Latest News from Voice of America
Voice of America
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Voice of America
Grammar Games at Home: Jeopardy
Hi, everyone! You might be reading or listening to this Everyday Grammar program from your living room or bedroom. In fact, you might be even wearing pajamas, no matter the time of day. If you are like us here in Washington, D.C. and many other places, health officials have asked you to stay at home for now. And with so many people at home for long periods, people are looking for activities to keep their minds occupied. Too much time on social media can be a problem. Even binge-watching movies and television shows loses its appeal after a while. With this in mind, we will be offering ideas for games that you can play with your family or housemates in the coming weeks to practice your English. What is Jeopardy? On today's program we will talk about Jeopardy, a favorite game of English learning classrooms. The idea comes from the American television game show in which players give their answers in the form of a question. You may have even seen the show in your country. In Jeopardy, players choose from categories and try to win money, like this: (Player) I'll take Countries for $100. (Host) This Asian country is famous for its high-quality motorcycles (Player) What is Japan? (Host) That is correct! Notice that the answer came in the form of a question: 'What is Japan?' You will also note the host read a fact in statement form. We will call those facts clues. Playing Jeopardy at home is a good way to get experience forming questions in English. It also can improve your speaking and listening skills, and help expand your vocabulary. Now, let's talk about how to play the game. You will need three or more English learners – one person to serve as host and the others to play.* There are two ways to play the game: the traditional way (with answers in question form) and the easier way, which you can find on our website at How to play - traditional Here is how to play the traditional way. The first step is to decide who the host will be. His or her job is to gather clues for the game. The host also reads clues to the players, and keeps a record of points won. To play the game, you will need five separate categories. For example, you might choose: Countries, Animals, Foods, Sports and Actors. For each category, choose six clues, from easy ($100) to difficult ($600). The host will need to keep the clues on a computer screen or write or print them on a small piece of paper. To set up the game, you will need a board or large piece of paper. (If using paper, put it on a wall for all the players to see.) On the large paper or board, make a grid like the simple design shown on our website. Write the categories on the left of the grid and the money amounts across the top. For the full directions on how to play the game, to see how to make the grid, and for links to clues that are already prepared, go to our website. And join us again soon for more grammar games you can play at home. I'm Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. For Jeopardy game directions , click here. *If you are the only English speaker in your home, you can play the game in your native language. _____________________________________________________________ Jeopardy Clues Click the links below for Jeopardy clues that have already been prepared. The host can print them or write them on pieces of paper. Jeopardy Cards, Set 1 Jeopardy Cards, Set 2 Jeopardy Cards, Set 3 Jeopardy Cards, Set 4 Jeopardy Cards, Set 5 Jeopardy Cards, Idioms These card sets are borrowed from _____________________________________________________________ _ Words in This Story pajamas – n. clothing that people wear in bed or while relaxing at home binge-watching – n. watch multiple episodes of (a television program) in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming housemate – n. a person who lives in the same house with another person but is not a part of that person's family practice – v. to do something again and again in order to get better at it category – n. a group of things that are similar in some way host – n. a person who talks to players on a game show clue – n. something that helps a person find an answer to something vocabulary – n. all of the words known and used by a person board – n. a large, flat surface attached to a wall or supported on an easel and used for writing on with chalk or markers, especially by teachers in classrooms
Voice of America
18-03-2025
- Science
- Voice of America
Wilbur and Orville Wright: The First Airplane
Wilbur and Orville Wright are the American inventors who made a small engine-powered flying machine. They proved that flight without the aid of gas-filled balloons was possible. Wilbur Wright was born in 1867 near Melville, Indiana. His brother Orville was born four years later in Dayton, Ohio. As they grew up, the Wright brothers experimented with mechanical things. Later, the Wright brothers began to design their own flying machine. They used ideas they had developed from earlier experiments with a toy helicopter, kites, the printing machine and bicycles. Soon, they needed a place to test their ideas about flight. The best place with the best wind conditions seemed to be a piece of sandy land in North Carolina along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It was called Kill Devil Hill, near the town of Kitty Hawk. The Wright brothers did many tests with gliders at Kitty Hawk. With these tests, they learned how to solve many problems. By the autumn of 1903, Wilbur and Orville had designed and built an airplane powered by a gasoline engine. The plane had wings 12 meters across. It weighed about 340 kilograms, including the pilot. On December 17th, 1903, they made the world's first flight in a machine that was heavier than air and powered by an engine. Orville flew the plane 36 meters. He was in the air for 12 seconds. The two brothers made three more flights that day. Four other men watched the Wright brothers' first flights. One of the men took pictures. Few newspapers, however, noted the event. It was almost five years before the Wright brothers became famous. In 1908, Wilbur went to France. He gave demonstration flights at heights of 90 meters. A French company agreed to begin making the Wright brothers' flying machine. Orville made successful flights in the United States at the time Wilbur was in France. The United States War Department agreed to buy a Wright brothers' plane. Wilbur and Orville suddenly became world heroes. But the brothers were not seeking fame. They returned to Dayton where they continued to improve their airplanes. They taught many others how to fly. Wilbur Wright died of typhoid fever in 1912. Orville Wright continued designing and inventing until he died many years later, in 1948. Today, the Wright brothers' first airplane is in the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Visitors to the museum can look at the Wright brothers' small plane. Then they can walk to another area and see space vehicles and a rock collected from the moon. The world has changed a lot since Wilbur and Orville Wright began the modern age of flight over one hundred years ago. I'm John Russell. Marilyn Rice Christiano wrote this story for VOA Learning English. John Russell adapted it. Quiz - Wilbur and Orville Wright: The First Airplane Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ______________________________________________________ Words in This Story glider– n. a flying object similar to an airplane but without an engine
Voice of America
15-03-2025
- Health
- Voice of America
Vatican: Francis stable, out of ‘imminent danger' of death
The Vatican issued an update Saturday on the health of Pope Francis, who remains in Rome's Gemelli hospital under the care of doctors, saying that while his prognosis remains "complex," the pope is no longer in "imminent danger" of death. On Friday, the Vatican's Holy See Press Office announced that since Francis' condition is now considered stable, barring any major developments, updates on his health will be less frequent. The 88-year-old pontiff has spent four weeks in the hospital and is receiving treatment for double pneumonia. Medical bulletins from the pope's doctors, which had been almost a daily occurrence since his admission to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, will be issued only when there is new information, the press office said Friday. The office emphasized that Francis' recovery is progressing, but that it will require time to make sure the improvements continue. This also means the Holy See's daily morning update about how the pope spent the night will no longer be issued, which leaves only the evening news briefing for journalists. The Vatican said that this is a "a positive sign" for the Catholic faithful, meaning that no news is essentially good news. Francis is continuing his prescribed medical treatments, which included motor physiotherapy Friday. He alternates between noninvasive mechanical ventilation at night and high-flow oxygenation with nasal cannulas during the day, according to the Vatican. Francis had part of a lung removed as a young man after a pulmonary infection and has in recent years battled recurring bouts of bronchitis. On Thursday, the press office said Francis celebrated the 12th anniversary of his papal election surrounded by health care staff. Part of the pope's hospital stay comes during the Christian season of Lent. It is the annual 40-day period of prayer, fasting and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. Lent began on March 5.
Voice of America
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
Starmer: ‘Sooner or later' Russia must yield to peace
Britain's leader encouraged his global counterparts to continue pushing for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine at the start of a virtual meeting Saturday intended to end the fighting between the two countries. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told a virtual meeting of mostly European leaders that 'sooner or later' Russia would have to engage in talks on reaching a ceasefire in the three-year conflict. He addressed the group, described as a 'coalition of the willing,' of mostly European leaders as well as those from Australia, New Zealand and Canada but not the United States. 'Sooner or later, he's going to have to come to the table,' Starmer said of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Moscow to accept a ceasefire deal agreed to by U.S. and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said 'the ball is in Russia's court.' Putin has said he agrees with a ceasefire in theory, but Russia still has certain conditions and questions that must be addressed before accepting any agreement. In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that Putin is stalling and has demanded so many preconditions 'that nothing will work out at all.' Meanwhile, the U.S. has expanded sanctions on Russian oil and gas as well as its financial sectors. Saturday's discussion among world leaders could address future military and financial support for Ukraine and Zelenskyy's security concerns if a peace deal is reached. Zelenskyy attended Saturday's online video session.
Voice of America
15-03-2025
- Science
- Voice of America
NASA, SpaceX launch crew to space station to retrieve stuck astronauts
The replacement crew for the International Space Station was launched late Friday, paving the way for the return home of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, two NASA astronauts stuck on the space station for nine months. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 7:03 p.m. from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying Crew-10 members: NASA's Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russia's Kirill Peskov. The crew is part of a routine six-month rotation. Crew-10 and the Dragon spacecraft are expected to reach the space station around 11:30 p.m. Saturday. Returning to Earth alongside Wilmore and Williams will be NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Their return is scheduled for Wednesday, to allow for an overlap of the two crews to brief the new team. Wilmore and Williams arrived aboard the International Space Station in June 2024 and expected to stay in space for about 10 days. But their return was delayed after mechanical issues with their spacecraft, which, after weeks of troubleshooting was subsequently sent back to Earth without them. Their return was continually pushed back due to other technical delays.
