor and indigenous Mexicans.

Two days a week, PROSA helps people who have made the long trip to Oaxaca city to seek treatment for a health problem. First, the patient is examined. The PROSA experts do one of several tests to find out what is wrong. One test is called the O-ring test. It tests the energy coming from organs and other parts of the body to find problems. Once the health problem is discovered, it may be treated in several different ways.

VOICE ONE:

A common treatment is natural medicine. Dried herbs are crushed and put in dark bottles with water and alcohol for a month to make tinctures. Different tinctures are mixed to make another kind of medicine called a microdose. The dried herbs are also sold to make teas to drink. People can buy the medicines for a small amount of money or, if they have no money, they may pay with herbs they have grown.

People may be treated in several other ways. One is called Cerebral Thermal Regulation. Patients are given small pieces of copper metal to wear on their wrists and feet to re-balance energy in the body. Or they may be treated by Alejo Pinacho Remirez with a kind of acupuncture that involves only the ear. He does ear pressure point treatments.

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VOICE TWO:

PROSA health educators visit between twelve and fifteen villages each year. They teach a series of workshops about ways to treat sicknesses caused by different kinds of environmental or physical problems. The women and men who complete the workshops are called health promoters. They are expected to teach others in their villages. Since nineteen ninety-one, PROSA has trained more than five hundred people in about two hundred communities.

The series of five workshops deal with: Sicknesses caused by lack of pure water and waste treatment. Lack of warm clothing and safe housing. Poor working conditions and tension. Problems of female and male reproduction systems. And sicknesses caused by lack of food and an unbalanced diet.

VOICE ONE:

Late one afternoon, seven women leave their work in their fields and homes and gather in a covered area outside a home in a small farming village. PROSA educators have arrived from Oaxaca to teach another in the series of workshops about sicknesses caused by poor working conditions and tension.

The women listen carefully as Soledad Rendon explains about nerve problems and a natural medicine to treat these problems. They write down the kinds and amounts of substances to be used in the tonic and when and how it should be used.

Then the women help prepare a mixture of dried plants, fresh grains and vegetables to be boiled in water. After boiling, the solid material is removed and the liquid is mixed with alcohol.

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VOICE TWO:

PROSA holds two workshops a year in the city of Oaxaca for trained health promoters. The women and men share experiences in their villages and continue to learn about ways to prevent as well as treat sicknesses.

In the spring of two thousand five, thirty people gathered in a large room in a church in Oaxaca. Some of the people had traveled for many hours to get to the three-day meeting. They talked about their successes and problems as health promoters in their villages. They watched videos about pollution. They learned about natural ways to kill harmful insects so the earth is not poisoned by chemicals.

VOICE ONE:

A university professor talked about the problems caused by corn that has been genetically changed. This transgenic corn is replacing the many kinds of native corn grown in Mexico for centuries. The director of an organization for organic farming explained that transgenic corn does not provide the nutrients that people need. And, she said, the seeds have to be bought each year. This means many poor farmers cannot continue to grow corn so they have to sell their land.

The workshop in Oaxaca ended with a ceremony. PROSA educators and health promoters joined hands. They promised to continue working together to improve their health, the health of their communities, and the health of their land.

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VOICE TWO:

This program was written by Marilyn Christiano and produced by Mario Ritter. There is more information about PROSA treatments in the article “Integrative Medicine in Mexico.” It was printed in the publication “Alternative and Complementary Therapies” in August, two thousand two. I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I’m Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.

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Chronic Diseases: The World's Leading Killer

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I’m Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Health Report.

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. Yet health experts say these conditions are often the most preventable. Chronic diseases include heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and lung disorders.

The World Health Organization says chronic diseases lead to about seventeen million early deaths each year. The United Nations agency expects more than three hundred eighty million people to die of chronic diseases by two thousand fifteen. It says about eighty percent of the deaths will happen in developing nations.

The W.H.O. says chronic diseases now cause two-thirds of all deaths in the Asia-Pacific area. In ten years it could be almost three-fourths. People are getting sick in their most economically productive years. In fact, experts say chronic diseases are killing more middle-aged people in poorer countries than in wealthier ones.

The W.H.O. estimates that chronic diseases will cost China alone more than five hundred thousand million dollars in the next ten years. That estimate represents the costs of medical treatment and lost productivity. Russia and India are also expected to face huge economic losses.

Kim Hak-Su is the head of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Last week in Bangkok he presented a W.H.O. report on the problem. It says deaths from chronic diseases have increased largely as the result of economic gains in many countries.

The report details the latest findings from nine countries. They include Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, India and Nigeria. The others are Pakistan, Russia and Tanzania.

Mister Kim says infectious and parasitic diseases have until recently been the main killers in Asia and the Pacific. But he says they are no longer the major cause of death in most countries.

Health officials say as many as eighty percent of deaths from chronic diseases could be prevented. They say an important tool for governments is to restrict the marketing of alcohol and tobacco to young people. Also, more programs are needed to urge healthy eating and more physical activity.

U.N. officials aim through international action to reduce chronic-disease deaths by two percent each year through two thousand fifteen. They say meeting that target could save thirty-six million lives. That includes twenty-five million in Asia and the Pacific.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk. Read and listen to our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.

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Low-Fat Diets Alone Do Not Reduce Health Risks

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I'm Pat Bodnar.

VOICE TWO:

A golden-mantled tree kangaroo, one of the creatures found in a 'Garden of Eden' on the island of New Guinea

And I'm Bob Doughty. On our program this week: We tell about a discovery made on a mountain in eastern Indonesia. We also will talk about a report on the value of calcium in the human diet.

VOICE ONE:

But first, we tell about low-fat diets and their effects in women.

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An American study has examined the effects of a low-fat diet on the health of women. The study found that such a diet does not reduce the risk of at least one kind of cancer, heart disease or stroke.

For years, medical experts have thought that a diet that is low in fat helps reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Researchers with America's National Institutes of Health created a study to test this theory. It is one of the largest studies ever done on this subject.

The researchers studied the health of almost fifty thousand women for eight years. These women were between the ages of fifty and seventy-nine years.

VOICE TWO:

The women in one group reduced the fat in their diet to twenty percent of their total daily food supply. They also increased their daily servings of vegetables, fruits and grains.

Another group of women did not make any dietary changes. The researchers compared the two groups.

The results of the study show the different diets had little effect on the health of the women. Both groups had the same rates of heart disease and colorectal cancer. The researchers said the women who followed the low-fat diet might have less risk of breast cancer. But the difference was so small that it is not considered important.

VOICE ONE:

Experts say the results are important for both men and women. Some critics of the study fear many people will think that diet is not important. Other studies have shown that a healthful diet is still important, but so are other choices. For example, exercising, avoiding smoking, and keeping a normal body weight are also necessary for good health.

Other experts noted the study called for reducing total fat instead of the kinds of fats that are not healthful. For example, fats in some foods like fish and nuts are considered good for human health. Unhealthful fats include saturated and trans fats. The study did not note differences between these two kinds of fat.

Experts also said that dietary changes might need to begin earlier in life to have a greater effect on disease and cancer prevention. Some researchers suggest the study would have shown better results if the women had eaten even less fat.

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VOICE TWO:

Most American children are not getting enough of the element calcium in their diet. Calcium helps the body to make bones strong and hard. The hardness prevents bones from breaking later in life. Getting enough calcium can also reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a bone-thinning disease. It usually develops in old age and affects millions of Americans. Most people with osteoporosis are women.

Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a report about the calcium needs of children. The academy represents thousands of children's doctors and researchers.

The report says that only during their first six months of life are most American children receiving enough calcium. All other ages are lacking calcium in their diet. Children between the ages of twelve and nineteen years are getting far less calcium than the amount that experts suggest. Calcium is especially important during this period, when most bone growth is taking place.

VOICE ONE:

Doctors believe that one reason older children are not getting enough calcium is because they choose soft drinks like Coca-Cola instead of milk. Often young adults also choose soft drinks instead of natural fruit drinks that contain calcium.

Most people can receive the calcium they need from eating or drinking milk products three times each day. Older boys and girls require calcium in their diet four times each day.

Foods rich in calcium include milk, cheese and yogurt. Experts say milk products low in fat contain as much calcium as those with higher fat levels. Calcium can also be found in some green vegetables, although milk products are the most common way people get calcium.

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VOICE TWO:

Many people in the United States need more physical exercise. A recent study found that one-third of all Americans between the ages of twelve and nineteen years were in poor physical condition. Such persons also had an increased risk of health problems linked to heart disease.

Researchers at Northwestern University in the American state of Illinois organized the study. The research team used information from a four-year study that involved more than five thousand people. More than three thousand of them were twelve to nineteen years old.

The rest were adults between the ages of twenty and forty-nine years. None were known to have heart disease before the study.

VOICE ONE:

The five thousand individuals were tested on a common piece of exercise equipment: a treadmill. The treadmill test measured their physical condition or cardio-respiratory fitness. Cardio-respiratory fitness is the ability of the heart and lungs to react to an increase in physical activity.

More than thirty percent of the teenagers were in poor physical condition. Almost fourteen percent of the adults also had poor test results. The researchers say the number of adults with poor physical health may be greater. They said some adults in the study did not take the treadmill test. Those adults already were at risk for heart disease.

Mercedes Carnethon led the study. She says women may be at greater risk because they are less likely to be in good physical condition. Doctor Carnethon said those in poor physical condition often have higher levels of blood pressure and cholesterol in the blood. They also can have a higher risk of developing the disease diabetes and gaining too much weight.

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VOICE TWO:

Scientists working in Indonesia have found many kinds of wildlife that had never been described before. The wildlife was discovered on top of a mountain in a forest on the island of New Guinea. The scientists explored the forest in the Foja Mountains of Papua Province late last year.

Bruce Beehler is vice president of the Melanesia program of the environmental group Conservation International. He described the forest as the closest to the Garden of Eden that humans will find on Earth. The writings of Jews, Christians, and Muslims tell of Eden as a beautiful place where the first man and woman lived until they violated God's law and were expelled.

Conservation International and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences organized the research. The team of scientists came from Indonesia, Australia and the United States. The Foja Mountain forest is part of more than one million hectares of land seemingly never influenced by humans.

VOICE ONE:

Among the creatures discovered was the Berlepsch [pronounced BEAR-lapsh] Six-Wired Bird of Paradise. No researcher had seen this kind of bird since eighteen ninety-seven. At that time, German bird expert Otto Kleinschmidt identified it from wildlife skins in a collection owned by Hans von Berlepsch. The bird got the rest of its name from the strange wires that extend from its head.

The scientists also took the first pictures of a bird called the Golden-fronted Bowerbird. They reportedly saw a male Bowerbird hanging up fruit for a female Bowerbird. The male's actions were part of the mating process.

Conservation International says at least twelve attempts were made over about eighty years to find a Bird of Paradise and a Bowerbird.

VOICE TWO:

In all, the team discovered more than forty animals that scientists have not identified before. The discoveries included four kinds of butterflies and twenty kinds of frogs.

They also found a larger animal new to Indonesia. It is called the golden-mantled tree kangaroo. Earlier, it was known to live on only one mountain in the nearby nation of Papua New Guinea.

Scientists thought that hunters had killed the last such animal. As its name suggests, the golden-mantled tree kangaroo lives in the trees. The scientists also found and took pictures of a huge rhododendron plant. Its flower measured about fifteen centimeters wide.

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VOICE ONE:

This program was written by Brianna Blake, Dana Demange, Lawan Davis and Jerilyn Watson. Cynthia Kirk was our producer. I'm Pat Bodnar.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English.

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