April 04, 2016 00:08 UTC

  • Audio Claim: Turkey Sending Refugees Back to Syria

    Amnesty International says Turkey has been forcing about 100 refugees back to Syria every day since January. The rights group recently released a report that said many people in southern Turkey know about the forced removals.


Let's Learn English

Video Lesson 9: Is It Cold?

This is the ninth lesson of "Let's Learn English" - a new course for English learners. Certified American English teachers designed the course for beginners. The course continues for 52 weeks. This week, Anna talks with her phone about the weather in Washington, DC. More


Learning English Videos

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Everyday Grammar: Words That Are Coming And Goingi
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04/03/2016
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Video The Technology Report: More Than One-Third of Inventors, Discoverers in U.S. are Foreign-Born

Thirty-five percent of those responsible for some of the most important discoveries made in the US were born in other countries, a new study finds.
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Video English in a Minute: That Ship Has Sailed

If someone says to you, "that ship has sailed," it might mean you have missed out on an opportunity. Learn how to use this expression in this week's English in a Minute!
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Video English @ the Movies: 'Pick A Fight'

"Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" is about two action super-heroes. Batman and Superman end up in a fight. Our English @ the Movies phrase we are talking about is "pick a fight." What do you think that means? Listen and find out.
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Video The Economic Report: New Measures from EU Central Bank to Help Economy

The European Central Bank moved to cut interest rates again. The bank is increasing measures to pump more money into the Eurozone economy and to encourage banks to lend more.
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Video News Words: Tears of Joy

This news word is not something you speak. It is an emoji.
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Video The Education Report: Girls Still the First to be Denied Education

Nearly twice as many girls as boys worldwide cannot get an education, according to a new report.
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Video The Health Report: Dying of a Happy Heart

Dying of a broken heart sounds like the ending of a sad love story. But, it actually happens. The “broken heart syndrome,” usually affects people who have received very bad news. Recently however, researchers discovered that a joyful event can also weaken your heart.
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Video The Science Report: February 2016 is the Warmest February on Record

Data from NASA shows a record rise in world temperatures in February 2016. The weather event El Niño along with pollutants plays a role in warmer weather.
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Video The Technology Report: Cambodian Prime Minister’s Facebook Popularity Questioned

A newspaper says Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen might have paid for “likes” on his Facebook page. Cambodian politicians are using the social media site to show the public their popularity. A spokesperson for the prime minister dismisses the claim that Hun Sen paid for Facebook “likes.”
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Video English in a Minute: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Why would Anna and Jonathan be talking about the fashion choices of a wolf? Watch this week's English in a Minute to find out what it means if someone is "a wolf in sheep's clothing!"
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Video English @ the Movies: 'Waste Of Time'

"Youth" is a movie not about the young, but about getting old. Our English @ the Movies phrase from this funny movie is "waste of time." Listen and find out what it means.
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Video News Words: Exonerated

This week's news word is about a man who was in jail and on death row for more than 12 years. Find out what it means to be exonerated.

World

Audio Americans, Chinese Eye Each Other Carefully

U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping met this week. They reported some progress, but disagreements remain. A 2015 Pew Research Center report shows the American and Chinese people also have disagreements. More

Everyday Grammar

Audio Using the Passive Voice

This Everyday Grammar is all about the passive voice. The passive is a verb form in which the subject receives the action of the verb. For example, "I was born on a Saturday." More

Health & Lifestyle

Mummies Contain Clues to Colon Cancer

What do 265 Hungarian mummies discovered during a church renovation in 1994 and colon cancer research have in common? Read on to find out. More

Entertainment

What Is March Madness?

Every year in March, you might hear people in the U.S. talking about March Madness. Are people angry all month? No. March Madness refers to a college basketball tournament. More

America

Audio Large Cars on Top At New York Auto Show

In the 1990s, automakers tried to sell small cars in the U.S. as gas prices increased to almost $4 per gallon in 2012. But now, with more efficient engines and lower gas prices, the big car companies think Americans are ready for big cars again. More

Education

Some New Words for VOA's Word Book

Some big news today here at VOA Learning English. We are adding new words to our 1,500-word Word Book. More

Science & Technology

Instagram Launches 60-Second Videos

Instagram announced its plan to have longer videos earlier this week. Currently, Instagram has a 15-second video time limit. The company said that the time people have spent watching videos on the application increased by more than 40 percent in six months. More

History

Benjamin Banneker: Surveyor, Mathematician, Astronomer

Benjamin Banneker was one of the few free black people in the American colonies. The self-taught mathematician helped plan the nation’s capital and wrote a popular book. Today, he is remembered for questioning how Thomas Jefferson could ignore slavery in the Declaration of Independence. More

The Day in Photos

A girl walks by a grafitti at the train station near the makeshift refugee camp at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, March 29, 2016.

A girl walks by a grafitti at the train station near the makeshift refugee camp at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, March 29, 2016.

Word of the Day

encourage (verb)i
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03/21/2016

encourage (verb)

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The Making of a Nation

The US Expands West

In 1801, the United States under the Constitution was very young — only about 12 years old. And compared to its size today, the country was very small. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the U.S. at the time. Even today, the land accounts for about one-third of America’s territory. More

#Route66VOA

The western end of Route 66

Video Route 66 California: The End of the Trail

The western end of Route 66 is Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean. California's Route 66 passes through the Mojave Desert, bypassed towns, and the urban sprawl of Los Angeles on its way to Hollywood, Beverly Hills and, finally, the Santa Monica Pier. More