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2002/10/20 Words and Their Stories

Now, the VOA special English program, Words and their stories.
Every week at this time we tell about popular American words and expressions. Some of these are very old, some are new together. They formed living speech of American people. Today we tell about the expression, down to earth.
Down to earth means being open and (). It is easy to deal with someone who is down to earth. A person who is down to earth is a pleasure to find he or she accepts other people as equals. A down to earth people is the opposite of someone who acts important or proud. Down to earth people could be important number of (). But they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. They do not let their importance go to their heads.
Someone who like something go to his head feels he is better than others. He has a big head. A person who is filled with only importance and pride, is said to have his nose in the (ear). Often the person who has a big head and his nose is in the ear has no reason to feel better than others. He surly is the opposite of someone who is down to earth.
Americans use another expression (better similar) some ways to down to earth. Expression is both feet on the ground. Someone with both feet on the ground is the person who is good understanding of (). She has what is called common sides. She may have dreams, but she does not () them to () understanding what is real.
The opposite kind of person is one to has his head in the clouds. Someone with his head in the clouds is a person whose mind is not on what is happening in their life. Such person may be called a day-dreamer.
Sometimes a person with his head in the clouds can be brought back to reality. Sharp words from the teacher, for example, can usually get a day dreaming student to both feet on the ground. A person who is down to earth usually has both feet on the ground. But the opposite is not always true. Someone with both feet on the ground may not be as open and easy to deal with as someone who is down to earth. When we have both our feet firmly on the ground and when we are down to earth, we do not have our noses in the air. We act under and openly to others. Our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong.
This VOA special English program was written by (name). I'm (name). Listen it again next week at this time for another words and their stories program on the voice of America.

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2002/10/21 This is America

The highest court in the United States began its term this month. From now until the end of June it would rule on issues that affect Americanimportant ways. I'm (name). And I'm (). The supereme court is our report today on the VOA special English program, This is America.
Congress created the supereme court of the United States more than 200 years ago. The court has ruled on many disputed cases since then. Its duty is to make sure federal and state laws agree with the United States constitution.
The president appoints supereme court justices. The senate approves them. The court has a chief justice and eight associate justices. The justices serve as long as they wish.
Seven men and two women now serve on the court. They will hear eighty or more cases during the current term. The court already has accepted 45 cases. Experts say the cases are likely to produce many decisions about important issues. These include criminal law, illegal immigrants, minority students in colleges and financing political campaigns.
For example, the supereme court will consider a case about the length of prison sentence. The state of California has not enacted a law affecting people found guilty of three crimes. The law orders that these people serve from 25 years to the rest of their lives in prison. It is the most severe in the country.
Many people appose this law. They say it violate the 8th Amendment to the constitution if a person's third crime is minor property crime.
The 8th Amendment protects against cruel and unusual punishment. The supereme court justices will hear two cases about people punished under the California law. In one case, the criminal's third crime was was stealing about 150 dollars worth of  radiotapes. In the other case, a man stole three pieces of sports equipment.
Lower courts are now dealing with some of America's most important issues. But legal experts say the supereme court probably will consider some of these cases during its current term. Two such cases deal with anni-terrorism measures.
The justice department has ordered  hearing that are closed to the dpublic for illegal immigrants it considers of special interest to its terrorism investigation. These hearings decide if the immigrants will be sent back to their own countries. Such hearings usually were public. But that changed after the terrorists attacks in the United States last year.
One federal appeals court rejected closed hearings. It said,"Democracy dies behind closed doors." Another court disgreed. It said the nation needs secret hearings to defend against terrorism.
The supereme court also will consider another anti-terrorism measure. The measure affected Amercian citizens suspected of finding for the enemy. These people may be held without charges and without legal advice. The constitution guarantees citizens the right to be charged and have a quick trial. It also guarantees the right to a lawyer. But the government says these rights must be suspected to protect security.

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2002/10/21 This is America

The supereme court may also hear cases about how universities decide which students to accept. Students have brough two legal actions against the university of Michigan. The university has a grogram designed to accept more minority students. White students denounce this affirmative action policy. They claim it unfairly reduces their own chances to be accepted at the university. The students say affirmative action violates the constitution.
A 1978 supereme court decision appeared to permit programs aimed at improving racial balance. Many colleges and universities began such plans after that decision. If the court changes that decision,  its action would have a major effect on higher education.
The high court also may hear a case about money giving to political campaigns. Congress recently passed a law to reform methods of campaign finance. It limites the amount of money that can be given to a candidate seeking office. It also limits a candidate's advertisements paid campaign messages. Senator () brough legal action against the measure. The senator had led the fight against it in the senate. 3 judges of the United States district court in Washington DC are to hear the case in early December. Legal experts say the side losing this case will surely appeal the decision to the supereme court.

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2002/10/21 This is America

For each case, supereme court justices hear arguments by lawyers on both sides. The justices questioned the lawyers to get more information. They read a great deal of written information about the case. Then they discuss the case and vote. A majority of the votes of the nine justices decides what will become the law of the land. One of the justices who voted with the majority writes the opinion of the court. This opinion explains the decision made in the case.
Some justices made disagree with the majority. When that happens, a justice who disagreed write the dissenting opinion.
The supereme court was established in 1789. It was created as one of the three major divisions of the United States government. The American constitution gave the legislative division, the congress, the power to pass laws. It gave the executive division, the president and other government agencis, the power to carry out these laws. And it gave the judicial division, the supereme court and lower courts, the power to decide legal disputes involving these laws.
At first, this seemed to make the judicial division the weakest part of the federal government. But then, in 1803, supreme court chief justice, (name), declared that the court could decide if laws already passed by congress were constitutional. Since that time, the supereme court has played an important part in approving or disapproving actions taken by congress and the president.

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2002/10/31  Education report


This is (name) with the VOA special English, Education report.
We continue our series of reports about how people from foreign countries can attend a college or university in the United States. A copy of the script can be found on the special English web site at www.voasepcialenglish.dom.
On earlier education reports, we have explained how to begin your search at an education advising center. We also described the new government rules for entering the country and studying in the United States. If you want to study in the United States, it is time to make a list of colleges and universities that interest you.
Be sure to choose more than one college. Directors of  foreign student admissions at American colleges say each student should apply to at least three schools.
First, you must get applications from the colleges. An application is a form you must complete to ask the college to admit you at a student. You should request applications at least two years before you want to begin study in the United States.
You can find the address of the admissions office in the college's catalog. A publication that tells all about the school. You can also find such information on the college's web site on the internet computer system.
For example, the Ohio States University provides application forms for international students on its web pages. You can answer all the questions on the computer and e-mail application directly to the university or you can copy the application forms to your computer, print them, complete the questions and mail them to university.
Or, you can fill out the computer form to ask the university to send you a application in the mail. If you can not use a computer, write a letter to the address given in the catalog.
Ask the college to send you the international admission application. Write the letter clearly. List the schools you have attended and any degree you are already have. Explain what you want to study and what degree you are seeking. Explain when you want to begin studying.
You will receive a letter or application from each school. complete the application and return it to the college. Then you must wait until the college makes it decision.
This VOA special English Education report was written by (name). This is (name).

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2002/11/05 Agriculture report


This is (name) with the VOA special English agriculture report.
More than 100 countries celebrated world food day on October 16. The event observed the establishment of the United Nations food and agriculture organization in 1945. The main message of this year's world food day was water, source of food security.
Officials want people to understand how a lack of water can help cause a lack of food. Officials say the world's fresh water supply must be supervised more carefully in order to increase the world's food supply. Water covers about 75 percent of the world's surface. Yet only a small amount is fresh water that can be used for crops. Experts say food production will decrease as the ability to use these fresh water sources becomes restricted. U-N officials estimate about 70 percent of the total amount of fresh water is used by farmers for their crops.
Officials say the need for food increases as the world's  population grows. The U-N estimates that by the year 2030 the world will need 60 percent more food. Most of that increase in food will come from intesified agriculture supported by water irrigation. However fresh water is already in short supply in many countries.
() is the director of the U-N food and agriculture organization. He says that 20 countries do not have enough water to produce the food their populations need. 10 nations withdraw more than 40 percent of their total fresh water resource for agriculture.
Mr.() fears that the problem will only worsen as the need for water by people and industry grows. Mr. () wants that it takes more than 1000 times more water to feed the human popoulation than it does to satisfy its thirst for drinking water. Because of this, water is one of the most important issues in the world today.
This year's world food day attempted to increase public knowledge about earth's growing fresh water problem. Countries around the world marked the day with special events. Organizations urged policymakers to approve new measures to control water use for agriculture.
The food and agriculture organization will take part in the international year of fresh water next year. It will also be present at the third world water forum in Japan next year.
This voa special English agriculture report was written by (name). This is (name).

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2002/11/06   Health Report


This is (name) with the VOA special English Health report.
Artism is a mysterious and complex brain disorder that begins to affect child during the first three years of life.
Children sometimes develop normally for a year or more. Then they become unable to develop normal relationships with other people. They do not act normally in everyday life. They stop speaking, they repeat meaningless actions.
Some autistic children express violent anger or injure themselves. New drugs appear to help control aggressive actions in severely autistic children. However, autism can not be cured.
No one knows what causes autism. Some scientists suspect that genetic influences or injures during birth may be linked to the disorder.
A new study by American scientists in California has failed to explain the major increase in autism in the state. Caliornia lawmakers ordered the study after learning of an increase of almost 300 percent in severe cases of autism. The California department of developmental services said this increase took place between 1987 and 1998. The department also said the number of autistic children continue to increase after that period.
() of the university of California at Davis led the study. His team gathered information about almost 700 children in the state. One group of children was from 7 to 9 years of age. The other children were 17 to 19 years old. More than half of children suffered from severe autism. The others were mentally retarded. They had very low levels of intelligence. The research said the information about the children did not explain the increase in autism cases.
Before the study, some experts blamed the incrase in cases on better recognition of the disorder. Other said the number of cases was incorrectly reported. Doctor () said the general increase in the state's population caused about ten percent of the increase in cases.
Doctors say that autistic children should receive intensive training  while they are young. The experts suggest repeated training in performing small jobs. They say such training can help an autistic child develop more normally and lead a better quality of life.
This VOA special English health report was written by (name) and this is (name).

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2002/11/07 Education Report


This is (name) with the VOA special English education report.
We continue our reports about how foreign students can attend an American college or university. This information can be found on the special English web site, www.voaspecialenglish.com. Today we provide information about admission tests required by many American colleges.
Experts say American college officials mainly consider three things when deciding which students to accept. Most important are the grades the student has earned in school. Officials also consider how difficult the student's classes were. Colleges usually accept students who have shown that they are interested in learning and have taken difficult classes. The third thing they look at is scores on admission tests. The college you want to attend may require that you take a test   called the S-A-T one reasoning test.
It is known by the letters,SAT. The test measures student's understanding of mathematics and English. It also measures how well a student reads and understanding what is read.
The SAT is three-hour test. It cost about 26 dollars. You can get detail information at the college board web site, www.collegeboard.com.That's www.collegeboard.com. The web site will tell you where and when the SAT will be given in your country. If you do not have a computer, you can get the information at the United States educational advising center in your country.
Another test is called the test of spoken English. It's a twenty-minute test that involves speaking English. Many American universities want you to take this test if you plan to attend graduate school.
Some universities also will tell you to take the test of written English. This is a thirty-minute test in which you write about something in English. It measures your ability to organize information and express ideas in correct English.
The schools to which you apply probably will require a test known as TOEFL. TOEFL is a short way of saying test of English as a foreign language. It measures your ability to understand, read and write English. We will tell about TOEFL on our education report next week.
This VOA special English education report was written by (name). And this is (name).

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2002/11/16 In the News


This is (name) with the VOA special English program, in the news.
Iraq has annouced its acceptance of a United Nations resolution on weapons inspections. All fifteen members of the U-N security council passed the resolution last Friday. The measure gives U-N inspectors the right to search anywhere in Iraq for banned weapons. It calls for serious measures if Iraq is found to disobey U-N demands to disarm.
On Wednesday, U-N secretary General, Annan received a letter signed by Iraqi foreign minister (). The letter said Iraq is ready to receive the weapons inspectors. It said Iraq would deal with resolution. Yet, it criticized the measure's substance.
The Iraqi letter sharply criticized the United States and Britain, the two countries that proposed the resolution. It said they spread a false claim that Iraq had perhaps produced or was on its way to produce nuclear weapons. It said the United States and Britain wrongly accused Iraq of producing chemical or biological weapons. Iraq criticized other security council members for remaining silent.

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This is (name) with the VOA special English, health report.
The United States food and drug administration has approved a fast new test for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The () test shows results in as little as twenty minutes. Experts say this means many more people probably will be tested. Results from most current HIV tests take days even weeks. The FDA says the new test reports current results almost 100 percent of the time.
() technologies incorporated of () developed the () test. It requires a single drop of blood from a person's finger. The blood is placed in a small container with a special liquid. A testing stick is placed in the liquid.
The test finds if antibodies to HIV are present in the person's blood. Antibodies are proteins that body produces after an infection. However people infected with HIV usually do not develop antibodies to the virus for three months. So people at risk should be tested again if a first test does not show antibodies.