Project Aims to Raise Demand for Laptops for Poor Children

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This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

The project known as One Laptop Per Child has a new campaign to bring its computers to children in developing countries.

The campaign will urge people in the United States and Canada to spend just under four hundred dollars for two laptops. One will go to a child in a poor country. The other will go to the buyer.

The "Give One, Get One" campaign will start on November twelfth for two weeks only. Project officials think the donations may help persuade governments of developing countries to buy more.

The green-and-white machines are specially designed for children in the developing world. The laptop, called the XO, does not use very much power. And if no electricity is available, users can charge the battery by hand by turning a crank.

The computer uses the free, open-source operating system Linux. The color display can change to a black-and-white image so users are able to see it even in bright sunlight.

Also, the laptops are able to connect wirelessly to each other, as well as the Internet if local service is available. They have a camera. And they are built to resist dirt and moisture.

Mass production is expected to begin in October, once a final design is approved. The XO laptop is currently being tested in Cambodia, Thailand, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uruguay, Brazil and Peru.

Walter Bender is head of software and content for the nonprofit One Laptop Per Child project. He says officials hope to establish a process through the United Nations for countries to make proposals to get free laptops.

Donations may be necessary to launch a laptop program in some poor countries, he says, but governments are needed to keep it going. Partnerships between nations could also help. Italy, for example, has agreed to buy fifty thousand laptops for Ethiopia.

The project is led by Nicholas Negroponte, the founding director of the Media Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was waiting for three million orders, but so far that has not happened.

In two thousand five he announced the idea for a computer that would cost one hundred dollars. Right now, the cost is almost one hundred ninety dollars.

Several countries in Africa and South America have already placed orders. Walter Bender says countries that buy laptops could still receive others through donations.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss. I’m Steve Ember.

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Seeing the Sights (the Ones Above Water, at Least) for an Afternoon on the Chesapeake Bay

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Natural beauty, colorful history, a huge bridge, a restored island and even a leaning lighthouse. Transcript of radio broadcast:

VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Shirley Griffith. This week on our program, we take you to the East Coast for a boat trip on the Chesapeake Bay.

(SOUND)

VOICE ONE:

Ten passengers ease themselves carefully from the wooden dock into the sightseeing boat. They have come to learn about the bay, or maybe just to enjoy an afternoon on the water under a bright blue sky.

The Chesapeake Bay is about three hundred twenty kilometers long. It passes through Maryland and Virginia. These along with four other states and the District of Columbia all have rivers and other bodies of water that flow into the bay.

Floodwaters from the Susquehanna River have sent trees, branches, road barriers and tires into the upper Chesapeake Bay.

VOICE TWO:

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. An estuary is a coastal area that has one part that opens to the ocean and contains both saltwater tides and freshwater. The Chesapeake opens into the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia.

Some of the rivers that feed the bay have American Indian names like Potomac, Susquehanna and Rappahannock. The bay supported native societies for thousands of years. The name Chesapeake comes from an Algonquin Indian word often defined as "great shellfish bay."

VOICE ONE:

The sightseeing boat this afternoon is called Sharp’s Island. The captain is Mike Richards. As he pilots the boat away from Tilghman Island in Maryland, it glides by beautiful homes near the water. Some of the homes have yachts and other very nice boats tied a short walk from their back door.

The sun is warm but the water is cool. A young man laughs as he leans over the side of the boat into the wind and gets wet.

PASSENGER: "Just one, just one wave got me!"

The boat is moving quickly now. The wind, the motor and the sounds of the water against the sides are loud but also calming.

Ducks and Canada geese call out. Cormorants and blue herons raise their wings against the afternoon sky, then settle on wooden posts in the water. Some of these large birds are ready for a meal. Rockfish hang from their mouths.

VOICE TWO:

Someone on the boat comments that these are the same waters that Captain John Smith sailed long ago. Next year will be the four hundredth anniversary of when the British explorer mapped this bay.

The first mate for today's trip, Kate Richards, daughter of the captain, points at a long, empty piece of land. She identifies it as Poplar Island. Several passengers say they cannot see any poplars -- or any trees.

The passengers listen carefully as she explains that the island had been falling into the bay. Wind, storms and tides destroyed it.

KATE RICHARDS: "You will notice that there are no trees on Poplar Island at all. And that’s because this is brand-new."

VOICE ONE:

In nineteen ninety-six, government agencies approved a twenty-five-year project to save the island. An agreement directed the Baltimore District of the Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild Poplar Island. Many other agencies and the state of Maryland are also taking part. So are many volunteers.

The project is costing hundreds of millions of dollars. The federal government agreed to pay seventy-five percent of the costs.

To rebuild the island, workers bring sand and other dredge material from the bottom of ship channels leading to the Port of Baltimore. The entrances to the port are being deepened, so heavier ships can come and go.

A Osprey flies off with a fish from the Chesapeake Bay

Today, Poplar Island is home to turtles and birds. The island has gained new life as a wildlife refuge. Eagles, herons, osprey and egrets have their young there.

VOICE TWO:

Poplar Island has a colorful history. A settler named Daniel Cugley is said to have kept pigs on the island in sixteen thirty-two. Five years later, Indians killed the family of another settler, Richard Thompson. He was away at the time, traveling to trade fur.

The early eighteen hundreds were comparatively quiet, although British troops occupied the island during the War of Eighteen Twelve.

Next to occupy the island were black cats. In eighteen forty-four, a man bought the island to keep one thousand cats there. Historical records say he wanted to trade in black cat fur. Happily for the animals, the bay froze over in December. The cats escaped to the mainland.

VOICE ONE:

In the nineteen twenties, during the Prohibition era, the United States banned alcohol. Poplar Island was used to produce it illegally. But this did not last. A local lawman poured the alcohol into the bay.

By this time, a lot of Poplar Island had dropped into the bay. The erosion formed a small island that was named Jefferson Island. A clubhouse was built there. During the nineteen thirties it became a favorite weekend place for Democratic Party politicians and businessmen. The clubhouse burned down in nineteen forty-six.

The visitors to Jefferson Island included presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman.

(SOUND)

VOICE TWO:

A passenger on the sightseeing boat catches sight of something floating in the distance. It looks huge and bright orange. A sea monster, someone jokes. No, a ship. When the ship is close enough, the sightseers read the company name: Wallenius Wilhelmsen. Captain Richards confirms it.

CAPTAIN RICHARDS: "Yeah, Wallenius Wilhelmsen. The ship is designed specifically for carrying automobiles. That ramp falls down and they drive them off six cars abreast."

So thousands of shiny new cars are on their way to the Port of Baltimore. And the ten passengers on the sightseeing boat are on their way to see more of the Chesapeake Bay.

VOICE ONE:

They get close looks at several lighthouses. One of them, within a kilometer and a half of shore, is called Bloody Point Bar Light. It was first lit on October first of eighteen eighty-two. Very soon, however, it began to lean to one side. Repeated attempts were made to balance it.

In eighteen eighty-five, for example, workers dropped hundreds of tons of stone around the tower. But even today, it looks a little like Italy’s leaning Tower of Pisa.

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen sixty a fire at the lighthouse nearly killed two members of the Coast Guard. They escaped. But the whole structure exploded. The fire began in an equipment area and reached the gas tank for the light.

Later, the light was redesigned to operate by itself. It still shines without the need for a human keeper. In the winter, it also sounds a horn to warn about fog, so ships do not get too close to the shore.

Over the years, time and nature have made changes to the lines of the Chesapeake shore. Humans also had an influence on the bay as Indian settlements grew into the cities of today. Pollution from farms and factories also found its way to the great Chesapeake.

VOICE ONE:

Traffic moves along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

From the water, the steel of the bridge over the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis, Maryland, glows like silver in the sunlight. The bridge is officially named the William Preston Lane Junior Memorial Bridge, after a former Maryland governor. But most people call it the Bay Bridge.

It joins the eastern and western shores of Maryland. The bridge is about seven kilometers long. It was the largest continuous over-water steel structure in the world when it opened in nineteen fifty-two.

VOICE TWO:

The Chesapeake Bay is also known for something that the sightseers this afternoon will not be able to see unless they dive into the water.

The bay is famous for its fish and shellfish, including oysters and blue crabs. People come from far away to enjoy it fresh. Scientists come to study the rich marine environment. The bay has three hundred fifty kinds of fish alone.

But pollution and too much fishing have led to restrictions on the watermen who work on the Chesapeake. They are still known as watermen even though they include women.

Many people are interested in the future of the Chesapeake, and not just the watermen. A big program is working to clean up the bay.

VOICE ONE:

Last spring, twelve history fans set out to repeat much of John Smith’s travels on the Chesapeake four centuries ago. Their four-month trip took place in an open wooden boat like Captain Smith’s.

The hope is that in another four hundred years, the bay will still be beautiful and productive. That means future generations will still be able to enjoy an afternoon of sightseeing on the Chesapeake.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Our program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by Caty Weaver. I'm Shirley Griffith.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Steve Ember. Our programs are online with transcripts and MP3 files at voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in Special English.

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Frederick Douglass, 1818-1895: He Fought for Freedom and Equality for African-Americans

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Born a slave, he became one of America's greatest leaders. Transcript of radio broadcast:

VOICE ONE:

I’m Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember with PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English. Today we tell about Frederick Douglass. He was born a slave, but later became one of America’s greatest leaders. He was an activist, a writer, a powerful speaker and an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass suffered severe physical and mental abuse during his many years as a slave. He dreamed of one day learning to read and being free. He believed knowledge would lead the way to freedom. Douglass wrote several books about his life as a slave. In eighteen forty-five he wrote "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave." It became an immediate best seller and remains popular today.

VOICE TWO:

Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born around eighteen eighteen in Tuckahoe, Maryland, near the Chesapeake Bay. Many slaves lived on large farms owned by white people. Each plantation was like a small village owned by one family who lived in a large house on the property.

Frederick and his mother, Harriet Bailey, were slaves on a huge plantation owned by Colonel Edward Lloyd. Their slave owner was a white man named Captain Aaron Anthony. Frederick knew very little about his father, except that he was a white man. Many believed Captain Anthony was his father.

Frederick did not know his mother well. Harriet Bailey was sent to work on another plantation when Frederick was very young. She was able to visit him only a few times. She died when Frederick was about seven years old.

VOICE ONE:

Frederick then lived with his grandparents, Betsey and Isaac Bailey. He said that his grandparents had a loving home and were respected by other slaves in the area. Because of this, he did not realize at first that someone owned him and the others---that they were slaves.

It was not unusual for African-American families to be separated, often never seeing each other again. Slaves were not treated as human beings. Slave owners bought and traded them as if they were animals or property. Frederick had to leave his grandparents’ home when he was six years old. He later wrote about that day. He said being forced to leave was one of the most painful experiences in his life. He said he began to understand the evil and oppressive system of slavery.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In eighteen twenty-six, Frederick was sent to work for Hugh Auld, in Baltimore, Maryland. Mister Auld’s wife, Sophia, was very kind to Frederick. She treated him as if he were a member of her family. Missus Auld soon began to teach Frederick to read. Her husband became extremely angry and ordered her to stop immediately. Slaves were denied education. Mister Auld said if slaves could read they would rebel and run away.

Sophia Auld stopped teaching Frederick to read. But he learned to read from white boys he met in the city. The boys also told Frederick he had the right to be free.

VOICE ONE:

Mister Auld sent Frederick to work for a poor farmer, Edward Covey, who beat him often. In eighteen thirty-six, Frederick made an attempt to escape. But he failed and was arrested. He was sent back to the home of Hugh and Sophia Auld home in Baltimore.

He met and fell in love with a free black woman named Anna Murray. Miz Murray had a job cleaning other people’s homes. She gave Frederick money to help him escape by getting on a train to New York City.

VOICE THREE:

"My free life began on the third of September, eighteen thirty-eight. On the morning of the fourth of that month, I found myself in the big city of New York, a free man. For the moment the dreams of my youth and the hopes of my manhood where completely fulfilled. The bonds that held me to “old master” were broken. No man now had the right to call me his slave or try to control me."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

When Frederick Bailey reached New York he changed his name to Frederick Douglass to hide his identity from slave capturers. Anna Murray joined him and they were married. They settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts and had five children.

Frederick Douglass became one of the most important leaders of the abolitionist movement to end slavery in the United States.

In eighteen forty-one, he attended the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society meeting in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Douglass was unexpectedly asked to give a speech to describe his experiences as a slave. He had not prepared a speech but he spoke to the huge gathering of people anyway. Most of the supporters were white. He spoke with great emotion in a deep and powerful voice. The crowd praised him.

VOICE ONE:

After that speech, The Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society asked Douglass to travel to cities throughout the North. He continued to tell about his cruel and oppressive life as a slave. He told how slave owners beat slaves everyday. How slaves were given very little food to eat. How they worked all day in the fields during dangerously hot weather. How they slept on cold floors and had very little clothing.

Many who heard his story challenged its truthfulness. They refused to believe that Frederick Douglass was ever a slave. Instead, they thought he was an educated man who created the entire story.

In eighteen forty-four, Douglass began writing his life’s story. "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave" was published the following year. He later published expanded versions of his book.

VOICE TWO:

Frederick Douglass wrote his first book partly to prove that he had lived through the horrible situations he described in his speeches. He was asked to speak at the Independence Day celebration in Rochester, New York in eighteen fifty-two. He noted the differences of how blacks and whites considered Independence Day.

VOICE THREE:

”The purpose of this celebration is the Fourth of July. It is the birthday of your National Independence, and of your political freedom… This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may celebrate. I must mourn…What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him more than all other days in the year, the horrible discrimination and punishment to which he is the everyday victim…There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States at this very hour."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

In eighteen sixty-one the American Civil War began. Frederick Douglass and many others saw slavery as the cause of the war. Douglass wanted blacks to be permitted to join the Union Army. However, Northern whites, including President Abraham Lincoln, were against it. They said black soldiers would harm the spirit of white soldiers. They believed black soldiers were not intelligent.

Two years later, blacks were permitted to join the Union Army, but they were not treated as soldiers. Although they showed bravery they were given less important jobs. Douglass met with President Lincoln in Washington to discuss the issue. Douglass urge that black soldiers be treated equal to white soldiers. Although President Lincoln agreed, he said there could be no immediate change.

VOICE TWO:

In eighteen sixty-five, the Civil War ended. The Union forces had defeated the South. A few months later President Lincoln was killed. And later that year, slavery was ended.

Frederick Douglass went on to hold several positions in the government, including United States Marshall of the District of Columbia. He never stopped his efforts to gain equality for all people. Historians say Douglass gave two thousand speeches and wrote thousands of articles and letters. His work as an activist also included women’s rights. On February twentieth, eighteen ninety-five, he gave a speech at the National Council of Women. Later that day, he returned to his home in Washington and died of heart failure at the age of seventy-eight.

Frederick Douglass ended his "book My Bondage, My Freedom" with these words:

VOICE THREE:

"I shall labor in the future as I have labored in the past, to work for the honorable, social, religious, and intellectual position of the free colored people; while Heaven lends me ability, to use my voice, my pen or my vote to support the great and most important work of the complete and unconditional freedom of my entire race."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This program was written and produced by Lawan Davis. The writings of Frederick Douglass were read by Shep O'Neal. You can download this program and others from our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English.

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Swan Song: It Was My Final Effort and My Finest Work

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English writers Chaucer and Shakespeare told the story of the swan's last song.Transcript of radio broadcast:

Now, the Special English program, Words and Their Stories.

(MUSIC)

Every people has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. These are the living speech of a people. And a story can be told about each of them.

The white swan – with its long, graceful neck – is among the most beautiful of birds. The swan is mostly silent through its life. It floats quietly on the water, unable to sing sweet songs like most other birds.

In ancient times, however, people believed that the swan was given a special gift of song at the end of its life. They believed a swan sings a most beautiful song…just before it dies.

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates talked of this two thousand three hundred years ago. Socrates explained that the swan was singing because it was happy. The bird was happy because it was going to serve the Greek good Apollo. Swans were holy to Apollo, the god of poetry and song.

The story of the swan’s last song found a place in the works of other writers, including the early English writers Chaucer and Shakespeare.

And, the expression swan song has long been a part of the English language. At first, swan song meant the last work of a poet, musician or writer. Now, it means the final effort of any person. Someone’s swan song usually is also considered that person’s finest work.

A political expression with a similar meaning is the last hurrah. The expression may be used to describe a politician’s last campaign, his final attempt to win the cheers and votes of the people. The last hurrah also can mean the last acts of a politician, before his term in office ends.

Writer Edwin O’Connor made the expression popular in nineteen fifty-six. He wrote a book about the final years in the political life of a long-time mayor of Boston, Massachusetts. He called his book, The Last Hurrah.

Some language experts say the expression came from a name given to noisy supporters of Andrew Jackson…America’s seventh president. They cheered hurrah so loudly for Andrew Jackson during his presidential campaign that they became known as the hurrah boys.

Jackson’s hurrah boys also played a part in the election to choose the next president. Jackson’s choice was his vice president, Martin VanBuren.

A newspaper of the time reported that VanBuren was elected president, in its words: “...by the hurrah boys, and those who knew just enough to shout hurrah for Jackson.” So, President Jackson really heard his last hurrahs in the campaign of another candidate, the man would replace him in the White House.

(MUSIC)

You have been listening to the Special English program, Words and Their Stories. Today’s program was written by Marilyn Rice Christiano. Maurice Joyce was the narrator. I'm Shirley Griffith.

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Fukuda Takes Office in Tokyo, and First Issue Is the Crisis in Burma

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Yasuo Fukuda, a moderate, will try to rebuild support for Japan's weakened ruling party. He faces a fight with the opposition over his wish to continue assistance for U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

Image from a video released by the Democratic Voice of Burma shows Japanese video journalist Kenji Nagai after being shot in Rangoon. He later died.

Japan's new prime minister, Yasuo Fukuda, took office this week -- and quickly faced a crisis. The unrest in Burma claimed the life of a Japanese cameraman. Kenji Nagai was shot Thursday as security forces moved to crush anti-government demonstrations.

Mister Fukuda rejected the idea of immediate economic sanctions. He directed a Foreign Ministry official to go and push the government for a full explanation.

Japan provides aid but not as much since the military in Burma violently suppressed protests for democracy in nineteen eighty-eight. The next year, the generals ruling Burma changed its name to Myanmar, a name the United States and Britain do not recognize.

Mister Fukuda spoke Friday by phone with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao about the situation in China's neighbor. He said he asked that China, given its close ties, exercise its influence and that "Premier Wen said he will make such efforts."

Yasuo Fukuda

Mister Fukuda of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party easily won election Tuesday in the lower house of parliament. The upper house rejected him. Opposition parties won control of the upper house in July. But the L.D.P. still controls the lower house. And the vote of the lower house decides the winner in such a split.

This was the first split vote of this kind since nineteen ninety-eight. Mister Fukuda's closest competitor was main opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa.

The new prime minister is seen as politically moderate. He says one of his goals will be to repair public trust in the ruling party. The L.D.P. has recently faced a series of investigations of financial wrongdoing involving cabinet members.

Mister Fukuda has kept much of Shinzo Abe's cabinet. Nobutaka Machimura, the foreign minister under Mister Abe, will serve as chief cabinet secretary. Former defense minister Masahiko Komura will serve as foreign minister.

Mister Abe resigned on September twelfth after only one year as prime minister. He has apologized for resigning suddenly. He said he did so only because of health reasons.

Mister Fukuda is seventy-one years old. He is the eldest son of former prime minister Takeo Fukuda. And he served as chief cabinet secretary under Junichiro Koizumi.

His success could depend on his ability to find a way to work with the opposition. An early test will involve Japan's naval refueling operations in support of American-led forces in Afghanistan.

The mission began in two thousand one. Legislation supporting it will end on November first unless Japan extends it. Mister Fukuda supports the idea. But opposition parties are expected to resist an extension.

He also faces a high government debt and a longtime budget deficit. Japan has the world's second largest economy after the United States.

Japanese newspapers found that more than half the public supported the new prime minister and his cabinet. He gives a policy speech next week.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I’m Steve Ember.

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Rides, Animals, Presidential Hopefuls and Deep-Fried Everything -- It's All at the Fair

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A question from Vietnam about day care in the U.S. And the new Van Halen hits the road for a North American tour. Transcript of radio broadcast:

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

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

We listen to some music from Van Halen …

Answer a question about child care in America …

And report about agricultural fairs held across the country at this time of the year.

State Fairs

HOST:

Millions of Americans enjoy visiting state and county fairs in August, September and October. These agricultural fairs were traditionally held to honor the work of local farmers. Farmers and their families came to the fair to show their crops and animals and compete for prizes. Today, state fairs offer something for everyone. Shirley Griffith tells us about them.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

Crowds at the State Fair of Louisiana in Shreveport

The sounds, smells and tastes of state fairs are part of the memory of childhood for many Americans. People enjoy hot corn covered in melted butter, sticky sweet cotton candy and ice cream. Today's state fairs offer even more creative foods. All kinds of foods are deep fried and served on a stick -- from hot dogs to peach pie to cookie dough.

State and county fairs offer many things for children and adults to enjoy: games, rides, cultural exhibits and famous entertainers. There is also lots of friendly competition. Children and adults bring the farm animals and vegetables they have raised. They also bring arts and crafts projects and homemade foods. Judges then choose the best-looking pig or the largest pumpkin or the tastiest apple pie. The winners receive the highest honor, a blue ribbon.

But that is not the only competition you will find at state fairs. This year, the presidential candidates from both political parties have been visiting state fairs. The large crowds make state fairs perfect places for candidates to meet people and gain support.

The Iowa state fair in Des Moines is especially popular among presidential candidates. As many as one million people visit the fair each year. Iowa is one of two states involved in the early nominating process for presidential candidates. Every major presidential candidate visited the Iowa State Fair to campaign during eleven hot days last month.

The Iowa state fair is also famous for its butter cow. Since the early nineteen hundreds, a life-size cow has been created out of butter at the fair each year. It starts with a frame made of wood and metal. Then the sculptor shapes two hundred seventy kilograms of pure cream Iowa butter to look just like a cow. Norma Lyon retired last year after forty-six years of sculpting cows. This year’s butter cow was sculpted by her replacement, Sarah Pratt.

Day Care

HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Vietnam. Lan Tran wants to know about

The Egenolf Early Childhood Center in Elizabeth, New Jersey

day care in the United States. This term describes the care of young children during the day by people other than their parents.

The Pew Research Center reported in July that about seventy-five percent of American women work full-time. Many of these working women are mothers who depend on some form of day care.

Some parents leave their children with family members, neighbors or friends. Or, they may employ a nanny. This person is a trained care-giver who either lives in the family’s home or comes to work at the house every day. Other parents use an au pair to care for their children. Au pairs are young foreign students taking part in a one-year cultural and educational exchange program. They live in the home of their American family, work about forty-five hours a week and attend classes part-time at a college or university.

Day care centers usually cost less than employing a nanny or au pair. Many large companies offer day care for their employees. This service is usually provided by a separate for-profit business. Other day care centers are not connected to companies but are also run as for-profit businesses. Some churches operate day care centers as non-profit organizations.

In-home day care is also popular. Single individuals operate these small businesses in their homes. Local laws decide the ages and number of children permitted.

The cost of day care in the United States depends on many things, such as the age of the child and where you live. The size of the day-care center and whether it is government-approved can also influence the cost. In Washington, D.C., in-home day care costs about two hundred dollars a week for each child. A for-profit day care center costs about two hundred fifty dollars a week. Non-profit church day care costs about one hundred ninety dollars a week.

Professional nannies in the Washington area earn several hundred dollars a week. However, this amount may differ depending on the number of children cared for, and the number of hours worked. Au pairs in the United States receive a small weekly wage. They also are given two weeks paid vacation and five hundred dollars toward the cost of required school work.

Most American families can stop paying for day care once the child reaches the age of five and can enter the public school system.

Van Halen

(MUSIC)

HOST:

The band Van Halen formed in nineteen seventy-four. It was one of the most popular rock bands in the world before it broke up in nineteen eighty-five. Van Halen was recently honored with membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band has re-formed and is again performing some of its most popular music. Faith Lapidus has more.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

From left, Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen and Eddie's son Wolfgang, announcing their tour

The new Van Halen has begun a series of twenty-five shows across North America. The group's first performance was September twenty-seventh in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its Web site says all tickets to the shows in at least five cities were sold immediately after the group announced its plans in August.

Members of the new band are Eddie Van Halen, his brother Alex Van Halen, his sixteen-year-old son Wolfgang Van Halen and singer David Lee Roth.

Roth told reporters that Wolfgang is bringing a young energy and spirit to the band. He said the teenager chose the hit songs the band is performing. One of those is "I'm The One," from Van Halen’s first album in nineteen seventy-eight.

(MUSIC)

Van Halen was extremely successful in the past. The Guinness Book of World Records says it has had more number one hits on the Billboard Rock chart than any other band in history. Here is one of them: "Dance The Night Away.”

(MUSIC)

Van Halen’s final album was called “Nineteen Eighty-Four.” It sold more than ten million copies. We leave you now with the group’s biggest hit record from that album. It was number one on the list of most popular songs for five weeks. Here it is: "Jump.”

(MUSIC)

HOST:

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

It was written by Brianna Blake, Jill Moss and Nancy Steinbach. Caty Weaver was our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

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

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GM Deal on Health Costs Signals Change for US Auto Industry

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A short strike ends with an agreement for General Motors to move retiree benefits to an independent trust. The example may guide union talks with other American automakers. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Labor relations in the American auto industry took a new turn this week with a deal that many are calling historic.

An employee returns to work at the General Motors factory in Warren, Michigan

General Motors and the United Auto Workers agreed on a proposed new contract after a strike that lasted two days. Seventy-three thousand union workers walked off the job.

Job security was the top issue for union members. The U.A.W. is seeking to protect jobs in the United States and limit the number of temporary workers used by General Motors.

For G.M., the main issue was to find a way to cut its costs for health care for retired workers. The nation's largest automaker estimates its long-term responsibilities at more than fifty billion dollars.

Under the agreement, G.M. would create a trust called a volunteer employee benefit association. This VEBA would pay health care costs for retirees. G.M. is expected to invest about thirty-five billion dollars to start the fund. The fund would be independently administered and the union would supervise it.

United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said the fund should secure benefits for retirees for the next eighty years.

G.M. has seen its share of the North American market shrink while its labor costs have remained far above its biggest competitor, Toyota. The deal would give G.M. the right to lower pay for some new employees.

The agreement is likely to provide an example for coming talks with the two other major American automakers, Ford and Chrysler.

The new contract still needs final approval by the union. Until then the full details are not being released. The union expects its members to begin voting this weekend.

The trust would also need approval by the courts and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The process is expected to take two years. After that, G.M. would no longer have to pay for health benefits for its retirees.

Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said the agreement will help his company become more competitive. This, he says, will permit G.M. to keep a strong manufacturing presence in the United States and make future investments.

This was the first nationwide strike against G.M. since nineteen seventy.

The existing contract ended at midnight on September fourteenth. Union members continued working until their leaders called the strike Monday morning. The strike ended early Wednesday after negotiators reached the agreement.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Bob Doughty.

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American History Series: How Foreign Policy Shaped the 2004 Presidential Race

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The Iraq war and national security after the September 11, 2001, attacks were the major issues in the campaign. This program completes our series, which will start over again next week. Transcript of radio broadcast:

VOICE ONE:

This is Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Steve Ember with THE MAKING OF A NATION, a VOA Special English program about the history of the United States. Today, we tell about the presidential election of two thousand four.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney at the 2004 Republican National Convention

Every four years, American political parties nominate their candidates for president and vice president. In the summer of two thousand four, Republican Party delegates chose George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for a second four years in office.

During President Bush's first term, Islamic terrorists attacked the United States. Almost three thousand people died in strikes against New York City and Washington, D.C., on September eleventh, two thousand one. President Bush declared a war on terror and led the nation into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

After the terrorist attacks, Mister Bush enjoyed record popularity. Public opinion studies showed that almost ninety percent of the American public approved of the way the president was doing his job.

But this rating decreased over time. One public opinion study organization said the president’s average approval rating for two thousand four was fifty percent.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Before a presidential election, candidates compete in state nominating meetings and elections. The person winning the most votes in these caucuses and primaries traditionally wins the party’s nomination for president.

In two thousand three, ten people were campaigning for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. Among the candidates was John Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts. Another was Howard Dean, a doctor and former governor of the state of Vermont. Another was John Edwards, a lawyer and first-term senator from North Carolina. Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut also was running. Senator Lieberman had been the vice presidential candidate in the election of two thousand.

Another senator and a former senator were also seeking the nomination. So were two representatives in Congress, a former general and an African American civil rights activist.

Former Vice President Al Gore was not among the candidates. He had lost the extremely close, disputed election of two thousand to George W. Bush. Mister Gore said he would not be a candidate in two thousand four.

VOICE ONE:

Many people thought Howard Dean would win the Democratic nomination. Doctor Dean actively opposed the war in Iraq. He won praise for the way he raised money for his campaign. Supporters gave him millions of dollars in small gifts through the Internet.

Then came the Iowa caucuses, the first step in the presidential nominating process, in January of two thousand four. John Kerry won with a strong thirty-eight percent of the state's delegates. Senator Edwards finished second with thirty-two percent. Doctor Dean finished third with only eighteen percent.

VOICE TWO:

Senator Kerry continued to gain support in the state primary elections. Several candidates withdrew from the campaign, including Howard Dean. Senator Edwards withdrew in early March. He did so after Senator Kerry won victories in nine state caucuses and primary elections that were held on the same day, called Super Tuesday. John Kerry named John Edwards as his choice for vice president. Senator Kerry officially received the Democratic Party nomination for president at the party's convention in Boston, Massachusetts.

The combination balanced the Democratic ticket in several ways. Senator Kerry was considered a liberal. He came from the Northeast. Senator Edwards was considered more moderate. He came from the South. Senator Kerry was Roman Catholic. Senator Edwards was Protestant.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

John Kerry was born in Colorado in nineteen forty-three. Like Mister Bush, he graduated from Yale University. He joined the United States Navy. Mister Kerry was wounded and won honors for his service in the Vietnam War. He criticized the war after leaving the military. John Kerry graduated from the Boston College law school in nineteen seventy-six. He became a lawyer for the Massachusetts state government.

Then he served two years as lieutenant governor of the state. He was first elected to the Senate in nineteen eighty-four. His wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, is head of a family foundation that gives money to important causes.

VOICE TWO:

President Bush and Senator John Kerry at the first of their three presidential debates in 2004

The presidential candidates debated three times on national television. They campaigned hard across the country. Foreign policy was the major issue during the campaign. Mister Bush centered his campaign on national security. He said he was the best candidate to keep America safe from terrorists. He said Americans could trust him to be strong against terrorism. He presented himself as a decisive leader. He charged that Senator Kerry had changed positions on issues and would be unsure in the face of danger.

In two thousand two, Mister Kerry had voted to give President Bush the power to use force against Iraq. But the senator now criticized the way the Iraqi conflict was being fought. By the fall of two thousand four, more than one thousand Americans had died in Iraq since the war started in March, two thousand three. Thousands of Iraqi civilians had also been killed. Mister Kerry talked about the war in Iraq:

JOHN KERRY: “You’ve got to be able to look in the eyes of families and say to those parents, ‘I tried to do everything in my power to prevent the loss of your son and daughter.’ I don’t believe the United States did that."

VOICE ONE:

Senator Kerry said his goal for the United States was "stronger at home, respected in the world." He believed that the United States had lost respect from many of its allies because of Mister Bush's foreign policy in Iraq.

President Bush defended American actions in Iraq. He said the war was needed to fight terrorism. The President also expressed great satisfaction that Iraqis were free of a cruel dictator.

VOICE TWO:

Mister Kerry said the United States should be recovering faster from a weak economy. The economy had slowed before George W. Bush became president. It got worse after the terrorist attacks in two thousand one. Mister Kerry denounced the growth of the national debt under Mister Bush’s leadership. President Bush praised his administration’s actions in difficult economic times:

PRESIDENT BUSH: “Six months prior to my arrival, the stock market started to go down. And it was one of the largest declines in our history. And then we had a recession and we got attacked, which cost us one million jobs. But we acted. I led the Congress. We passed tax relief. And now this economy is growing. We added one point nine million new jobs over the last thirteen months.”

VOICE ONE:

President Bush proposed a plan for young workers to place some of the taxes on their pay in private retirement accounts. John Kerry opposed this idea. Mister Bush opposed most operations to end unwanted pregnancies. Mister Kerry supported a woman’s right to have an abortion. His position disagreed with the Roman Catholic religion's position on this issue.

VOICE TWO:

Early in the election campaign, an organization known as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth was established to oppose John Kerry's candidacy. The group was led by a veteran who, like Mister Kerry, fought in the Vietnam War. The group argued that Mister Kerry was unfit to serve as president because of some statements he made about his military service and his past activism in the anti-Vietnam war movement. The group even questioned the combat medals awarded to Mister Kerry.

Other Vietnam veterans, including several who had served with Mister Kerry, denounced the charges against him as completely false. Many people believed the accusations and the Kerry campaign's delay in answering them had an important effect on the results of the election.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Americans voted on November second, two thousand four. As in the election of two thousand, there were questions about voting problems during and after the election.

The vote was especially close in the state of Ohio. Kerry supporters said there were problems with voting machines. They also said many people were illegally prevented from voting. The state had enough electoral votes to decide the winner of the presidential election.

But the day after the election, Senator Kerry decided not to dispute Mister Bush's win in Ohio. The final results showed that President Bush won about fifty-one percent of the national popular vote to about forty-eight percent for John Kerry.

George W. Bush would serve four more years as president of the United States.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program, THE MAKING OF A NATION, was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by Jill Moss. This is Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Faith Lapidus. Listen again next week for another VOA Special English program about the history of the United States. You can find our series about American history on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

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The Debate Over Merit Pay for Teachers

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Unions argue that linking performance-based pay to student test scores is unfair. A program in Denver offers a number of ways to earn more money. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

More than half the teachers in the Houston Independent School District, the largest in Texas, have earned merit pay awards this year. Marjorie Hunt-Bluford is one of them.

The idea seems reasonable. Recognize better workers with extra pay. But it's not that simple. Performance may be easy to measure in some workplaces. But teachers say a classroom is not one of them.

Last year, we reported on a program in Florida to give merit pay to teachers if student scores increase on a statewide test. But a newspaper in Florida now reports that school systems across the state are rejecting the program for a second year.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune says only about one-third of the school districts in Florida may answer a call for proposals by October first.

Why? Teachers say the program forces them to compete against each other. They say it is unfair to link their pay to results on statewide tests. Also, a high school teacher told the paper that a limited budget means that some top teachers may not be recognized.

Critics say performance-based pay should recognize all that happens in a classroom, not just student performance on tests. All that will do, they say, is get teachers to teach to the test. This is already a concern now that yearly testing is federally required for millions of students.

Attempts at merit pay for American teachers have failed in many cases because of resistance from teachers unions or budget cuts.

Lawmakers in Congress are considering a proposal to provide federal money for performance-based pay. It would give merit pay to teachers who do excellent work in schools in poor areas. But the proposal does not necessarily tie the pay to test scores.

Lawmakers and others point to a successful program in Denver, Colorado. It began in a few schools about eight years ago. Last year it was expanded to all the public schools in the city.

Teachers can earn more by working in unpopular schools or teaching unpopular subjects. They also can earn more by taking classes to improve their teaching, or by raising test scores. The plan also reduces teacher pay if students fail to improve on statewide tests.

A local tax increase pays for the program. Reports from Denver say more teachers are asking to work in lower-income areas. And parents in the Denver area seem to support it.

New programs have begun or are being planned in Minnesota, Maryland and Virginia. But many experts say there is still more to learn about the most effective ways to identify and recognize excellent teachers.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.

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Writer Says Bias Against Sayers of 'Um' May Have Been Stoked by, Uh, Radio

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AA: I'm Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble, and this week on WORDMASTER: our guest is writer Michael Erard, author of a new book called "Um..."

MICHAEL ERARD: "People who have studied speech patterns notice that there are really two groups of people: one group that says 'uh' or 'um' more frequently and another group that [restarts] their sentences and they also repeat words more frequently. People who say 'uh' or 'um' are not necessarily uneducated or unprepared or unintelligent, in the same way that people who don't use filler words are necessarily more intelligent or competent."

AA: Michael Erard points out that all languages give speakers a way to indicate some sort of delay.

MICHAEL ERARD: "In many languages it's a word like 'um' or 'uh,' that kind of neutral vowel. In some languages, it's 'eh' -- that's Hebrew. In French, vowels are a little rounded, so it's 'oo.' There are other languages that take a word that actually means something and they repurpose it for the filler word. So in Japanese the thinking word is 'ano,' which means 'this' or 'that.' So you'll hear people say 'ano, ano, ano.' In Spanish, it's 'este' [meaning 'this']. And it's something that people have to learn. Children have to learn it. And adults who are learning a language as a foreign language would be better off learning how to pause and delay and make the thinking sound in that language."

AA: Michael Erard has a master's degree in linguistics and a doctorate in English. He wanted to trace the source of the notion that good speakers don't use 'uhs' or 'ums.' He says he figured it had deep roots because it's so strongly held. So he checked ancient Greek and Roman literature but couldn't find any advice against 'um,' or its ancient equivalent.

MICHAEL ERARD: "I thought, well, maybe it's a particularly American concern, and I went looking in some of the nineteenth century literature about how people could improve their vocabulary, improve their pronunciation, get rid of their regional dialects, and there was no discussion of 'uh' or 'um' either. It doesn't really appear until the early twentieth century, particularly after the advent of radio, but certainly after the phonograph.

"And so what I think had happened was that the phonograph was people's first opportunity to hear their own voices recorded back to them. And that really becomes an issue in the age of radio. And it turned out that one of the important aspects of the radio performance was to remove the 'uhs' and the 'ums' -- I think because it didn't sound right somehow. But there was also the fact that the radio broadcasts were commercial. They were selling things, selling advertising on the radio, and the 'uhs' or the 'ums' would take up valuable time that you could use to sell pet food and mattresses and whatever other sorts of sponsorships."

RS: "What is the takeaway message from the book for students who are learning English as a foreign language?"

MICHAEL ERARD: "Part of it, I think, is to not try to speak the way that English is written, but to speak the way native speakers speak. And one of the ways that native speakers speak is they pause and they think and they indicate to their listeners that they are doing so. And so they say 'uh' or 'um,' they say 'you know' and things like that.

"I think for those students and for their teachers, it also becomes important to understand different situations, that there are formal situations and less formal situations and that each of those comes with a set of rules. Because, while I wouldn't want an 'um' in a State of the Union address or some other formal situation, when I'm in my own home I want to be able to use that word without being judged."

AA: Michael Erard is author of "Um... Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean." And that's WORDMASTER for this week. To learn more about American English, go to voanews.com/wordmaster. And our e-mail address is word@voanews.com. With Rosanne Skirble, I'm Avi Arditti.

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The X-15: How a Plane Put NASA on the Path to Manned Space Flight

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Much of what was learned from its flights speeded up the development of the American space program. Transcript of radio broadcast:

ANNOUNCER:

EXPLORATIONS -- a program in Special English by the Voice of America.

(MUSIC)

Neil Armstrong with the X-15

Today, Doug Johnson and Frank Oliver tell about the first airplane that flew out of the Earth's atmosphere. It was designed to test equipment and conditions for future space flights. The plane was called the X-Fifteen.

VOICE ONE:

The pilot of the huge B-Fifty-two bomber plane pushes a button. From under the plane's right wing, the black sharp-nosed X-Fifteen drops free. It is eleven-and-one-half kilometers above the Earth.

Pilot Scott Crossfield is in the X-Fifteen's only seat. When he is clear of the B-Fifty-two, he starts the X-Fifteen's rocket engine. And so begins the first powered flight of the experimental plane designed to take man to the edge of space.

VOICE TWO:

The X-Fifteen flies high over the sandy wasteland of California's Mojave Desert. Up, up it flies. After three minutes, its fuel has burned up. It is flying about two thousand kilometers an hour.

Scott Crossfield's voice tightens. His breathing becomes harder as the plane pushes against the atmosphere. At that speed, the pressure is three times the force of gravity.

Then the X-Fifteen pushes over the top of its flight path. It settles into a long, powerless slide toward the landing field at Edwards Air Force Base.

Designers of the X-Fifteen have warned Crossfield about the landing. They say it will be like driving a race car toward a brick wall at one hundred sixty kilometers an hour, hitting the brakes, and stopping less than a meter from the wall. Crossfield lands the plane without any problem. His success shows, as one newspaper reports, that "The United States has men to match its rockets. "

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

That first flight of the X-Fifteen took place in September, nineteen fifty-nine. But the story began in the Nineteen forties with the 'X' series of experimental aircraft.

The first plane ever to fly faster than the speed of sound was the X-One in nineteen forty-seven. United States government agencies and America's airplane industry realized then that it was possible to build an even faster plane. It would reach hypersonic speeds -- five times the speed of sound.

The first proposal for this new research vehicle, the X-Fifteen, was made in nineteen fifty-four. The space agency, Air Force and Navy jointly supported the program. They wanted a plane that could test conditions for future flights into space.

VOICE TWO:

The project moved quickly. The North American Aviation Company won the competition to design and build the plane. The design would be part aircraft and part spacecraft. The company took less than four years to produce three X-Fifteens.

The planes were not big. They were just fifteen meters long with wings less than seven meters across. They were designed to fly at speeds up to six thousand four hundred kilometers an hour. They were designed to reach heights of eighty kilometers. Their purpose was to explore some of the problems of manned flight, during short periods, in lower space. No one had ever done that before.

VOICE ONE:

The X-Fifteen project had four major goals.

It would test flight conditions at the edge of Earth's atmosphere. It would leave the atmosphere briefly, then return, testing the effects of the extreme heat of re-entry. It would provide information on the controls needed in the near weightless environment of lower space. And it would answer a very important question: How would humans react to space flight?

VOICE TWO:

The X-Fifteen was a new idea. And it was built with new methods. It was covered in a new material called "inconel x." The material was a mixture of the metals nickel and chromium. It would protect the plane from high temperatures.

There were new designs for the plane's rocket engine, landing equipment and the small rockets needed to move it in space. There was a new system of liquid nitrogen to keep the pilot cool and to resist the crushing force of gravity at high speeds. And there was a new fuel, a mixture of liquid ammonia and liquid oxygen.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The X-15 attached to the wing of a B-52 bomber

The X-Fifteen was never designed to go into orbit. Nor could it take off from the ground. It was carried into the air by a B-Fifty-two bomber. The big B-Fifty-two carried the small X-Fifteen under its wing. It looked a little like a mother whale swimming with its baby.

At about fifteen thousand meters, the B-Fifty-two released the X-Fifteen. After a few seconds, when the X-Fifteen was safely away, the pilot started its rocket engine. The X-Fifteen flew upward with unbelievable power.

VOICE TWO:

The three X-Fifteens were flown one hundred ninety-nine times. Each flight was a new experiment. Planning took many days. The pilot spent fifty hours in a simulator -- a copy of the plane on the ground -- preparing for his ten-minute flight.

Once the real flight began, the pilot had to remember everything he learned. He had to work quickly and exactly. All his movements were made against a force that could reach six times the power of gravity. He had to struggle to reach forward for the controls while being pushed back hard in his seat.

A delay of even one second could affect the information being collected. It could change the plane's path just enough to destroy the pilot's chance of a safe landing.

VOICE ONE:

The X-Fifteen set height and speed records greater than those expected. The number three plane climbed more than one hundred seven kilometers above the Earth. The number two plane flew seven thousand two hundred thirty-two kilometers an hour. That was more than seven times the speed of sound.

The X-Fifteen was the first major investment by the United States in manned space flight technology. Much of what was learned from its flights speeded up the development of the space program.

VOICE TWO:

The X-Fifteen tested materials for space vehicles. It tested spacesuits worn later by America's astronauts. It tested instruments for controlling a vehicle in the weightlessness of space. And it proved that experienced pilots had the skills necessary to fly in space.

Twelve military and civilian test pilots flew the X-Fifteens. A few became astronauts.

The X-Fifteen program lasted about ten years. There were about two hundred flights. Some of the flights carried scientific experiments. One was a container on the end of the wing. It gathered dust and tiny meteoroids from the edge of space. Another was a set of special instruments that helped measure the effects of the sun's radiation on the outside of the aircraft.

VOICE ONE:

The only tragedy connected with the X-Fifteen program happened in nineteen sixty-seven. The pilot was Michael Adams of the United States Air Force. It was his seventh X-Fifteen flight.

Everything, at first, appeared to be normal. The plane reached a height of eight kilometers. It was flying more than five times the speed of sound. Then, during a test of the wings, the plane moved sharply off its flight path. It dove toward Earth at great speed, spinning rapidly out of control. Atmospheric pressure was too great for the plane. It broke apart. The pilot did not survive.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

The X-Fifteen made its last flight in December, nineteen sixty-eight. NASA needed money for its other projects. It decided to end the X-Fifteen program. Many space experts disagreed with the decision. They felt the X-Fifteen could have continued to provide new information about aviation and space.

Today, the X-Fifteen hangs in the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It is in a memorial called "Milestones of Flight." In the memorial, there is the X-One, the first airplane to fly faster than sound. And there is the "Spirit of Saint Louis," which Charles Lindbergh flew alone across the Atlantic Ocean. There also are copies of famous

Neil Armstrong with the X-15

spacecraft like Russia’s Sputnik and Pioneer Ten.

On the floor below these aircraft are three spacecraft command ships. One of them, the Apollo-Eleven, traveled to the moon just seven months after the last X-Fifteen flight. It carried the man who became the first human to step on the moon, Neil Armstrong , a former X-Fifteen pilot.

(MUSIC)

ANNOUNCER:

This Special English program was written by Marilyn Rice Christiano. Your narrators were Doug Johnson and Frank Oliver. Join us again next week for another Explorations program on the Voice of America.

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Injured Player's Gains Turn Attention to Cold Treatment

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After US football's Kevin Everett damaged his spine, doctors quickly lowered his body temperature. But studies of hypothermia therapy have produced mixed results. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

On September ninth, American football player Kevin Everett of the Buffalo Bills tried to bring down an opponent. There seemed to be nothing unusual about what he did. The twenty-five-year-old Everett put his head down and, with his helmet, crashed into the other player to tackle him.

But it was Kevin Everett who immediately went down. He had severely injured his spine. He could not move.

Kevin Everett of the National Football League's Buffalo Bills is moved off the field

Even before an ambulance drove him to a hospital, doctors tried an experimental treatment to limit the damage. They wanted to prevent his spinal cord from swelling and destroying nerves.

In the ambulance, the doctors injected cold saline, or salt water, into his blood system. This brought his body temperature down to about thirty-three degrees Celsius -- about four degrees below normal.

This kind of treatment is sometimes called hypothermia therapy.

At the hospital, doctors performed an emergency operation to repair broken bones in his spine and put it back in the correct position. But they also continued the cooling treatment. Kevin Everett received cold saline through a tube into his body for about twenty-four hours.

Spinal injuries like these are often life-threatening and almost always completely disabling.

Within three days, however, he had some movement again in his arms and legs. How much he might recover is still not clear. But the doctors involved with his care have said they believe the cooling treatment is at least party responsible for his progress.

Cooling treatment is common for people who have had strokes. The treatment is also used with people whose hearts have stopped and been restarted. In both situations, doctors hope to limit nerve damage that can result from a lack of oxygen to the brain.

Yet studies of hypothermia therapy have shown mixed results. In some cases it may lead to blockages in blood flow and damage to organs.

Doctors say cooling treatment for spinal injuries, to be effective, must begin immediately after the injury happens. But some doctors say there is no proof that Kevin Everett is improving because of hypothermia therapy. They suggest that his injuries were not as severe as doctors had first thought.

In any case, this past weekend, Kevin Everett sat up in his hospital bed for more than four hours. He also lifted his right arm for the first time.

And that's the VOA Special English HEALTH REPORT, written by Caty Weaver. For more health news, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Mario Ritter.

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National Arboretum in Washington Offers Art and Science of Nature

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Forests, gardens, peace and learning can all be found at the Arboretum. Transcript of radio broadcast:

VOICE ONE:

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

VOICE TWO:

Magnolia trees at the National Arboretum

And I’m Bob Doughty. Washington, D.C. is home to famous buildings, memorials and museums that visitors love. But it is also home to a large and beautiful green space. Today, we take you to the United States National Arboretum, an active center for both scientific research and public education.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Many people who come to Washington are surprised when they first visit the National Arboretum. The Arboretum is only a short drive from the center of the city. However, visitors often feel like they are far from the busy American capital.

The Arboretum covers one hundred eighty hectares of green space in the northeast part of Washington. The area is famous for its beautiful flowers, tall trees and other plants. About nine thousand different kinds grow there.

VOICE TWO:

An arboretum is a place where trees and other plants are grown for scientific and educational purposes. The National Arboretum was established by an act of Congress in nineteen twenty-seven. Today, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service operates the Arboretum.

The goal of the Arboretum is to carry out studies and provide education in an effort to improve the environment. The goal includes protecting trees, flowers and other plants and showing them to the public.

VOICE ONE:

National Capitol Columns at the Arboretum

The National Arboretum is a popular stop for visitors to Washington. It is open every day of the year except December twenty-fifth, the Christmas holiday. Money is not necessary to visit the Arboretum.

As many as six hundred thousand people visit the Arboretum's grounds each year. Hundreds of thousands also visit with the help of computers. They use the Arboretum’s Internet web site to learn about current research programs and how to care for plants.

Director Thomas Elias says Arboretum officials would like to see even more visitors. He says they believe that many people do not know it exists.

VOICE TWO:

Part of the problem might result from the fact that the Arboretum is about five kilometers from the closest train station. Many famous places in Washington are a short walk from Metrorail, the local train system.

The Arboretum is easy to reach by automobile or bus, however. About fifteen kilometers of roads have been built on the property. The roads connect to major collections and seasonal flowers.

Arboretum's Azalea collection

The Arboretum also welcomes people on bicycles. Disabled persons or those who want to walk only short distances may visit four beautiful areas that are close to each other. People who like longer walks will enjoy the many pathways on the property. For a small amount of money, the Arboretum provides trips around its grounds in an open vehicle or tram.

The Arboretum has a small store that sells books and other things. There is no place where you can buy food to eat on the ground. But visitors often bring food and enjoy a meal under a tree.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Right now, the National Arboretum is collecting financial donations for an addition to the grounds. American and Chinese designers plan to build a traditional Chinese garden. The garden will cover an area of almost five hectares. It is to include a lake, several smaller areas of fresh water and some traditional Chinese structures. The buildings will contain objects similar to those from the Ching and Ming periods of China’s history.

The garden design will be based on the traditional gardens in the Yangzhou area of Jiangsu Province. China has agreed to provide the structures, artwork, rocks and other objects. It also plans to send experts to Washington to help build the structures. China says the garden will be a gift to the American people from the Chinese people.

VOICE TWO:

Scientists at the Arboretum have developed many of the trees and flowers now found in the United States and other countries. Over the years, the Arboretum and the Agricultural Research Service have released almost seven hundred different plants. Each year, they offer several new plants.

Scientists there also have developed virus-resistant plants with processes of genetic engineering. The Sun Valley red maple is one such example. It was developed as part of a project to study the genetic qualities of leaf color and insect resistance.

The Sun Valley red maple produces leaves that remain bright red late into autumn. It was tested in the state of Maryland. The tree kept its colorful leaves for about two weeks before they fell to the ground. It also resisted the potato leafhopper, an insect that feeds on tree leaves.

VOICE ONE:

Arboretum scientists have another important goal: to develop cleaner and safer methods to protect and support plant growth. Environmental laws and public opinion against the use of chemical products for killing insects has increased. Arboretum scientists have worked with chemical companies to create products that use natural substances to deal with insects. They call such substances, biopesticides.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

The Agricultural Research Service operates a number of centers and laboratories across the United States. The National Arboretum is best known for its beauty. Visitors can always find flowering plants. You can start looking for flowers in the Arboretum’s Asian Collections, Friendship Garden and National Boxwood Collection.

There also are some very useful plants at the Arboretum. The Herb Garden there is said to be the largest of its kind in the world. Herbs can be used in many kinds of food and drinks, but others are medicinal. Herbs also can change the way things smell or add color to cloth. Every plant in the Herb Garden, even the trees, is an herb. The garden contains one hundred different kinds of peppers alone.

VOICE ONE:

National Bonsai and Penjing Museum

Bonsai is an ancient Asian tradition. It is the art of growing small plants or trees in a container. The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the Arboretum has one of the largest collections of these plants in North America. Bonsai is a Japanese word. Penjing is Chinese.

The collection began with fifty-three bonsai from the Nippon Bonsai Association in nineteen seventy-six. The plants were a gift to the United States in honor of the two hundredth anniversary of the country's declaration of independence.

American bonsai growers have added to the collection over the years. There have also been gifts of penjing from China. The Arboretum now has three bonsai areas containing about one hundred fifty plants.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Each year, the National Arboretum offers a number of educational programs and special events. This month, the Arboretum has a program in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Visitors may learn about herbs used for preparing food and traditional medicines in Spanish-speaking cultures.

There will also be other programs this autumn that are connected to the changing colors of tree leaves. And the Arboretum offers nighttime walks through the property when the moon is full. You might even see a raccoon, fox or other night creatures.

VOICE ONE:

Officials say it would be difficult for the Arboretum to operate as well as it does without the support of private organizations. The Arboretum has about one hundred employees. Yet it depends on many other people who offer their time and effort without payment.

For example, the Friends of the National Arboretum is a non-profit group that provides financial support. The money is used for Arboretum training programs, the gardens and collections and special projects. The group also reports to Congress about the Arboretum’s special needs.

Another support group is the National Capital Area Foundation of Garden Clubs. The group has its headquarters at the Arboretum. Its members offer their time to help with the Arboretum’s plant collection. They also serve as guides for visitors. They help thousands of people enjoy the National Arboretum, this beautiful natural area in the nation’s capital.

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VOICE TWO:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program was written by Caty Weaver. Brianna Blake was the producer. To find this report and other Special English programs, please visit voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Bob Doughty.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

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Demand for Goat Meat Grows in US

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Experts suggest some things to consider before starting production. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

American farmers are raising more goats for meat these days. The Department of Agriculture says the United States had about three million meat goats in July. That was a five percent increase from July of last year.

Goat meat is high in protein and lower in unhealthy, saturated fat than many other meats. Even so, the industry is small compared to chicken, beef and pork. But immigration has brought more of a taste for goat to America from all over the world.

In some cases, people who are not even Muslim buy goat at halal markets because other local stores might not sell it.

Experts from the University of Illinois offer some questions for people to consider if they are thinking about raising goats.

First of all, do you understand that goats are like other farm animals -- there always has to be someone to care for them?

How much land do you have available? And how good is it? The experts say poor ground may support two to four goats on half a hectare. Better grassland can support six to eight.

If goats and cattle share the land, one or two goats can be added for each cow. The goats will eat weeds and other plants that cattle do not like.

Do you have buildings for the number of female goats you plan to keep during winter? Each doe will need about two square meters of space. The experts say an open, cold barn that is dry is better than a closed, warm barn where the air is wet.

Do you have the equipment to clean barns and to harvest hay to feed your goats? Or will you get someone else to do it, or buy the hay?

Do you have the right fences and all the other equipment needed to care for goats?

The experts at the University of Illinois say a profitable business in goat meat may take three to five years to establish. And, of course, there are no guarantees.

American farmers commonly raise Boer goats, native to South Africa. They also raise wild goats from Australia and New Zealand. Some raise Nubians, which provide both milk and meat, or Pygmy goats, which are small.

Spanish goats are raised mostly in central Texas. And then there is the Tennessee wooden-leg goat, one of several names for an unusual animal. When frightened, the goat may fall over as if its legs were suddenly made of wood. The attack usually lasts for less than thirty seconds and then the goat gets back on its feet.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. To learn more about goats, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Faith Lapidus.

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Child Deaths Found at Record Low

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The U.N. Children’s Fund says the worldwide number has fallen below 10 million a year for the first time. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

UNICEF says a record low number of children are dying before the age of five. The United Nations Children's Fund has records back to nineteen sixty. It says the number has dropped below ten million a year for the first time.

By comparison, there were almost thirteen million deaths in nineteen ninety.

The newest report says nine million seven hundred thousand children under five died last year. Almost half were in southern Africa. Just over three million were in South Asia.

UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman called the new findings historic but still unacceptable. She says most of the deaths are preventable.

A child receives a shot of measles vaccine in Banyusoco village, Indonesia

UNICEF says much of the progress is the result of increased efforts for early health interventions. One example is feeding babies only breast milk for the first six months. Also, vaccinating children against measles has saved many lives. So has the use of vitamin A to strengthen children's immune systems, and chemically treated bed nets to prevent malaria.

Morocco, Vietnam and the Dominican Republic have reduced child deaths by more than one-third since nineteen ninety-nine. Madagascar has cut its rate by forty-one percent; Sao Tome and Principe by nearly half.

UNICEF says progress in Asia, especially in China and India, has helped drive the worldwide reduction since nineteen ninety. Death rates have dropped sharply in Latin America and the Caribbean, former Soviet republics and countries in East Asia and the Pacific.

Some countries in sub-Saharan Africa have also made considerable gains. Malawi’s under-five death rate dropped by twenty-nine percent between two thousand and two thousand four. Reductions of more than twenty percent were reported in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda and Tanzania as well.

In nineteen ninety, Asia had the most child deaths. Now, rates are highest in west and central Africa. Gains in child survival have fallen to the spread of H.I.V and AIDS. By two thousand fifteen, Africa south of the Sahara could have almost sixty percent of all deaths in children under five.

But UNICEF says Latin America and the Caribbean are on a path to reach a U.N. Millennium Development Goal. The goal is to reduce the death rate in children under five by two-thirds from nineteen ninety levels -- and to do that by two thousand fifteen.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss. I’m Steve Ember.

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'West Side Story': Love, Hate and the Immigrant Experience

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Second of two programs marking the 50th anniversary of the musical, set in 1950s New York. Transcript of radio broadcast:

VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Shirley Griffith. Today we complete the story and songs from the American musical play "West Side Story."

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VOICE ONE:

Some of the greatest artists in American musical theater worked together to create "West Side Story" in nineteen fifty-seven. Choreographer and director Jerome Robbins, who developed the idea. Arthur Laurents, who wrote the play's words. And Stephen Sondheim, who wrote the words to the songs.

Leonard Bernstein

However, Leonard Bernstein -- who wrote the music -- usually is considered the main creator of "West Side Story. " Although the play is fifty years old this month, his music remains fresh today.

VOICE TWO:

As we said last week, "West Side Story" is a story about young people in a poor part of New York City in the nineteen fifties. Two groups of teenagers fight each other for control of the streets.

Members of the local gang -- the "Jets" -- were born in New York. They hate the Spanish-speaking people who have begun to move to the city from Puerto Rico. The young Puerto Ricans, members of the "Sharks" gang, hate the Jets in return.

The Puerto Ricans have the mixed feelings of any group of immigrants. They are divided between loving their old home and being glad to have left its problems behind.

The song "America" makes fun of some things in their new land, even as it seems to praise it. The Puerto Rican girls joke that everything is free in America ... if you pay for it. Our music is from the original recording of the play.

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VOICE ONE:

Seventeen-year-old Maria is the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. She has arrived recently from Puerto Rico. She is to marry Chino, another member of the Sharks. But at a dance, Maria falls in love with Tony, a former leader of the enemy gang, the Jets.

Maria and Tony hope the hatred between the gangs will ease. They no longer understand this hatred. But the Jets and Sharks are making plans for a big fight. The Jets want to push the Sharks out of their area.

The gangs agree to fight the next night. They will put the best fighter from the Sharks against the best fighter from the Jets. The winner, and his gang, will take all the street territory.

VOICE TWO:

The next night, Maria is at home. She is getting dressed to meet Tony. She is very happy and excited. Carol Lawrence sings the part of Maria.

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Everyone is nervous, waiting for the big fight. Everyone except Maria and Tony. They are waiting only to see each other.

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VOICE ONE:

The gangs meet for the fight. Tony has promised Maria that he will try to stop it. As he does, the action suddenly turns violent. Tony's friend Riff and Bernardo begin fighting each other with knives.

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In a moment, Tony's friend Riff is dead -- killed by the brother of the woman Tony loves. Not thinking, Tony strikes back. He kills Bernardo. The gangs run away. Tony stands in horror over the bodies of his friend and Maria's brother.

VOICE TWO:

Maria knows nothing of what has happened. Then Chino, the man she is supposed to marry, goes to her apartment. He tells Maria that her lover has killed her brother. Chino gets a gun. He goes to search for Tony, to kill him.

Maria is praying when Tony climbs in the window of her room. Tony explains that he did not mean to kill her brother. He asks her to forgive him. She does.

Together, Tony and Maria imagine a life free of group hatred. The walls of Maria's room move away, and they dance. For a brief time, Tony and Maria are "somewhere" -- in the peaceful place they imagine. But they both know there will now be war between the gangs.

VOICE ONE:

Tony must hurry away when Maria's friend Anita comes in. Anita is mourning Bernardo, whom she loved. She is angry with Maria for loving Tony. Anita tells Maria that "a boy like that" -- not her own kind -- will only cause her pain. The part of Anita is sung by Chita Rivera.

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Finally, Maria makes Anita understand that she loves Tony, even though he has killed Bernardo.

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VOICE TWO:

Anita goes to the Jets' hiding place to warn Tony that the police are looking for him. But the Jets are cruel to her and will not listen to her. They treat her so badly that, finally, she tells a lie in anger. Anita says Maria is dead, killed by Chino. Tony runs into the street, calling for Chino to come kill him, too.

VOICE ONE:

Maria appears. She and Tony hold each other for a moment. There is a shot. Chino has found them. Tony is hit by the bullet. He dies in the street as Maria holds him.

The play has ended sadly, but with some hope: together, the Jets and two Sharks carry Tony's body away. We end with "Somewhere," sung by Carol Lawrence.

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VOICE TWO:

Our program was produced by Caty Weaver. I'm Shirley Griffith.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Steve Ember. You can download archives of our programs at voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

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