1 On the Road to Health Reform, Congress Moves a Step Closer A major reform of the American system of health care and insurance has moved farther in Congress than ever before President Obama wants a final bill ………… by the end of the year But a difficult ………… still lies ahead On November seventh, the House of Representatives passed a bill with ………… trillion-dollar price over ………… years The president called the vote historic President Obama said the Affordable Health Care for America Act will provide stability and security for Americans who ………… It will provide quality ………… options for those who don’t And it will bring down the cost of health care for families, business and the government while ………… the financial health of Medicare But ………… Democrats voted no, and only one Republican, Joseph Cao of Louisiana, voted yes The bill passed with just two more votes than required Republicans say the plan would add to the nation's ……… , raise insurance costs and ………… government involvement in health care Republican Representative Joe Barton from Texas said: "So, there is a choice Bigger government, more mandates, more control, less freedom Or lower costs, more ………… , more freedom or more ………… I vote for more freedom." The bill aims to provide health coverage to thirty-six million Americans That would raise the nation's ………… rate to about ………… percent The most disputed part of the bill is a "public option" for individuals and small businesses The government would compete with private plans by offering its own ………… based on payment rates negotiated with providers The House bill would raise taxes on high ………… to help pay for the plan It would also cut ………… hundred billion dollars from health programs for the retired and poor money that supporters of the bill say is now being wasted Most Americans would have to buy insurance or pay a fine; the government would help the ……… All but the smallest ………… would have to offer insurance for their workers or pay a tax Some small businesses could receive tax credits to help with their costs Insurance ………… could not deny or cancel coverage for people with pre-existing conditions And the industry would lose its protection from anti-competitive ………… Family Planning as an Economic Investment Strategy The United Nations says greater access to family planning would save developing countries more than $11 billion a year A new UN report says the savings would come from of care for mothers and newborn babies The "State of World Population 2012" report was It says over 200 million women in the developing world cannot get or other family planning services It says $4 billion a year could provide these women with reproductive information to reduce unplanned or unsafe abortions The report says about $2 billion a year would contraceptives to meet the needs of developing countries The report says to family planning is a good economic It says having fewer children has been countries in Europe and North America The UN Population Fund says one-third of the growth of Asia's is the result of increased use of family planning services Sub-Saharan Africa has some of the biggest unmet family planning services The report says modern contraceptives are not in countries such as Chad and Niger But contraceptives are not enough There are , political and that prevent access to birth control In , women are encouraged to have large families and to avoid or limit the use of contraceptives The Population Fund says family planning helps countries A recent study said Nigeria's economy would grow by at least $30 billion dollars if the fell by just one child per woman in the next 20 years Obesity Rises Among Children in Developing Countries The World says there has been an increase in the number of children in developing countries who In African countries, the WHO says the number of or obese children is as high as it was 20 years ago Around the world, about 43 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2011 height, weight and age to measure whether a person is underweight, , overweight or obese Overweight and obese children are to become overweight and obese They are also at of developing like diabetes and heart disease Francesco Branca is the director of the WHO for Health and Development He says governments should providing vitamins for children And they should have on how food is to children But reducing the number of overweight children will not be easy The to meet, even in wealthy countries Experts say lowering obesity rates is in countries that also have high rates of But the WHO has some The organization says people should , sugar, salt and processed food This can be more fruits and vegetables and increased These goals are especially important for children The WHO also says mothers should for at least the first six months, if possible The for the WHO's World Health Assembly is to in the percentage of overweight children in the next 12 years Car Index' as a Measure of Economic Progress for Middle Class The International Fund says worldwide growth is weaker than expected because of economic in Europe and the United States But there is some .news The number of cars being made is on the That is a sign that the world's economy is moving in the Measuring economic progress, especially for groups like the ., is not easy But a little known economic is beginning to gain acceptance The so-called "car index" is an to measure the world's middle class .the number of people who cars Experts say that the number of people who own cars in the developing world is increasing That is because there are about 70 countries with a .of about billion people who are quickly an important level: $4,000 per person Experts say when that level is ., a country's middle class increases very quickly This rise in income means greater demand for goods that are non-essential And many of these goods are in Japan, Germany and the United States The International Monetary Fund says .spending in developed nations has since the economic .of 2008 The fund's .director, Christine Lagarde, points to the .in Europe and problems in the United States economy as threats to Growth could be slower than the IMF had earlier in the year On the other hand, .show consumer spending in developing countries has increased three times than in developed economies Students Try to Cut Federal Budget in Online Game Some people think of politics as a game But an online game people think of themselves doing one of the in American politics: cutting the federal The game is called Budget Hero Students in Los Angeles and other cities have been playing it Budget Hero lets them how they want to spend federal tax dollars The game uses information from the Congressional Budget Office It shows what each cost-cutting proposal would have High school student Dory Bennett says she thinks spending cuts are needed to keep the economy growing and keep the American "I want to grow up, go to college, get , have kids maybe, a dog and a house." The students the same issues facing lawmakers in Washington The game was developed in two thousand eight In the newest , students make decisions about what spending is important to them Do they want to ? Spend more on environmental ? What about defense spending? Making these decisions helps clarify their Jane Harmon is a Democratic representative from California She in Congress for almost twenty years She now heads the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, which helped Budget Hero Ms Harmon says the students are having more than Congress at cutting the budget More than one million people have played it , she says, and she thinks they have learned two things: "One, how hard it is, but two, that it can be done if there's a will to it." Student Jeffrey Burke agrees “The hardest thing for us to was the little cuts like the gas money and stuff, increasing taxes on gas, because we felt it would have effects everywhere from the shipping our stuff across the country, or when you order from Amazon or whatever, to you drive when you're going to work I think we need to look at the little things and that just because they're small money doesn't mean they're small effects "Joaquin Alvarado is with American Media, an organization that also helped the game He says many of the players "will literally in the ask that Congress play this game to just get a little rational around the questions that have to be answered." Some Websites Judge You by the Kind of Computer You Use Recently the Wall Street Journal had a report about the company Orbitz The newspaper said Orbitz shows Mac users travel choices at the top of search than users of Windows The company began doing this after research that people who use Mac computers spend up more for hotels than people with PCs Former Orbitz employee Cameron Yuill is of a digital media and technology company called AdGent He says, "Mac users to be more affluent than PC users, so why not them with the messages that are going to resonate with them?" This kind of price discrimination is also known as dynamic pricing Cameron Yuill says it is a very common , especially in the travel industry He puts it this way, "Next time you're on a , ask the person next to you what they paid for their " For example, if you are a business traveler or you bought your ticket at the , you will always get charged more Companies have always information about their customers But now they have a lot more ways to it Eric Martin is a at Boost Partners, a management company He says a salesperson in a store can only certain things about you based on your Online sellers, however, have far more information to work with, information about which website you to them Eric Martin says, "The people that you you online can't see you at all physically But they know that, , when you came to Orbitz you may have been directed there by Kayak." Kayak is itself a site, and that may then lead Orbitz to believe that you're searching for Information about the referring site is only one of the things that a site like Orbitz will consider Is the person a ? Which hotels has this person viewed in the past? Websites this kind of information by placing small files known as cookies on a person's computer In the case of Orbitz, Mac and PC users were actually given the However, they appeared in different For Mac users, the higher-priced hotels showed up higher in the Orbitz says ninety percent of its users book a hotel that on the first page, and mostly in the listings The World at Billion, and Growing United Nations that the world reached people on October thirty-first No one can be sure The United States Census Bureau does not the seven billionth baby until are growing faster than economies in many poor countries in Africa and some in Asia At the same time, low fertility in Japan and many European nations have raised about labor shortages Population experts at the United Nations estimated that the world reached in October They predict nine billion by and ten billion by the end of the century China's population of one and a third billion is the world's largest India is second at 1.2 billion But India is expected to China and reach one and a half billion people around India will also have one of the world's populations Economists say this is a chance for a so-called demographic dividend India could from the skills of young people in a growing economy at a time when other countries have populations But economists say of economic growth, although high, may not enough jobs Also, education system is failing to meet and schooling is often of poor quality Another concern is Nearly half of India's children under the age of five are malnourished Sarah Crowe at the United Nations Children's in New Delhi says these two problems "could keep India back." The malnourishment many children are unable to grow to their in school, and later to earn money and pay into the economy Out of every two hundred million children who start school, she says, only ten percent grade twelve Michal Rutkowski is the director of development in at the World Bank He says the seven billionth person was likely to be a girl born in Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh is one of India's and most crowded states, with two hundred million people He says reaching seven billion people in the world is a good time for a call to He says, "Public policy needs to become really, really about gender equality and about to services Breastfeeding in the First Hour After Birth Sometimes taken at the right time can a lot of good A new report says more than 800,000 babies could each year if all mothers begin breastfeeding within the first hour after giving birth Save the Children the report It calls breastfeeding one of the best ways to malnutrition Hunger is a killer of children under the age of five Carolyn Miles is of Save the Children She that getting mothers to start breastfeeding can sometimes be the .The first milk from mothers is called colostrum This is a highly form of breast milk Colostrum helps build the baby's system and works best in the first hours after a mother Colostrum is , sticky breast milk The World Health Organization calls it the " food for the newborn." Save the Children it as a child's "first immunization." But Carolyn Miles says, in some , there is a mistaken that colostrum is dangerous She says mothers in a lot of places around the world the colostrum The World Health Organization says mothers should their babies only breast milk for the Carolyn Miles says babies not need anything else After six months, the WHO says breastfeeding should continue .other foods up to two years of age or beyond The Save the Children report, called " for Babies," barriers to breastfeeding These cultural beliefs as well as a health workers in developing countries Carolyn Miles says health workers, with , can help mothers start and continue to breastfeed As the World Ages, Economies Will Change The world is getting older As more people each year, fewer .people will be there to them This has effects not only in the ., but in the world of finance The bond rating Moody’s says the aging will lead to a drop in household This could mean that total investments will fall and could slow Some reports have Japan, Italy and Germany as the world’s “Super Aged” That is the name for countries in which .of the population is at least 65 years old Elena Duggar is of Moody’s Sovereign Risk Division She says changes in many populations are .quickly In five years, six more countries will the list of super-aged nations And 34 nations will be super-aged by the year 2030 Elena Duggar says this will have a big on labor and savings Kishore Kulkarni is with the Metropolitan University of Denver He says .n is one way to reduce the of an aging population Older spend money differently that younger ones and experts say that difference the economies of countries But, Kishore Kulkarni believes that career training and productivity from technology could .for the drop in the number of workers He also says that an aging population will be less of a problem in countries were older people are highly And most agree that young workers will have to .and retire later than today’s older workers 10 Africa Could Lose 30 Percent of Its Plants and Animals by 2100 researchers met in Cameroon to talk about threats to Africa’s land and animals They said they believe the continent may as much as .of its animal and plant species by the end of this They blame the losses on the of the Earth, growth and development.The researchers represent 20 African, American and European universities They say countries south of the Saharan are losing faster than any place on Wood companies are trees to meet growing from China, Europe and the United States The population is growing three percent each year There are now homes, and farms on land that once was forest Many African animals and plants have a place to live as a Climate change also continues to species Thomas Smith is with the University of California He says Africa may lose 40 percent of its species because of expected rises in The African chimpanzee is among the mammals Mary Katherine Gonder is a at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania She chimpanzees in the Congo Basin She says their forest home is She also says continue to kill the animals to as food The researchers say it is important to develop friendly economies The Congo Basin area of and central Africa has the second-largest equatorial in the world It is important to the lives of millions of people 11 Turn Negative Writing Experiences Into Positive Ones Today we hear expert for academic writing Jennifer Ahern-Dodson is an professor of the Practice in Writing Studies at Duke University in Carolina Ms Ahern-Dodson likes to start a with both students and professors planning to write a paper or She asks about their earlier writing Were they negative or positive? She says you are not if you have had problems with your writing Everyone with writing "Writing is hard It's hard for all writers .," she says And at some point you are going to a roadblock," she adds She to think about earlier experiences When the writing is going well, what was happening? When the writing was not ., what was happening? She says most people's negative writing experiences happened very formula or page limit was because a Another problem can when the need to well on a paper is important , she says, can make it harder to get the writing done Ms Ahern-Dodson says when writing comes easily, the writers believe they have something important to say She advises asking yourself questions What can you bring to your paper? Why does this matter? What is its importance? For whom is it .? Who will be reading it? You can ease writing by placing your on what you have to That, says Ms AhernDodson, is an important change for all 12 China's Alibaba to Sell Stock on the New York Stock Exchange Investors in the United States are for the first public sale of stock in the Chinese company Alibaba The company .by linking buyers and sellers in the Chinese online market Alibaba is to make its initial public offering, called an IPO, in September on the New York Stock The total of the company, .Hangzhou, has been at about $200 billion Reports from Bloomberg News say Alibaba is investors a 12 percent of the company That would mean the company could more than $20 billion in the public stock After the IPO, Alibaba could become one of the most technology companies in the world The .company is responsible for most online sales in China It .more exchange last year than U.S companies Amazon and eBay And it has more than 230 milion buyers Scott Kennedy is director of Indiana University's Center for Chinese Politics and Business He says Alibaba has grown from a very small company 15 years ago to the main .in China The company about 80 percent of the Chineseonline .Scott Kennedy says the company is which is unsusual for a technology company fist offering an IPO Alibaba has to sell its to the public on the New York Stock Exchange .in China China is now the world's second largest market for a e-commerce 13 Lessons From Shanghai's Top Scores on International Test The Program for International Student ………………… , or PISA, is a two-hour test that compares the ………………… of fifteen-year-olds In the latest test, the countries with the best ………………… were South Korea and Finland But students in Shanghai, China, scored the highest of all in reading, mathematics and ………………… The next strongest ………………… were in Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand and Japan In all, around ………………… a million students in more than seventy economies took the test in two thousand nine The test has been given every three years since two thousand Shanghai ………………… for the first time in two thousand nine The Organization for Economic ………………… and Development released the results Andreas Schleicher is ………………… of the Education Indicators and Analysis Division at the OECD He says: "Asian countries ………………… education more than other countries They have given education a ………………… Every child, every teacher, every parent knows that education is the ………………… to success." Mr Schleicher says other education systems can learn from Shanghai For example, he says education spending in the province has increased, ………………… teacher pay and training And administrators are putting teachers into ………………… classroom situations to make them better at their jobs In the PISA scoring system, Shanghai scored six hundred in math By ………………… , the United States scored four hundred eighty-seven Shanghai's reading ………………… was five hundred fifty-six American fifteen-year-olds scored five hundred, the same as in Iceland and Poland In science, Finland was second behind Shanghai The United States was twentythird.Education Secretary Arne Duncan says the results show an ………………… need for Americans to more to remain ………………… in the world economy He points out that the United States has fallen from first to ninth place in college ………………… rates because of gains by other countries Mr Schleicher says international testing experts have investigated and ………………… the Shanghai scores He says the PISA results are not representative of all of China But he also says they dispute the ………………… belief that Chinese education is centered on ………………… and memorization Twenty-five percent of the Shanghai students showed ………………… thinking skills to solve difficult math problems 14 Water Problems in a World of Insecurity An American …………………… report says water-related problems will likely increase tensions around the world in the next ten years These problems …………………… water shortages, poor water quality and …………………… The report says the problems will increase the risk of i…………………… and the failure of governments However, countries are seen as …………………… to go to war over water The report says water tensions have …………………… led to more water-sharing agreements than …………………… conflicts But beyond ten years, it warns that some governments could use water as a weapon to …………………… others And water could also be used to "further terrorist ……………………." The report is called an Intelligence Community Assessment on Global Water …………………… It looks at possible effects of water problems on United States …………………… security interests over the next thirty years It says the areas that will be most …………………… by water problems are North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia …………………… of State Hillary Clinton announced the report on World Water Day, which was …………………… March twenty-fourth The National Intelligence ……………………wrote the report based on a National Intelligence …………………… she requested a year ago The report says water-related problems could distract countries from working with the United States on important policy …………………… But it also predicts an increased demand for American aid and expert help to solve those problems That …………………… could create "opportunities for leadership" and …………………… The report says, "Water shortages, poor water quality, and floods by themselves are unlikely to result in state failure." But these could ……………………with poverty, social tensions, environmental problems, poor leadership and weak governments to produce …………………… disorder And that …………………… could cause state failure The report …………………… that from now through twenty forty, "water shortages and pollution probably will harm the economic …………………… of important trading partners." During the next ten years, it says, the …………………… of groundwater supplies in some ……………………areas will create a risk to national and global food markets These …………………… will be a result of poor management Agriculture uses about seventy percent of the world's …………………… The report says technology that reduces the amount of water needed to grow …………………… will offer the best defense against shortages 15 Are You Learning English? These Songs May Help Songs teach language ……………… a song like "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega An American teaching English ……………… once told us that students love that song Recently we asked people on the Special English Facebook page to ……………… other songs that English learners might like Noemi Nito ……………… : I'm one of those English students who love "Tom's Diner." I started learning English with "Lemon Tree" by Fool's Garden Another ……………… is "Truly Madly Deeply" by Savage Garden Another person, Asi Tambunan, suggested the song "……………… Only Knows" by Orianthi Gyongyi Jako wrote that ABBA's songs from Sweden are……………… for class work Other good songs for learning English are songs by the Beatles and John Lennon, as well as Louis Armstrong's "……………… World." Paul Cifuentes says Bob Marley's songs are ……………… for teaching Another teacher, Joseph Deka, says songs by Johnny Cash have always worked in his ……………… He says his students can hear the words, ……………… the songs often have stories He also likes "We Will ……………… You" by Queen and "Beautiful Girls" by Sean Kingston He says young children love "C Is for Cookie" by Cookie Monster from the TV show "Sesame Street." Nina John Smith suggested these songs: "It's My Life" and "We Weren't Born to ……………… " by Bon Jovi Parents given the …………… chose an average of one hundred two fewer calories when asked what they would order for their children Yet there was no difference in calories between the two groups for foods that the parents would have chosen for themselves Study leader Pooja Tandon says even small calorie reductions on a …………… basis can prevent weight gain over time The study was …………… in the journal Pediatrics 22 What Is the Relationship Between Age and Happiness? Are people …………….happy or more happy the older they get? If you answered more happy, then you were right, …………….a study published two years ago It found that people …………… become happier and experience less worry after age fifty ……………., it found that by the age of eighty-five, people are happier with their life than they were at eighteen The …………… came from a Gallup survey of more than three hundred forty thousand …………….in the United States in two thousand eight At that time, the people were between the …………… of eighteen and eighty-five Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and …………… Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study His …………… found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-five Stress levels …………… sharply after people reached their fifties Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies But the people least …………… to report feeling negative …………… were those in their seventies and eighties The …………… also found that men and women have …………….emotional patterns as they grow older However, women at all ages reported more ……………., stress and worry than men did The researchers also …………… possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single But they found that …………… like these did not …………… the levels of happiness and well-being related to age So why would happiness increase with age? One …………… is that, as people get older, they become more …………… for what they have and have better control of their emotions They also spend less time thinking about bad …………… The findings appeared in the Proceedings of the …………… Academy of Sciences Happiness is not the only thing that apparently …………… with age In a study published this year, people in their eighties reported the fewest problems with the …………… of their sleep Researchers surveyed more than one hundred fifty thousand American adults The study, led by Michael Grandner at the University of Pennsylvania, …………… in the journal Sleep The original goal was to …………… the popular belief that aging is …………… with increased sleep problems The survey did find an increase during …………… age, especially in women But except for that, people …………… that they felt their sleep quality improved as they got older 23 Most African Children with AIDS Have No Access to Medical Care A United official says nearly 95 percent of African children AIDS not have a way to get for the disease Michel Sidibe is of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS have shown that infection with HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, development of the disease Mr Sidibe spoke Tuesday to Cameroon There, people living with AIDS reported of antiretroviral drugs The UN official said that more than the three million children infected with AIDS live in African countries south of the Sahara living with AIDS in subSarahan Africa often not have access to treatment “We need to think about treatment for children This is really a for me because it is a forgotten ,” Mr Sidibe said He only six percent of children living with AIDS in Africa have access to treatment UNAIDS that only 24 percent of children needing antiretroviral treatment received it in 2013 That same year, 190,000 children the disease Mr Sidibe said many people with AIDS die In many places in Africa, talking about the disease a taboo subject – something that should not be Minyim Jean has been living with AIDS for 15 years He says it is very difficult to get for the disease Some medical supplies are not always , he says Some doctors even change treatment for some patients because they not have UNAIDS research shows that sub-Saharan Africa has the most with HIV and AIDS in the world The disease has had major effects on the area Twenty-five million people with AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa That about 70 percent of all cases 24 Simple Steps Can Save Millions of Newborn Lives The latest …………… is that more than three million babies die each year within the first month of life A report says this is down from 4.6 million …………… in two thousand nine Still, newborn babies …………… about forty percent of all deaths in children under five years old Experts say five countries have the lowest …………… survival rates: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China and the Democratic Republic of Congo India has one-fourth of all deaths …………… the first four weeks after birth The report is from the …………… humanitarian group Save the Children and the World Health Organization Dr Joy Lawn from Save the Children says …………… actions can help save lives "Not delivering the baby onto a dirty …………… , drying the baby, keeping the baby warm and feeding the baby straight away …………… almost in a halving of the newborn deaths in a very …………… area in India "Dr Lawn says having trained medical workers …………… could also save many babies and mothers "If you had the health workers with the right …………… and the right drugs in these settings, definitely maternal deaths, neonatal deaths, child deaths, could be halved “And the equipment does not have to be …………… A student team at Rice University in Houston, Texas, developed a low-cost device to …………… newborns with breathing problems The …………… is called infant AIR The researchers plan to test it at a hospital in Malawi, then develop training programs for …………… and hospital technicians.The World Health Organization estimates that about fifteen hundred …………… women die each day Millions more suffer infections or injuries from pregnancy and …………… A recent conference in Washington presented winning ideas in a competition called "Saving Lives at Birth." The top …………… went to Dr Michelle McIntosh and her team at Monash University in Australia They plan to …………… a dry powder containing the drug oxytocin Oxytocin reduces the bleeding after birth that causes twenty-five percent of all maternal deaths The …………… would be used in a spray that the mother could …………… into her lungs The contest organizers included the US Agency for International Development and the Bill and Melinda Gates …………… There is evidence that programs to reduce newborn deaths are starting to make …………… , especially in parts of South Asia But progress is slower in Africa The new report says Africa could need more than one hundred fifty years to …………… the current survival rates in the United States or Britain 25 Global Jobless Numbers Likely to Rise This Year The International …………………………… ….says nearly 200 million people are …………………………… ….around the world And the ILO is warning of even higher unemployment this year The United Nations agency …………………………… ….called "Global Employment Trends 2013." It says the …………………………… ….worldwide rose by more than million last year from the year before The report says one fourth of this increase was in …………………………… … The remaining 75 percent was in mainly developing economies in Asia, and in African countries south of the Sahara Desert The report also says …………………………… ….people stopped looking for work last year The average length of unemployment …………………………… ….in developed economies One-third of all …………………………… ….in wealthy countries were unemployed for a year or more The ILO's Director-General, Guy Ryder, says the world's economic recovery is not expected to …………………………… ….to reduce unemployment quickly His group says the labor market is …………………………… ….for young people The ILO says 12.6 percent of people between the ages of 15 and 24 are unemployed worldwide It says more and more young people, who …………………………… ….unemployment, stop looking for work …………………………… ….from gaining needed on-the-job experience Guy Ryder says, …………………………… …., all countries must provide more predictable policies He says these …………………………… ….to raise wages and …………………………… … He says countries should enact reforms to strengthen their …………………………… …., so banks can provide credit 26 Venezuela's Economic Problems Venezuela is of economic problems Inflation many businesses Rotzen Villabon owns a is putting But his business needs American dollars to made in China He is Venezuelan money for dollars at the official of about 6.5 bolivares to the dollar He says the supply of dollars is even limited on the , where dollars cost much more He says that is why business at his store is down Venezuela has the of inflation in South America In February, Venezuela of its currency by one third, which has made imports more costly The have resulted in of products from necessities like food to beauty products Venezuela is a major The nation's oil wealth paid for many during the 14-year-rule of Hugo Chavez But Venezuela's recent showed there are divisions in the country Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner of a close over opposition Henrique Capriles on April 14th Mr Capriles disputed the vote and called for a recount Henrique Capriles is He promised to open the economy to Nicolas Maduro is former He served as vice president to Mr Chavez before the president died of cancer last month Mr Maduro promised to continue the and programs of Mr Chavez For supporters, the election was about saving programs for free housing, and education 27 AIDS Tests Advised for All in US Age 15-65 An advisory group has that everyone in the United States between the ages of 15 and 65 should for HIV, the virus that AIDS The U.S Preventive Services Task Force says wider public of HIV testing could lead to for those infected, and it would further slow the of AIDS The 16 on the task force are by the government They examine for and against health care services designed to HIV is spread through unprotected sex or contact with an infected person's In 2005, the task force recommended testing for all and anyone at increased risk of HIV Now, HIV tests could be as an early screening tool He says that makes more sense than offering it later when people go to the doctor for tests to find out why they are An estimated 1.2 million Americans have HIV Each year about 50,000 more get infected Up to 25 percent of all infected people not know they have the virus But young people, the Centers for and Prevention says about 60 percent not know it The CDC says one-fourth of new infections in the United States are in young people age 13 to 24 December first was World AIDS Day United Nations AIDS report says 25 low- to countries have cut their rate of new infections in half since 2001 Most of those countries are in sub-Saharan Africa But UNAIDS say the number of new cases has risen more than 35 percent in the Middle East and North Africa in the last 10 years 28 New Graduates Seek Jobs in Slowing Chinese Economy China will have a of graduates moving into the this summer Seven million people will finish their studies and begin But China's economy is Chances for jobs for many new graduates are not good.To make things harder for current , more than 200,000 who graduated last year are still looking for jobs.Hu Xingdou, an economist at the Beijing , said only 30 percent of graduates can be The economist said the majority of students and looking for work And it is not just the number of graduates that is making the job After years of strong growth, China's economy is slowing Chinese leaders say they are struggling to about seven percent But, Hu Xingdou says a big problem is the of Chinese industry He says there are many places in China where graduate students are needed, but are not willing to go Recently, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called on companies to give more to new graduates In response, some have announced increases in their hiring of new graduates.Observers say the government could go even further by giving private companies and funding to help make them more equal to enterprises They also say the government could new graduates to work in smaller cities away from China's coastal area by giving them or other 29 Practicing Climate-Friendly Agriculture Agriculture the heat-trapping gasses that scientists link to rising and Agriculture also can be of climate change The Worldwatch Institute in Washington that agriculture can reduce its effects on the Worldwatch released a report called " in Sustainable Agriculture: Supporting Climate-Friendly " Researcher Danielle Nierenberg was one of its She says 25 to 30 percent of all gas emissions come from This is because fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotic drugs, and processing are all oil, gas and coal Danielle Nierenberg says has an especially big effect on the environment She notes that more in countries like Brazil, China and India As a result, more industrial are being built in the developing world The six land and water use practices that it says are sustainable These growing trees on farmland to reduce soil erosion and planting cover crops to from drought, heat and pests Danielle Nierenberg says urban farming can help as well Growing more food in cities can reduce , she says Urban residents then can buy food from within their Other recommendations include recycling in cities, drip irrigation, and catching and storing The United Nations estimates that changes in the agriculture industry could cut its carbon dioxide production by 88 percent 30 WHO Urges Health Care for All The Organization says everyone should to the health care services they need without ruin A new WHO report is countries to provide health care designed to of their citizens In 2005, all 194 members of the World Health Organization of providing universal But very few countries have Most people must use their own to pay for the health care they need.Since health care needs one country to another, the new report urges every country to system of health coverage It says the services should include , rehabilitation and And the health care should , health centers and hospitals Christopher Dye is head of the WHO's Office of Health Information, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Every year, he says, about 150 million people face extraordinary that they cannot pay The question, he says, is how to put in place financial risk protection that to a minimum The how research can help countries improve their health system Dr Dye said some European countries have continued supporting their services even of financial difficulty He says that decision is paying off in better health for their people Dr Dye notes that the cost of medical care is Because of that, he says, governments must to keep costs 31 New Rules Aim to Improve Food Safety in US Each year, …………………… sickens about one in six Americans But, proposed …………………… raise hopes to improve food safety .…………………… say the changes could …………………… more than million cases of food-related illnesses each year.The new rules were …………………… , exactly two years after President Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act The rules are the …………………… in putting that law into effect They …………………… the biggest changes in food safety since the 1930s The new law makes the Food and Drug Administration …………………… for preventing foodborne illnesses Experts say this is a change in the way that the FDA has …………………… disease outbreaks in the past Congress …………………… after a series of outbreaks that were linked to spinach, peanut butter and other foods The agency is proposing to require …………………… to show that they have identified where contamination is most likely to happen Manufacturers would also have to show that they have taken steps to …………………… The proposed rules also deal with safety in growing and harvesting …………………… The Congressional Budget Office estimates that establishing all of the provisions of the law will …………………… $1.4 billion The Grocery Manufacturers of America, an industry group, has not …………………… of what it will cost …………………… But FDA Deputy Commissioner Michael Taylor says the new rules are worth the cost He says there should be …………………… in illness and disruptions in the …………………… , and increases in buyer confidence He says, when these issues are considered, the …………………… outweigh the costs of the new law 32 What Teachers Think of the Digital Age Teachers say the digital age has been both a …………………… on this generation of American …………………… More than 2,000 middle and high school teachers took an …………………… Researchers also spoke with teachers in …………………… Three-fourths of the teachers said the Internet and digital …………………… have had a "mostly positive" effect on their students' research …………………… But 87 percent agreed that these technologies are creating an "easily distracted generation with …………………… spans." And 64 percent said the technologies "do more to distract students than to help them academically " Many students think "doing research" now means just doing a …………………… on Google The Pew Internet Project did the survey with the College Board and the National …………………… …………………… of the teachers came from Advanced Placement classes, which provide …………………… work for high school students Judy Buchanan is with the National Writing Project and a co-author of …………………… She says digital research tools are helping students learn more, and …………………… But, one problem the survey found is that many students are …………………… digital literacy In …………………… , they trust too much of the information they find on the Internet Judy Buchanan says these students have not …………………… they need to judge the quality or credibility of online information They also say being able to quickly find information online …………………… their students' ability to …………………… to find answers Many teachers are also concerned that the Internet makes it easy for students to copy work done by others …………………… using their own …………………… 33 For the Brain, the Benefits of Being Bilingual There is …………………… suggesting that being bilingual is ……………………your brain A new study found that ……………………who have spoken two languages since childhood showed better ……………………than those who speak just one language Earlier studies showed that the ability to ……………………, or bilingualism, seemed to favor the development of these heightened skills The ……………………in the Journal of Neuroscience Brian Gold was the ……………………of the study He is a neuroscientist at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Dr Gold and his team asked people to ……………………and shapes in a series of simple …………………… They used brain imaging to ……………………three groups of people switched among these exercises The groups were bilingual seniors, monolingual seniors and …………………… The imaging showed different patterns of activity in the frontal part of the brain, in an area used for ……………………… Dr Gold says the results suggest that bilingual subjects use their brain …………………… Dr Gold notes that knowing a ……………………made no difference for the young adults They did better at the exercises than both groups of older people But he says the older bilingual adults appear to have built up a surplus ……………………of increased mental activity He says his research …………………… an earlier study on bilingualism among patients with Alzheimer's …………………… That study showed that bilingual speakers suffered more ……………………, but were able to think at the same level as …………………… with less damage Dr Gold says he believes the new study confirms that bilingualism can …………………… brain performance 34 How Mobile Phones Are Changing Life in Africa The …………………………………… there are about 650 million ……………………………………in African countries south of the Sahara desert mobile That is greater than the number of users in the United States and the …………………………………… Samia Melhem works for the World Bank to increase ……………………………………in Africa She says mobile phones are Africa's fastest-growing technology She says more Africans have ………………………………than to clean water or sanitation She says mobile technology has brought about ……………………………………in how people live CNN television recently named seven ways life has been revolutionized by mobile phones They include political activism, ……………………………………, disaster management, agriculture, and health Banking is another industry that has been transformed by mobile phones Reports say at least ……………………………………in Gabon, Kenya, and Sudan use mobile money Rene Mendy ……………………………………in the streets of Dakar, Senegal But he never had enough money to open …………………………………… Now he uses a mobile phone ……………………………………called Orange Money With his telephone, he can add or ……………………………………as little as one dollar from his account He can ……………………………………and send money to family members who live far away Orange Money says it serves ……………………………………customers in 10 countries The World Bank's Samia Melhem notes that the French company is ……………………………………from other mobile banking services That is …………………………………… The cost of sending a payment by phone is far lower than with ……………………………………agents like Western Union 35 Reducing High Rates of Wasted Food How much of the ………………………… is going to waste? The Institution of Mechanical Engineers …………………………that says as much as half of all food is wasted The Britain-based group says that …………………………if the world is to feed its ………………………… Every year the world produces about billion ………………………… The report says that between one third and one half of it goes to waste It says that in …………………………countries, between 37 and 80 percent of all …………………………is lost Colin Brown helped write the report for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers He says a lot of rice is lost because of the way it is harvested, ………………………… The developed world also wastes food The report says more ………………………… methods ensure that more food reaches markets Still, Colin Brown says millions of tons of food are thrown away because it is past its sell-by date or for ………………………… He says a lot of food is thrown away because it no longer looks good, and not because it is no longer ………………………….A spokesman for a group that …………………………in Britain says the big food stores are not to blame He says they are only following European Union ………………………… The stores have been pushing for an easing of those rules He says that in 2009, …………………………in getting a number of rules relaxed Many …………………………welcomed the report They say it shows how much food is being wasted at a time when millions of people not get enough to eat The group …………………………says there is enough food in the world to feed every child Yet, 2.3 million children die every year as a ………………………… 36 Staying Safe in Freezing Weather (Part 1) ……………………………… is a fact of life to many people in the ……………………………….of the world Freezing weather can mean frostbite and hypothermia unless a ……………………………… Here are some ways to stay warm, ……………………………….in cold weather Frostbite is damage that happens when skin is exposed to ……………………………….for too long It mainly happens on the hands, feet, ……………………………… People with minor cases of frostbite that ……………………………….may not suffer any permanent damage But if deeper tissue is affected, a person is likely ……………………………….every time the area gets cold Damage to blood vessels is ……………………………… This kind of injury can lead to a gangrene infection Sometimes the only way ……………………………….an injury like this is to remove frostbitten areas like ……………………………… Hypothermia is a condition in which the body cannot ……………………………….as it loses Signs of hypothermia include uncontrollable shaking, very ……………………………….and difficulty thinking clearly If untreated, hypothermia can ……………………………… To avoid cold-related injuries, here is a simple way to remember ……………………………….to staying warm Think of COLD C.O.L.D The C stands for cover ……………………………….and scarf to keep heat from escaping through the head, ……………………………… And wear mittens which are warmer than gloves The O stands for overexertion ……………………………….that will make you sweaty Wet clothes and cold weather are a ……………………………… L is for layers Wearing loose, lightweight clothes, one layer on top of another, is better than wearing a ……………………………….layer of clothing And D is for dry ………………………………., stay as dry as possible 37 Avoiding Future Famines in Somalia The humanitarian situation in Somalia …………………… United Nations officials say the improvement is the …………………… of aid delivery, more rainfall and success against militants Luca Alinovi is head of the United Nations …………………… Organization for Somalia He says the …………………… in a sustainable way But he says those gains are at risk if the …………………… fails to support the Somali people He warns of a …………………… to conditions like those in 2011 That was when a famine …………………… was declared in parts of Somalia Many people died Many others walked for weeks to reach areas with …………………… Luca Alinovi says the FAO used cash-based interventions to help during the famine and the …………………… after it He says the aid …………………… urged Somalis to stay where they were Earlier interventions, he says, were based more on simply …………………… , shelter and other basic needs Twenty twelve was a good year for rainfall in Somalia …………………… cross the country So, irrigation can be used in a lot of areas Luca Alinovi says …………………… in irrigation could increase agricultural production to …………………… of more than half of Somalia Another issue affecting the humanitarian situation has been the …………………… against the militant group al Shabab Forces from the African Union, known as AMISOM, …………………… those from the Somali government and Kenya have driven militants from many areas But, Luca Alinovi says many …………………… remain under al-Shabab's control and the military …………………… 38 China's Air Pollutio China has been struggling to ………………… record levels of smog over Beijing Recently, officials in several Chinese cities ………………… to trade carbon credits as a way to reduce ………………… For many years, China considered ………………… more important than the environment The nation ………………… for energy But it has also become the world's ………………… of carbon gasses Beijing's smoggy days have made ………………… Small particles in the air reduce visibility and threaten ………………… Smog has been a concern in the city for years But a ………………… in pollution levels in January ………………… sharp criticism from many Chinese Pollution from coal-burning ………………… and factories is a big part of the problem Now, officials hope to ………………… pollution by creating systems to trade carbon credits The ………………… , or platforms, would enable companies to ………………… for lowering greenhouse gas emissions The credits can then be traded ………………… of these market-based platforms is to get businesses to invest in ………………… Markets for carbon credits ………………… open this year in seven cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin Officials say the government has ………………… with pilot programs because carbon trading is something new China ………………… a national carbon trading program by 2016 Still, public pressure continues building on the government to ………………… to thick air pollution Wu Changhua is with The ………………… She says the Chinese people are looking at more than jobs They want a ………………… too 39 Building Machines With Human-Like Senses Every year, IBM ………………… five new technologies that the company believes will ………………… within the next five years The list is called "5 in 5." IBM says it considers its ………………… and the new directions of ………………… when identifying the technologies This year, ………………… devices that will extend our five senses Imagine ………………… online and touching your computer or smartphone to feel the cloth IBM's ………………… of innovation, Bernie Meyerson, says this technology could be ………………… in the next five years Touch is just one of the senses that technology will ………………… IBM says smart machines will soon be able to listen to the ………………… and give us information about the sounds they hear For example, Bernie Meyerson says an ………………… recognition system will tell new parents why their baby is crying Smart machines will also help identify ………………… If you sneeze on your computer or cell phone, the device will study the molecules that came out of ………………… It will then tell you whether you need to ………………… Another prediction is that computers will be better able to not just ………………… but understand what they show and act on that information Bernie Meyerson says IBM scientists are also developing a computer system that can ………………… and combine molecules to create the most popular ………………… Mark Maloof is a computer scientist at Georgetown University He says it will be e………………… to see what young people will with the mobile technology, ………………… and computing power of tomorrow 40 Ideas for Climate-Friendly Food Production ………………… produces a lot of the greenhouse gasses that scientists link to ………………… and climate change Agriculture can also be ………………… of climate change A new report says high temperatures and ………………… are disrupting agriculture in many parts of the world The report is called "Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture: Supporting Climate-Friendly ………………… " The Worldwatch Institute in Washington ………………… it The report suggests ways that the agriculture industry could ………………… on the environment Danielle Nierenberg was one of the report's authors She says industrial agriculture uses a lot of fossil fuels She says the chemicals used in fertilizers, pesticides and ………………… depend on fossil fuels Danielle Nierenberg says animal production has an especially big effect on the environment She notes that the ………………… being eaten in countries like Brazil, China and India is growing …………………., more industrial animal facilities or factory farms are being built in the developing world Those ………………… need fossil fuels to operate They also require ………………… transportation She said all those things can ………………… to climate change The report ………………… six land and water use practices that it says are sustainable These include growing trees on ………………… to reduce soil erosion and planting cover ………………… to make soil less affected by drought, heat and pests Other recommended practices include recycling …………………., drip irrigation, and replacing chemical with natural fertilizer 41 EU Countries Agree on Financial Framework European Union countries have struggled to …………………… ground as they tried to work out a …………………… in Belgium But this month, they agreed on the European Union's multiannual …………………… framework, or MMF, for the …………………… from 2014 to 2020 The MMF sets the EU's …………………… at about $1.3 trillion That is one percent of the …………………… of the EU.Members agreed to reduce …………………… by more than three percent for the period This is the first time that members have accepted …………………… European Council President Herman Van Rompuy spoke after the agreement …………………… He said the compromise budget might not …………………… But, he said, it should help all EU members.German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the …………………… She said the agreement makes …………………… more predictable and enables members to act in Europe's …………………… Some EU leaders have been …………………… greater spending controls in their home countries They wanted the EU to show that it too is willing to cut costs.British …………………… David Cameron welcomed the agreement Before the two-day meeting in Brussels, he had …………………… to veto the budget, if there were no steps toward …………………… But the agreement still might not …………………… The European parliament must …………………… And some members of the parliament say it fails to …………………… many problems like the sharp differences in wealth between …………………… people If the measure is approved, it will …………………… 28 European Union countries The EU says Croatia is expected to …………………… in July 42 Training Entrepreneurs in Ethiopia The Ethiopian government and the United Nations , or UNDP, have launched a three-year program They more than 200,000 entrepreneurs Government and UNDP officials say the businesses by these men and women could create more than million jobs in Ethiopia The country's minister of urban , Mekuria Haile, says Ethiopians need to change their way of thinking He says that looking for jobs, people need to become entrepreneurs who create jobs The Ethiopian government and the UNDP are interested in people wanting to set up -sized companies The development program is expected to cost $26 million dollars So far, the UNDP $6 million The program is based on four : institutional development, entrepreneurship training, business development Eugene Owusu works in Ethiopia for the UNDP He says more needs to be done to bureaucratic rules and increase access to credit in the country Ethiopia has one of the world's economies But it is 174th on the UNDP's Human Development Index Human development has in Ethiopia during the past 20 years But almost one third of the people And the need for jobs and economic growth is urgent In Africa, Ethiopia's is second only to Nigeria And Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn says a majority of the country is of 25 43 How an Allowance Helps Children Learn About Money Many children first learn the of money by receiving an allowance The purpose is to let children learn from experience at an age when financial .are not very The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish .from family to family Timing is another Some children get a weekly allowance Others get a monthly allowance In ., parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they .it If they this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a .Parents are usually not to offer more money until the next allowance The is to show young people that a budget .choices between spending and saving Older children may be .enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or Many people who have written on the of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home These jobs are a .part of family life Paying children to .around the house, however, can be useful It can even an understanding of how a business works Allowances give children a to experience the things they can with money They can it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause They can spend it by buying things they want Or they can save and maybe even Saving helps children understand that costly .require sacrifice: you have to cut costs and plan for the Requiring children to save part of their allowance can also open the door to future saving and investing Many banks .services to help children and teenagers learn about personal A savings account is an excellent way to learn about the of compound interest Compounding works by paying interest on So, for ., one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year The second year, the money will two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on That may not like a lot But over time it adds up 44 In England, a Hotel for Chickens More and more British people are their own chickens But these chicken owners have a : what to with their chickens when they go on A woman named Julie Smith has their prayers She has opened a chicken hotel in the English countryside to the birds when their owners are Julie Smith named her hotel the Fowlty Towers The name is a on words from the British television about a hotel called Fawlty Towers But Julie's hotel houses fowl, or chickens And she wants to they have a wonderful stay She gives them lots of individual and feeds them fresh every day She the eggs they lay, and gives them to their owners when they She even takes the chickens for walks in her hen stroller England has faced times during the global Julie Smith that she has been able to develop a business around her Her specialized business has done well She has thirteen chickens of her own They are hens That means she uses the eggs and sells them Also, she knows she is providing a service for her Now clients even come to her from outside the of Kent where she lives, in England Recently she kept a woman's hens when she went into the to have a baby At night, the chickens stay in hen houses But during the day they can free-range in a But, Julie Smith only takes hens, which are birds No male birds are ... wrote: When you listen to your favorite songs, you feel ……………… high and it moves you to action.For VOA Special English, I'm Alex Villarreal Do you have any favorite songs for learning English? You